Stavanger Bay gazing in the rays of the solar

@Dalia!

Wooooo boy! This place was kicking, huh? It had everything! Stone, trees, grass, sand, endless supply of water. That he had quickly learned did not taste good at all. But that was whatever. He could find some water elsewhere.

He bounded through the shallow waters without a care in the world, soaking the lower half of his fiery frame. It would be obvious to anyone watching that Canyon had a big whopping 0 cares in the world right now. In fact, he felt better than he had in weeks. Months even! This place was almost better than back home and he didn't even know that was possible.

oh if only dalia had seen someone try to drink the ocean water. even she wouldn't have been able to hold back a giggle! the ocean provided many things for them, food, for once-- but an endless supply of drinking water was not something the ocean could offer them. 

one of it's many dangers, she supposed. 

the pearl spotted him bounding through the water, however, and for a moment she almost mistook him for velen-- but this male was much more fiery than velen was. their personalities might've matched, though, dalia couldn't tell from this far away.

either way, his excitement was contagious! unable to help herself, eager to join in on a bit of a swim (anything to get in the water!) dalia let out a few bright yips and bounded down the sand, sending it flying past her feels, her tail flagging happily. unless he'd snap at her, dalia was intent on splashing up to him.

A wild grin spread across his face when he suddenly had company. Oh. It was cute company too. He had remembered how that had went last time. That didn't mean he had learned anything from it, though.

Yo! He called out as she approached, eagerness rolled off of him in undeniable waves. Isn't this the best? As if making a point he bounded a bit deeper into the waters so that it may dare to brush against his underside. That was it though. Canyon wasn't sure if he wanted to go deeper.

With one wide paw, he swiped the water in her direction with hopes that he could entice her to hang around and play for a bit.

he was friendly! dalia was glad she didn't have to fend off an angry, defensive wolf. she just wanted to have some fun! and clearly, he did too!! he mentioned how great splashing in the ocean was, and dalia nodded in return. "it is!" she replied, her tail wagging as she stood before him in the water. he sent a splash of water her way, which sprayed against her face. the salty water dripped down her brow, over her muzzle, back into the water at their feet.

she gave one playful bark and did the same at him, quickly whipping around and bolting away. she turned once, falling into a quick playbow, and then fled again, hopefully enticing him to a game of chase!

Well she sure was agreeable, huh? He liked her already! She would make a great friend. Perhaps the best friend? Well...that was yet to be decided!

He poorly tried to shield his face from her splashing and blinked his eyes to get the water droplets off of his lashes. By the time he could properly see again she was already bounding off. Yo wait up! He called out with a laugh quickly following. His long legs greedily ate up the land below him, kicking damp sand up behind his fiery form.

His tail whipped over his back as an eager banner. I bet I can get you!

he definitely could! poor, poor, slow dalia had been bested in races twice now along these shores, but what did she care? a little race was sometimes a little fun-- and dalia had never been a sore loser. she always accepted defeat in stride.

she let out a bell-like laugh, ringing through the water in perfect chime. "bet not!" she called out anyhow, knowing it was a bold faced lie. she splashed forwards, petite paws not so delicate as they disrupted the tide, splashing little rings around her ankles. her tail waved behind her, ears pricked up as the pearl bounded through the water.

He lived for bets, dares and any other sorts of things like those. They ramped his adrenaline through the roof. Without another word he pushed himself to catch up, she had had a headstart but he intended to catch up with her and win this bet. Running on sand was a lot different than other surfaces but he didn't mind. Just might make him a bit messier was all.

A soft laugh escaped him before he launched himself at the female, in hopes to tackle her down to the sandy shores. Canyon was fully determined to win. Even if that meant possibly missing her and getting a face full of sand.

oh, but honey, he didn't miss. 

dalia was slow enough as is, and her small frame made her easily dominated in most situations. so when he leapt forward, intent on tackling her into the sand, he did just that. 

the pearl went down light and easy. the rusty male crashed into her and pulled her down with her weight, and the two tumbled forwards into the wet sand, the little particles stuck on all sides of her pale fur. she giggled as they came to a stop, pressing her forelimbs against him even as his weight held her in place beneath him. 

"you caught me," she commented breathily, tongue sticking out at him before swiping across her nose to remove some of the sand that stuck to it. she hadn't expected much else. and she certainly hadn't expected to be in this position. 

He had a dumb wide grin on his face as he managed to get her pinned beneath him. He was so pleased with himself that he could ignore sand being in even the most uncomfortable places. I guess I did, huh? His tail swayed with ease behind him. So what did you bet on me not catching you? Canyon teased with a slight glint in his pale eyes.

The male did not fully grasp perhaps the awkwardness of their position but he wasn't fully aware of anything most of the time. He was entirely a do now, think later kind of wolf.

she wiggled beneath him for a few seconds before falling still, forepaws still pressed up to his chest, legs stiff. his question was interesting, and dalia considered it curiously for a moment, studying the dumb expression upon his face before finally deciding on a proper response.

"we didn't establish any rules beforehand-- so your prize is null," she teased in response, tail tapping against the sand beneath her, rather proud of her snarky answer. oh! saucy would be so proud!

