Stavanger Bay Code Black

For @Astaroth.

Chest heaving, she expelled a sigh, releasing wispy plumes which vanished in the crisp winter air. Behind her was the backdrop of the small stretch of forest. Turning her head, she contemplated it silently with moon colored eyes. They narrowed, lips pursing into a thin line. It reminded her of home. Just as the transition of grass to sand beneath her pads did. Not of her current home, but of her birthplace. And she didn't like it. 

So why had she even bothered to come out all this way? Perhaps on some subconscious level, it was to face her past. Not that doing so would ever change anything. Her muzzle wrinkled as she tried to adjust - to accept the salty tang of the air. She might never get used to it, but at least this slice of paradise truly wasn't where her life all went wrong. It was almost kind of nice, she decided, as she padded forward just enough to let the oceanic water lap at her toes.

had tzila bothered to look to her far left, she might have spotted the unusual sight of sand flying a short distance away. astaroth, completely oblivious to the nightwalker's presence, was shoulder deep in the sand. he had spotted a crab not terribly long ago and had made the childish mistake of playing with his food which consequently earned him a rather nasty pinch on the nose.

now, frustrated and still hungry, he sought his revenge. the crab had buried itself beneath the sand but that didn't stopped the inky ghoul from giving chase. he'd dig to china if it meant killing that vile little pinching machine and trust me when i say, he will kill it.

The gentle rush of the water crept up to wash over her feet and then retreated again. Her toes were left soaked all the way to the skin, accompanied by a slight chill. She extended her sights to the endless horizon of the sea and mentally shook her head. There was no way in hell she was going for a swim today. She would rather not smell like a salty, wet dog thank you very much.

The soft, irregular shifting of sand nearby earned a swivel of her ear. Turning to her left, the direction from which the disturbance came, Tzila was surprised to see that she had not been alone the whole time. Another wolf - darkly cloaked in steele grays and other shades, was preoccupied digging frantically in the sand. She could only blame her clouded thoughts for not have noticing him sooner. A small smirk, almost gentle and amused in nature, came to her sealed lips whilst she watched his seemingly hopeless efforts. Or maybe not. Padding closer in his direction, the Shadow Queen pulled up beside him, sparing enough space between their bodies so not to infringe. Without a word, she simply peered down to his busy paws, curious of what he was getting at.

he'd taken notice of his little audience the moment she'd turned in his direction much thanks to a helpful gust of wind. visibly he paid her no mind, far too engrossed in his hunt to bother sparing her a glance. it was only when she chose to close the short distance between them did he pause for a moment and lift his head to formally acknowledge her.

a smile, toothy and sly, was quickly tossed in her direction before he turned back to his now decently sized hole. he thought, perhaps inappropriately, that it was the perfect size to bury a body in.

For a moment some tension began to build up in her. Of unknowing whether or not he would take offense to her presence. But as soon as he glanced up, flashing her that grin with those mesmerizing golden eyes, the knots in her muscles loosened. A playful narrowing of silver orbs accompanied with a wry little smile, and she sat herself down on the sand before him. For a few more moments, she was silent in her observation. Watching as the hole got bigger and bigger.

She went over the long list of animals that called beaches like these home. A handful popped into her mind, if that was indeed, what he was after. Her smooth voice then broke the silence. "Whatever it was, probably is long gone." A pause as she turned to regard the gently crashing waves beside them, not far off. "I should know-my home was very much like this place."

he gave a few more minutes at weakly working the ground before he pulled himself up and out of the hole, a quick glance given to admire his work. "was after one of those mean little buggers. red, walks sideways, likes to pinch" he let out as she turned to glimpse at the crashing waves.

"judging by your choice of words, i'm guessing you don't live there anymore" he assumed as he fell to inky haunches, his tail brushing lightly in the sand behind him. "how come?" he questioned, interested in hearing her story so long as she was willing to share.

"Ah those. Gotta watch out for the pinchers. I've seen them plenty of times before." In her pup hood, along the beaches of home, Tzila had many a time been on the receiving end of a nasty pinch. Over time, she had learned how to avoid such a hit, and ultimately disarm the crabs. Not many knew that she wasn't a half bad hunter of sea life.

