Lay to Rest-open

[rook]

They were pathetic. They giggled and chased each other; they were oblivious to the presence of the stray. Rook watched silently, wondering if this was what she had to look forward to as a house pet and all at the same time, glad that she had been abandoned as a pup. That jovial dog could never be her; the Dalmatian was sleek and elegant, graceful and lithe. She was wrinkly and appeared fat, she was intimidating and cumbersome. She was not the ideal house pet and she never could be. Licking her wrinkled lips, she moved forward, toward them unfortunately.

The house pet was alerted to her first and his response was almost comical. The spotted dog stopped playing and stood rigid, body language screaming ‘go away’. Rook nearly went over just to prove a point, he could not stop her, nor could the boy he so obviously wanted to protect. At the mildly aggressive sight of his pet, the boy stopped and immediately found her, fear began to waft from the boy and she snorted softly, shaking her head in a carefree way. Her posture was relaxed, as if she didn’t care- and she didn’t. She wasn’t there to hurt them; she just wanted to find a place to sleep for the night. Obviously, this was not a good place.

She passed the home quietly and without incident despite wanting to show the Dalmatian he was not the boss and was just as pathetic as his master. Still, she wandered on, claws rasping softly against the warm pavement as she sauntered through the suburbs. Rook was not against sleeping in the open, but this place was too nice, too heavily populated, it was far too likely that a dogcatcher patrolled and would pick her up and she couldn’t have that. The ugly, wrinkled mastiff would no doubt be put to sleep, who would want an ugly- massive- beast like her? No one. That was just how she liked it. Being on her own was safe, it was simpler, and there was no one else to look out for.

Yawning into the setting sun, the French mastiff turned down the next road. There had to be something to sleep under, even a bush. Each yard was neatly manicured, however, and there was no safe place in sight to sleep. Sighing she continued on, hoping to get out of the suburbs and somewhere else.

[{t}empest]

Crouching down behind the wooden white fence Jetamio watched as a human took a black plastic bag out to a metal bin that stood a few ways from the house. He set the metal lid back on and walked back up to the door of his house. The small bright light by the door turned on as he got closer, lighting the darkening atmosphere. Jetamio stood where she was listening with her black floppy ears even after the human went back inside. The stars were coming out when she looked around for any sign of movement and stepped out of the shadows.

Quietly Jetamio crept up to the metal can and circled around it. For the first few months on her own Jetamio had relied on this kind of hunting; or she should say scavenging. But after she learned how to properly hunt she comes here less and less. The only reason she was here now was that she had been having bad luck finding prey. She knew that to find decent prey she had to go farther to the outskirts of the city.

Jetamio took a deep breath and glanced back at the house back door where the human had gone. With a lick of her chops, Jetamio turned back to the can and nudged her nose at the rim of the lid and raised it till she could grab it between her teeth. She stretched her head as high as she could and lifted the lid off. It made quiet sounds as it slid against metal. Jet lowered it down to the ground then leaned her body against the bin. It tipped and began to fall but quickly Jet turned around and caught it as it collided with her back and flank.

Slowly she edged away till the can was on its side. Jet pulled out the black bag and ripped it open with her sharp fangs. To her relief she found cooked potatoes with their skins still on. She found peas and carrots, but to her deepest pleasure she found bones of stakes with plenty of meat still attached. Not even part way through the bag her stomach became full. Jetamio took a few more bites of the stingy meat then stepped back, licking her chops with a satisfied grin and a wag of her tail.

Jetamio left the yard, and walking around the alleys wondering where she should sleep tonight. She thought about the junkyard where she has made it her temporary home until she got things sorted. Jetamio stopped at the edge of the alley when she saw a huge wrinkled brown dog coming towards her. Her surprise and disgust hid behind her emotionless calm face as she stood where she was, waiting for the female dog.

[HokeyPokey]

... zara ......................................................................................

    Here in the suburbs it was quiet considering humans were turning in for the evening. Most had settled in after a long day of work, and the easiest way to tell was when a human brought a large bag out to the garbage cans where they threw away plenty of great left-overs. Then, the humans would retire into their shelters, kick up their feet, and doze off as the sound of the television melted their brains. At least that is what Zara made of it for the few months of being a house-pet. She didn't let other know; it was her dearest secret.

    The fact a collar did not rest long enough around her throat to leave an indent in her fur was proof for her that she was as much of a stray as any of the other "street dogs". She often saw other canines though her breed has great genes for size. Her plain, almost depressed expression might also steer others in the opposite direction. If only they didn't judge her too soon... Zara's stomach grumbled just before a faint rattling could be heard coming from the street.

