Hushed Willows Switch The Flip

@Dante. Set in the morning post rain. 

He wasn't sure if it were the dew of the morning that the grass wore or the effects of the recent rainfall, but he was certain he was beginning to see the beauty of nature once more as his eyes trailed over the draping limbs of the willow trees. they glistened with wet kisses and seemed to positively drip diamonds. something new for him to enjoy. as the sun rose to the sky the trees seemed to come alive and glitter. perhaps his mood was on an upswing....alas, he could not escape the terrible thoughts that plagued him once more. 

 he rallies together what energy he has (as he's not recently been eating) and finds cover beneath the dripping trees. the grass is unsurprisingly misted and as he sits himself to rest he feels the cool dampness. it was nice to be alone, but every time that he was he knew he stood no chance from running from his mind. the anxiety obviously bled from his eyes and reflected in every aspect of him. his muscles more visible as his waistline was shrunken and his weight not as hefty. honestly, he would appear, this morning, quite jumpy. to be timid was not becoming of him. 

 as the morning continued on collision found himself to be annoyed by the silence. perhaps another was around? perhaps not? regardless, a chuff bellows from his diaphragm and he calls to those that may be around curious to if he will recieve an answer. offer me a distraction, i beg of you.

Rain made Dante feel like a bird. One of those happy little seabirds that he used to watch bob on the surface of the waves after having come up from a dive with a full belly. It made him feel refreshed, and bright, and hopeful. It was fair to say that the boy became a bit springy, perhaps too springy, when the rains came. A gross, sugary sort of perky that he couldn't help from indulging in, leaping around the territory and running like a giddy pup through the dense greenery. His short, plush coat became damp from the dew that collected in his fur as the outstetched arms of the willows grazed him, their leafy fingers running over the young man's pelt in a way that made Dante feel as though the trees were expressing their own fondness. The yearling was well-chuffed with himself for having expanded his relationships within the pack, as well as having done plenty of scouting of the surrounding territories, and now he was celebrating with a brisk run on a perfect, dewy morning. He wasn't sure he could remember the last time he'd had such a charmed day as this.

 The boy was clearing ground fast, moving swiftly over the land. A mirthful laugh burst from his throat, his eyes pinching shut with his smile as he trusted his paws to carry him safely through the foliage. He was unstoppable today. Today was a good day, such a good-

Oh fucking balls! 

Okay, yeah. Maybe Dante had a history of clumsiness. Maybe running at just-under-full-speed with his eyes shut on a day where the dew had made the ground particularly slippery hadn't been his brightest moment. Whatever. At least Dante was perky. Unfortunately for the young wolf, perkiness did not do much to ease the bite of the ground as he tumbled head-over-heels onto the earth, his damp pelt quickly collecting leaves and dirt and other unpleasant things as he layed on the ground, breath heaving, eyes pinched shut. Ow, he groaned softly, wincing as he tentatively pushed back onto his haunches. Nothing seemed to be too out of sorts, but the bruises he was sure to have on his side were going to hurt like a bitch. 

A few moments after having settled into his seated position, eyes still pulled tightly shut and brow furrowed, that the boy was able to pick up an unfamiliar scent. Unless he'd somehow managed to break his nose in his stupid tumble, Dante was quite certain that he wasn't alone. Oh my fucking god. Please pretend you did not see that, Dante groaned aloud to no one- someone?- eyes still pinched together. Today was. A day.

Sorry this got so long! Inspiration struck;)

The slope of the hills could be dangerous to those that did not pay mind. The verdant blades michievously lubricated waiting for s/he who defied cautioun. Apparently the sound that had beckoned his ears was the one who fit exactly this description. His eyes narrowed in the male's direction and his ears fell back. He stood back to his feet in something akin to a defensive nature as the boy tumbled forward quite enthusiastically. Collision did not smile or find a morsel of amusement. Instead he watched the display and much like a train-wreck--though awful, he could not bring himself to look away. 

