Mountain of Dire trampoline

@Adora <3

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The mountain seemed an intuitive choice to approach, but Mika was beginning to regret their decision. Their leg ached fiercely, sore from the climbing they’d had to do, but they didn’t let themself stop. The rocky ground didn’t seem a comfortable place to rest, regardless, so onward they went.

They were limping and they knew it, but there was hardly anyone to perform for at the moment, so they didn’t try to cover it up or walk properly.

Mountains were stupid, they decided, but they’d come too far to stop now. They were fine on their own - better, even! - and this was part of their chance to prove it. To prove that they could survive without…

Well, without.

They were capable and brave and they were fine on their own, but they were tired, and they’d be lying if they said the small stream cutting through the rocks didn’t bring them so much relief that they could’ve cried.

Mika rushed to the small water source and drank greedily, settling into an awkward half-crouch to rest their leg.

She had begun to realize she needed to make a choice. Either she found a proper place among the mountains or she descended them until she needed to be up here again. Even as the worst of the frost began to wane away, she struggled to see how she would survive up here. Alone.

She wondered if that fate had befell this stranger too who drank greedily from the mountain's fresh stream.

Hello, She called out with a tentative wave of her tail. Could I join you? Adora had seen the way others could guard things. She had the sense to ask before she risked her skin for a simple drink.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Mika had let their guard down - had forgotten to pay attention to their surroundings, which was ridiculously stupid of them. They snapped their head up at the voice - feminine and not abrasive or angry in the slightest. Maybe that’s what had Mika’s shoulders relaxing, less anxious about the encounter than they might’ve been with someone less friendly-sounding.

The girl was pale-furred and big, much bigger than Mika, and didn’t at all give off the vibe of someone who would do them any harm. She was pretty, too - Mika suddenly felt a little inadequate, sitting there ruffled and scarred, with water dripping down their chin.

“Sure!” Mika responded with a wave of their own tail, taking a step or two backward to give the girl some space. Their voice came out raspy and hoarse from both disuse and damage. “’M not gonna bite ya or anything. Don’t worry.”

Adora laughed, warm and fragrant like the flowers to come. She had learned to wield this sound just like her words, but it flowed with all of her practice in it.

You know, She hummed warm as she dared a few steps closer. A feat made easier with such long limbs. Most of the time I don't trust when others say they won't bite. Her gaze twinkled with a glimmered look. Adora had come to learn that everyone, at some point or another, would bite. Maybe not for themselves, maybe not for others, but teeth were as much a part of life as her pretty words.

The mountain might just be the place to bite, though. Not exactly the safest...

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Mika snorted in amusement, grin crooked on their maw. “‘M not into pickin’ fights I can’t win,” they assured. The girl was right to be concerned - Mika was the same way, wary of strangers. But their size difference was too big for them to even consider starting a quarrel of any kind with the stranger - not that they typically started quarrels at all. “But neither do I.”

They held still as she approached, huffing out another laugh at her next statement. “I’m learnin’ that! This place is a lot tougher than the forest,” they agreed. Settling down into a more relaxed position, they continued to observe the girl. “D’ya live around here?” Mika asked, tilting their head to the side.

Maybe this girl was just visiting, like themself. A loner, maybe? Mika wasn’t close enough to pick any scent off her pelt.

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2024, 12:12 AM by Mika.)

She missed the forests, truthfully. Yet she had not denied that some part of her too seemed to still be struck by the mountain chain. As if it had tied itself to her very core. Perhaps she had given to much to it to lose it.

A momentary drink of water before she settled her yellow eyes on the smaller wolf. I used to. Her smile was anything but radiant now. Melancholy with bittersweet notes buried in between each tooth. Now I'm not so sure... Could she do it again? Maybe. Maybe if she built her own walls, maybe if she used everything she learned to create a place that would not deprive its people for a simple slice of land. Idealistic, she knew.

Did you leave forests behind for tougher lands?

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

The girl’s expression changed into something more resigned and tinged with sadness when she spoke again. Mika tipped their head a little, interested - perhaps she’d had some sort of a falling out with someone here? Maybe the two of them really were similar.

But Mika was not one to pry. If the other wolf wanted to share, then she could do that on her own time.

“Me? Nah,” they replied, tail thumping once behind them. “‘M not really sure where to go, myself. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” They’d needed to escape more than anything else, and even these harsher lands were better than where they’d come from. “I’ve been travelin’ for a while. Figured I could see what the mountains have to offer. So far, though? They’ve just given me some sore paws,” they admitted with a laugh.

They tilted their head again, arching a brow. “So, you got a name?” they prompted with a smile. It would’ve probably been more proper to ask right away, but when had Mika ever been proper?

Her head bobbed in wordless agreeance with the stranger. Sometimes all one needed was to wander and roam. Adora had found herself that way, hadn't she? Her smile became kinder and genuine again once more at the mention of sore paws. You should soak them. Her muzzle was moved to gesture towards the waters. It might not be a long-term fix but she imagined it would surely help for at least a night or two.

She proceeded to do the same for herself. Front paws submerged into the stream. Half demonstration and half for her own relief. She had not continued trekking so many mountainous areas since she had left this one behind...

I'm Adora Macieo, Soft pride tinged her words. What of you?

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ

Oh, that made sense. Mika felt kind of stupid for not thinking of it themself. They slowly approached the stream again, a little closer to the girl now that they were warming up to her. Carefully, they copied her, jumping a little at the cold before realizing that, hey, this actually was helping.

“That’s nice,” they commented, tail sweeping back and forth as the stinging sensation dulled. “Thanks for the tip.”

Mika turned their head toward the larger wolf again, scanning over her expression. She really was pretty, they thought absently, warmth blooming across their cheeks and ears.

Adora Macieo.

“‘M just Mika,” they responded with a sheepish smile. No last name, no real pride in it. Just Mika. “Pleased to meet ya, Adora Macieo.”

They shuffled their paws in the water, feeling the pebbles shift beneath them. “Are ya plannin’ on stickin’ around here for a while, or are ya wanderin’, too?” they asked her, ear swiveling in her direction.

Just Mika, Adora knew the other was just Mika but she said it all together as if they carried a title. It would have been nice to play pretend for the moment. To find some sort of comfort in their shared experiences and unique ones alike. Adora could not deny the gentle warmth at her cheeks with their closeness.

She might have just chalked it up to the flush of the season, if she had not known herself. Too quickly had she been able to fawn over others without second thought. A fatal weakness, she felt positive of it.

I haven't decided yet. She forced herself to look elsewhere. Like their paws in the water, near enough to reach one another. Will you be in the area for a while? There's a lot to see here.

ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ || ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