Alone for now [open]

[Aiden]

The sun was just setting when the brute woke up from his nap. He had been sleeping underneath a dark colored truck. The brutes name? Aiden, pack leader. He hadn't been too worried about it moving. It always seemed to be here. He opened his maw in a wide yawn, before slinking out from underneath the truck. Once on the sidewalk, he gave his dark coat a shake, and started walking. He wasn't quite sure where he was going, only that he wanted to go somewhere.

A car drove by, blaring loud music. He instantly recognized it as what human's called 'rap' music. He couldn't help but to move his paws in time with the beat. After all, this music was awfully catchy. It didn't amuse him for long though, and he soon found himself looking around. The streets were awfully quiet. There was no one around, not even a human. He found it odd, there had been very few dogs around lately. He flicked his ears in mild curiousity but continued onward.

He crossed the street a little ways up and came to a wooden fence. He quickly found the board he knew would be loose and nudged it aside and slipped inside. On the other side was nothing but a weed-filled patch of grass between two apartment buildings, but it was out of the way of humans and dog-catchers. He walked over towards a less prickly patch of grass and laid down. There wasn't much to do, and he was rather bored. He couldn't believe it, but he was wishing for company.

[Topaz]

Tiny femme had decided to be adventerous. She had decided to do what she had never done before. She was walking the streets of Ausgreenia, without being on a leash. She knew she was being daring, and she knew that all her friends would think she was a daredevil. After all, strays roamed the streets.

Topaz shook her little head a little as she looked across the street from where she was sitting and noticed a male slip between a hole in the fence. He didn't look familiar at all to her, so she figured he must be a stray. Instantly, her mind roamed to how all her little girlfriends would be so shocked if she had a run-in with a stray. All the more reason to try it out. She thought slyly. I could make up a story about slipping away from the big scary brute. That would impress everyone. This was typical Topaz. Always worried about her status within society. Ah, well. Either way, she quickly crossed the street in slipped in the wood after the brute.

[Aiden]

Aiden scented the female before he saw her. His eyes turned and looked in the direction of her as soon as she walked in. Instantly, he could tell she was not a stray. Her fur was too shiny, her coat too sleek, and her scent was not that of a stray. Almost instantly he felt a snarl rise up in his throat, and he rose to his paws.

His dark coat shifted with him, and his shoulders stood broadened. He flicked back his ears, and lifted his lips to reveal pink gums and sharp teeth. A snarl was fast rising in his throat, and he automatically put himself in a ready stance.

The female was small, too small to be roaming alone. She was probably the prize of some pack leader. And that wasn't something Aiden felt like dealing with. If she was some pack member or leaders prize he would be fast following after her. He didn't feel like making some poor domestic dog bleed today.

The snarl finally came out of his throat, in the form of harsh words. "What do you want?" His eyes flashed at her, making clear that he dind't want anything to do with the little female.

[Topaz]

Fear rose in the little females eyes as the male stood up to face her, his eyes flashing. She hadn't actually planned on what she was going to do after she had followed the male, nor had she counted on him being so big. From across the street he had looked like something she could handle easily. Apparently not so. She immediately wished that she hadn't folled him into the narrow alley, and turned and looked over her shoulder desperately to try and find the hole she had come in through. She saw it, but she didn't want to injure her pride and run away so quickly.

She raised her head, trying to still be dignified, though she took a step back with her right hind leg, preparing her escape anytime she should need to leave. She gave a little nervous wag of her tail before answering the brutes snarl with a weaker voice of her own. "I- I have just as much right to be here as you do."

[Aiden]

Aiden could tell he had frightened the female simply from her stature. If she had been small before, she looked even smaller now. The way she looked over her shoulder frantically told him that she was scared of him, and was looking for an excape route. When she held up her head, trying to be a little perhpas, brave, or something, he almost wanted to smirk. Clearly this dog had been pampered much of her life.

She obviously wasn't used to thie rough life the streets had to offer. The constant danger of cars whizzing by, the dog catchers patrolling about, the territory lines. If she had any street sense at all she would at least know never to approach a lone male who she didn't know, especailly during a breeding season. Of course though, she didn't have street sense, and she wasn't a street dog.

