exhale--

[T. Corpse]

The Park, in Set's opinion, was the best part of the city. He was not raised to be accustomed to the rush rush rush! of the streets, or the mean, pushy people who blew right past you, or the shouts and screams or the constant flow of new and increasingly alien information. He was raised for a simpler life; The Park was sweet, sweet relief.

Especially after he became human again--in the few days directly after his change, his senses were still heightened and canine; when he went and walked on the streets, he was assaulted by the putrid stenches of urine, vomit, sweat, and alcohol. It was enough to make him dizzy. Then, the noises! The cacophony of city life made him, more than once, touch his hand to his ear to see whether or not it had made him bleed just yet.

So stepping into The Park, and moving deeper and deeper still into something that was natural, something that reminded him of the world he was raised to fit to, was a godsend. The Park was a place where he could reminisce about things past: about herding, guarding, fighting viciously and unyielding for the things he believed. Even if the lush greenery was different from what he had lost, it was better than the streets--and it awakened something deep and instinctive in his being

There were always only a few people in the park. Set moved deeper in, running into only a calm, statuesque Vishnu and a very out of place Trasi. Finally he stopped at one of the canals, easing to a sit and taking off his shoes and rolling up his pants legs so that he could dangle his feet in the cool water.

He sighed and smiled; soon he would start dozing. Set thought that maybe it would be in his best interest just to stay here until his senses faded back to the normal.

[Cadmium [It's a nice view~]]

Werebeasts were lucky little beasts. Whining about two days a month, when he had to deal with the sensory overload every day of the year. You would never hear a noble creature like Cadmium complain about something as trivial as that prostitute's cloying cologne, or the overwhelming garlic dribbled over that man's sandwich. Not to mention that baby's constant wailing was enough to shatter bones, much less beautifully sloped ears like his. It did provide benefits though, he could sense fear, and from a far off distance, guess the size of a human's bra.
" 44-C....overbalances that poor lady's torso..."
The lady was dressed in a tweed-suit of slate grey, her lips pursed in a thin line. Cadmium's orange eyes continued to fixate on her breasts, and he even winked as he walked by.

Lucky for him, neither her, or her very large Neebu boyfriend saw the action.

That was probably in thanks to his bright colored sombrero, and no Cadmium was not showing his appreciation of the Mexican culture, it matched his vest. Blue fur was hidden beneath a vest of maroon, orange triangles covered its side, and a velvet undershirt rested underneath. Pants the same color as the shirrt drifted about his ankles, and a red tie hung loosely about his neck. A noble head was lifted high into the air, as his wide feet moved from grass to gravel, his eyes from breast to bottoms.
" Too fat......resembles that one Doughboy, the one who looks like a Jala fruit."
The fox shook his head, but grinned at the lady as she passed.
"Beautiful~"
Nails dove beneath the loose gravel, his tail swinging behind him in a constant rhythm, he could imagine the number of eyes on his tightly tuned bottom.

The fox Neebu trailed his hand over some bark, taking a moment to sneer at the leaves adorning its tip.
" It's less symmetrical than modern politics, mother nature must have been lazy when it came to that little one..."
A jogger passed by, and the Neebu's eyes slowly trailed to her chest, his irises did jumping jacks in time with her chest.
"Hmm~ a new bra would take care of that...."
Not that he wanted it taken care of, what was the fun in life if you couldn't get some free shows?

The gravel slowly shifted back into grass, and he took a moment to dust off his feet. The grass tickled at its feet, and he chuckled--though whether that was from the grass, or the awkward teenagers on the bench next to him he was unsure.

The dull echo of wood greeted his ears, as his four-toed feet quickly moved their way, rather gracefully he added, across the bridge. The Neebu now walked parallel to the water, and spent the entire time looking at the most beautiful image, or one of the most beautiful things in the world, his reflection.

Something pale, and splattered like a certain breed of canine cousin interrupted his self-exhibition, and he turned toward the source.

The bright red sombrero tilted upward, strips of straw concealed his eyes.
"You look all hot and bothered, not to mention.........wet."
The fox neebu grinned, orange nostrils flaring as he inhaled.

The slightest scent of musk, mixed in with the scent of a human. It was rather familiar, his mind would place it eventually, hopefully the fellow would ask for his autograph in the meantime.

