two peas in separate pods [C/JOINING/ALLIE]

[»KINDLE ♫]

The wind whipped past his black fur, ruffling it violently as he stood on an outcrop above the valley. It looked like a drop into nothingness, the grass such a dark colour that it looked like a black hole to a different world of darkness. It was true that if you jumped off the cliff you reach reach the land of nothingness, though it was certainly not the land the living went to. Dual coloured eyes looked down to the valley floor, scanning for any signs of life though it was almost impossible to see anything down there. Looking over the grass and then up the walls of the dip in the ground, Acribus could see holes and cracks in the stone walls that would make perfect places for dens and storage holes, should any wolves make their home here. It had been a while since he'd been in the company of others, though the thought did cross his mind to start socialising again. If he did ever join a pack, it would only work if he was to lead. He would never be ruled by weak cowards if he had anything to do about it.

A bird flew past him on his vantage point, squawking angrily at him as it disappeared towards the other side of the valley. Perhaps he'd stopped near its nest and disturbed whatever children it had there, trying to protect them by trying to scare him away. The brute just stared after the bird with a bored expression, almost angered by its feeble attempts to protect its young. Children were of no concern to him, they would always just be things used to pass on genes and keep the right kind of mind in this messed up world. Acribus drew in a deep breath, his blue and yellow eyes scanning the valley once again.

[Allie ♥]

Lately there had been a strange tickle in the pit of North's stomach. Almost like she was missing something and she just hadn't caught on to what it was quite yet. She knew she was looking for something, which was the reason she had allowed her paws to carry her this far to an unknown place, and yet she had no clue as to what she was looking for. Ever since West's death North had never gotten the sense that she really needed a family. Despite the fact that she had been looking for her brother East, the dog never really bothered to try and form any relationships that would ultimately impact her for her life. However, what the female didn't know, was that she was about to walk right into one of those situations.

North crept along the side of the mountain, attempting to find the safest route to the bottom where the bluegrass swayed through the wind. She wasn't quite sure why the area seemed to be attracting her, but she did know that the bluegrass tasted sweet and salty on her tongue every time she took a breath and the female enjoyed such an interesting sensation. She was sure she could learn to enjoy this place if she chose to stuck around: though she would need to find someplace to provide shelter. The mutt's eyes finally fell on a path down the side of the mountain: it seemed to be worn down with an old scent of goats left behind. It was perfect for her to be able to climb down while still keeping her grip to the side of the mountain. Her agile body weaved between rocks and crevices her tail swaying through the air as her body shifted to keep herself from falling. Stopping at the top of the trail, the Malinois examined her chosen route one more time, checking for any flaws, before she began to descend.

Her claws dug into the loose soil as her nerves overwhelmed her. North had always had a fear of heights, though she was usually able to overcome it. This situation, however, was quite different for her. It wasn't every day she had to descend down a steep mountainside on loose soil that could give way under her feet at any moment. The only thing that kept her safe from falling to her slow and painful death was the slow, careful steps she took. One foot after the other North continued on, she could feel the tension in her body intensifying and coursing through her veins about to break as the path became more steep. "How did those idiotic goats keep from slipping." she said, a quiet swear following under her breath. She paused halfway down, lifting her nose to the wind and taking in another breath. When she tasted the air, though, the wind had shifted and a new unfamiliar scent burned in the back of her throat. It was an unknown scent, and yet she knew the smell all too well.

Her eyes swept across the parallel mountain, tracing every crevice she could see when she spotted him. It was a dark figure, barely noticeable in the shadows that concealed him. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to go talk to him. After all, North wasn't the type of dog to enjoy living in solitude, but even still she had to finish her trek and walk across the bluegrass valley to where he stood high above her. With a new determination the dog sucked in a breath and held it there as she bunched her muscles with tension. A moment later she sprung forward, all of the fear and adrenaline she had felt before tearing her veins apart. She was running down the goat trail carelessly. Surely this wild outburst would bring on the dog's breath and yet it hadn't. She reached the bottom within a minute, exhaling heavily and forcing herself to breath. That was a new way of facing your fear: pushing yourself to make it worse. It almost made walking down the goat trail seem like nothing. Almost.

North took a moment to breath in the bluegrass her pads were finally able to touch before she continued forward, cutting across the blue landscape to make a direct path toward the male. Maybe if she was lucky he would begin the descend down and she wouldn't have to trek down another mountain, though she wasn't quite sure of that. The mutt picked up the pace, her body easily falling into a quicker pace as she glided across the ground. Just a few more yards and she could make her way to the tall dark stranger. If only she knew whether he was handsome or not. Her ears flattened across her head and her jaws clenched as she scraped the top of her toes on a rock beneath her feet, but she still kept on track like a steam engine that couldn't be stopped. She wasn't going to let him leave before she at least found out his name.

