Pulse

The musty, earthen scent, the precursor of a coming storm, was swamping the little hybrid's nose with every breath he took in. Overhead, the ominous, moisture-laden clouds were rolling in thick and dark, and threatening to open up at any moment. Pulse stood at the edge of a low knoll several dozen yards from the lake's edge, blue eyes turned towards the oncoming breeze as he sifted through the various scents for any hint of danger.

Velvetine antlers sprouted from the hybrid's head, with more of a pronounced growth that marked his third year of life. Yet already he felt far older than three springs, and bone weary at the thought of the impending storm that brewed overhead. Pulse loved storms, but something about the wind troubled him beyond what he could figure out. A tongue flicked over his ebony snout again, wetting his twitching nose and enhancing the odors that he was picking up - and still that source of his alarm eluded him, and the anxiety quietly built up.

Hey you, are me, not so pretty,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
Silent my voice, I've got no choice
All the world I've seen before me passing by

Keres

In the back of my mind
I want to do bad things
I want to be unkind
When I'm in my room
I love the shadows
Of my bad bones
I have thoughts I won't share
because I don't think
I could bear to face you
With the lights on

I feel evil creeping in
Creeping in
I feel evil creeping in
Creeping in

My blood is dirty
And I like it
I like it that way
I could see the whole city
When I pushed you
Out of my fucking way
I left the sun on your skin
So when I wore it
It would fit me
When I'm in my room
And the ceiling's feeling thin
I feel evil creeping in

I feel evil creeping in
Creeping in
I feel evil creeping in
Creeping in

A beacon landed on the shoulders
With a bird to regurgitate good words
I told her
Bird is the word
Little nettle stinging
Numbing poison seeping in
Humming, 'Lost the feeling of the vessel sinking'
Like sleeping in

The s.o.s. was lost on me
My crew were swimming
In a turgid sea
It was me
It was me who committed the felony
Take my hands
I love the blame
I'll take suffering

I feel evil creeping in
Creeping in
I feel evil creeping in
Creeping in

When I behave
Nobody cares
When I behave badly
Nobody dare
Cross me

She had created a new life for herself. The little hybrid, formerly known as Tainted, now led the warriors of the Night Watch. Her fur had mostly silvered out with age, leaving her nearly unrecognizable.

Keres sensed the storm too. It frightened her. She would hate to admit it, but she was afraid. She knew this was storm season. Lightning. Floods. Tornadoes. She liked drama, but there always came a time that there was a bit too much.

Seeing that Pulse seemed to be the only one around, she slowly approached him. "...Maybe we should all get to higher ground..." Keres stated in a neutral voice.

Pulse

The sambar hybrid was still gazing towards the oncoming storm when a wild gust of wind roared through the trees, casting their branches into movement and twisting their leaves into dance. Pulse lowered his head and squinted his eyes against the rush of wind that announced the storm was but a few seconds from hitting them, and might have stalked quietly away if not for a voice that caught him off guard.

The deer flinched dramatically and whirled around, blue eyes wide and heart racing to see a coyote-mix right there. Instincts screamed at him to run, and if not for Keres' neutral voice and stance, he would have turned tail right now and bolted. Instead he stood hesitantly, eying up the predator for several long seconds before daring to reply, "...I was thinking the same." Yet he didn't move, still uncertain about speaking to a predator. Unlike so many in the valley, he was not use to the way so many creatures interacted with one another across the species border, and having a canine address him was both frightening and... a little interesting.

Hey you, see me, pictures crazy,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
I've got nothing, to gain, to lose,
All the world I've seen before me passing by