There's this feeling..., an eerie feeling...

[Patti]

One, two, three four, and all the way back to the start, one, two, three, four. Neeka's voice was giggly, but only in her thoughts though. Her head bobbed up and down and her hips swayed in motion as she walked, her tail swished back and forth behind her. Neeka's eyes shone as the sun fell upon her. Not looking where she was going, she turned into a corner and walked on, the warmth of the sun soon fading. Neeka's paws trembled excitedly, not because she hadn't been here before or anything, but because she had hoped to meet new dogs around here. Soon however, Neeka stopped dead in her tracks and looked around. The sun was nowhere to be seen in the sky and the air seemed eerie. Neeka's nose twitched and her body was somewhat shaking. This was one part of the city she'd never been to. Her eyes were somewhat wide now and a sudden breeze swept past Neeka and brushed her fur so that she jumped. Where am I? she asked herself and slowly sank her head down to sniff the ground.

Her ears pricked upwards as she heard the faint wail of the breeze. Why was it so dark and strange here? Just a while ago there was the warmth of the sun. Neeka's paws stopped trembling and she herself stopped shivering, however her eyes stayed wide. As she looked to one side she saw a little bit of blood and as she looked to other side she saw blood spots too. Neeka narrowed her eyes a little in disbelief before she eased her expression into a confused one. Was this some kind of fighting area? Was she in any danger? Neeka started to shake again, this time tremendiously(sp?). Neeka's eyes were dark down and her pants were longer and heavier. What if some male came and would hurt her? She was simply not up for it. Neeka's tail stopped swaying and was now limp behind her. What am I gonna do now? she asked herself and a soft sigh rolled out of her mouth as she shivered, this time not so tremediously though.

[Doggy]

His movement was elegant, each stride perfectly assembled in a graceful rhythm. Of course his movements were elegant. After all, his heritage dealt with show dogs. Champion show dogs, at that. His parents were awesome in the show ring, and he inherited their elegant movements. As he trotted, his paws landed perfectly on the ground, right where the one before had been.

His body was perfectly symmetrical. Well, almost. A few strands of fur were misplaced. Okay, so a lot of fur was misplaced. His fluffy pelt was slightly matted. How do you expect a dog to keep his pelt in perfect condition after living nearly four years on the street? The odd part was that most of his fur was perfect. That seemed to be rather... weird. Especially under his conditions.

His copper pelt shimmered wonderfully as the sun shed its rays upon him and the rest of the sun-dried earth. His tail remained curled upon his haunches, his head high and confident upon his firm neck. His strong shoulders could be seen moving with each swift movement of his foreleg.

But then everything became quiet and dark. It was way too quiet and eerie for Shadow, and, he had to admit, he was sort of scared. His once curled tail uncoiled and fell limp beside his tense ankles, and his proud, confidents stance on which he held his head high vanished. Instead, his head became lower and his amber eyes searched the quiet area.

His nose twitched with the smell of vile blood. He growled in disapproval, shaking his head warily. As his eyes danced around his surroundings, they spotted a blotch of red on the ground. He became still, muscles tensing and his fur bristling. He blinked slowly, turning his head to look away from the blood.

As he continued forward, a dog could be seen not too far away. By the scent, as well as by her feminine movements and frame, it was simple to tell that she was a female. She looked somewhat frightened and lost. Shadow was new to this city and hadn't been to a lot of places. This was one place he should've tried to avoid. But he didn't. Instead, he accidentally stumbled upon it.

"Hey," he said softly as he approached the chocolatey-colored female, his voice warm and welcoming as to not frighten her anymore than she seemed to be. He lowered his head so that it was lower than her's. He stepped up to her, leaving enough space between them so that he didn't make her feel uncomfortable. "I'm Shadow. You lost, too?" he asked, head tilted to the side. He was a flirt, but right now, he was a bit too scared to even think about flirting.

[Patti]

Hey Neeka had heard and her head whipped round to find a handsome Siberian Husky standing there. Neeka's ears laid back a little and her eyes were still wide as she gazed at him. Shadow was his name. Neeka slowly lowered her rump onto the ground and in a matter of seconds was sitting down. Her gaze soon strayed from Shadow to look away for a few seconds before she finally, parted her jaws, "I'm Neeka," her voice was soft but held confidence in it, shye was trying not to sound scared at all, "No, I'm not lost at all." she finished simply and her cheeks were warm. This was a lie, but she didn't want to seem stupid in front of another dog. Then she remembered how excited she was before if she'd meet a new dog, and here she was with a 'stranger' to her. Would he harm her? But by the looks of it and by the tone of his voice, Neeka was sure he wouldn't lay a paw on her, and if he did, he'd have no idea what she'd do.

