Gilded Bay MuscleBob BuffPants

there's a low whistle in the air as tuna watches the sea with a curious gaze in those molten chocolate irises.

the ocean was something she had never truly seen before; tuna has only ever known the desert in her life, from her time in her whelping den to the moment she came across akashingo. the lowly fellahin felt a thrum of pride as she steps into the wet sand and feels how the tide washes over her, and her toes wiggle about as she grins to herself in a wolfy and lopsided manner. there is glee in her heart, pure joy at knowing she's come to seeing one of the rare gifts that life had to offer her.

today, at least in just this very moment, she wasn't a servant, a fellahin.

today, she was just tuna. and tuna celebrated her freedom by rolling around in the wet sand, cackling to herself in joy before suddenly darting around the water in a playbow, splashing the white foam with ease and sending the droplets into glittering cascades into the ocean's salty water, and doing her best to avoid the seaweed and kelp that tried to grasp ahold of her and make her skin crawl at the sensation.

all welcome! tuna's just bein a goon today and she could use some friendly interactions <3

Water is not new to Trae.

To be honest, he’s quite the swimmer, and fisher. Well-at least he survived off of fish and shellfish for a good chunk of his wandering life.

ALL that being said all that being a simple two sentences but he isn’t counting.. Water isn’t new. But sea-ocean is.

Trae stands. Paws being washed, back and forth in salty foaming water, eyes a bit unfocused as he takes it all, completely in. Open, free. Waters. Do dogs-do coyotes normally long for this-for water? He could not tell you. He feels like both, like neither. No real connection to what he is fully, dog and coyote. But still-anyway-a calm is washed over him like the waves and bits of seaweed and small microscopic fish wash over his claws. In and out he breaths. Rest.

But he hears the splashing yards away.

He should-yes of course he needs to be more cautious. But he isn’t. He never is. Hence the scars. But yes, he wanders loud and obvious to the noise-to spot someone. A coyote- enjoying herself, splashing in the waves like he was standing in them. His head cocks.. Eyes curious as a silent watcher.

After a bit, maybe afraid he’d seem…well. Unsettling simply watching. He finally calls out.

“A-A, hello. Hello there…You’re the first I’ve come across on this coast. At least the first I’ve come across that doesn’t give off the ‘I’ll rip you apart if you come near me’ sort of energy…You from here?”

professionalism!

it was never born into the body of a coyote to be professional, and yet that was all tuna let herself behave as while under the walls of the palace. but for now, she was here and the rebirth of the ocean creates a wellspring of emotions that tuna cannot quite explain. there is freedom, and somehow freedom is something she longs for, but that freedom clashes with tuna's friendships within the palace, within her own heart.

a voice catches her attention, a wayward face that tuna does not recognize. and at first, the fellahin almost felt the embarrassment of having been caught by a trading partner in these parts of the ocean, in part of her own vacation! but as she looks over this individual and smells no akashingo or moontide, tuna can breathe in a small sense of relief.

they seem a bit skittish, that or the foam is causing her hearing to skip because tuna could swear she heard a tentative stutter. "not fr'ehm tha' ocean, nah," she shakes her head and her coat to rid herself of the excess water, "jus' visitin' n' tradin' here, friend." tuna would take a few trot paces closer, but still staying that respectable distance away to not crowd the stranger.

a tongue runs over her black lips, and her black kohl-winged eyes watch over this creature with curiosity. "name's tuna!" she says to the counterpart warmly with a wag of a pencil thin tail, "an' who might yew be?"

The stranger coyote-Tuna being the name-is all openness and relax body language. Now Trae may not be the best at reading people. Ok He may be the worst, but this stranger gives off an energy that seems to put him at ease, for now at least. His shoulders seem less tense and his own tail moving slow, back and forth, all friendliness and eager to make acquaintances.

"Tuna." He repeats like he's testing it out. He nods as if it meets his standards-Hah. What standards-And then replies with his own name.

"Traevon-or just Trae, hardly matters to me. It is nice to meet you!" The cold ocean breeze makes him shiver through his fur, but despite that hey look at him! He's interacting with someone. What a damn good milestone for a creature who's last full encounter with a canine being bitten in the tail and chased off-no words. Only barking and. Yelping-from his side.

"Trading huh-so, others around these parts? You in a group?" Maybe a bit forward to be asking those questions, but he was a genuine ball of curiosity. Plus her accent has caught his interest. He liked it. Never heard someone talk like that before. But then again he wasn't talking to many.

"shore am," tuna says to him with a friendly toss of her muzzle towards moontide, "ov'r yonder, am trah'vlin' wit' mah group, akashingo," somehow she doesn't butcher the pronunciation like others might expect from a twisted texas tongue. "is'sa strange group, wit' pharaohs and stuff, royalty an'all that jazz," she looks over to trae warmly "but ah've made plen'y frens' there, so it's worth tha troubles."

tuna thought she should be collecting things for the return to akashingo, but instead she was still here, remaining as she looks to her newest counterpart curiously. "you a local here, or nah?" she asks politely

Quite a lot of information to digest, it may be-but Tuna's explanation immediately shone a brighter light on Trae's new mysterious environment-and hopefully permanent home. Which-is good. He knew of course there would be plenty others inhabiting this land, but it dawns on him fully even with his airy and easily distracted mind now that, there are communities here. Groups-did she say royalty? Pharaohs?

This was leagues different than he was expecting.

Trae thinks carefully about the question-deciding to go ahead and just answer truthfully. Tuna has at least-or it seems she has, been pretty open herself so far.

"Nah," Trae admits. "I'm. New around the area-this..entire area. Been traveling a long time to find a place to call home. And I like the water so, came running here the moment I sniffed out the salt water-" Trae laughs when he adds, "Prolly not the safest move not knowing much about the area. But I ain't usually the safest or brightest about impulse decisions." He motions his snout to a few of his many healed or not so healed over scars, particularly tail and back. It is meant to be a joke but he isn't sure if it is funny.