He let out a hearty laugh. Cheater! He teasingly called out before aiming to press against her paws on his chest and nip at her own chest. Granted Canyon never once stopped to consider "Huh, maybe not everyone wants you all over them you big dumb lover boy." Because why would he use that useless brain settled in his skull? He wouldn't because he was Canyon and Canyon had never been a very smart canine. Especially in social situations.

"am not!" protested dalia, who accepted his nips only because she had no where else to go. she did, however, nip at his ears as his head went down, insistent on getting in her own shot. it was a low blow, but petite little dalia had few options. 

and then, she wiggled, pushing against against his chest. "get off me, you oaf, or i'll have sand in my coat for ages," she whined, but it was less whiney and more of a demand-- because whining was not ladylike. she truthfully didn't mind him there-- but the more she realized it the more she felt hot in the face-- and the more she wanted to be at the same level as him.

He accepted the nips at his ears, tilting his head back and forth in a piss poor attempt at blocking her teeth. Her words caused a sharp HA! to escape him before he pulled back, giving her what she had so kindly asked for.

Well I, for one, think you look good with sand in your coat. He teased with a crooked grin. I still think you're a cheater though. I got you. I won. I should get a prize. Right? Canyon said with an obviously over exaggerated roll of his eyes. The grin never once left his features though.

He might have been a bit of a dumb guy but he was never outright rude.

he got off her, thankfully, leaving a gentle whoosh to fall from the pearls breath. she stood up, face heating up as he made a comment about how she still looked nice with sand in her pelt. but she didn't let it show, instead she just shook out her fur-- sending sand and water droplets all over him, and then gave him a pointed look, a small smile attached to her maw. her fur was less groomed now, obviously, sticking up a bit from the the water fights, from the fall-- literally covered in sand still. but whatever, she would groom tonight. she'd probably ask for @Saucy's help too. 

he apparently still thought he should gain a prize from this. dalia's nose turned up as she judged him accordingly, assessing him curiously. "what do you want, victor?" she asked the crowned winner, lowering her muzzle to meet his gaze.

Oh. Well. Huh.

It had never dawned on Canyon's dim brain that he should think of what he wanted as a prize. He also hadn't actually expected her to cave to his teasing. It so rarely worked. Most wolves pawned him off onto someone else or left him to deal with stuff on his own. So this was a new experience.

Uhhhh. He trailed off with a thoughtful look that looked so out of place on his childish features. Well what do you have to offer? I don't want to be making demands that can't be met. That was a Smart Thing™ to say. Right?

dalia was so gullible though... so easily molded. so of course she caved to his nagging. 

dalia was going to offer something fun and witty but ultimately, she had nothing. oh-- but wait! she had something... but was it hers to give? "i just have me," she teased gently, wolves didn't often carry stuff around, "but.. you're kinda in the territory of where my friends and i are trying to settle." dalia wondered how he'd take that news.

"i can take you to our leader-- as long as he likes you maybe your prize can be a place in our ranks?" oh-- maybe. so far saucy had been a good addition. she wondered if she could keep this whole recruitment thing going-- maybe it'd put her in high regards in ford's eyes.

Oh he really goofed now. Was his prize bad news? That was an awful prize! His ears folded back against his skull as he gave her an apologetic grin. Oh man...I'm real sorry about that. He admitted honestly. Perhaps that was something that should have stuck to his brain mentioning he had met the man trying to claim this place but...say it along with me now, Canyon wasn't very smart.

I dunno if I'm looking for commitment just yet, you know? Last girl who promised me something like that had my ass thoroughly handed to me. He admitted with an awkward chuckle. His ego had been punched by this whole situation and he was having an awful case of déjà vu.

dalia's eyes widened, taken completely aback by what he was saying. "i-- i wasn't offering me!" she exclaimed, a little mortified he expected that of her, "i.. i don't even know your name! i just-- meant you could... live here--" she found herself shaking her head, completely avoiding eye contact with him because now she was completely embarrassed. 

"oh-- nevermind-- it doesn't matter," she said, a little defeated by the waves of emotion that just crashed over her. shoot! she should've picked her words better, now she just looked stupid and desperate.

Oh! I-I didn't mean you. He was dense but not exactly that dense. I meant commitment to a pack, rank, so on. This real nice girl had these plans for a grand pack and offer me a spot so I went with her and just...yeah. Got my ass handed to me in the end. Canyon was really getting pumpled on his ego tonight. This was the second time he had mentioned his ass getting kicked and he had already messed up with this cute girl. Which meant being just friends was probably now out of the question also.

I'm really sorry. And uh, I'm Canyon by the way. What an awful intro to and introduction.

dalia looked back at him, blinking as he spoke. and, suddenly, she let out a collection of giggles and a heavy shake of her head. "oh this is a mess, isn't is canyon?" she mused before her gaze found him again, "my name is dalia." could they soothe this awkward moment? or were they bound to wallow in the miscommunication that it was...

she added, a little bit after, "i'm sorry about that girl.. and that pack-- that kinda sucks." she meant it.