Neeka's tail twitched a little as well as her laid back ears and soon the pricked upwards. "Alright, alright. I'm lost as well." she admitted with a small laugh. After she had stopped talking, her voice seemed to echo a little and her spine shivered as she caught the sight of dried blood. How had she stumbled upon this place? Neeka decided to be polite to Shadow, y'know have a chat, maybe that'd help her be somewhat less scared. Her gaze returned to the handsome Husky, his fur was amazing to her and she admired it. "You a show dog?" she asked, certain he was one. But if he was, why was he way out here? Why wasn't he living in 'luxury' as the other mutts would say. Luxury to Neeka would be life in a pack, nothing beats that for her. But then again every dog had a different perspective on life. Neeka's tail gave a small flick and a soft smile appeared on her face. Now she was less scared, being in company with another dog.

[Doggy]

The way her ears had laid back worried Shadow for the slightest second, and his own ears pinned against his fine skull. He carefully watched her, blinking once or twice before she rolled into a sitting posture. He tilted his head to the side as she looked away, but his ears perked up as she spoke. Her voice was soft, soothing, and like silk, flowing easily through Shadow's ears.

"Neeka..." he repeated to himself, a smile upon his maw, "Not a name you hear everyday, unlike my popular, boring ol' name." He chuckled softly, and upon hearing her next response, her perked up. If she wasn't lost, perhaps she could help him get out of here? Tail seemed to wag happily at the thought of having someone help him out of this... scarey place.

But as her ears once again fell back, his head ilted to the side. And as they perked up again, he blinked dumb-foundedly. Okay, so she was lost. "Well, maybe we could be lost together," he said with a soft chuckle, watching Neeka, his eyes showing that he wouldn't harm her.

Shadow felt as if he was being watched, and so he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. Of course, that was before he realized that Neeka was gazing at him, in which he sighed his relief. But then, he heard her question, and once again blinked. "No, I ain't a show dog. 'Course, my parents were, but they ran away. I was born on the streets," he said proudly, holding his head up in confidence and pride.

[Patti]

Neeka smiled warmly as he somewhat 'complimented' her name. Not many dogs had done that. Tail swayed back and forth behind her and her eyes lit up a little. Neeka then laughed, "Yeah, at least we'll have some company, eh?" she answered. Her tail stopped wagging and just lay limp on the ground. The scent of Shadow and this eerie area was flaring in her nostrils and Neeka got somewhat confused. Neeka's ears perked up as she listened to him, his voice was the kind of voice that could soothe one. "Uh huh, I see," she replied and tilted her head a little, gaze was still upon Shadow. Neeka was glad he'd come along, at least now she had someone to talk to.

"I was born on the streets too, actually, I was born in thr wild, by the country side," Neeka began and her eyes closed for a second before she blinked them open. "There usta be a pack near Louka Lake when I was born. My daddy went out huntin' y'know, and he neva did cum back. Mama said he had gone to sleep forever, but I knew exactly what was goin' on. He'd died in Louka Lake. 'Tis a mystery even I couldn't solve." After Neeka had finished speaking, silence embraced them. Neeka realised she had been talking all the while and maybe she even made Shadow bored. Her cheeks grew warm and she watched Shadow, awaiting his reply.

[Doggy]