The Malinois finally reached the bottom of the second mountain, scanning the wall. It seemed steep, but not too steep to where she wouldn't be able to climb it. However she decided climbing the rocks would be a lot worse than trekking down a goat trail, so she chose to find an alternative route: another goat trail that hugged the side of the mountain and wasn't as steep as the other one. She scaled the mountain within a matter of minutes, finally beginning her search for the mystery man she had spotted. But before she went anywhere, she figured it would be best to at least see if he was interested in another dog. So she let a few words slip out, "Hello? Who's there?"

[»KINDLE ♫]

He was just watching the bird disappear over the other valley wall when he spotted the movement, his gaze flicking over to the shape that was moving slowly down what he guessed was a goat path. From this distance he couldn't determine what gender the shape was, though it didn't really matter because, either way, if they started a fight he'd be sure to finish it. Still, he watched with interest as whoever it was seemed to notice him and scampered down the path before reaching the stable ground at the bottom. His ears raised with surprise at how well the canine kept their balance running down the narrow path, feeling quite impressed until they reached the bottom, taking quite a long pause to catch their breath. His ears lowered once again and his face returned to its usual stoic look.

Attention was brought back to the shape on the ground when it began to move again, this time towards him and he stepped forward to the edge of his outcrop to get a better view. As they came closer, Acribus was able to make out a fluffy pelt and they were obviously quite well built considering the speed at which they were running. He followed their path with his eyes, walking along the outcrop when they left his view and eventually stopping at the side they were climbing up. At their call, he could tell the voice was distinctly female and a sadistic smile crawled onto his lips, though it was hesitant as his previously impressed thoughts were still lingering in his mind.

"It's quite alright dear, I mean no harm. Come on up and we can have a proper talk."

[Allie ♥]

A shiver ran down the female's spine, it fingers sliding up and down her back with a poisonous pleasure. She shook off the feeling and the weird feeling she had gotten from it, listening to the male, though she only caught part of what he was saying, "-I mean no harm. Come on up and we can have a proper talk." His voice was a toxic one: masculine, but still sweet and made the female feel like she could be anywhere in the world and she would be safe. It was weird: North had never felt this way about someone, but that didn't mean she was attracted to him. She was just affected by his voice in the most unexpected way. "Well, alright." she spoke, inching toward the spot she thought the voice had originated. Eventually, as she became more confident in where the male stood, her strides widened and no longer walked as if she was unsure of the world like a child would.

He stood just a few feet from where North had previously been, but there had been a big boulder in the way from where she had stood. His feet were planted firmly on the stone beneath him and his stance was confident as he stood just a few inches from the edge. Either he had been watching North on her trek across the valley or he was just a daredevil without the fear of heights. Why hello there. What's a fellow like yourself doing all the way up here? Isn't it a bit," she paused, thinking of the word she had been meaning to say. Although, the word wasn't coming to her easily so she said the next thing that came to mind, "high for you?" As she spoke, a strong wind came through, whipping the girl's plush hair around.

Though her feet were planted firmly onto the cold, grey stone, the wind made her falter as her eyes looked down toward the grass at the bottom of the valley. Trying to avoid a display of weakness, her eyes shifted back toward the male, studying his curves of muscle and his plush black fur. His body was solid with a hint of muscle, though he didn't have too much muscle to the point where you could see every little piece of his body. It only had a hint of muscle in the way you could see slight curves in his shoulders, back, and chest as he shifted his weight or even exhaled. The male stranger also had a handsome face, but North didn't find herself to be particularly attracted to him. At most she was fascinated by the plain beauty of his body and the wild, bicolored eyes: one a pale yellow and the other a striking blue. It was an odd combination, but it really worked in the male's favor.

Finally realizing North hadn't introduced herself, she cleared her throat and flexed her claws a little bit so they scraped against the floor: a bad habit she had had since she was young. "Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is North." she said, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

[»KINDLE ♫]

The sickly smile still lingered on his face as he watched the girl stay put for a few moments. He wondered if her pause was caused by him or just her unsure judgement of where he was. She'd spotted him from across the valley, though it would be harder to pinpoint where he was the closer she got, due to the winding paths and steep valley walls. At least when he'd made his way up here, he hadn't been searching for any spot in particular and was free to pause in his cliff-climbing wherever he pleased. The outcrop had seemed nice enough; a great view of the sweeping landscape below him, blue-tinted grass forming a waving ocean beneath him and the wind rushing past him, though not at a force to make him unnaturally cold or make his fur look over-ruffled.

