A Night's Worth of Exploring

[Aspen]

What are these things?

The question had been rolling over in her head all night. These big, square things were jutting out of the ground, reaching skyward. They were all in a neat little line, separated by a hard black surface. She'd followed the scent of food here but had since forgotten her hunger. These new structures perplexed her, and she'd made it a personal goal to figure out what they were.

Magalie had never seen a house before. What were the noises coming from inside? Why did some of them have light coming out, and some not? She strolled through the grassy front yards, thinking that it felt much better than the hard ground between them. Pavement was just as foreign to her, and she found that walking on it too long hurt her paw pads.

The little white creature froze when she heard a snorting from her left. The noise turned into a loud snuffle, and she thought she might be able to place it. It sounded like sniffing... But the creature that was making these noises couldn't possibly be a fox. The shadow that the evening light produced showed an animal much, much larger. The animal soon started barking, causing Magalie to back herself up against the corner of one of the strange buildings. She attempted to hide her small figure, wondering where it would be safe to hide. It was then that a bright light flicked on directly above her, and shouting sounded off from behind her.

With a surprised yip, Alie took off. She ran as fast as her paws could take her, without concern of whether or not the pavement was hurting her paws. When she could see an opening, she would weave between the buildings and try to change her course. By the time she slowed to a walk, the final light of day had slipped out of the sky. The petite fox panted, finally settling behind a cold metal bin. The smell of food came from inside this pail, but with her heart racing and her muscles shaking, she was far too anxious to eat.

words: 332
tagged: deni

[DENI.]

I'm breathing in the chemicals.

Twilight sparkled above the orange male as he made his way toward the human village. Hunting had proven to be unfruitful the past couple of days, but he knew that he would be able to find old food in the village. It was a great place to find food, but you had to wait until night. If you didn't, the humans would notice you. Some of them would chase you, but most likely they would scream and throw things. They were very protective of their old food, which was natural. No animal wanted to share in its hunt.

The dogs that lived in the village were more dangerous than the humans, though. Where the humans wouldn't usually come near you, the dogs were willing to fight over the small patches of grass that they called their own. Tybalt had learned early on to avoid the small patches of grass, even if they did usually have some okay-tasting pellet food in them. It wasn't worth having to run from a large dog.

His claws clicked as he made his way down the hard-path that the humans used. The place was quiet save for a dog barking from behind its fence. He knew the dog couldn't bother him, so he made his way toward the metal things that held food. He sniffed around, finally settling on one that smelled like it had meat in it. He stood up on his hind feet, pushing the thing over with a resounding clatter. He lowered himself, waiting, but soon he would be distracted.

A smell entered his nose, one that he didn't find often. The smell of another fox. His food-holder forgotten, he followed the smell, coming upon a white she-fox hiding not far away. He grinned at her, his posture friendly. "Well hello there." He greeted.

Aspen.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF G

[Aspen]

As soon as she began to calm down, something else caught the vixen's attention. It was a familiar smell, though strange at the same time. 'Definitely a fox!' She refused to give into her curiosity though, staying tucked behind the trash can. It wasn't safe yet to go exploring, not when she'd had such a close call with that big... Thing. That loud, big thing. Why was everything in this area so loud?

Lucky for her, however, she didn't have to go looking for the other canine. While she continued to try and work up her courage, the male came to her.

The little white fox watched him with dark eyes while he spoke. He was a friendly looking fellow who didn't look like he was out to hurt anyone in the least. Even his tone was nice! This perked the creature right up, bringing her posture from a cower into a proper sitting position.

"Hello." The word off of her tongue easily. Her ears had pricked forward in the strangers direction, signaling that he had her attention. "I'm assuming that the smell of food brought you here as well. Do you happen to have any idea where we are, friend?" Her tone grew confident as she steadied herself. This was an entirely new world for her, and it'd been months since she'd seen another fox. She hesitated to introduce herself, waiting to see if she could figure his intentions before giving away too much information.

She noted the size difference between the two of them. This tod had a few inches on her, though her coat was naturally quite a bit fluffier. She hoped that this would give the illusion that she was well fed and strong since she was still trying to regain her mass after carrying her late pups. Magalie continued to examine the stranger, sitting comfortable before him but not without guard.

[DENI.]

I'm breathing in the chemicals.

The vixen was cowering, which was something that he could understand. It had taken him several visits into the human village before he had gotten comfortable with it. The place was foreign and frightening, and Rose still refused to enter it. But fear was what made the place so great. With so many afraid to enter it, there wasn't a lot of competition for food. Still, the female relaxed noticeably when he greeted her, smiling at him. He returned her smile, sitting back on his haunches and wrapping his fluffy tail around his black paws.

