Phoenix Maplewood You say things with your mouth --

(posts a somewhat vague AW)

After her encounter with Reek — which was still processing in Tavi's brain even now, many hours later — the pair had separated, and in a strange soundless manner, Tavi had sought her den. She half-thought that Reek would follow her for some reason. Whether he did or not, she ended up abandoning her den for the night and simply... Wandered. Sleep did not seize her, just as reality hadn't connected the dots inside her brain. Everything seemed to have slowed, with Tavi drifting between moments.

She nestled down on the edge of the maplewood, near the north edge where things were thinner and she could see the sky. It didn't seem like anyone was around. It was a clear night, and so Tavi watched the sky and the stars, hoping that she would get tired enough to drift off to sleep. She thought briefly about Reek, and what they had done together.. How odd it was that she felt no different now than she had before, despite how close they had been. What he had made her feel.

It was like her brain had been reset. Tavi tried to reflect on what had transpired - but every time she started to think of Reek, of the game they played, of --- the stars were so bright. There was a streak of light, and Tavi's gaze traveled until the star was gone from her view. When she turned her head, she was looking at another cluster hanging in the sky, and chose not to think at all.

hope you don't mind me joining, I don't really have any threads with Tavi yet

Lunar was currently looking for a place to sleep amongst the Maplewood. She had recently found her den was the perfect place to be flooded when the rain poured down the slope in a thick diluge. When that had happened as she slumbered she decided it was time to move.

She had just found a hollow log that looked promising enough for at least tonight when she heard a shuffling noise. The wind shifted bringing her the scent of one of the pack's females. Not one she was familiar with though.

She moved closer, her fur glowing white like a beacon in the moonlight. "Hello?" She didn't yet see the female but if she so chose she could reveal herself. If she decided not to she could always just go to sleep.

Yay! Totally cool with this. :D

While she had thought her pack mates had fallen to sleep, there still seemed to be someone ambling about. Tavi was still staring at the stars, but the shuffling of feet caught in her ears; she turned her head quickly, thinking -- no, just hoping -- that it was Reek. When a white figure emerged, Tavi's heart leapt first to her throat, then plummeted to the pit of her stomach. Saena? It was a logical leap, and one that added steel to her blood.

The voice accompanying the silhouette was different though - new, almost. Tavi did not recognize it, although it took another few seconds for her nerves to ease. Whoever it was, this was not Saena; and yet, Tavi couldn't shake a strange feeling spreading throughout her body - it was like dread, but somehow worse.

Uh, hi. She finally whispered, as if to raise her voice would condemn her. Like she had been caught red-handed by someone while doing something troubling -- but no, she wasn't doing anything! She was just visiting with the stars... Smelling strongly like Reek, but that could be explained away. Tavi swallowed a lump and tried to appear unaffected by the twisting of her gut. Are you here to uh, watch the sky too?

Tavi hadn't moved, not realizing she was hidden from view, but maybe her voice was enough.

Lunar padded around to the voice, finally finding who it belonged to. She recognized her from the pack meetings and such she had been to. Her name started with a T if she remembered correctly.

"Oh, hello there. I'm Luna," she greeted politely as she sat near her. It was possible this female didn't remember her. She glanced up at the stars, they were lovely tonight. It was a good night for watching them. "They're very pretty tonight,"she added, referring to the stars.

Nice to meet you, the girl commented, letting a bare smile flit across her features. Though there was little warmth behind the expression, Tavi was pleased to have company. She felt so odd tonight, and not at all herself, but... Things had transpired which she wasn't entirely sure of. The sudden affair with Reek, the promise of more — she needed to get away from it for just a moment and process. Evidently, it was taking longer than Tavi anticipated.

It wasn't until Luna spoke again, mentioning the beauty of the stars, that Tavi remembered her manners. Or rather, she realized she hadn't mentioned her own name, still drifting with her own thoughts. Had she been wholly present she would have assumed everyone knew her; however, her ego had fallen by the wayside for the past few hours. She felt exposed even now, sequestered among the trees. I'm Octavia by the way, oh, but that wasn't what people called her - right. Or just Tavi. Most people... Just call me Tavi.

Lunar nodded,"I remember you." She recalled the pack hunt and the meeting for warriors to go to the Emberwood along with the mission itself. She studied her companion for a moment. "Something is bothering you."