Glancing back at him, she rolled her shoulders in a shrug. It was a far cry from the bitter and sometimes violent response others would receive. "Bad memories. Believe it or not, I really have tried to avoid the coast, up until now." She tilted her head, offering no real show of emotion. "And what of you? Where are you from?"

watching out for the pinchers would have been some pretty useful information about twenty minutes ago. "i'll make sure to keep that in mind for next time", he let out as he picked up a paw to rub against the sore spot on his nose.

his face twisted at her brief explanation, ears swiveling forward when asked of his own former home. "a volcano. you ever see one?" he asked, an idea popping into his mind the moment the words left his mouth. "you know, if all you have are bad memories of the coast, then we should make some new ones...good ones" he suggested with a tilt of his head.

Stepping away from the hole he had dug in pursuit of the crab, she edged closer to the water. Partly because she wanted to dig and see if she had any luck in turning up clams or possibly oysters. Those were far easier and safer targets for a snack. That is, if you didn't mind their slimy texture.

She also wanted to feel the water again...just a little bit. "A volcano...no, I haven't actually seen one." Her severe features softened into the barest of smiles. "But I do know of one nearby. It actually erupted, not long ago. We could see the plumes of smoke from my home." Her eyes fell and she considered his words. She wanted to say that the only good memory she wanted to make here on a beach like this, would be ripping her brothers throat out. "I don't know...it's been so long. And...I find I like the shade and earth of the forests, better than this. It feels so...open here." But he had specifically said 'we' and Tzila had picked up on that. So she asked. "What...would you suggest?"

he'd heard of whispers of there being a volcano in these wilds, but this was the first solid evidence he'd gathered since leaving his home. "really!?" he let out, ears swiveled forward to capture the full extent of her story. "must have been neat to watch, or terrifying, depending on where you were". rumors of a volcano's power had been passed on through generations in his bloodline, and he certainly would have wished to be far away whenever the fuming mountain erupted.

a glance to the water stole his attention away from his thoughts, feet moving to the beat of the crashing waves until his ankles were submerged in seawater. "you up for a game?" he suggested with a swish of his tail, a playful grin spread wide across his maw.

He seemed excited that there was an actual volcano somewhere in the Wilds. She nodded. "Yes. From what I know, it lies far to the east of here." She took a moment to pause, thoughtfully. "Perhaps...one day, we can take a visit and see it for ourselves." Thinking back to when the Sleeping Dragon had erupted, Tzila clearly recalled the ash that had fallen from the sky. "It was...different, I would say. Even all the way in the forest where I live, the ash rained down like snow." Tzila wasn't a wolf who was scared easily, but even she was wise enough to keep an eye on unusual weather conditions.

His suggestion of a game took her by surprise, a fitting look momentarily appearing across her features. Her brows pinched as she debated with herself. She hadn't truly played in so long...she wasn't even sure she knew how to. And any games she did favor, weren't necessarily of the innocent type. Her inner struggle was obvious just enough to clue anyone in, that she had issues deep down. "What...kind of game?" She asked inquisitively, hesitantly.

"we should!" he replied with earnest at her suggestion to go see the volcano for themselves. seeing an active one had been on his bucket list since the moment he could wander from the den, and the idea that he might actually get to cross that goal off his list was almost more exciting than his suggestion for their game.

"ever play tag?" he asked with an arch of his brow. the childhood game was one he'd play during all hours of the day, even in adulthood. without waiting for a response, he waltzed up and aimed to tap her shoulder with an inky paw before bouncing a few paces back. should she show an interest, he'd turn and bolt back towards the direction of the sea.

Should they meet again...which Tzila kind of hoped they would, then it'd just be the two of them. Setting off in search of that volcano. Whether or not it was safe enough to go creeping near it, she had no idea. But that was part of the fun now, wasn't it? Looking at him through silver eyes, behind which her emotions twisted and turned in conflict, she debated on really following through with this game. "O-of course I have...!" She stammered, feigning shock that he might suspect she never did.