The vixen was smaller than him, but not so much so that he was a huge threat to her. She looked and smelled like him, but she was also different from him. She was all white, and much more fluffy. He had never seen a fox like her before. She finally began to speak, returning his greeting and then bombarding him with questions. He laughed a bit before he answered her, finding her openness endearing.

"You, my dear, are right in the midst of the human village." He said in answer to her, flicking his ears for signs of danger. The village was completely quiet save for the normal sounds of humans getting on with their lives. "And you are quite right about the food. It isn't as fresh or as tasty as a rabbit, but it is easy to find if you know where to look." His ears flicked yet again, casting about for danger. Relaxing too much in the village could easily mean death or injury. "Would you like to share some food with me?" He questioned, cocking his head to the side.

Aspen.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF G

[Aspen]

Magalie cocked her head to the side at the mention of humans. She'd grown up with foxes, and that's all she knew. Of course she was aware that other animals existed, but for the most part they were only the moose and field mice that she had lived with. "A human village?" She spoke with curiosity. "What is a human? Are they the things that control these... Things?" She pointed towards the house with her nose, looking up at it. It was clear that she had never experienced life like this before.

The offer of food reminded her of her hunger. She nodded eagerly to him, rising out of her sitting position and beginning in his direction. It would be nice to having something on her stomach other than the cold, wasting leftovers that she'd managed to scrap from other hunters during her long journey. While following him back to his find, she spoke.

"You are so wonderfully colored." She informed him, watching the way he moved as he walked. It was interesting to her how a creature so similar to her could look so different at the same time. "I've only ever seen grey and white foxes. What are you? You look like... Fire." That observation made her laugh. She'd seen fire only once in her life, and that's exactly what this males vibrant colors reminded her of. It was as if these colors (combined with her personality) warmed her chilled and scared heart. She hadn't laughed in so long.

"I'm Magalie." She began. This tod seemed to be of no harm. He was offering to share his food, which was definitely not something anyone had ever done for her. Not outside of her packmates. "Do you live here in this weird little place?"

[DENI.]

I'm breathing in the chemicals.

He couldn't help but to smile at her question. It was clear that she had been raised in the wilds, away from people and all things that had to do with them. As far as he was concerned, that was a good place to be. Humans weren't exactly pleasant creatures, the only good thing about them was how easy it was to steal their old food. "Humans are animals, I think. But they are strange. Even their young are bigger than us, and they walk using only their hind-paws. They come in different colors, but they only have thick fur on their heads. It is best to avoid them." He concluded, shuddering as he thought of the creatures.

He rose to his paws and started to lead the she-fox back to where he had knocked the food-holder over. It wasn't far away, so he took his time, assuming that the female would want to talk a bit. He wasn't wrong, and soon she was complimenting his fur color. His ears lowered just a bit self-consciously, but his pelt warmed at her compliments. His tail rose just a bit, a grin appearing on his face. "Thank you," he responded, wondering for a moment if looking like fire was a good thing. "I am a fox, like yourself. I can only assume that we are different breeds, though. I'm considered a Red Fox." He explained, his grin never leaving his face.

"Magalie." He repeated, allowing the name to roll off his tongue. It was much longer than the names his parents had granted he and his siblings. "Well, that is a very pretty name. My name is Tybalt, not quite as pretty, though." He laughed softly, looking around a bit to ensure that they were still alone. "Oh no, I share a den with my sister off in the woods. I could never live here, it is too dangerous. What about you?" He questioned as they came upon the bin he had knocked over. He walked around to the front of it and sniffed. He had definitely been right about the meat, but finding it would be a bit of a challenge.

Aspen.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF G

[Aspen]

Magalie listened to Tybalt with interest. He was an curious little creature, and being the first fox she'd run into in a while, she wanted to know a lot more about him. While he spoke, she nosed about the contents of the trash bin. There was a stronger smell of food farther in the bin, but that would require going farther inside of the contraption.

"Your sister? Oh, so there are more like you!" She perked up at this information. A chance to start a new life with a new group of foxes was exactly what she needed. She couldn't return to her old pack or the heartache that sat there.

Magalie was rewarded for her searching with an apple core. It was a little dried out, but she wasn't going to pass up the sweet taste. The little fox crunched at it before she spoke again. "I don't have a home right now. I've been wandering for a few months now and... To be honest, I really don't know where I am." She laughed a bit in good spirits, leaving out the other reasons why she left. "Do you enjoy where you live?"

[DENI.]

