He felt horrible. Ever since the blind female had retreated in hurt from his words he had felt like the lowliest scum on earth. He hated how he was behaving since coming here, hated that he was unable to control his tongue and anger, hated that he couldn't drop whatever ‘protective’ facade he was performing. With his ears flat to his skull and his motion a stiff stalk, he continued to war with himself on the inside, a silent snarl visible on his face.

It suddenly vanished however when a recognizeable scent crossed his nose. The blind wolf. She was around the lake somewhere. He was quick this time to drop his hostile guard. He was going to sort this right this time. The Devil lifted his muzzle to the air and began to track the she-wolf, until he found her, in a understandable somber mood. He stopped to look at her, his presence unnoticed. With a deep sigh he quietly approached, coming up to her side.

He spoke but four, soft words to her. I didn't mean it.

She could not see it, but the black wolf shrugged in response to hers. You don't. He said, the soft tone from his previous statement replaced by a distant, lack of tone. She either had a choice to believe him or not to believe him and he had no intention of attempting to force her to take his word for it — after all, his last word he just said were not meant. Most of the times The Devil didn't speak what he did not mean but sometimes his anger said things, not ‘him’, and this was one of those cases. One of many, in fact, since coming here.

He wasn't sure what to tell her when she asked who he was. He didn't have an answer for even himself. Who was he? Just a nameless black wolf from the arctic. He had no relations here, no connections to anything, and nothing back ‘home’ mattered much. Eh... he drawled, searching for some sort of an answer, finally saying what he felt. ...No one.

It was odd that she said what she said, for ironically, The Devil had a similar incident except he did not ‘breakdown’, per se. The difference was that where she was willing to share her personal problems with a stranger, the stranger was not willing to share his. Few heard him voice his problems, and few he allowed to talk about it. Er... Good. he said, not sure how to respond for he lacked the sort of compassion that most others found natural. He had compassion, it just expressed itself in odd ways — like ultimately saving a wolf from a cliff after tormenting him about it first.

Her next statement was instantly met with a growl. He could hide a lot of things but he could not hide his great anger and pain at the mention of his name or lack thereof. Fortunately for her, she chased such comments with an apology, and although The Devil's tail lashed several times following, his growl had subsided. I have a name, he said rudely. It's just none of your business.

She was right, but she would never be told that. Something was eating the black male. Something was always eating at him. His past — it followed him around like a shadow with teeth, nipping at his heels, and it infested his soul and mind like parasites, chewing networks of tunnels and holes that anger and pain filled, leaving less room for thought and feeling. I might, he replied coldly to her saying that he sounded like he needed a hug. But don't even attempt it or you might lose another one of your senses.

He was no touchy-feely wolf, at least not right now, under his guarded and, as she said, hostile circumstances. He was a terrible apologizer — he had meant it, but no sooner had he said it did he resume his snappy attitude. At least this time it was not without warrant, a bit extreme perhaps, but provoked nonetheless, unlike their last encounter.

His ears fell back upon his skull as the female spoke so hard towards him. It seemed he was undoing what he had come to do in the first place. She was able to subdue him, and his threatening posture subsided into a loose, sitting position — not that she could see this. What she could hear, though, was his voice had a quieter, softer tone to it. How a bout no, to both of those names. Both were on opposite extremes and he would not stand to be called. His solution was instead to give her another fake name.

You can just call me... Mark, I guess. It was another one of those poor names but it could have been worse.

He disliked how she was starting to get arrogant with him, attempting to use the fact that he had felt bad and came to apologize against him. He extended his toes, raking his claws through the soil, channelling some of his anger into the ground. The black wolf also gritted his teeth together, but not so much that it would be audible to the blind female. Yes... he admitted, that he had came here to apologize. He repeated his message from the start. I didn't mean what I had said. Roses don't interest me much.

For being frustrated, he was able to keep his voice toneless and his anger from pouring into his words. It was a struggle for him, to change after being set in his ways for so long.

He wasn't expecting her change in heart but now she seemed more like the blind wolf he had met before... kind and soft. He wasn't sure how to react though, because now she was apologizing to him, lowering her crown to him, and he still felt like he was the one that had to be reprimanded for his wrong doings. The black wolf crinkled his nose, shaking his head, both gestured unseen by her sightless eyes.

Yeah, maybe, he said, not knowing how to respond. But I don't deserve what you think I deserve, not right now anyway.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Good thread :)


IN CHARACTER

He didn't know how to answer her, how to tell her that he had done so much wrong since he had come here. She knew first hand one of his wrongs, tormenting her for a ‘fault’ that did not exist in the first place. She was blind but that was no reason to condemn her. He shook his heasd, attempting to grasp some sort of response, but still, there was quiet.

I've done a lot of wrong, he said softly. And I must fix it. If I can. Forgive me, I have to go. He dipped his head to her, but she would not see that, nor would she see how he turned and silently slipped out of her presence.