 The stranger pleaded with him a moment and Collision couldn't help but shake his head. How odd. He was quite old enough to know better, "You'll be alright," the physical assessment of the boy didn't take long. He figured he was likely more uncomfortable than he would be wounded or anything else. Surely it was just his ego that would remain bruised in the presence of the Reneian boy. 

 "It's wet," He said this quite matter-of-factly and gestured towards the ground, "You ought to be more careful," Collison sat back down and stared at the rather lithe boy. He was quite delicate and perhaps feminine, but that could simply be Collision's high standard of what a man was paired with the obvious youth of the boy. Equally so, it was fair to consider Collision was being too tough on him. It had nothing in particular to do with the stranger--simply the state of mind of himself. He probably wouldn't apologize, but if that was someting the boy needed his company could be excused to elsewhere.

Dante's suspicion swere unfortunately confirmed as a curt voice responded to his plea. A slightly confused frown immediately dawned upon the boy's maw at the response, his voice soft as he answered No, I know I just- he began, turning to face the stranger, but was quickly cut off as the man continued speaking. His eyes did a quick once-over of the new face, taking in the large yet alarmingly gaunt figure of the wolf before him, before flicking back up to meet the other's firm gaze. 

His neck prickled slightly, an embarrassed and indignant flush building beneath his pelt. Yes. I suppose I should, He replied quietly, voice low and tone carrying a bit of tension, his body feeling cold and a bit uncomfortable. The boy wasn't used to such a...terse greeting. He supposed maybe he'd had the privilege of meeting quite a few easy-going wolves over the past moon, and perhaps he'd let himself get comfortable with feeling like he could charm his way into someone's heart with a glance and some kind words. This, clearly, did not seem to be turning out in his favor. 

Eager to recover from their faulty introduction, Dante picked himself back up, straightening his posture and offering a disarming smile. He was nothing if not determined to befriend the man in front of him. Please excuse me, I let myself get proper lost in my head I guess, he did his best to make the chuckle that followed feel easy and amiable, but even the boy himself could hear that it was a bit forced, wincing. He was silent for a moment, unsure of how to move forward. Come on, Dante. Where are my manners? I've not even introduced myself. I'm Dante, I- uh. I'm part of a forming pack in this territory. It's a pleasure to meet you... he trailed off, leaving space for the man to introduce himself. He was giving his best 'I'm charming and boyish' smile, (though it didn't quite meet his eyes) leaning into the charm he was so used to relying on to make aquaintances.

Perhaps he had come off as rather harsh. Which was not typically true of Collision. He was usually, while quite abrasive about the truth, much more interactive, down to earth, and accepting of others. What had been happening had left him...colder it seemed. At least until a resolve were met and the voices in his head would quiet down. 

 Collision's eyes remained on the boy. He didn't feel an immediate need to worry about him and so he brought himself back down to a seated position. He watched as the boy seemed to grow embarassed and noted what he perceived as nervousness. For a sliver of a moment he felt concerned that he hadn't been entirely welcoming, but truth be told he didn't feel inclined to offer more than he had. "We'll let it slide this time," he offered the slightest lift of a smirk and his eyes softened partially. This was all done through effort. The gravity wanted to drag him back down. 

 "Collision Adravendi," He nodded his head to him with a simple declaration of his name and then addressed the latter of his information, "Wouldn't happen to be the Seelie Court? I overstepped my boundaries before and entered the land they were working. Of course, I had no way of knowing this. I met a girl named Eilonwy. Do you know her?" His head atwixt with curiosity he found that perhaps a conversation could at least be held. A standard thing with acceptable societal norms. A delicate amount of small-talk and then he'd be off and on his way. If he was patron to a forming pack, however, Collision wondered if he was out trying to recruit or quite failing at a solo expedition.

