Stavanger Bay Valentines for the single man

For @Ruò

A week had passed since his little 'troublemaking' with Aphrodite had occurred. A week of them scouting the lands of what would be their new home together, trying to form borders, trying to make it a place to call their own. @Ovid and @Elektra had been on the breeze but he had not been able to officially introduce them with the newest member. Perhaps Aphrodite would find a chance to do so on her own now that Aiolos found himself after that week of courting, slipping from her side and off on his own. 

Maybe he would hunt? Maybe he would find another seafolk or siren wishing to find a home here by the beaches? Either way, Aiolos was off, splashing through the waters of the shallows as he galloped happily along the coast to the east. With the Moon and stars above and the sea out to his left, he was, as he had felt for some time now (officially a pack or not) home. 

Winter at the Stavenger Bay was just as beautiful as spring or summer, or so he could be left to believe and time would only tell. He paced down the water's edge after slipping through the rocks and dead grasses and into the waters once more, falling onto his stomach until the waters could wash over him and all he smelt was sea and sand. Sighing deeply, with his back to the sea as he lay, bright amber eyes searched for the constellation called 'Leo'.

before coming to the wilds, and meeting her cousins, ruo had encountered a rather odd, and annoying wolf who named herself @Norsamu. the wolf went on about the drink of the heavens, and continued this banter till' she ran off deeper into the wilds. the siren doubt she would ever see the barbarian again, and what she spoke off was tossed aside. until the memory was brought up as the stars shined brightly, a staring at the canis major and minor had gain the recalling of the other.

the pirate revealed a location to where she stored the 'rum,' and named the bay. it wasn't too far off to the isle, and only was a territory away from so. past the seals, and onto the beautiful bay- it would be an ideal land, if it wasn't for the already-claim on wheeling gull isle. it was mentioned hidden under a rock, like a secret den. but if it was actually dried? all for naught.

ruo didn't like the odds, and nearly didn't come.. if it wasn't for how rowdy the island was. more and more family came, causing the rescluse to feel more uncomfortable by the surroundment of noise, so she thought to take the night away, and find rest elsewhere. the story caused the siren to unconciously wander into the bay.

"lion."

In the shallows, the salty water came in thin waves, curling and stirring the sands around him as it moved along his body, to his outstretched forelegs and back down again. Out of the corner of his fiery gaze, he would see the dorsal stripped sea maiden. He could always find her out and about during the twilight hours, it seemed, which was when he was often out and about himself as he drank in the light of the Moon. 

Otter. He spoke with a crooked smirk. Searching for something? She seemed as though she were on a hunt or mission until she had caught sight of him.

her head bobbed to the left, then the right as the word 'otter' floated. she of course knew of them, but was intrigued by the thought she had gained a nickname of sorts. it wasn't an exciting moment as she thought, as perhaps the nickname was downlow then what she expected to get. though ruo wasn't displeased by the name and let him continue as she gave a nod of greeting.

the siren thought on it.. would he know? "have you smelled rotten fruit."

With a tilting of her crown she seems to take the the little nickname he had thought up for her. An otter, which is ways she could remind him of such (if not a rocky beach on a cloudy in itself) with her coating patterns and the shade of them. Like a river otter which dances and glided and soured through the waters as though they were born within them. 

No. Only the Sea. Why? And with his wonder he lifts up, gingered ears perking curiously. Rotten fruit in the winter? Very unlikely but where did she get the idea?

"met wolf, spoke of drink." ruo did not hide she spoke to a crazed pirate. the rotten fruit somehow produced a sweet drink 'of the heavens,' so said she. mixed with honey, supposed to be 'a gods gift.' of course never trying, how would she know, but neither did he, it seemed. perhaps hidden away.. far away..

she was quite curious on this 'drink.' what else could there be but of water?

Like a coconut, maybe? It was the only 'drink of fruit' he had ever had and to be honest, it was quite nice, an odd sweet flavor but pleasant none the less. He had not gone far enough to the west yet to discover the coconut grove there and so was left unaware. I guess we can look. Where did this wolf say it was? He questions, shaking out his salt-water coat and padding towards the rocky outcrops and brush around the bay.

ruo shook her head, knowing it was not just that. the wolf mentioned there was the possibly a mixture, but it was crucial the fruit's juices were drained from other. so she said, anyway. it had to be fruit, but it would be nearly impossible to find within winter that was not dried up. it was only a hope. there was very few, she did not know where they were located.

couldn't help but feel some temptation to this 'heavily drink,' "called rum." the word was only spoken in a gibberish of english, "by rocks."

