Where did she go?

[Outlaw]

[shadow=beige,left,800]Qannik[/shadow]
Life's Delicate Snowflake

The ashen shadow drifted carefully through the streets, ducking and twisting with a wraith-like ability to avoid contact with the two-leggers who occasionally passed-by. Some reached out to the once snow white fae, others would kick at her as if to hurry her along out of their sights. The occasional hot dog dropped and forgotten by some wayward child would be swallowed in a single bite. At least here she could scavenge a full meal without fighting for scrapes. She wasn't a fighter, or at least she didn't look at herself in such a light. She hadn't meant to hurt the man who had held her collar in the store, but he had been choking and tugging. It had been unbearable, and it had changed her life. At least before she had known her meals were coming twice a day, and there was warmth in the winter, shelter in the summer. These last few months on the street had taught her to keep her head low and out of sight of the other strays.

Sides would heave a faint sigh of relief as the ratty abandoned cardboard box that had become her home came into view. Set back against one of the many gaming tents, out of sight and out of mind for most. Which suited her needs, there was no luxury, no comforts, the scents left something to be desired, and she refused to think about what that sticky substance that dripped down the side might have once been. Still it kept the rain out and shaded her vision from the glare of the sun when she wished for it. Still even as she stayed in the little shelter she knew it would not last much longer, it'd be moved or collapse completely leaving her to find another refuge from a world she barely knew.

Blacken pits trembled even while that face cringed at the scents that assaulted her muzzle. A low soft sigh expelled as she approached, dipping inside to spin about three times, eventually coming to a stop she would lower her form to the ground. After a moment ebony dashed ivory skull lowered, tomorrow she would travel to the waters edge, at a time when it was least likely to be visited by other strays. The grey of her coat disgusted the femme, she was supposed to be white, not this drabby filthy coloring. Another reason to avoid contact until at least she was presentable....

[blizzard]

Keisha

The Little Pier Carnival wasn't a bad place to be. You had to reluctantly admit that... You had all the humans you could ever want to see, nice bright lights to see by, and of course... all the food you could ever want! No filthy scavenging like the normal common stray. Especially none if you were a cute... no scratch that... the most cutest Chihuahua, nay, dog around. People didn't just drop things on the ground. Oh no, not if you were the most adorable thing around! That type of eating was saved if you didn't have a choice. For a cute little Chichuahua the food was given to you straight from the human hand. That was the most noble way of any dog to eat, and no dog was nobler (not to mention: braver, wiser, smarter, prettier, and all around better) than Keisha the long-haired Chihuahua.

Keisha walked around the Carnival snapping up anything the humans offered her. Hot Dogs, French Fries, you name it. She even allowed a few lucky souls to pet her fine silky fur. It was quite an honor only bestowed upon the fairest of all. After she grew full, the long haired 4 inch tall dog wandered around. Looking boredly from human to carnival ride to discared toy on the ground. Once a small toy that looked like some sort of fierce cat just seemed to fall out of the sky right in front of her nose. Keisha not knowing what it was took off in the other direction. Yipping, she ran into what looked like an old cardboard box. However, upon closer inspection (while her face was still pressed into the side of it, although, she still looked quite dignified... *coughcough*) she noticed a ton of grotesque things wrong with it... The horrid stench should have been enough to wake the dead. If the smell wasn't enough to ward off intruders then the gross-looking sticky stuff than ran down the side of the box should have. Keisha wrinkled her nose in disgust. How could a horrible thing (she refused to call the God-forsaken item a box) hadn't been thrown out and burned!

Keisha started to scury away from the offending item when she noticed another scent. It was almost overlaid by the stench but it was there... the scent of another dog. A Bordie Collie by its smell of it. Pity it wasn't a Chihuahua like her but oh well... you couldn't exactly be choosey about who you met out in the wild on your own... now could you?

The small dark-brown dog walked around to the front of the box and looked... Sure enough a white (or gray, since she was rather dirty) Border Collie marked only with a few black markings. Keisha didn't bother to hide her contempt at how the dog's pelt hadn't been groomed in a while... How could someone let their fur get this way? It was simply unatural. She started to say something about the condition of the dog's pelt to her... however, with the sadness that lashed the dogs contenance she decided against it and instead tried to play nice. Keisha walked up close to the dog but not too close as she didn't want to get near to the box's ungodly smell. "Hello there, dahling. Lovely day to be out and about, isn't it? Which is why I must ask you... why are you just sitting here like a sad little pup?" Keisha already had a good guess why the dog was just laying there like she was the most miserable canine in the world. It was most likely because of her unkempt fur... but she had to wonder. If she didn't like her fur like it was, why not go and bathe in some water like she did?