Who didn't know of the councilor Cadmium? The noble, beautiful, sweet-hearted, lover of the masses?

--

Well. .. most knew of Cadmium. Just not by those adjectives.

[T. Corpse]

He had been half-asleep when he started to smell something else--something very familiar--on the air. His noistrils flared, his lips curled down into a speculative frown. He shut his eyes again and inhaled, and there--Neebu. He couldn't tell what type, but it still sent his heart beating a little faster. His eyes opened and he swung his head around; his heart kicked at the sight. There was something oddly comforting about the mess of color and the sight of a race he adored.

He fixed his eyes on him as he approached. There was a certain sureness in the way this one moved, and Set was already thinking 'this one's an alpha dog,' and was glad for it. He had this idea in his head of what a Neebu should be: strong, driven, powerful. And he could see confidence in this one's walk and his posture. Set said nothing and waited.

When the other spoke, he tilted his head to the side and blinked inquisitively. He wasn't sure if there was a joke he had missed--the sexuality went right over his head; he was not innocent, just unsuspecting. Unsure of what to say, he agreed warily. "Yes, I am."

Then he did get up, not bothering to put his shoes back on. He drew himself up to his full height, rolling back his bony shoulders and lifting his chin, fixing his eyes on the Neebu and waiting for any change in body language that would tell him more.

"Sir, what do you--" need, he was about to ask, but then snapped his teeth shut so fast there was an almost audible click. He was so used to asking what a Neebu--any Neebu--what he or she wanted so he could do it that it was purely instinct, even after all this time. He knew now that it was strange and rude and color briefly rose to his cheeks.

"Excuse me," and dipped his head, averting his eyes briefly.

[ ahhh I'm so rusty I haven't written in forever, forgive me! ]

[Cadmium [It's a nice view~]]

Cadmium instantly liked the fellow. Not only did he jump at his approach, likely stunned at such a celebrity approaching his dotted hit, but he did the cutest little thing with his head. Not to mention the ignorant, questioning look on his face was just plain adorable, though he would prefer it without the beady little eyes of a human. The fox Neebu tilted his head in a mirror reflection of Set, and smiled. No doubt he looked about ten times as cute as the Dalmatian had, not to mention he was not dragging his feet in the water like some kind of southern yokel. The fellow was lucky he had not passed him up as some sort of bumpkin, or someone with a skin disease--dear lord---the world would crumble if he caught whatever dotted this odd fellow's skin. The voice was pleasant enough, though the breath could do better with a mint or five. The odd creature rose to his feet with an almost saluting posture, most endearing.

Cadmium chuckled at the reply, lifting a plate-sized paw to cover his chuckling.
" Oh dear...that does look most pleasant.....though maybe I would prefer it with ....protection. Footwear you know."
They didn't make shoes for feet his size, many other things weren't made in his siz, such as a balloon for his ego.

The ignorance was so cute, it really would be mean to torture him, but it was so hard to resist!

The chuckles had just begin to dull when the creature spoke again, the next thing Cadmium knew he was bent over and gasping for air.
"Hehehe~ sorry, just I know this doesn't look very noble...but ..oh dear..."
Wiping a paw across his muzzle he rose back to his full height, and fixed Set with a mischievous look. No offense was taken at his words, instead Cadmium used them to his advantage:
"My my, don’t you move fast~~"
A single orange eye closed in a lewd little wink, even as the other slowly moved downward, past well toned muscles, to a much lower, more disgusting area.

Was that fungus? Between the middle and next toe? Poor fellow had just contaminated the water supply.
"Hmm? For what? What were you doing--besides standing in a very warm river, with that adorable little look on your face?"
This was almost too easy, it was like stealing candy from a limbless baby, or a smile from an ugly lady.
"But really, no need to look down like that, I like looking into pretty eyes like yours~ I promise not to eat you, or anything like that."

This was almost as good as an autograph session.

Almost.

[T. Corpse]

His lip twitched and his eyes narrowed. Set was quickly becoming confused; he didn't know what to think of the fox. He felt like he had missed out on a joke or an important piece of information and elected not to say too much before he knew what he had missed. Set hated feeling out of the loop, feeling like he was missing something vital; he had learned early on that not knowing was a bad thing. The werebeast was starting to feel frustrated, and he fought the urge to show it.

