03-26-2020, 11:52 AM
The tabby had never been particularly strong in the physical sense. It was one of the things that he disliked about himself that he was willing to admit to. Compensating for his lack of physical strength was his intelligence, as well as a strong sense of awareness. As such, he was able to note Leroy's presence before the other male had had a chance to part his jaws and utter a single word.
Gray ears instinctively swiveled as the hound approached, sensing the sound of his footsteps over the crashing of the waves on the shore just as soon as he stepped out onto the dock. Go away, thought Alaric, whose mood was somewhat fouled by the stranger's presence. Here's hoping they don't try to kill me. Despite his acute instincts, he wasn't quite sure of who the footsteps belonged to until the hound closed the distance between them, but Alaric visibly perked up once he realized that the stranger in question was the same one he'd met when he first announced his intentions to join. The tabby recalled the leader's—er, general's, he supposed—name as being Leroy.
The wolfhound's greeting came quickly upon his approach, and it went just as soon as it came. Alaric, though usually not one to care about the emotions and tone of another being, did not miss the sort of unfamiliar crudity that Leroy's words carried. He chuckled lightly in response as he considered allowing the wolfhound to continue on with that atypical friendliness of his. Alaric figured it might be amusing to do so. But it was only them out there, though, and as fun as it would be to mess with Leroy like that, there truly was no purpose in doing so. Alaric's a tough, no-nonsense kind of guy; if the wolfhound had something to say, then he should come out and say it.
Just the same, Alaric was also not someone who allowed his emotions to be felt or overtake him as so many creatures do. He wasn't keen on sharing how he felt about particular topics with anyone unless he was provoked into an intelligent debate, something that many animals seemed to be adverse to doing for whatever reason. Knowledge is plentiful, so why not learn as much as you can? That was the tabby's thought process, anyway, but he noted that many did not share his way of thinking. Although, whether he liked to admit it or not, he'd always had a penchant for authority that forcefully tugged at all of his thoughts and feelings until they were drawn to the surface. As such, in the face of authority, he was easily his most vulnerable.
Alaric processed the wolfhound's greeting for a moment longer before deciding to respond. "I'm doing alright, I suppose. I'm tired, but otherwise I'm fine." This was the truth. For the first time in a while, he had actually felt okay. He might not be adjusting as well to Tanglewood as he'd hope to be, but truly he was doing just fine. It hit him after a few seconds of silence that the polite thing to do was to ask about how Leroy was doing as well, prompting him to speak again. "What about you?" While he waited for the wolfhound to respond, he spoke once more. "And, forgive my wording, but you can drop the act if you want." He shot a glance over his shoulder at Leroy, studying his acquaintance's face.
Gray ears instinctively swiveled as the hound approached, sensing the sound of his footsteps over the crashing of the waves on the shore just as soon as he stepped out onto the dock. Go away, thought Alaric, whose mood was somewhat fouled by the stranger's presence. Here's hoping they don't try to kill me. Despite his acute instincts, he wasn't quite sure of who the footsteps belonged to until the hound closed the distance between them, but Alaric visibly perked up once he realized that the stranger in question was the same one he'd met when he first announced his intentions to join. The tabby recalled the leader's—er, general's, he supposed—name as being Leroy.
The wolfhound's greeting came quickly upon his approach, and it went just as soon as it came. Alaric, though usually not one to care about the emotions and tone of another being, did not miss the sort of unfamiliar crudity that Leroy's words carried. He chuckled lightly in response as he considered allowing the wolfhound to continue on with that atypical friendliness of his. Alaric figured it might be amusing to do so. But it was only them out there, though, and as fun as it would be to mess with Leroy like that, there truly was no purpose in doing so. Alaric's a tough, no-nonsense kind of guy; if the wolfhound had something to say, then he should come out and say it.
Just the same, Alaric was also not someone who allowed his emotions to be felt or overtake him as so many creatures do. He wasn't keen on sharing how he felt about particular topics with anyone unless he was provoked into an intelligent debate, something that many animals seemed to be adverse to doing for whatever reason. Knowledge is plentiful, so why not learn as much as you can? That was the tabby's thought process, anyway, but he noted that many did not share his way of thinking. Although, whether he liked to admit it or not, he'd always had a penchant for authority that forcefully tugged at all of his thoughts and feelings until they were drawn to the surface. As such, in the face of authority, he was easily his most vulnerable.
Alaric processed the wolfhound's greeting for a moment longer before deciding to respond. "I'm doing alright, I suppose. I'm tired, but otherwise I'm fine." This was the truth. For the first time in a while, he had actually felt okay. He might not be adjusting as well to Tanglewood as he'd hope to be, but truly he was doing just fine. It hit him after a few seconds of silence that the polite thing to do was to ask about how Leroy was doing as well, prompting him to speak again. "What about you?" While he waited for the wolfhound to respond, he spoke once more. "And, forgive my wording, but you can drop the act if you want." He shot a glance over his shoulder at Leroy, studying his acquaintance's face.
♔ don't do love, don't do friends