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+--- Thread: Bearclaw Valley round town (/showthread.php?tid=64929)
round town - Cole - February 18, 2025
The day was still, and for once, so was Cole.
He lay stretched beneath the sparse shade of a gnarled tree, broad shoulders resting against its rough trunk. The midday sun warmed his coat, catching in the silvered hairs that peppered his muzzle. His ears twitched lazily at the distant chatter of birds, but his eyes remained half-lidded, gazing out over the valley with a rare sense of ease.
It was not often he allowed himself this. There was always something to be done—borders to walk, game to track, a den to dig. His life had been built on work, on duty. But here, now, there was quiet. There was warmth. There was Winslet.
His thoughts drifted to her, as they often did. Her gentle voice, the soft press of her body against his when the night grew cold. A reason, at last, to rest. To breathe.
A low sigh escaped him, and he let his head fall back against the bark. Just for a little while longer, he would stay here.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 23, 2025
twitch hesitates when she sees him.
she spots him before he spots her, sprawled beneath a tree like the world itself paused just to grant him a fragment of peace. she figured he did not get much of that, just based on his general demeanor. she nearly turns back in effort to preserve it. it would be easy to—she figures he doesn’t like her much, and she doesn’t blame him.
her mouth is full of feathers. a bundle from various types of birds, clamped gently between her teeth. though she initially intended to add them to her cache, this moment offers an opportunity. perhaps he would like them instead, a gift maybe. a peace offering.
she doesn’t want trouble. doesn’t want to be in his way. she is careful when she pads closer, keeps a good distance, eyes flicking to his face, trying to gauge his mood. “you look comfortable,” she says, voice even, unreadable. then, after a beat, she drops the feathers at her feet to talk easier.
RE: round town - Cole - February 24, 2025
Cole cracked one eye open, the lazy stillness of his posture betraying nothing but calm. But he’d seen her coming—heard the soft crunch of her paws in the snow, the subtle hesitation in her steps.
His gaze flicked to the bundle of feathers she set at her feet, then back up to her face. Twitch. He didn’t know much about her, but he knew enough. Knew how she hovered at the edges, careful, watching.
Twitch,he greeted, voice low, steady. A slow nod.
His eyes drifted to the feathers again, then back up, unreadable.
Somethin’ for me?he asked, though he already knew the answer. There was no edge to his tone, no wariness—just quiet curiosity.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 24, 2025
she tries not to fidget, doesn’t back away. just watches, like she always does, still trying to measure his tone, his nod, the way he looks at the feathers and then back at her. it’s not dismissive. not sharp like before. steadier, maybe.
her posture is made of something shy—skittish, more timid than she liked to present. at the very least, he doesn’t seem the type to hold how pathetic she is against her.
“hi,” she tips her head in greeting with the subtle wag of a half-tucked tail—she’s pleased that he seems tolerant today. less chance of fucking it up.
she nods and gestures toward the bundle with her nose, casual, almost careless. “figured i didn’t need more, n’ i felt—“ it takes her a half second to realize she’s rambling and shakes her head, “—nevermind, um, i just figured you could use ‘em for a nest,” she adds dryly, something wry curling at the edges of her mouth. “or, y’know. whatever it is you do.”
RE: round town - Cole - February 25, 2025
She was a wiry thing, all nervous energy wrapped in a thin frame, and yet she stood her ground, even when uncertainty sat heavy in her stance.
He exhaled through his nose, before giving a small nod.
Thank you.The words were simple, but genuine.
His gaze dropped briefly to the bundle again. Winslet will like 'em. She had a way of appreciating small things like that. Maybe she’d weave them into something, maybe she’d just admire them, but either way, it’d be another thing to bring her home.
Cole glanced back up, studying Twitch once more before tilting his head slightly.
How you been?His voice was low, steady—rough with age and wear, but not unkind.
It wasn't small talk. He wasn’t the type to waste words on things he didn’t care to hear the answer to. If he asked, he meant it.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 25, 2025
her ears flick forward to his voice, but she says nothing in response to his apparent appreciation of her gift. she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it sits oddly in her chest, a little foreign in.
his question catches her off guard. how you been? uh oh. it was not a thing she was asked often, not in a way that meant anything, and her small-talk skills were rather inept.
she huffs, kisses her teeth, contemplates her answer as if it’s never been anything more then ’i’m okay,’ or ‘fine, i guess’. she opts for the less (more?) ambiguous choice, shrugging her shoulders as she speaks: “same as always.” it’s the easiest answer. the safest one. she shifts her weight, thoughtful. “still adjusting, i guess. could always be worse.”
RE: round town - Cole - February 25, 2025
Cole narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her with the same measured look he gave to a bad hand in poker.
That right?His voice was low, steady, but there was a hint of skepticism woven into it.
Or are you lyin'?