Then the fox started to laugh. Set's eyebrows shot up and his mouth slackened a bit; irritation instantly became confusion and humiliation. What had he done? He glanced down, briefly, and saw no problem with what he was wearing. He had been careful about his conduct, he thought, but maybe...

"I'm sorry--what did I--" He stuttered, the best he could in his shock, but then his eyes narrowed and hardened. His shoulders straightened and he thrust out his chin, taking a stance that he knew to be more dominant.

"Why are you laughing?" He demanded, color rushing quickly to his face. But then he checked himself--he dipped his head but did not relax. He looked away, down the canal, and only listened to what the fox said. He completely missed the lewd gestures, and good for him--he wouldn't have had a clue what to do with them.

The feeling of being left out or being teased intensified with the next set of commentary from the fox. He wasn't sure what to do with being told that he was adorable--and he almost felt as if he was a child again, with the way he was talking. His lip twitched at "pretty eyes"--which they weren't.

"I was resting." I didn't know foxes ate dogs, he wanted to say, but then remembered his manners and bit his tongue. He'd fought a bear Neebu as big as a tree and won once--maybe it was the fox that should have been worried.

[Cadmium [It's a nice view~]]

Cadmium followed the other's gaze, and was a bit taken aback by the sudden change in tone. The scent of testosterone flooded into his nostrils, and he found himself switching gears from flirtatious , to well, somewhat abashed.
"You did nothing sweethear---"
The Neebu's head instantly snapped back to its former position, fire-colored eyes narrowed, before snapping back open with a chuckle. Poor little thing was in so much awe he had no idea what to do, maybe he thought Cadmium was some sort of career criminal.
"Sorry , sorry..."
The Neebu was still chuckling, and by the large grin on his face he did not seem the least bit apologetic.
"It was cruel of me, your expression was downright adorable...and you completely missed the joke..."
Plate-like paws now rested on his hips, the eigt claws topping them dug into his thick fur. How dare the little yokel look away from him, what was so interesting down the river anyway?

Long noble muzzle slowly followed the other's gaze, and found nothing but racing water, and willow fronds. The dashing smile slowly pressed forward, his muzzle now a determined little pout. Arms slowly moved from their effeminate placement, and crossed over his brightly clad chest. Claws tapped against his muscular torso in impatience, and he began to lean toward the fellow across the river.

Did this fellow have any idea who he was speaking to? Obviously not, or he wouldn't be so rude.

--

The answer caught Cadmium off guard, and his grin remained slacked for a few moments, before his words spilled out in a silky stream. A single eye ridge rose toward the sky as he spoke, the tone kept its teasing quality:
"~ all by yourself? At such a romantic villa? Why ever would you do that?"
Maybe the only people he knew also smelt like wet dog, or something just as offensive.

The human, though skin-diseased, and rude attracted Cadmium. The fact that he could stand there, barefoot, and be so submissive but defensive , was a curiosity he could not ignore.
" Who are ? You look rather familiar....."
Didn't all the country bumpkins blend together after a while , with their disgusting smells, and barefeet?

The fox neebu ignored the hypocrisy of that thought, and fixed a disgusted gaze on the water. With a sigh he lowered his legs into the flowing brook, and quickly made his way across the shallow little river. Cadmium wrapped his tail around his tapered waist, and kept water from dampening his prized limb.

Without glancing at Set he pulled himself onto the grassy riverbank, and laid on his back.

Orange eyes did not immediately fix on the yokel's face, but instead moved lowering, and observed two taut hills of flesh. This fellow had some muscles, but nothing compared to what Cadmium hid underneath his luxurious coat.

[T. Corpse]

Set wasn't sure that he liked this Neebu. He knew that he should--more often than not, they knew best--but he didn't like feeling like a child or being scolded. He didn't recognize his flirtatious comments for what they were (for he'd be the first, certainly, to flirt with Set) and took them offensively. Being called "cute" and "adorable" was like being called a child or a woman. Those were not words that went with being a man; he was strong and lean.

