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+--- Thread: Gilded Bay It is the bringing of the line (/showthread.php?tid=30771)
It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 13, 2018
He grew stronger every day, and today he felt good enough to attempt swimming on his own. He was tired of being cared for and ready to be back to his normal strength so that they could move on and find some kind of purpose. He had been raised to be a chief, and it was not easy for him to accept that he needed to rest while his body healed. Swimming would help build his endurance and restore him back to his former self.
He walked into the cold water, his days spent being tossed around the relentless sea not enough to temper his love for the ocean. Still wanting to be cautious, he only moved out far enough that his paws just barely didn't touch the sandy, ocean floor. He began swimming against the current but grew irritated when he tired far sooner than he normally did. He began to cough and gasp for air, and so he moved back to the shore. The bear stood in the sand dripping wet, coughing, and trying to catch his breath, letting out curse words between his hacking.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 13, 2018
she tries to stay close to athris — she does try! — but her restless heart beckons her further along the coast. so she wanders. she keeps her distance from the shore at first, but the endless crashing of waves eventually draws her close. her relationship with the ocean is such a strange one, she thinks; the day she'd learned she was to be pledged to the old god had been one of the worst of her life, yet she had come to love her duties by the time the tribes truly dissolved. she had come to love the ocean itself.
but she still hates it.
she doesn't even notice the man at first, approaching the shore with eyes slightly glazed over as he emerges from the water. it's his coughing that draws her attention, startling her just enough to make her flinch. she glances his direction just in time to watch him as he curses and gasps for breath.
u-um,her eyes widen slightly at his language — they'd never allowed such things in the tribes, at least not where the elders could hear. she considers leaving the man to his own devices, vulgar as he is, but it occurs to her that he must have been in the water for a reason. perhaps an intriguing reason. she swallows hard and tries to steel her nerves, taking a tentative step toward him.
are you okay?
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 13, 2018
His coughing subsided long enough to hear her question. The unfamiliar voice caused him to tense, and he whipped his head up to look at the source. A tiny grey female looked at him nervously.
I'm fine,he answered gruffly after eyeing her suspiciously. It was bad enough that he was sick and weak, now he was those things in front of a complete stranger. He huffed out a few low coughs, before taking a few steps away from her to shake the water from his coat. He turned back to the woman and asked,
Do you need something?He would normally attempt to have better manners, but his failed swimming adventure had soured his mood.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 13, 2018
he reminds her of her brother; not the one she loves, but the vulgar one. the dick. she hates him, she thinks — so maybe she hates this guy too. but somehow zamael's cursing and sour expressions had been much easier to tolerate (maybe she'd just gotten used to it?).
yeah, totally,she says, rolling her eyes and forgetting all her anxiety. what a douche!
i'm here for that lung you're hacking up. can you cough a little faster? i'm on a schedule.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 13, 2018
He glared at her trying to hold in his next cough but failing miserably. When he was done, he cleared his throat.
I'm not really in the mood to take shit from someone tiny woman with a big mouth,he spat at her.
If you're just here to be annoying, then please do it somewhere else.He had no qualms about attacking a woman if she deserved it, and he wouldn't hesitate to teach this mouthy wolf a lesson. He may not be at his full strength, but he had enough to take out this shrimp if she kept antagonizing him.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 13, 2018
she sighs, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. why are some people so dense?
you were rude first,she points out irritably, tail lashing. it hasn't slipped by her that this man is much larger than herself, and could perhaps seriously hurt her; she's just not worried about it. she's encountered scarier and she hasn't died yet, and so far this guy seems more like an oversized toddler than anything.
why don't you go somewhere else, if you're in such a bad mood?
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 13, 2018
He sighed and shook his head. She was right; he had been rude first, but only because she had found him at probably the worst time. He didn't like looking weak, and it was even worse that he actually felt weak. He cleared his throat again before speaking.
Yeah well....sorry, I guess.It was not the best apology, but it was the best she as going to get from him today. He bristled a little at her next comment, wanting to tell her that he had been here first, but he kept it to himself for the sake of diffusing things a little.
It's probably not the best idea to go around provoking large strangers,he finally added, raising an eyebrow.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 14, 2018
the apology softens her, even if it doesn't sound very genuine. she knows it's still more of an effort than she's owed. still, her eyes flash slightly at his next words.
maybe i'm hoping you'll put me out of my misery,she offers, keeping her tone just ambiguous enough that the words could be taken as serious or sarcastic. she watches carefully for his reaction, wondering how he'll take it. maybe he'll take it as an invitation, she thinks — and would that be so bad? but her nerves find her again after a moment, and she sucks in a breath.
were you um, swimming?the words tumble from her less than a beat later, and she hates how hesitant they sound. whatever. this dude is a big stupid baby anyway.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 21, 2018
Keanu stared at her incredulously, unsure if he had heard her correctly.
