Blackened Down but they're looking for magic

@Chimera - set 10/30/19, around sunset.

Ever since her return to Fallen Tree Cove, Staryn had returned to her old ways. The girl had itchy paws - she was born with them; it was a kind of curse, she thought. It was hard to stay in one place, and though she didn't ever leave the Lore, Star couldn't seem to force herself to remain solely on the mountain. The forests were far more interesting than the mountain slopes, and she loved sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Of course, it was a particularly... lonely existence, as she didn't really have a traveling buddy. Nor did she need one - she'd been an adventurer for most of her life, and though she wished for companionship, she understood that her family lived on the mountain. It was enough that she could go see them whenever she wanted.

Breath billowed out in gentle clouds from her parted muzzle, bright silver-green oculars flickering around for something new. She'd been around this area before, but in the forest, there were always new things to discover. The grass was crisp and cool under her calloused paws, worn from travel but too tough to be painful. After all, at the root of her being, she was a mountain wolf. Tough paw pads were part of the description.

Blackened trees and trunks surrounded her, but it wasn't imposing or scary, in her opinion. Not when there was new growth around her in the form of grass and brush. It was an odd place, she had to admit. Pretty, though, especially with the sun setting and lighting on the dark trees. It was easy to imagine the fire that must've devastated the place. If there were wolves living there, in this quiet, ghostly forest, once upon a time, what had become of them?

It was a mystery. And if there was one thing Star loved, it was mysteries.

Lowering her muzzle to the ground, the girl took a deep breath, inhaling the scents around her paws. However, she must have inhaled some dirt, because she felt a harsh tickle in the back of her nose. Though she tried with all of her might, she couldn't restrain the harsh sneeze from ripping itself out of her maw, her entire body jolting with the force of it.

Yikes.

Sunset was upon him. Chimera's breath had been in his chest for some time now; Niles should have been back to their temporary denning site. Whew. Breathe in. Breathe out. Just like all the other solo saunters the duo had taken apart from one another, the distance would be closed soon enough. But, then again, Chimera was no longer the ickle little cub he had been when Niles had first come upon him. He had matured even further in the coming of his second autumn and he was surely more than capable of standing on his own.

He had just been sauntering about, running by the fallen, timeworn log in the blackened dirt when he heard it. A... sneeze? His brow furrowed as his head shot up and his four stocky legs came to a sudden stop. His tail flicked and his bright yellow eyes sought out the sneezer in the gathering twilight. They weren't in his line of sight...

"Bless you!!" he hollered out, unable to stray far from his imaginative and superstitious nature. He prowled through the undergrowth, a shadow unto himself after having slept amidst the old windswept ashes and scorched earth the night before. He had only strolled for few meters when he stopped again and repeated himself, just in case, the sneezer hadn't heard him. "Bless you!!"

we can be blue as a neon light, singing them sad love songs all night
Niles is currently traveling with Chimera and may hop into this IC thread!

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health

Well... Star hadn't been expecting a response. The girl jumped, green eyes round as she looked around for the source of the voice. All of the grass was kind of in the way, and her mind was running wild with the idea that some sort of ghost or spirit was trying to communicate with her. Large ears flickered back and forth as she internally debated on what to do. Surely there had to be someone there with her, she rationalized. In all the time she'd traveled, she'd never encountered a ghost.

Her gaze landed on a large, blackened log that must've fallen years ago. That would serve as a nice vantage point, she thought. Decision made, her long legs carried her quickly over, and she gave a powerful leap to land on top of the fallen tree. It wasn't in her nature to be scared, really.

But she wasn't expecting there to just be a dark figure standing on the other side of the tree, and really, who could blame her for letting out a yelp and immediately tumbling backwards to land on her back? Surely, anyone would've been startled.

It took a few seconds for her to regain her composure and rationalize that she hadn't just seen a demon or shadow wolf. But she was a bit more cautious this time as she settled onto her hind legs, forepaws placed on the rough bark and muzzle tipping down so she could peer over the darkened wood.

"Um... thank you?" she tried, ears flicking back a bit. It was only polite to thank someone for blessing you, after all.

The the Faraway Lands, a long time ago, The Red Hound, an alter ego that had since put to rest, blessed those who sneezed due to being told by other passersby that it was a courtesy. A running nose, a troublesome cough, a persistent sneeze... whatever it was, being blessed by someone within earshot meant they would be protected from Death. Without notice, little prickles of heat skittered up his spine and neck, raising his hackles in newfound embarrassment as he heard her answer his well wishes with a thank you, albeit a rather uncertain one.

"Yer welcome," he offered, listening now as he heard her approach and eventually make her appearance atop the old log. He circled around to get an eyeful of her. The fur at the back of his neck smoothed some, but his tail waved high as he regarded her. She sounded friendly enough; but, that didn't completely wipe the concern off his face, with her being a stranger with folded back ears and all.

