The yearling was quickly pulled from his momentary bout of doubt and stillness by a melodic sound drifitng over him, his eyes quickly blinking open in search of the source. He quickly found what he was looking for, much to his distress, not too far past the willows draping their arms in front of him. "Loo-mah-ah, 'eh" He called in return, mortified when he realized he was being muffled by the plants in his mouth. He sucked in a quick breath around the leafy bundle before lifting to his paws and softly trotted forwards, passing through the curtain of willows that had obstructed his view of the young woman until that moment. His eyes scanned their gorgeous surroundings, taking in the near-overwhelming feeling of vibrant life that surrounded them, before they finally settled on what he had come for.
The boy's eyes fluttered for a moment as he looked on at the vision that was before him. There, perched upon the bank of the stream, was Lumiya in all of her silvery glory. Though birdsong echoed around him, Dante felt as though he had gone momentarily deaf, all sounds muted to a dull buzz as he focused upon the wolf in front of him. Woah. He blinked hard to bring himself back to real life, his ears flicking rapidly for a brief moment. "Heh," He mumbled softly before realizing his words were still being distorted by his gift, spitting it out at his feet and attempting to get the leaves off his tongue. "Hey," he said againgiving an only slightly self-detrimental laugh through it, his eyes pinching closed and the skin upon his browbone furrowing softly as he took in his own hilarity. Gods, he really couldn't seem to get himself together around the girl.
Dante's eyes opened once again, his gaze meeting hers as he gave a soft, fond smile. "I ehm, I was just a bit lonely, figured I'd come say hello, so...hello" He couldn't stop his grin from spreading wider across his face as he finished up his sentence with a soft giggle, unafraid of acknowledging just how silly he must have sounded. He sniffed and looked down at the ground, clearing his throat before he looked back up at the girl, hoping she would give him a pass on his slightly embarrasing entrance.
Dante's body lit up with a quiet buzz of pride as the girl laughed, his nose scrunching slightly to quell the wide grin bubbling inside of him. He toyed with the bouquet at his paws a bit before glancing back up at her. Her quick mood change had the young boy's eyes fluttering, blinking wide open at her, intently listening to her concerns. "No, no- I mean, no- yes they have spoken to me, yeah I met ehm- Deidra, she's lovely, really, I guess I just wanted you- I mean..." The boy took a short, deep breath in, stopping his useless sputtering and caliming his nerves. "Yes, I met another faerie, everyone's very welcoming. I just uhm, I think I wanted to hear your voice. S'very leaderlike, y'know? Very reassuring," he chuckled into his final words, trying to play off his silly addmission with a joke. His eyes fluttered to their surroundings once again, and he found himself fixating a bit on the bubbling stream that ran, dancing softly yet profoundly. Lumiya's voice was a bit like that.
He pulled his attention back to the girl, snapping out of his daydreaming and studying her distinct features for a moment before posing another question, "How's everything going with that leader stuff by the way? Can't be easy. S'a lot of pressure to put on yourself, starting a pack all on your own," Dante's head cocked to the side as he spoke, his ears twitching softly at the few gnats that droned lowly to his side. He smiled softly, hoping he wasn't overstepping with his questions and trying to make his amiable intentions a bit more clear.
Dante's eyes widened at a comical rate as the silvery woman bent down to fetch the collection of plants he had nearly forgotten about in his Lumiya-induced trance. His shoulders tensed with embarassment and he quickly rushed to explain himself. "Oh, sorry! I forgot, yeah I um, I thought you might-" Dante was interrupted by a swift sneeze from the girl, prompting a soft giggle to bubble up from his throat as he looked on. "Flowers," he managed to chuckle out, basking in the soft moment that stretched out between them.
He listened carefully to her statement in response to the prior comment on her voice, suddenly intensely curious about Lumiya's upbringing. Dante had found that, while Lumiya was not neccesarily a loud wolf, her manner of speaking was incredibly straightforward, her communication always crisply clear. She was quite unsimilar to Dante in that way; the boy had been teased since his youth over the rambling deliveries he had been known to give often, though in truly serious conversation he could easily keep himself on track. His train of thought was broken by her next sentence, his bright eyes searching the girls face for her intent as a grin broke across his mouth in response to her wide smile. Gods he was hopelessly endeared. She liked being with him, huh? Dante was way too fucking pleased with himself. Though he tried to think of something to say in return- a quick-witted quip, perhaps- the yearling found he didn't have it in himself to ruin the exchange by cheapening it.