When the girl arrived, he had to say he was quite pleased by her appearance. Whilst he did not view females like others, merely treating them as machines to pass on the legacy of a great male, there were many that could impress him with looks. She was certainly a pretty little thing with her flowing fur coat and sparkling eyes, though Acribus could tell there was a lot more to her than met the eye. She was certainly a fighter, he could tell that from her almost gruelling trek to him, and her eyes held more than just twinkles. They also burned with a fire much like his, with power and rule. Whilst many girls could easily sway him with their pretty faces, this one seemed to be able to be the select few that could match him in spirit and perhaps even in strength. His liking for this girl grew significantly, though it was nothing sentimental. It merely meant she was superior in their species and was the perfect specimen to continue his legacy, whether she was wolf or not. The brute was sure that even though their pups were half-breeds there would be a strong one among them and even if there wasn't, there were many more girls he could take advantage of for his own sick needs. The only thing special about this one was her fighting spirit.

"High? For me? I have to say I quite like it at this height, the wind feels just right against my fur. It's quite peaceful too, don't you think?" Another toxic smile was woven onto his lips, his mismatching eyes boring into the girl though not uncomfortably. It was a look to challenge her maybe, though not with violence. The fight would be with their eyes and their will to see who could hold their stare the longest before the other was forced to look away. His dual eyes didn't miss a beat as he caught her wobbling a bit as she glanced over the edge. Perhaps these heights weren't for everyone then. His tail swayed slightly behind him as he watched her every move, sizing her up for a fight that wouldn't even come. He couldn't be too careful, despite his intimidating appearance.

"Acribus." He almost purred the word out, his voice like silk as he smiled back at her, poison practically dripping from his mouth.

[Allie ♥]

North's eyes had already been tracing the land below her, the curves in the stones that supported her, and the weakness her legs were beginning to show in her. So when the wolf begun to talk about how peaceful it was up here for him, she couldn't help but hold back a desperate cry, strangled to silence in the back of her throat. She wasn't going to let someone she didn't know find any weakness in her. She lifted her snout a little higher like she usually did when she was afraid, her eyes making their way back to the bi-eyed mutt, "I honestly hadn't thought about it that way." She let the conversation die off at that point and, when the male's eyes found her own she felt her skin crawl.

The male was baring into her, his eyes locked on North's own brown orbs. He seemed similar to the female in a couple of different ways, but not in this way. It was almost as if he was testing her: watching her every move. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with herself. Did she divert his attention to something else? Hold his stare until he backs down? Maybe she should just avert her eyes in a submissive manner, but that automatically showed weakness the second her eyes shifted to the floor. The Malinois had been so focused on his eyes that she had almost missed the mutt's name, but eventually it found it's way into her mind where she could process it. Acribus. It was sort of a funny name: it held a lot of power in the word, and yet it was just a silly word taken on as a name. Without thinking, the mutt let the statement slip out before she could process it, her curiosity burning holes in her tongue, "That's a silly name." She frowned at herself, though she found her moment to break the stare without showing too much weakness. It more so showed embarassment as the rush of heat flooded to her ears: something that actually made her thankful for her long coat that could conceal her blush.

"Oh, that wasn't what I meant by that. I just meant... Well, does it have a meaning to it? Acribus?" North spoke, a little bit of pressure leaving her head. Why had she made so many slip ups in front of Acribus? It was silly and unacceptable. Only a pup who didn't know what to do should have been making the mistake she was making, but at the same time she couldn't possibbly stop it. After all, she didn't know how to fix a problem if she had no idea about where it originated from.

North finally allowed her eyes to claw their way back up to meet Acribus', a new challenge set in her eyes. She wouldn't be the next one to look away. She had already showed her weakness and now she wasn't going to let him see any more of it. After all, if he had been clearly observing her he would have seen she had a particular fear of heights. So if she were to look away once more he would see the weakness in her like a beat that couldn't be tamed deep inside her chest. Her claws tested the ground out of habit and her eyes burned so badly to look away, but the female was determined enough to keep them right where they were. Fixed on Acribus in a challenging, yet none challenging way. Like the movement came naturally to her which, in a way, it did. But every inch of her body was telling her it was smarter to play dumb and submissive than feed her pride the fuel it needed for the fire to continue to burn. But that's what she did. She let the fire burn freely in her veins.

[»KINDLE ♫]

Acribus was still watching her closely when she rose her muzzle into the air and met his eyes and though she was doing a good job at masking it, he could just about pick up on her fear. His large head tilted to the side a little, a gesture meant to show intrigue, before speaking again.

"Appreciating the world in every way certainly helps with one's mental stability, or at least I think it does." His mismatch eyes found their way to looking out across the valley again, the sun just about dipping behind the other wall. The day had certainly gone fast as it was swiftly approaching dusk already, the already dark outcrop they were stood on slowly fading out of the light. Night was when the male felt most comfortable as his black pelt allowed him to blend in, though his eyes were mostly a give away. Still, he found no reason for wanting to hide with the girl around and in fact he wanted to do quite the opposite. Studying her eyes again, as he always thought of them as windows to the soul, he could see her thoughts speeding around her mind as she tried to decide what to do. Her next statement caught him off guard a little and his ears pricked up on his head, face tilting once again as he opened his mouth to speak. She beat him to it though, helping her case as he was about to begin losing his temper at her. Mockery of him was certainly not something he took lightly, but she seemed to be able to redeem herself. For now at least.

