a soft hum slipped from the confines of lax jaws as he strolled leisurely along the bank of a merry stream. the noises twisted through the air in inharmonious nonchalance but the boy seemed not to notice as he shifted on. no, keen eyes skittered busily over the plethora of flowers stretching away from him; each brought to life by the stark breeze in different ways as they all partook in some mysterious revel; swaying and twisting. they whispered and crooned, the giggling breeze tracing velveteen fingers along the fringes of perked ears whilst the corners of his pointed jaws
almost turned towards the hazy sky. yet it seemed as if he were to be gifted for the rare aura of content pooling from him by just stepping through such prepossessing scenery. it was when he was not searching desperately for something that the world would smirk and wave an arm to expose one of the many gifts that reif found such delight in. and today, that would be the alluring presence of
chamomile.
they huddled together, a protective clump of pallid hues but he was on them in seconds like an eagle on a mouse. there was a smouldering hunger to eyes usually so placid and willowy limbs shifted to guide him into a crouch so that he could inspect them wholly. oh yes, this was
good. licking at his lips, his neck craned forth so that a tender motion could slice pearly fangs through the slight stem and free his prize. inhaling deeply, he placed it carefully at his paws before getting back to nipping hurriedly at the source; tail flicking to and fro behind him.
Thank you for getting this up <3
Usually it was Evien that was gathering herbs when someone else happened upon him, not the other way around. But today he was not out on business, but rather just to enjoy the day. It was beautiful, hazy and dreamy. There was a soft music in the air from the sounds of nature, and Evien was oddly more relaxed than he'd been in ages. With the chaos of Ursus, it was occasionally nice to just step out and be by himself for a bit, engrossed in nature.
Really, it was the scent of chamomile that caught his attention first. That was good - helpful - and though he wasn't out to gather herbs, he didn't think he'd pass up the chance if it arose like this.
But it would seem that he wasn't meant to pluck the chamomile after all. As he approached, he spotted the willowy figure crouching over the aromatic plant, already making work of it. A small smile quirked his maw and he continued to approach, forest green eyes scanning over the angelic wolf. It was like a scene from a novel - felt almost like cherry blossom petals should be falling around them or something. Very dreamlike, Evien thought.
"Would you like help?" he asked, crouching down beside the boy and the herbs he was working on.
the breeze stirs curiously, roving forth to meet another as it hummed and sung such merry hymns. but reif lingered within a vessel built of such delicately intricate mechanics that could splutter out and fail him should a menace see it fit and so, he does not share the giddiness of the air as wary eyes press upon the muddied figure. the thick scent of wolves rolls forth to encompass him and the boy's snout wrinkles at the slam of it, pack. it seems that this disruption was intent on living up to such a title as sure steps carried him right towards the boy and his precious flowers, a smile playing daintily along his lips. reif did not return the gesture, rather glancing hastily into eyes as viridescent as the awakening vegetation around them before casting off again to focus on his job. although the lax demeanour of this newcomer led him to believe that he was not out for blood, reif kept ears cupped towards him whilst his stance remained light and tense- ready to flee at the first sign of danger.
grumbling lowly, his neck stretched further to tug at another stem, another support crushed between hungry jaws as he inhaled the scent to waft up his nostrils greedily. a side look is cast reproachfully at the earthy boy once more as he crouches, brow arching whilst frowning jaws places his find with the small, neat pile at his side. what did he- oh, help?
he appears to consider this for a brief moment before allowing a soft but short "no" taint the air between them. heaving a sigh, he turns back to the plant and continues to say "i can only carry as much as one set of jaws can manage and therefore it would be silly to uproot double that" made sense really, and he's not sure why the other hadn't thought of that. counting the delicate array at his paws under his breath, he made a soft affirming sound at the back of his throat before reaching to grasp one more of the dainty plants, nose brushing along such delightfully gossamer petals. only when it was set at his paws with careful preciseness would a finalizing huff slip from the rise and fall of his creme chest.