And he hated being told he didn't get the joke--he knew that, and the way that the fox was stating it was in a way that reminded Set of a teacher who pitied the slow learning student. Set knew that he should be respectful... But at least other Neebu respected him. Back on Nithroy, he was treated right.

His thin lips had pressed into a frown and he decided not to respond to the taunts. He didn't like this tone that the fox kept using and felt that in a fight, he would come out on top. He was feeling an old familiar twinge of aggressiveness--after all, the Akbash was almost wild--and it required a heavy hand to suppress it. So soon after the change and his instincts were as strong as his senses. He felt the dog pushing past his human reason, growling and urging him to be the Alpha Male in this situation... Set knew better, though, so he kept his mouth shut as he could. He had to remember that he had been raised to serve the Neebu, regardless of what the dog wanted or what his personal opinions were.

Set could introduce himself, though. He wouldn't be so rude as to leave himself anonymous. "Wep-wawet Hathor," His full name, as always. Then, a pause, and his nickname: "Set."

His eyes got narrower as the fox crossed the river, and he lent to the side, slightly, righting only as he lie on the ground. He wasn't sure what to make of this pose: normally lowering oneself like this was a submissive gesture, but there was nothing but easy confidence in the fox's body.

He let a few seconds pass, nostrils twitching, then asked: "Who are you?"

[Cadmium [It's a nice view~]]

Impatience was obvious as Cadmium waited for the spotted-creature to speak. Sharp jagged claws drummed against available surfaces, a long bright-colored tongue explored the recesses of his jagged canines. The tip of his muzzle was set in a prolonged sigh, his tail lashed back and forth driven by annoyance. The fox was in an oddly bad mood today, normally he would be entertained by the ignorance of his fame; at least on some small level anyway. Today however, he found himself easily annoyed, maybe it was the fact that it was garbage day, or the fact that the fellow in front of him smelt of musk.

A century later, at least to Cadmium, the other spoke, and his ears slowly lifted, even as he sought to kill his boredom with a refreshing trip through the water. It was not surprising that his eyes repeatedly trailed to the aquamarine-sunset trail he left in his wake. It was a beautiful example of nature done properly, much better than the mud-bruise combination of the lean figure ahead.
"The origins sound Egyptian, though a bit old fashioned. Rather a mouthful , for such a stout....homely.....creature. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."
The second word had originally been country-raised, or inelegant. Though homely was used, at least by his translator, mostly for women, he figured such a term could apply to the musky-smelling creature in front of him.

That smell was so familiar, was he one of those half-breeds? There was no discerning features tos peak of, no extra arms, or legs. The fellow lacked a beautiful coat like Cadmium's, albeit his skin, though rather dark [at least to the fox] was clean and clear.

What the hell was he? It was rather pathetic that he had a hard time figuring it out, the smell as almost familiar as the sharp tang of red-sand.

"Ah~ I like that name much better, no odd syllables to stumble over...not that I would. Set, isn't that some human god?"
One of those half-animal ones, was this the all elusive fox one? The Neebu was not all that interested in human religion, unless you count the tales of Aesop and the fox. The endings were ridiculous though, no self respecting fox would act as a slave to a feather-brained bird.

The Neebu glared at the water swirling around his feet, with an uncharacteristic snarl a single foot cut a paath through the water, and shattered the reflection of the new councilor, the smug, evil, corrupt asshole. That stern beak, thoes bedy little eyes, that drab coat--that---that---bird!

Remembering Set, Cadmium turned toward him with an anxious little chuckle, his ears slowly lowered in an embarassed fashion.
"Excuse me Set dear.....the river reminds me of ...things....as does mythology...horrid. .unfair things. You know?"
Most yokels had some experience with injustice, it was for them, on occasion, that Cadmium fought his legal battles. Most of the time though, when it was not for justice it was to inflate his large ego, or to him to show everyone who was boss.

A chance to talk about himself? All hints of anxiety, and abashed-ness faded underneath a wide grin.
"Cadmium Ellubis~ named after some earth mineral, a rather drab piece of work, but my parents found the name rather pretty."
The fox truly did not want to know why his air-headed parents had chosen that name for him, they were likely drunk and opened up gashes by falling into a pit of the stuff.
" Lawyer...former council member.........."
The tail now turned into a beam of happiness, it darted to and from like an anxious puppy.

