Set shortly after being accepted by Jace and before the fight with the Creek :)
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So, this was The Sunspire? Summer did not know much of pack life, but he did know a lot about survival. This was a place where a pack could survive. Young he may be, but he did not fail to notice the water sources they had passed when Jace had brought him up the mountain. He noticed every rock and tree, the way they mosses grew upon them and the songs of the birds who sat upon their branches. He noticed the foliage; the type, state and abundance of it. Every piece of this new land he saw told him something more and deeper about it. Dhani Ostrega had failed at many things in his life, but not in making sure his son was prepared to face the world without him; in that one place where it had truly mattered, Dhani had succeeded beyond measure.
Summer lowered his nose to the ground and took a few good whiffs. The land was well scented with the trace of the Sunspire pack, but it wasn't all that strong. He surmised after a moment that they maybe hadn't been settled there for all that long. The thought made the young wolf feel a little better about his decision to join. Perhaps he wouldn't be such an outsider in this place--maybe they were all still outsiders.
The sun was beginning to set upon the lands. Dhani had always said that night was the time of the wolf; the time to hunt and to feast, to stake claims and to discover what was hidden in the corners of the world. He had also warned that other creatures tried to claim the night as well, and they would fight him for it.
Summer was not ready to fight for anything, let alone a few hours of darkness. So, with few other options, he turned and latched his jaws onto his treasured antler that Jace had so graciously allowed him to keep, and headed deeper into this new world to try and find somewhere safe to spend his night.
Vienna had been out, still trying to take in all of the aspects of this new place, when she caught the scent of another who had passed by recently. She didn't recognize them, though that seemed to happen a lot. Naturally shy despite her exuberance, she wasn't much of one for instigating meet-ups. In this case, though, he was alone, and she thought perhaps that might not be too bad. She did need to start making more friends here than just Jace and Ferdie, great as they were.
Setting off, she walked quickly, hoping to catch up to him. It was growing dark but her night vision, like most wolves', was rather excellent. Ahead she could make out a shape growing more clear, though it seemed distorted. She slowed, suddenly wary, but let out a slight giggle when she realized what it was that had spooked her. The wolf appeared to be carrying an antler in his mouth.
"Hello!" she said brightly, nervous about the impression she would make but committing to the idea of making a new friend. "Nice antler!"
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Summer had been trained to be always aware of his surroundings, so he was well aware of the female by the time she had come close enough to speak. Her being the first of his new packmates he was to meet (besides Jace), he did not wonder at the bundles of nerves that twisted in his stomach at her approach. He fought the desire to run and hide from her, after all that was not the way of the pack wolf. Pack was family, and so this female was now to him like a sister even though they were only just meeting in that moment.
Still, Summer eyed her warily. He listened as she spoke and was able to tell quickly that this one was friendly and meant him no ill-will. He set his antler down at his front paws and looked back towards the female. "Thank you," he said softly, "I... found it." The boy bit his lip awkwardly, silently cursing himself for his obvious comment.
He knew next to come was likely an exchange of names of some sort, but being socially awkward kept his tongue at bay. Maybe she didn't want to know his name, or maybe she didn't want him to know hers. Ridiculous as he knew it was, these were the thoughts that kept him quiet. So instead of filling the silence that came after his comment, he pawed nervously at a tine on his antler and waited for her to speak again.
He seemed a bit thrown off by her approach but friendly enough. She was encouraged by this. He wasn't particularly talkative but that was fine... She didn't need any help in that regard. "Did you find it around here? Or while you were coming here?" She stopes. "Sorry! Not to assume you didn't always live here, you could have. I'm new so wouldn't know. Where did you find it?"
She paused, then shook her head. "My name's Vienna, sorry!" She forgot manners In her excitement and nerves in meeting him. Her words tended to also come quite quickly as a result of this. Hopefully he wouldn't have issues following. That and her habit of apologizing were a result of shy terror of offending someone she had yet to know.