[Outlaw]

[shadow=beige,left,800]Qannik[/shadow]
And when is there time
...to remember...
...to sift...
...to weigh...
...to estimate...
...to total?...

Her peaceful quiet world was shattered in a few heartbeats with a small yip and the sudden trembling of the unstable structure. Twisting her skull upward to stare at the ceiling, willing it to remain standing. A moment later the form of a tiny brown Chihuahua stepped round to face the opening of her small domain. Embarrassment at being caught in such a state had that head ducking away. "I-i-it's safer h-here." Embarrassment over lapped embarrassment as that cursed stutter slipped forth. Backing as deep into the box as possible in an attempt to shadow the majority of her unkempt appearance. She didn't know what else to say, no one ever actually spoke to her before.

Occasionally the midnight gold of her gaze flickered upward towards the tiny bold dog before falling away. What did she want? It never crossed the collie's mind that the other had no ill intentions towards her. After all why would she willingly speak to a grungy mutt? It wasn't that she thought so little of herself, she rather took pride in her rare coloring. It was just that since she'd been thrown out she fell lost, without an understanding of what exactly was happening or of the world surrounding.

The longer she spent in this world the more she came to realize how sheltered she had been. Which only accented how ill suited she was for life on the streets. Luck had gotten her this far. Through the wild lands to this place of laughter where food rained from above. In the darkness of night she could raid a trash can and be full within moments before others caught her. But even she knew luck wouldn't last forever. Somehow she would have to discover the secrets of survive on the street if she wanted to live to see the next season.

[blizzard]

"I-i-it's safer h-here."

Keisha looked at the poor dog with an almost sympathetic gaze... after she got over the dog's unaturally dirty pelt, that is. The poor thing seemed scared to death of her, even though Chihuahuas were probably the most unintimidating dogs ever spawned. Poor dear is just so scared that she's stuttering... The little dog thought to herself. Out loud she said, "Now, sweetheart, I hardly think that unstable, stinking, rotten, substance oozing, excuse for a box is really safer than somewhere else. Now, don't you agree." Her last sentence was supposed to be spoken as a question but her tone told it was really a statement that she expected the other dog to automatically agree with.

Keisha lifted her little pink nose into the air. She decided that maybe introductions would allow the Bordie Collie to not be so afraid. "Anyway, dahling, my name is Keisha. Beautiful name I know, but you have know it fits a beautiful dog of pure Chihuahua bloodline." Keisha lifted her nose further into the air to show her pride when she said 'Chihuahua'. That breed was so gorgeous and wonderful! How could you not want to lift your nose into the air when you said the name?

Although she hadn't said it (which was most likely because she forgot after her introduction) the Chihuahua was expecting a name from the other dog. It was what formal dogs did all the time wasn't it? Of course it was! And of course this little dog was the most formal of them all! Even though the whitish-gray dog in front of her was so... what was the word she was looking for...? Oh yeah, unkempt and shy, you could tell that far back in her life she may have had a little bit of pride in herself. Who wouldn't want to keep a white pelt in good shape after all? It would so uncouth! Anyway, the Collie had to have a little information about formal introductions didn't she?

[Outlaw]

[shadow=beige,left,800]Qannik[/shadow]
Most of the change we think we see in life
is due to truths being in and out of favor.

The chocolate diva's description of her meager shelter was accurate though the white collies voice still remained elusive. There wasn't a doubt that the Chihuahua was completely accurate in her description of the shelter. It had been the first thing she had come across in an area that was seldom traveled by the throngs of people. Several small swallows later and she still found no sound, not that it mattered much. The little bold thing was speaking again in tones that said she held the world and then some wrapped in a neat little package within her paws grasp. The obvious pride the with which she took in her own self made Qannik even more self conscience. A few discrete laps of a pinken muscle, revealed that particular bit of information to the observant.

Keisha's demeanor reminded Qannik of the past. The toy dogs owners had intermingled with her person, but their dogs had all turned up their noses at the larger more hyper active border collie.In the end it had not mattered, Anni was used to the solitude of her world. Her owner rarely paid her much heed, and the hired help. Well they fed and bathed her, which had been enough.

The silence from the other brought the realization that Keisha wanted her name to. Half folded twins perked faintly. "I-I-I am Qannik, i-it's v-v-very nice t-to meet you, K-keisha." Dark optics flickered towards the world behind the brave little figure, she even smelled decent. Anni, unfortunately, smelled much like the box. Repulsive to say the least but it had helped in masking her presence from the more unsavory strays that roamed this carnival of plenty.

