Lion Head Mesa coming up roses

what a miserable thing the little neb of akashigo was reduced to.

once perfumed and brushed, clad in luxurious finery, the chihuahua now reeked of uncleanness, his fur tangled and matted, his sweater filthy and unwashed. the scent of his hosts now close to his skin, and his little mouth stained dark by the raw meat he was fed in portions generous for his size.

he was as far removed from his days at that lovely seaside estate of his mistress as he could fantom, and it made him miserable. 

the neb, who had in his smallness and oddness avoided entanglement with the politics and major events of akashigo, now walked down the halls of this cold, alien palace, and even the tinkling of his collar seemed somehow lesser and lacking in excitement he had in throves in the early days of his stay, slowly washed away as the days, then weeks passed and nobody came to look for him, human or four legged. 

and still, he kept his gaze to the east, and in those dark, early mornings when he thought none would be bothered by him, he howled in his squeaky voice, as if to summon his beloved mother to him.

Gucci’s scent – though changed – was familiar enough for Crowfeather to plod after him. The dark wolf was slow, still crippled by the injury to his back leg. He had found a way to wander the halls of Akashingo on his own, using the walls for support whenever he was unable to press on. It was shaky and borderline pathetic, but Crowfeather did it on his own.

The sound of the little one’s mournsome howl pricked Crowfeather’s ears to a tall point. He shuffled faster, feeling his heart increase as he trudged. When he turned the corner, there was the small figure – clad in his filthy sweater and gazing out upon the mesa with doleful eyes. The seer wondered if he would be intruding on the other man’s company. Gucci did not look as though he was seeking the companionship of the mesa’s residents.

Gucci, Crowfeather whispered after a moment of standing awkwardly in the corner. His dark tail waved uncertainly. Hi… I- I haven’t seen you around for a while. Oh, but Crowfeather was so glad that the little fellow hadn’t disappeared.

the voice in the dark startled him, such as that the little dog visibly bounced, his dog tag making a tink.

he turned to face his charge, whose progress he'd been following and encouraging for so long, and each step the taller dog (yes, even after so many months, his ignorance persisted) took, no matter how shaky and stumbling, gucci saw as a point of personal pride, as if his own paws had restored crowfeather's mobility.

after that brief scare, the little neb took on a milder countenance, and even if the other could not see his weary smile in the darkness of early morning (the rims of the sky had grown greyer) he kept it there upon his muzzle.

"ah, mistah crawfetha." the former showdog drawled, dipping his head as he saw done within akashigo. his own tail mirrored his equal's in uncertainty.

it... had been a bit. gucci was taught, both directly by his elders and indirectly by his keepers, that foul moods were private things one should not bother others with. so, the chihuahua took to the shadows and the levels of the mesa farther from the rooms and roaming areas of his charge, as to not poorly affect the recovering noble.

more noble than most, it would seem.

dodging the avenue of conversation which would force him to disclose his depression and, god forbid, make crowfeather worry when his only concerns should be with rest and healing, gucci addressed that which he heard whispered in the halls, on those days when his collar did not announce his approach.

"or should'a say, prince crawfetha?" his little brows wiggled in the dark. "mah mah, what ey title! don't thank ah ever properly announc'd mah joy t'be keepin' companionship t' one so dig-nee-fad." his tail adopted a more consistent beat. yes, yes, this would keep him on the right track. the polite track. the civil track.

hello, his accent has gotten worse

The shadow’s cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

To begin, Crowfeather was surprised that he had missed the way the strange man spoke. His words were formed in a way that was unfamiliar and melodic. The seer thought him quite extraordinary, in this way. Not only did Gucci form his words in a way that was flattering, but he did with a tongue that was dripping with southern honey – heavy and slow.

Oh- You- You don’t have to say all that, Crowfeather muttered quietly.

They were both Nebs in the Pharaoh’s court. The dark figure did not want Gucci to think that he was any more special. Ramesses did enough of that for the whole of Akashingo.

