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Post by Scotia on Apr 12, 2018 19:56:42 GMT
Tristan stepped carefully into the mansion, his nails clicking softly on the tile. This place was very quiet, albeit unusual to a dog who was used to a bustling town. Ears pricked, he listened for any sounds that would indicate someone else was there. Hearing nothing, he continued on. He couldn’t quite explain what drove him to this place, but he supposed his reasoning didn’t matter. There wasn’t anyone else here to question it. But the silence made him long for his long-absent sister. If she was here, she would've bounded into the place without a care in the world. As much as he tried to be carefree, he couldn't. Pessimism was set in too deep for that.
The red and white dog’s tail swished lightly as he ventured deeper. He stopped in front of a portrait on the wall, head tilted. Why would humans have a picture of themselves on a wall? But then, the actions of humans had never been a concern to him. They were strange creatures, not worth his time. Besides, Alice had pounded into her adopted children’s heads that they should never go near a human, that they’d do evil things to dogs.
With a snort, he moved on, pausing in front of the staircase. The retriever mix studied it for a minute, trying to determine whether it would hold his weight or not. It looked sturdy enough, as did much of the inside of the mansion, but one never knew. He shrugged and placed a paw on the first step as a test. It creaked beneath his weight, spooking him. He backed up as far as he could, tail tucked beneath him. He did not want to go near something that creaked. He liked floors not crumbling underneath him, thank you very much.
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May 27, 2018 22:26:05 GMT
Tag me @ripple
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Post by ripple on Apr 12, 2018 21:58:21 GMT
This was a strange, new place to the red and white setter, so different than the life she had been leading for the past year.
It had been so long since she had entered a human dwelling, and none were quite so grand as this one. It was an enormous testament of human wealth, a hulking piece on the topography of the world. Vines crawled their way up ungraciously across the windows and the grand banister of the porch, blemishing its grandeur only slightly. It actually appeared more beautiful to the dog, because the wild and untamed was beginning to take it back over. Juniper was almost hesitant to climb up those steps and go inside, but the smell of another dog was too tempting for her to resist. And she could daydream about the mansion's beauty any time.
She thought maybe this new dog-scent was a long-lost member of her family. It had been over a year since she had seen her mother or siblings and she didn't even recall what their scent actually smelled like. It was a heartbreaking realization for the poor, young girl...but she couldn't let the scent go without launching an investigation. It could be her brother, Bramble. Or her sister, Fern...no wait, not Fern because the smell was decidedly male. But it could be Bramble. Surely she hadn't been the only one to get separated in that awful storm from the rest of the family?
With some caution in her steps, the setter mounted the entrance stairs quietly and continued up until her paws whispered lightly on the old boards. Her big, brown eyes were wide with wonderment as she crossed the threshold into the gloomy building, waiting for her eyes to adjust so that she did not stumble in to anything. She scanned the foyer, noting the layers of unmoved dust that seemed to cover all the furniture. She passed through a narrow hall way, her nails clicking softly on the long train of a velvet rug. The scent was getting stronger, much more potent, but Juniper still could not tell if the scent was her family or just some other lonely traveler.
Her brown eyes shifted to a large and expensive looking painting, a portrait of a pale and strange creature that could only be a human. Juniper herself had never been born around them, but her parents had. The thought of her parents made her feel a little tremor of excitement. Her mission was to see if she had finally found her brother. Right. Keep moving.
It was at the base of the stairs she saw the red and white dog and it was this image that caused the sweet setter's heart to hammer rapidly. Could it be him? He looked just like Bramble! Before gathering all the logical possibilities, Juniper felt her mouth parting to form a hail, her tail beginning to beat rapidly. A happy bark escaped her, a little happy whine that filled the old mansion. "Bramble? Bramble, is that you?" She dared to steal a few steps closer, her eyes glittering pleasantly. But, wait...Oh..She was never taller than Bramble.
This dog was just an inch shy of her own height.
A deep, red bloom of embarrassment smoldered across her mood.
Scotia |
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Post by Scotia on Apr 13, 2018 15:57:29 GMT
Tristan regained his composure as he stared at the staircase. The last thing he needed was for someone to waltz in and see him cower at the staircase. That would be rather embarrassing. It wasn’t like it could move anyway, save for maybe the steps crumbling underneath him.
