A slumped body amongst the rock and pebble looked to be nothing but a mound of soot, which ocean tides now began to lap at as the tide came in. The young woman shifted her head carefully from the ground with a wince of pain as open cuts met with sea water. Selena stirred slowly from her collapsed position laying on her side to at least right herself to lay on her stomach. She was waterlogged and bloodied from a fight over a meal and having a smart mouth. Black eyes looked to the overcast clouds in hopes of finding where the sun might be, so that she could tell how long she had been knocked out for.
Selena felt sick for a moment and the world spun as she began to stand herself slowly to all fours, only stumbling once before beginning her trek once more. The small ocean critters that floated in nearby pools scurried away in fear as she stepped slowly through the rocky terrain. She couldn't help but feel like a complete failure. Selena knew nothing about fighting and secretly wished she would have paid more attention to her father when he had try to teach her a few pointers. The last thing she could remember was being chased and beaten out of some loner's hunting spot until losing consciousness on the beach.
"I am so freaking hungry..." She whined in exhaustion, her tail drooping to drag over the wet pebbles and sand. "I have no friends here and when I try to make a friend I'm apparently an 'annoying bitch'!" It was a full blown pity party, but we all can remember our first time on our own right?
The yearling took a moment to take in a deep breath, close her eyes and fully right her mind as she did her body. "Okay, I can do this. Start small." She whispered into her breast before turning to face a tidepool. She didn't know what an oyster was but there were a ton of them in front of her. She pawed at one and watched bubbles rise from the creature to the surface of the pool. "What the hell is this thing? I wonder if I can I eat it..."
Selena felt sick for a moment and the world spun as she began to stand herself slowly to all fours, only stumbling once before beginning her trek once more. The small ocean critters that floated in nearby pools scurried away in fear as she stepped slowly through the rocky terrain. She couldn't help but feel like a complete failure. Selena knew nothing about fighting and secretly wished she would have paid more attention to her father when he had try to teach her a few pointers. The last thing she could remember was being chased and beaten out of some loner's hunting spot until losing consciousness on the beach.
"I am so freaking hungry..." She whined in exhaustion, her tail drooping to drag over the wet pebbles and sand. "I have no friends here and when I try to make a friend I'm apparently an 'annoying bitch'!" It was a full blown pity party, but we all can remember our first time on our own right?
The yearling took a moment to take in a deep breath, close her eyes and fully right her mind as she did her body. "Okay, I can do this. Start small." She whispered into her breast before turning to face a tidepool. She didn't know what an oyster was but there were a ton of them in front of her. She pawed at one and watched bubbles rise from the creature to the surface of the pool. "What the hell is this thing? I wonder if I can I eat it..."
November 22, 2021, 04:30 PM
(This post was last modified: November 22, 2021, 04:31 PM by Dashiell.)
"I have no friends here and when I try to make a friend I'm apparently an 'annoying bitch'!"
Although most of the words of the "annoying bitch" were lost in the rise and fall of the beach's winds, Dash did catch a few snippets of the self-pitying tirade. He heard enough to know that the wolf lingering by the oyster pools was a kindred spirit; how many times over the years had his "annoying" behavior gotten him into hot water..?
..Too many to count. Dash approached the dark yearling with a spring in his step. He couldn't hear what she was murmuring to herself, but she was very much occupied by something down inside the tidepool.
"Hi there, stranger, whatcha got there?" he asked as he came within speaking distance. He did keep a polite distance, which was something he'd learned (the hard way) was necessary if he didn't want to get his ass chomped immediately upon meeting someone new.
His tongue lolled from his mouth as he stood with a relaxed stance, panting good-naturedly. The wind whipped through his disheveled fur, which was already a hopeless, matted mess from his years of travel in surf and sand.
Although most of the words of the "annoying bitch" were lost in the rise and fall of the beach's winds, Dash did catch a few snippets of the self-pitying tirade. He heard enough to know that the wolf lingering by the oyster pools was a kindred spirit; how many times over the years had his "annoying" behavior gotten him into hot water..?
..Too many to count. Dash approached the dark yearling with a spring in his step. He couldn't hear what she was murmuring to herself, but she was very much occupied by something down inside the tidepool.
