Sex: Female This was gonna be her last stop, she’d promised Aleister she’d be back within the month, and she had hit all the spots she’d planned for. Perhaps that was why she’d taken so long to get here. Part of her was excited to return to the lake, to join her new friends and their burgeoning pack, but there was a deep-seeded dread too, rearing its head, an aversion to the notion of tying herself down and, perhaps, just a hint of guild that she might be happy here, when she hadn’t been with her family. So she strolled the banks of the spring leisurely, taking her time with every step. There weren’t as many memories here, the distance between the Springs and Thicket was too much for a lone pup to cover on a day-trip, so they’d only come to visit their neighbors to the east as a group. Still, enough little snippets had stuck in her mind to make her smile to herself, as she steered up the slopes and into the old pack territory. The setting sun cast the hillside in shadow, hiding the notch under a dusky cape. Glancing up through the pine needles at the darkening sky, she sighed lightly; I suppose I should find a place to sleep… She figured the old pack den couldn’t be too far away, but on the other paw, it was a mild spring evening, promising a pleasant night – a few stars were even starting to peek out between the clouds; It would be a pity to waste it hunkered down in a den… So, with a determined shake of her fiery fur, she headed towards a clearing in the trees, intending to spend the night under the stars. Word count: ”Speech" Thoughts |
As darkness crept over the world, he began to stir once more. Rested and determined, he would have set out swiftly if something familiar hadn't caused him to stop and pause. Was that... Flair's scent on the wind? Chan smiled widely and headed toward where he hoped his friend would be, happy for such a lucky coincidence. As he trod along, he sent out a few barks, calling out to the woman.
Chan had definitely overshot Vayko and his kinsmen, and while he didn't fully realize by how far until he hit the shores of the Spring, perhaps it had been a little bit on purpose. It had felt good to just pick a direction and go, to ignore for just a day that he had obligations to uphold. As it was, he realized that this was much too far North, and he would need to focus up and turn himself around. Hopefully he hadn't failed to come across even a hint of the other group only due to their placement, and not because something had happened to discourage the would-be pack from calling the Lore home.
As darkness crept over the world, exhaustion set in and Chan realized he'd been going for a straight twenty-four hours without sleeping now. His mind continued to whir away, but the muscles in his legs protested as he continued to use them to push through the snow. It was time to find shelter and settle in for the night; he'd messed up his sleep pattern once more. Just as he began, however, something familiar caused him to stop and pause. Was that... Flair's scent on the wind? Chan smiled widely despite his state and headed toward where he hoped his friend would be, happy for such a lucky coincidence as to run into her once more. Trodding along, he sent out a few barks, calling to the woman.
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| The sudden call surprised her enough to trigger those old loner instincts, hackles rising as she spun to face the unexpected approacher. Only then, as the shape of his body started to appear among the trees, did she recognize the voice, her whole demeanor changing. Fiery tail started to wag, ears perking up as a smile spread across her lips, her pricked hairs smoothing back down. “Chan!” She greeted him, happy surprise clear in her voice. Forgotten were her thoughts of guild and worry, the joy at seeing her friend washing them all away. She even rushed forwards to meet him, to impatient to wait for him to come to her. She realized now how lonely she had felt on this whole trip. While reliving old memories had been cathartic, they had also been a painful reminder of how alone and left out she had felt back then. But she no longer did, she had found friends at Lost Lake, and she was almost giddy with the revelation. So she wasted no time in going to embrace her friend, more than ready to follow him straight back to the Cove, immediately. The melancholia and erratic moods that had send her on this trip had long since faded; Though the physical reason behind them had not. Word count: 215 ”Speech" Thoughts |
"It's good to see you," he said, and his mind added; good to see someone I haven't upset too. Hopefully that would continue. Chan felt as though Flair would be pretty understanding, but he'd wanted to believe that of the others too. It wouldn't even be her fault if she wasn't, but she was the only one of them (that he was aware of) that hadn't sworn herself to the mountain. For all he knew, she had a traveler's heart too and that last departure of hers was intended to be final.