It wasn’t an accusation, not really—just the quiet way he called bullshit when he heard it. Same as always. Still adjusting. Could always be worse. None of it meant a damn thing.
He exhaled through his nose, slow, deliberate. If she didn’t want to talk, he wasn’t gonna force it. But he wasn’t gonna pretend he didn’t notice, either.
After a moment, he shifted his weight, glancing down at the bundle of feathers before flicking his gaze back to her.
What can I do to help?
It was simple. No fuss, no expectations. Just an offer—one she could take or leave.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 25, 2025
her jaw tenses, just a little. not enough to be obvious, but enough that she feels it. stifles the awkward, tight-lipped face she makes whenever she wants to cringe—she’s not embarrassed, but she doesn’t know to put certain things into words. her mood, her history, her experiences. she’s never been articulate enough for all that. she doesn’t know how to answer without sounding pathetic, either.
her mouth quirks, something faint, humorless. “dunno,” she says, noncommittal, eyes flicking away like the answer might be hiding somewhere in the valley. maybe it is, cause she’s got nothing. after a moment, she sinks to the earth, tucks her feet up beneath her like she’s a goose sitting on eggs.
his words hit something she doesn’t have a name for. because nothing is the right answer for her, the only answer she’d usually offer, but saying it feels like shutting a door she isn’t sure she wants closed. so she hesitates, the silence stretching a beat too long.
“dunno,” she repeats, but it’s different this time. softer. like she wishes she did. “haven’t had anything like this since i was a kid—an actual kid—and even then, it wasn’t like this.” she knew how the men here liked to throw that term around.
RE: round town - Cole - February 27, 2025
Cole watched her carefully, noting the small shifts in her posture—the tightness in her jaw, the flick of her eyes as if the answer she was looking for might be out there somewhere in the valley.
He understood that feeling.
Grief sat heavy in his chest, not fresh, but familiar. Worn in like an old coat, something he carried without complaint because there was no other choice.
So when she finally spoke, when her voice softened into something uncertain, something quieter—like she wished she had an answer but didn’t—he simply nodded. Slow. Steady.
Yeah.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough. An acknowledgment. A shared understanding.
His gaze shifted past her, out over the land they called home. He’d been in places like this before, but never quite like this. It was different.
He exhaled, scratching idly at the ground with one paw, letting the silence settle between them for a moment before speaking again.
Whad'dya need then, a friend?
Not an offer. Not charity. Just a plain, simple question. Because he figured if she did, she wouldn’t ask.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 27, 2025
his words settle like a stone in her stomach. a friend. she’s not sure if the question stings or soothes, maybe both. she could certainly use one, though she wasn't sure how long it'd last them.
she drags her gaze back to the feathers at her paws, her mind swirling with things she wonn’t say. it’s an easy enough thing to offer and reciprocate. “okay.” the word comes out quieter than she intends.
she shifts, wiggles just a little closer, but keeps the distance between them wide, like she doesn’t quite know what to do with it. or with him, for that matter. Not sure what it even means, anymore. She’s been alone for so long, doesn’t know how to let someone in. Doesn’t know if she should.
“dunno if i'll be a very good one though,” she says, half-amused. she glances up at him, her gaze flickering just briefly before she looks away again. “it’s been a while since I’ve had anyone to… well, anything.”
RE: round town - Cole - February 27, 2025
Cole huffed out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.
Yeah, well. I ain’t a good one neither.
His voice was rough, edged with something wry, something knowing. He wasn’t the kind of man people looked to for easy company. He wasn’t soft. Wasn’t warm. But maybe that didn’t matter much.
She shifted closer—not much, just enough that he noticed. Enough that she was still keeping her space, like she wasn’t sure how close was too close. He didn’t press it.
Instead, he let his gaze drift over the valley for a moment, taking in the quiet stretch of land before glancing back at her.
Don’t gotta be good at it. Just gotta be in it.
Simple as that.
He rolled his shoulders, exhaling slow.
S’pose we’ll figure it out.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 27, 2025
twitch watches him, searching his face like she’s looking for something—something darker, maybe. like she’s waiting to hear the catch—things like this usually had one, so she had gave him an easy way out. but he doesn’t take it. doesn’t hedge or backpedal or through a bad deal at her. just says it plain, like it is that simple.
her mouth presses into a thin line. thoughtful. unsure. ”y’really can’t be any worse than me.” she remarks, thinks about their previous interaction, the part where he snapped at her cause she fucked up—fuckin’ typical—but she was glad he didn’t hold it against her.
she wishes she knew how this was supposed to look. how it was supposed to go, some previous experience relevant enough that she could apply it here. but maybe that was the point—maybe it didn’t have to look like anything in particular.
”been here long?” she asks after a moment passes.
RE: round town - Cole - February 28, 2025
Cole huffed, the corner of his mouth twitching in something that wasn’t quite a smirk, but close enough.