"Hi there, stranger, whatcha got there?" he asked as he came within speaking distance. He did keep a polite distance, which was something he'd learned (the hard way) was necessary if he didn't want to get his ass chomped immediately upon meeting someone new.
His tongue lolled from his mouth as he stood with a relaxed stance, panting good-naturedly. The wind whipped through his disheveled fur, which was already a hopeless, matted mess from his years of travel in surf and sand.
November 22, 2021, 06:20 PM
A wiser wolf would have been startled, but Selena continued to study the bubbling rock in the water whilst occasionally sticking her nose in to nudge it. She was either incredibly daft, what with just having had the shit beaten out of her, or she was just very observant of the new-comer's cheerful demeanor upon arrival... so let's go with the latter. "Well, I have no idea. I've never seen one of these before but I think I can eat it?" Her dripping muzzle left the pool for a moment to look up at the man who stood before her, wild green eyes and pelt striking her first. She liked his vibe.
"Do you know if I can eat this? Have you had one? What are they?" Immediately as if she had known him for her entire life, Selena released an arsenal of questions upon the man. "What's your name? Are you hungry? Maybe we can hunt together?" The wolf's ears pressed forward eagerly awaiting a reply from her new friend.
"Do you know if I can eat this? Have you had one? What are they?" Immediately as if she had known him for her entire life, Selena released an arsenal of questions upon the man. "What's your name? Are you hungry? Maybe we can hunt together?" The wolf's ears pressed forward eagerly awaiting a reply from her new friend.
November 23, 2021, 02:48 PM
Her tone had a questioning air about it, so Dash took that as an invitation to move closer and investigate. What exactly had she found in the pool... an oyster, perhaps?
He dipped a paw into the pool and pulled out an oyster-- a pretty large one too, this girl had a good eye! "Is this what you mean?" he asked, settling the oyster onto the rocky ledge of the pool. It's gray, craggy shell blended nearly seamlessly with the surrounding rocks. He was impressed she had managed to find it.
She was full of questions, wasn't she? The girl began her onslaught of questions about the oyster, and Dash waved his tail in a good-natured fashion, waiting for her to fall silent.
..Which she never did, really. The questions kept coming. So he altered his approach, answering the questions as rapidly as she was asking them. Finally, someone who could keep up with his speed!
"What's your name?"
"Dash."
"Are you hungry?"
"Always."
"Maybe we can hunt together?"
"Doubt it." His face fell. He hated to disappoint her. "There's a sickness spreading through the herd animals inland," he explained, since the girl had finally made room for him to speak. "There are hardly any deer left. It's making the lone wolves touchier than usual, you might have noticed..." Dash couldn't help but make note of the fresh wounds that littered the yearling's body.
He dipped a paw into the pool and pulled out an oyster-- a pretty large one too, this girl had a good eye! "Is this what you mean?" he asked, settling the oyster onto the rocky ledge of the pool. It's gray, craggy shell blended nearly seamlessly with the surrounding rocks. He was impressed she had managed to find it.
She was full of questions, wasn't she? The girl began her onslaught of questions about the oyster, and Dash waved his tail in a good-natured fashion, waiting for her to fall silent.
..Which she never did, really. The questions kept coming. So he altered his approach, answering the questions as rapidly as she was asking them. Finally, someone who could keep up with his speed!
"What's your name?"
"Dash."
"Are you hungry?"
"Always."
"Maybe we can hunt together?"
"Doubt it." His face fell. He hated to disappoint her. "There's a sickness spreading through the herd animals inland," he explained, since the girl had finally made room for him to speak. "There are hardly any deer left. It's making the lone wolves touchier than usual, you might have noticed..." Dash couldn't help but make note of the fresh wounds that littered the yearling's body.
November 23, 2021, 10:02 PM
She watched from her crouching perch as the man just simply... lifted the thing out of the water. Selena held her breath for but a moment, fearing for the stranger's paw in case the creature clamped on to him but nothing seemed to happen. The rock just wobbled a few times on the stone before her and settled into an undisturbed rest once more. Her mind was blown and her head whipped to the side letting her nose nose fully smoosh against it's shell. She could have just done that the entire time.
"Yes," This was it. She spoke softly after a few more test smooshes asked, "What is it?"
