Quarry's Rush i'll cure you of disease

@Cottongrass | early morning, drizzling rain.

The water was quick and loud, but not orange loud. Good loud. Like a blue-green song bird or the soft grey crack of thunder rolling overhead. He remained close to the dark forest where he had encountered Askan, the crimson voice. The boy hadn’t decided if he wanted to stay, but he liked having options. The Vale paled in comparison to the northern forests, for every turn he took led him to something new; something different. Which meant that there was still more to be discovered, like the gushing river that ran parallel to him. And, potentially, even more wondrous sights if he continued north, with Diego.

He kept his distance from the water as it flooded over rocks, tumbling further into the forest, dragging fallen sticks along with it. A soft drizzle of rain slipped through the branches overhead, bombarding the dark agouti as he meandered along the river’s edge. The swollen river was a result of heavy rain, which meant it would only get worse as the days grew colder and darker. Which meant he would have to mind his paws as he ventured along the water, for he did not want to slip and get dragged under. Then he would never be able to finish his adventures…

Sachiel was fond of mornings. Like song birds they were blue-green; good. He liked the way the morning light illuminated the forest, bringing the subdued colours back to their former glory as darkness trickled away. The colours here, in the northern woods, changed so frequently—and not just because of the season. Every day was different. Sachiel liked that.

Plus, he seldom crossed anything that resembled the dreadful orange colour. Aside from a few dead leaves, strewn across the decaying ground.

Which he would then trample with his oversized paws until the orange was no more and his head no longer ached.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

The world was a soggy mess.

Cottongrass was a soggy mess.

One with muddy paws and legs and there might have been a few random splotches on his chest because he just might have fallen over once or twice but nobody really needed to know that except him. And if anybody asked why he looked like such a trainwreck? He could just make up a lie. One that was really complicated and intense because he always needed to look good even if he just made a fool out of himself in the process. His tail wagged and his paws squelched while he continued foward.

It was a good plan. A solid plan. Maybe even one of the best plans he ever had and he wasn't even pushing it. He should put it to use. See what happened if he strode up to someone and watched how long it would take before they noticed. If they didn't take his bait he always had less subtle methods of getting attention. Like outright asking them to guess why he was covered in mud. And —

Something moved in the corner of his eye.

His paws slid to a halt and he struggled to backtrack. To move back a few paces so he could make sure he actually saw something or if it was just the rain playing tricks on him. And it took some awkward moving on his part but eventually he waddled backwards and saw what first caught his attention.

"Hey hey hey!" He barked. His tail wagged and his rear end wiggled in happy greeting. Like he knew who the kid was and why they were just standing around in the pouring rain by themselves. It wasn't like he could talk or judge.

Sometimes he forgot he wasn’t the only wolf in the forest. That there were dozens of other furry, four-legged creatures prowling around the woods, either in groups or on their own—just like him. Which was why he had gotten startled when a voice called out to him, through the rain. A voice that screamed buttercup yellow and silky ivory. Colours that matched the stranger, despite the mud splashed all over the stranger’s legs and chest. Everything about the stranger was safe, Sachiel could tell. From the male’s demeanour to his over enthusiastic greeting, the dark agouti knew he had nothing to worry about. But it still didn’t make him any less wary.

Hi! He called back, his tail wagging softly behind him. The boy didn’t move toward the pale stranger, however. Instead he remained where he was, his paws rooted to the spot as he waited for the loner to say something else. Since arriving in the northern woods Sachiel had come across a lot of loners and he had begun to wonder if they all knew each other. There wasn’t a pack in these woods—not from what Sachiel could tell (or smell). So why was there so many wolves?

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

The kid seemed nice. And he didn't know a single thing about them but he decided that he liked them anyway. How could he not when they responded to his overenthusiastic greeting with one of their own? His tail wagged and he considered asking them a question. Something to move the conversation along unless he planned on walking away on them after saying the word hey three times in a quick succession.

But it struck him that he actually didn't know anything about them beyond their appearance and maybe their scent. And even than that wasn't saying much. Not when the kid just kind of resembled Rayza with their coat and different coloured eyes and the fact that they smelled like rain and forest. It wasn't a lot of useful information. He didn't even know if he was supposed to know them.

Hawthorne was the kid Reyes talked about. So who the heck was this one?

His head cocked and he didn't move from where he stood.

"You one of us, or nah?" The question made sense in his head but he was pretty sure it didn't make sense when he said it out loud. And he wanted to ask them if the kid was a part of their pack. But the pack didn't have a name and he was pretty sure there wasn't one in the first place. For all he knew Askan and Reyes dragged him out here for a camping trip and everyone was invited.

(This post was last modified: Nov 17, 2017, 12:40 AM by Cottongrass.)

The yellow-eyed cloud did not appear to be a threat. His youthful demeanour was refreshing, for he had grown accustom to encountering sullen wolves in the northern woods. Shades of yellow accompanied the walking cloud, putting the troubled by at ease as he remained at the river’s edge, his tail swaying gently behind him. Despite not recognizing the loner’s face there was something familiar about the scent engulfing the lithe creature. It reminded him of an exceptionally grumpy wolf—the one with the crimson voice—and an inky blob with fire for eyes. Of fresh water and lush trees. Of home—but not the obnoxious orange trees in the south. A home he had not yet discovered.