So stressed, Evien thought with a small smile, watching the dainty boy with interest. Almost like a skittish deer, staring at him so intently, like he might attack at any moment. And really, what could Evien do? Three working legs would only take him so far, and he was tiny as well, so there should be no risk. But perhaps the sprite was concerned more about other wolves rather than Evien alone.
The boy was deliberate, stacking the plant up in a tidy pile, just like Evien would do with his own - perhaps even neater than that. It was fascinating, really.
"You're right," he acquiesced when the boy spoke, but still padded over to nip at a couple of the remaining stems for himself. "Then you won't mind if I take a few back to my own pack?" Eyes cut back to the pale wolf. "I'm their medic and I don't have any chamomile in my stock yet."
a terse nod is given at the affirmation, unable to resist the mumbled "of course i am" that slipped free, tinged with just the slightest hint of exaspertation. oh how he pitied the world with its shallow residents, perhaps biased but asides from the occasional glitch here and there; he would count the world luckier if most of its population were 'different' as was he. content with his own assembly of decimated flowers, the boy would lean back on haunches to observe his company. or at least that was his intention, eyes snagged on the droop of dejected petals and a small frown tipped his features as a paw was lifted to run with feather light precision across the silky drops of ivory. so strange to be created with beauty and no other way to defend oneself; was it a fruitless hope that one would hesitate in the face of such purity and choose not to destroy it? so foolish, to think that such a thing would have any impact on the monsters that reigned over the lands. it was a shame that he was one too, reif didn't like the idea of being a beast.
the question stirs him from the heavy reverie, glancing to the small wolf, brows furrowing as he went to point out that there wasn't much point in asking if he'd already cut their life source- that was definitely forcing reif's paw. but he paused, noting the tone of this muddy creature. his voice had a smooth caress to it, only tickling at the velveteen fringes of pale ears which remained cupped rather than flat against his head in dire refuge. it was such a rare feat for a wolf to speak in such a way; something he'd missed since leaving the willows. most wolves boomed in sharp edged barks and declarations; as if each word to emit from their jaws deserved the whole world as an audience. he didn't get how everything put up with it all the time, this constant yelling that they didn't even seem to realise they were doing. but this boy...nodding absently now in permission for him to take his own share, he wondered idly what pack this wolf hailed from?
yet when his mouth opened that was not what he asked, it was "what's your name?" an unknowingly rare gesture for the svelte creature; looking not too far from a doe lingering within the radiant meadow with such wide, flighty eyes.
Of course he was right, the elven wolf responded with such surety that it brought a small smile to Evien's face. The other boy was spritely and near angelic in appearance - the quiet that they held in the space around them seemed so fragile, and Evien did not want to break it by raising his voice. Normally, he was quiet, but he did have louder tendencies around Ursus. So this was nice, being able to relax and enjoy the sunshine and this ephemeral stranger. The whole encounter was illusory, intangible. And he didn't want to scare the other boy away by being too loud or sudden.
Settling his portion of the chamomile down at his paws in a neat pile, but of course leaving some stems so that it could continue to grow there, Evien's attention was drawn back to the spirit. He hadn't expected the other to be interested enough to learn his name.
"Evien. My name is Evien." Did last names really matter anymore? It was just part of his family that he no longer wanted to remember. The brown boy settled into a sitting position as well, attempting to meet the younger's green eyes. "And you?"
evien, evien...."evien" he tests it with careful quiet, letting the syllables skip and roll across the motion of his tongue so that they sprung free to roam the air and wriggle into the tilt of his company's ears. names were something he regarded with an air of bemusement. from a practical view they obviously made sense, a tag of identification so that it was easy to know who you were addressing in groups without having to waste time explaining yourself, unless someone shared your name of course but that couldn't be helped and the chances were slim enough that it wasn't a major enough problem to be worth attempting to fix. or something like that. but wolves they...they clung to these names with some sort of obsessive need, as if they meant more than a label. he'd never seen why you'd ask someone their name just because you were talking to them, or offer your own up just for the hell of it. unless you were to see them again and would need that name then why? and yet, this little wolf of clement, earthen shades that he would likely never come across again; he stored his name away in the pockets of that ticking brain.