The words fell odd on her tongue as though it was hard to speak it, as though even if she spoke it, it was not something she truly understood the meaning of... which was likely the cause for her curiosity. She found great wonder in things she did not know, wanting and willing to learn just like she had about the fallen star causing the fire in the dead wood forest. 

He smirks and silently comes nearer to beachy woman, breathing in deep. Though he scented for the fruit liquid he would take in her scents as well, much of it obviously of the seaside which she lived. His tail waves low between his limbs and he pulls forward, shuffling and sniffing along rock formations.

there seemed to be nothing. she did find remains of something dry, but it was so old she could not tell if it was fruit or other unmentionable questions and didn't dwell further. she was also quick to give up because what sane wolf would think for fruit to be in winter.. she had a sound mind.

"are stars nice here." though ruo wished she didn't come for nothing- if anything there had to be a nice view. there was for the sea, and she hoped for the stars as well.

They looked for a bit of time silently though nothing seemed to turn up. He did not think they would be successful,  likely anything they found ether having dried up or frozen over. Still, he had never not enjoyed his time with Ruo and so, as he had looking for the star, continued along anyhow. Even in near silence, as they had been on their first meeting Aiolos was content in her presence,  being a female he found himself getting comfort with easily. He needed not walk on eggshells with her. He didnt have to mind his body posture, think of clever things to stay or uphold a certain manner with her. It reminded him of Courtfall, when things were simple and pleasant.

They are. He breaths in deep and exhales slowly. This bay is quite nice, lots of food on shore. His crown lifts, ginger muzzle tipping up into the distance, beyond those dead woods. On the plateau, the stars are brilliant. Nothing blocks the view. It was a relatively open land with a great sighting point of the nearby territories. Still, it was as silent as ever.

"show." she knew it would get night soon, judging on the sun's laundering in the sky. it was falling, but not just there yet. cloudless, perhaps the perfection moment for the world to shine within a new place. there was a twinkle in ruo's eyes, a desire burning in a usual cold blue. her stars were everything, just as the sea was.

if she couldn't find the fallen one, she would always resort to the ones still remaining above.

Okay... Was the only word Aiolos was able to murmur from his lips. Her eyes brightened with a desire, a longing for the open skies above, to reach them where she could not. To touch, like his muzzle reached forth as though to touch her.... but did not.

The world was growing dusty, dark. The sun still might have clung but that stars were still showing, brightening more and more as the sun fell and fell... He pulled her into the dead wood, the life of the forest all but dead and though the trees died, the mosses and weeds were alive. 

Past it was the plateau,  they stood where they had been once before when speakig of his lonely life here. But he did not stop. He beckoned her to follow him off the sands into the emerald grasses and then along a path up to the rocky rise. Up here Aiolos found purchase at the edge of the plateau overlooking the ocean and the vast open sky.

"gorgeous." simple, but it was to the point as she truly believed so. ruo could see everything, to the sky and to the sea, similiar to the rock she so claimed, but viewed far more. it surpassed the lil' land she found, but even so, she still felt proud to find a view similar to this.

"a good home."

Atop the plateau it didnt look so flat. Of course the majority of it was grasslands, though the rolls and dipped, making little pathways. The land was spotted with short, thick conifers where the rabbits darted to hide within from their mazes in the earth. Still, it was relatively open, giving the name of 'Ocean's Breath' for the wind that came off the sea, making it chillier up here. But the view was quite nice without having to climb rocky and/or snowy dangerous slopes of a true mountain. 

As Ruo spoke of it and that it was a good home, he would nod silently and settle down onto the lush grasses which had begun to resurface. It is... He agreed and yet, But I dont think I'll stay. (Because this before he joins Junshi and thinks to make this their headquarters). Those who had been a part of his mission group had left him once more it had seemed. I'm not fit as a loner. It was a sad, lonely life and he needed a purpose, direction. It was far worse then feeling bored and useless at Courrfall without being commanded. Here, it was just him and his thoughts alone.