You want to die?he asked bluntly. He wasn't quite sure if she had made the comment in jest or not. Something about her seemed off when she spoke, but he was never very good at reading the more complicated emotions of others.
He looked angrily at the water at her next words, shrugging his large shoulders a little.
Trying to,the bear answered gruffly.
I'm...getting over being sick,he quickly admitted.
So, I'm trying to build my endurance again.Why he divulged his apparent weakness to a stranger, he didn't know. She didn't really strike him as much of a threat, so whatever.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 21, 2018
the look of shock on his face is pleasing in a way that makes her feel a little sick to her stomach, but she hides it well.
sometimes,she tells him with a shrug, adopting a facade of nonchalance. she wants to cry. but then he answers her question and it's a welcome change of subject.
you looked like you were doing great to me,she says, trying and likely failing to sound reassuring. she clears her throat a little awkwardly.
i um — i haven't been out there in a long time. not since my tribe — um. anyway, i miss swimming. i missed the ocean. sorry — i don't know why i'm telling you all this.she sucks in a breath, ears flat against her skull.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 21, 2018
He was a little confused with her answer--well more like the delivery of it. She answered his question like he asked her if she liked to eat fish or something while basically admitting to sometimes wanting to die. Wow. He didn't really know what to say to that. Even when he found out that most of his family was likely dead, he hadn't wanted to die. He was a warrior and used pain as a source of strength, or so he told himself.
Uh, well, that would be a waste, don't you think?He didn't know what else to say about it.
He shook his head at her apology; it wasn't needed.
The ocean lures me as well,he replied, choosing not to press her for more information on her tribe. She could speak more about it if she wished to do so. His focus remained on the waves and their almost hypnotizing rhythm.
It is equally beautiful and dangerous,he added, gaze never leaving the water. He always thought he'd like his mate to be the same way.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 21, 2018
she shakes her head slightly at his question; she doesn't think it'd be much of a waste, but she's not ready to argue the point. his next comments are of more interest to her anyway. she follows his gaze to the waves, a little entranced by it herself. his words strike a chord within her; equally beautiful and dangerous.
like anything worth experiencing,she can't help but agree in a murmur, eyes tracing the movement of the water and the colorful horizon. she goes silent then, taking in the crashing of the waves — and she almost enjoys the stranger's company in that moment, knowing they share this connection.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 21, 2018
She said nothing else about wanting to die, and he wondered if it was because she agreed with his observation, or if it was because she didn't want to talk about it anymore. He was inclined to believe it was the latter, but he supposed it was ultimately her decision, and nothing he said was likely to change her mind.
Ah, something we agree on,he answered with a smirk, still not pulling his gaze from the water. Silence stretched between them for an uncertain amount of time, and he found it wasn't even uncomfortable. Strange--but not really considering the odd magic of the ocean; it was hard to explain the power of the sea to outsiders, but he always felt it. Sometimes it was cruel and unfair, but just as often it was bountiful and seductive. One just had to be completely open to it to feel that is was far more than just a body of water. He wasn't even sure how long he had been sitting their musing about the sea, but he eventually stole a quick glance at the woman next to him, wondering what she had been thinking about as they both sat in silence, mesmerized by the ocean.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 21, 2018
she only smiles at his comment, content with the silence that falls between them. many thoughts swirl through her mind in the absence of conversation; mostly, she wonders if this is what it's like to be normal. it feels like she's stolen something, pretending she isn't cursed like this — wandering off on her own, talking to strangers. the tribes would have a fit. but it feels... nice.
she feels his eyes on her after a time, and it draws her from her thoughts. she turns her own jade gaze to him, searching his expression quietly. her gaze drifts back to the ocean after a few moments.
sometimes i think it must be better out there,she says softly.
no one around to tell you who you are and what you have to do and be. just a bunch of water and fish. i mean — i know wolves can't survive in the ocean, so it's pointless to think about. but it helps sometimes, to imagine somewhere better. for me, at least.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 21, 2018
Their gazes connected for a few minutes, but the silence remained until she turned back to the water. She began talking about how living in the ocean seemed preferable to her current living situation, which seemed kind of sad. He continued to watch her as she spoke, concern filing his expression.
