Nothing Similar But Change

[Khepri]

Large paws that many would thing cumbersome and blundering carried the short, stocky hound through the scrap yard. Her two-toned blue eyes surveyed the area quickly, taking in the large quantities of junk, rust and squalor. And her ears picked up the most eerie silence. Was this place completely deserted?

No. She could smell other hounds around here. But where in the hell were they? A curious expression crossed the female's features as she continued to pad through the disasterous heaps of junk and garbage, every step cautious and wary. She didn't know what sort of individuals called this place home. Well, she had an idea.

This place reminded her of home, back when she had a human to watch over her, if you wanted to call it that.

Khepri still bore the signs of her less-than-luxurious life; a handful of scars, dust and muck in her short shaggy fur, and a decent length of detached chain hanging from her orange spiked collar still hanging from her neck. She had been a junkyard dog, meant to live her life out by guarding her master's mountains of scrap metal and the like. Not the most glorious of background stories, but it wasn't like she minded. She had been spared a far worse fate.

When her master had died, only a few months ago, Khepri had been scheduled to be picked up and delivered to the pound. No one had wanted her because of her lineage, and she didn't give a rat's ass. Plus, she hadn't really fancied the idea of being locked up in a kennel for gods knew how long. Being chained amidst a scrap heap was bad enough, but it was home.

So the young heeler pitbull cross had taken off when lady luck had granted her one last gift. The chain that held her fast to her territory broke, giving Khepri the once-in-a-lifetime chance to escape. Of course she took it. Living as a stray was better than becoming a pound-puppy. She was street-wise, tough, strong, and damn healthy. She could hold her own.

But the streets were a lot different than her old scrapheap home. She hadn't expected the other strays, or those noisy heaps of moving metal that hurtled on by. Lord knows how many times she almost got hit by one of those damnable things. Not because she was stupid, but jesus they could come out of nowhere sometimes.

Pink nose poking and prodding into the various little empty caverns amongst the junk, sniffing at tunnel-like entrances, Khepri heaved a sigh. She could smell them, that was for sure, but she couldn't see them. Maybe there were all still asleep, or hadn't come back from scavenging; it was just the wee hours of the morning, after all. The sun was only just now beginning to rise.

"Helloooooo..." Khepri's voice was unbelievably soft for a canine of her appearance, as she tentatively called throughout the enclosure. "Anybody home? Anyone at all?"

Pausing in the middle of a small dirt clearing, mountains of scrap and metal looming all around her, Khepri looked around, ears erect as they strained for any hint of sound. One leg was lifted, poised almost in the pointing position, eager and anxious to hear a response. But nothing came, and Khepri's form slumped visibly, her raised paw gently coming to rest on the dirt.

With a dejected sigh, the mix plopped her rear down unceremoniously into the dirt, sending up a small cloud of dust with the action and earning a grunt from her. Maybe if she just waited, someone might come along and be able to show her around. She hoped it wouldn't take long, because just sitting around was bound to get pretty boring.

[Squeeji]

Levoy had been sleeping steadily, a luxury really, as most dogs on the streets were too paranoid to sleep more than a little bit at a time. But the large mastiff mix somehow could sleep without a guilty conscious. Though it was not as if he slept without the weight of the world on hsi shoulders, as he slept his paw twitched, and he whined.

Memories turning to nightmares where the mind could not stop them and he was powerless to change the outcome of his past, again and again. Everytime they got Emily, every time he heard her calls for him to save her. Everytime the humans killed her.

"Helloooooo..."

The sound of the strange female's voice was a godsend. As it slowly brought Levoy back around to the world of the waking. He got up slowly, panting from the vivid horrors that had seemed all too real. Heistantly getting back up to his feet the large male slid out of his sleeping spot and plodded out where he could see, yawning as he went.

"'Ullo?" There was still sleep in his eyes, as he blinked trying to focus on who and what had awoken him. He was a frightening sight. His face burnt up and skull-like, but he kept a placid, serene expression of his features. His tail wagged slightly as the broken chained female came into sight. "Ullo! How are you?" His tone was cheery, and pleasant. "You lost?"

[Khepri]

Silence reigned for a long time after Khepri's call, and her ears sank a little in a sort of dejected way. Though she looked like a pit-fighter, and she very-well could have been one, the cross was one who enjoyed company of any kind. She had the company of her past owner nearly her entire life, and when the man had passed away, she was left to wander. That had been a few months ago, and she had yet to find anyone that would speak with her for more than a few moments. Appearances could be a strong decider in 'relationships,' she'd discovered.

"Ullo?"

The sleepy voice that gave a delayed answer to her inquiry sounded damn near like music to Khepri's ears, which perked up almost instantly as her head swiveled toward the source of the sound. Mismatched blue eyes searched the debris of the scrapyard until they landed upon the owner of the voice. Those same eyes widened a little, and she rose to her feet quickly, but it was not in a defensive or aggressive way. Instead, her stub of a tail was wagging amiably behind her, causing the rear end of her stocky frame to sway slightly with the movement.

"You lost?"

With a soft chuckle, the lightly-scarred female gave the speaker a soft impish grin as she shook her head, the remaining length of chain about her collar jingling with the movement. Wearing an air of friendliness, Khepri took a few light steps closer to the 'disfigured' canine, not a sign of hesitation in her gait as she did so; she knew about appearances.

"Nope... Unless I'm not supposed to be 'ere. Then I'm probably lost." She gave the other canine a small grin. "It's kind of hard to be lost when ya got nowhere to go in mind, yeah?"

