Pookastone Scowle At my worst I'm my best

If Niles had been watching Mari's face when he mentioned he was a Lyall, he might have appreciated that she wasn't familiar with the sound of it. When he had Castel, he had been so adamant that he proved that his namesake had a meaning. Lyalls were diligent and honest; at that time, he would have given anything for her to see that. Now that she wasn't around though, he supposed it was a good time to start from the bottom, from scratch, from nothing.

'Don't be ridiculous,' the Castel in his head dared to remind him. 'Names don't mean anything.'

Mari seemed satisfied with the idea that she wasn't the only "non-Archer" in the Scowle. It made Niles feel accomplished, having established a connection with her, even if only a teeny-tiny one that could be severed the moment he acted more Archer than Lyall. She went on to describe how some packs were fucked up, how she hinted at in-breeding and how wrong it was. To this he had given a slight shake of his head, to show his echoed opinion on the matter.

To her answer, though, he drew an ear towards her. He wanted to hear it all, even if she was from nowhere. She mentioned she was from the far south where it was warm and sunny. The image of a constantly sunny meadow came to mind. Had he been more worldly in his travels, he might have realized that the sun dried things out and where there was too much sun, came withered plants and a whole different ecosystem - the dessert. Niles, in his lifetime, would probably never come face to face with such a place. If anything, he was glad she wasn't from Torbine.

"I think it's..." he had to take a moment to remember the stories his mother and father had told him, had to recollect what he could without facing the memory of his stubborn father trying to weather the harsh, northern Canadian wilderness beyond the realm of Relic Lore. "It's well away from here." He gave her the only thing he could recall about the Archer Dominion, "On the ocean, where the lands part and make way for a sight of endless water. My father--" Uh oh, his tongue was running away with him. He tried and failed to glue his tongue to the roof of his mouth but his chest was already starting to feel the pressure again. "My father an' I tried to find it once. It was too far north or so for either of us to make together."

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

The conversation got heavy real fast and in all honesty, Marisol didn't know how to deal with these sorts of situations. She wasn't a good girl, she had no kind words at her disposal. If she even tried it'd no doubt come out as fake as fuck, like she was desperately trying to be someone, something she wasn't. That didn't sit right with her, she was never going to be anyone but herself.

Needless to say, it was obvious that Niles had lost a lot of people, that he was still hurting over it. Mari could get that, she wasn't gonna push or pry, after all she knew she'd only get pissy if someone did that to her in return.  She pursed her lips, wondering what she could say to lighten his mood, even if only a little. Then again, things between them had never been like that, why try change it now? They'd settled into a weird niche, not really friends but companions, of sorts. Misery Buddies.

"Never met my Dad." She admitted, stretching out her legs so she could wiggle her toes. Though this time she took care not to kick Nile's in the gut. See, wasn't she real considerate? "Guess it's part of the reason why I hate this spring time shit. So many mistakes, people just don't think. Didn't wanna be born, didn't wanna grow up wondering if I'd ever have a proper meal. You know how it feels to know you're a living, breathing mistake?"She sighed, didn't even sound mad. It was a matter of fact, a reality Marisol had to deal with day in day out. "S'pretty crap. So knowing that there's people out there making mistakes, thinking they can raise kids alone, like it's easy...It makes me fucking mad, you know? Selfish bastards."

Mari has left Relic Lore. I'm in the process of finishing off her threads, those I don't finish will be deaded!

His nostrils flared and burned, and he instinctively looked away, pretending to shake some snow from his face. To even better the effect, he raised a paw and actually brushed from frost from the tip of his nose. She mentioned that she had never met her dad and he turned to look at her before focusing on her foot. The dainty, midnight-colored limb stretched out and Niles actually thought to suck in his stomach until he realized that she actually wasn't going to deer-kick him. He took the opportunity to get a little more comfortable, easing up a little and resting his head against the gnarled root at his side as he watched her. Once or twice, he dared to set his tail over the her back (as if that alone would keep her a little warmer) but opted not to. It was already clear that she was already seeming to play nice and he didn't want that to end just yet.

Mari went on to explain why Springtime and its "festivities" got under her skin so much and Niles, in the end, somewhat understood. He, at least, agreed with her that, sometimes, others just don't think. Heck, he had done that a few times himself. Her sigh made him want to reach out to her, the way he used to when it was clear Castel needed his presence and warmth. He didn't. He wanted to relish this quiet time with her before she had had enough of him and moved on to do something useful.

"I don't think you're a mistake though, Mari," he ventured, choosing his words carefully as not to blatantly say she was partially wrong or, say, an accident. "If someone hadn't been selfish, maybe... I wouldn't have been here... or maybe not even you. So, then who would share this mud pit with me?" He just had to let her know somehow, some way, that he appreciated her - in all her non-Archer, exasperated, sometimes judgmental ways. Without her, he might as well have just been sad instead of mad about it all.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

Mari quirked a brow. She wasn't looking to host a pity party, nor had she had said to gain sympathy, but it dawned on her that no one had ever said that before.  On one paw it was kinda sad, pathetic really. Yet on the other, though she wouldn't admit it, those were the words she needed to hear. A little pick me up, of sorts, a reminder than not everyone she met hated her, not that she cared but... it got old real fast.

It was a bit weird how much she liked it though, as though Niles had injected warmth into her blood. Different from that itching, frustrating heat that plagued her and yet sort of similar, as though the feeling was not her own. There was no denying that it wasn't as heady or primal even,  but it was distracting nonetheless.  She shuffled, opting to untangle and tangle her limbs before settling once more in a tight little ball. For warmth of course.

"True, you'd probably still be mopin' if it weren't for me." She allowed herself a smile, bright and wide and yet somehow, still undeniably Mari. She swatted him with her tail, letting him know she wasn't out to hurt his feelings-not that she ever set out to do that, her words just tended to have that effect on people. Some just couldn't swallow the truth. "Guess that means I'll stay a while, till the storm passes."As if she intended to head back out into that mess, yeah right.

Maybe they both needed this, some quiet time...and company. Either way, Marisol could deal with it. As she'd said before, Niles wasn't the worst wolf around.

Fade

Mari has left Relic Lore. I'm in the process of finishing off her threads, those I don't finish will be deaded!

He averted his eyes as she, too, got comfortable. The last thing he wanted to do was stare and figuratively draw some targets on himself for Mari to snip and lash at. For such a little thing, she didn't take up that much space, all curled up like that and while Niles wanted to do the same, he didn't. He laid there like a fallen log, limbs sprawled out just enough to somewhat nestle her against her side of their little nook.

Nevertheless, she clipped his flank with her tail, making him look back at her and catch her characteristic grin. This was a first, and he rather liked the look on her. "Guess that means I'll stay a while, till the storm passes." Niles gave a smile in return, an easy and lopsided one that didn't make the muscles in his face twitch or quiver.

Instead of the actual spoken word 'Good,' the Lyall merely gave an acknowledging nod and slowly set his head on his paws, tired of having to keep shaking it from his crown and snout. For as long as she needed him, he was there to help block out the storm and the chill it brought, and until it quit with the whistling winds and blinding snowflakes, he was content to just be at her side. They could wait out the blizzard together. No teasing, no bitterness, no moping...

(Fade.)

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!