[blizzard]

So the Collie did have a little bit of formal teachings in her. How nice. "And it is nice to meet you as well, Qannik." The Chihuahua said politely. This, was the sort of sentence you said upon meeting people though you really didn't mean it. I mean, come on... for pity's sake who went up to other dogs and just bounded in front of them saying they were so excited and happy to meet them? Not I.[/i] Besides, you'd probably freak someone out doing that if you weren't careful.

Keisha started to walk toward the dog but she remembered the scent of the repulsive box and subconsciously wrinkled her nose. She wondered how Qannik could stand to be in it for that long without losing any food she had possibly gobbled up... It was a mystery, that was for sure... Or maybe the dog didn't like it but was just staying there because she was being antisocial or you could go with her previous statement that 'it was safer'... That could be a load of BS but then, you never knew. Nowadays, a lot of dogs were that way. Keeping to themselves, growling at the first sign of an intruder... the list of things could go on and on. However, if you were a high society dog you wouldn't dream of behaving so uncivilized.

The little brown Chihuahua decided to try her hand... er, paw, at trying to get the other dog to leave her box. That thing was so unhealthy it wasn't even funny. Who knew how long you could stay in that thing before it started taking some toll on your health. "Um, sweetheart, how would you like to go for a little walk...?" Before you sit there too long and give yourself some sort of health problem. She finished in her head. Then, Keisha had another idea in case the Collie tried to refuse on the grounds that it was unsafe. So she added this sentence, "I'll be with you so there will be nothing to worry about, dahling." Now, there could be no objections to going on a healthy walk, no dog would are mess with a wonderful dog like her. And also while they were out maybe they could go find water and give Qannik a bath. It would do the stuttering Collie some good, she was sure. The Chihuahua was sure that she saw some water nearby somewhere. She just had to remember where...[/size]

[Outlaw]

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[atrb=background,http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu77/Amaryssa_Shard/back.png] A faint smile played across ebony lips at the polite reply. Small talk was not Qannik's strongest trait but she had heard others often enough in the past to know the basics. Midnight eyes flecked with shards of golden sunlight peered at the advancement the little chocolate fae ceased almost immediately. Not that the collie blamed her, this wasn't exactly a dream home. Cranium twisted to peer at the dark walls forming the interior of the crumbling box. It was that friendly voice that brought her attention back to the Chihuahua. Eyes would widen faintly whether in surprise or fear or a combination of both at the unexpected offer. A soft uncertain whine escaped from her throat further embarrassing the grayish white canine. Skull dropped to silence the sound while that mind worked swiftly. She wanted to like the little spunky creature, but was afraid to trust her. Still perhaps she could learn something, for Keisha seemed to be self assured, confident in her own self, which in turned lent Qannik a small spark of courage to peek through. Muscles would tense as that frame crawled forth easing from the dark rank recesses of the fouled box into the light of the day. Jaws part to release that quiet timid voice. "I w-w-would l-like that..thank y-you." Politely Qannik would step several feet away before giving her body a vigorous shake, dislodging some of the filth that clung unbecomingly to her pelt. "F-f-forg-give my ap-p-p-pearance. I d-do not know w-w-where it i-i-is s-safe to b-b-bath." Tail tucked firmly between her legs curled up against her belly while she crept forward slightly towards the well kept dog that barely made it to her chest. Head hung low so that black tipped muzzle nearly touched the ground while eyes flickered this way and that nervously. as if expecting an attack, whether from a beast on two legs or four, at any moment.

[blizzard]

* * *

Keisha smiled and stepped back to give Qannik room to ease out. "Excellent, dahling, absolutely excellent." She watched as Qannik walked a few feet away and shook herself. Dirt and other undesirable things flew off of her fur. Keisha wrinkled her nose and snorted. She still couldn't see how the Border Collie had let herself get that way. It was completely unnatural and filthy.

"F-f-forg-give my ap-p-p-pearance. I d-do not know w-w-where it i-i-is s-safe to b-b-bath."

"That's alright, dahling, I know a perfect spot to get all those dirty little things off your snowy coat." She started to take a step away when she saw Qannik literally crept toward her. Qannik's tail was tucked betwen her legs and she looked like someone was going to jump out and bite off her legs. She raised one eyebrow and tilted her head to the side quizzically. Why was this dog acting so submissive? She wasn't going to hurt her and there was no one nearby (that she could see) that would.

