Ghastly Woods loving never gave me a home

Was it really just convenience that had Felyx bringing up Dace's unintentional display of anger again, or did he know it was a sore spot? Just the possibility made the younger boy itch to ramp up the rowdiness and really blur the line between play and aggression, a chip on his shoulder that he'd been acting on for as long as he could remember. Currently, he was fighting the urge to not-so-gently knock his own thick forehead against his friend's.

Lyx was laughing though, and not at Dacian. That was about all it really took to give his heart a little flutter of contentment, his desire for simple connection still strong despite his best efforts to beat it back. Back and forth, pulling in then pushing away, it was like his emotions were incapable of just settling.

'Count your blessings, Dace.'

He wished he knew if the remarks were sarcastic, or if Felyx was being sincere. It'd be much easier to know how to feel if they were the former, though Dacian couldn't say he really understood why. Naturally, his response could have also been interpreted either way.

"Sure," Dace shrugged his dark shoulders and looked aside, murmuring, "one, two" for his dashing appearance and long legs, while his paw pressed down and his toes curled, ensuring that a little bit of dirt and debris would come with it.

"... three."

He would count his friend by pressing that same paw directly into his face.

It was a good thing Dacian was funny. Very few wolves were quite this entertaining. Most wolves were good, at their core, and Felyx had a strong suspicion that Dace could be, but there was an equally strong chance of the opposite. Felyx could have been good once, too, he thought - at least, not as bad as he was now. There were no regrets about how he'd ended up, of course, and no options, either.

Dace had options. Felyx wondered, eventually, what he might choose.

This was all out of speculation, of course. Felyx had no insight on the other boy's emotions - only what he'd observed. Not a kind wolf by any means, but not an outright evil one either. Potential for either direction, or neither, should he decide on it.

One, two...

Amusement sparked in Felyx's eyes as he watched the boy count, and was entirely unprepared for the third blessing. A larger paw pressed directly into his face, dirtying the fur there, and Felyx was left blinking owlishly in surprise. Both at the action and implication, because while Felyx had been considered a great many things, - a sacrifice, a tool, an acolyte, a nuisance, - a blessing was never one of them. It was hard to tell if Dacian was being serious or not, and Felyx was willing to bet he wasn't, but it had definitely taken the ginger boy by surprise either way.

He barked another laugh, something playful buzzing in him, and proceeded to shove at Dacian's shoulder. "Asshole," he huffed, still grinning. "Your feet stink." Was he deflecting? Sure. Felyx had never really known how to deal with normal people emotions, so he simply didn't try. After all, what if Dacian had been serious? He might be in for quite a rude awakening someday.

Dace's own laughter bubbled freely along with the other yearling's this time, eyes pinching shut into little crescents. He hadn't gotten Lyx to step back at all, but he'd clearly caught him by surprise, and that was enough of a win for him, at least for now. The look on his russet face had made for an excellent prize, and the shouldering was returned with enthusiasm.

"Good," he replied smugly, lifting his dark chin and puffing out the little bit of white at his chest, "means everyone'll know what's mine."

The implications that could go along with that particular retort went clear over his own head. He began to scuttle around, roughing up the forest floor with his paws to leave his scent and 'claim' the bit of ground they were on. He'd do a little circle before facing Felyx again.

"Back up, man."

His tail wagged high in the air and his legs tensed, ready to scuffle. He didn't even notice that their ursine companion was toddling out of sight, giving up on finding what it needed here.

(This post was last modified: 40 minutes ago by Dacian.)