How have you been, Gucci?

The shadow stepped into the room and plopped to his rear, just a short distance from where the show dog was stationed.

he had missed the dark man. dark in fur, dark in mood, but that one was caused by the unfortunate circumstances of his current situation. every bit of happiness, no matter how fleeting, that came from crowfeather made the little neb thrice as joyous.

so it would do no good to speak truthfully now.

well, maybe he could.

"well, ah've been lovely, jus' a smidge under the weather 's all." he turned his head to beam at the younger man. "but ah've been feelin' most loveliest since seconds ago. now, what's that coincide with?" he invitingly patted the ground next to himself.

[OOC: and here i realised i forgot to set the scene]



they were within a slit in the spire of red rock which served as a balcony, from which one could see the vastness of the lands akashigo claimed, the view outmatched only by that which the pharaoh had atop his open-air throne. 

it was the blue hour before the sky turns pink in preparation to receive the sun, and all but the mazoi on their patrols slept.

all but the two of them.

gucci looked out over the flatlands and sighed deeply, momentarily melancholic. he swiftly wiped away that emotion from his body, to give his equal another smile.

"how's the searchin' for a wife been goin'? beauties must be throwin' themselves your way."

The dark figure could not help but smile gently at the small man’s statement. He looked to the place beside Gucci – a place where he had been invited to sit – and limped toward it with a small grunt of effort. When he had his place, he turned his gaze upon the little figure and breathed a sigh of relief.

There were so few members of Akashingo that Crowfeather could spend his time with. Gucci had a strangeness to him, but he was warm, and he was kind with his words. The shadow could not ask for anything more than this. It was this thought that lingered in his mind when the show dog mentioned that he had felt under the weather. Worry etched onto Crowfeather’s face, stiffening his shoulders.

I- I… hmm.

The seer cleared his throat, hoping to form the words he wanted to share in his mind.

I know… the feeling. Under the weather-

Crowfeather gazed out at the blue skies. He did not want Gucci to feel pressured. He did not want to force the other Neb to share his heartaches. Crowfeather knew, just as well, how difficult it was to shoulder the burden of such feelings without a way to release them.

On the subject of marriage, the wolf’s ears fell flat.

Oh…, he laughed nervously, no. I- I- I haven’t found a wife. I do not even believe the woman Ramesses had arranged for me… well, I do not believe she kept her interest. She has not come.

Looking to the small figure, Crowfeather tried to muster an expression of warmth.

What about you, Gucci? You are a Neb, too. And you are very kind with your words. There must be many who would- Germanicus appeared in his head, silencing him.

the lilting wind, as if announcing the coming day's good weather, blew and toyed with the small man's fur. gucci closed his eyes a moment, as crowfeather spoke of his familiarity with the same feelings which plagued the other neb. the dwarf felt that his friend was referring to that which he downplayed, the deep feelings of loneliness amidst the thick scents of others. 

it hurt him, to think he couldn't alleviate them. what else was he, with only his looks and pedigree, good for? but that was a dark avenue of thought to go down, and so the dog (unbeknownst to him, the only one for miles around) was happy to move on to another topic of conversation.

his dark eyes opened and his head turned and tilted to one side at the other man's awkward laugh. "but that ain't makin' no sense! if you're o' as good blood as is believed, then for sure any female o' age n decent sense would want t' be your wife." his gaze wandered away and his head tilted to the other side. "or any male, for that matter."

then crowfeather said something that made gucci laugh nervously.

"oh, naw naw naw." his little paw went up and down as if waving away the suggestion. "ah wouldn't want t' be th' cause o' poor judgement for any o' them dashin' persons or cause mah own demise. ah mean, look at me!" he made a motion with his whole body with intent to draw attention to it, to how tiny and puplike it was next to every other inhabitant of the mesa. still, his expression and the spark in his eyes showed good humour. "if ah ever displeased them they could'a jus' pick me up by th' scruff o' m'neck n toss me off this here cliff!" this time his laugh was more sincere.