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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 19, 2010 3:23:09 GMT -5
Oh, so she was the first out of her siblings...? Zak hated to admit it, but regarding his first impression of Cooro, he hadn't expected her to be the first with... a crush? A true friend? He wasn't sure what she considered him, but whatever it may be, he shook it away. There'd be plenty of time to ask later.
Or maybe he didn't need to ask. Nodding to let her know he was listening, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and warmth when she dubbed him her 'knight in shining armor'. Staring after her, almost dumbstruck, Zak rose to his paws slowly as if he were in a trance, enamored by a beautiful enchantress. "And this time, it won't be just exploring the territory." Could that possibly mean...?
Snap out of it, Zak, you're acting like you're intoxicated.
Blinking away the light glaze that had shielded his eyes, Zak quickened his pace to a lope, feeling all the awkwardness, anxiety, and hesitation burn away as he entered into the sun's light. "Want a fair start this time?" he offered in a joking manner, his usual laughter and charm (though it felt natural this time around) returning. "I promise not to lose my head in the clouds and cause a painful impact this time." The wolf winked.
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 19, 2010 8:18:47 GMT -5
Deep and meaningful conversation over ( not that she didn't appreciate deep conversation, but she always got a little antsy if she was still for too long ), Cooro was glad to out racing and running again. The feeling of grass beneath her paws was absolutely amazing, the the wind whisked through her fur as she ran, so refreshing that she didn't want to stop. She darted out a ways and then returning in a circle to Zak, who was still standing there with a smile on his face.
Giggling joyfully at his words, she whisked her tail in a circle. "I hope you don't do that with all the other females ~" she quipped teasingly, a good-natured sparkle in her golden eyes. 'Or else all your charm will be gone if they keep crashing into you."
As Cooro raised her head to look up at the steadily darkening sky, she saw the two doves again, winging out from the tree beneath which she and Zak had been sitting earlier, twittering and flitting about. One was chasing the other in a playful game, and she smiled upon seeing their pure white feathers against the darkening blue above. "Bet you can't catch me!" she barked over her shoulder, and then took off across the huge green expanse, paws flying as she ran.
Yes... maybe this is what real happiness feels like.
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 19, 2010 16:17:09 GMT -5
Yeah, this is what his muscles had longed for. Having been sitting still for their previous conversation, Zak growled with pleasure as his heartrate increased and his blood pumped faster, his paws racing. Usually cooped up in the pack's main camp (flirting with the females, of course), he rarely got to leave except on hunting trips or a few patrols. But never had he been allowed to just run freely, not on any duty, with a friend. All the she-wolves were mainly of the dainty type or had preferred to walk and talk. Yes, this was something he hadn't done for years, and he realized now that he had missed it.
So he didn't really have the heart to tell Cooro that he had never done this with any other female before, but he didn't have the breath either. He simply let out a barking laugh, eyes dancing. If only the day would last... he cast a glance upwards to where Cooro had been gazing, only to see the same two doves chasing one another again. Their snowy feathers stood out from the oncoming night. But Zak's brief lapse of silence was, well, brief, and his attention soon was captured again by Cooro.
"Oh, I wouldn't bet that." Picking up speed, Zak grinned as he neared closer to the she-wolf, paws working harder than ever. With a final burst of energy, he leaped forward, managing to bat her tail with a large but gentle paw. Surging forward, he caught up to Cooro, matching her speed. "Gotcha."
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 19, 2010 16:33:33 GMT -5
ooc||
Time to crank up the drama.
bic||
She ran as fast as she could, but apparently she wasn't fast enough, because within a few seconds, she heard Zak closing in, and then in one heart-stopping pause, felt his paw graze the back of her tail. "Awww..." she whined, a smile breaking out again across her maw as she slowed down and he drew even with her, the two of them racing happily along. She had always been able to outrun the siblings of her litter, but Senri had always been faster than her in return. It's cause he's older, she told herself with a good-natured pout.
"Don't get too full of yourself - ah!" she started to taunt him playfully again, but at that moment her forepaw hit a rather large stone on its way up, and the initial pain of the blow was lost on her as she tripped, toppling over and sailing through the air for one suspended moment before hitting the ground on her left shoulder in a jarring impact, causing her to wince.
She skidded for a few feet, and then came to a stop in the grass, expression contorted with pain. "Ow..." she murmured as she tried to get up again. Gingerly she hoisted herself to her paws, but as soon as her left forepaw touched the ground, she barked, a sharp agony sparking in her shoulder.