Aiden sighed, and let the guard hairs on his back fall flat. She didn't know any better, and he didn't feel in a fighting mood today. His voice, now reducd to it's usual growl, replied simply to her, " What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you know it's mating season? Don't you know what could happen to a little dog like you? You don't have right to this place. I'm the one that has to shed my blood to walk these streets. And believe me, there are few males who would pass on an opportunity to take advantage of a little dog that doesn't know where she's going around here." He paused, and glanced away for a second before flicking his ears and looking at the female out of the corner of his eye.

"You're lucky I'm not one of those males. Now get outta here, and scurry on home before you find yourself in more trouble." He would let her slide this time. After all, he did suppose she must be pretty bored stuck up in a yard all day long.

[Topaz]

The little female slunk down more as the male became angrier with her. She should have figured that her inflence as a pretty little female would only help her in the world of domestic dogs, not strays. At his words, she blinked and looked away. She felt like a small pup, being scolded by an elder. She let her ears lie flat against her skull, and turned away from the male at his closing words.

She should've figured that she would have run into nothing but trouble from venturing outside of her comfort zone. And she supposed that she was lucky for not having run into trouble before she had found this male. But now she had to go all the way home, the danger still there, except now she knew what could happen to her. Her home was still a ways away, and she couldn't help but to feel rather nervous about going home alone. She turned her head, and spoke quietly before leaving. "... Could you.. Walk me home...?"[/color][/size]

[Aiden]

The femme had already been forgotten about by Aiden before she had even left. She had just been a minor inconvience in his day. He hadn't run into a domestic dog in a while, and had forgotten just how to deal with them. However, he stood by the rules that he had made for his own pack. Which, had no members, but, it didn't really make a difference to him. He was still the alpha, and he still owned the territory.

In his opinion the territory was beautiful. A large forest, plenty of places to rest, and get food, take a swim and what-not. Thinking of his territory made him long to go back to it. However, his thoughts were marred by the sound of the little females voice once again.

While thinking, he had already laid down into his little ball once again, his head resting on his paws. He flicked his ears, obviously annoyed that the female hadn't left his prescence yet. He breathed out heavily through his nose before muttering, "Get outta here..." He closed his eyes after speaking, trying to shut the female out of his head. He wanted nothing more than to sleep. Her was tired, again. Or maybe just bored. Probably just bored. Either way, he just wanted to take another nap.

[Topaz]

Topaz glanced at the male as he curled back up and answered her request. "Oh.. Okay then."[/color] She sighed and turned back towards the fence and nudged the loose board out of her way, and slipped out, grunting as the rough wood tugged on her fur. Once on the other side, she shook herself, her collar making a slight jingle as she did. Her paws hit the concrete, and she began to walk in the direction of her house, now feeling as though she was going to be watched the whole time. She almost wished she could have just been blatantly oblivious and not know then danger she was in. Me and my big ideas... She thought to herself as she continued home, or at least what she thought was the direction of her home. She couldn't wait to get back and get a nice bath. Being on the streets had made her coat a little dirty. She shook again, self-consciously, and continued on home. [/size]

[Emma;-[m.ach]]

Topaz's suspicions were not unmerited, although her ironically correct thoughts were unbeknownst of her watcher. The small Austrailian shepherd was the first dog Mach had run in to among the streets of this city, and, lucky for him, she should be a female.

After arriving at the town outskirts still several hours before daybreak, Mach had sought out a temporary shelter in which to gain a few hours of sleep. His chosen location had been a small, bare nook, tucked between a pair of strong-smelling trash bins in a darkened corner of a back human alley. The spot had also been beneficial as the trash cans had held several strips of just-spoiled meat, all of which had grudgingly appeased Mach's aching hunger. No, the rotten meat had not been the most gourmet of meals Mach had ever found, but they filled his stomach well enough to content him.

Soon after his waking, the Doberman left behind his shelter and set out to learn this new territory. Here, the streets wound back and forth in a treachorous pattern, with smaller streets branching off in random intersections, and large, bulky structures obscuring sights in every direction. It seemed that Mach had spent too many long seasons wandering through the trees, and had forgotten the technicalities of a city dog's life. But the male could not get lost, for he had no where to be, and by the time the sun had climbed to the farthest height in the sky, Mach had begun to recognize a repetitive pattern among the streets, and could feel himself beginning to regain his bearings among the hard, black asphalt and cement landscape.

