Sacred Grove the sky set to burst

Hazelnut had absolutely no idea who the man was talking about, but that didn't stop the laugh from bubbling out at the ridiculousness of the situation. "It must have been a really offensive 'hi'." She really didn't want to have her muzzle bitten off if that's how things were there now, so perhaps she'd avoid the Backwater altogether for now. "Did you bite her back?" That was probably not the most acceptable way to go about it, but she heavily believed in the whole 'have the day you deserve' concept, and if this girl deserved it, well...

SO WASH YOUR PAWS, ALLEY CAT

Ryder chuckled warmly at her quip. He was glad she didn't seem to hold any defensiveness over the place and the rude pup who may or may not be some kind of relative to her. Steadily, he grew more comfortable in her presence. "Uh," another laugh, this one with a touch of sheepishness. There were plenty who would've thought him the asshole, especially if they'd heard Euna's wailing alligator tears. Still, he owned it, shoulders rolling with a light shrug, "yeah, actually, a lil' bit." Something clearly caught his eye then, and he motioned with his nose. "There, I've been using that den for like a week now and nothings bothered me." She wouldn't need to worry about anything coming back home to reclaim it. He stepped to the side after reaching it, intention clear in the way he placed himself. Ryder wasn't about to assume that she'd wanted to share the shelter with him. This could be goodbye, if she wanted it to be.

ONCE YOU'RE DEAD YOU CAN NEVER COME BACK

(This post was last modified: Mar 23, 2024, 09:27 PM by Ryder.)

Hazey laughed again, amused with his shrug and his answer. "Good." She didn't need to hear the other side of the story to know that biting someone's muzzle was rude in any circumstance and it would do the kid well to remember that next time she ran into a stranger. "Kids gotta learn somehow." It was her turn to shrug. Better the girl learn now than wait for someone more heavy handed to come along.

She followed Ryder's gaze as he prompted her toward a den. His den, it would seem. And supposedly nothing had bothered him yet. "Oh, I'm sure I can find a way to change that." She teased and flashed him a mischievous smile before slipping inside.

It took her eyes a second to adjust, but once they did, she found the small cavern to be nice enough. It hadn't been maintained, of course, but it seemed sturdy and there was plenty of space for two. She waited a second, maybe two, before calling out, "Hurry up, it's getting cold in here."

SO WASH YOUR PAWS, ALLEY CAT

His tail began to wag as her laughter tumbled through the air. It had been a while since he'd gotten on well with anyone, not since the group he'd been lucky enough to fall into outside of Relic Lore. The reminder was bittersweet, cautionary. The train of thought stuttered as she teased him rather than bidding farewell, ears and brows both tweaking upward. When she disappeared into the hollow, another soft chuckle left him, paw scuffing absently at the snow. Well... 'Hurry up, it's getting cold in here.' Ryder blinked, before a smile spread over his muzzle. With the invitation extended, he slipped down the den's throat and settled against its side opposite from where Hazel had chosen. It felt different in here now, misery and self-pity no longer welcomed amongst the shadows. His company's pale colors almost seemed to give off their own faint glow, conifer eyes still visible. "... y'know, when the weather clears, I could help you get to the Backwater." It was only the gentlemanly thing to do at this point.

ONCE YOU'RE DEAD YOU CAN NEVER COME BACK

It didn't take Ryder long to descend, a fact that pleased Hazey. Their shared body heat would warm the den to a comfortable temperature in no time.

She caught his gaze as he settled and extended an offer to take her to the Backwater. It was a sweet thing, really. And she did want to at least stop in, though she still had very little hope her mother would be there. "Yeah?" She asked, inching just a bit closer. "I'd like that." So long as it wasn't an inconvenience to him. Hazey hadn't been there since she was young, so it stood to reason that she might have some trouble finding it again without him.

(This post was last modified: Mar 25, 2024, 12:23 AM by Hazelnut.)

SO WASH YOUR PAWS, ALLEY CAT

Ryder's tail returned to motion, gently patting the ground as it wagged lazily. His smile came a little more easily when she accepted his offer. It hadn't been in his plans, but what could it hurt? He'd wanted to stall his return to the Falls anyways, and wouldn't have been able to devise a more pleasant way to do so on his own. "Of course," his chest puffed out a touch, happy for her to rely on him for this. He shifted his own paws, tucking them against his body politely. They could pass the time with light conversation and rest, the sense of comradery hopefully able to outlast the storm outside...

ONCE YOU'RE DEAD YOU CAN NEVER COME BACK