It was an assumption but she was usually correct about such things. Perhaps she could find a friend in Tavi as she had Spring and Esaro. "You could talk to me about it if you like. Sometimes it's easier to speak with strangers. They can't judge you as harshly as those who know you," it was an honest offer. She wouldn't judge the other she wolf for what had happened with her.

Usually the only thing that bothered her, was other people. Tavi wasn't a social butterfly. She enjoyed the company of menfolk over ladies, perhaps because she had grown up following Lex around and causing havoc around him. Her brother was her idol, even though they were of the same age — still, Lunar was probably right. Tavi was in a strange mood tonight; but then again, she wasn't a virgin anymore and had been deflowered by the Alpha, a married man expecting his first children. All of this came flooding in to her mind, like Lunar's invitation to talk had opened the flood gates.

Thankfully, Tavi was still too stupefied by her thoughts to voice them. I'm alright, she finally muttered. It felt false, but wasn't an outright lie — Tavi was in good spirits, still feeling the affects of adrenaline and dopamine in her system; she wasn't used to it, so maybe that was why she was taking so long to settle tonight. Just a little.. Restless. Do you ever find it hard to sleep?

None of the other pack members knew of her sleeping troubles. She had often been a restless sleeper as a child, afraid of being vulnerable to the wolves in her pack. She had grown accustomed to small amounts of sleep then and now it was the same. The small spans of unconsciousness she did find had no solace. They were plagued by distant memories of pain that she tried hard to repress. She often had night terrors and took to roaming the woods in the wee hours of the morn.

"I do," she agreed quietly, lost in thought. "Sometimes it feels hard to shut your mind off and just rest." She was an overthinker, a dweller of the past and of her troubles. Sleep often eluded her.

Hard.. To shut the mind off. Yes, that was precisely her problem tonight. But it wasn't just her mind that wouldn't stop; it was the flow of her blood, the sensation of calm that had descended upon her after the fact. Tavi didn't know what to do with this extra energy. She did wish to sleep — that would waste away the hours, and then she could return to her duties in the light. Maybe even see Reek.

Reek.

And once again, her mind was on a loop. The sound of the forest around them both — her and Reek, or maybe now, between herself and this pale wolf; this ghost who lingered to listen. Tavi took a deep breath and focused on the stars above, but found that they were less interesting the longer she watched them. So instead, she looked at Lunar.

Is there a way.. Around it? Around the thinking. It was a good question, she thought. Tavi did not usually struggle for sleep. Maybe she should get in to the business of digging dens every day? That had exhausted her before. I don't usually have problems. Its not like I'm not tired, but... I just can't. She was too awake. Eager for the comfort of another — and that somebody was likely not this quiet girl.

She was unsure how to cure sleeplessness. She had never found a cure for her own troubles simply sticking to roaming the forest lost in thought. She pondered it for a moment thinking deeply for a way to stop thinking. The only time she could remember her brain seeming to stop completely was when Esaro had been hovering above her gently licking her face.

That was clearly not an option for either of them. "Think of someone you love,"she told the girl honestly,"thoughts of my brother often helped me to sleep when I was younger."She didn't mention that it was only because it reminded her that someone had loved her after her mother died.

I'm having Tavi wander off, but thanks for the thread! Sorry if it was short, it was fun though!

Her advice was plainly spoken, and Tavi found it to be... Hmm. Not exactly a concrete answer. Think of someone she loved? Well, she loved her parents. She loved her brothers and sisters, even though they weren't around — and come to think of it, she hadn't seen Lex ever since finding him with Reek that one day — but she doubted that thinking of her family would do the trick.

She could think of Reek, maybe. But that was keeping her awake; clearly thinking more about the Alpha who she had shared her body with would be counter-intuitive. Tavi gave a sigh as she pondered, her gaze dropping from the stars finally. I'll give that a try. She mumbled, and rose to her paws. For a moment she wasn't sure if leaving this area would be smart - she could sleep out here in the open, or go back to her den. In the end, Tavi chose her den. So when she turned to depart from the calm of the stars, she passed a small smile towards Lunar. Thank you. I hope it works - and I hope you get some sleep too.

It was entirely likely that Tavi would wander the forest for the rest of the night, though. Soon enough, her body slipped between the trees and was gone.

I just realized I never finished this thread my bad

With a smile the small female stood. "I hope you have luck," she told the other softly. She turned and padded back into the wood, weaving through their trunks. Her fur flashed like a white beacon as she hurried along back the way she had come.