[cryptid]

It was that odd time of day, where there was no blazing star in the sky casting warmth across the earth, but the light hadn't completely faded away just yet. It lingered orange and red, pale blues shifting to purples as it slowly vanished into the coming night. Beautiful and eerie in the land of Gemini. Picturesque. It was all the same to the blind, though. Eyes unseeing stared blankly while the brown nose just kissed the ground, searching, following those faint hints of death and blood. Massive paws covered in pitch shuffled forward uncertainly, testing every step with a ginger touch before full weight settled down and the next stride began. Every so often, a small, child-like voice whispered a panic-stricken apology, the massive body freezing in place while the long, nimble tail flicked and twitched, a frantic rattling the terrible accompaniment. After a long moment the boy would take another careful step - and he started all over again. It was a long, nerve-wracking process. It never got easier for the boy, excruciatingly timid, each sound sending a sharp spike of fear through his massive frame. Minutes were spent frozen in place, waiting for someone, something to come out of the shadows. There was never anyone there. So he kept going. When he finally found what he was looking for, Cryptid almost tripped on it, stumbling over his paws, bruising his face as his nose caught him in the dirt. A sharp breath spewed dust into the air and the boy almost shrieked, shrinking down into nothing with more distraught apologies, eyes flicking in all directions frantically. But nothing happened - no harsh reprimands, no figures leaping from the darkness to hurt him. So, with another heavy pause, Cryptid returned to his find. An old deer carcass, more bones than meat, a meal left behind by some other wolf more capable than he. Cryptid shuddered as he braced his paws on bones, tongue finding some flesh still remaining and latching on with his teeth. It came apart easily in his massive jaws. Cryptid did not like to hurt things. He liked to heal, like his mother, to put things together instead of break them into pieces. Hunting was already hard without his eyes - but it made his stomach hurt, to pin something down and feel it squirm and to feel it go limp between his teeth. He cried for an hour his first successful hunt, and he hadn't ever done it again since. He didn't like it. He didn't want to do it. So he did this instead, so he didn't have to hunt, didn't have to hurt, and when he was done he could go back to his cave, where there weren't any people and no voices and nothing could hurt him and he couldn't hurt others. Bones snapped between his teeth and he worked at the marrow between, tail rattling every so often, massive ears swiveling carefully around his head to catch all the sounds of twilight. And when the sound of something approaching became audible, Cryptid froze, enormous body quivering. The eerie rattle from his tail rose to a crescendo, a habit for comfort - and a warning to others. The boy gulped, fur fluffing up around him to make him appear even larger than he already was and, hesitantly, voice warbling in fear, asked - " w-w-who's there? " [ooc: hi]

[Angus]

Life was rough.

And here's the thing- it wasn't so much that life was actually rough, so much as it was simply just more frustrating as one got older. For Angus, as he began to grow more and more, this was especially difficult when faced with what life actually was and what he thought life was supposed to be.

There'd been a fight recently, between him and the only wolf he actually cared about in this pack. And even then it was a hard sentence to think, when the pup barely knew anyone after spending nearly two months within Gemini's walls. Yet still the fight lingered around him like a possessive aura and he didn't know how to shake the upset, angry, and sad nature from churning in his stomach. He needed time. He needed time to figure out just who he was and what he wanted. So he picked himself up and began to wander in to the unknowns of Gemini.

The boy had to let off some steam- he couldn't allow this to consume him the way it had been. Large paws carried the growing and slightly lanky pup through the edges of fields and in to forests, his brain buzzing with each conversation and each word said in his argument with Ivaylo. He didn't mean a lot of what he said- that was all anger and frustration pent up inside of him; he did however, mean that he was lonely. And afraid.

It wasn't until the sun had faded from the tops of trees that he heard it- frantic apologies off in the distance. And then a shriek. And then the sounds of something shuffling? The boy took off towards it, green eyes wide with curiosity. It was as if this mysterious noise had ripped him from his daze of anger and pulled him back in to the pup he once was- if only for a short time.

