Whitefish River hey lucid dreamer

(For @Bartholomew)

Recalcitrant. Obstinate. Rebellious. These words had been tossed at Ygdris her entire life - by her mother, by the strangers she had encountered on her way here... It had never bothered her for, truth be told, she couldn't think of too many convincing reasons those were wholly negative traits. It made her laugh now to think about how she had responded then - puffing out her chest, stamping her paws, arching her tail high over her back as if the intending offense had instead been placed upon her lapel like a badge of honor.

She was growing into some of her more abrasive traits, to be sure, but she had been cursed from birth with a sharp tongue and a strong inner compass (at least the way she saw it) that seemed to put her instantly at odds with the wants of most others. Everyone wanted something, especially from overly friendly strangers... So, what better defense than to be anything but friendly, or approachable, or hell, even pleasant. She chuckled under her breath as she came to a stop at the edge of the edge of a river, watching absently the way the light played off the whitewater.

bc I still wanna get in here...
for bartholomew timeline sake note to self: this is...before Tamar and Rhaenyra

women clutter the land.

it is an unbecoming thought, but a thought all the same. this one thankfully hardly seemed the friendly type. or rather, she did not bombard him first.

there is something about her thought.

a stark difference from the beasts. he thinks of the guardian dog. perhaps they know one another, perhaps he would want to know her.

blessed day, he greeted hesitantly.

once upon a time, before the wilds ground him between barbaric teeth, it had been easy to greet others.

Blessed day. Ygdris heaved a sigh as she slowly turned to face the source of the hesitant voice... and she was shocked to find not quite a wolf staring back at her. She looked the man over and cooked her head, her expression betraying her surprise. "Who blessed it? You? Or some hoity toity god-type?" she quipped, turning fully to face the stranger. 

Her two-toned gaze was sharp, and her tongue sharper. She wondered how the man would react to her, as he had seemed almost wary at first. She settled slowly to her haunches, wrapping her tail around her paws, and watched him in silence another moment. "You make a habit of approaching strange women?" she teased, arching a brow and changing her expression from a scowl to a slight smirk.

he already soured towards her.

so quick these days, to find his mood fouled by wild women with tongues sharper than their minds.

no, he told her directly, golden gaze hawkish. but it was a lie and his heart clenched. he had made it a habit, hadn't he? one that desperately needed to be broken.

i am working on it. he corrected himself. ego crumbling some.

are you with andrés?

a shot in the dark.

His demeanor went from uncomfortable to flat out over her shit almost instantaneously. Had she desired to tempt fate further, she might have laughed at the reaction - but she decided not to press her luck. You never could know what a stranger was capable of when provoked. His responses went from indignant to embarrassed to... confusing. Ygdris screwed her face up at him and then let out a hearty laugh.

"I don't know anyone by the name of Andrés... Hope that's not a disappointment. 'm Ygdris. And you are...?" she queried, a bit warmer than she had been before, but also a full shade more confused. While confusing, and awkward, this man was... agreeable, and entertaining far more so than anyone else she had encountered since leaving her family behind. Perhaps it could be fun to be... friendly for once.

ah, so she did not.

bartholomew, he answered softly.

andrés is a...domestic man. giant and stocky, he seems to know other non-wolf canines. i simply wondered if you were apart of his flock.

he wondered what she would do with a man such as andrés. a religious man, steadfast and certain. he was stapled in his ways.

he would hate to lead a chaotic force his way.