Honeyed Pasture if teardrops could be bottled,

AW! come fwm!!

dalia strayed from the claims that ford had made, but not with the intention to leave for good. she simply was stretching her legs, and when the blackened trees and underbrush began to thin, she was in a green pasture. she continued on through it, simply for the beauty of it and because she had nothing to do. dalia kicked at a stone as she came across it, observing it curiously for a moment before deciding it was not precious, and she would not bring it to ford.

and so she continued on, ears pricked.

sorry this is late!! <3

saucy too felt like straying from the bay, she remembered her conversation with Sweet a few weeks ago; she wanted to settle but not to stop exploring. That didn’t necessarily mean she wanted to travel long distances, but she wanted freedom, so she took this day to remind herself that freedom was hers to keep. She found herself wandering into a broad green pasture, with waving grasses and warm easterly winds. They soothed her, and reminded her of the less wet places she’d been, and how much she’d liked them. She briefly missed the valley, but only briefly.

After a little while of wandering and thinking, Saucy’s relaxation time ended and her body clock told her it was time to do something exciting. She started to run through the fields, her footsteps pulsing into the ground and her tongue lolling out between her teeth. Her heart beat quickened, she felt alive and awakened. She paused her running when she came across a familiar scent. Dalia! She easily changed directions and took off after her friend, running now for a purpose.

She arrived to see the grey freckled girl, and let out a friendly bark to alert her. She slowed her pace, which became a bouncy saunter to meet Dalia. Heyo! What’s up? she said in a laidback and joyous tone.

her ears turned back before the rest of her head did, her bi-colored gaze resting upon her saucy friend (haha). "hey!" she returned with a wag of her tail, "oh, i'm just walking." oh how boring, dalia! she paused for a second before deciding to tack on, "i told ford i'd show him some gemstones... i don't know if i'll find any out here but i was just looking." that sounded corny. ugh, she should've just stuck to what she originally said.

anyway-- "what are you doing?" she asked, flipping the question back on saucy with a kind smile, ears cupped forwards towards the female.

Gemstones? What’d he want them for? Saucy wasn’t exactly a shiny things kind of girl, she saw little difference between a diamond and dirt. For whatever reason Dalia or Ford would want a gemstone, Saucy didn’t think she’d find many out here either, they grow in like, mountains I think, the dumbness of that sentence flew totally over her head. 

Her tail began to wag when she was asked about her own antics, I was just running, gotta keep up the grind you know, she replied playfully, energy still shooting through her body. The white lioness let out a playful growl, shaking her powder sugar mane. You wanna run too? I’m in a hyper mood, sorry, she said with a jovial giggle. She wasn’t entirely sure of Dalia’s temperament yet, but a friend is a friend, and fun was fun no matter who you’re with.

her ears pricked as saucy made a comment about the stones-- it seemed she had some knowledge of them! oh, maybe she could teach dalia something new-- oh but she doubted it, portia had known so much! "i've found quartz in all sorts of places... but, you're right, i'd have more luck at the cliffs," she returned with a wag of her tail. it wasn't that she was searching... just, keeping an eye out. 

a run? "oh-- i'm not very good at running," dalia said with a gentle dip of her head, stretching a short little forelimb out to prove her cause, "but, if you give me a headstart--!" but dalia was already running, calling the last few words over her shoulder as her little grey legs propelled her forwards. oh! it was the same trick velen had pulled on her, but it was saucy this time who had fallen victim!

aww yiss she was gonna run- WAIT! That SNEAKY- well bitch was not something that could be used to describe Dalia so umm- LADY! Saucy’s friend took off even before she finished her sentence. DUDE! she exclaimed in surprise, though her icy blue eyes narrowed as she accepted the challenge. They weren’t really racing to anything, there was no goal or anything to constitute winning. However Saucy was going to win. This was fact. With a wriggle of her hips she took off after Dalia, letting loose a playful growl.

She sped forwards through the tall grass, which whipped at her fruitlessly. She scrambled to get right at Dalia’s heels, then to her side. She ran next to her for a moment, shot her a look of ‘haha I caught up sucker’ and attempted to go further. Oh it was on.

okay, so maybe the headstart wasn't really helpful. or worth it. but saucy seemed amused! so dalia was secretly pretty proud of herself. she giggled as she ran, but moments later saucy was right at her heels, and then right at her side. and then poor dalia was straining with all her might, little legs moving as fast as they could, to keep her friends pace. 

her tongue lolled, lips pulled into a smile even so, and her ears alternated between pushed back for ultimate aerodynamic action and pricked because-- hehe! she was having fun. even as her feet beat against the ground, grassing whipping at her (it didn't help she was pretty short-- petite), dalia was dropping behind by the second. but she was doing a pretty okay job!

congrats on 100!!