A whimper bubbled from her throat as she lifted her leg again. A dull painful throb was pulsating from her shoulder where she'd landed, and she sighed. She was fine everywhere else - albeit a little bit bruised, but the pain was mainly coming from her shoulder. "Great. I must look silly, being so reckless," she sighed, turning to face Zak and wincing again as another throb caused her shoulder to twinge again.
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 19, 2010 18:59:29 GMT -5
It was as if everything had happened so fast, yet he could remember it all like it had occurred in slow-motion. Zak instantly skidded to a rough halt, stumbling a little, watching in horror as Cooro sailed through the air. Within another heartbeat, the she-wolf landed ungracefully on her shoulder, sliding another yard or two until she came to a stop.
"Cooro!"
Bounding towards his injured friend, Zak skidded to a standstill, trying his best not to panic. Funny; Cooro appeared more calm than he. "Are you alright?" he immediately questioned, eyes looking over her with worry. "Where does it hurt? Do you want me to help? Can I help?" Little did he know it, Zak sounded like a worried, new mother, frantic and wanting to be the perfect caregiver.
Cooro tried to stand, but it was in vain; she dropped to the ground in pain. "Don't get up," the male wolf soothed, forepaws kneading the ground nervously, his nose pressing involuntarily to her ear as a consolling move. His heart ached when he heard her whimper, unable to move her left shoulder. If only he had been able to see that stone earlier, to warn her, to at least push her out of the way...
So what was he to do now? Night was coming soon, and if he were go to for help, he'd feel guilty and unsafe leaving her here to fend for herself, even if it was for a few minutes. Biting his tongue, Zak situated himself behind her so that when he lay down, she was able to rest her head on his furry back, his tail curled behind her back. He did so, trying to keep her as comfortable as possible while he thought of a plan.
He turned his neck so that he was able to look over his shoulder at her, now that he was calm and not constantly babbling (though of course he was still very concerned). "Do you... want me to go for help? I could get one of your siblings... Angeal's nice and strong, too, I bet he wouldn't mind helping either..."
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 19, 2010 19:13:12 GMT -5
Zak's response was instant, to Cooro's surprise. Or... was she surprised by the fact that he immediately started worrying more about her than she did about herself? Giving up on trying to move ( hobbling on three paws wasn't exactly comfortable, and whenever she put her left forepaw on the ground and leaned on it even a bit, it twanged sharply ), Cooro sank back down to a lying down position on the ground, a sigh escaping her maw.
What was she to do now?
Honestly, she didn't mind Zak fretting over her. He acts kind of like Nana... she thought to herself with some amusement as he began to worry about how to help her and whether he should go back to the camp or not.
Liking the feeling of lying down and resting her chin on his furry side, she allowed her eyes to drift closed. She wasn't going to fall asleep here, obviously, but it was comfortable nonetheless, and now that she wasn't standing, somehow her shoulder hurt a tiny bit less. "I'm pretty sure I can try and get up, and if you help, then maybe I can hobble my way back to camp."
But maybe it would've been easier if Senri were here or something. Just her luck.
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 20, 2010 2:26:42 GMT -5
When Cooro had adjusted and laid her head along his side, Zak did his best to suppress another shiver that threatened to travel down his spine. Monitoring his heartbeat, he watched as she closed her eyes, breathing even. How could she afford to be so calm? In a time of pain and crisis, he was the one who had been fretting and worried, not her. And now she looked so... peaceful. The male wolf would've thought she had gone to sleep if she hadn't spoken moments later.
"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, uncertain whether she should risk her shoulder the way it was already. Though he did want some help, he was also unsure whether he wanted to cause anybody panic, running into camp for help. Sighing, Zak began to formulate a plan, thinking internally until something popped up.
"Well," he began, speaking slowly as he ran the idea through his mind's eye. "If we don't want you to walk on your leg at all, seeing as you can hardly stand... we could have you ride on my back." Zak bit his tongue as he finished his sentence, feeling his nerves rise a bit. "Your stomach would go perpendicular across my back so that your forelegs and hindlegs fell on either side of my sides... it wouldn't be the most comfortable, but at least it wouldn't aggrivate your leg..."
