Northstar Vale shortcomings

went ahead and tossed this up to established location and such, no rush <3

Evening had come early.

The clouds rolled in overhead and the sun was obscured. Then came the start of rain. It trickled light and gentle, enough that he felt no need to shelter from it. Admittedly he welcomed it on his stroll.

He was uncertain if @Losi felt as positive as he did about it.

Eventually they would move on from here but the question hovered in the air of where? only to be followed by when?

Perfectly fine! <3 Best to keep them moving!

Their trek from the Ridge down to the Vale had been, thankfully, uneventful. Her hips had recovered well after her stop on the ridge, and even more so after restful sleep. Though, she wasn’t sure if it had been any restful for Athens.

Tawodi had gone on a hunt, his calls barely audible over the pattering of rain, leaving her to her own devices. Leaving the protection of the trees, Losi decided to find the pale male, despite her distaste for rain. It was so…dreary and sad. 

She was sure to look like a drowned rat when she found him.

He thought he might find something.

A place, a thing, anything to fill the wayward heart in his chest. Instead it seemed there would be nothing but the rain. Maybe the rain was something. It did serve to comfort him and provided a white noise to his otherwise rampant mind.

He did not realize that Losi was nearing him.

While he stupidly stood in an open space and stared up at the sky. Face slowly being slicked back by the water from the heavens.

It wasn’t too long before she found him. He stood there, eyes sent skyward regardless of the rain that soaked them both. Something about this moment made her pause; she watched him, noticing the rather calm demeanor that which she had not seen. She was curious—oh, so curious to know the man who stood so still under the rain.

“Athens.” She could only utter his name and even that felt like too much in this moment. Too loud, too startling.

His name was thunder, lightning —

crashing down on him.

It felt as if someone above had thrown their bolt down on him and it ran through his body. Sharp and stiff he stood now. Even if he knew that voice, even if he knew that it was not as harsh as lightning would be.

He turned to look over his own rain drenched form to see Losi behind him.

What do you want?

But his voice was not point or displeasured. No, no. It asked after her. It asked what she wanted, not to dismiss her but to invite her into whatever this moment was.

She was on a journey, but what did she want from that journey?

Athens was not sure he was built to go on much longer. Their odds had increased with each other but he imagined even with the bounty of summer, he was not skilled enough to make it through the hotter months by trudging along.

What do you want?

In this moment, or, in life? She could say that she wanted to better the Wilds, to become an Elder to all who make this place their home, someone they could come to if they needed direction. It was not untrue. Here with Athens, she wanted to reach out to him, to be something for him.

A light in his darkness.

She had wondered after the turmoil, the sadness in his eyes, the almost tiresome search for something. She could turn it around on him; what did he want? 

But, she didn’t. Instead—

“You.”

“You.”

It was terrible, he thought.

She could have him and he would ruin her. His burdens would smother the light out of her, she would find herself a husk after he consumed every part of her. He would be a forest fire that would leave nothing in its wake.

You don't—

It wasn't anger that sizzled in his gut, but it was something just as raw and potent. Something that threatened to explode into shrapnel if it was touched again.

She could have him and he would ruin them both.

“I don’t? Are you the keeper of my mind? Do you know the beating of my heart like the back of your paw? Can you feel the flow of blood in my veins?” With every question asked of him, her steps light, bringing her closer until she stood in front of him.

“Tell me you do not want this and this will go no further. Tell me, Athens—what do you want?”

Was it an attack?

He could not decide. Maybe that had been the wrong answer (he knew it was) and now she drove a dagger at him. Yet her approach was not seemingly malicious. Even if each question dug deeper at him like thorns in his sides.

I don't know.

The right answer would have been romantic. It would have been him returning her response. It would have been kissing her as the rain came down. Instead he only looked at her, so near.

I don't know.

It felt like it echoed all around him, it felt like the storm was part of him.

She stared at him, searching his eyes, wondering what was behind them that caused such indecision. The woman did not hold it against him, it was not her way, and she did not feel slighted. 

It hadn’t been a request to stop, though.

She remained before him. He could choose to walk away, if that’s what he needed, wanted, but she wanted this. Her choice was to stay.

What was his?

He would ruin both of them.

Selfishly he fretted more over how he would come out of this. He realized they could go no further together from here if he did not want her too. How could they? She said it would end if he said no, but he would always hold the knowledge that somehow he was her want. Then he would always wonder, always question.

He was lonely and here was a fix.

But that was all it would be, a fix.

I won't do this.

So he'd remove himself entirely. From her, from here. Away from the vale that he thought might be a place of peace.

i’m okay to fade or continue!

She didn’t want him to go. His words held such finality and she couldn’t accept that. She could accept his refusal of her, of what she insinuated, but not the complete removal of himself. His presence had been calming, much like the rain that seemed to douse his fire, despite there being a raging storm within him.

“Then, you do not have to do this,” she made a gesture to herself. “It is not my wish to force something you do not want…I just thought—it doesn’t matter what I thought. I was wrong. I came here to journey with you, to help you, and, for me, it turned into something else. Your softness, the kindness—something in you calls to me. But…it is okay that this is not reciprocated. It is alright.” It was true, she would be okay. He owed her nothing. Yet, she still did not want him to go…