The Unexpected (DENI)

[Kiba]

The big dog moved down the sidewalk, his fur bristling in the evening light. Fresh scars littered his pelt, a rather nasty on running down his eye and another around his leg. He looked rather angry, although one wouldn't be able to tell why. Perhaps he was just an angry soul. Or perhaps some prissy house dog had angered him. Whatever the reason, he didn't look as if you'd want to cross his path.

In truth, he was angry at himself. Only a few days before, Lulu had found him. They had gotten into a fight. During that fight she had admitted that she liked him. He didn't return her feelings and he hasn't seen her since. That's why he was here. He was hoping to find the she-dog in the neighborhood. No luck. He had checked the cow fields too. She hadn't been there. He was running out of places and was getting anxious.

"Dumb bitch is gonna get herself killed," he growled to himself. He didn't believe that she was a dumb bitch. Well, he believed that she could be dumb at times, as well as bitchy at times. But he never meant all the time. He was worried about her, that was all. And when he was worried, anxious, and irritated, he often got angry. And when he was angry, he cussed and lashed out at others. Thankfully, no one was around him to lash out to.

[DENI.]

It was the burning sun that woke him up rather than the sound of another walking through the junkyard. The large brindle dog had been sleeping rather peacefully on an old mattress. However, the sun had warmed him to a point that he was no longer comfortable. He sat up and threw his jaws open wide in a very large yawn. He stumbled sleepily to the edge of the mattress and lapped at some water that had gathered in an old tire.

It was then that the sound of pawsteps and grumbling entered his ears. He lifted his head up slowly, his lips already pulling back into a snarl. He moved forward several steps, bringing the strange canine into view. However, he would soon find that the canine wasn't strange at all. Familiar scents and sights assaulted his senses, and he took a small step backward. He had never expected to see Country again, but yet here his younger brother was.

He stepped out from behind the pile of garbage he had been hiding and trotted easily over to his brother. His eyes swept over Country's form and a frown pulled at his lips. "Who ya been fighting with now?" He asked, ignoring the fact that they hadn't seen each other in well over a year.

[Kiba]

The dog stopped walking as someone blocked his path. The snarl was still on his face and he let out a warning growl to whoever it was. It was cut short as he noticed that the dog in front of him looked similar to himself. Then he heard the familiar voice. He blinked in shock, although he hid it as best as he could.

"Ain't none of your business, Bear," he snapped at his brother. He examined the darker dog, trying to see how he was fairing. He didn't look too bad. Looked fairly fit and healthy, actually. He moved his eyes so that his eyes were meeting his brother's.

"What are ya doin' here anyways?" he asked.

[DENI.]

An amused smile presented itself on his face as his brother snapped at him. He shrugged a bit, shaking his fur out. "Fine, fine. If you don't wanna share, I'm not interested." He said, his tone dismissive. He hadn't seen his brother in a long time, and it wouldn't be right for him to force answers or just expect his brother's trust. He brought his paw up to his mouth, licking some dirt out from between his toes. It was nice to see Country, even if he wished his brother looked a little better.

"Eh?" He questioned, a bit thrown off by his brother's question. "I just chose this place to sleep. The humans throw away comfortable objects for some reason." Once again he shrugged, indicating that it didn't really matter. "Where've you been anyway?" He asked. He and his brother had parted ways in a forest a couple hours walk from the city. He had expected to see his brother in the city on occasion, but this was the first time he had.

[Kiba]

"I've been in the wild. Usually in the meadows or by a lake. I don't like bein' this close to humans. Knowin' my luck, I'd get captured and taken to the pound," he snorted, sitting down. He leaned his head down to his shoulder and began to bite at it lightly. After a moment there was the satisfying crunch of a flea as it died between his teeth.

"Whats it to ya, though? Last time I checked, ya were the one who left me alone in the woods. We were supposed to be brothers. Ya know, takin' care of each other and shit. Why you actin' so friendly now?" he asked. What a day this had turned out to be. He surely hadn't been expecting to see his brother.

[DENI.]

Bear listened in silence to his brother's explanation and then his following accusation. While nothing appeared on his face, a twang of guilt shot through his stomach. He had known that Country would not be pleased by being left on his own, but it had been the only option. Even now, Bear did not plan to stay with his brother all the time. He didn't think he would be able to stand the disappointment on his face when he figured just what he was.

Finally, Bear sat back on his haunches and opened his mouth to speak. "The pound is a real threat with humans, but the risk is worth the reward. I never go hungry and I always have a comfortable place to sleep. You just have to know what to do." He thought about offering to teach his brother how to survive in the city, but then decided against it. Country probably didn't want his help.