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 20, 2010 18:10:48 GMT -5
Indeed, Cooro probably would have tried to go to sleep out here if she'd been able to. ( She was quite tired, and the way she was, it never mattered to her where she slept. There had been a couple occasions when she'd been out playing, gotten tired, and had fallen asleep beneath a tree or something, only to return nonchalantly to the camp the next day and be barked at by Husky and fretted over by Nana. ) As it was though, she was aware there was someone else with her and that would have been kind of rude.
"Well... we could try that," she agreed, managing to get herself back on three of her paws again. It was difficult, getting up without using one of her forepaws, but she got it after a bit. She hobbled and turned around then to face Zak with an accomplished smile. "It'll be a little awkward, I guess, but it's better than loping back to camp on three legs."
ooc|| Sorry, that was short. x.x
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 20, 2010 19:55:37 GMT -5
It pained Zak to see her struggle so much, but after all his fussing, he felt a bit guilty about hovering and trying to help at every possible moment. He was there as she tried to stand, reading to catch her if she fell, but felt it more respectful to simply watch. Once she was on all fours -- or, rather, three -- he himself stood, giving an encouraging grin.
"I'm impressed," he acknowledged, nodding. And now... to carry her home.
Gritting his teeth against his initial embaressment, her stepped to her side, catching her eye before being granted permission to lift her up. Bending his neck and crouching his legs, he crawled underneath her belly until his head and forelegs were on the other side of her. With a nod, he carefully straightened his legs, with mild difficulty. Careful of her damaged leg, he let her lay it on his neck and shoulder area, bent at the elbow.
"Comfortable?" he asked, casting her a glance behind him. He wasn't necessarily the most comfortable himself, but he didn't dare mention that out loud... and honestly, he didn't mind too much. All that training with Angeal and play-fighting with his other brothers had paid off... Cooro was actually lighter than he had expected. Of course, he'd never carried an adult wolf before... and unless he needed to, he wasn't planning on it ever again.
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 20, 2010 20:52:36 GMT -5
Throughout the entire ordeal of Zak crawling underneath her and hefting her up, Cooro remained still, doing her best not to mess everything up. When she felt the other wolf's back press against her stomach and her paws left the ground, she gasped slightly from initial pain in her shoulder, and shifted a bit so that the pressure was taken off of it.
Once that was done, she nodded, and then realized he wouldn't be able to see. "Okay, I'm okay up here."
She swished her tail lightly, but otherwise remained stock still. The last thing she needed was for her to make some stupid move and then tumble off his back, which would only further injure her. The thought of her made her pelt tingle with fear, and she kept as rigid as possible. I hope he doesn't go too fast... she thought to herself as they began moving at a steady pace. "I'm not too heavy, am I?"
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 21, 2010 2:02:09 GMT -5
"Too heavy? Nah," Zak laughed, shaking his head, and he was honestly telling the truth. "Sweetheart, even if you weighed twice as much as you do now, I'd still carry you back." Wait, hold on -- what had he just called her? Too late, Zak realized his slip of tongue and deperately hoped Cooro hadn't noticed. Clearing his throat, the male wolf took a small step forward, careful not to jar Cooro's leg too badly. After warily taking a few more strides, Zak set into a steady, peaceful rhythm back towards the river. Dusk was now present, a beautiful sunset painting the sky.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Zak noted, flicking his ear towards the setting sun. They were nearing the forest and soon the sky would be hard to view directly because of the tree cover.
Ooc// Aaah, so short. xO
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 21, 2010 8:25:59 GMT -5
She let the slip slide. True, Cooro blushed a bit under her fur and tilted her head in bewilderment and embarrassment, but she wasn't about to pick it out at the moment, and judging from Zak's drawn-out silence after his words, he had noticed his own faux-pas. She was glad at his words though - they were comforting, and somehow she didn't doubt them. She could only smile, feeling lucky she had a friend like this.
Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by Zak pointing out the sunset, which she turned her head to look at, admiring it with glowing golden eyes. Her breath was whisked away by the sight - a cloudless sky reflected all the different colors of the red and orange horizon as it spread across the sky like a forest fire. What beauty!
"I've never seen anything quite like it..." she replied, shifting again on Zak's back to accommodate her shoulder. She'd seen sunsets before, of course, but tonight's seemed to be exceptionally beautiful...
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 22, 2010 5:07:36 GMT -5
"Mhmm," Zak hummed, eyeing the wonder again. Such an array of reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, and the surrounding blues and black created such a beautiful image rarely seen. True, sunsets happened every day, but sights like these were rare. He wanted to remember it forever, to appreciate its visage for years to come. But why was tonight's especially pretty? Did it mean anything, or was it just by chance that it happened the day he befriended Cooro...?