It was time for the shocked expressions, the clapping , and the shock! Where were the accolades, and the triumphant howls?

The fox Neebu smiled, offering all eight "fingers" for a shake.

[T. Corpse]

Set watched the obvious show of impatience with a slightly bemused frown. He wasn't sure what he was doing to promote such a response--so in his confusion he just drew himself up taller, looking proud and, well, as regal as someone like him could. He would keep his stance until he knew for sure what this fox was up to.

Then his eyes narrowed--his name should sound familiar (or at least he thought so--he didn't know that not all Neebu worshiped the same gods)! He felt a twinge of irritation, "Yes--those are the origins." And decided not to say any more about it. He was trying his best not to be rude.

But then the next comment--"Set, isn't that some human god?"--was too much for him.

He made a strange, offended grrk! noise in his throat and looked at the fox like he had sprouted a second and third head.

"Human God...!" Humans, he had learned, were cruel and sneering (at least, as soon as they found out he was werebeast). He knew nothing about their gods, but imagined them to be cold, unfeeling, and malicious. He felt more insulted by that comment than he could have been about anything.

His nostrils flared and his eyes flashed. He couldn't believe it! For a moment he was at a complete loss, and it took him more than one try to formulate a coherent sentence. "You don't--you should--Set is a Neebu god!"

He was still too shocked to think, so he didn't notice it when the other started to space out and stare wistfully into the water. He just stared, his shoulders tensing. It took quite a bit of effort for the tension to drain away and from them to drop, and even then he wasn't completely calm. By now, he was sure that the fox was just messing with him--he probably was making fun, or something; hadn't he spent the majority of this time laughing at him anyway?

"Well, whatever you are, clearly still have more to learn." Set felt insulted, and he was upset with the disrespect that the fox was treating him with. He had only heard the words that he used once or twice--clearly, the were was highly uneducated and doomed in this city--and wasn't in a place to sneer upon Cadmium. If he acted like this back home, on Nithroy with the Hathor, he would have been severely reprimanded... But he couldn't care: he felt justified.

[Cadmium [It's a nice view~]]

Cadmium mistook the regal posture as anxiety, and tried to smile reassuringly through his scowl. It only resulted in a more prominent look of annoyance as he quickly realized that it was hard to frown, and smile at the same time.
"Of course~ by human~ I mean Neebu. Uncreative copy cats even went so far as to name their children after us, I wonder if that is something worth suing for.. religious and name copyrights..."
Why wouldn't humans want to steal his species name? His last name was much nobler than "Smith" or "Brown". Not to mention, his regal muzzle was much better than that little nub humans called a nose.

Not truly conscious of it, a single claw trailed up his tapered muzzle, paused at the tip of his moist nose, before trailing back down to his slowly growing smile, his now icy , frozen smile.
" ....yes.....and a human god. Of course, I am honored that you stood up for us like that, it's very generous of you."
A bitter taste welled in his mouth, and he turned his eyes away from his rather perverted viewpoint. No point in staring if the fellow wasn't even going to appreciate it. The Cadmium found the species worship adorable, the ignorance rather amusing, but the next comment knocked the air out of him like a punch to the solar p lexus.

Cadmium rarely became angry, annoyed, bored, but anger did not match his coat, or his political ambitions. Eyes now narrowed to orange slits, his tone continued to drip with flirts and honey, but the words themselves were snapped, and clipped.
"Set, darling, I would prefer if you kept your hypocritical comments to yourself. Also, I am not a what, nor an animal, nor a pet, but a who. I am Cadmium Ellubis, former head of Neebu council, and surely more educated on Neebu matters than an adorable little yokel who dips his spotted little feet in the water like some sort of backwoods fisherman."
The Neebu had forgotten about the smell, and now rose to his full height anger flaring in his eyes.
" ...Let's plumb the depths of your ignorance. Who is our current council leader? Name four of our gods. "
The tail had ceased its anxious wagging, and now was expanded in agitation. He resembled an angry cat.

The other fellow was beginning to look awfully bird like, that big snozz of his could pass as a beak! The musky smell vanished underneath a wave of adrenaline and rage. The feeling that this fellow was a hybrid disappeared, his species would never dip so low to insult such a beautiful specimen as Cadmium Ellubis!