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Summer felt a little overwhelmed by the female as she fired so many words at him so quickly. He could feel the anxiety fluttering in his chest and stomach. Stressful situations had always brought out the worst in his issues and usually lead to full on panic attacks. He had just had a breakdown a few hours before that, however, which gave him a little more stamina than usual. Joining a new pack was certainly one of those situations. Adding onto the fact that he wasn't great in social situations and Summer's heart felt like a ticking time bomb.
In through your nose, out through your mouth... in through your nose, out through your mouth... in through your nose..."
"Leviathan," the boy responded quickly after she had shared her own name, "But you can call me Summer, please." A smile drifted across his lips now that she had settled down a little. He tried to think back to her questions, finding he was having a little bit of trouble remembering what she had been saying as he was focusing on not having a heart attack. Finally, he came up with something. The antler; she had asked about the antler.
"At the bottom. Of Sunspire, by a little stream. I was living there in a den. Jace found me," Summer told her, feeling ever so slightly more at ease now that he was actually talking instead of panicking about what he would say when he had to talk.
I apologize, I feel like if we put these two in a room hilarity would ensue. I normally don't play Vienna this awkward but I feel like Summer would kinda bring this out of her since he seems kinda hard to read XD
They were a bit of a mess, really... he seemed to become more anxious the more quickly she talked, but this only made her nervous, and once again the words threatened to babble out. It would have been a never-ending cycle, but she cut it short, clamping down on her questions and taking a deep breath. She hated making people uncomfortable.
The look of bewilderment disappeared from him quickly, however, and moments later she felt much more at east as he smiled at her. Perhaps she had just imagined it. She did tend to overreact sometimes after all. "
Summer! That's a great name. My favorite season." Sometimes she was divided between spring and summer, since spring had babies and flowers, but summer had such glorious sunlight. It rained a bit too often in the spring, though Vienna did enjoy a good shower every so often.
Thoroughly distracted by the train her thoughts had just taken, she almost missed his response about the antler. It took her a few minutes to take in what he had said.
"
Jace found you?! Great! I mean, I think that's great, I don't know if you agree. But Jace is great, so...." She trailed off, not sure where she was going with her statement. Honestly she was a little thrown off by this encounter... normally with strangers she could get a read on what type of person they were fairly quickly. Summer, however, wasn't very telling. Finally she finished with an exuberant "
It's a lovely antler! You were really lucky, finding one like that!"
lmao XD Yeah, he has that affect on people apparently
Unfortunately for them both, Summer had learned everything he knew from his father. Dhani had spent a great deal of time travelling the world and had in doing so, become an expert at survival. What he had not become an expert at was social situations. And thus, he had no knowledge to give to his poor anxiety and depression-plagued child besides what basic instinct had already taught him.
The second unfortunate part of it was that awkwardness was oftentimes infectious, as was evidenced by this very interaction. Summer could tell his discomfort was making the other wolf uncomfortable, but there was little chance of him pulling himself out of it as the conversation continued. First, she complimented his name, which in itself was a very kind gesture, but the boy had absolutely no idea how to respond except to squirm with awkward embarrassment. He gave her what he hoped was a smile, his ears swivelling back against his head as he dipped his muzzle and gaze quickly towards his paws.
And next, she spoke to him. Typical for conversations, but Summer was not used to having conversations yet. He brought his sunny yellows eyes up to her chin as she rambled on about how awesome Jace was. To this, he wagged his tail lightly for he too had come to the same conclusion about the dark-furred beta. He felt himself relax a little upon finding something they had in common, figuring their mutual admiration of the man could carry them for a little while at least.
But then she complimented him again.
Summer cleared his throat awkwardly, forcing a crooked smile as he dipped his gaze down to the antler. "Yeah..." he said in reply. What followed were probably the longest ten seconds of his life in which the only thing that existed in his head was a an image of a spinning deer and his new packmate's friendly smiling face.
"We could go find you one too!" he blurted suddenly, surprising even himself. Find one for her too? How did he even find this one? What had just happened? Summer swallowed back his heart as it crept further and further up his throat, watching the girl blankly to see what she would say to this idea.