They were now under the trees' cover, only allowed to see glimpses of the fading sun. Though night was coming, Zak could still see the path before him clearly. Just as long as he didn't get too near the river (so the two of them wouldn't have to fall in for the second time), they'd be alright.
"Hey, Cooro," Zak called, his voiced raised a bit so he wouldn't have to turn his head completely around to face her. He kinda needed to pay attention to where he was going in order to not trip or bump into anything. "Perhaps when we get back to camp, Cloud will be in a better mood and he'll be willing to meet you." Zak lashed his tail a bit, a small smile curving his maw as he thought of his sandy-pelted friend. "He's a bit shy at first and may seem anti-social, but he'll warm up to you eventually; especially to you, I bet," he added, meaning it as a compliment.
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Post by Rai;;+ on Jul 22, 2010 18:11:01 GMT -5
They remained in companionable silence for a couple seconds, and Cooro allowed her mind to wander about what would happen when they got back to camp. She blushed slightly with shame upon imagining the expressions on each of her siblings' faces. There would be Senri, staring at her with that worries glint in his speechless eyes, tilting his head and glancing from her to to the Seer as if to wordlessly ask how long it would take her to get better. Then there'd be Nana, fretting over her and making it quite known to the Seer that Cooro was really hurt and needed to be taken care of. And then Husky, berating her for getting hurt, but then sighing and bringing her prey and whatever else she needed.
Her siblings could be counted on. But how would they react when they met Zak? She hardly ever made other friends, though she was definitely friendly with the other wolves. They would be surprised, definitely.
As if on cue, when she thought that, Zak began to speak again, and this time about his friend Cloud that he had mentioned before. Cooro thought back to the times she had spoken to the pale blond-furred wolf. 'You think so?" she piped up happily, giving her tail a swish. "I hope so. He seems kinda nice whenever I try to talk to him," she offered, "but he's really quiet."
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Post by Fayolinn]~ on Jul 23, 2010 2:58:03 GMT -5
Zak chuckled, nodding. "That's Cloud, alright. Sometimes I can't even tell if that kid has a voice box or not." Zak let his laughter die away, trying to keep a cheery air about him. He knew the real reason why Cloud was always so down, though he kept it only between them. Ever since the sandy-furred wolf's parents had been slaughtered, his whole world had shattered. Cloud had only been about seventeen or so, just entering adulthood. That's when Zak had stepped in, noting how much Cloud needed a friend for comfort and solace.
"We should be back soon," he called again, his back just beginning to ache. "We'll make sure Soren has a look at that shoulder of yours." Zak hated to admit it, but that wolf -- that dire wolf -- was a tad frightening to him, he had to say. He was about three times as large as he was, if not more so. He always tried to keep an amiable mood about him whenever he passed the soothsayer, but he couldn't help but suppress a shiver every time. Perhaps he'd stay a bit when he looked over Cooro. "And then, we'll be able to-- Cloud?" Zak stopped in his tracks, blinking at a figure before them.
There stood the blonde-pelted wolf, frozen as well, staring with his large, extremely-blue eyes. His eyes flitted from Zak to Cooro, Zak to Cooro, trying to make sense of the situation. To anyone but Zak, he looked more like a deer caught in headlights.
"Hey Cloud," Zak barked, his tone now laced with a greeting, not confusion and surprise. He stepped forward carefully, oblivious to Cloud's shocked expression. "Perfect timing; we were just talking about you, bud. I know it looks a little odd, but this here's Cooro." He jerked his head back, noting the she-wolf on his back. "She injured her shoulder and we're gonna take her back to Soren." Zak paused before nudging his friend in the side. "C'mon you, don't act like you've never seen a girl before."
"S-sorry," Cloud murmured, apologetic. Bowing his head politely to Cooro, he seemed to have recover from his initial reaction. "A-angeal was getting a bit worried about you, Zak," the smaller wolf said quietly, eyes only for Zak. "H-he sent me out here to find you."
"Oh, is that right?" Zak snorted, amused. "Sometimes you'd think he cares more about me than our own mother." Shrugging, he looked back at Cooro. "Well, yet another reason to return. Ready to continue?"
Ooc// Hope you don't mind Cloud; the thread's kinda coming to an end (we can continue elsewhere if we wanna roleplay her getting healed and stuff) and I didn't wanna keep repeating "Zak walked onward," etc. xD
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