He heard a bark, and turned around, the staircase forgotten. He tilted his head in confusion as the setter referred to him as Bramble. Nope, wrong name. Bramble, he was not. But she was rather cute, he had to admit. Not to mention slightly taller than him, which wasn’t new, though it still felt weird. He didn’t like being the shorter one, even if he couldn’t help it. He could thank his father for that one, though there was the possibility that his mother had been the short one. But that wasn’t important right now.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not Bramble,” he apologized. “And unfortunately, I don’t know a Bramble either.” He noticed her embarrassed expression and hurried to hopefully ease that. "But if you need help looking for them, I can help you. What do they look like?" He then realized that if she thought he was Bramble, the other dog must look similar to him.
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May 27, 2018 22:26:05 GMT
Tag me @ripple
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Post by ripple on Apr 14, 2018 1:26:13 GMT
 Oh, the look was in her eyes. You never know what might be found there.
● ● ● ● but she was dancing all in time, the moves she made so fine, like the music that surrounds her. She felt completely stupid, so much so, that her tail stopped wagging and dropped between her legs, slightly curling under. It was bad enough to feel the burning of one's own mistakes, but to add insult to injury, it hurt so much have a bright flicker of hope that's extinguished in the blink of an eye. A feeling of despair was curling around her heart and for one horrifying moment, Juniper thought she was going to cry.But she couldn't cry! She was faced with another problem on top of all her others and that was that she hadn't found Bramble, but a stranger. A strange guy who she didn't know anything about and was alone with. He was backing away from the staircase and Juniper was immediately picking up on his atmosphere. There was a little hesitation in him, a little of his own embarrassment? Did have to do with the staircase? But he was rapidly changing again, seeming confident and interested in her, inquisitive and charming.Juniper felt her vibrant mood shift into one of shyness, a reserve creeping up. She felt her brown eyes sliding downward, flitting here and there. He was speaking to her, trying to ease her. Little did this red and white dog know, Juniper wasn't very easy to soothe at first. She felt a tiny tremor in her legs, an anxiety creeping up. It was hard to be social, when one felt so much from others."I'm sorry myself...I didn't realize...You're shorter than I am. Bramble. He's tall," she muttered, feeling impossibly silly. She felt her skin growing hot. It kind of helped that the strange guy was handsome, though, but it also added to her shyness. His offer to help horrified her. She wasn't used to such kindness, not since she was much younger. "Uh, thanks...They. Well, look like me. Except, Bramble he's tall." Great job, Junie. Just keep stumbling over the same old stuff. That's the way to make an impression, don't you think? She winced a little, her own monologue scolding her for her bumbling. "And well...My mom and sister look like me..Pretty much alike." She swallowed a dry lump in her throat, coughed a little. Her brown eyes finally found their way to the stranger's face, and now that he wasn't facing away from her, she wondered how in the world she thought he was Bramble. He wasn't a setter like her or her family, but some sort of retriever? Or a toller? Juniper felt a shy smile touch her mouth. Boy, he sure wasn't Bramble. Bramble might have been her brother, but this guy was much more interesting.
"I'm Junie. Uh, June. Wait, no," she huffed nervously,"Juniper. You can call me June, or Junie, if you want..." She was stammering again.
Smooth, Junie. Smooth.
MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0 |
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Post by Scotia on Apr 18, 2018 2:18:12 GMT
He noticed her looking down, and took a step or two away from her, putting more space in between them. Not that he was going to hurt her -- he was too much of a gentleman for that, even if he was a flirt most of the time -- but obviously she didn’t know that. They didn’t know the first thing about each other and it was understandable if she was nervous. Experience had taught him that you couldn’t really trust anyone, though he at least made some attempts to trust others. It was bound to be different for a female though, considering there were tons of unsavory males in the world.
“It’s alright,” he replied, for lack of better words. “I’ve been mistaking for others once or twice before.” Although those occasions hadn’t always turned out well. He supposed it was better than someone looking for him, which had happened and that hadn’t been good either.
