Stavanger Bay was i made from a broken mold?

@Saucy <3 

distractions had done her well in her time in stormrift. even back in drageda dalia was fond of the affordances that were offered by simply being distracted. if she wasn't focusing on work, she was thinking about how she wasn't as good a healer as her mother -- thinking about how she couldn't name quite as many plants -- thinking about the incident... and now? thinking about velen. she couldn't stop. 

she was so broken! she just didn't understand how, after knowing what had happened to her, velen was still so kind and gentle. so sweet. dalia was weak and fragile and emotionally a wreck -- and velen didn't seem to mind at all. he told her that he wanted to be needed. by her, maybe, but he hadn't said that... dalia merely inferred... but she didn't know how to handle her emotions, or him -- for that matter. it was so early, now, if she just nipped whatever was sprouting in the bud then... then it wouldn't ever grow into a problem. they could move on separately and neither of them would be let down by the other. 

but i wish i could tell the poor girl that was not something to worry about... so early in a relationship... if it was even that -- she didn't even know! bold girl, assuming such.

so she kept distracted, gathering a bushel of damp moss (thanks to the snow) from the base of a sequoia, her nose twitching uncontrollably as the intrusive thoughts she wished to be rid of continued to pry.

With enough lazing around having been done for the day, Saucy was eager to find company. And who better company than Dalia? The white lioness trotted at a quickened pace in search for her friend, for the familiar gray pelt and bi colored gaze that never failed to make her smile. It didn’t take her long- Dalia was, as she’d expected, gathering plants for whatever it was she’d be doing with them at the base of a y’all tall sequoia. Saucy let out a friendly bark, and hopped cheerfully towards Dalia.

What’cha gonna do with that moss? she asked, haphazardly poking it with her muddy dirty ass paw. Chaotic neutral chaotic neutral chaotic neutral.

gasp! an audible one from dalia as saucy approached. "saucy!!" she exclaimed with a bright pair of eyes, "oh my goodness saucy --" oh wait. she realized quickly that her friend had asked a question, and so she fell silent for a moment to sort through it. 

"oh -- i'm putting it in storage," she said with a few blinks, "you wanna come with? i can tell you more about it." her tail swung, all the tea she had to spill biting at her tongue -- oh!! she should just spill it! but she didn't wanna seem too eager, right?? ack!!

Saucy giggled when Dalia, shouted her name in surprise. aaaa Dalia, she said in a mocking tone, shaking her front legs as though she was frightened. Haha sucker, Saucy loved messing with her friends and this time she hadn't even had to try!

Dalia invited Saucy to come with, to storage. And she promised to tell her more about the moss. Mmm I guess, but actually don't talk about the moss the whole time, she said, having remembered that she didn't care all that much about moss. Plus she could tell that Dalia had something she wanted to say, and she was sincerely hoping it was some juicy tea, and had nothing to do with spongy green weeds.

her tail wagged, a little too hard, her rear wiggling along with it. "okay deal!" she said with excitement, a little too much excitement to be talking about moss. but also, to be fair, dalia really did share her mothers enthusiasm about all things natural. so she very well could've been excited about this moss. 

"how about... i give you two facts about moss," she said, eyes shining, "and then i'll tell you a secret." she picked up the moss in her jaws, ears pricked up, and began to pad towards her den, ushering saucy to follow her.

though Saucy truthfully found so little to bed interesting about moss, she couldn’t help but wag her tail when Dalia did in such an enthusiastic manner. It was surely gonna be boring, but Dalia could make it more exciting somehow. Hopefully.

Saucy had started walking when Dalia made a counter, and at the mention of a secret Saucy’s ears perked up at attention on her head and her eyes widened. A gasp, You and Ford had boom boom, I called it, she said, almost positive this was the secret.

"not ford!!" exclaimed dalia, who was entirely taken back by the comment -- but only then did she realize her mistake, and suddenly her face went red hot. "no boom boom!! ... and -- and don't call it that, that makes it sound like... pooping, or something," she added, her fur ruffled uncomfortably. she rolled her eyes. "ugh! now i don't even wanna tell you about moss!" she exclaimed, more frazzled than she was actually annoyed... though she was a little sad she didn't wanna give saucy a lecture anymore, moss was so important! and good to just, like, know about!!

she shuffled close to her friend, eyeing her carefully -- drawing out the moment. "i had a nightmare last night, and velen stayed with me," she said in a hushed tone, waiting for a reaction.