This is New (Open)

[TearOfTheWolf]

 Lucy was happy with her expeditions for the last year. She was happy trotting among the Suburbs of houses and her brown eyes lit up in the world of possibilities and light. She trotted into a house, her tan fur glinting like sand in a sea of gray. She cocked her white head and smiled in a way of Pitbull way that her mother had once said made her look like her grandmother. Lucy shivered and closed her eyes at the thoughts of her mother. Two years and the memories where like a cliff trail. One wrong step, and you where plunged into memories of her past. Lucy was so distracted that she didn't notice where she was going. When she looked up she saw she was in a different area of the Suburbs. She continued walking along, no longer crying. She wanted to explore! This place was so big, she had to find out more! She wagged her tail and she continued for a good few miles following the roads and exploring whenever a house perked her interest. She cocked her head at one, with the door hanging open. She entered carefully and looked around. There where a lot of big thingamabobs all over the room, but they looked soft. Lucy prodded one with her paw. It didn't hurt, so she jumped on. It made a noise and Lucy whimpered in surprise. It didn't do anything though so she didn't get off. It was quite soft actually.       

 Lucy settled down on it, her small body fitting easily into the space between the arms of the chair. Soon she was asleep, her breaths coming in long, deep sighs. She was so sound asleep that she didn't notice when it started to rain, but she did noticed the sound of thunder. Her head shot up, huge ears swiveling. She didn't get up though. She was dry in here, why should she get up? She settled back down, and fell back asleep. Not even the thunderclaps woke her as the storm raged into the night. 

[Azure]

Today had gone exceptionally well for him so far. He had managed to hunt a lucky catch for himself a few hours earlier, taking care of the hunger problem for a day. Encounters with other canines had been all but nonexistent, making the day uneventful in that manner, but he was not too disappointed. He would much prefer to explore these old human buildings in peace, by himself. They were smaller, much less magnificent in size than some of the areas he had seen throughout his exploration of this little island home. They were also in bad shape, some of them not even appearing safe to enter.

Still, he could imagine they might have once been idyllic places to live, as between some of the houses he would occasionally catch a glimpse of the vast blue ocean beyond the shoreline. Being so close to the shoreline also meant he could see the storm coming from off the water, but what he did not count on was just how quickly it had moved. One moment, there seemed to be nothing but cloudy grey skies and a little wind, then next a veritable downpour.

With the last light of day fading, the storm brought with it an eerie darkness that settled over the lands. He could see hardly anything, with the only light being provided by the flashes from the storm itself. Thunder cracked overhead, the rain soaking through him in a matter of a few minutes. It was cool, not unpleasantly so, but the way it constantly pelted him was growing annoying.

Kane's dark eyes briefly spotted the form of a building as it was illuminated by the white flash of lightening, which looked fairly intact. Knowing the potential risks, he charged toward it anyway, his highest desire at this moment to be out of the storm. He slowed only once he had gotten inside the door and was now out of the rain. He gave himself a good shake to get rid of most of the water on his back, casting one look outside before turning his attention to the inside. 

It was also dark. Quiet, but apparently not deserted. A few tentative, quiet steps were taken further into the building as he allowed himself to blend with the shadows, nose twitching as it attempted to determine the source of the scent. Although part of his mind insisted he should leave to avoid causing any trouble, the last thing he wanted was to go stumbling around in the dark during a storm. Hopefully whoever was here would not mind one more guest. 

[TearOfTheWolf]

Lucy:[/u]

 Lucy yawned, her floppy ears twitched as the thunder boomed. She curled tighter, when her nose twitched and she shot to her paws. Her brown eyes scanned the area and saw a black shadow. She starred, and cocked her head. She lept down from the chair and looked up at the German Shepard. He was larger, he acctualy was larger then her mother! She smiled and yipped up, "Hello! I'm Lucy! Who may you be? You are so much bigger then my Mama, and she was the biggest dog I ever saw!" She said with a distinct southern accent. She smiled up at him from her tiny stance and went back to her armchair. "You can have the long fluffy one." she said.
 Lucy watched the big dog, wondering what he was. He didn't seem like the kind that would kill her father, or her. He seemed more shadowy and less likely to attack her. He didn't seem like the type who like to eat her. She didn't relax, her mind wandering aimlessly. Then she drifted off to sleep. Yawning, she had a good 2 minuets of sleep before she was woken by a loud thunderclap and a bright flash. She flew over to Kane and curled up next to him, trembling. Her ears pinned back, and looked up at him.
 Lucy curled herself into a ball, her tan form pressed into his black fur and she fell asleep a lot like when she had been a pup. Compared to him she was a puppy. 

[Azure]

A few more steps, then pause. His eyes scanned the room again, ears swiveling for any possible sound of the stranger in this room with him. Another flash of light, and then he saw it, impossible to miss. The form of a stranger, a lump of tan, curled on top of a chair only a few more steps ahead of him. For a few moments, his eyes met those of the strangers, who looked to be a female.. pit-bull, perhaps? Though she was smaller than he had ever seen. Was she still quite young, with some growth left to accomplish? 

Seconds passed and the two remained in silence. Kane took a breath to speak, but she beat him to it. Hello! I'm Lucy! Who may you be? You are so much bigger then my Mama, and she was the biggest dog I ever saw! He blinked. He had been hoping that whoever was here might be friendly, but this? He had not been expecting this. The distinct accent from her told him she couldn't have been that young. Studying her more closely, she did seem to have at least some resemblance to a younger canine. But she couldn't be, her features were too well defined, even if a little on the smaller side. Kane was sure she had to be at least.. two years old? The shepherd couldn't hold back a small snort of amusement. He was the biggest dog she had ever seen? Then she still had a lot to see. 