So she was looking for a dog that looked like her, more than one actually, as she mentioned her mom and sister. Shouldn’t be too hard to find a dog like that in this place, though he hadn’t a clue where to begin to look. Someone with more experience in this town would likely know where most dogs congregated. “I can’t say I’ve seen anyone else that looks like you here, but then again, I haven’t been here long. Just arrived here myself recently.”
He hesitated before asking, "If you don't mind me asking -- and you certainly don't have to -- but how did you get separated?" He'd understand if she didn't want to talk about it. He didn't like to think about how he and Annie got separated, of that night. But if the setter told him what'd happened, maybe that would give them an idea of where the missing family members would be.
She told him her name, albeit stammering a bit. “Juniper. That’s pretty name. Well Junie, It’s nice to meet you,” He said with a smile, and couldn’t resist giving her a bow, if only to try and make her smile. He could almost hear the scoff his sister would make if she was here. Show-off, she would say. “I’m Tristan.”
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May 27, 2018 22:26:05 GMT
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Post by ripple on Apr 20, 2018 0:58:55 GMT
Oh, the look was in her eyes. You never know what might be found there.
● ● ● ● but she was dancing all in time, the moves she made so fine, like the music that surrounds her. Her nervous energy was affecting the Toller mix and Juniper did not miss when he backed off a little. She felt a little awful that she always displayed her emotions in such an up-front way, so visible that she was like a window that anyone could see through. Her ears went back just slightly in shame. She didn't mean to make this handsome dog feel like she didn't trust him immediately. It was good too be wary of strangers, but if they were actually good dogs, then it left her feeling like she was overreacting. She felt a little better when he didn't seem offended by her behavior and actually seemed to be trying to make conversation. She couldn't help but to smile a little, feeling some of her nerves settle.She giggled softly and quickly, glad she wasn't the only who had mistaken this guy for someone else before. It made her feel better to know she was not alone with her mistakes and it was comforting, the way he spoke to her, soothing her and making her feel less like a moron. She listened politely, nodding her head when he confirmed he hadn't seen any other dogs that looked like her. She hadn't been too hopeful, since she had lost her family that night she hadn't a clue where to begin looking for them. She had merely been wandering for a long time, keeping her eyes peeled, but not really having an idea to where they might actually be. He asked her how she had gotten separated from her family, a story she had never really told anyone before. He assured her she didn't have to answer and for a moment Juniper did not. The red and white setter was a little emotional when it came to the topic, but before she could build up those tears and that heartache, the Toller introduced himself to her, taking a little bow and complimenting her name. It made Juniper feel a little flattered and awkward, the compliment and the bow. It was so gentlemanly, so considerate. Tristan."Hi Tristan." she tried to relax and let her tail wag slightly, to appear friendly and not paranoid. She managed another smile for him, showing him that she was pleasant enough company. "Thank you so much...I appreciate how gracious you are being. It's a relief to know that others can overlook my awkwardness." She allowed herself to sit for a moment, curling her legs up underneath her so that she could let the stress and earlier disappointment fade away. "I...I lost my family a long time ago. We've been separated a very long time and I've been on my own for awhile. I haven't the slightest idea where they might be. It was a very violent storm... It was terrible. I've been looking for them so long. I'm sorry if it seemed like a put a lot on you in that moment. I had a bunch of hope, but I should have known better. They could be anywhere." She managed to keep her self poised while she spoke, keeping her voice steady so she didn't exude anymore intense emotion. She didn't want to cry or appear weak or in need of any white knight. She wasn't helpless and wasn't feeble. She could be strong and she would strong now. There was something about Tristan that made her feel confident, and perhaps it was the way he was naturally comfortable around her that was persuading her to be the same way. "You're the first dog I've seen here, too. It seems very dead, doesn't it? It makes you wonder sometimes if you are the only one in existence." She laughed, a tinkling sound. She was always amazed at her own imagination. "But it's good to know I'm not alone. It's nice to see another face, even if it is just one. And you might not be my brother, but I'm glad I've found someone to talk to." Her face was beginning to show her smile a little more with each word. She was really glad to find someone to talk to.Juniper didn't like to be lonely. MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0 |
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