All Dogs Go To Heaven [border thread]

Finally. Finnlay found the place he had been looking for; a bar. He hauled his bags through the door and sat himself on one of the many simple looking stools. This was not like the other lavishly decorated clubs of the inner city, it was a cozy little place and provided the much needed sanctuary of warmth against the winter air outside. Nobody else was there except a few old guys who stood around joking and watching sport on the television, probably because it was too early in the day for most people to be drinking alcohol and most didn't want to leave their homes in such bitter weather. The bartender greeted the Irishman and he politely requested a nice cold beer. Once the bottle was placed before him, Finn wished the man a good day and told him to keep the change from the cash he had given for his alcoholic beverage. As he placed the cold edge of the glass to his mouth, his eyes closed while he appreciated the refreshing sensation that came with tasting his favourite drink. Guinness also reminded him of time back at home in Ireland, which he now sat hundreds of miles away from. He had missed the comfort of having a drink in his hand, although the journey had only been a few days, but still, habits were hard to break and badly missed. The one time he tried a shot of whiskey during stormy conditions on the ship and he had almost vomited. That was enough to convince him to not drink until the boat had docked.

The Mora male glanced down at his phone, seeing the time as 13:32. Mulling it over, he began wondering if he was at the right city, his brows raising slightly and he brushed his knuckles over his unshaven cheek. Lunari is the right place, right? A hand gripped his cool beer bottle and his foot began to tap against the base of the stool he was perched on, in time with the music that played from the surround-sound speakers of the room. Casually, he took another gulp of the liquid contents of the dark glass, attempting to calm himself and relax. He couldn't help but worry for he was often so clumsy it was likely he had gotten something wrong along the way. All this travelling had been to reach one destination; he had come so far and could only hope he hadn't messed up. Everything and everyone he knew had been sacrificed in order to find greater opportunities and happiness, with any luck. The faint sounds of the world outside the bar increased in volume for a second, enough to interrupt his thoughts, but soon were drowned out again. Finnlay flicked the long strands of his hair as he looked over his shoulder, peering over at whoever had entered. Nobody of particular interest, though he smiled and raised his bottle as if to wave in welcome. Moments later he chugged down the last of his drink with a satisfied sigh and grabbed ahold of his luggage with numb fingers as he stood and pivoted on his heels, striding towards the small wooden door.

It had expectedly taken unexpectedly long to find the residence of the people he sought. Alas, the Inu had misread the directions he had been given by his contact back in London who had connections with Mora here in the US. Two hours later than it should have taken, Finnlay arrived at the outskirts of a peaceful settlement tucked out of sight of the city centre. Having had to park up his truck some miles back, he ambled down the narrow, snow-covered path, taking in the surroundings as he went. Signposts had labelled the area as a nature reserve, effectively sparking little interest from humans and so the land seemed untouched, as if it had been forgotten by society. Which Fin supposed was the point, they didn't want any regular visitors which would soon discover the 'freaks' that dwelled within. It was pleasant, just as he had imagined it: the remaining stalks of wallflowers along faces of houses which would probably bloom into beautiful flowers come Spring, neat hedges lining the roads and the early evening sun glistening on the small muntin windows. Quaint. A warm smile accompanied his bright green-grey eyes as he come to a halt at the end of the pavement, slipping his bags off his shoulders and planting them on the icy ground. He quickly checked himself, smoothing out his jeans and blazer, shaking the snow off his boots and stuffing some mints and gum in his mouth to remove the faint scent of alcohol. A light dusting of pure flurries fell from the clouds, so Finnlay opened one of his bags and pulled out the hat nearest the top, not wanting to look messy with wet hair when someone found him stood there. His joker hat. Great. "Well, they say people make an impression of you in the first seven seconds they meet you...", he murmured. Taking a deep breath, he placed the multicolored hat on his head and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head, which in turn caused him to laugh more because it made the bells on the hat jiggle. Whatever someone would think of such a tall guy looking so foolish, he knew they'd probably think he was an idiot. Regaining composure apart from an amused smirk, he glanced around for anyone he might be able to introduce himself to and ask who he should speak with to find out information.

Dark auburn tendrils were wrapped around one another, the intricate braid forming before her harvest hues in the small bathroom mirror. Many pieces of hair had been done this way. All were placed into one lovely bun at what was nearly the top of her head. The braided pieces gave the image of dark wire, giving an edgy look to the somewhat innocent hairstyle. Looking closer in the mirror, Willow smiled. Her lips were that of their usual rosy shade. Dark kohl lined her eyes to contrast against the pumpkin orange eyes dramatically. Quite Halloween-like, but that wasn’t something she could control. The many tattoos on her body were covered by a large maroon sweater, soft and warm against the winter’s chill. Only the markings at her collarbones were exposed, and flowers inked upon her pale skin. The design was very intricate and hard to understand though they told her story through pictures. One had yet to realize, though they couldn’t see the beginnings of the tattoo at her lower back. The queen walked to the full-length mirror and eyed herself. Apart from the sweater, a dark pair of skinny jeans were placed carefully over her hipbones and fitting to her smaller form. One wouldn’t imagine the queen of the Mora to be such a girl, but it was what it was. She had yet to have someone laugh in her face once she stated her rank. Willow frowned and put her earmuffs on for her adventure. Warm, ink-colored boots were placed on her feet and traveled up to her knees. The insides were cozy with artificial fur. With a small giggle she smiled and slipped her phone into her pocket. Only when the tasks of being ready were done did she venture to her kitchen and pull out the large amounts of fish from the freezer. She carried them through a few doors, making it into the heated indoor enclosure. Tossing the fish into the water, she watched as a albino head rose from the murkiness and snapped up the fish. Willow smiled and watched her alligator eat for a few minutes, marveling at his power before the locked the enclosure once more. The queen walked to her front door and slipped on her softest coat. It slipped and molded onto her form like silk, giving her comfort as she made her way from her cottage.

