Post by ahote on Dec 21, 2007 14:29:02 GMT -5
Curling Creek
Upon this strip of land the water changes once again, running off from the brook and slanting first to the east and then back to the west, creating a sharp corner of bank on the western side that leads into some thick undergrowth. The area, unlike most others, is fairly open - the creekside is clean and littered with gentle blades of short and sweet grass, creating something more akin to a beach than a forested waterway. A few large boulders left here long ago by the world changing are planted in various spots, providing both vantage points and sunning spots.
[IC] Rosotto - Male Adol. Raccoon
[IIC] Thorne - Male Wolf
[!] You are ill. You feel fatigued, weak, dizzy, nauseous and confused; your thoughts are muddled. You are having mental delusions and visual hallucinations.
The soft gurgle of the creek is something Thorne can recognize as real; the cool feel of the water on his muzzle is something he knows has to be real. The white wolf lies along the creek's bank, ears down, eyes closed, and chin in the water. Every now and again, his head rolls slightly to one side or the other and he pants, but otherwise remains quiet.
On the other side of the creek, Rosotto takes his time as he moves along the bank, stopping here to pick up a stone and look underneath, hopping to find a quick snack or maybe something shiney to hord. The wolf, a few meters away, is so quiet that the 'coon doesn't even notice the canine as he starts to hum to himself moving along casually with no urgency in his step.
Noise. Different noise. Thorne's eyes snap open, seemingly impossibly wide, the black pupils in the middle of his icy-blue irises mere pinpoints. His paws splay in clear indication of panic, but he does not dart off as a panicked creature should. Instead, the white wolf stays in his position, frozen, body rigid. Eventually he remembers to breath, and when he does, it's in short, hurried breaths, eventually serving to calm him down slightly. Thorne utters a deep groan, eyes shutting tightly and head tilting upwards, "...I wish this would stop," he moans to himself.
Rosotto glances up and over and freezes instantly when he sees the wolf just across the water. He gently and quietly back up to one of the nearest boulders and peers over at the wolf who, suprisingly, hasn't seemed to notice him yet. All for the better, he thinks, as he begins to turn untill he notices the beast isn't moving much at all. Maybe he's sleeping? But no, he had deffinitly heard the wolf speak just a moment before. He feels safe enough on this rock so he dicides to call out,"YooHoo! Hey! Everything ok over there? You seem a bit...sluggish!"
The voice that responds, so it seems, to his comment, is a bit distorted, muddled, and slow sounding. Thorne winces visibly, refusing to open his eyes, head bowing and lips curling upwards in obvious discontent. After a moment, he licks his lips, tongue lolling to the side shortly after. "Oh, I'm just peachy," Thorne responds to the voice, "Trust me on that." Sarcastic? You bet.
Obviously, this canine wasn't going anywhere fast so Rosotto decides to slide down the rock and wade across a shallow point in the creek. Moving around the white-ish wolf curiously,"Mymymy, you don't look good at all, what on earth did you eat my kind companion?" This behavior was typical for Rosotto, as long as something didn't try to eat him, he didn't mind taking a risk to make a friend. Then again, wolves could be touchy at times, especially during the spring.
Thorne risks opening one eye, as the voice persists. A fairly normal-looking raccoon, as far as raccoons go. That prompts the other eye to follow, and the wolf fixes his bleary-gaze upon Rosotto, puzzled. His ears turn forward, but still Thorne makes no move to change his position. "...Who are you?" Closing his eyes briefly again, Thorne shakes his head, before looking once more at the raccoon. "Nothing I ate...not sure what's wrong. Sick, although no one else around me seems to be ailin'."
Rosotto nods as he listens,"Strange, very strange. I am Rosotto, I'm new to the area. Came down from the northern side of the farm. Nothing exciting I assure you." He steps a bit closer so as to inspect the wolf better, though trying to avoid the head, naturally. "You say no one else around is getting sick? And you've asked around I take it?" Here, the raccoon vaults over the wolf landing on his forpaws, to inspect the oposite side of the wolf more closely.
He sways a bit, trying unsuccessfully to follow the raccoon's movement, his expression remaining puzzled. It takes him a moment to orient upon Rosotto again and, after a moment, decides to shut his eyes again. "Tell me truthfully...are you real?" A strange enough question. He sighs, keeping his eyes clothes, and continues. "No one else in the pack, I think. Don't talk too much to other animals."
Rosotto can't help but laugh at the question, at least untill the mention of a wolf pack, at which point he becomes rather nervouse and starts to look behind him into the woods repeatedly,"Of course I'm real" at which time he pokes the wolf in the side with a claw to prove his 'point'. "But you mean to say there are more of you around here? They would'nt, yea know, eat me or anything would they?"
