Northstar Vale she's got tickets to her own show

ooc; for @Liri
backdated before traveling to moonspear

after her little talks up the mountain with a friendly stranger, Bee would travel further down to the heart of the vale. she wasn't sure where she was going yet - she had failed to pick up a trace of any packs right now - due to her unfamiliar relationship with the wilds. everything smelt great. everything looked great. she wanted to run around and stick her nose everywhere. spring was a lovely color of nature. things bloomed and sprung from the earth. lots of new things she failed to see before as a child.

"who're you?" her eyes would cross as she bent down to sniff at an unknown flower. hmm, if she didn't know... maybe she could think of a name for it? "Rudy. your name is Rudy now" she declared to no one in particular. the small white flower didn't even blink at such a declaration. Rudy the flower it was. "oh wow" blues would leave the flower to notice that quite a few wildflowers looked exactly like Rudy. "lookit you, Rudy! look at all the kids you have!" they were all so beautiful in their own exact way.

each one was their own special little snowflake. giggling, she'd roll among the Rudy-family without a care in the world.

While their claim on the Vale was unofficial, they had already begun to mark the borders as if the lush valley were their own. The scents were fainter than those left by an established pack but slowly gauged claw marks furrowed the trunks of trees, spoor left traces of the trio that had begun making their mark upon the territory. 

It was with some surprise that she noted the scent of an unfamiliar wolf, a female, for the healer assumed no stranger would be so bold as to wander into the settled territory of another's home. 

Liri hastened to the source of the odor, abandoning her place near the banks of the lily pond. The northron drew to a halt some feet from the stranger, stance held carefully neutral. The land was not technically theirs yet. 

"Greetings, " the fae called softly, dipping her head slightly in acknowledgement. 

Bee had to do a double take. "Rudy... you talked!" she would gasp in amazement. of course, flowers could talk. duh. she wasn't a racist. they were just veeeeeery selective of who they spoke to. she was currently on her back, rolling about the white flowers previously before the hello was given to her. but it wasn't Rudy who talked to her. it was a female. an older one by the tone. she had a fleeting image of her Ma before she rolled to the side and onto her stomach. looking up at the stranger with her mouth open, she didn't even flush with embarrassment.

the other cut an imposing figure. not like rawr-I'll-eat-you but more of a calm and collected one? if that made any sense at all. "oh hello!" she was ever a bright little thing as she chirped to the woman. completely ignorant of the lands, unaware this place was almost claimed by a pack, Bee would greet the woman like an old friend. her bushy tail even wagged in welcome, though she remained on the soft ground. "I'm Willoughby - who are you, lady?" Ma didn't raise any fool. she knew when to be polite.

Though some buried instinct is flaring its nostrils in a territorial display, the healer has long learned to smother her more instinctive urges. Her dominant reaction is one of stifled amusement - a brow quirks upwards curiously and a glimmer of laughter shines in her dark eyes as she regards the night patterned femme at her feet. 

She's a lovely thing, with stars painted on her coat and sapphire eyes. That aesthetic, artistic side of her finds the woman beautiful - even attractive - but she's young and reminds her strongly of Elixir. The girl incites a warm, protective feeling. 

"Liri, " she answers simply. "This is my home." 

"I would advise caution wandering into peoples' homes, " the healer murmured with genuine concern. The girl was harmless but she could get herself hurt in the future. "If my friends had come upon you first, or had you wandered into a different territory, you might have been greeted unkindly." 

"But it was I who found you, and I'll not let any harm come to you, " the fae promised, settling on her haunches amicably. 

home was a funny thing. a funny word, really. it could change in an instant, snapped up by another if they were stronger than you. but it also gave something to strive for. a forever goal. nobody had a set home. try as they might, it always seemed to go away and leave you scrambling for a new one. it was almost exciting. "oh" Bee's ears would flatten in apology. she twisted her head away from Liri, sniffing the air. there! a brief, very faint scent of others. "oopsie..."

the woman didn't seem to get going to chase her away. in fact, she would recline and regard Bee. "I'm sorry, lady" she said, completely naive of the fact that they were within their right to drive her off. she was still very much in the happy phase of her life. before the shit hit the fan. whatever that shit happened to be. "but if they're your friends, I don't think they'd be very happy. attacking me. I wouldn't give 'em a nice fight." maybe she was overreaching, but she had a knack for picking out good people. Liri seemed like a nice lady. she wouldn't keep nasty company, surely? 

"I didn't know" she would press on, frowning as a serious tone entered her voice "I can... go?" Bee didn't know the protocol for such things. even if she was loathed to leave Rudy and his family.

Liri felt needles of guilt prick against her heart seeing the way the dark girl shrunk contritely, offering up apologies. 

"No, I doubt they would have attacked you. Some wolves in Teekon might but the two wolves with me likely wouldn't resort to such violence." Sorin didn't seem prone to physical anger, he wouldn't have lashed out at the naive girl for wandering in. Siqsa was a bit more volatile but still, not unkind. 

"You're welcome to stay. I was only warning you for the future. Some of the people you'll meet in Teekon bite first and ask questions later, " she reassured. 

she knew it. she knew the people that Liri hung out with wouldn't attack her for a simple little mistake. Bee was naive, yes, but she knew when people were good and when people were bad. she just chose to ignore their 'badness'. hoped they were good, deep deep down. sometimes deeeeeeep down. real deep. like cobwebs haven't been dusted in a long time, deep. she would beam happily, wagging her tail and disturbing Rudy's family more. she didn't get why people wanted to fight so badly with each other. she wanted the whole peace and love deal.