Walking and wandering had been her intentions for the day. Hues of a harvest moon danced around to view the white flurries around her. The world seemed drained of its color this way, but she paid it no mind. The queen enjoyed the world, loved it for what it was. She was careful not to stir anything from its natural place as her feet left patterned footprints in the snow. Sometimes a squirrel would spring from its den or an rabbit could be seen. These things made her smile with delight that not all had abandoned her lovely forest. It was, in fact, a sanctuary for all wildlife. She hoped to see more around. Perhaps in the spring? Willow couldn’t be sure, though she made her ways to the borders. Atop her head, calico ears perked in excitement of maybe seeing someone. She had checked every day to find her borders barren. It saddened her but made her softer towards the ones that did come. There was plenty of room for them all, she was sure of it. The day she had saved them was the day she knew she had to protect them. A wall of snow-covered brush was all that was left to block her view, and she quickly skipped around it. First Willow saw a truck, becoming increasingly excited. Her tail flicked to and fro in its anxiousness. Once her sunset hues settled on the man in the joker hat, she gave the brightest smile. Only Mora could find this place, so he must be one. Small giggles left her until she was just left smiling. “Hello, sir. I’m Queen Willow, it is a pleasure to see you on these borders. You’ve found the sanctuary for the Mora, a species that was wronged. I hope you will join us, we’d be delighted to have you.” Her tone was airy and soft, placing her hands behind her back with and her tail swaying with the joy of seeing someone.

Finnlay stood still for a few minutes, the cold beginning to chill the extremities of his body so he rubbed the palms of his hands together and blew his hot breath over his fingertips which were turning numb. The canine could smell the small creatures that scattered through the surrounding forest and greenery keeping themselves busy with foraging for food, and it took him a remarkable amount of effort to control his hound instincts and not pursue each movement in the grass and hedges. Not too soon did he hear the light pitter-patter of careful footsteps compressing loose snow followed by the soft noise of giggling. Turning around and averting his eyes to the direction of whoever had arrived, the first thing he saw was a smile. Such a bright and happy expression on the lady’s face made him feel at ease straight away, since introducing himself in important situations wasn't something he was always comfortable with. A genuine and polite grin situated itself on his own lips as he glanced at the rest of her appearance: her dark hair tied neatly atop her head, porcelain skin and the clothing which was suited specifically to the colder weather. Of course she was a smaller height, but a majority of females were and even many men. It seemed she had dressed appropriately for the snow with her warm coat, boots and earmuffs; he realised he should have probably worn something more insulating himself. The most striking feature though, was her eyes. They were the complete opposite to the pale backdrop as they radiated a warm glow, as if the very essence of Summer had been captured in her irises, whereas the white snow was bare and cold. He imagined there was a vast amount of friendliness and experience behind those eyes, perhaps it was just something about the way they looked. Whatever it was, he felt he could trust this woman, and in that moment he decided he had made the right decision by seeking out to live with others of his kind.

As the wind momentarily blew, he heard the familiar jingling near to his ears, reminding him of the hat that he was wearing. His eyebrows shot up, quickly pulling it off his head and holding it against his chest with one hand while the other smoothed out his messed up fringe. He didn't exactly want to look like a clown, quite literally, in case it made her think he wasn't serious about being a part of the population of Mutts. The frozen flakes continued to fall and some particles clung to the soft brown strands of his hair, where they would hopefully remain until he had finished talking to the lady before they melted and caused his hair to become wet. The Mora male listened as she began to speak, greeting him and introducing herself as the queen of the land he stood on the borders of. It was true, she did not appear to be like a traditional queen complete with a crown and royal robes, but that was honestly comforting because she seemed much more approachable and down-to-earth. Finnlay respected her for being true to herself and not feeling pressured to be a certain way just because of the rank she held. “Lovely to meet you Queen Willow. I am glad to be here, and I would love to join you and the Mora. If you would have me”. His smile remained, and with a twinkle in his eye he had an idea. He leaned over slightly and placed the joker hat onto her head, carefully fitting it over her feline ears and bun of hair, before folding his arms across his chest and tilting his head, jokingly acting as if he was assessing how she looked. A wider grin spread across his stubbly face, partly in amusement and partly to show his innocence in his actions. Some would interpret it as flirtation, but that was not the case. It was just part of who he was as a person. “Yep, the colours compliment you perfectly”. Chuckling, he chewed the mint flavoured gum between his teeth for a moment. “Oh, my name is Finnlay O’Luain, by the way. But call me Finn, if you want” the Irish accent audible in his masculine but affectionate voice. He outstretched a hand for the queen to place her own within and shake, hoping that by this point he had shown himself to be friendly enough that it would not feel awkward and business-like to do so. So far he felt like things were going well, but he would see what she would have to say next.