[Akida]

(The Past)

The pup had barely begun to open his eyes, but he recognized the voices hovering over him. One soothing and female, the other not so soft and male. He could see their silhouettes now, the light too bright for his too young eyes. With every blink, his eyes opened a bit wider and could see a bit more detail. He could feel his mother's warmth as always and a rough paw stroking his head every now an then as gently as it could.
"Open those handsome eyes for mama. You can do it."
The pup only whimpered and snuggled closer to his mother's fur. He didn't quite understand, but he did want to open his eyes to see.
"Don't rush him dear. He will open them when he is fully ready."
Just then the pup opened his eyes wide and looked up at the two of them. Blinking rapidly he turned to hide from the bright light. His father had caught sight of this and simply smiled and walked away, his deep orange-gold eyes shining with pride.

[Todome : 1.1]

[Akida]

(The Present)

That moment was one of the unforgettable ones in Todomé's life. His father was the first person he'd actually seen, although slightly blurred. He growled as he walked down the filthy streets of the slums. Papers, bottles and all sorts of trash littered the streets and sidewalks. He looked down one alley he was passing and saw a man in tattered clothing rummaging through an over stuffed dumpster. Up and down the street he could hear chatter of all sorts of people. This place screamed trouble up and down and he couldn't do much about it.

Speaking of trouble...just as Todomé thought the word two men came bursting out of one of the bars ahead. One man looked like he could barely stand straight on his own. The other man was shoving him into the street shouting a list of profanities and threats at the drunk. He kept his slow pace, but watched as the unstable man came toward him. The man bumped into Todomé and apologized but seemed like he had a hard time saying it. He shrugged off the incident and continued walking. Unfortunately he had no idea which way to go or what to do. Awakening in an alley of the slums wasn't a great way to start any day after all.. He decided he would check out one of the bars but which one? There were too many on this one street to begin with...

[Todomé : 1.2]

[Akida]

As he was contemplating which of these businesses he'd enter, the faint smell of meat being barbecued came to his nostrils. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the scent crossed him. He sniffed around and began following the scent. He kept his eyes open in spite of only following his nose. He was trained to be completely aware at all times. Unfortunately for him, he failed just this once and didn't know how he ended up in this crappy excuse of a town...or was it a city?

He shook his head and continued following the smell of barbecue. He at the least knew who he was. He walked further up the street noting the slight incline. The run down, one story buildings made way for flimsy looking shacks of all sorts. Some seem to have been built by experienced builders while others were simple lean-tos. The smell was growing stronger and with it his mouth watered. He could see the plume of smoke rising lazily. The fire burned brightly around a corner but he hesitated. He didn't want to intrude and if it was a shady person or group--seeing that this place would be a harbor for the bad crowd--he didn't want to get attacked and hurt anyone.

[Todomé : 1.3]

[Akida]

He slowed and turned the corner cautiously. He hadn't noticed the soft, lively music playing before. He could see a man taking pieces of meat off the makeshift grill then turn what was left onto the other side. He could see the juices dripping into a pan below the meat. Now that he was closer he could also smell other foods. Rices and vegetables, his mouth watered ridiculously now. He had to swallow a few times before He approached the group.

One of the men turned to see him approaching then turned back to the people he was talking with. He noted that a few of them were female and they tried to peep inconspicuously. He cleared his throat and took another step forward. Before He could say anything, a large woman approached him with a smile.
"Would you like to join us?" she asked.
Todomé simply nodded.
"Come on stranger. We're just like you a group of hungry folk seeking company."
He was glad she'd stepped forward because he had not known what to say beyond "good evening."

[Todomé : 1.4]

[Akida]

If he could help it, he tried not to speak. At the time he decided this, it seemed like a brilliant idea. Now, as a wiser man, he stuck to short greetings, displays of manners and answering simple non personal questions. He noticed some of the women watching him out of the corners of their eyes while the men looked at him directly. The woman who greeted him sat on a bench at a makeshift table and motioned Todomé to join her.

As he was about to sit, the man he saw cooking the food earlier set a large plate of meat garnished with some veggies at the center of the table. The greens at the bottom were soaking up the flavors of the steaming barbecue above. Various others joined them at the table. The lady beside him took the first piece and set it on a paper plate in front of him. He said thank you and looked around at the others. They were all staring at him as if waiting for something. Todomé took that as his cue and began to eat. He looked up after the first bite and nodded to them. At this everyone grabbed their share and continued their night.

[Todomé : 2.5]

[Akida]

In the middle of her meal, the large woman asked, "So what brings a strange looking shielupe like you to the slums?"

Todomé looked at her with a confused expression. Shielupe? Maybe this woman had bad eyesight. Could she not know the difference between a shielupe and a lucain? He swallowed what he had in his mouth and replied quietly, "I am no shielupe."

