Jade Fern Grove Not a yes sir, not a follower.

@Samothes forward dated to 6/26

Taki was is a shitty mood. She had been travelling for a week in search of her missing brother, and had been unsuccessful in finding him. She had followed his scent through the mountains but lost soon after. The only reason she continued her trek was because the nice wolf she had met in the mountains had told her about a place that reminded Taki of her home up north. 

Now though, she was starting to regret her decision to travel in search of this place instead of turning around to go home when she lost Tomkin's scent trail. She was road weary and missed her family and the combination had put her in a permanent bad mood with no end in sight. 

Today was no different. She had entered the forest a little bit ago in search of water and a place to rest for a bit. She soon found a small creek and after drinking her fill, moved on to find a comfortable to place rest her tired paws. She moved through the trees, the occasional beam of sunlight glinting off her soft, white fur until she came to a large patch of bright green ferns that had encompassed the trunk of a tree. She thought it looked like a good place to unwind for a bit while remaining hidden from any strangers passing by. She walked into the plants, walked in a few small circles, and plopped down, letting out a long sigh.

his body wants for something, and it draws him from swiftcurrent creek again, a lazy arc toward the bypass. would alarian be there, or near enough to be found? that is the issue with these long distance affairs. he does not have the means to send a letter. (perhaps, he thinks, eyeing a nearby grouse, he needs to find a bird to use for such things -- he's heard of some that can communicate with more intelligent beings.) in a way this is part of the thrill, waiting for clandenstine meetings, unable to know ahead of time if they'll cross wires or not. 

but today it seems his journey will be interrupted, as he enters the grove. his usual attentive nature is distracted by thinking of his paramour, quite unlike him. he sways near a tree, letting the feel of the ferns brush against him and -- trips over a napping body. instantly he scrambles to his feet, shooting a good distance away if he does not meet resistance from the victim of his wandering paws, fur ruffled to comic effect. "oi," the messeda boy snaps impatiently, "that's a dangerous  spot for a nap!"

It all seemed to happen so fast. She felt what she thought was a kick in her sleep-altered awareness and leaped from her makeshift shelter with hackles raised. Out of fear and confusion, a low growl escaped her lips.

Once the initial shock had worn off, she blinked a few times and shook out her coat causing the hair on her neck and shoulders to fall back down. She looked at him, her expression full of irritation. "Anaq!" The word came out in her native language, something that sometimes happened in the heat of the moment. "It seemed like a good enough place to me," she said with accented English. "I didn't expect someone to go traipsing through the middle of a fern bush," she added, the annoyance clear in her tone.

he does not like to be caught out like this -- ruffled, clumsy, out of sorts. for a moment he doesn't respond to her, clearing his throat forcing himself to settle. grooming his chest like an irritated cat the messeda boy says, "well, perhaps so, but nonetheless," an utterly nothing statement -- like he'd ever admit he'd been in error. 

feeling significantly more in control of himself again, samothes runs a paw across his snout, leveling her with a cool look. "what was that word?" he asks -- perhaps a silly detail to catch on, but look, he's eager to move past the part where he tripped over a stranger, and the woman's strange accent is intriguing.

She couldn't stop the roll of her eyes at his statement, but that was the only response she offered. It was a moot point, and it was obvious neither of them would admit fault. 

She smirked when the male asked about the expletive that had come out in her language. "It was in my native language. I believe it would translate as 'shit' in your language." her smirk turned into an amused smile, and her irritation with him was forgotten.

tactfully he opts to let the eye roll go, dismissing the whole unfortunate incident. more interesting is her anger -- he tries to call the word back into his mind, though he doesn't quite have it, something like anq? his gaze sharpens in interest, head tilting slightly. "what language is it?" samothes has something of a soft spot for foreign languages, despite not knowing any himself -- an ex of his was a polygot, and, well. these things stay with us.

"It is Inuttut. The language spoken up north where I'm from." She didn't think he would be familiar with her native tongue; most weren't unless they were from her area of the world. He had earned points for asking about it, though. It had been a while since she spoke to someone who didn't know the language, as she spent most her time with her family. 

Feeling a little more at ease now, Taki took a seat in front of the tan-faced male. She realized that in the the excitement of their misunderstanding, she had not introduced herself. "My name is Takiyok, by the way," she paired the introduction with a polite nod.

ah. he's not familiar with the tongue -- and he's never been as far north as she must be from, or so he assumes. it's slightly less interesting to him now that he knows there's no connection, but still, knowledge is knowledge. he'll take what he can get. he returns her introduction smoothly, "samothes," rolling off his tongue before he takes up a more pressing question: "what were you doing napping in the ferns? surely there's safer places to rest -- are you from around here?"

Why was he so concerned with her place of rest? She didn't feel like it was that unsafe; it had kept her hidden, at least until someone had tripped over her. Besides, it's not like she had pack territory near by to return to. "I was tired from traveling. It seemed safe enough to me," she raised an eyebrow accusingly then, the words bringing the memory of being startled awake to the forefront of her mind. "And no, I'm not from around here." The question reminded her how far she actually was from her family and how much she already missed them. She quickly looked down, attempting to hide the sadness that settled in her orange eyes at the thought.

his keen gaze tracks the shifts in her expression, accepting with dignity the accusatory eyebrow (well-deserved, unfortunately), his own lifting in curiosity as she seems to droop. samothes smells pack on her -- though not one he knows or recognizes. as to why she's sad, he doesn't particularly care, beyond idle interest. he does fancy himself something of a detached observer. "you must be traveling quite a distance," the messeda guesses, tilting his head. "returning home?"

Taki considered the male for a minute before answering. She wondered if she should answer truthfully. She was far from home and by herself, but that was nothing she hadn't dealt with before. Finally deciding that Samothes was not much of threat to her, she answered with the truth. "I have traveled a long distance from my pack's territory. I was searching for my brother but lost his scent a few days ago." The though seriously irritated her; she didn't lose scents when tracking. Not to mention she was crazy worried about him. "I'm now on my way to a glacier I heard about north of here to gather information and map out the territory." Not a super exciting story, but important to her. The place sounded amazing and she needed to check it out.

he hums, vaguely curious where her pack must be but not enough to pursue the line of questioning. whatever she's up to is none of his concern and as desperate as he is for a break from the... dull noise that is the creek currently, samothes doesn't think there's much left for him here. "thrilling," he intones, throwing her a playful look. "i'm not one for finding the beauty in the natural, myself, but i hope you find it restorative." the messeda boy takes a step or two back, a catch-you-later smile curving his mouth -- unless she's got something else for him, he'll take his leave for now.

It was thrilling, she thought. She loved learning new territories, but it wasn't for everyone. "Well, if you ever change your mind on that, you should check it out. I bet it's beautiful," Taki said, standing up as it was apparent he had somewhere to be. She nodded at his departing smile and added "See you around." before turning to continue on her way north.