By the time the sun had sunk into its welling spools of orange and red, Mach had left the shorter, clustered suburbs behind and found his paws leading him on into the murky heart of the city. Above his head, the human's artificial lights flickered to life, spilling pools of orange upon the straight, hard ground. The sounds of roaring cars and their blaring howls echoed from streets beyond, but the strip of asphalt Mach now walked beside was as good as deserted of man or machine. The only sound, as he ambled carelessly along down the sidewalk, was the occasional faint chink of his collar. The quiet noise was enough to mask the soft fall of his every pawstep. He noted with a sense of satisfaction that the metallic beat no longer agitated him with its constance; after living the last several rotations accompanied with the sound, Mach had learned to work around it.

Now he paused, and the rhythmic noise ceased upon the street. Far before him and down a slight slope to the darkened road, he saw a welcome variation from what the day had so far held. A thin, lightly spotted dog was paused on the opposite side of the street, grazing straight across the asphalt at a tall wooden fence. Suspicion already heating the fur along his spine, Mach raised his nose upwards and drew in a deep breath of air. The female's scent was hardly more than a faint wisp, but the trace was enough for Mach to determine she was harmless to him. His brown eyes followed her as she stood suddenly and hurried across the street, nosing her way through a narrow gap in the fence on the other side. The little dog was nothing but a small, weak domesticate; one who would be easy enough to force to his will. The first spark of excitement stirring in his chest, Mach perked his ears and started off at a trot, determined to wait for the little femme's return to the sidewalk.

However, Mach's approach was mistimed, and before he had passed three quarters of the distance to his destination, the scratch of shifting wood alerted the Doberman to the shepherd's sudden return. Reacting instinctively, Mach dove into the nearest patch of shadow he could find, depending upon the knowledge that his black pelt would blend smoothly into the shield of darkness. The male froze where he hid for a couple of long moments, before risking a cautious glance around the corner of the alley of which he had stolen cover. Farther down the street, the form of the small Austrailian female was retreating down the side of the road, trotting, unaware, in the opposite direction from him.

His lip curling anxiously upwards, Mach slid out from his hiding spot and followed after the other dog at a now slower pace, setting down each paw with care to make as little noise as possible. Mach had reached partway down the line of fence where the femme had earlier dissapeared before he felt that he should stop; the male felt he was getting too close to the smaller dog, and there was no ideal oppurtunity to take her by surprise in the immediate vicinity. Dropping back, the Doberman edged himself closer into the shadow of the fence, and sat his haunches upon the cool ground. He forced every muscle still so as not to make an involuntary noise while he allowed his prey to lengthen the distance between them; he did not know that he sat but a dog-length before the loose plank in the fence, and the female's intriguing scent too much covered the faded smell of the opposing male.

[Aiden]

Aiden sighed and closed his eyes, pleased at the females final leave. He had finally gotten what he wanted, but then, a little prickling rose in his chest. He knew what the feeling was, and he tried to push it away as far as he could, but it wasn't working out for him. Finally, the guilt won him over, and he stood up, shaking his dark pelt as he did so. Little leaves and a few pieces of grass fell to the ground and he thought to himself, Why'd I have to be born with a damn conscience?

He took a few steps to reach the fence. His stride was quite lengthened, typical of his hardly breed. He nudged the loose pice out of the way with his nose, and slipped his broad shoulders through the hole he had just created. It was a bit of a squeeze, as he was substantially larger than the little female, but he was out, just the same.

Before Aiden's paws hit the rough concrete, he had scented an underlying scent, not as strong as the little females, but it was there. As he stepped onto the concrete, he slid hi full body out and turned to face the male he knew would not be standing far away. In fact, the male was much closer than Aiden had expected him to be. He supposed his nap had set him off of his usual smelling potential.

Immediately, Aiden was grateful he had decided to follow the little female out. He wasn't sure what could have happened had he not. And while Aiden wasn't totally sure abnout this males intentions, he could guess what he had in mind. Judging from the females distance point, and the way he had been looking after her, Aiden had a pretty good idea.

Now, Aiden had no reason to defend the female, or to accuse this male of something he hadn't yet done, but for now, Aiden felt the guard hairs on his shoulders stand up, almost involuntarily, and his eyes stared down the male. Aiden didn't move just yet. He flicked his ears for a second, before glancing back at the female to see how far she had gone.