Dalia seemed to be having a good time, she was smiling. Saucy was sort of smiling, it was a mixture of, “this is so fun,” and “I want to win really fucking bad”. She hardly noticed that Dalia was struggling to keep up, she just kept on running. Finally she came to a stop, deciding that a lone tree was their finish line. When she reached it she turned to see her friend, and let out joyous whoops. Breathing heavy with exhilaration, Saucy did a victory circle around herself as she waited for Dalia to catch up.

you just got served! Bro I’ve seen snails go faster than you, she taunted, she couldn’t help herself. These were the kinds of things her and her sister would do to each other. In her eyes, a good friendship was one where you could make fun of the other and still know that you loved them. Hopefully Dalia got the memo, otherwise Saucy was just being saucy.

oof! dang it-- the more they ran the further ahead saucy got. just like belen had kicked the tar outta her in their race, so had saucy. dalia came to a stop as saucy did her little victory dances and gloats, keeling over in a heavy pant, nose towards the ground. "dang it!"  she finally said once she'd found her breathe-- but barely, it came out pretty airy and winded. her nose raised, flashing saucy a bright smile, tail flagging behind her.

"i told you," she reiterated, "it's these darned legs." she stretched the same foreleg out once again. "how'd you get so fast, anyhow, babe?" she asked her friend, rolling actually rather gracefully from her upright position and onto her side, body bathing in how cold the ground was. mmm. feel nice.

ooomg!! thank you!!!

Saucy watched Dalia cross the finish line and take her deep breaths. Her taunts were taken well, and Saucy mentally noted that Dalia was dope actually and that they could definitely be gal pals. She snickered when the gray girl showed off her sick ride (her legs) then asked Saucy how she got so fast. The she-wolf shrugged and rolled over too, curling into a snowball and then uncurling and hey she was wolf again! It’s all about the thrust babe. You gotta get a good start and then you can keep going from there, she said with a smile, her tourmaline gaze drifting to Dalia.

She laid there for a moment, collecting her breath and her thoughts and soaking up the sunlight like a sponge. She rolled over onto her stomach to talk, her tail wagging cheerfully behind her. So where are you from? she asked, hoping to get to know Dalia better. These were just the basics, the stuff every friend should know about their friends.

"thrust," repeated dalia in a gentle mumble, taking one, big breathe. "i'll work on my thrust," she added with a few beats of her tail, not currently aware that the word had multiple connotations-- she knew it, it just wasn't the first thing she paired with it. granted, sex wasn't the first thing dalia paired with anything.

when saucy rolled onto her stomach, dalia followed, her ears pressing forwards. "drageda," she told her friend, a sad, soft sort of smile on her face, "it's north of here, on the coast. a really lovely place." i miss it, she wanted to add, but didn't. because she liked it here too, she liked all the wolves she'd met, she wouldn't go back now.

my mind:

Saucy smiled when Dalia repeated her words. Surprisingly Saucy’s mind hadn’t reached the innuendo yet either, it would occur to her later that day surely, that she could’ve made a wack ass joke out of it. But right now she wasn’t thinking about wise cracks, she was just trying to help out a friend. 

Dalia answered with a sad sort of smile, Drageda she said. What that meant Saucy didn’t know, but it sounded pretty cool. She listened with her ears pressed forwards, interested in her friend’s birth pack. I was born without a pack, just a mom and a dad and my bros. What’s it like being a pack wolf, do you miss it? she asked, out of curiosity for Dalia’s past but also for information on what her future might be with the coastal wolves. She had no idea what it would be like not moving around all the time, having whole ass responsibilities. She’d trust Dalia’s judgment to debrief her and prepare her.

dalia thought it was weird to have never been a part of a pack. such was life, wasn't it? apparently not. she listened with perked ears, wanting to pry more, but deciding it would be rude to ask so many questions. another day, maybe.

"oh it's not much different than this," dalia said with a small smile, "filling caches and patrolling... i did more gardening and healing back home." it was true. their little rag tag group was small, sure, but they were a pack all the same. at least, dalia would call them that. one day they'd be bigger, once they got more wolves to follow them. dalia hoped they would all be like saucy and velen and ford and rannveig. she liked them a lot. "i do... but it's okay. i am happy here too," she said, reassuring her friend with a few happy waves of her tail.

Not much different than this? That was a relief! Saucy loved this, whatever it was. A content and relaxed smile grew on her face when Dalia said this, she felt as if an inner worry was slowly drifting away. That's cool, she said, and then in response to her mention of other tasks, what kind of gardening? The white lioness could totally imagine Dalia standing over a patch of flowers, she totally seemed like that kind of girl. Saucy was definitely a fighter, that was her thing- but she often thought about nature too, and secretly she was also a lover of flowers.