Dante watched her expression mold into something more contemplative; he could see the gears ticking in her mind as she pondered the question for a brief moment. How he wished he could see inside, understand every thought the girl had, peer right into her mind. Dante had often found himself wondering such things about those around and close to him, he had always had a certain fascination with the way each individual thought, how emotions influenced every decision they made. It was a more inquisitive part of himself that he didn't generally allow to surface freely, exhausting as it was. Luckily Lumiya was somewhat forward with him, as she had been in their conversations so far. "You're doing brilliantly, honestly. I can't imagine myself ever being able to pull something like this off, but it seems like you've got some sort of a knack for it, yeah?"He offered a gentle smile, hoping his words might ease at least a bit of any tension she posessed.
"I mean, clearly I don't know anything about this, right? But it seems like it's the sort 'f thing you just gotta take moment by moment, you know?" His brow furrowed softly as he mulled over his words carefully, jaw shifting lightly. "I think if you can just focus on exactly what you can alter now, y'know, like what you've got power over in that moment specifically, then before you know it you'll be where you need to be." The boy paused momentarily, his mind still rambling on about goals and achievements and whatnot before pulling himself back to reality, blinking owlishly at Lumiya. "Sorry I'm afraid that might not have made sense. And also- I didn't mean to like- I mean obviously you are clearly on top of things I wasn't like, trying to tell you what to do or anything like that of course, I just meant to throw in my two cents or...something." He shook his head slightly, his nose scrunching again and his brow furrowing once more. Proper poor at talking sometimes, he was.
Dante could feel heat flush through him as the girl leaned in close, reaching towards his ear. He was only able to stew on his intense surprise at her forward choice to bestow the flowers back upon the boy briefly; his mind was a bit occupied with other things at the time. Surely it could've only lasted mere seconds, but to the yearling it felt as though the moment was slow and thick, dripping like honey as his breath caught in his chest. Dante had never been on this side of flirting before, and was wildly taken with her initiative. He willed himself to ignore the crisp burn in his chest at the young woman's words, attempting to remain somewhat composed despite the lingering thoughts that flitted frantically through his brain. A part of him felt as though flirting with the one who was currently providing him shelter could be a bit messy but...
But how could he resist?
When he realized he was staring perhaps a bit too generously, the boy quickly glanced back to the gurgling water again, heat still sizzling under his pelt. His attention was soon caught again by the sprawling lines that were Lumiya as she stretched under the sunlight. He found himself tracking each and every motion, utterly fascinated by the young woman. He felt a strange sense of ease as he looked upon Lumiya's comfort, the frantic nerves that had been buzzing through him earlier settling once he became aware of her idle relaxation. If she could feel tranquil in his presence, then surely he could do the same. Tactile as he was, Dante hardly questioned it before he padded over nearer the girl, stretching himself before lowering to lay out beside her, just barely brushing her person. Though he had been raised in an environment in which physical touch was the default in everyday engagements, he hardly had a mind to force it upon others and allowed it to Lumiya whether she would lean into it.
A note of finality had crept into Lumiya's words as she responded to his thoughts, and Dante decided it was better to leave it at that then to probe any further. He closed his eyes and sighed softly, more than happy to bask in the day's warmth, feeling floaty and sated. "You're quite good company, you know," He spoke quietly into the comfortable silence they had procured, laced with fondness and gentle humor. He cracked an olive-green eye open to watch her reaction as he gave a lazy smile. "Easy on the eyes too," he said, breaking into a giggle despite his attempt to remain serious. "Gods I don't think I could've picked a cheesier line, I do hope I'm not completely iredeemable". Another little chuckle bubbled in his throat as his eyes slid closed again. He had surprised himself with his own abrupt mood-shift, though in all honesty it shouldn't have been so surprising. He was generally a pretty easygoing guy, and he could also normally hold his own in flirtatious situations. Dante was glad to find himself regaining some of the usual confidence that seemed to disappear when he spoke with Lumiya in all of her dumbfounding charm.