'I love you'.
He had heard his mother say these words to him quite oftenly. Puh-shaw. 'Course she loved him. Lies. All of it. He loved his mother back when he was still a pup, but now... now what? He hadn't seen his mother for years. How could he say whether or not he loved her?
But now he realized. If she truly loved her son, then why would she allow the other pups to tease him? Just because his pelt was copper, his siblings teased him. Were they jealous? Or was it just because he was different? Whatever.
He knew he had the most unique pelt out of the litter. He was proud of it. However, his family seemed as though they didn't like his uniqueness. Perhaps it was jealous. Did they envy him? Why would parents envy their kids? Sibling jealousy was far too common. But that didn't explain his mother and father.
His parents and siblings had their own wonderful pelts. Did that truly mean that he had a better pelt?
No.
Yes.
Oh, what did it mean? That he'd grow up into a fine young dog? And then into a handsome elderly figure? Yeah. He was a fine young dog now. As for the elderly figure, time would have to pass for that. A lot of time. He was still young.
Oh! It was all too confusing for him. At the time of being a pup. But now he knew. His siblings were envious. His parents could care less. In his eyes, his parents weren't worth anything, now.
In his eyes, his family wasn't even worth trash...
He blinked.
Company... Yeah. It was what Shadow needed after being alone. Well, not terribly and completely alone. He had a son, who was growing into a fine young dog. But Shadow needed adult company. And perhaps Neeka could provide him that company.
Did Neeka have pups that Quake would get along with? Was she a mother who's mate had left her?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
All Shadow knew was that Neeka was here, right in front of his own eyes. And she was one of the most beautiful creatures he ever saw.
Of course, it wasn't love, just the matter of thinking of one's looks. He didn't have these feelings yet. He'd know whether or not he loved someone. He had loved someone long ago...
At this thought, Shadow sighed rather sadly. How he missed Lucy, the mother of Quake, his old mate. But she was gone. Long gone, now, with their daughter, Lee.
Did Lucy miss him? Did Lucy miss Quake?
She probably missed Quake, but if she left Shadow, then why would she miss him, her old mate?
Oh, why did life have to be so confusing?
"Yeah... company sounds... pleasurable..." he said, looking down at his paws in what seemed to be a trance. More like deep thought.
With another sigh, and a flicker of his tail, his gaze averted up to meet Neeka's. She seemed... kind. Perhaps she'd become a good friend of Shadow.
At this, a smile curved upon the husky's lips. How wonderful it'd be to have a friend.
But what about Dutchess and Jackson?
Or Topaz?
Haha! Topaz. Quake seemed to grow a liking to the young Australian shepherd. And they had onyl just met. Rather odd, but Shadow could tell by the look on his son's face.
Unknown to Shadow, however, Dutchess was the alpha of a pack. He didn't know this. In fact, he didn't even know about the pack. If he grew a close relation with Dutchess(and I mean 'friends), he'd surely get a chance to be in the pack, right?
Wrong.
Well, maybe right. After all, if the alpha could trust him, then what worries would there be to allow him into the pack. Exactly.
Shadow nodded as he heard Neeka's voice again.
"Countryside?" he asked, once she had finished her story. "Louka Lake?" He had been to Louka Lake, but he didn't know that's what it was called. "Oh, wow. Musta been sad, huh?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Well, my parents were champion show dogs, as I said earlier. I had other siblings, too, but I was the only one who had a copper pelt-" he motioned to his fur with a paw "-'Cause o' that, my siblings teased me. My whole family were jerks. My parents didn't even put a stop to it. And, so, I ran away."
Subconciously, he held out his maw and gently nudged Neeka's.

[Patti]

Neeka sighed lightly. "Yeah, it was sad..." she murmured, her gaze strayed from Shadow to the streets. The sight of blood made her stomach whirl so she returned her gaze back to Shadow. Her ears pricked up as she listened to him, then her ears dropped down and her eyes narrowed in sympathy for him. "Wow... that must've been sad..." Neeka found it incredibly sad to not be accepted by their own family. I mean Neeka herself had always been loved by her parents, dispite her appearance and such. Everyone liked her in the pack she would say, not to be boastful. But she did realise that not everyone had a happy life like hers. Well, Neeka's life wasn't exactly the happiest, but it would do. "Do you still have any family at all? she asked, somewhat curious that they even got on the subject. Neeka herself didn't really have any family anymore, her mother was probably dead by now and her father had died a long time ago. She never had any siblings either so she didn't have any family left. Neeka's ears half perked up as she waited for him to answer.

Neeka parted her jaws slightly as she panted, her pants barely audible. Her tail twitched a little as did her ears as she waited for his oivce to ring out. Her gaze was upon Shadow, admiring his copper pelt. It was dazzling and amazing to her and Neeka couldn't help but somewhat stare in awe. "Your fur, it's so.. amazing" she said and her cheeks grew warm. Neeka's tongue hid back inside her jaws and a shy, sweet smile appeared upon her beautiful features. [

'Neeka, Neeka my darling' Neeka opened her eyes gently. 'Mama'? she asked. Her mother licked her cheek lovingly. 'Where's papa?' Neeka asked. Her mother hesitated. 'He won't wake up, dahlin'. He went into a deep, deep sleep' Neeka looked up at her mother, her eyes twinkled with tears. 'Oh.. I... see' she said and decided she'd go wander around. She heard a bunch of dogs talking, mumbling about a dead dog, then his fur; father. Neeka's tears spilled onto the ground as she gasped silently and turned at her heels. She ran and ran. Neeka had always known that her dad died since her mother told her. Thank god Neeka didn't hurt herself... thank god...