You one of us, or nah?

Ivory words dragged the tawny boy back to reality, his mismatched gaze fixated on the pale dove. He shrugged, a small frown creasing his lips. So this was one of Askan’s friends… why were they loitering in these woods? Huh. Haven’t decided yet, he answered, honestly, his ears cupped forward. The boy was still debating whether leaving or staying was the better option. It wouldn’t be so bad lingering in the lush, evergreen forest. He would have someone his own age to spend time with, which was a bonus. But it hadn’t sold him on the property. Not yet.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

The kid wasn't one of them. Cottongrass nodded his head like it made sense and he stepped forward. He dropped onto his rear end soon enough. Right into the mud because he could probably wash it out later. His tail wagged in absent thought behind him.

"Okay." He was tempted to ask why. Why hadn't the kid decided yet because he could probably convince them or make them regret even thinking about joining them with a few choice words because that seemed to be his luck. He could settle his yellow eyes on the kid in curious thought and poke around because he could be obnoxious like that when the mood suited him. But the boy was hard to read and he didn't think it would be that smart of a decision. He could figure that part out later. For now he settled on another topic.

"Have you been around here long?" And he was going to make a joke. Say something that would hopefully draw more of a reaction out of the kid because he thrived on a constant loop of feedback or else he would death spiral into an existential crisis that would leave him feeling moody and nobody ever wanted that. But his yellow eyes widened and he blurted out the first question that popped into his thoughts.

"We're not invading or anything, right?" His tail gave a panicked wag. Because Askan and Reyes seemed content to settle down here but someone could have very well already lived here. That would suck. And be really rude of them, too. Maybe the kid's parents were loitering around somewhere and just waiting to chase them out.

sorry i didn't see this until today

He offered the pale stranger a soft smile, to show that he as stone-wall-y as he was giving off. Most of the time Sachiel was the exact opposite, but being on his own taught him to be wary of those he encountered. He had yet to encounter an undesirable wolf but it was bound to happen eventually; however, the yellow-eyed stranger before him didn’t fit the bill. He was trying to be friendly and make conversation with the agouti boy—it was him that was being difficult.

A few weeks, I think, he responded quickly with a lazy shrug of his shoulders, a calm expression still etched into his tawny features. He hadn’t moved yet but he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay. The locals were nice and accommodating, but Askan sounded like he had some tricks up his wolfy sleeves and Sachiel did not want to intrude. Even if the grumpy man had invited him to stay.

Invading?! He chuckled at the word before giving a quick shake of his head. No! He didn’t even think he was capable of invading. Sachiel still had a lot of growing to do—both physically and mentally. Invading was off the table for awhile. I’m tryin’ to figure out where to settle, he elaborated, his tongue feeling heavy due to lack of use. Your buddy said I could stay, I jus’ haven’t made up my mind yet.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

He wasn't invading.

Cottongrass felt his muscles relax. Because that was a good thing. It meant he could rest easy and know that he wasn't moments away from getting mauled by angry parents. He knew from experience that upset parents hurt the most in more ways than one. From overprotective birds that didn't like it when he went near their nests to his own parents when he messed up. His tail wagged in the mud behind him and he gave a pleased nod.

And there were questions on the tip of his tongue. Invasive ones that he was surprised he didn't just blurt out because that was usually his luck. Why was the kid on their own? Why had they been for a few weeks? Why was he choosing a place to settle down in, wasn't that the job of a good parent? Maybe he answered his own question. He knew a thing or two about running away by himself and the reasons behind it.

But his mind chose to settle on a different line of questioning entirely and he didn't know if it was a good thing or bad thing. Because what if the kid was a lot older than they looked? That would be embarrassing. Way too embarrassing. It was enough to have his mind moving onto the topic at hand.

"Really?" He didn't know which buddy told the kid before him they could stay but he trusted their judgment. His friends were smart. Way more smarter than he would ever be and he was okay with that. "Could I do anything to help you decide?" He straightened up and peered at them with curious yellow eyes. If they could handle him they could probably stay. He was pretty sure everyone else in the pack was way more tolerable than him.

The pale wolf appeared to decompress when Sachiel announced that he was not invading. A relieved sigh escaped the tawny cub as he offered his companion a small smile, his own features relaxed to make him look less like an invader. More like a friend. Packmate, or whatever. Staying seemed to be the better option, especially with the days growing colder. He did not know how much longer he could survive on his own. Even Diego had become sparse, making it difficult for the agouti to track him down. He knew the Archer was intent on looking for his siblings and while Sachiel wanted to help him, he also wanted a sense of security. And he didn’t know if Diego wanted to keep babysitting, for the little Leigh felt like he was holding him back.

Could I do anything to help you decide?

He shrugged, his smile still stitched across his dark lips. I dono, he answered, his ears sweeping to the side as he offered the male a sheepish expression. Why you stickin’ around? He asked, his head falling to the side before he added a hasty apology: Sorry! You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. He hadn’t meant to be so nosey. The tawny boy didn’t like it when others pried into his business; therefore, he did not want to do the same. Not when he was trying to make a good impression on Askan’s crew. Just in case.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others