This was mostly spoken to herself as her rattling mind already had forgotten she asked many follow up questions. Her tail thumped against the damp rock soil to show she was paying attention, but now in a sitting position Selena toyed with the oyster mindlessly with one paw. There was no food here? Was this entire journey just a mistake? She wouldn't go home no matter what, though. She had a point to prove! A point that literally no one else but her cared about but a point nonetheless.
"Dash." The shadow tried out his name, her black eyes meeting his own of forest greens. "My name is Selena and yeah," She broke searching his eyes to look over the superficial wounds on her forelegs. "And here I thought I was just bad at making friends." A girlish laugh was laced in some nervousness as her attention fell back to the rock creature. "Should I just, you know like- should I bite it?" The question was sort of a mute point as she tried this approach anyway, wrapping her muzzle gently around the smelly rock and lifting it carefully from the ground. The thing was larger than expected and hyperextended her jaw slightly, causing her useless tongue to loll out the side as she stared at Dash for approval. This didn't seem right.
"Yes," This was it. She spoke softly after a few more test smooshes asked, "What is it?"
This was mostly spoken to herself as her rattling mind already had forgotten she asked many follow up questions. Her tail thumped against the damp rock soil to show she was paying attention, but now in a sitting position Selena toyed with the oyster mindlessly with one paw. There was no food here? Was this entire journey just a mistake? She wouldn't go home no matter what, though. She had a point to prove! A point that literally no one else but her cared about but a point nonetheless.
"Dash." The shadow tried out his name, her black eyes meeting his own of forest greens. "My name is Selena and yeah," She broke searching his eyes to look over the superficial wounds on her forelegs. "And here I thought I was just bad at making friends." A girlish laugh was laced in some nervousness as her attention fell back to the rock creature. "Should I just, you know like- should I bite it?" The question was sort of a mute point as she tried this approach anyway, wrapping her muzzle gently around the smelly rock and lifting it carefully from the ground. The thing was larger than expected and hyperextended her jaw slightly, causing her useless tongue to loll out the side as she stared at Dash for approval. This didn't seem right.
November 23, 2021, 11:24 PM
"And here I thought I was just bad at making friends."
Dash chuckled at that, although from the looks of her legs she really wasn't kidding. "You know, I think there still might be some supplies over on the Plateau..." he let his gaze drift often his shoulder to the Plateau across the plains. "I could probably get you patched up.." he offered, turning back to Selena. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw that she was about to bite down on the oyster.
"Oh, fucking-- don't bite down on that! Unless you're trying to cut your mouth open on that shell. And I can't patch that shit up."
Dash gestured to the flat, rocky edge of the pool. "Just set it down there, easy does it..." He used his muzzle to roll a chunk of rock over to the oyster, which he would settle directly on top of the creature if Selena decided to listen to him and spit it out.
"Give that a good press," he would instruct her, "Maybe a few bounces for good measure.." Once they heard the shell crunch, they would know it was time to lift the rock.
Dash chuckled at that, although from the looks of her legs she really wasn't kidding. "You know, I think there still might be some supplies over on the Plateau..." he let his gaze drift often his shoulder to the Plateau across the plains. "I could probably get you patched up.." he offered, turning back to Selena. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw that she was about to bite down on the oyster.
"Oh, fucking-- don't bite down on that! Unless you're trying to cut your mouth open on that shell. And I can't patch that shit up."
Dash gestured to the flat, rocky edge of the pool. "Just set it down there, easy does it..." He used his muzzle to roll a chunk of rock over to the oyster, which he would settle directly on top of the creature if Selena decided to listen to him and spit it out.
"Give that a good press," he would instruct her, "Maybe a few bounces for good measure.." Once they heard the shell crunch, they would know it was time to lift the rock.
November 24, 2021, 11:16 PM
"Gahhhh!" Her muffled voice could be heard exclaiming from behind the oyster as Dash guided her mouth to safety by instructing her to drop it. Well that was stupid of her, but it was all about the experience right? Sure. Selena's saliva strung from the shelled morsel to her mouth as she placed it on the rock and continued to even as she pulled away. She was so hungry her tongue felt like it was drowning.