"Are you okay?" he ventured next, his right forepaw lifted precariously as he quickly looked her over. He and Niles had run into many rogues and lone wolves before but never one as young-looking or bright-eyed as her. "That sounded like one heck of a good snoot-clearer."

we can be blue as a neon light, singing them sad love songs all night
Niles is currently traveling with Chimera and may hop into this IC thread!

Paws dropped down and she returned to all fours as he circled the log to approach her. The young wolf's ears swiveled back around and angled toward him, tail swishing behind her in an attempt to show that she was friendly. Her stance was more submissive than his, only in the sense that her tail wasn't held high and instead settled lower behind her.

Star couldn't remember meeting many wolves that were as small as he was. It wasn't extremely unusual, but it wasn't super common either. Especially not with males, though her father was shorter than her mother. The Cove was filled with very big wolves, though.

A laugh pulled from her chest at his comment and she lifted and set down one forepaw after the other. "Yeah! I was explorin' and stuff and I got dirt in it, I think," she explained needlessly, a bit excited to have someone to talk to. The Lore seemed so quiet these days, and that didn't sit too well with the young wolf. "Um, I'm Star. Staryn Eastfall. I thought you were a ghost."

The girl had gotten dirt up her nose. Simple. At least she was all right. Chimera gave a lopsided grin; he wouldn't admit it but he was also glad to have someone else to talk to. Niles made for great company, but at the best of times, usually he was silent, letting his actions speak for him instead. It was nice for a change.

"I'm Chimera," he introduced himself, ear tips tingling and nose burning as he continued to watch her every move. Her laughter made him feel like there was a butterfly in his chest. It was a little disconcerting. "Chimera Avalon." He swallowed hard but managed to keep his smile, even at the mention of ghosts. "Psssh," he playfully scoffed at her in attempt to recover himself, "Ghosts... Ghosts aren't real." At one time, though, he was sure they were. These days, Chimera was certain that ghosts were merely moments and memories from a long time ago, things that were remembered by someone who had long since been removed from the time and place in which it had happened. He knew this now from the many restless nights when he and Niles talked about the lives they had left behind.

His tail wagged fully behind him now, "They're just... part of your imagination."

we can be blue as a neon light, singing them sad love songs all night
Niles is currently traveling with Chimera and may hop into this IC thread!

Just like him, Star was excited to have someone else to talk to - perhaps overly so. If she'd known she was going to meet a new wolf today, she probably would've cleaned up a bit. She had the ruffled fur of an adventurer, and a few leaves had gotten stuck in her scruff when she'd toppled off the log after spotting him for the first time. It was a bit of a mess, really.

Chimera. Chimera Avalon.

Well, that was a big and fancy name. Like Kajika Tallis, but more fancy. It was weird, and offbeat, and Staryn liked it. Chimera was a very fun name. Or maybe she just hadn't spoken to anyone in so long that she was getting excited by weird things. Like how bright his eyes were, or how friendly he was. It made her feel kind of warm.

"Yeah, you're probably right about that," she responded with a small smile in response to his comment about ghosts. "I've been all over these woods and I've never seen one. I feel like I'd have definitely found one by now." Green eyes narrowed playfully and her tail swished back and forth as she leaned forward to pretend to get a better look at him, ears perked. "Unless... you're actually a ghost and you're just pretending that ghosts aren't real." She hoped he'd be able to understand that she was playing, because it'd be really awkward otherwise.

Star went on, telling him about how she had been everywhere in these woods and had never seen a ghost. His younger self would have puffed out his chest upon hearing her discovery of the fact; as it was, he nervously continued to cling onto her every word. Even as she seemed to draw closer to him, he remained in his place. If he had been more comfortable, he might have taken a seat.

"Unless..." she began again. His left brow rose as his right one drew downward. He was beginning to get wary of her. "You're actually a ghost and you're just pretending that ghosts aren't real."

His black-lined lips fell into a flat line across his dark muzzle. If only he had had Staryn as a playmate all those months ago... "Hmm," he hummed at her, brows still uneven. He supposed he could humor her and let his inner cub play for a little bit. "I guess I could be, but... if I were, you wouldn't be able to touch me or I wouldn't be able to do this..." He scratched at the ground with a paw, unearthing a small stone and pushing it toward her through the soil. "Would I?"

we can be blue as a neon light, singing them sad love songs all night
Niles is currently traveling with Chimera and may hop into this IC thread!

Fern-colored eyes widened in surprise when he played in return, and her maw fell open in a sort of smile. It had been so long since she had been able to communicate with someone, much less been able to play. Her tail swished excitedly behind her and she pretended to investigate the rock he'd excavated.

"Fine, I'll believe you. For now," she responded, nudging the rock with her nose as if to make sure it was a corporeal object. Star looked back up at him and offered a small smile, ears flicking in amusement.

The girl leaned back and sat on her haunches, relaxing tired limbs. "So, are you out here by yourself, too?" she ventured to ask, head tilting to the side as she regarded the dark wolf. His pelt contained a lot of the same russets as hers, but it was far darker, only really showing the hints of sepia toward the ends of his fur. It looked rather pretty in the fading sunlight.