Wheeling Gull Isle don't be cautious, don't be kind

trade tracking: warrior thread 3/10

The raven's muzzle emerged from her den, and her eyes grazed over the horizon.  Even the stars seemed different than they had in the Valley.  Here they were endlessly refracted by the ocean, swallowing both heaven and earth.  

She arched her spine and crawled from the space she shared with the young ones, shaking each of her paws behind her as she walked.  She clipped across the island in search of Undersea's freshest Tauhou, @Rokig to see how he was settling in.

He had been strolling, killing time while also trying to get more familiar. The place was nice so far. Small, cozy, sheltered from the rest of the world. Rokig was not sure he could have asked for much more. This was the ideal place for someone like him. Or so he hoped it was going to be.

Silver eyes just barely caught sight of the dark masked female - who he was unaware was looking for him. His tail picked a friendly position lowly as it swayed ever so slightly. Jaws parted to let out a soft woof in her direction.

As per usual for the dark-masked raven, she did not demand any submission from her packmate — not only was it not her place, she remembered how it felt to be beneath Laurel, beneath Indra.

Her tail began to beat a tattoo against her hocks as she whuffed, her feet pitterpattering in the sand as she began to playfully jack-knife towards the newcomer.  Her vocalizations were inviting and playful, and her rear wagged behind her.

It felt like his heart battered his chest when she began to move. For a brief moment, he was concerned that he had done something wrong - that perhaps his curse was real. It was with another swift one-over of her form that he realized it was a playful motion and sounds that she used. He wasn't being threatened.

The Tauhou briefly shifted his weight before he brought his stocky front end up slightly before his paws met the sandy earth again in a silent invitation to the masked female. His tail swishing behind him a bit more lively now.

Her crying did not cease once she realized the newcomer's discomfort — it was not long before he realized her intent.  As he battered the ground, she circled him again before darting in to nip at his hocks.

She was still earning her sea-legs and she still wasn't sure of how everything worked in Undersea, but she assumed that since this dude was newer than her he wouldn't like, freak out and punish her for it.

His head turned over both of his shoulders, trying to watch her full dance around him. He should have expected an 'attack' from behind but the nip on his hock still sent an excited sound forth from him.

Rokig tried to move his compact frame around swiftly to face the masked fellow Tauhou. He was by no means as fast or as lean as his company but he tried to keep up anyway. In an attempt to use his compact frame in his favor, he moved in to try and bump himself into her shoulder.

A smirk played at the corners of her inky lips as her packmate let out a good-natured yip, and although she was expecting him to turn and face her she had not expected him to bowl her over with his shoulder.

Exaggeratedly, she rolled over and tossed up sand as she went, a chirp escaping from between her loosened jaws.  Her sights set on the swaying whip of his tail and her teeth clattered together as she made several attempts to grab it.  It left her underbelly exposed — a vulnerability she did not allow to many — though since he was a packmate and not an outsider she trusted him to not damage her.

His head pulled back, eyes closing briefly to avoid the kicked up sand. Silver eyes opening again once he was sure there was no more loose sand heading towards his face. It was going to take a bit of time to get used to the terrain.

Rokig felt the presence of her teeth on his tail, his hind end swaying as if to engage in a game of tug o' war with his own tail. He leaned his head down to offer a gentle nip to the hind leg closest to him. While the stomach might have been a more smart option if this was real, it wasn't. Nor was he trying to actually spook or hurt her.

She pulled quite gently at his tail, gripping to be sure that she wouldn't wrench it in a way that was uncomfortable for the compact brute.  She felt his teeth on her hock and attempted to wrench it from his grasp, but she could not find a grip in the sand with her other foot.

The two were caught in a weird, twisty version of yin/yang.

He lowered himself to the sandy ground as she twisted, his own form stretching forth (which was a sight to see mentioning he was so compacted) to try and grab her tail if she didn't move fast enough. It would leave them in a strange circle of sorts but that would be part of the challenge, part of the fun.

It was a mix of playful growl and whine that escaped the compact male with his jaws parted.

So focused had she been on the tauhou's tail that she did not notice he had released her foot until his jaws clamped themselves around her tail.  Her legs splayed in the cool night air and flailed about as she wiggled her body, matching his vocalizations with her own.

Creatures with an aerial view could see they were now a lopsided and wavering but complete circle, and said creatures would probably laugh.

This was nice in a strange way. He didn't have to talk to fill the void. Instead, they did...whatever this was. He would have called it sparring but it was like no spar he had ever had before. Nor was it any sort of vicious fight. It was enjoyable even if weird, he didn't mind the weird part though.

With a grip on her tail, he gave a few small tugs wondering if he might receive a paw to the face.

Others often found their peace in the wordless conversation that Reigi's playful and good natured companionship offered.  She, of course, was oblivious. 

The raven did bat at his face before attempting something else.  She released his tail in order to turn around his compact form and sought to wrap her forelegs on either side.

lemme know if i misunderstood anything<3

The male released her tail when he was batted in the face. Silver eyes blinked slightly as he processed what had happened. It was, of course, nothing major but it still took him by surprise.

Surprised him enough that he didn't counter her move. Rokig laid still under the masked female, pinned beneath her thin frame. It was a small whine that escaped him as his tail beat the earth. She had won this small play session and he wasn't above admitting it.

Many moons ago, although it felt like lifetimes, she had played this game with Xan.  She remembered now and it rolled over her in ugly waves that no matter how terrible her time has been in the Valley had been that she missed her husband and her babies.

All of a sudden, this wasn't fun anymore.  She locked her forepaws around his hips and nipped halfheartedly at his scruff (much like a male would take a female in season, as that was how she had remembered it) before she rolled off of him and into the sand, her ears set back as if she had done something wrong.

Had she?  She did not love Rokig in the way she had loved Xan, and now she wondered if their play had been perverse.  Heat crept into the high rise of her cheekbone as she matched his whine and then made to stand.

It was a strange sensation, her teeth making contact with his nape, but he didn't flinch or pull away. He trusted her even if he was in a sensitive position. The Tauhou liked to think that if she had wanted to truly hurt him, she would have done it long ago.

Then as quickly as her presence had been up against his back it seemed to disappear.

Out of the corner of his silver eyes, he saw her in the sand next to him. In a way she looked like she belonged there. Earthy tones almost blending in with the sand except for those dark points. His thoughts shifted as she stood up. For a few moments, he kept still in his position on the ground.

"Thank you."

He wasn't sure why he said it but he meant it and it seemed better than staying in an awkward silence while on the ground.

She paused as he addressed her, legs trembling beneath her gamine frame.

"Thank you." 

It was not enough to put her troubled mind at ease, but she did not want the boy to think she did not care for him.  She turned around and crouched next to his still-grounded form, perhaps too close for a civilized creature.

But she was a wild woman, and he was family now so long as he chose.  She loved him as she loved her children, Seelie, Komodo, Moorhen.  

Wecom. she queried, herr head cocked just slightly. Safe. Home.

feel free to reply or archive<3

He was a bit...emotionally oblivious. Unaware of the feelings that had swept over his scuffle partner. Although he was comforted by her short words. His tail thumped against the sandy ground beneath them. "Home." He hummed back in response.

Finally, he lifted himself to a standing position. With a soft chuff, he aimed to excuse himself. "Find me if you need anything." Rokig didn't know where he would be but the island he was now inhabiting with the group of Seawolves wasn't very big.