[Topaz]

Topaz hadn't even noticed she was being followed. She had just been milling along, slightly lost in her thoughts of all the dangers she could be in, but then decided to not let herself think like that. After all, she thought to herself, nothing bad like that could ever happen to me. Those sorts of things only happen to strays. Those without a pedigree, and a trainer, and a groomer. The mere thought of a nasty stray getting that close to her was enough to send shivers down her back. Still, she walked down the street, knowing it would only be maybe ten or fifteen minutes before she got home. She had gotten a little way down the road away from the fence, and paused only to look back one more time. She saw the black male stepping out from the fence, to come face to face with another male. She figured he just must be one of his stray friends, and turned back to continue on her way, her pace a bit slower now, though. She still hoped that the male had come t ojoin her. Perhaps, then, she would have real gossip to tell her friends. Capturing the heart of a stray... The idea seemed scandalous to her. Little did she know how much danger she was really in, and how she might not even ever make it home to her little friends.

[Emma;-[m.ach]]

The musky trace of another male dog's presence touched upon Mach's nose just moments before the shepherd squeezed himself out of the same loose board in the fence which the female had departed from. Even before the other, foreign male was completely emerged, Mach could feel his muscles tense as he sank just slightly lower to the ground, in a defensive sort of crouch, and his ear and a half flick backwards unpleasantly. The move was as involuntary as it was thoughtless; a purely instinctual reaction to the other stray's arrival.

For a long time, neither dog moved. Though Mach knew not what the shepherd was thinking, he himself was sizing up the new male with alert and careful eyes. At first glance, Mach figured he was taller than the other dog by at least a nose, though the sheperd was most likely greater in mass than he. With both dogs appearing to have the same imposing amount of muscle, Mach would have been hard pressed to decide who might win in a fight between them, though the Doberman assumed he had more experience on his side than the other stray possessed. The onyx shepherd had a distinctly naive, youthful appearance about him, and Mach guessed that he himself was older than the other black male.

As the shepherd suddenly broke away from their silent staring feud to glance over his shoulder at the female's leave, the thought occured to Mach that the two dogs might have, at some point, been together. Instantly, the competetiveness within Mach tempted him to chase after the light gray domesticate and prove, quite obviously to the shepherd, that no female was inaccessable to him. A smugly confident expression appeared upon the Doberman's face at the thought, and he looked briefly upwards to gauge the female's distance from him now. The femme was getting farther away than Mach would have generally perferred, and the Doberman decided that he would quickly need to start moving again to assure that she did not continue trotting on out of his reach.

"Move, mutt," Mach growled commandingly then, breaking the tense silence. His brown gaze glanced away from the male to meaningfully eye the quickly retreating Australian shepherd, before flickering rapidly back to the younger dog's face. "I have someone to catch up to, and you are standing in my way."

[Aiden]

Aiden watched as the femme trotted away, and he wondered on what to do next. He could either move, (as the other male oh-so-kindly requested of him) and let the doberman continue on his way, or go and join the femme. Aiden was sure that if he left the male to do his bidding, he was sealing the small female's fate. He was sure that this male intended to join her, and he knew that despite the collar around his neck, this brute was no domestic dog. He had a feeling he would not give the female any respect, and Aiden figured the outcome would be more hazardous to her than to the male.

At the same time, she was only a domestic, and Aiden didn't own the female a thing. And Aiden certainley didn't need any enemies this early on. Especially an enemy that might try to defeat him, or may even be able to. He glanced one more time at the female, before shrugging his shoulders and walking across the street, now making himself at a diagonal with the female. He wans't watching out for her, but at the same time, if he decided to be a hero, the option was open to him. For now, he thought he caught a scent of some food in a trash can in an alleyway, and he made his way over to it, knocking it over as he did. The female was now out of his sight, and the male, he was sure, would also be out of his sight in a few minutes. But at least he could still hear a bit.

Aiden didn't really want to save the femme, if the need should come. It wasn't his responsibility, and she certainley wasn't his friend. In fact, domestic dogs annoyed the shit outta him. But he wasn't sure if the curious femme deserved such a fate. For now, he would wait it out, and enjoy the half-eaten chicken leg he had found in the garbage.

[Topaz]

Topaz couldn't help but to glance back once more, but all she saw was the male she had met going across the street, making his way to an alleyway. She supposed he hadn't come out to speak to her. Hmm. Oh well. Topaz also noticed that he left the other male without a word, really. Perhpas the two were not friends as Topaz had once suspected. She figured they must've just met here by coincidence, and she didn't really let the thought bother her too much. Topaz turned back around, and continued on her way, turning a street corner to a bit of an emptier part of town. She was slowly getting closer to home. She flicked her tail a little bit, and gave a self-conscious shake. She couldn't wait to get home and have a bath.