When Angus appeared up on the creature hunched over eating, the boy couldn't help but find his tail wagging. Was this the culprit of the apologies? The pup's head rose as he slowed his pace to a walk, eager to see if this wolf was the one apologizing, or, if they knew who the apologizing voice belonged to. As the pup stepped closer though, the other's tail began to shake and rattle, causing Angus to stop in his tracks. He'd never seen something like that before.

" w-w-who's there? "

He paused, mouth open to speak as he got a better look of the wolf in front of him. This wasn't someone he'd seen before-- could they even see him? Ears lowered as he swung his head up a bit to get the curly patch of fur out of his eyes.

"H-Hello there! I'm Angus! It's a pleasure to meet you!" came the soft, overly peppy voice of the pup. To be honest, he was intimidated...a bit...by this stranger, but, he'd do his best to not show it; smile parsing his lips as his tail began to wag from side to side.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, I was, I was looking for someone that needed help...Was that you?"

[cryptid]

Sometimes, Cryptid thinks that there are things there when they really are not. A bodiless voice ringing in his ears, a breath of air from intangible lungs. He knows this of himself, that his mind is not always so honest with reality - so when the silence lingers after his words, a pause, Cryptid thinks that maybe there is nothing to fear after all. His fur begins to flatten back against his spine, the violent rattling of his tail turning to a trickle like a sprinkle of rain. And then - “H-Hello there!” A terrible explosion of noise. The rattle picked up tenfold, a fearful whimper trapped between his teeth. The third eye, until now safely shut, springs open and he’s bombarded with light and colors, all screaming for attention as the ball frantically spins in its socket. “ soRRY! ” he blurts, a retching noise as he scuttles backwards, eye finally locking unnervingly on the opposite boy. he’s a blurry figure, the eye unable to comprehend at such close proximity, but it can make out the bright green on the pale face, the hint of black accents. “ i, i don’t, i, i, “ he doesn’t know what to say, and his head tilts and his eye rolls as he looks for an escape - he hasn’t spoken to another living creature in months, he doesn’t know what to do, what does he do? what does he do - ”I didn't mean to disturb you, I was, I was looking for someone that needed help...Was that you?” The vicious rattling continues for a second - before once again starting to slow as the other makes no moves towards him. The third eye begins to calm, still shifting like a broken magic 8 ball, but focusing more on the second party. Cryptid shifts his weight, so large for one so young, cautious and scared and he shrinks into himself. “ i…. i… i don’t know, “ he returns slowly, miserably, hunched and shaking. And he didn't. Cryptid didn't know anything, let alone what to do. So he sat, cautious and nervous, clicking his teeth as his third eye stared down the stranger. [ooc: i'm very rusty gomen]

[Angus]

The pup had seen much in his day but never had he seen a wolf with a third eye. The boy's own gaze widened in awe and excitement at this discovery (it was rude to stare) of this wolf and his amazing persona. Angus's tail whipped rapidly behind him as a smile grew from his face as he stared at the other.

“ soRRY! i…. i… i don’t know."

The pup paused as he watched the other stumble and yip in a terrified voice. Angus's ears lowered a bit as he watched, the sudden realization that he'd scared the other dawning on him.

"Ahh! It's, it's okay! It's okay to not know! I'm sure, I'm sure we can find them together! Don't apologize!" The words were frantic and apologetic as he talked in a softer voice for the stranger, the pup doing his best to calm himself down from working himself up over the whole ordeal. Angus took in a sharp breath as he steadied himself- he wanted to become friends with this wolf, not scare them away! He'd need to tone it down a bit and offer a different approach.

"What's your name?" he finally asked, still smiling a little as he took a step back, hoping the distance would give his new found friend a better view of clarity of the pup, "I'm Angus. It's nice to meet you! Are you looking for someone? Or something?"