Honestly, Vienna was somewhat awkward with about everyone she met. However, normally her exuberance and bright conversational manner brought the situation around. This time, though, it seemed to be making things worse. Her compliments didn't seem well received, but she did not take offense, for she recognized his type and could tell the difference between the shy and the rude.
She didn't miss a beat when he announced that they could find her one like it. Though the task may be difficult, the attempt would be an adventure, and that was all the girl cared about.
"That would be great!! I'd love to give it a shot, and going on a search would help me figure out my way around. I'm still a little lost here." She admitted freely, smiling at him.
"Maybe we could convince my brother to tag along also. I hear he's made a name for himself here tracking down deer." She was proud of his accomplishment and would love to have him along. Also, if he was friendly with Summwr, perhaps his presence would calm him. Vienna had noticed the favorable reaction when she mentioned him.
The girl's response to his suggestion was actually a great deal more enthusiastic than he thought it would be, which was admittedly a little scary for him. She seemed to be a creature with buckets and buckets full of energy. Summer was once known to be very energetic himself, but that seemed like an age ago, back when he was a kid. Though he was only eight months old, it had been a long time since he had been a kid.
Her suggestion to include Jace made him pause, however. He had just left Jace, and the man had seemed to be pretty intent on finishing his rounds. Little Levi bit his lip nervously, unsure if he should speak up about it or not. A glance at her beaming smile silenced his hesitation--there was no way he could say anything. Let her find out on her own, that was probably best.
"Yeah, maybe..." he said with a wag of his tail. "Let's start looking over by those trees. Deer sometimes knock their antlers against them and they fall off." Summer gestured with his muzzle at a grouping of trees not too far from where they were standing. He bit his lip nervously. Technically, deer didn't usually lose their antlers until mid-Winter. The fact that he had found the one he had was really quite lucky.
This guy was a tough nut to crack and Vienna was having a really hard time reading his reactions. Normally her cheer was catching, wolves warming up to her and responding in kind. However, Summer was not biting. Luckily Vienna's buoyant mood couldn't be brought down by association very easily. If he was angry with her or upset, then perhaps, but his mere hesitance she could deal with.
He seemed content to continue on their adventure alone, her suggestion to include her brother getting a 'maybe' rather than hearty yes, so she decided not to bother him just yet. "Good idea. Let's see if we can get lucky!" She bounded off in the direction of the trees. She didn't really care one way or another. It was a beautiful day to be doing this, though.
"So, Summer, did you come from a mountain, or some other place?" She loved hearing about the beauty of people's homelands. Not only was it fun to listen to, but perhaps someday, if she found herself there, she would know more about it.
Summer felt relieved when she didn't push the Jace issue. It seemed too soon for him to be pestering the man again, especially when he had just taken up so much of the important wolf's time already that day. As she bounded off towards the trees, he felt himself hesitate before pulling himself to his paws, grabbing his antler and following after her. He was rather surprised by how quickly she had taken off, but he was starting to feel more at ease with her (even though she probably had no idea based on the way he continued to act).
He pulled up alongside of her and slowed to an easy trot as the approached the trees, his ears lifting to hear her question. He felt his gaze falling to the ground to quickly scan for somewhere safe to place his treasure, whining softly at her as an apologetic just a moment. Summer turned away from her and bounded over to a particularly gnarled tree and placed his antler safely against its roots. He took a quick look around to make sure no one had seen, then went ahead and shifted old leaves and other scattered foliage over it with his nose. Once satisfied, he returned to Vienna.
"Sorry about that," he said gently, "I came from a creek, actually, but I don't really remember it. My Dad took me away with him when I was very young." Summer stopped there, for he knew what came next in the story and he didn't really want to be the one to bring it up. His mother's death did not haunt him much, not like it had haunted his father. Even Dhani's departure was a wound that was beginning to heal, except for in Summer's weakest moments. But still, the conversation was one that often made others feel pity for him, and nothing wracked the young Ostrega with guilt like the sympathies of those around him.