Dalia said she missed her pack, Saucy could tell from the sad smile earlier, and the way the speckled wolf talked about Drageda. She wouldn't make her talk about it more, she'd rather talk things other than their pasts now anyway. Dalia said she was happy here, Saucy replied, good, cause if you left I'd be stuck with trouty mouth 24/7 and he's a douche. She let out a giggle at this, her tail thumping on the ground.

"herbs-- flowers-- medicinal stuff. and for fun," she replied, her tail sweeping against the grass, her paws patting a few times at the ground beneath her, "my mother was our packs healer-- so i was the healers daughter. so i learned a lot from her." but here she was not the healers daughter-- she was just a healer. she was more than that. she was the kind one. oh-- what had rannvieg called her? the stunning one? oh-- maybe not so much. 

dalia giggled, shaking her head. "oh! he's not that bad," she insisted, remembering their conversation on the cliffs fondly. velen was kind of douchey but... also kind. personable. dalia was fond of him. "but i won't leave ya," she purled, giving her friend a small smirk-- which fit awkwardly on her gentle, sweet features-- "i'm glad you're around too."

If Saucy were to ever try gardening it would probably be for fun as well. Healing would be a nice thing to be effcient in, but she knew for a fact that she'd be a shitty healer. She'd probably be too rough with her patients, or she just wouldn't have the patience for it. Saucy wasn't known for her patience virtue, she could wait for approximately 2 minutes before getting bored and doing something else. Thus healing would not be her thing. She was glad it was Dalia's though, cause somebody would have to patch her up when she inevitably got into trouble!

That's nifty! I wish I could be a healer but I'd suck ass at it for sure. But maybe you could show me some of your plants sometime? That'd be cool I guess, she said, not trying to sound like she was too interested in flowers. Badasses didn't love looking at flowers and she cant give up that badass rep right?! Hell no.

Saucy giggled along with Dalia, also thinking about their first meeting. No he's the worst! she replied,  he thinks he has better comebacks than me so don't let him think it's true. She was however clearly kidding about him being the worst. She actually liked Velen a lot as well, he was funny, and great company. A real dude! Dalia promised that she wouldn't leave her though, even giving Saucy a cute smirk. Dalia was cute.

Thanks, I'm happy here, she said in a moment of seriousness. She truly was happy with her choice to stay, she felt better about this choice than any she'd made in her past (which consisted of a bunch of stupid ideas and whack ass outcomes).

"oh-- no, you wouldn't... suck at it, it's hard to suck at, i'll teach you," dalia promised, and then the idea of starting a garden here actually caught up with her. oh! she realized just how excited she was about it only now. it would be her garden. dalia's garden-- not portia's. dalia. "you can help me start a garden!" she suggested, pretty enthusiastically, her tail beginning to wag a beat faster, "i'll teach you all about it-- it's a good time, i promise you." it was! it was so relaxing and fun. dalia had never started her own garden, since portia's had been around since before she was even born! but dalia was convinced she knew enough about it now that she could do it on her own. hoped, more like. she tried to be confident though.


the pale ocean pearl shook her head at her friend, a small grin upon her maw. "i don't think so! his aren't nearly as thought out," she insisted, which wasn't true in the slightest! dalia thought that they were both very clever and well-thought-out... a little too vulgar, but she understand it to be a part of them and so she did not mind the profanity much, if at all, truly. she found it sort of fun! but don't tell portia... 

her nose dipped, tail slowing only to not seem so stupid and giddy as she realized saucy was becoming a bit more sincere. she wanted to appear the same way. "i'm glad," she returned earnestly, adding on herself, "me too. i think this is right for us." not that she knew saucy all that well, but it was right for her, and so she wanted it to be right for saucy as well.

Well if Dalia said so! Saucy would try her best to catch on, but she didn’t and likely wouldn’t have that bedside manner that she needed to be a great healer. She could at least learn the basics though. Starting a garden would be fun though, and Saucy couldn’t possibly suck that bad at that. We can plant coconut trees, and throw the coconuts at Velen, she suggested with a grin, always finding time to take a jab at a friend. 

Saucy gave Dalia an approving nod when she said that Velen’s jokes weren’t as good. Of course they were pretty much around the same level of goodness, but Saucy took a lot of pride in her ability to be crude. Plus brogurt? What was funnier than that. Thank you, she said with a giggle.