Effervescent. Dante felt effervescent as Lumiya eased against the boy's side. He drew a deep breath, stilling slightly- not nervous or anxious, but a bit scared of disrupting the peaceful moment with a stirring movement. A soft, bashful grin lit on his maw at the girl's response, and he exhaled a light chuckle as he spared her a fond glance. The energy that buzzed between them was soft in a way- so clearly present but not strong enough to feel overwhelming, just a quiet drone that simmered behind each exchange. It was something Dante hadn't had the privilege to experience in quite a while, and he was endlessly grateful for it now.
Just as he had begun to drift into a daze, the boy found his nose being assaulted by feathers, a pair of intrusive white wings batting lightly but with great determination at his body. Shocked by the sudden break in the lazy atmosphere, the boy quickly pushed his upper body off of the ground, eyeing the owl with a sleepy confusion. After the initial shock, though, the boy found his balance and recognized what had happened, giggling and shaking his head. "He was not a fan of my line. Duly noted." He spoke quietly still, humour laced in his voice and laughing through his words. When his eyes finally uncrinkled, Dante blinked at Lumiya and shook his head and neck, still smiling softly. Looks like I'll be needing to work a bit harder to gain his respect then, yeah?
.
The yearling shifted again then, stretching his body in a bowing position before rising to his feet. He watched the pale bird for a few moments more before his eyes flicked back to Lumiya. S'pose he needs a bit of attention too, I'm hogging you all to myself. Can't blame him honestly, I fancy a cuddle often myself...
His words trailed off into quiet as he observed the girl and her bird (a striking pair). Eventually, he tilted his face away, eyes sweeping over their surroundings. I ought to make myself useful, hunt or something. Could use a meal anyway, honestly,
Dante sighed quietly, eyes flashing back to Lumiya. He didn't want to leave her company, but also didn't want to cling like a burr- and he really was hungry.
A high, breathy giggle left Dante's lips as the sylph remarked on her winged companion, quiet and fond as his eyes swept over her face, chest becoming a bit fluttery at it all. He watched her contemplatively as she spoke, maybe only partially-present for the conversation, to caugh up in his own thoughts to truly absorb all she was saying. He made sure to nod politely throughout though, not so unfocused as to come across as though he wasn't listening at all.
Their...'friendship' was something that had flourished quickly, and even Dante- who considered himself a regular friend-maker- felt as though he should've been surprised by the way their relationship had grown over the short period of time the two had known each other. However, he couldn't seem to find the shock he expected within himself. The boy found an odd sort of comfort in Lumiya, as though the bond that was blooming between them, not unlike the spring that blossomed around them, was invevitable. They were different, certainly, and had only crossed each other's paths by happenstance, and yet. Yet, every interaction the young man had had with Lumiya felt effortlessly natural, and intentional. Even when the boy grew nervous or embarassed, there was an underlying solace that quelled any real doubts he may've otherwise had about whether or not the girl actually wished to spend time with him.
Dante's eyes flicked to the bird with surprise and slight amusement as a mouse was dropped at his paws, and he quickly glanced at Lumiya, offering a bright grin before he lowered his head to the ground to capture the kill in his jaws. Dante leaned back up, a cheeky remark halfway to his lips, but quickly stilled again, taking pause as he observed the soft interaction that occured between the sprite and her owl. He couldn't hear the words exchanged, but a tightness pooled in his chest nonetheless. Dante could adit that he was perhaps a bit of soft at heart, and the quiet moment between the two did nothing to hide that side of the boy. He continued to look at her, a soft, slightly enamored look on his face lingering for a few seconds before Lumiya spoke once again.
"Yeah of-" the yearling's voice came out slightly scratchy, and he quickly cleared his throat, glancing down momentarily as his pelt heated. "Yeah of course. We should- um. We should do this...more," he ended in a chuckle, once again amused by the level of tupidity he managed to pull when he spoke to Lumiya. The boy met her eyes once again, flicking softly over her face before smiling softly. I'll see you around, love,
he spoke airily, before turning away from the girl. As he padded down the bank of the stream, throwing her one final glance over his shoulder before he disappeared into the willows once more.