[Squeeji]

Levoy gave a throaty laugh at her response, it was a shaking noise, loud and boisterous. "That is true, you must forgive me that I did not recall that "all who wander are not lost," " The old scarred male seemed in pretty good spirits, and why not? It seemed that some one else around this mess was somewhat cheerful, and for once...it wasn't just him.

"You can stay around these parts, no one will stop you. You're welcome here in a sense. So long as you don't intend to cause any trouble" He cocked his brow lightly at her when he said that, teasing the female, she didn't look like she was gonna do any damage here. But his jest was obvious though the wide smile that stretched across his muzzle. "Dogs come, they go. Sometimes they join up with other packs an' gangs. Sometimes they're like me, and don't choose any particular alliance. So I can't say you aren't supposed to be here."

He was a wizened old male, and seemed a bit more enlightened than most street mutts, not a fighter, not a scavenger. But Levoy did seem to eye that chain around Khepri's neck. "So what brings you here? You seem new..." the mastiff plopped back down on his haunches, and scratched behind his good ear waiting for a response.

[Khepri]

"There's nothing to forgive. Hardly anyone seems to know that saying anymore." Khepri spoke warmly, her eyes squinting ever so slightly with amusement as she listened to this large, heavily scarred male's voice. Her stub of a tail wagged a little more while he spoke, his words bringing a definite joy to her heart.

"I don't intend to cause trouble, but I can't guarantee I won't, y'know? Accidents do happen." Flashing the male a somewhat playful smirk before she fell silent and took in everything he had to say. He had a lot to say, it seemed, but every bit of it held Khepri's attention unwaveringly. The fact that this kind old fellow would speak with her overjoyed the female and she soaked up every moment of the company she could.

"Many are just seeking the company of others, really... They're so used to being with their humans that when they lose them, they're lost..." She spoke from experience. Her own human had passed away, leaving her at the hands of his family, who did not seem to appreciate her blood-lines very much. Her life would have ended, if she had not taken to wandering.

"Me? Well, my feet, actually. Takes a little long than flying, I imagine, but they get me from point A to point B well enough." With a chuckle Khepri gave her head a small shake, pink tongue lolling out for a moment before she licked at her lightly pigmented nose and pulled it back within her jaw. "I lost my human a few months ago... His family didn't like me much, so I took off... Just sorta been wandering around since..."

[Squeeji]

Levoy just smiled, it was true enough that not many know it. "Lots of pups these days just like to play up the poor little lost dog thing...so at some point being lost became...cool." He laughed, foolish pups, there was nothing good about being angsty and not knowing what to do with one's self.

"Its enough to annoy the life out a guy." the mastiff wagged his bushy tail and sighed "I was just joking, if ya come here to cause trouble, that's fine. Just...don't make me clean it up..." He stretched, finally getting the rest of the sleep out of his system.

"Dogs and humans...are a natural set." The Mastiff frowned finally, and made the statement begrudgingly. "Without man, there would have been no dog. We'd have been wolves still....and without dog...man wouldn't have gotten as far as they had. And you're right. We are social creatures, we need to interact with others, if not humans...other dogs. Too many young hotshots don't realize this and it tends to be the end of them." his tail paused its wagging as the thought more in depth on this topic. "Refreshing to hear that logic coming from a younger dog." He ended, with a slight smile on his muzzle.

It was nice that the young lady had made a light hearted jest from his inquiry, as it cheered him up some. "Well...don't worry, I'm sure you'll turn out just fine out here. Whether you stick to the streets, or find yourself a nice new family to go to...you'll do fine. You have a good head on your shoulders it looks like" He nodded politely, then looked very taken aback, as though disgusted with himself. "Oh, how rude of me. I had never introduced myself.I am Lualhati Levoy....Levoy...as its less of a mouthful. " he bowed his head politely, as though waiting for Khepri's forgiveness.

[Khepri]

Khepri gave a soft snort of laughter as the scarred mastiff spoke. That was true; so many dogs these days seemed so damn eager to leave their humans. Half of them, unfortunately, could not seem to comprehend the fact that they did not have it as bad as they thought. They were all so focused on their own lives that they developed a sort of tunnel-vision, and were no longer able to see outside that scope.

"Naw, I wouldn't ever dream of makin' ya clean up after me," the mix said brightly, her different colored eyes shining warmly, "I'm not a pup, after all." Giving the male a friendly wink, Khepri smiled at him. It was nice to see someone with a sense of humor.

And it was also nice to hear such thoughtful words come from another. He was wizened and older, and Khepri was silently a little proud of the fact that she could level with another being, especially one that seemed to hold so much knowledge. She nodded silently, a smile still on her face, though her ears perked at his mentioning of her 'logic.' Giving him a bashful smile, Khepri bowed her head with a soft, appreciative laugh.

"I've been around the block... Just once so far though," she said softly, lifting her head again to flash him that playful smile of hers.

Tilting her head to the side at his sudden change in expression, the female watched him curiously. Rude? He couldn't have gotten farther from the truth on that one. In all honestly, Khepri had not been expecting a name. To be given one was just short of thrilling to the female.

"So far, I don't think ya've got a rude bone in your body, Levoy," she said with a warm laugh, shaking her broad head slowly with a smile, "You've got nothing to worry about..."

"And my name's Khepri... Though you can call me Khep, whenever the fancy hits ya."