--

Realizing how this looked he blinked, and slowly shook his head.
" My oh my.....excuse me ...I... you should apologize, but it is okay to be ignorant~ it‘s a common human trait"
The fox was now taking deep breaths trying to rein in his temper.

The neebu wouldn't elect someone who punched a human in the face, at least, in a public place.

[T. Corpse]

Set noticed the anger obviously building, and he just sneered. He felt as if he was still in the right. He had done nothing wrong; he had stood here, with every intent to be polite and courteous, and he had been laughed at, made fun of, and insulted... The Neebu he had worked with were good people--they respected him and never put him down like this fox had. The fox's anger only made him feel better.

A whole new wave of hot, fresh anger crashed down on him when the fox started to pick up that holier-than-thou attitude... Of course, he was right, and that only made Set's face flush with anger and humiliation. He didn't understand politics and never had; he hadn't even known there was a Neebu council. His shoulders hunched in a defensive position and he flashed his teeth, trying not to let it show that he had been caught.

So instead he'd focus on what the other was doing wrong, because it had to just be luck that this fox had found one thing that he was right about. There was no way such a disrespectful fox that looked like something a neon light coughed up could be right about much more... Clearly, he was in the wrong. Set was desperately trying to justify himself, in his head reminding himself that he had been polite and done everything in his power to be civil... But his fury was mounting, and he was almost past the point where he could control it.

"Clearly," Set growled, his lips curling in a very canine fashion, "Your disrespect has something to do with how you're just the former head." It was the only thing he could come up with. It was all he could do to form a coherent thought--even though he was mostly angry now, he could still feel the sting of humiliation.

"No--you're the one who should apologize." He took a step forward, straightened his shoulders, and locked eyes with the fox. he was snarling, and when he spoke again, his voice had dropped and he did sound a bit menacing. "You're a pitiful excuse for a Neebu!"

[ bah, sorry for taking so long to post D: business and exhaustion slowed me down! ]

[Cadmium [It's a nice view~]]

The look of shock, the look of sheer defeat, it was as plain to Cadmium as the yokel's spots. It was answer enough.
" ...no answer? I didn't think so."
The fox Neebu may have liked when he was right, but at the same time he hated throwing it in other's faces, unless they made cruel comments like this moron. The fox turned to look over his shoulder for a moment, rejoicing in what he thought was the sound of triumphant trumpets, the river reflected his proud nose, but also his childish wrinkled expression. Leaning backwards ever so slightly, he began to smooth his nose out, and reorganize his furled whiskers, even as he began to anger once again.
"Yes. I lost me reelection due to a few scandals, but what exactly are you doing, besides getting your feet wet dear?"
The former tone was slowly slipping into the singsong voice of the norm. In a way, at least for most people, that would make it all the more offensive.

Cadmium finished with his whiskers, and turned back toward Set, a large paw positioned on his hip, his hat pulled low over his eyes, and his large ankles hanging over the river. The loose pants billowed in a gentle breeze, and one could practically hear the tumbleweeds roll.

It was a wild west duel, frantic petticoats hid behind saloon doors, and two big strong [one stronger, and more handsome than the other], males faced off against one another, hands positioned on respective weapons. The dust rolled through the towns , and somewhere a coyote let out a howl. The men began with witty, or not so witty banter.
" ....why exactly should I apologize? I'm not the one who was offended when I pointed out the origins of his name, and I don't appear to have swallowed a lemon, or had anything shoved up my ass...."
The next comment sent him rocking back, and he blinked.
" .....the pot calls the kettle black darling.....and I am a very well respected Neebu. Just because I don't flex my muscles like some ill-trained pool boy [unless it was necessary], and pick fights with everyone that crosses my path, does not make me a poor excuse for a Neebu."
The fox Neebu continued to glare at Set, but his eyebrow slowly rose, his cheeks twitching.

A few seconds later his arms sliced at the air, claws splayed.

Only to wrap around his now convulsing stomach.

" Hehehe ....ass... hehehe...wow.....now I fell for that one...oh my god Cadmium, you sly old fox you, you're too much...."
The Neebu's laughter echoed out over the river, his hat slid over his brow, even as his chest began to ache.

What a funny situation.