    Folded ears perked forward as she took longer strides. She slowly turned the corner, spotting a black and white dog nosing a trash bin lid. Her tail lowered as her hopes were crushed. She thought it could have been some kind of small prey. Zara watched the dog pace away with its back to her, then saw a wrinkly mass making along the road. They better get out of plain sight, Zara thought, her ears tucking backwards. 

    Her first thought was to disappear into the alley, but she needed to get a quick snack in. She approached the scrap pile the white and black dog left behind, pushing aside what the other dog slobbered all over with her narrow nose. She picked up some kind of fish, which smelled awful, and tore through the styrofoam container. Lemon pepper and buttered asparagus. Not exactly her favorite but it would have to sustain her until a new meal arose. She lifted her head whlist licking her chops and looking to the wrinkled dog and the black and white dog. Her feathered tail swept the pavement beneath her. Her eyes met each dog casually before her head dipped to greet them.

speech thought

[rook]

It was not the noise that alerted her to another’s presence, but the motion of a dog moving under unnatural light. The mastiff paused to take in the sight of a stray digging in the trash, inhaling left overs before a human came out to chase her away. Rooks lips twitched in the beginnings of disgust but she calmed herself, not everyone knew how to hunt real food. It was a pathetic life-style, begging for food, Rook felt sorry for the dog.

The two seemed to notice each other around the same time because as the dog walked away from the garbage and into her general direction. The behemoth did not stop walking, not until she was upon the frail looking dog. “There are better ways of getting food, you know that…right?” Her tone was blunt and only a bit disgusted by the meal choices of the stray in front of her. Copper eyes rolled quietly over the thin dog, perhaps she had potential just maybe she was a fighter. Yet, this was not the body of a fighter, but of a scavenger.

Another dog approached, Rook’s gaze shifted and her brows rose when they found the moving body. This was a large dog, a dog that could certainly fight if she wanted to. Rook’s interest immediately shifted from the weaker dog. “I’m Rook.” She introduced to both of them, hoping to get names in return, but not asking for them. Already she was wondering how to goad either dog- or both, into a fight. She wanted to test them and see if they could be of use to her in her pack. If they weren’t then she had no reason to talk to them.

[HokeyPokey]

z a r a

The sun finally sat very low on the horizon. Dark blue filled the sky except to the west where it had been setting; the sky was warm with orange and pink, purple even blended at the border of blue and orange sky meeting. Zara hadn't paid much attention to the other strays until she got a hefty mouthful. She lifted her head, her narrow muzzle moving quickly as she chomped down the source and swallowed hard. She had also grew parched, but that would be another task to come. The mottled grey dog approached the very tiny Jetamio and the wrinkled beast Rook.

Zara observed as the giant mastiff traced Jetamio's lean figure with a glare of doubt. "Never judge a book by it's cover," she thought to herself, stepping forward and closer to the larger dog. Zara noted the female's name, as Rook, and was not concerned that her advances may be taken offensively. Zara knew she was not trying to threaten Rook, comparatively she probably did not stand a chance unless a loved one was involved... or a scarf, which Zara had forgotten to wrap around her throat before tonight's adventure. Anyhow, the other dog would take it how she would and Zara would be prepared for retaliation. Her body was tense, ears folded but perked forward and her feathered tail leveled horizontally behind her.

"What a surprise, Rook," the Collie mix replied coolly. Her black lips didn't bother spreading a force smile so instead she had what an individual would call a pokerface. "My name is Zara." In unison with speaking her name, the stray's tail flicked and then hung behind her with a faint wag expressing she was feeling playful. Her green eyes watched Rook plainly while her ears revealed her curiosity.

speech thought

[rook]

The larger of the two regarded her with a blank face, something she found interesting. Her actions were rarely regarded with such stoic observation; yet, this one seemed not to care. Now her eyes shifted critically to her. She reminded Rook of a cow dog, but larger- much larger. She had a long snout, not typically of any ranching canine she had ever seen. Yet, the mottled look suggested just that, a ranch dog. A mutt, obviously, but that mattered little to Rook. The female was more than capable of handling herself, but was she willing to? Was she a fighter? Rook could always test her- right then and there, but on the off chance the other dog decided to interact, she did not want a two on one fight, not right now. She had too much going on to risk severe injury.

The cool statement given by the dog made her brow raise in question, but she disregarded it. The step forward, on the other hand caused her brows to furrow and her attention to sharpen. The dog stopped only a few steps later, keeping out of her personal space. Outwardly, Rook had not tensed; she had merely paid more attention. “A pleasure, Zara.” The mastiff managed a curt smile, as she noticed the playful tail gesture. “Can you fight Zara?” She asked, cocking her head to the side again. Rook did not want to waste her side.