At his simple reply the lady, and a few others who had been listening, burst into a cacophony of laughter. One of the males sitting across from him said, "You mightn't think so but you sure do look it even under the weird stuff!" then continued laughing. The look on poor Todomé's face was pure confusion. Had they all gon mad or was he the one who was clueless. For as long as he could remember he was born a lucain....yet here are these people telling him he was not.

He removed himself from the table of laughing creatures and searched for something reflective. He tried barrels of water but they weren't very useful. He noticed a large piece of broken glass conveniently leaned up against one of the darker colored walls and slowly approached it. He could see a black figure with white patches approaching instead of a red marked figure. He stood in front of the makeshift mirror assessing the creature that stood before him. His red markings were no longer there but were replaced by...these floating ribbons and his precious precious wingblades... They were replaced by these...spines? Protrusions? They did look sharp so he gave it that much. The thing that got him the most wasn't that his fierce appearance was dulled down quite a bit, but the fact that his tails, his beautiful bushy tails, were now just a simple little stump!

What magic is this? The question echoed in his mind. He kept his cool and went back to the feast. They had calmed down for the while and had resumed their normal chatter. He thanked the woman who'd invited him to the gathering and made his way back into from where he came. After this discovery a drink or two seemed like a great idea...

[Akida]

He retraced his steps. Being a trained assassin, it was second nature for him to move quietly. His thoughts were currently chaotic although to anyone outside of his mind he would seem cool and indifferent. He rounded a corner and could see the sloping main road he walked earlier. The moons were crescents in the dark night sky. The bars, of course, were still open. Some of the excitement died down from the drunken racket earlier.

The shielupe made his way down the street, still lined with filth. He thought for a moment....it's not going to get cleaned by anyone. That's what happens when you're highly observant he supposed. He shifted his eyes left and right as he walked the streets of the slums. Crumpled heaps lay snoring in alleys. Some made no noise at all. He noticed a particular door that was held open with a cinder block. A soft blue light radiated outward and quiet chatter filled the air. The people in this bar looked more civilized than the others he'd passed moments ago. As he approached the entrance, he noted all sorts of creatures scattered around the tables talking.

He approached the bar and signaled the bartender over. This might be a long night. He thought he would try to find some company also, but that was just an idea floating around.

[Akida]

Todomé had been a few drinks in now and a slight buzz from them was starting to take effect. He finished another glass and the bartender was soon in front of him refilling the container. His mind was busy with both random thoughts and relevant ones. If his master were there he was sure he would be disappointed in him. This wasn't the way to handle anything.

"Rough night?" A low, gritty voice asked. The stranger was covered from head to toe in a brown hooded robe. His face was well hidden but the faint glimmer of sharp eyes stood out. The stranger seated himself as Todomé finished his refill. He only looked at the stranger once before resuming his moping position over the bar.
"Don't think you've had enough, boy?"
The bartender was serving someone else so Todomé simply waited quietly. As soon as the others were served, the bartender came to refill the container. This time the stranger waved him away. Todomé looked at him with a bit more focus now.

"Listen. We all have our days. In your case, you can't see the good in it. If you can't get past the bad, then things will only get worse."
With that said the stranger tossed a few keystones on the bar and stood...or was he floating? Todomé couldn't tell. A pair of mismatched eyes looked at him for a moment before the stranger turned away. Before he stepped outside he stopped and said, "Acceptance is the key.....Todomé."
His ears pricked up and he was about to approach the stranger, but he disappeared in a gray whirlwind of dust and papers. He stood in his tracks wondering what that was. He went back to the bar and sat there thinking.
"Refill?" The bartender asked. The shielupe nodded and his container was refilled. This time though, he took a bit longer to finish it.

[Todomé : 2.8]

[Akida]

He didn't even finish that glass and tossed some more keystones on the counter. At least his pouch had stayed with him. He thought of the stranger's words for a moment. He was right. Todomé was glad that he was at least still a canine...but his beloved tails!

He walked slowly as to not seem as drunk as he truly was. He exited the bar and looked up at the crescent moons. Something dark flew across them but it could have been his imagination. He walked out of town and toward the Tengel Forest. He had to find out what happened before he could continue his quest. This was something important to him. Oh his tails!!!

In the back of his mind he felt he was being watched, but he did not acknowledge it. He approached the edge of the forest and stood there. He simply stood there and looked around as if searching for something.

[Todomé: 2.9]

[Akida]

Eyes stared out at the shielupe. Maybe he'd lost his mind. Nah couldn't be. It was probably just the alcohol working..
Todome.....
An eerie whisper surrounded him and made his fur prickle.
I know whaat yoouu seeeek.....
He looked around. He figured someone who'd learned his name was playing some sort of trick. This month was when all the weirdos came out to play amongst the normal creatures who would dress up in good fun. He ran into the Tengel hoping he would shake the voice...better yet, the owner of it.

[Todome: 3.10]
(Yes, it's sucfully short I know -.- I think we'll go hunt monsters now.)
This note is just for those who bother to read and wonder what the hell's up o.o...