Stavanger Bay there'd be swimming pools filled by models

today was cloudy, no surprise given the recent change of seasons. dalia had nothing crazy to do today, so she took a breather. the ocean pearl rested in the sand, her paws crossed over one another and her tail curled around her hind legs. 

she was doing a lot of thinking about her family-- about her drageda family and newly claimed scavenger bay family. she was happy here, that much she knew, at least. but she wondered what her mother was doing-- and her father-- and her kid siblings. she hoped they were well. if she knew that dacio had recently earned his rank as drakru, she'd have been so proud. it was much more than she had accomplished there. 

her ears pressed forwards, thoughts swarming her mind, the waves crashing over the sand. just as they always did.

@Absolute <3

<3!

Shh. Silence. Only the gentle swish of the waves and the occasional cry of a white-winged seabird out looking for prey could be heard amongst the swift sea breeze. Much like the many rivers and dancing rivulets that had adorned his alpine home, Absolute had begun to call this rugged coastline his familiar ever since he’d let it become his pathway south. Though he was not yet aware of the ocean’s hidden bounties and merciless endeavours - for she was an entirely new being in herself - he had certainly managed to scrounge a living so far.

Sand crunched coarsely beneath his paws as he stepped in and out of the surf, nose barely brushing the ivory seafoam and he snorted - nope - sneezed. The arctic boy was left looking curiously at a grey, very much wolflike shape seated not far from where he stood currently within the ebbing tide. Whoever he’d ran across looked so peaceful; Absolute dared not disturb the other as he remained where he stood.

but she was already disturbed. 

as a coarse sneeze broke up the silence of the afternoon, dalia's ears turned towards it. following, her muzzle, which dipped down gently and allowed her seafoam eyes to focus on a burly man of a wolf, tawny but pale. his eyes were like hers, in that they embodied the ocean, but much bluer. she watched him curiously as he stood a ways before her, eventually allowing her head to tilt to one side.

"it's not polite to stare," she called out to him, a small smile playing along the edges of her lips. she added, to show she was not actually upset, "my name is dalia."

Heat began to well beneath the thickness of the boy’s pelt as he watched the head of the stranger turn to look upon himself, almost as if it were in slow motion. His teeth worried the skin of his bottom lip before he dipped his head and - albeit finally - averted his gaze to a small shell being pulled and pushed by the ocean’s soft hands along the beach...

...before the sound of her voice wrenched him back.

It was soft and feminine, like the owner herself whose silvery freckling held so much resemblance to the stars. Absolute came to realise this as he approached her cautiously, just as her name Dalia was spoken. He noted the smile, but bit back an apologetic grin even so. “Sorry hi...um...what are you..doing out here?” he asked quietly, feeling as though he ought to reply to her now that he was here. She seemed alert, perhaps she had been looking for something? Absolute wondered if she knew the coast well. He paused, his demeanour still tense. “I’m..Absolute.”

"i live here," replied dalia, as if the answer was so plain as day, "i was just looking at the ocean." simple as that. there was plenty else to be done, maybe, but dalia was relaxing today. 

absolute. dalia thought that it was an interesting name, perhaps not as interesting as saucy's name, though. he approached her, settling before her sort of nervously. dalia thought that was cute-- all the wolves she'd met thus far were quite outgoing... she'd yet to meet one that was, perhaps, as reserved as she was.

"what are you doing out here, absolute?" she returned.

“Oh.” Another quiet whisper. Absolute turned to glance over the vast blue body as she mentioned this was her home, before finally beginning to relax down beside her. He’d never met someone who actually lived here amongst the surf. Wait, she lived on the beach? The northern boy had travelled along the coast, yes, but he’d always made sure to den well away from the roaring waves at night.

He’d opened his mouth to ask her more when a question took him by surprise. His nose whipped around to face her - he was now painfully aware of how large and awkward his frame seemed beside the smaller grey pearl’s. “Just passing through,” he responded, “I think. Actually...uh...I’m not sure. I’ve been passing through places for quite a while.” A sheepish smile was offered. “Sorry for uh...intruding on your home.”

dalia giggled, shaking her head. he was so strange-- in a good way. so awkward. dalia wondered why he was so nervous. 

"it's okay," she reassured him, "there's a group of us-- we plan on claiming this land soon but for now we're just in the area." that was true enough. to herself, dalia made note to ask when this would all become a reality. she'd pledged her allegiance time and time again to ford, who always seemed to question it, but not yet had they seemed to settle down officially. she wondered when it'd happen. 

and then, she wondered if absolute had been by drageda. she wanted to ask, but she didn't. it would be weird if she did. "are you continuing south?" she asked him instead.