She was far too caught up in her happiness at doing something with a new friend/packmate to notice his hesitance in following her, but she did cat a glance at him once she got to the grove to ensure she hadn't left him behind. She waited patiently as he hid his antler, looking around nearby for anything of interest. Antlers were never her only goal.
"No worries, I'd hate for you to lose it." Vienna would never have thought to hide the thing... she was a bit naive in that. Her trust in others meant that it wasn't too hard to take advantage of her, at least initially. She wouldn't have thought any were around capable of stealing it, though she supposed she couldn't speak for the wildlife in the area. A curious fox might make off with it.
His answer to her question was vague, but luckily for Summer, Vienna didn't pry for more information. Curiosity was in her nature but pushiness wasn't, and since she could sense his intimidation in even being around her, there was no way she was going to ask him anything he might not want to answer. "They have some where I'm from, but none this high. It's exciting, really, feels like your flying when you look out over the rest of the world." The views really were lovely. "I come from the coast." Sometimes she did miss the expanses of water, and there weren't many places around here where the fishing was like back home, but she never wasted too much time dwelling on home. She did still feel a bit badly for leaving their parents, but they understood.
Vienna may have been naive in her trust, but Summer was rather foolish in his paranoia. It wasn't likely that if anyone did discover his antler that they would steal it from him. After all, it was really just a useless hunk of bone. It was cool-looking, yes, but not too many creatures in the wild collected things for their aesthetic appeal. Summer was well on his way to being the first ever pack interior decorator, a trade I have no doubt that Ferdie and Jace would covet for the 'Spire.
She was a talkative little thing. Summer didn't mind much, and in fact found it rather refreshing that he wasn't expected to fill any silence between them. He was also pleased that she didn't push for further information about his past. Her self-restraint was admirable, he found himself thinking. The story about being "taken away" when he was very young rarely went without a follow-up question from the listener. It sounded much more devious than it truly was, but Summer had yet to figure out a way to tell it better without it becoming some fabricated lie. He was an honest boy, and even a small fib to make his history sound less traumatic could not roll easily off of his tongue.
"I've never seen the coast," Summer found himself replying as his bright eyes drifted across the loam. He had done a great deal of traveling with his father after his mother had died, but they somehow had never made it quite that far.
Vienna had always been extremely vocal, even as a tiny pup. Some found it endearing, others annoying, but she had never bothered to change. She liked her talkative nature just fine, for normally those annoyed with it were individuals who weren't the nicest anyway. It was because of this talkative nature that she was able to overcome her shyness and meet so many interesting wolves. If she could start a conversation, she was good. It was getting one started that sometimes was the issue.
Summer's quiet didn't put her off at all, for she sensed no negative feelings behind it. It seemed to just be his way. Which she was totally fine with. She was more than capable of carrying the conversation. "You should sometime, it's truly beautiful. The scents, the sounds... it's soothing." She cocked her head. "You know, I've heard tell that there's a coast somewhere in these lands, out to the west. I haven't had the chance to check it out but plan to sometime. Maybe, if you wanted of course, you could come with!" She wagged her tail happily. "Though it's totally fine if you don't want to!" She made sure to specify that... she didn't want him to feel at all guilty if he'd rather stick around here. She found friends everywhere, loneliness was not an issue. Safety, mayhaps, but that didn't really cross the she-wolf's mind (which was kinda the problem to begin with).
Vienna tore his attention away from the search as she began to speak with enthusiasm and affection about the sea. The word "soothing" in particular made his heart twitch with interest. As a wolf with the sort of emotional problems that so plagued him, he was naturally drawn to anything that could be considered calming or relaxing. The offer to join her on a trip to the coast caused another twitch, this time one of nerves. His mind called out to him through the fog though, sharing its reason as his anxiety struggled to keep him quiet. The time they were spending together now seemed to be going alright. It would be different going on an actual journey with her, but perhaps with time, he could grow to be even more comfortable with the idea.