and you?
ah, his name. he found himself idly wondering when had been the last time he'd spoken such a word and proceeded to find it amusing that your own name was so familiar to yourself and yet you hardly ever got to actually say it! this, of course, was him forgetting that most beings of polite tendencies found it normal to introduce themselves in conversation. so he blinked quickly to the press of that gaze, like the ruffle of lush foliage and murmured a soft "reif"
he tried, he really did. felt the strange pressure in the back of his head that this wolf sought the presence of pale sage. yet he just, he couldn't but he...he tried! three seconds perhaps, three mere seconds ticked past after the small declaration of his name where he let their eyes clash against each other. but his pelt prickled and pressure shuddered through the writhe of his mind and he just...a hasty glance tore him free to glare upon the fallen flowers. it was so easy sometimes, to forget that he was a freak. and it was that easy too for his mind to shift to the shadows that leered hungrily at the briliance that attempted to outshine their sneer. for one moment he truly was brilliant, this haughty presence of brazen, unabashed pride in the mind that outranked anyone he'd ever met. yet then...there was the realisation that the error in his coding ran so deep and that he would always be an odd blemish on the face of the earth that just drifted and scowled and....should he be saying something else? how the hell did wolves even make...what was it called, small talk?
he didn't really even want to, not really but....it was an odd request for his brain to make but it declared it loud and clear that right now; it wished not be alone for at least a few moments. yet reif, all reif did was scowl into the glint of those gossamer petals and wish that the substance lingering within their light was working its magic on him right now as his heart bet with an uncomfortable tightness against his chest.
It was beginning to become obvious that this boy was not one of the wordier variety, and his difficulty meeting Evien's gaze reminded him of something his grandfather had taught him many months ago. Not all minds work the same; not everyone will be like you, but that doesn't make them wrong or you right. Just makes us all different.
They were different, and that was okay.
Still, Evien was one of those that didn't mind filling the silence with words if necessary. Averting his own gaze - he seemed to be making the other boy uncomfortable with his prolonged eye contact - Evien would take a seat, forested eyes lifting to the sky to study the clouds for a moment.
Reif was his name. It was soft, sweet, quiet. No harsh sounds. It suited the boy in front of him greatly.
"It's nice to meet you, Reif." A formality, perhaps, but not one that Evien was offering out of obligation. This boy was interesting, he thought as he stole a glance to the lighter male.
He cleared his throat, looking back up at the sky so as not to make uncomfortable eye contact with the boy. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to." Like with Leila, perhaps this boy just didn't want to speak. "If you don't mind, I could just use some company right now. Would you care too much if I stayed here for a while?" It was asked in a light tone - Evien didn't really care if the boy wanted him to leave. He'd go, if asked.
he watches the distant rustle of blurred greenery, eyes lifting and diving with the patterns drawn by faraway treelines. each burst of vegetation clamouring for attention, to be bigger, more radiant, more powerful than its counterparts. so dissatisfied to be one of many, no they sought individuality in the form of restless competing. who could snatch the most light, the most water and food..all to thrive amongst the land of suffering. his head tipped a little as a ghostly smile trailed across dark lips; they were not so different, the wolves and the trees.
the renewed focus on the details painting his surroundings had helped soothe the rile of his heart by the time that soft note tickled lightly at his ears once more. subconsciously leaning into it, savouring the fuzzy touch of muted edges rather than sharp jabs- reif cast a bright, canny look to his company. he had challenged such a saying many times, mumbling away to himself about how it made no sense to say this to a random wolf...what if reif was actually a bad guy and suddenly turned around and killed this evien? of course he wouldn't..the idea of all the blood, so sticky and hot...he almost gagged. but that was besides the point! he wouldn't be so good to meet if he decided to attack would he? such a premature assumption- he frowned, probing look skittering across his lithe figure. he, for reasons he himself was not sure of, decided not to subject evien to such thoughts as he shifted his weight and looked back to the dejected plants, slain at his paws.