I suppose if you were meant to live in the ocean, it might be a simpler life--maybe not. Maybe somewhere out there some ocean-dwelling creature is looking longingly at the land and thinking something similar.The grass is always greener, right?
If where you're living is that bad, you can come stay with my sister and me.The words were out before he realized what he was saying or why he was saying it. But, the offer was there, and he wouldn't rescind it.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 21, 2018
she finds herself genuinely considering his words, to her own surprise; it's not often she finds someone she doesn't think is completely full of shit. she'd never say that out loud of course — the sentiment or the curse. but before she can put much thought into what he's said, he surprises her again. this time it strikes her much harder. she blinks, face heating up, and finds tears suddenly spilling past her eyelids. embarrassed, she turns her face away slightly and rubs her face with her foreleg. the tears don't stop.
i um,she swallows, hating that her tears are obvious even in her voice.
i don't live anywhere anymore.her voice breaks. she still can't look at him.
i only have my brother — everyone at my old home is dead or gone and... and i don't even know if that's a bad thing.her last words are punctuated by a quiet sob, and she sucks in a breath, hating herself for being so weak.
sorry, i — do you mean it? could my brother come too?she glances back to him now, still trying not to show too much of her stupid crying face. she's not sure why she suddenly trusts him so much — maybe because his kindness hadn't been so readily offered. it's more genuine, she thinks. she hopes.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 22, 2018
He wasn't sure what he expected her reaction to be, but tears were certainly low on the list. He watched as she turned her face away and presumably continued to cry. He was unsure what to do at first. Crying women made him slightly uncomfortable; he was always afraid he would just make things worse. She started speaking, telling him she had no where to live and that her family was dead, which she wasn't sure was bad. He assumed that meant they were probably not nice to her since he had also just lost a good chunk of his family, and he was pretty damn sad about it. She asked if her brother could come before finally looking back at him with her tear-swollen eyes. He was pretty sure she could have asked him anything at that moment and he would have answered however she wanted. As it turned out, it was something that was easy for him to agree to. He cleared his throat, his face a mixture of concern and surprise.
Sure, of course.Four wolves was surely better than three and especially better than two.
We have just been camped out not too far from here while I heal, but we've been discussing what to do next.Keanu assumed his sister would feel similarly about having extra wolves to help out. Hopefully.
It will be okay,he said, his voice soft and low as he attempted to comfort her. The crying and the need for a place to stay hit too close to home, and it pushed past his walls. He touched his nose to her shoulder, hoping to comfort her with touch as well as with words.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Ashari - November 22, 2018
she's soothed by his words, eagerly soaking in the feeling of someone caring about her. it's different than athris caring about her; he has to. and this man — he has no obligation to her at all, yet he cares. it's a powerful feeling, but she doesn't quite know what to do with it. and surely it can't be that simple? nothing ever is.
but if he wants something from her, she has no idea what it is. and right now, she can't bring herself to care. she feels his touch against her shoulder and sucks in a breath, realizing it's the first time anyone aside her brother has sought contact with her.
thank you,she whispers, shivering slightly. the tears have mostly abated by now, and the prickle of shame at the back of her mind becomes stronger, more insistent. she takes a breath and moves hesitantly to leave a brief kiss on the male's cheek if she's allowed, repeating her thanks even more softly. it occurs to her that she doesn't even know his name.
my name is ashari.she offers a moment later, attempting a smile, though the expression is too weary to be as warm as she wants it to be.
RE: It is the bringing of the line - Keanu - November 22, 2018
His words and his affection seemed to be making her feel better, and he was relieved to see her crying finally subside. She thanked him, but it wasn't necessary.
Of course,he murmured, eyebrows raising a bit in surprise when he felt her soft kiss on his cheek. The barest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lip, a gesture not often seen on the bear's face. He felt drawn to her for some odd reason, and he wasn't sure what it meant. He knew he had the strong urge to keep her safe, and it was hard for him to ignore.
She offered her name, and he scooted a little closer, making it easy for her to lean into him if she wanted. His top coat was dry enough by now and would offer warmth if needed.
I'm Keanu,he replied.
I guess now I need to meet your brother,he said next, his gaze finding hers. He wasn't sure quite what to expect, especially since it seemed parts of her family had left her with what appeared to be some kind of traumatic past, or so he had deduced from what she had told him. Her brother hopefully wasn't anything like that--things might not end well if that was the case.