Tybalt watched in silence as his tiny companion nosed around in the food-holder. He couldn't help but to smile a bit at her. He had always found it rather cute to watch another canine explore something for the first time. After a bit, her nose peaked up out of the human-left-overs and and she asked him about his sister. He shook his head in amusement. "Of course there are more of me, there are also gray foxes around here a lot. I actually have two sisters, Rose and Lily. Rose and I have lived together since we were pups, but Lily lives quite a ways away with her mate." He explained, a pang going through his stomach when he thought of his other sister. He hoped that she was doing well.

He sat in silence after that, watching as Alie nosed through the old-food some more. Finally she emerged with an apple core. It wouldn't have been his first choice, but as long as she liked it, that was all that mattered. He listened as she admitted that she didn't know where she was, and then she asked him another question. "I know the feeling of displacement well. My sister and I were run out of our old den by coyotes awhile ago, and we settled here. Sometimes I miss our old home, but this one is just as good. If you choose to stay around, I think you'll like it here... I could even help you out a bit." He grinned at her as he made the offer. There was plenty of room in he and Rose's den for the tiny white vixen.

Finally he stood up and made his way to the food-holder. Unlike Alie, he had no qualms about entering it; because he had done so many times before. After a bit of nosing, he was able to find a bucket that contained some old chicken. He pulled it out and tipped the contents over, grabbing a piece for himself and gnawing on it. He gestured toward it with his tail to let her know that she could have some as well.

[Aspen]

Magalie felt herself getting more hopeful with his every word. Was he offering her a place to stay? It sounded like it. He was genuinely kind for doing so, especially since they hardly knew each other. She mulled over the offer while watching the orange tod disappear into the bin. She worried for him, afraid that he might run into something undesirable. After all, if they came here for food, other creatures might too! He emerged safelty though, and with a prize.

Alie jumped at the chance to snack on the chicken. Meat had become a luxury while she wandered. On her own, she was lucky to find a field mouse in these foreign lands. She quickly downed what scraps of chicken were left of the bone, and then continued to chew on that. "I would be indebted to you if you'd let me stay... If only for a little while." Magalie tried not to think too far into the future. This might not be a permanent home... But it was something for now.

"What is your sister like? The one you live with." She couldn't imagine growing up with anyone but her mother. "I was my mother's only pup. I bet it's nice to have someone around to talk to when you get lonely." She realized that it wasn't very ladylike to be talking with a chicken bone hanging out of her mouth, so she dropped it to the ground. Alie propped herself into a sitting position again, making sure to correct her posture.

[DENI.]

Tybalt grabbed another piece of chicken, chewing on it in silence as he watched her devour several pieces, stripping them down to the bones and then chewing on the bones. It was very clear to him that she hadn't had a substantial meal in a long time. He knew that being alone would be difficult, but fortunately for him he had never had to be alone. Rose had always been there, even if he was the one taking care of her more often than not.

He shook his head at her words, dismissing them instantly. "You will owe no debt to me. I only ask that you help with hunting and any other tasks. You may stay as long as you like." He smiled warmly at her. Having another pair of paws to help out with hunting and guarding the den would be nice. Rose was skittish, and she often didn't like to stray far from the den; even though she was an excellent hunter.

He laughed softly as she asked him about Rose, self-consciously dropping the bones from her mouth after she was done speaking. He tore another piece of meat off of his bone, chewing it up and swallowing before he answered. "Rose is very sweet. She can be skittish, and she doesn't like new experiences, but she is very loving and loyal. She is a great companion, I'm sure you two will like each other."

He took another bite off of his chicken before he spoke again, "I cannot imagine living with just one parent. My sisters and I were raised by both of our parents. I suppose you and your mother were very close?" He questioned, continuing to gnaw at his bone.

[Aspen]

Magalie felt herself growing excited to meet Rose. Tybalt's company was more than welcome, but the there were just some things that other females could understand better. With how he described Rose, she found no flaws. They sounded similar, she and his sister, and it made her wonder how quickly they'd become friends. The conversation was soon shifted in her own direction.

"It was quiet growing up, but I didn't mind. Oh, yes! We were very close. I only met my father once when I was young... But I don't think I suffered too great of a loss." He hadn't been a very valiant tod. After all, he abandoned his pregnant partner out of fear of parenthood. That wasn't an admirable thing to do, and Magalie still held a lot of distaste for the male beacuse of it.

"I lost my mother many months ago, but to what I'm not sure. We happened upon a pack that promised us good things and... Now she's not with me anymore." There was a moment of silence that fell between them, though it wasn't awkward. During this time, Magalie finished off another peice of chicken. "I don't feel that you'll wrong me, though. You aren't demanding or pushy like these foxes were. You're a kind soul, Tybalt. I think it's safe to assume that."