In their moment of sincerity, Dalia repeated Saucy’s sentiments, and Saucy felt truly grateful to have this little gang. They would be a pack soon, with real established borders, and ranks and so forth. Saucy better be one of the leaders (she decided just then and there), But if she wasn’t well that’d be ok too. Her thoughts drifted to the other wolves in the group, and she was reminded that she hadn’t met all of them yet. Ford or Rannveig, all she knew about them was that one spits acid and the other is hella intense. What’re the other bros like? she asked.

dalia thought curiously about the question for a long moment. how to describe the other brothers? there was so much to say! there was so much to them!! the ocean pearl finally decided on a few key things and then shared them with her friend.

"rannveig is like velen, in that he's kind of funny-- sort of crude-- i think you'd get along with him well," dalia told her with a smile, fond of the idea of the two of them being fast friends like she and saucy and velen were. a bit quieter, ears pressing down as she leaned in, dalia added, "i think he's a little rougher than velen though-- velen strikes me as a secret sweetheart." a giggle followed. were they gossiping? omg-- dalia was totally convinced they were gossiping! she'd gossiped with blixen a few times, but it was kinda weird cause they were related to everyone. and blixen was always sad. and dalia didn't have anyone to actually gossip about. now! she did! 

oh, and ford. "ford is... intense," she said simply at first, but continued on after a beat, "he's sort of mysterious, but... i think he's rather charming-- in a different way than velen and rannveig. i never know what he's thinking, but sometimes he just looks at you and... i don't know..." she trailed off. and what? and what, dalia? she hesitated for a minute, and then said, "i think he could get me to say anything." that's so scandalous, dalia!

Dalia took a long moment to ponder the question, a long moment that Saucy didn’t have the patience for. She patted the ground with her paws and let out a chant, c’mon! Spill the beans! Finally Dalia had collected her thoughts, and she began to promptly, spill beanage. First she talked about Rannveig, who she assumed was acid spitter, who was like Velen but a little rougher. Oh shit, she said sardonically, though it was all in good fun.

Yes! They were gossiping! And it was super fun! Gossiping was one stereotypically girly thing that Saucy allowed herself publicly enjoy. She wanted to know everything about everybody. She could sit here and sip tea all day and never get bored. Everybody’s business was her business, and Dalia it seemed was the perfect source.  Their next topic was Ford, his intensity was confirmed first, and more detail followed. Saucy’s eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly agape when Dalia finished. Was that umm- a crush? Mhm.

The white lioness replied with a playful growl, so are you and Ford a thing? Sounds like you’re a thing, she said with a teasing jump of her eyebrows.

surprise raked through dalia's features as saucy insinuated that they were a thing! her face heated up immediately, partially because she was smitten with quite a few men, and if saucy had caught on this quickly to one of her crushes, she'd catch on to the rest. "oh please," she remarked with a heavy roll of her eyes, catching the surprise and replacing it with something more neutral, "i hardly know him-- or any of the guys here." which was very true. 

dalia was just very easily impressionable. 

the pearl rested her head on her paws then, giving a heavy huff. "have you ever had a boyfriend before?" she asked, green-blue gaze gliding up towards her friend. she supposed she should've said partner, remembering blixen ever only having female partners. and her own mother having a tendency to be smitten by both genders. but dalia was pretty sure she liked guys. well, there was no certainty, she was just pretty sure. so that's what she'd said.

Dalia blew off Saucy’s comment with a big eye roll, Saucy interpreted it as either Dalia was telling the truth or over compensating to cover up the truth. Saucy raised her eyebrows in an amused look and purses her lips, Mmmk, but when y’all start dating you owe me something cause I called it, she teased.

Dalia flipped the question on Saucy and Saucy laughed, Hell no! There is no guy I’ve met who can handle this much badass and this much ass. But I have had some fun before, she said, which was an only partial truth. She’d had fun before, with a boy, but not the kind of fun she’d insinuated. It’d just been some flirting and some kissin, nothing that crazy. She was too young for that, but she didn’t care much if Dalia thought it or not.

secretly, dalia thought it'd be more fun to date velen-- who had a lot more to say than ford. but ford was sweet, dalia could tell, she wondered if she'd ever break through to him. or maybe if saucy could break through to him. either way, dalia was convinced neither of the guys were into her-- so it didn't matter what she thought of either of them. mute point.

dalia giggled, shaking her head. "you won't be gloating," she purled with a small smile, not voicing the reason why she thought that. 

and then! oh em gee! dalia's ears pricked. "what kinda fun?" the pearl pressed, head gently canting to one side, "i... i know about everything but-- i've never done anything." which was entirely true! dalia knew, scientifically, exactly how sex worked. but she didn't know exactly what it entailed-- besides children. and that portia said it's only fun if you want it to be fun and you understand the consequences. dalia interpreted that to mean that it was risky business, but perhaps worth it. also, not during heat, unless you want children-- but that's when you wanted it the most... oof, there were so many rules to the sex. either way, dalia wanted to know about saucy's experience.