"I'm glad you clarified that statement, my dear. It could have taken this conversation down a very different route," Taking a deep breath and drawing himself up a little, Acribus replied to her question, "As for a meaning, I'm afraid it doesn't. I never cared for names with meanings, they are just labels to be placed on beings, and it seems my parents didn't either. Still, I find it quite charming... Though certainly not as interesting as yours, considering it is an actual word. Is there a specific reason to your naming?" The sickly smile never seemed to leave his face every time he spoke and this was no exception. It was still there, tightly knitted onto his face as he waited for a reply. His name did in fact have a meaning, his mother had told him that in an ancient tongue it had once meant 'Acrid'. It certainly wasn't the best translation to tell a girl you were trying to lure in, which left him a viable reason to slip a little lie in.

Her eyes moved up to join his again, this time with some more fire than before. Whilst it had been him to initiate the last challenge, she seemed to be taking the lead now and he had to admit he almost liked it. He met her challenge with calm eyes, though something dark and feral lay behind the calm outer shell. The flames had only just ignited inside of her and yet they'd been blazing inside of him ever since he'd laid eyes on her.

[Allie ♥]

"Appreciating the world in every way certainly helps with one's mental stability, or at least I think it does." there was truth within the wolf's words, but that didn't mean North was quick to accept them without her doubts. She believed it was possible to see the world from different perspectives, but she didn't necessarily think one person could see more than one perspective of the same world. It was like the concept of walking in someone's paw steps for a day: it was a nice thought, but it obviously wasn't going to ever happen. She turned her gaze to the brute, running her eyes down his body provocatively for a moment before forcing her eyes back to the ground they stood high above.

For a brief moment, when the wind ran it's fingers over her body, untangling the knots in her stomach only to create new, unknown ones that made her stomach tingle. It felt wild to be up here: like an eagle with the wind rushing over your feathers. Although, North hadn't ever had feathers, so it wasn't exactly like that. She closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of the wind briefly as she tried to imagine herself high above the clouds like a bird. It just didn't seem like a feeling that could be duplicated, though. She'd never seen a cloud from above nor was she sure how the bird could fly through the blue stuff up there, though, so it really wasn't the easiest thing to think of. In fact, it would be nearly impossible if she hadn't been standing where she was currently. She exhaled, turning her eyes to Acribus, "Perspective changes everything, yes. But you also have to be able to physically connect with that point of view."

Before she could drag out the conversation just a little more by adding something to it, the male spoke once more regarding her comment on his name, "I'm glad you clarified that statement, my dear. It could have taken this conversation down a very different route. As for a meaning, I'm afraid it doesn't. I never cared for names with meanings, they are just labels to be placed on beings, and it seems my parents didn't either. Still, I find it quite charming... Though certainly not as interesting as yours, considering it is an actual word. Is there a specific reason to your naming?" Even though North felt like she should have felt a threat in Acribus' words, her body didn't respond to them. She wasn't the tallest, bulkiest, or the fastest dog and a lot of the time she let her weakness show, but still she found herself to look the wolf dead in the eye without a hint of a flinch to his words. At this point, she knew she was insane. Here she was, staring a wolf twice her size dead in the eye, and she felt no fear toward him.

He didn't scare her. Couldn't scare her. Fear was just a weakness and North was done dealing with all her weak moments. She would stay strong no matter what challenges this male threw at her. Clearly he didn't have an interest in her submitting to him. At least not yet. So then where was the hurt in.... toying with him? She let out a breath, her ears falling sloping slightly in a lazy way, "My parents like the sounds of the words, I guess. Either that or they knew we would all be so different, yet still work together. I have two brothers as well. Well," She had stumbled. The words of her brothers weren't coming easily to her. It wasn't easy to talk about them, and yet she was doing it. It was only a harmless explanation of their names, but it stabbed North's beating heart unmercifully. She started again, her ears returning to an alert position as she calculated her words, working every inch of her body carefully, "I have one brother as far as I know, but I was raised with two. East and West."

Once she had finished speaking about her family to the wolf, she threw their names from her mind like pieces of garbage. That was basically what they were: garbage. You couldn't have a name with no face, nor could you know a face without emotions. And North had neither a face nor emotions toward either of her brothers. They were just gone, torn away from her without hesitation. Therefore she would throw her emotions about them out the window until she had a reason to feel something for them again. After all, West was just decaying matter in the ground now and she had no idea where East was. "Now, tell me about yourself Acribus. Do you have a family? Or perhaps a pack? Wolves are generally pack creatures, are they not?"

»KINDLE ♫