"Like this?" Carefully the young woman found her balance as she applied her forepaws to the rock. "Okay. One, two, three!" With the force of a starving animal, the woman bounced on the rock eliciting a satisfying crack. "Oh shit..." Removing her paws so that she could nose the rock off of the oyster, the yearling found that Dash was right. The gooey insides were beginning to squeeze from the cracks in the shell. "I did it! I mean- well, we did it." The girl gave her new friend and excited and grateful woof before toppling the rock back on the oyster. Now to finish the job.
Once the shellfish had been completely demolished, Selena found herself on her belly again closely investigating her kill. Tasted salty, tasted weird. "Oh, and I would appreciate it is you had something for these cuts." Back to the offer, she nodded and looked to the plateau Dash mentioned. "They are really starting to burn... I'm sorry, I should have offered. Would you like some of this goop?" How rude of her not to offer her shell crusted goop she had been slurping.
"Like this?" Carefully the young woman found her balance as she applied her forepaws to the rock. "Okay. One, two, three!" With the force of a starving animal, the woman bounced on the rock eliciting a satisfying crack. "Oh shit..." Removing her paws so that she could nose the rock off of the oyster, the yearling found that Dash was right. The gooey insides were beginning to squeeze from the cracks in the shell. "I did it! I mean- well, we did it." The girl gave her new friend and excited and grateful woof before toppling the rock back on the oyster. Now to finish the job.
Once the shellfish had been completely demolished, Selena found herself on her belly again closely investigating her kill. Tasted salty, tasted weird. "Oh, and I would appreciate it is you had something for these cuts." Back to the offer, she nodded and looked to the plateau Dash mentioned. "They are really starting to burn... I'm sorry, I should have offered. Would you like some of this goop?" How rude of her not to offer her shell crusted goop she had been slurping.
November 27, 2021, 11:31 AM
"All right!" Dash cheered when he herd the crunch. She lifted the rock, and it was clear that the oyster had been just about liquefied by the force of the bounce. Oh well. It would still fill the girl's belly, and she would perfect her oyster-cracking technique with time. If she planned to stick around, that is.
The girl went about slurping up the oyster goop, and Dash tried not to openly wince. The thing was, oysters didn't actually taste that good. That was why it was best to try to crack them without damaging the mussel inside. If you got it just right, the whole oyster would slip down your throat, bypassing your tongue save for a slightly salty aftertaste.
"Oh, um.. nah, you need it more than me," Dash turned down her offer, trying his best to hide the fact that he wasn't even a little bit tempted by the mashed oyster-paste.
And about her cuts. "Some medical supplies are on the Plateau," he repeated, because she seemed like the kind of person who needed to have everything said at least twice. He swung his muzzle east, pointing. "You can come find me there, and I'll see what I can do." He wasn't going to bring her now, because even though he recalled the supplies were there, his memory was going fuzzy as to their exact location. He would need some time to hunt them down.
"Bon appetite, Selena." He would leave her to her meal, and in the meantime, try his damnedest to remember where they had put that medical cache on Ocean's Breath Plateau.
The girl went about slurping up the oyster goop, and Dash tried not to openly wince. The thing was, oysters didn't actually taste that good. That was why it was best to try to crack them without damaging the mussel inside. If you got it just right, the whole oyster would slip down your throat, bypassing your tongue save for a slightly salty aftertaste.
"Oh, um.. nah, you need it more than me," Dash turned down her offer, trying his best to hide the fact that he wasn't even a little bit tempted by the mashed oyster-paste.
And about her cuts. "Some medical supplies are on the Plateau," he repeated, because she seemed like the kind of person who needed to have everything said at least twice. He swung his muzzle east, pointing. "You can come find me there, and I'll see what I can do." He wasn't going to bring her now, because even though he recalled the supplies were there, his memory was going fuzzy as to their exact location. He would need some time to hunt them down.
"Bon appetite, Selena." He would leave her to her meal, and in the meantime, try his damnedest to remember where they had put that medical cache on Ocean's Breath Plateau.
Can be the last from me!
December 03, 2021, 08:06 PM
The girl nodded with the anticipation of seeing Dash again. There was something gratifying about being on your own and to make connections with other adults. How grown up and independent of her. "Okay! I'll see you over there." Selena called as the wild man made his was to the plateau. She would give him some time to get his things together. Besides, the oyster already wasn't agreeing with her and she would have to have a bit of privacy for a while.
Sounds good to me!
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