Her reassurance was welcomed with a slight tail wag and Absolute nodded thoughtfully, the slight chuckle sailing right over his head for the time being. “I have to admit I didn’t notice anyone else round here, but that may just be me,” he mused with a grin and began to study her features more carefully. Her eyes beheld shades that matched almost perfectly with the sea-surf and would definitely be something he’d remember about the stardusted girl lest he run into her again.

“Probably,” he replied as she inquired about his travels. There was still so much to see. “Though the view here is...stunning.” Even on a cloudy day like this, the pale yearling still marvelled with a great deal of affection at just how vast and unpredictably beautiful the sea really was. “How many of you are there here?” he asked, his voice suddenly curious again. It had been a while since he’d parted ways with his siblings and a friend would be...nice.

she nodded at his comment. sure, there weren't too many, so it made sense he hadn't spotted anyone else. but still, there were enough of them. and then she nodded again, a bit more enthusiastic. "the ocean is amazing," she purled in agreement, gaze falling out onto the water for a minute before looking back at him, "you should see it when the sun sets-- when the sky isn't so cloudy." oh, a sunset or a sunrise on the ocean was... just gorgeous. dalia wished she could look at one right now.

but, alas, such was autumn.

"six-- including me," she told him with a smile, gaze trailing back to absolute, "ford is our leader-- his brothers velen and rannvieg, their sister lilia, our friend saucy, and then me." easy run-down. dalia would only go in depth if he asked her to.

A quiet hum of agreement met her enthusiastic nods and Absolute followed her gaze to stare out into the horizon once more. Everything always looked so much more alive after the sun had set and night had claimed all. Whether it was just him and his love for being under the stars, but the arctic boy couldn’t imagine a more beautiful place to live. Even with its strange creatures and turbulent weather.

He had to admit though, he was beginning to miss the trees.

He swivelled his tanned ears to listen as Dalia continued to speak. Six wasn’t a lot, but - oh - saucy? “That’s an interesting name,” he interjected, turning to give her a quizzical tilt of his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I hope you’re able to claim this land soon - sorry - I must be boring you.” Absolute was quite happy to sit and talk and watch the waves but...he let his head fall to his paws as he began to work at nosing the dry sand from side to side.

his comment seemed to echo her own thoughts, but dalia simply nodded, unable to help herself from letting out a small giggle. "you're right-- but she is very saucy," the pale pearl mused to him. and then she was surprised to hear him speak so lowly of himself-- shocking, considering how often dalia thought so lowly of herself.

"oh please don't say that," she asked him, her voice sounding pleading, "i don't think you're boring at all. i'm enjoying your company quite a bit, actually." she hoped that reassured him... she meant it!! sometimes it was nice just to have someone to sit next to. or lay beside. they could talk about nothing for all she cared. she was enjoying the company.

He listened and laughed - a genuine happy chuckle bubbling its way up his throat as Dalia elaborated rather amusingly on her friend. It was funny how some names seemed to fit each individual. Though he knew not of any meaning behind it, he’d decided Dalia seemed to fit the chatty stardust pretty well. As for Absolute’s own name, well, who knew where his parents had got it from.

“Sounds like you know her well. If you’re able to come to that conclusion, I mean,” he smiled softly, perhaps a twinge of sadness behind his words. Briefly he thought of his littermates, before her words brought him back to the present. If Dalia had felt the same self-doubt as himself, Absolute had utterly failed to notice, and instead widened his eyes at her pleading tone. He kept the smile though, honestly grateful for her lack of judgement.  “Honestly I’m not great at this whole,” he gestured with his muzzle, “talking thing.” But I enjoy your company too. “It’s comfortable here. I like it.” 

Though questions still brimmed at the forefront of his mind, Absolute thought he had probably quizzed the seashore girl enough and so for now let the moment lapse into a still quiet, soothed by the lap of the waves, lest Dalia speak some more.

dalia did. well, as well as you could get to know someone in such a short amount of time. dalia would venture to call saucy her best friend, but fearful that that was a bit embarrassing (they'd just met!!) she kept the feeling to herself. she simply nodded, a small smile pressed to her lips still.

"i think you're doing just fine," dalia encouraged. and then she nodded again, because it was comfortable. this beach was comfortable. dalia wondered if she should ask him to stay-- or if that would be weird. would ford accept him? what would ford think? would he be proud? dalia had been doing a lot of inviting to stay, lately, and she wasn't even sure if it was her place.

she did it anyway.

"if you decide you want to stay, you could talk to @Ford... he's our leader," she offered gently, a little shrug falling upon her shoulders.