"We're still brothers, but there were good reasons why I left you. I don't care to explain them, because that would defeat the whole purpose, but its still good to see you." He offered his brother a smile, though he doubted it would be returned.

[Kiba]

Country sneered at the smile and just shook his head. His brother was being difficult, as usual. The fur on the back of his neck began to rise again and he bared his teeth. He wouldn't ever attack his brother, though. His brother had always been the stronger one and when ever they had trained before, Country had never been able to win. There would be no point in starting another fight if it was going to make him feel guilty later.

"Well, I don't know if I can say the same thing. Especially today. You've caught me in a bad mood. But maybe you can help me. I've been looking for a female dog. An American Foxhound named Lulu. Have you seen her?" he asked, wondering if she made her way through here. Perhaps his brother could help him. If his brother had seen her, maybe he'll point him in the right direction. If not, than he could possibly keep his eyes and ears open for her.

[DENI.]

He shook his head at Country's reply, but made no moves to correct his brother. Country was going to be angry with him, and that was something that he had accepted when he left him. Perhaps someday he could explain why it had to be done, or even better; Country would figure it out on his own. But Bear knew that this day would not be the day that happened. Country was preoccupied... Apparently by a female dog called Lulu.

"'Fraid I've never heard of her before." He grunted, though he still picked at his memories. Despite that, he could think of no dog that fit her description. "Is she the one you got in this scrap with?" He cocked his head a bit, his brown eyes once again raking over his brother's form.

[Kiba]

He growled in annoyance, although he wasn't annoyed in his brother. He was annoyed with himself and with Lulu. At the next question, he gave a slight nod. "Unfortunately. I told her to leave me alone. And she goes on and keeps pesterin' me. Eventually, I gave in and a fight started," he said.

He sighed and sat down, staring around. He looked for any more dogs that might be able to help, but he didn't see any. "She told me she liked me. But I don't like her like that. She gets jealous o'er e'ery damn bitch I'm with. I don't kno' if I can deal with that jealousy. But I'm the only one she's got. Now she's done run away because I told her that I didn't feel the same way," he said.

He didn't know why he was telling his brother this. He hadn't opened up like this to Bear since he was a pup. But this whole thing was just stressful, so he supposed telling someone would be fine. Especially if its someone who he knew.

[DENI.]

Bear sighed softly as he listened to his brother telling him what was wrong. Females. Females were always confusing, even to the most experienced of dogs. In Bear's opinion, Country was quite lucky that this girl had just opened up and told him what was wrong. But Bear also knew that wasn't what Country wanted or needed to hear right now. He tongue came out of his mouth, licking at his chops, before he returned it with a small 'snap.'

"Still pretty good at getting yourself in messes, eh?" He questioned, chuckling a bit. "But in all seriousness, you did the best thing that you could have done for yourself and that girl. If you aren't interested in her romantically, then is it for the best that she knows. She can move on and find someone who is. If she wasn't injured too badly after your fight, I would suggest giving her some space. She's hurting right now, and she probably don't wanna see the cause of it." He smiled again, hoping his brother would take his words well.

"If you are really worried about her, though, I would be willing to seek her out for you and tell her you are worried and ask her if she wants to see you. In any case, I can at least tell you how she is doing." He wasn't really sure why he made the offer... But here they were.

[Kiba]

He listened and shrugged as he was accused of getting into trouble still. He couldn't help it. It was as if trouble came to him. He couldn't just avoid it. If trouble wanted to mess with him, he was going to show it that he wasn't the dog to mess with. He was strong and aggressive. He didn't need trouble to make his life anymore stressful.

He focused back onto what Bear was saying. He was offering to help Country? After he left him alone? How could Country trust him after that? How could he expect Country to trust him? Even so, there was no one else offering their help. And an extra set of paws, eyes, and ears would help. Even so, he wasn't going to expect Bear to really help.

"Another dawg searchin' would be helpful. If you find her, than tell her that she needs to suck it up and come find me. I'm all she's got," he growled slightly, still annoyed. 'And she's all I got,' he thought to himself, eyes darkening at the lonely thought.

[DENI.]

As he listened to his brother, he fought the urge to shake his head. This Lulu probably didn't want anything to do with him right now. In fact, she might find someone else to be friends with so she could get rid of the little problem of him being all that she had. But Bear knew better than to voice his worries. Country wouldn't listen to them, and it would only make his brother more angry with him. So Bear stilled his tongue, making a mental note to keep an eye out for any American Foxhounds... Or whatever he had called her. Basically a tall beagle... Right?

"I'll be sure to pass the message along." He said, his tone reassuring. He studied his brother for a moment. "Hopefully she won't be so hurt that she can't see passed it." He commented, more to himself, but he also wanted Country to know that there was a chance that this girl would want nothing to do with him.