[Doggy]

Not knowing what happened to his ex-mate and what was going on with her now worried Shadow very much. Just the thought made him shiver.
Was Lucy okay? Was Lee okay? Did Lucy lose their one and only daughter? Did Lucy lose her own life? And, in doing so, did Lucy leave Lee to travel these streets alone?
Lee was still a pup, but she'd be able to survive on the streets alone. She was a tough gal. And, even though she was still rather young, she was able to fend for herself.
Shadow shook his head.
Lee wasn't alone. Lucy wasn't dead. Lee wasn't dead. They were together, living a happy life. And, although Shadow nor Quake's life wasn't the happiest of all lives, it lifted his heart to think that Lee and Lucy were far better off.
But then again, his life wasn't completely terrible, either. At least he wasn't one of those dogs who had been injured by a human, nearly starved to death. Nor was he put in those cages that other dogs often find themselves in while they were captured by the two-legged creatures.
Whatever.
He had a second chance, it was that clear. All he had to do was make the most out of his life. And, if he ever did find a mate, be sure that she loved him for all of eternity. He would be heart-broken again if his mate would leave him. All he had to avoid were those unnoticeable obstacles in his life.
The thing was, they were unnoticeable. Being so, how would he know if there was an obstacle in his path now? Hate to say it, but what if Neeka was an obstacle to clear Shadow of his path? Or, what if she was here to help him along the way? As a friend? A partner? A companion?
...
Shadow simply nodded at Neeka's first words that flowed from her lips, echoing in his identical triangular ears. He couldn't imagine having his parents dead and him actually caring. After all, he began to grow a rather childish hatred for his parents, which disintegrated into nothing. No feelings at all for them.
Wow. Just now, he realized, he practically lost his puphood. He spent most of it living a lonely life on the streets.
Forgive and forget?
Hell's no.
How could he forgive what had happened? How could he forget the lonely nights he spent sleeping in a garbage can or under a car? Or even in a cardboard box? It just couldn't be done. It was impossible to do.
At least that's how Shadow felt. Shadow could be entitled to his own opinions. As much as he loved his mate, he couldn't forgive her, either. For breaking his heart. For leaving him. They were mates; how could she do such a thing to him? And for this, as much as he loved her, he could never take her back as his mate.
Not only did she break his trust for her, she made it harder for him to trust anyone else with his trust and love. She made it harder for him to love again. It might not seem that way, but it sure was. Sure as fuckin' Hell.
"Oh, yeah, at first. But now I don't give a fuckin' damn 'bout them no more," he said with a soft growl. And, boy, was that the damn truth. His brown eyes swelled with an unfamiliar and rare hatred. It was true. He could hold grudges for so damn long.
He blinked, and all the hatred seemed to just vanish. Once again, his eyes were warm, soft, and showed care.
Realizing that she had asked yet another question, his gaze dropped to the ground. Family... the one thing he didn't know about anymore.
"Well, ya see, I had a mate long ago. She left me, and I dunno what happened to her and our daughter, Lee. But my son is here, around this area somewhere. His name's Quake. He's by a lake, or somethin'," Shadow said, with a quick lift and drop shrug of his shoulders, "Other then that, I dunno."
His gaze slowly followed the trail it had dropped back up, but this time, he tried hard to catch Neeka's gaze. Whether or not she'd allow him to was something different.
It was clear that Neeka was panting, as her jaws could clearly be seen parted, a small amount of pink seen. Shadow came to the conclusion that this was her tongue. That was how he figured she was panting.
But he couldn't help but notice how Neeka watched his copper pelt, which would've shimmered if he was under the sun. But, being in this place, it didn't.
Naturally, he was flattered as he heard Neeka's comment about his pelt. He felt his cheeks become warm, and it was sure that he was blushing. Only he could tell.
"Well, er... thanks," he said with a nervous chuckle, "Yer's ain't so bad either. I think yer's is amazin', too."

[Patti]

All the while as Shadow spoke, Neeka had listened. "Oh..." she simply answered and looked down at her paws. Her wind raced with thoughts. He had a mate who left him with their daughter... he was still with his son and although he desrved to be happy, he wasn't truly happy. Ears pricked up as he complimented her back. Neeka's smiled grew into a playful grin and she pointed a paw to her chest, "This ol' thang? Naw..." she joked and her eyes brightened. Her cheeks were warm. Neeka had never gotten a compliment about her fur other than from her mother or father. It really made her happy.