"How've you been?" Chan asked after taking a step back, giving her back her space. He should probably be more respectful of it, given the of time year.
| The brief closeness felt good, like she’d craved it ever since she left the mountain for her little trip; Being with a friend…! Unlike in the cave with Al, Flair didn’t feel self-conscious with her seasonal condition, there was no worry of losing herself now, she was just happy to see her friend again. As he pulled back, she continued to smile, wagging her tail merrily at his words. “You too!” She replied, voice uncharacteristically soft and warm. She almost laughed at herself in her giddy state, sitting back on her haunches with a little shake of her head; Well this is certainly a change… After weeks of agitation and swinging moods, she seemed to have gone entirely to the opposite extreme; I gotta get myself together! The question helped a little, amber eyes settling on the mismatched across from her as she answered: “Lonely…” She surprised herself with her honesty, but then, it felt good to admit it, to herself as much as Chan; “I’ve been visitin’ old places, relivin’ memories… But it just made me miss y’all more…” She shook her head again, a crocked smile lightening her somber words; “I was jus’ waitin’ for th’ season to pass, before comin’ back.” She felt a bit guilty then, not having said goodbye beforehand. Of course, the trip had been a very impromptu endeavor. She shrugged her shoulders, twitching an ear at the tawny boy; “How’bout you? You’re pretty far from th’ mountain.” She hadn’t expected to run into any of the Cove wolves all the way up here, though the surprise was very pleasant indeed. Word count: 267 ”Speech" Thoughts |
Ah, the time of year. Yeah, that was a pretty good reason to want time alone. Chan felt pretty grateful he'd been born without that seasonal burden, not to mention the struggle that could happen after it. Childbirth was crazy and those who underwent it were majorly strong. He would've remarked about that coming back bit, but she turned the focus onto him and of course, Chan couldn't lie.
"I've... been better. Haven't slept in way too long, I was actually gonna try and find somewhere to bunker down..."
Maybe he could just leave it at that. Or maybe once he was comfortable and a little warmer, it would feel good to talk about it? Chan couldn't tell what was right, so instead he focused on what was much easier: a physical solution to a physical problem.
"You normally pack it in about now, right? Wanna camp out together?"
 She should have noticed right away, but she’d just been so excited to see him, and despite his exhaustion, Chan had reacted with characteristic enthusiasm to the surprise meeting. But now she could see the cracks, the heaviness of his eyelids and slight tremble of his legs as he sat down. Flair’s brow wrinkled, her smile fading in favor of a concerned expression. She’d come to consider the older Eastfall brother a good friend over the past months, and in all that time, she couldn’t remember seeing him without a smile on his face. But it was clear that he was out of sorts - obviously exhausted, and he admitted as much when she asked – but she wondered if there wasn’t more to it than that, something else nagging on his mind. She didn’t know how to broach the subject though, so instead chose to latch on to his suggestion, for now; “Yeah, I was just looking for a good spot. I guess you can join in.” She flashed a teasing smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, nor did her tone manage the same cheeriness as moments before. In an attempt to hide this failing, the fiery lass quickly turned away and trotted back out into the clearing, tilting her head back to glance up at the sky. “I wanted t’ sleep under th’ stars tonight, they’re so bright…” The words started out confident but then tapered off as she brought her head down to look over at her friend, realizing how ditzy she sounded. Had it been anyone else there with her, she would have been truly embarrassed, but now she just smirked, shrugging a shoulder; ”Guess I’ve been feelin’ a little sentimental, as of late.” Word count: 289 ”Speech" Thoughts |
Her words guided his own gaze upward, toward the inky black sky and it's multitudes of glittering stars. The tired smile on his face grew a little, taking in their wondrous appearance for a moment before returning to the earth and his companion.
"Should be doable if you don't mind cuddlin'," he offered, words light and playful to try and communicate that it was okay if she didn't want to huddle for warmth, especially given her heat.
"Nothin' for you to launch me off of this time either," Chan then teased, smile growing wry.
| As she’d expected, Chan didn’t make fun of her, but rather, tilted back his own head to see the beauty for himself. Watching him, Flair felt an odd quivering in her chest – like a knot, she hadn’t even known was there, loosening up. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, no need to worry about keeping up appearances. She smiled, sighing silently; I missed you…! The snow still lay heavy in the clearing, offering an excellent, soft pillow for them, if a bit cold. Chan had a solution though, his comment briefly making her stiffen, acutely aware of her present condition. But she quickly relaxed again, noticing his playful demeanor. She smirked, bumping her shoulder at his as he continued to joke, an expression of faux-exasperation on her face. “Plenty of space for the both of us ‘ere!” She answered dryly, gesturing to the vast clearing. They were almost exactly at the center of the open space, where there was a dip in the ground, forming a small bowl, the perfect size to fit both of them. The fiery girl looked down at it, then up at her friend, quirking both brows in silent question. It would be snug, but not so bad that they’d be entirely on top of one another. Still, she gave the larger man a very pointed once over, trying to hide her smile as she commanded: “You get in first!” Word count: 235 ”Speech" Thoughts |