Emberwood i cry a lot, but i am so productive - it's an art

for @Mae, whenever/if you can! <3

Lilitu found solace in the Emberwood. It was within calling distance of her father and his pack, but removed enough that if the worst happened—if she suddenly succumbed to that madness—she would not expose them to it.

Plus, the lush forest shade was a boon in the wake of high temperatures rolling over the Teekon, and she found herself in the deepest parts during afternoons. Hot, still, but tolerable.

She rested on her side, panting slightly, engaged in nothing but birdwatching. Perhaps, she'd find the energy to catch one if it landed nearby.

Turns out, waiting to die was boring.

she was mostly all healed by now, although the nastier cuts would keep to her skin for weeks to come, if not rest of her life.

gun minded none. it only enhanced her natural charms, like freckles, or a mole on the asscheek.

this was good place and weather for whistling, but her facial anatomy allowed for none of it, so the bitch walked with a hung head through the woods, making wet mouth sounds comparable to a pup imitating a fart for its own amusement.

Something utterly annoying reached her ears, and Lilitu lifted her head, scowling heavy-lidded into the forest. What she saw next perplexed her greatly; she rose to a sitting position, ears folding back upon her head.

A woman, built like a pile of rocks upon a mountain, burly and brown. Her lips dangled haphazardly, and her eyes were unusually small.

Lilitu hardly ever judged—and truthfully, she didn't now—but she looked upon this newcomer with a bewildered mien nonetheless, cocking her head as the two came within chatting distance.

What are you doing making that noise? she asked, voice on the calmer edge of terse.

her eyelids drooped low, and gun was, honestly, almost asleep on her legs from the humidity. when the words reached under her earfolds, the mastiff made a sound like waking up from a nap - a sputter, a snort, a mumble and a-

oh. pretty woman.

gun stared dumbly for a moment, before her face slowly morphed into a big, open-mouthed smile.



hhell, hello there! her meaty tail wagged. i'hh jusht, y'know, on a hhalk... enjoying the, hheather... hhishtling.

she repeated the sound.

in some attempt to look casual and suave, gun leaned against a nearby tree trunk and crossed her legs.

hhatcha, uh, hhatcha doin' 'ere, shcar-eye?

there was a brief pang of concern that she was talking to someone from the mountain pack but gun strangled that thought real quick. pretty woman trumps all.

Lilitu was a very tolerant soul. She could take the extra slobber and the strange way the woman spoke—as if talking through a mouthful of meat—and she could even bear it within the context of summer heat.

What she would not abide, though, was what she saw as a self-deprecatory nickname.

I have a name, Lilitu spat, brows knitted tight together. How would you like it if I called you 'Mush-Mouth,' or 'Ugly-Face'? Totally rude.

She got up to leave, and would only turn back if, somehow, the woman made a compelling argument for her to do so.

ey ey ey!

gun moved, one paw outstretched as if to reach for the retreating dame, smiling in a manner both dumb and apologetic.

ish a charming thing! y'know, shcarsh, they, they, y'know, her raised foreleg gestured in a circle. tell a shtory! y'know?

gun padded after the woman.

hhat'sh your shtory, eh? 'ine hash giants!

feel free to walk away so one of lili's last interactions isn't sexual harassment :sob:

Lilitu whipped her head around, the words gradually softening her toward staying. 'Giants' piqued her interest, and she walked slowly toward the mongrel, chin lifted in inquiry.

What about giants? she asked, still frowning. I got mauled by a bear—that was a giant. You've got other stories to tell?

All in all, her curiosity was too much to overcome.

gun, awestruck, repeated her "whistle".

da'n girl! didn't know you 'ere that toughh! it was sincere, her tail wagging.

i 'anna hear that 'ne! hhine ish... uh...

the dog smoothed then threw back an ear.

y'shee, hhirsht day here, three yearsh ago i think, there wash thish giant lady. jusft huge. color like shitlessh shnow. hhull'a shcarsh. horrid hhershontality. no reashon at all, that shame day, she shtarted a tusshle 'ith ee! hhacked 'ee uhh. in hhact--

gun stuck out a side of her chest, to show the massive teeth marks dragging from there to her shoulder. jiggled her pecs a bit.

shee? giant! then- hhayhhe a year later, all'a hhay a'ay, o'er mountainsh, o'er hhlainsh, hhasht treesh -- i run into her again! and she'sh hhisshed. donno 'y. jusht getsh 'ee again, and that, hhell, that'sh the reashon i no longer talk good!

gun raised a paw to the mangled side of her face, missing its heavy lip. despite the tale of traumatic injury, the bitch looked pleased and happy, like a child talking about how brave they were at the dentist's.

think she'sh shtill there, in that canyon. ish 'y i don't go any hharther than these hhountainsh. kinna runnin' outta hhlaces to hhe, though.

i apologize for everything about her

i LOVE her <3 unfortunately i need to close lilitu out

She only caught, like, one of three words from the mongrel's mouth. She tried her best, but the speech was unintelligible, and she grabbed bits and pieces, here and there. 

A giant that had wrecked the woman's mouth. That was the gist of it. And perhaps that giant still lurked nearby.

Lilitu felt sorry for the woman, but at the same time, irritated.

It wasn't the other's fault. Her ticking clock had her on edge; had her measuring her interactions in quantity rather than quality.

Wow, that's. . .a lot, she finally replied, grimacing. Look, thanks, and I'm sorry I gotta go—but I gotta go.

She offered her best approximation of a smile before moving past the burly creature, feeling bad all the way as she did so. In any other circumstance, she'd happily hear out the rest of this convoluted story.

But she was dying, and time was running out.