"Dahling, if you don't mind my asking... even if you do. What are you doing? Creeping around like that. You'll draw attention to yourself which is not a good idea. Usually if you walk gracefully with your head up and tail in the air others won't mess with you." Trying to set the example, Keisha lifted her muzzle into the air as well as her tail and walked purposefully around Qannik. With her gait she made it look like she was the most valuable thing on Earth (which in her mind she was). She stopped walking when she got back around to the front of Qannik. "Now, sweetheart, you try. Cause we are not leaving this spot until you can walk without your whole body dragging around like a sad little cat."

She sat down right in front of Qannik and waited. If they were going to go anywhere together the timid dog would have to learn to at least walk like she wasn't afraid of anything. Granted, she was afraid of things... a lot of things it seemed, but that didn't matter. Keisha was afraid of things to, but you would never know it unless she told you.

[/size][/justify]

[Outlaw]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu77/Amaryssa_Shard/back.png] Radars, identical opposites with one of ebony and the other of alabaster, perked at the mention of a bath. That tail had crept out enough to allow the tip to wag faintly with the simple idea of a bath. Of course when her poise came under question those ears drooped slightly. She hadn't always been this way, but since the first night she'd spent alone on the streets, the collie had found it difficult to stand with any kind of assurance, let alone not cringing. Dark sad eyes watched the princess prance regally about as if everything her paw touched belonged to her and her alone. It was the mild insult of being thought of as a feline, whether it had been intended or not it managed to cause that skull to jerk upward with a little bit of pride. Though by no means was she near to the poise the tiny brown thing had demonstrated, but it was a start. "I am no c-cat." This was spoken more towards herself then the company that she kept. Now I can do this, she told herself, after all the majority of her puppy hood had been spent in training. Even after wards she had to hold herself just so to please the mistress, to endure the thousands of hands stroking and marring her pristine pelt without moving a muscle. Surely she could manage walking with some kind of dignity? Right? Hesitantly she stepped forward, one step then two, three and four, each held a little more assertiveness. Not a large step for some but it was a leap forward for her nonetheless. Optics twisting to catch Keisha's gaze. "L-like t-this?" Folded twins lifted with the question, the thick fall of that tail no longer sought refugee beneath her frame still did not lift far from her rump. Cranium held a perfect line from the crown of that skull to the slope of her hips. Most if seeing this position taken by a border collie would have assumed she had spied something that held her complete focus. That is if they did not notice the angle those ears fall to.

[blizzard]

* * *

Keisha watched as Qannik tried her hand at showing a little pride in herself. The results weren't too disatrous. "That's a little better, dahling. Maybe as they started walking the other dog's gait would get steadily better... maybe... Now that they had brought the collie's posture to attention the next should be her stuttering... Patience, Keisha-dahling, you can't deal with everything in one day. Stick to things you can fix, which is that bath. She gave the dog a once over with her gaze before standing and turning around. Her little tail twitched as she glanced around the carnival.

She couldn't exactly remember where the water was... only that it had been near the Ferris Wheel. The huge human contraption was situated close to a fence that had water on the other side of it. She was sure that Qannik could fit in it but that would be a problem saved for when they got there. For now, it was a problem in its self trying to find it.

She glanced once back over her shoulder to Qannik and spoke two words before setting off, "Follow me." She set off in a trot although her short legs most likely made the pace a little slow for a longer legged dog.

She headed straight for the main crowd of people not contemplating the fact whether or not Qannik would approve of this route (or the fact that her small size would make it easy to lose her in this crowd). She looked around and noticed with annoyance that all she could see was people's ankles and the occasional discarded food item. With her short height though... it was impossible for her to really see the rides or what was near them for that matter... She didn't let this discourage her however she looked doggishly around so she could find a good place to look around... She saw her chance when an opening between the crowd of people showed a good spot that wasn't crowded with people. "This way, dahling!" She yipped hoping that Qannik could hear her.

With that, she bounded forward and ran ahead to the opening before it closed. She made it and now she could clearly see the Ferris Wheel outlined against the sky... It was a few feet away a nice walking distance. He tail wagged gently against her will but she didn't bother to stop it. "There, you see that, my dear? That's where the water is." She didn't bother to turn around and look to see whether or not the collie was behind her. She just took it for granted...