It felt like a cleanse to talk to someone after so long. Solitude was nice, and it gave one time to reflect... But deep down, Alie was a social creature who needed interaction from likeminded individuals. Tybalt was easy going; he didn't pressure for conversation, he just let it happen. He was easy to talk to.

"Thank you for giving me a place to stay."

[DENI.]

He listened in silence as she described her life with her mother, and also her father. His black tipped ears lowered against his skull as she told him of the tod. His father had always taught him that mating was a big deal, and that mates were for life. You couldn't just abandon your mate to her fate just because you did not have the kits in your own stomach. He shook his head, openly showing his distaste. "I don't believe you did either, save for the protection that he could have offered you if he had been an honorable male." The thought of a male abandoning his mate and kits left a nasty taste in Tybalt's mouth.

His ears lowered in sympathy when she described losing her mother to a pack foxes. He could not even begin to imagine what might have happened to her, since he had never even actually see a pack of foxes before. He stepped over the bucket of chicken, and pressed his nose into her shoulder, draping his tail over hers. "It pains to be hear of your mother, Magalie. But you are correct in assuming that I would never harm you. I can promise you that much." He nodded to her, reaffirming his promise. To hurt another without provocation was not in his nature.

"It is my pleasure," he insisted, rising and disappearing into the food-holder once more. Once he emerged, he had an old piece of meat hanging from his jaws. He dropped in on the ground. "For Rose," he explained, "Once you've had your fill, we should leave. We don't want the humans or one of their dogs to notice us." He sat back and wrapped his tail around his paws, his ears swiveling around for signs of danger.

[Aspen]

The young vixen tensed a bit when she felt the stranger getting close. He was gentle however, and reassuring. Magalie grew comfortable with his closeness, closing her eyes for a moment before feeling the body next to her get up and move away.

The fact that he moved so easily into the smelly bin made her laugh. He did this a lot evidently, but she gathered that any smart fox would. There seemed to be at least a weeks worth of food for one fox just in this food-holder alone! She'd seen a lot of the shiny bins in the neighborhood, so she made note that this was a good place to remember.

"I'm ready to go." She responded at his warning. She didn't want to be around a human either. The way Tybalt described them didn't make them seem very desirable, and she couldn't imagine that they'd like sharing their food. If they didn't want anyone getting it though, why would they leave it so unprotected? "We can leave now. I don't like the dogs here. They're very noisy and... Excitable."

Magalie stood now with her tail behind her, twitching anxiously. She was curious to see where this tod would lead her, and very ready to finally be able to get a good night's sleep in a warm den.

[DENI.]

To his relief, the vixen was ready to leave immediately. He knew that they weren't in an immediate danger, but he also knew that luck was not a temptress that you messed with. They had stayed more than long enough, and they didn't need to test her anymore. He grabbed the meat up from the ground and padded over to her. Once again he dropped it so he could speak easily. "Stay by my side or close behind me until we get out of the village. I won't let the dogs hurt you." He pressed his fluffy tail into her flank reassuringly before picking up the meat and taking off at a trot.

He moved swiftly across the flat-rock that the humans traveled on and then crouched in the shadow of one of their dens. His ears flicked around, and he also sighted and smelled for danger. When he was certain that it was safe, he once again took off at a swift trot. He hung close to the edge of the flat-rock, which put enough distance between them and the dens that the dogs probably wouldn't notice them.

OOC: I'm sorry its so short ):

[Aspen]

Magalie felt herself becoming very trusting of the male, and within good reason! He'd helped feed and house her, all in one night. Tybalt was a friendly face, which was more than she'd been able to say about the other foxes i her life. "Thank you, Tybalt." His name fell off of her tongue easily, and that made the little white vixen smile.

She kept close to him as he slipped down the street. In the shadows, the blended in a bit more... But there were odd lights every fifty feet or so that sat on poles, lighting up that part of the uncomfortable ground. Magalie hesitated to complain since they would be out soon, but she found herself quickening her pace. She was ready to feel safe.

During their little sprint to saftey, Magalie lost her footing. She had been picking up her paws high, trying to minimize the time they spent on that uncomfortable, scratchy rock. In this, she tumbled onto the ground before Tybalt. Magalie was quick in recovery, back to her feet in a matter of seconds, but not without giggles. "Excuse me." She said through laughter. "I guess I'm just eager to get out of here."

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ooc no worries! mine haven't been lengthy either. <3