Yes, even the slightest of things made Neeka happy or upset, but usually always happy. Neeka's tail swished to and fro behind her and she had almost forgotten that they were in this dreadful place. But the smell always reminded her, but as long as she was with Shadow, it was okay. He seemed interesting, in a good way, and Neeka wanted to get to know him. By his looks, Neeka figure that Quake would be a handsome young man as well. Her grin eased into a sweet smile. "You new 'ere?" Neeka asked and tilted her head a little to the side. Her smile was still there. Her tail stopped wagging and lay limp behind her as she met his gaze and blushed as she realised he had been trying to catch hers!

'Neeka, remember that one day I won't be here anymore... then you'll be along, but not for long. You'll find someone you love and you'll have a family and you'll make mama proud, right?' Neeka nodded as she listened to her mother. 'I promise' she added and her mother smiled. But how could she find someone she loved? It was near to impossible for her, it was just way too impossible. How could anyone love her? She was stranger and weird and definately not a flirty type. A soft sigh rolled out of Neeka's mind and she snapped out of the trance...

[Doggy]

He had to get these damn memories out of his head. He had to forget them all! Okay, not all of them and not forever, but at least for now. His dread was going to ruin his chance with befriending someone, AKA, Neeka.
He noticed how Neeka listened to him, and he found it rather flattering, yet admired it that she cared. Didn't she? She really did, right? After all, she seemed like it. But looks could be deceiving. Oh, how true was that.
Keep 'em out, Shadow. Keep those horrid memories out, Shadow's thoughts told him, a sigh releasing from his slightly parted jaws. His eyelids closed gently over his shocking brown eyes, which had passed through his blood.
Being from a line of show dogs, he had those amazing features. Amazing eyes, perfect body structure, excellent jaws, and a rhythmatic stride. His blood line was of the highest standards. If his parents hadn't run away, Shadow could've become a champion show dog. But he'd rather be out on the streets than having to go to the groomer's all the time.
How different his life could've been if his parents had decided on something different. And, only now, had he realized that.
But he'd rather know Neeka than live the safe life in the human's homes.
"Yeah," he sighed, looking at Neeka with soft, welcoming eyes. The brown pools seemed to embrace Neeka in a blanket of warmness. A lopsided yet meaningful smile crossed his ivory maw. Copper and ivory tail thumped softly against his haunches.
Perhaps Neeka had been listening to the dragging story Shadow had to tell. But how short it was. It wasn't that easy to get lost. After all, it was only a few sentences.
As she pointed to her pelt, he chuckled.
"Yeah, I love it. Must really attract the humans," he said with a chuckle, but it was followed by a deep growl. How he hated those humans. Although he never really knew them, he knew that they caused his parents to run away. He was glad to be on the streets, but if they caused his parents to run of, then they must've been terrible.
Suddenly, he realized Neeka's soft voice had flowed into the air, released from her soft vocals. Was he new here.
"Yeah, kinda new. Been here a while. What about choo?" He watched her with curious eyes, tail thumping softly against his haunches and the ground.

ooc- Sorta bad post. Sorry. I'm rushin'.

[Patti]

OoC:|| Naw, your post is fine

Ic:||Neeka blushed. He loved it? Then she heard his growl and her ears laid back a little. Did he hate humans? Neeka herself didn't know if she hated or liked 'em. They were all the same to her. But she had to admit that humans were darn annoying too as times. Neeka's ears then perked up as she heard him speak again. She nodded after he spoke and parted her own jaws, "Me? I've been here all my life, I was born in the countryside" she answered and smiled. As she gazed into his brown eyes, her own eyes seemed to be somewhat fascinated by them. He was just amazing like any show dog. But unlike any show dog, he disliked humans alot. But he had never really been a show dog, he just had show dog blood. Neeka's mind whirled around with all these thoughts and she shook her head lightly to rid them.

"Erm... so.. eh..." Neeka said trying to spark up a conversation. She raised an invisible brow and shrugged a shoulder lightly. She was kind of braindead. "Part of any pack or gang?" she asked rather curious now. Neeka had been in her parents pack before but after her pack broke up, she had always wondered if the few members of the pack formed a new pack. Or maybe they didn't. Maybe there had always been a pack. Neeka had been a loner for quite a while but she didn't mind. This meant she could wander everywhere, well not deep into a marked territory but she could go to most bits and there'd be no issues and she wouldn't get into deep shit with the pack. Being a loner had some advantages but then it also had some disadvantages too.