The poke serves to indeed drive the point home, and Thorne can't help but tense once more. A chuckle bubbles up from Thorne's throat, "I can't promise they won't try...come to it, if I was in fit form, I'd probably try myself." His stomach grumbles as if to illustrate. "But you're in no danger from me right now...don't think I could even keep you in my sight, even if the trees behind you would stop dancing." He cracks an eye open once more, "I've hallucinated before, you know, long time ago. Things couldn't poke me then, but that was under different circumstances. Y'said you were from the otherside of the farm? You live around humans much?" Thorne's voice comes a bit easier, with less tension than before, relieved that there is something to distract him from the wild rambling of his own mind.
Rosotto looks a bit tense himself now at the being eaten comment, but shrugs it of as a generally good natured statement...for a wolf to a racoon. What the 'coon finds most interesting was that he was talking to a canine with a mental history. "Sounds like you've had some pretty hard times my friend." Glancing towards the trees, just in case, "As for the farm, I guess you could say I lived 'around' them for some time, mainly stealing through their trash for interesting things or sometimes a bite to eat if I was desperate. Never had much direct contact though to be honest, bad for my health." At this the ringtail chuckles, wondering at his own wit. Rosotto then moves around towards the wolfs face, staying safely at a distance out in the water,"Tell you what. How about I go find you a small furry animal to sink your teeth into, and in return you put in a good word for me with your mates?" Then he thinks, "Oh, and I don't think I caught your name."
Thorne listens quietly, features composed for the moment, although he's closed both eyes once more. He nods knowingly, "Aye, humans, with their dogs and guns. Very bad for your health." At being offered the chance of food, Thorne opens both eyes again, clearly perplexed, "...You? You'd...bring me something to eat?" His brows pull together as he mulls this over for a moment, not sure what to make of the offer. Eventually he nods, slowly, "I think we can work that deal just fine, actually." The white wolf pauses, before continuing, "I'm Thorne, Beta of the Lazuli pack. And you are?"
Rosotto is taken aback, but in a good way, "I don't know much about wolf packs but I imagine Beta is on up in the ranks, I'm honored to meet you Thorne. I am Rosotto, Raccoon and Collector Extrodinaire. If you need something exotic, I bet I either have it or can find it. I also take donations" He says with a smile before adding, "I hope you like baby rabbit, its my speacialty this time of year."
"If you are an illusion, at least you've been a normal one," Thorne murmurs, mostly to himself, although he currently has no ability to really differentiate in self-volume. "Rosotto," he repeats, although is eyes stare at a point just beyond the raccoon, "...I'm guessing since I've only heard one voice, there is only one of you, right?" He shakes his head, rubbing his muzzle with a paw, "Baby rabbit would be perfect, right now, to be honest." His stomach rumbles again, obviously agreeing.
Rosotto nods slowly, finding it hard to ignore such strange comments,"Only one of me, last time I checked. I'm going to run on and get you that food, maybe it will make you feel better, be back in a jiff!" And with that the raccoon bounds off into the brush. He's gone for some time and by the time he gets back he hopes the poor beast hasn't fallen asleep on him. Waking a sick, delusional wolf was not on the op of Rosotto's list of things to do before he dies.
Asleep? No, not quite. Thorne has returned to the state in which the raccoon found him - awake, head up, but eyes closed. The alternating state of calm, puncutated by occasional bouts of panting, has reclaimed him. Whether or not he hears the approach, he doesn't indicate, almost as if intent on simply ignoring his surroundings.
Rosotto approaches on all fours, with two small rabbits slung over his back, being careful not to move to much as he walks less they fall off. Rosotto coughs abit as he walks up to the wolf,"Hello? I got two for you, I know thier probably smaller than your use to eating but I myself am only so big. I hope they will help." And with that he slings them off his back with a paw next to the wolf, just out of the water so Thorne can reach them without too much movement.
The more definite sound of a voice does cause Thorne's ears to twitch towards the raccoon, and he ventures to open his eyes again. "A raccoon delivering rabbits to a wolf. Now I know I must be mad," he states with a shake of his head. He eyes the rabbits dubiously and, after the aroma gets to him, snags one with his muzzle, swallowing it almost greedily. Satisfied that it is indeed real - and therefore the raccoon must be, he doesn't yet eat the second, and instead fixes his gaze on Rosotto again. "I appreciate the help. If nothing else, at least my stomach will be content for awhile, hey? Listen, there's not much I can do from here right now, but if you should run into the rest of the pack, just let them know that you met me, as Thorne, Beta and...storyteller. They'll know you're genuine then."
Rosotto nods and smiles,"I appreciate that very much sir, more than you know." The raccoon then wades back across the water and continues his search for possible shiney things among the rocks and sand. He then looks back to the Wolf and thinks, "Also, if you ever need to find something, or maybe just need a message dilivered or something, I'd be hapy to help. It pays to keep on good terms with the locals I've learned."
Perhaps he should say his thanks as well, but Thorne keeps silent, just a bit too off at the moment to think clearly. "Least I can do," he mumbles, glad to at least have something to eat. Lowering his head, he drags the other little carcass to the area between his forelimbs, contentedly closing his eyes as he begins to slowly eat the second, muttering a final phrase, "...Deals with raccoons. Mia's going to give me hell if I ever make it that far."