he hadn't even really realised his lack of response to what would be considered a polite move until words floated smoothly across skipping air once more. ears straighten as surprise flashes briefly across rounded eyes, looking back to him before following his gaze to the hazy sky above. he didn't know what to say to that. luckily, he was saved the embarrassment a response would likely entail when the downy tones roamed forth; the words now letting his ears press briefly against his head. had he...how...how did he know? tense as a rabbit that had just spotted the predator stalking it, he cast another glance at this boy. clearing his throat a little, he whispered shakily "i..don't mind um, stay if you wanna"
shuffling his paws as he blinked down to them, he frowned deeply and let shoulders sag as he queried with abrupt bluntness. "what's wrong with your leg? i noticed you walked strangely" perhaps not the most sensitive way to put things but there was no ill will behind the wording and as he stared serenely into the distance, it was easy to read that he would be utterly befuddled if offence was taken to such a question.
Evien could have no clue just how deeply the other boy was thinking about the trees and plants and their similarities to the wolves who utilized them. If Evien was that philosophical, perhaps he'd think of it too. But the brown wolf wasn't one to think that far into the philosophy of the world at large - had no interest in it. Everything had its place in nature, of course, and things grew and died and regrew all over again. There was no reason to think the wolves wouldn't, as well.
It also did not occur to him that Reif could be a threat. Honestly, spending so much time around Ursus just about desensitized the medic to the fear of strangers. After all, he lived with the scariest wolves around.
He was welcomed to stay by the boy, which brought a small smile to Evien's face, and he settled down into a more comfortable position. A brow would raise at the pale wolf's next question and he turned his attention back to him, but... well, he didn't seem like he was being rude. Not that Evien would've been insulted by the question anyway. It was normal for wolves to be curious.
"My leg doesn't work right." It was a simple explanation, and he shifted slightly, stretching the leg in question out for the boy to look at if he wanted to. "It doesn't bend right at the knee - kind of stays stiff."
eyes gleam with sparked fascination at the easy response, ogling the limb hungrily as if he desired to leap upon it and devour it whole. it just didn't work? how riveting, he isn't sure how he'd get anything done if it were his own leg. and by thinking this, reif did not mean in the sense of finding difficulty with decreased mobility, he refers to how one would have to be so intrigued by this mutation that they'd spend all their time pouring over what could have possibly gone wrong to result in such a thing. his head tilts a little when the boy eases the focus of reif's pointed look forward and eyes dare a quick dart upwards before slinking close like a fox sizing up a fallen rabbit. eagerly cupped ears are the only evidence of his close listening as eyes dart quickly over the leg, so mundane from out here...like any other leg and yet within something warped and ruled to bring forth this divergent appendage. 'huh, never thought i'd relate so closely to a leg' something within even seems to start at the possible attempted humour from the pallid boy, as if parts of him did not quite get on with the other controls and so would be left confused when something such as humour bit the surface.
reif wasn't fond of contact, unless he wished to be squeezed tight when he began to come apart...but eyes seemed faraway as feather light paws skimmed daintily across the turf coloured fur to press softly at the muscle coiled beneath. no response, so uncanny to see something so lacking the vibrating energy of life attached to a very living vessel. he'd shake his head a little, as if only remembering that said 'living vessel' was another boy and scoot back slightly to lean against creamy haunches. "so strange" he muses, head still cocked to the side "and it's always been like that? i wonder does anything exist within the world to fix it or..is it just meant to be" a listless shrug as he frowns, not wanting to face the little bit of him that wondered the exact same thing about himself. he'd throw a cursory glance at his neatly stalked chamomile as the same breeze that hummed about the two boys stirred tauntingly at their slain petals only to spin and twirl off to play with rustling trees and shivering blades of grass. still frowning thoughtfully, he'd blink sage eyes back to his company.