xerxes - male - domestic dog (wip)

Though the dog twisted and turned; within a few minutes he was more awake than he had intended to be from laying in the scattered pieces of hay. So, instead of closing his eyes for a nap, Kyoto rolled onto his back, stretched out, and stared up at the draping ceiling. The beast turned his attention to the constant sound of the rain slamming against the unstable roof. It was a constant, soothing sound and, though it couldn't be compared to a mother's voice, it had the same effect on the canines of the world as their mother would have.

As he listened in closer, though, he began to suspect the noises of the small barn no longer comforted. After some inspection, it was easy to not only hear the rumbling of the storm above, but it also rattled the building to the bones. It was even powerful enough for the black dog, who bent shadows around him like a child would wrap himself in blankets, to feel the Earth rock beneath his out stretched body. Growing increasingly restless from the storm, Ky climbed to his feet, deciding it wouldn't be a bad idea to explore some and maybe even find a mouse or something to eat.

The space the dog occupied was small and the only place that seemed of much promise was closer to the back door than he would have hoped for. Removing himself from the stall, ears perked and tail held high, Kyoto fell deathly quiet as he searched for the sound that could only be described as the signature of mice. It was obvious the area clearly smelled of mice and rat feces, but that didn't mean it was ever easy to hunt the small creatures. If one were motivated enough they would even have to chew through the flimsy barn walls, not that the barn needed that to make it any less stable than it already was. The beast was luckier than that. His ears easily picked up the tiny rhythm he had been searching for to make his night: a heartbeat. It wasn't small enough to be a mouse or even a rat, though. Instead it pounded like a freight train flying down the railroads at top speed. Not to mention the heartbeat was out of area. Instead of coming from the area he would have expected it to come from.

Though the warning signs should have been obvious, Kyoto ignored them and simply twisted his head in protest to the unnatural creature. He stalked forward, releasing the weight of his body so that it carried in his haunches rather than his paws. It was a silencing technique he'd learned from his mother that he had been more than grateful for when it came to leaving behind his circus lifestyle to live in the wild where he was sure a monster deserved to live. He crept forward, absorbed by the heartbeat, before his body stiffened. Not only had the animal fled, but the wind from the storm had carried in the smell of a wet dog. Even if it was raining outside and smells couldn't stick to the ground, that didn't mean the wind wasn't like a thief: stealing your scent and displaying it to the world.

He analyzed the scent quickly before he would run for cover: it was without a doubt female and, though she still had the smell of a dog, she also smelled a little less tame. When Kyoto began to hear the steady gait she walked with, the beast twisted around and dashed for cover in one of the few horse stalls, though it wasn't the same one that he had laid in moments before. Within seconds of finally managing to sink into the shadows where he belonged, the creature had made it's way through the door, taking notice of scent by the way she paused before stepping in and shaking herself of the rain.

Kyoto hadn't really paid attention to the newcomer, since he was convinced he would be able to hide from her, until the creature had growled. His ears perked, his face suddenly lit with alertness at the sound of the threat. Even if some canines really didn't mean it when they growled at a newcomer, the beast always took them more seriously just because he had always took them as threats rather than simple displays of dominance or whatever they used them for. Glancing around the stall he'd managed to slip into like a comfortable pair of jeans, Ky found a hole in the corner, probably chewed by rats, just big enough for him to crawl through over to the other side. Having accomplished his goal and found a resting spot, the male flattened his body so she wouldn't be able to see him from the outside.

The male part of his brain, however, wanted to steal at least a tiny glance. He wanted to see if she would be a good source of entertainment. After fighting with his urges, the male finally pushed himself up, hovering a few feet off the ground: just enough for him to get a glimpse. As the male searched the room: he finally saw her still near the door. It was a wolf! He dropped to the floor smoothly as if he had been set on fire, turned his body around while making a little noise in the process, and crawled back into the horse stall. Shaking himself of the few sticks of hay that hugged his body, Kyoto determined his plan of action. He would walk out smoothly, like he always did, and he would calm down the wild beast, luring her away from her instincts and into a conversation. Maybe he would be able to weasel out some information from her, though.

Taking his time, the black beast waltzed from his hiding spot, a sly smile dancing around his face as he looked at the wild beauty before his eyes. Never had he seen such a beautiful creature. She was tall, much taller than Kyoto, and her fur was a mixture of browns, blacks, and creams. Her eyes, however, were a bright yellow; almost as bright as the sun on a nice spring morning, though he found no heat in them. His ears perked and his grin widened; probably taking a bit longer to look at the female than he should of. Although Kyoto had never found himself to be a sex-crazed male, deep down within his body the instincts that should have messed with his head had been blocked by the mask the dog displayed to the world. "Did you take a wrong corner or did you just decide to come raining on my parade, love?" the male spoke, twisting his tail so that it was held a bit higher. Not only was this female attractive, but she also got on Ky's bad side due to the fact that she, took, held her body with dominance; as if demanding respect from anyone she happened to come across. While the beast had never actually thought himself to be the controlling type, he couldn't help but feel his fur bristle at the idea of competition for the shed. Because everyone knew two wrongs did not make a right just as much as two dominant canines did not make a perfect pair.

The male stepped closer, his black eyes boring into the female. Sure, he wasn't trying to intimidate her, but he just couldn't help it. The thought of the games that could be played with this one were beginning to brew within his head and, just as he'd gotten into a bit of a rhythm, the circumstances of his show were challenged by the entrance of another young female who let out a fearful bark at the two dogs. He had to admit: just the thought of himself and a wolf was probably an intimidating site, but that didn't give everyone the right to go around barking in others' faces. Kyoto let out a sigh of frustration, his eyes returning to the wolf. Well now, what was he to do? Surely the girls would team up against him if he tried to do anything, well, rash so that left him with the only solution: inviting them in to stay the night. Maybe then he could briefly get both of them alone and work some of his magic.

"Does everyone ignore marks of dominance on a building entrance, or do just girls do it?" he spoke, his gaze turning back to the new girl: a short-haired, tan female with floppy ears, a long tail, longish legs, and a weird patch of fur that ran backwards. Never had he seen something like that before so, once he'd finished fixating on the girl's marking, his eyes returned to her own brown orbs. "You're lucky you're pretty and defenseless against the weather." his eyes flickered to the wolf's, hoping she had caught that hint directed at her. "Please, come in, love." the male gave another smile, happy that the games would be in his favor tonight.