"That would be cool," Summer replied with a small smile. "Maybe after I get settled in, we can take a trip..." His heart eased up on its racing as he put the venture off a little ways. He did certainly want to go--if Vienna considered it to be a soothing place, then Summer knew he just couldn't refuse. It made him feel better to give himself some time to mentally prepare himself before they made the trip, though.
His answer was more than satisfactory to her despite it's somewhat ambiguous time frame. She didn't care when it happened one bit, for she could always go more than once, and there was plenty of land to scope out in the meantime. The prospect of a trip with a friend was a beautiful one, though, and she would be excited for that time to come! "Sounds good to me," she responded happily.
Continuing to nose around, she kept an eye out for plants as well as the telltale spines of an antler. What she saw, though, was a glisten in the leaves not far from where she was searching. Curiosity piqued, she bounded over, flipping the leaves off with her muzzle and turning the stone that lay beneath over with a paw. "Oooooh, Summer, look! It's gorgeous!" It was a geode (though it's proper name would be lost on her), broken in half to reveal a sunburst of purple, blue, and white crystal that sparkled in the sunlight. "I've never seen a stone do that!" She'd found some pretty rocks in her days, but this one took the prize.
Summer was pleased that she didn't press him for a time frame, which made him feel all the more relaxed in her company. She was an easy wolf to be with, unimposing and kind. He suddenly felt a sense of security in his decision to join Jace in Sunspire. Maybe this really could be home. Maybe these wolves really could be his family.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Vienna's call. Summer turned to see where she had run off to and trotted swiftly after her. He came to her side as she stepped back to admire the beautiful stone upon the ground. "Wow..." he said softly. Dhani had told him about such rock formations before, but never had he actually seen one. "I've heard that these sorts of shiny rocks can be found a lot in caves. We should see if we can find one and explore it one day," Summer continued, surprised at himself for even making the suggestion.
"I wonder what makes that happen," she responded, voice soft and somewhat distracted. She was caught up in the inspection of the thing, and while she still knew he was there, the comment was more a thought than an actual question.
His suggestion brought him back into focus sharply. "Yes!" she responded, enthusiastic at the prospect. There were so many adventures to be had! Perhaps they could explore the lands a bit together since both of them were so new to this place. She loved having exploring buddies! "That would be so much fun! I haven't seen many caves!" The ones she had seen were mostly earthen ones, not much to look at but fun to hide in. Imagining a cavern full of beautiful crystals like the one before her made her heart race with excitement.
Last post from me! Feel free to post again or just archive <3
Her enthusiasm was not unexpected, but made the boy twinge with anxiety all the same. He gave her a smile, finding it hard to resist doing so. He wasn't sure where he was going to find a cave to show her, but figured they had a pretty good shot of discovering something further up the mountain. It would not be the safest trip, but he was reasonably certain that they could find a path that would be safer for them to take, even if it didn't lead them to a cave in the end.
But that too would come later, Summer reassured himself as his heart began to throb with anxiety from the guilt he would feel over not being able to find a cave for her. "Me neither," he admitted softly, momentarily pondering how then he would be able to locate one for the two of them, but moving past it as he realized how late in the day it was becoming.
"Well.. I should probably get some rest," Summer said, feeling as though he were choking in his words for fear that she would be upset with him for taking his leave of her. "Sorry we didn't find you an antler, but at least you found a pretty cool stone. I'll let you know when I'm ready to visit the coast and the caves." He offered a smile, waiting to hear what she had to say in response before bowing his head and padding off to retrieve his antler before finding somewhere to try and sleep.
Vienna honestly wouldn't care if they found any sort of cave whatsoever. She could be exploring a mud pit and still be thrilled if she had a good friend to run with and something new to see. Even the something new to see was optional.
She nodded emphatically when he spoke of rest. "Sounds like a good idea." She sometimes liked to sleep early so that she could wake and stargaze a while. Today was such a beautiful one she was willing to bet the stars would be out in strength tonight. "I look forward to it!" She watched him depart, then picked up her stone, jogging back to her small den near the creek. This would make the lovely beginning to a collection.