Before she had any further time to react or dwell on her inner turmoil, an inky paw was swinging out to swat her on the shoulder. She reeled back and away to try to stay out of reach, only too little too late. Pinning her ears to her head, she chased after him with a determined little growl. Should he look back, the dark wolf was coming in fast, both forepaws outstretched.

he might have misjudged her enthusiasm for games.

he'd expected her to follow, though not with the force that she did. as soon as he glanced in her direction his face lit up with surprise. her eagerness to tag him back was much enjoyed, and he quickly began to leap over the crashing waves to avoid her paws.

unfortunate for him, his footing got swept away by one of the waves and landed him headfirst in the sea. he resurfaced quickly, mouth full of water and eyes squeezed shut as he attempted to shake free his head of any droplets.

Yeah. Tzila only knew how to play rough. She had some learning to do when it came to being more gentle. Smirking at the surprise on his dark face, she was certain that at least one of her paws would hit its mark and it would be she who was on the run. He seemed to be enjoying himself, using the waves to try and avoid getting tapped. The water lapped up around her ankles and then higher to her thighs, but she found she didn't mind, whilst in pursuit.

With a tumble and a misplaced step or two, the nameless male she was engaged with went flying head first in the water, surfacing quickly. Her eyes went wide. She wasn't expecting that. Bounding forward bravely into the ocean she so disliked, she rushed to check on him. "Oh shit sorry! Was that my fault? You alright?" Oh how she knew that salt water stung in your eyes. Not nice. Keeping her head above the water, her fur remained dry. For the time being.

he turned to face the sound of her voice, eyes blinking a million times a minute to try and soothe the sting of saltwater. without much warning he swung his muzzle to the side and let the water dribble out of his mouth, a small piece of seaweed yet stuck between his teeth.

he didn't bother with it for now and instead turned back to face his inky companion. "i'm good" he let out, eyes narrow as he tried to focus on the features of her face. playfully, he rose a paw out of the water and aimed to tap it against her nose should she let him. "you're still it", he teased.

Tzila surprised herself in finding that she was relieved he was okay. Perhaps if they had been any further out into the ocean, or if the waves were any stronger, things could have turned out differently. Still, by pure instinct alone she found her paws reaching for the sandy bottom. They met easily with the familiar yet distant crunch of tiny shells against her paw pads. 

She would have laughed or commented on how downright silly he looked, with that stringy bit of seaweed hanging from his teeth, had he not bopped her on the nose with his paw. "Hmn, we'll see about that." She said as she surged through the water at him, lunging to give chase.

"catch me if you can!" he shouted as he turned and booked it for the shoreline, deciding then and there that he he stood a better chance out of the water than he did in it. laughter escaped him with each step, his tail swaying playfully at his backside as the sand began to cling to his soaked paws.

then, rather abruptly, he came to a stop so that he might turn on his heels and face his inky playmate. hoping to tease her yet a little longer, astaroth stuck his tongue from his mouth in a childlike fashion, the mischief clear on his features.  

On land rather than in the water, they would both have a better chance. She at catching him and he, eluding her. As he bounded away with a laugh, Tzila almost felt herself laughing with him as she gave chase. There was no question that she was enjoying this game, however foreign it felt to her. Her long legs propelled her after him in great strides and she was sure that she would catch him.

But then he reeled around and faced her. All with a silly grin plastered on his face, tongue sticking out and mischief in his eyes. That single expression alone, however innocent it may be, was enough to trigger within her, a spark of a memory. His face flashed before her eyes. A similarly colored pelt, eyes not that different from the man's truly before her. Only the grin she saw on his face was mocking, not playful. No... She could never have memories such as this, let alone with her own blood. She'd either be running from him or chasing him down in a fury. Wide eyed, broken out of her trance, Tzila pulled away sharply. Her features contorted into a pained snarl as she fled down the beach, away and out of reach of a glimmer of her past so close once before her.

his face contorted from mischief to regret in a matter of moments, her snarls sending his ears flat against his skull. "wait-" he shouted at her retreating form before taking a few steps in the direction she'd run off in.

he didn't bother to give chase, his attention set on her figure until in vanished completely it the distance. confused, and a bit bitter at the sudden end to their game, astaroth turned and made his way back up the beach, mind desperately trying to figure out what he'd done wrong.