Y’have no idea, kid.
His voice was rough, edged with something knowing, something tired. He shifted his weight slightly, stretching one leg out before shaking some of the stiffness from it.
Been at this tree since dawn.His golden eyes flickered toward the branches overhead, like he was considering something unspoken before settling his gaze back on her.
But Bearclaw… almost six moons now.
A long damn time. Long enough to feel like he was part of it, like he had roots in the valley. Long enough that the ghosts hadn’t followed quite as close as they used to.
He exhaled, slow and steady, then glanced at her again.
You?A simple question, same as hers. But his tone carried something quieter beneath it—an openness, maybe. Like he wouldn’t mind hearing the answer.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 28, 2025
her ears flick at kid, but she lets it slide. barely worth the effort, she thinks. too caught on the rest of it, anyway.
six moons. long enough to settle. to decide what he would do. she shifts, just slightly, gaze dragging over the valley for a third time—a nervous habit, placing her eyes anywhere but on him.
time is slippery, bleeding together in ways she can’t quite pin down, but she estimates. “couple weeks, i think.”
it doesn’t mean much, not when she still didn't have a task. that fact didn't sit right in her mouth. "you like it?"
RE: round town - Cole - February 28, 2025
Cole nods, slow and sure, his gaze following hers over the valley. His posture is easy, but there’s a weight behind his eyes, something old and settled deep.
It’s home, ain’t it?The words come rough, quiet—like that alone should be enough. Like it is for him.
Ain’t much else to say on it. He’s been here long enough to know there’s nowhere else calling to him, nowhere else he’d rather be. Bearclaw had taken him in, given him a purpose when he needed one. That was enough.
His eyes flick back to her then, measuring. Not long. But long enough to get a feel for the place, for the people. Long enough to decide if she’s staying.
A beat of silence stretches between them before he finally asks,
What d'ya wanna do here?Simple, but laced with meaning. Does she like it? Is she staying? Does she even know yet?
RE: round town - Vanja - February 28, 2025
her ears twitch. home.
the word sticks, stuck in the space between her ribs with the weight of an anchor. she doesn’t think she’s ever had one—not a very good one at least, or nothing permanent.
so she keeps her face still, offers a smile at the statement instead. "guess so," it feels like a lie.
she exhales through her nose, slow. doesn’t answer right away, because she didn’t know. surviving wasn’t much of a purpose, but it’s all she’s ever had. all she’s ever needed. that wouldn't work.
"ameline suggested hunting or scouting," her eyes flick back to the feathers at her paws, then finally up to him, "probably one of those."
RE: round town - Cole - February 28, 2025
Cole perked up at the mention of scouting.
Scouting, huh?he mused, giving a thoughtful nod.
Reckon I could show you the ropes. Hedrogue and all.
His gaze lingered on her, measuring, considering. Scouting wasn’t just about covering ground—it was about knowing the land like the back of your paw, reading the wind, the trees, the silence. It was about moving unseen when needed and standing firm when called for. Twitch had a quiet way about her, sharp and watchful. She could do well if she wanted to.
Ain’t just runnin’ around, though,he continued, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
It’s watchin’, listenin’. Knowin’ how to read a place, how to tell a good trail from a bad one.
He shrugged, casual, but there was an edge of certainty in his voice.
If you’re serious about it, I’ll teach you. Long as you can keep up.
RE: round town - Vanja - February 28, 2025
fern-hued eyes sharpen at his words, gleaming with something like hopefulness.
keep up. it’s not a challenge given her experience, but it sticks with her all the same.
scouting makes sense. it’s not a calling, not a passion, but it’s something she can do. had to, for the past two-ish years. it kept her moving, from sitting too long in the quiet.
"i will." her tail twitches once, a brief movement. "been doin’ it my whole life." she doesn’t say why. doesn’t need to, she thinks. he seemed smart enough.
RE: round town - Cole - February 28, 2025
Cole gives a short nod, a flicker of something like approval crossing his face.
Alright then,he says simply, as if that settles it.
He glances out toward the stretch of land beyond them, eyes scanning the horizon, taking in the familiar landscape of Bearclaw. Scouting isn’t just about moving—it’s about knowing. Reading the land, noticing changes, recognizing the things most wolves wouldn’t think twice about.
He turns his gaze back to her.
I can show you,he offers, his voice gruff but not unkind.
Hedrogue and all.
It’s not much, but it’s something.
fade in your next
RE: round town - Vanja - March 01, 2025
twitch watches him, eyes flicking over the subtle shifts in his expression. it isn't praise, but something about it feels similar.
“okay,” she says. simple. final.
she follows his gaze out toward the land, the valley stretching endless before them. his offer hangs there, open-ended, and for a second, she doesn’t move. doesn’t speak. then she nods, shifting her weight, "i look forward to it."
fade!