"Kane. That's my name." He answered at last, deciding to get that part out of the way. He was unsure if he should attempt to respond to the rest, so he would let it go for now. 

You can have the long fluffy one. A puzzled frown crossed his face, until he spotted the other furniture piece in the room. So that was it then? She had no problems with his staying. "Um, thank you." He spoke, turning to investigate the object. He had seen things like it, but this one was in much better shape than most. Pressing a paw on it, it did seem like it would be a nice place to rest. Suddenly the shepherd realized how tired he was. 

Without a second thought, he jumped onto it, being quick to lie down. While tired, he was not quite ready for sleep. Instead he allowed his eyes to drift over and study the rest of the room, and occasionally toward a window or the door to see how the storm was progressing. All at once however, Lucy had risen from her position and moved surprisingly quickly to his side. Again there was a frown, but he said nothing. Was she afraid of the storms? He liked them, but he supposed not everyone did.

He was beginning to reconsider his estimate on her age again. Ordinarily he would not have liked such closeness. But under these circumstances, he supposed it would be acceptable. He could keep watch while she rested. 

[TearOfTheWolf]

Lucy:[/u]

Lucy had a nightmare. It started out as a dream, her parents where alive, her sister was alive, and she was still at home. She smiled, and her tail wagged. Then her dream took a dark turn. Her father was dead on the ground, blood staining the stone. Her mother and sister dead, and Leo, she choked. Leo was on the shore, sopping wet. She cried over her brother's dead body. She was twitching, large ears pinned back. Then she rolled over and fell off the couch. That woke her up, panting. "Leo!" she cried, thinking she was still in the dream. Then she started outright crying. She was embarrassed, sad, and she had never had great control over her emotions.
Lucy got to her paws shakily after a few minuets. "I'm sorry, I.... I had a nightmare." she said, and went back to her armchair. She looked at him. "I am sorry, I should act my age. I'm acting like a puppy, when I'm two years old!" she said brightly, and smiled her pit-bull smile. "Of course, I look like a puppy. My mother was a Pit Bull and my father was a Chihuahua." her brightness faltered slightly at the mention of her parents.

[Azure]

Quietly he would keep watch, ensuring his safety as well as that of the other. Usually he was not quite so trusting but.. Lucy did not seem like the type to harbor any bad thoughts, or be disguising ill intention. The dark shepherd decided that he could trust her. He hoped he did not end up regretting his hasty conclusion. She rested peacefully where she lie, seeming to once more be asleep. He too was growing tired. If no one else had found their way in here yet, Kane was starting to assume it would be safe. 

What he did not count on - though he supposed he should have given earlier occurrences - was Lucy to suddenly go falling off the furniture piece. She cried out a name, but it was not his. Was there someone else here named Leo that he did not know about? The tearful canine who now lie on the floor explained it to him however. She'd had a nightmare, a bad one from what he had seen. Although dreams of any sort were rare things for him, he surmised they were not so for others. Although slightly curious as to who Leo was, and what may have caused it, he would keep quiet. Now was not the time to ask about such things.

"There's no need to apologize." He said, attempting to come off as assuring as possible. It didn't seem to work. "I'm sure your reaction was.. normal." He did finally know her age though. Two years. Still a bit young, though it wasn't like he was much older. Really he didn't have much room to talk there, he still had many years to go, provided nothing bad would happen.

The breeds of her parents would also explain her look, the smaller stature. Blinking a couple of times, noting that she'd returned to the chair she had been on when he'd first entered the house, the shepherd tipped his head. "Are your parents anywhere nearby?" Perhaps they were worried about her being lost? It sounded like she cared about them. 

[TearOfTheWolf]

Lucy:[/i]

Lucy's ears pushed themselves against her skull. Another tear escaped, as hard as she tried not to let it. "There... There both...." She couldn't. She couldn't finish it. Planting her face into the cushion, she started sobbing. The only family she had left was Leo, and she had left him behind at that beach. The beach she had grown up at and where her mother and sister where buried. Where her father had gone missing. When she finely got herself together, she said, "They died when I was a puppy. My sister did too." She curled herself into a ball, not wanting to talk anymore.
Lucy perked up at the sound of another thunderclap. She thought of how the storms had been by the sea, and how she would go to her favorite rock and the sea spray had felt so good. She started dreaming of the sea, of the sweet smells. She remembered when her mother had caught a sea bass, and the family had eaten well. Or the first fish Lucy had ever gotten, in her tiny jaws. Soon, she smiled at the memories and drifted off to sleep. Her dreams where of the sea and of her old home.

[Azure]

He regretted asking the question almost as soon as she attempted to answer it. Even just one word told him what he needed to know, without her having to actually say it. Her parents were dead. Kane felt bad, as it had clearly taken a toll on her. He did not know how such a thing would feel, as he had willingly left his family behind. They had not wanted him anyways. Still, his curiosity had gotten the better of good judgement, but at least he could better understand now. Perhaps he could help her? His mere presence seemed to comfort Lucy, but that did not seem like enough. "I'm sorry you lost them." The shepherd offered, and left it at that.

Silence seemed to fall over them, with the sounds of the storm being the only things left to accompany him at this time. Now unable to speak, Kane rose and climbed from the sofa, deciding to check into the rest of the house. Most of the other rooms were empty, though one room held what looked to be a bed. Old, somewhat musty smelling, but still somewhat soft sheets were atop it. An idea coming to mind, he took the smallest in his jaws and carefully dragged it with him, not wanting to trip over it.

Once reaching Lucy, the shepherd slowly and somewhat hesitantly draped it over her sleeping form, hoping it might provide additional comfort. After that he returned to his perch on the sofa, allowed his head to rest upon his paws and attempted to sleep for himself.