[Outlaw]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu77/Amaryssa_Shard/back.png] With a quickly stated follow me the tiny dog was off, Qannik was close on her heels at least that was until they reached the edge of the crowd where the border collie froze with nerves. There seemed to be an endless sea of legs moving in a broken incomprehensible pattern. "K-k-keisha?" A timid voice question empty air, she was gone, disappearing within that throng. Later when Qannik thought about it she wouldn't be able to figure out what exactly gave her the courage to plunge in after the swiftly moving chocolate form. The flow of motion that danced through a dirtied snow draped frame was classic for her breed. Belly low to the ground she snaked in and out of the crowd her entire focus on the tiny form darting ahead of her. Pausing even as the Chihuahua paused Qannik's dark gaze flickered about doing her best not to focus in on the crowd thickening around them, at Keisha's order they set off yet again, this time their goal appeared to be a gap in the crowd. The moment they broke from the crowd the collie breathed a sigh of relief though the tension coursing through her frame remained while that gaze flickered nervously skyward towards those looming faces. Again it was Keisha's voice that kept the panic at bay drawing her attention towards Farris Wheel and the chance for a bath. A bath.. The thought sent a tickle of pleasure along her spine causing movement from that stiffly held tail. The twins of ebony and alabaster perked forward with a show of excitement. To be clean again.. Cranium dropped so the silent depths of her dark gaze could settle on her new found friend. Now they only needed to get from here to there. For Qannik that was easier said then done.

[blizzard]

* * *

Now Keisha glanced behind her. She saw the border collie looking at her so she gave a lopsided smile. The other dog didn't seem as bad off now as when they first met. Her tail was stiffly wagging behind her and her ears perked forward. "Don't worry, dahling, not much farther now. So we can go at a nice walking pace. Keisha turned her head back towards their destination. She looked up at it for a couple of seconds before lowering it again and stepping forward to walk. However, before her foot even hit the ground she remembered something and yipped over her shoulder, "And if you even think about walking in that ungainly looking crawl, as you tried to do earlier, I shall go up to you and bite off one of your legs!" With that she set off. Her tiny legs moving rapidly although the pace she was setting was a brisk walk. Sometimes it just didn't pay to have short legs...

Keisha felt good enough right now to try a bit of innocent conversation. So still looking straight ahead she decided to try strike one up. "So, dahling, how long have you been on the streets? I have to say, I've not seen a white, I suppose you're supposed to be white, border collie before. I thought you types of dogs were pretty rare." Keisha thought this question was innocent enough. She didn't think the other dog would find offense to the question anyway.

Glancing upwards again she noticed that the Ferris Wheel was looming closer. As well as the water... Now the fence was in clear view as well as the blue liquid behind it. The salty scent of it hit her nostrils. Pity it was salt water... although it would work just the same as regular water. Or at least she thought so, all water worked the same didn't it? Unless it got old... but then, water didn't get old. Or did it? And why were her thoughts going on and on about water? She shook her head irritably and stopped noticing that while she had been daydreaming the dogs had arrived at their destination. Keisha completely ignored the Ferris Wheel however and edged closer to the fence. She fit easily through the narrow bars which were set exactly a foot and a half apart. Looking down she noticed that the water was only a couple of inches away. She took note of this and swiftly walked back to Qannik. "Dahling, do you think you could fit through the fence? The water is just standing right below it."

((Sorry this took so long to reply back to. My internet got messed up by a storm.))

[Outlaw]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu77/Amaryssa_Shard/back.png] Eyes widen faintly at the declaration a half step taken back, perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all. But before that speculation could be given any thought the little chocolate toy dog was off again. Rather then be left Qannik moved to follow the little fae, longer legs easily ate twice the distance that Keisha did thus the collie slowed her stride to match. Keisha's question brought her attention from its near constant scanning of the occasional group of people that passed by. "A m-month, I-i think." A particularly loud noise to their right had the ashen white border collie cringing slightly, freezing in place to look about fearfully. When no immediate danger presented itself Qannik hurried to catch up to her tentative friend. Well at least she thought of her as a friend, after all if she wasn't why would she be helping the once dignified fae? In an effort to conceal her fright Anni spoke quickly. "I-I do not k-k-know. M-my mother t-t-thought I w-was d-deformed. T-though my l-lady s-seemed to p-prize my c-colors." It was true that she'd been born to a breeding farm, and among the several hundred border collies she alone held the prominent white coloring. But Qannik had never really thought of herself as rare, simply because rare usually meant value, and she did not hold value to anyone, man or beast. In the mean time they had arrived at a fence, to which the Chihuahua slipped through easily, a moment or two later she was back from her survey with a question. For a moment the collie studied the fence then nodded, without waiting for an invitation she twisted and slipped her way through the fence. Without waiting for an invitation Qannik stepping into the water, twisting and rolling in the shallow depths for several long moments succeeded in shifting her colors from crummy ash to a cool white. Granted it was not as good as the baths she ad known in the past, but it was a lot better then being in the state she'd been minutes ago. Delighted she twisted about for a few moments longer then necessary but who could blame her? Getting clean felt good no matter who you are. Eventually she'd press to her paws stepping from the water she'd move a respectful distance away from the mocha fae before shaking out her coat furiously.