Conversations With a Wolf
written by Brahma and his player

Brahma sighed as he saw the scene before him--a giant wolf sprawled out in the middle of a open bar, his legs and arms hanging over the walls, and beer kegs scattered all over the lot. The minotaur also noticed the shattered remains of the roof, and correctly assumed that before Rexx had shown up, the bar was not originally an open area.

"Rexx Wolfe, do you not think that you have had enough to drink for one night?" the minotaur asked, frowning at the smaller wolf. He hated to go into urban areas at this height, but when he heard from his friends that Rexx was on a drinking binge, Brahma had no choice.

"Nope," the wolf slurred. "M'gonna keep on drinkin' 'til I don' feel nuttin'"

He's taking Rogue's defeat in the Macrobrawl harder than I expected, thought the bull. Granted, while the bull enjoyed the sound defeat of said wolf, Rexx was quite literally a big fan of the rampaging wolf.

"Rexx, I think it is time to take you home. You're going to feel like you just came back from the dead when you wake up tomorrow, so let's call it a night before someone gets hurt."

Rexx slumped his head over at Brahma. "Too late," he hiccuped. "Sum'un's been hurt."

Brahma's eyes widen with alarm, and he tried to keep his fears under control. "Who was hurt, Rexx?" he glanced around to see if he could find any evidence of the wolf's statement, and was both relieved yet confused to find no one around.

Rexx clumsily poked himself on the chest, and hiccuped again. "Me, the dum' wolf." he sneered before downing another keg. Seeing he had emptied it, he groped around for another one, smashing the bar area into fragments. "OOpsie doodle," the wolf giggled humorlessly, then lurched to his footpaws, wavering just a bit. "Guess I'm gunna go to 'nuther barplace."

Brahma firmly took hold of Rexx's shoulders. "I said you are going home, Rexx."

"Nope," Rexx muttered as he shrugged Brahma away. "I said I'm gunna go to 'nuther barplace."

Brahma felt his patience grow thinner. He had been trying to track down the wolf all night, and followed the trail to several wrecked bars before he finally found the wolf. "I am not going to argue with you, Rexx, because I would win this argument, and furthermore, I--"

Rexx's temper stunned Brahma into silence. "You ALWAYS get yer way! I can never be right when yer 'round! It don' matter if yer wrong or not!" He stumbled into Brahma's arms, then pushed away from him. "You wit' yer 'I'm so great' attitude. Why don' you come down and join the rest of us macrofurs, huh?"

"You are drunk, Rexx. You do not know what you are talking about."

"Th' hell I don'! Yer doin' it know, an' don' even know it! All fall down befur th' great Brahma!" Rexx sneered as he reached into the air, palms facing outwards, before dropping to his knees in an exaggerated display of debasement.

Brahma could feel his temper rising, but squelched the urge to drag the smaller fur home by his ear. "You are making an spectacle of yourself." he said in a low tone.

Rexx clapped his hands against his cheeks and looked at the bull in mock fear. "Oh, no, I'm embarrassin' the beefcake. Zeus is gunna strike me down now!"

"Rexx Wolfe, you are dangerously close to embarrassing yourself." the minotaur growled, nostrils flaring with anger as he balled up his hands into huge fists.

"Oh yeah? I don' believe you. Yer a harmless softie, an' a wuss when it comes to violen--URK!" Rexx's words were cut short when Brahma's hand wrapped around Rexx's shoulders, and the bull then hefted the smaller wolf up into the air to make eye contact with him. The wolf squirmed helplessly in a feeble attempt to escape, but the minotaur's strength prevailed.

"You listen to me, you impudent wolf." Brahma rumbled, barely able to control his temper. "I have fought for several years in countless realms to save my own life and others, and I have had to do things that would horrify you if you ever found out what they consisted of. I have lost friends from my failures, I have lost homes from my mistakes, so I will not let you belittle me with your words! Do you understand me?"

Rexx growled at the minotaur in response, and bit him hard on the thumb. Unfortunately, it hurt Rexx more than it hurt Brahma--to the bull, it was like a kitten biting him. "I will take you home, Rexx Wolfe. What you do after that is none of my concern anymore." Brahma then thundered out of the city, barely taking the precaution of avoiding crushing or knocking down anything during his departure. Rexx struggled the entire way home, howling and snarling, but by the time they reached his place, the wolf was passed out. Brahma knew where the key was hidden, so he let himself in, put Rexx to bed, and lumbered his way home.

Wolves... thought Brahma as he entered through the doorway.

The next day, he was awakened by a tapping on the window, groggy from little sleep, the noise didn't register in his brain at first, but eventually the persistent tapping roused him from bed. Opening the window, he found the source of the noise--a sheepish-looking bedraggled Rexx. "Hi, Brahma." Rexx said quietly.

A snide reply at how Rexx looked was forcefully squashed. "Hello, Rexx."

"Can I come in?"

Brahma took a moment to think about it, then nodded. "I'll make some tea while you let yourself in."

A short time later, Brahma poured himself and Rexx a cup of tea each. They drank their tea, and a tense silence grew between them, then Rexx muttered something.

Brahma's ears were sensitive, but even he couldn't pick up the words that were mumbled. "What?" Brahma asked, looking at the wolf who seemed to be interested in the tea leaves found the his cup.

"I said I'm sorry for sayin' those things. I had no right to yell at you like that."

"Actually, it is I who should apologize."

"Yeah, yer right, as..." Rexx's head suddenly snapped up to look at the bull. "Huh?"

"I have been treating you and many others badly, and did not realize how I have been acting. I can make no excuse for my actions, so can you ever forgive me, Rexx?"

Rexx went over to the bull and gave him a comforting hug. "Awww, hon, of course I can forgive you. Yer my best friend, arguments happen even to the best of us. I'm just sorry I got you so mad that you had to be stern with me."

Brahma blinked at Rexx for a moment, then a smile appeared on the bull's muzzle before it broke into a big grin, followed by the rumbling of his laugh.

Rexx looked at the bull, puzzled. "What? What's so funny?"

Brahma had to try three times to contain his laughter. "You...you thought I was stern with you last night?" Another laugh escaped his muzzle. "Rexx, that was not me being stern with you."

Rexx titled his head a bit, his upper lip curled back in confusion. "It wasn't? Then what is being stern with someone?"

Brahma smiles, and winked at Rexx. "Let's just say it makes what happened to Rogue look like a blessing."

Rexx gulped. "Remind me never to try for it."

"You are a wise wolf. Come, let us go get some breakfast. My treat." Brahma rose to his feet, and added. "Then we can find out when visiting hours are for Rogue, all right?"

After breakfast, the friends found out on the news that Rogue was given a clean bill of health due to the fact he destroyed the wing he was located on, ate several interns, and stomped on many ambulance chasers.

Brahma decided not to be stern with the rampaging wolf about the latter.