'course, a home had to be fought for if it meant anything. and sometimes having muscle was a big bonus in the wild. "sooo" her head would dangerously tilt to the side with a furrowed brow "are people here that bad, they'd hurt me if I accidentally... did something to them?" she didn't know what she could ever hope to do to them. Bee wasn't exactly the picture of a strong woman. she was willowy and free-spirited. a pacifist. the girl hated to think she had chosen a bad place to settle down in.

Liri paused a moment, sensing that she had undertaken the task of enlightening the girl to a horrible truth and not relishing it at all. "I have been a settler of these lands for well on two years, " she began carefully. "I have met many 'good' people but I will not lie to you."

"Yes, there are some who would seek to cause you great pain if you mistakenly wandered onto their lands or you seemingly slighted them in some way." The northron's soot speckled crown tipped forward solemnly, matronly concern swirling in the chocolate pools of her optics. 

"I abhor the notion myself. I hope that the wolves at my back feel the same way. I set out to gather those who felt similarly, those who wanted a home and not a territory. A family, not a pack." Something wistful and forlorn flowed in her veins as memories of the Plateau pushed to the forefront of her mind. More than once she had sought such goals. Only time would tell if she would truly succeed. 

Liri would explain, causing the girl to frown softly. she didn't really know what to say to it but she seemed to blurt out something anyway. "did any of them hurt you?" Bee would shoot back, curiosity overcoming her momentarily. she would follow up with a loud gasp, ducking her head as if embarrassed she had asked such a thing. that was totally not a good thing to ask someone! especially when it was none of her business! she hoped the woman forgave that little slip. "s-sorry! you don't hafta answer."

it was a sad thing to know the world wasn't all rainbows and butterflies. well, this world. her Pa and Ma had let their child throw herself at the world without a care in, eh, the world. lotta worlds there. her home was peaceful and the people they were in harmony with nature. she tried to find a place of her own because Grown Ups do that. everyone in her family had a coming of age, a journey away from home at the age of a year. some never returned. they either died (though that fact was never shed upon her) or started families elsewhere. 

point was, she didn't really know what people were capable of in the Teekons. "why do they fight so hard and so meanly?" Bee would ask softly. didn't they know you could catch more flies with honey?

A kind smile slid onto her features at the girl's question and following embarrassment. The scars were carved into her skin, it was only a matter of confirming their origin at this point. "It's alright. They did, but it was some time ago." 

"To protect themselves, I suppose, " Liri mused, "or perhaps to protect their image. If they let one person go unscathed, what would stop others from infiltrating their territory?"

"I'm sorry" it seemed Liri was content with her lot in life and not a wailing mass of tears. but it still didn't stop Bee from apologizing for the hate and hurt other people had done to the woman. she would probably cry herself in a corner if she knew the lengths people had done to hurt Liri. she seemed too kind to have bad things happen to her. "people are... meanies." it was never an excuse to hurt people though.

"well" she'd puff her lips out, frowning almost comedically as she continued "that isn't a nice way to live" Bee didn't get why people did that. she lacked even a singular violent bone in her body. her whole image was created in happiness and peace. lackadaisical care. she didn't want to ever hurt another person. she cried too much if she even treads on a flower. "Liri, don't go be bad when you get your family together. I'll visit lots and bug you if you do." she gave a toothy beam.

"That's alright, " the healer soothed gently, more for the dark femme's benefit than her own. She seemed truly discouraged by the notion of Liri's plight and it spoke of a kind heart. 

"It isn't but it isn't the only way we Teekon natives live. Others, like my family, have chosen a lighter path, " Liri reminded kindly, not wanting the girl to be too disheartened by the facts of life. Good people still existed, one just needed to know where to look. 

"We won't but still, I encourage you to visit, " the sylph urged with a gentle smile, tail sweeping against the ground. 

Bee always wanted to badly believe in the good of people. even if they could be cruel to her, surely they were kind to others? maybe a select few people. somehow. someway. whatever. she was going to keep hopeful and also hope nothing bad happened. she was totally a newbie here, lacking connections and had no way of healing herself. Ma had taught her some basic herb stuff but she couldn't remember the names of the flowers and plants. 

so if shit went down, the girl didn't know what to do. "okay!" she burst out happily, tail wagging excitably behind her. Liri gave her permission to visit and she was delighted by that. it means she made a new friend! no doubt in her mind existed the little group of wolves the woman had wouldn't do a good job, and be better for this place. "I so want to meet your friends next time I come, Liri-lady." cause right now she wanted to travel more north to look at the stars. it was the best place to view them. 

oops, she forgot one important thing. "thank youuu for being so nice to me" her head shot forward in a bow of respect.

"We will be here, " the fae's pale head dipped solemnly in her vow, feeling a rush of certainty as the words fell from her lips of their own accord. Liri would see their numbers swell, see the Vale morph into a home for all the other misfits like her, she was sure of it. 

"It's been my pleasure, " she smiled as the girl moved to take her leave. The former Alphess felt no need to trial after, she had no doubt that the girl was honest in her intentions and would not linger to stir up trouble. 

"May the winds return you safely in your travels, " the old phrase slipped free in the form of a farewell, the soft words snatched into the spring breeze as they escaped. 

it was clear their time was up. Bee felt anxious to leave Liri's chosen home soon; the woman was right to assume she wouldn't cause any trouble. she never did set out to do such a thing. next time she'd wait at their border - if they established one by then - and call out. she was also eager to head north more and see what happy things she could find there. she had lived in her more southern home for too long; it was time to explore her Ma's side of the world. though it would only get colder, she was hopeful her mixed heritage would shield her somewhat. "buh-bye!" she'd call after the woman, and with a few minutes of contemplation (and farewells to Rudy-flower-family), she too would leave.