Though his muscles were still pulled slightly taut, the boy noticeably relaxed some at the man's peace offering, however slight it may've been. Dante watched the stranger with a tentative curiousity as he spoke, could hear the weariness in his voice. Though he wasn't certain of anything of the other, the young wolf had a twitch under his pelt telling him that perhaps the man wasn't neccesarily in a well state. Dante knew unkind wolves, he knew crabby, sour old wolves who didn't give a damn, and he knew tired souls, ones who'd been worn at until they became something not themselves. He had a feeling the man was the latter. Being the empathetic creature he was, Dante felt a buzzing inside him, something droning quietly at him to do something, to check in on the other, to fix whatever was wrong, but he hadn't even the man's name.

The other's name was promptly stated then and Dante thought, amusedly, that it seemed as though the wolf- Collision - had read his mind in that moment, though he knew in reality he had just returned a politeness that Dante himself had offered first. His eyes flicked back to the other's as more questions were posed, grateful to have had a conversation struck up. Yes, actually. To Seelie, I mean, I dunno if I've met Eilonwy, that was her name, right? Yeah 'm not sure, I've only just arrived, haven't run into everyone yet, I suppose. Not gonna lie I feel a bit stupid you've met a packmate of mine and I 'aven't, he chuckled softly, voice and mind drifting momentarily. And you? Are you from a pack not too far, yeah? He glanced over the other again, truly unsure of the man's situation. Though he smelled of other wolves, Dante was perplexed by his physical state. Surely a pack would have better concern for it's members wellbeing, right? Surely they wouldn't let a fine man grow ragged like this?

Dante was admittedly pretty in a way Collision wouldn't use in reference to a male. Granted he was undoubtedly male there was something, perhaps, regal about him? Collision attributed it to his admittance he was from the Seelie Court. They had been described to him as faeries and it just all seemed rather...cute. Of course, he tried not to judge as the majority of his pack seemed to align themselves with stars. God, was he cute?


 ​ Collision shook away the odd thought and prepared to continue with their conversation. It was a distraction at the least, "It took me a long time to gain knowledge of all of those I reside with," He admitted. How long had it been until he had offered his services to Vespera? Until he had inspected the land with Vespera? Hell, he hadn't met the soon-to-be-now-present-emperor, Takeshi, until he was named The False King: The man to be. 

 "Yes, The Reneian Empire. It's not far from your own home, truthfully. Reiko is my Empress," His lips drew back into a firm line. Honestly, he wanted to avoid the topic of the Empire. It wasn't condusive to a healthy train of thought any longer, "What has you exploring today?" If anything he could, at least, come to understand why this man had, quite literally, fallen into his presence.

Though Dante tried to maintain a cool presence around the other, he couldn't help but nod with perhaps just a little edge of eagerness to each remark the man made. It wasn't like- clearly Dante didn't look up to him or anything- he was just a dude, Dante hardly new a thing about him (and he didn't seem to be in wonderful state of mind anyway) but...He had like...a cool vibe? Dante wasn't sure exactly what it was, maybe it was the whole tall-man-big-rugged-guy thing he had going on, hell his name was Collison,  but the boy couldn't help but be a bit fascinated. The men he'd worked alongside the waves with were tough, sure. They were strong and wiley, all carried wry smiles and had raspy voices that had always made Dante feel a bit out of place, honestly, but none of them were neccesarily so...manly? 

He was so caught up in his train of thought that he nearly missed what the man had said, snapping back to attention. Reneian Empire. Damn...Even his pack had a cool name. With the reassurance from the other that it wasn't so out-of-sorts for him not to have become acquainted with each of his packmates, and a new prompt for the conversation, the boy had relaxed thoroughly, his initial tension all but gone and replaced with a bit of an inquisitive spark to his gaze. 

I feel as though perhaps I should be the one asking you that, mate. You are on our grounds, as it is, The remark was accompanied by a playful smile, the boy perhaps pushing his luck as he tried to engage in some friendly banter with the man. Plus my answer's boring- I was just enjoying this loverly weather for a bit of run- or, ehm, fall- and then on my way to do some border patrol. Which I suppose isn't so boring as you decided to show up. Why did you decide to show up? he chuckled once again, head tilting slightly in his own mirthful manner.

I'm sorry for the wait ;-; my desire to write has been suffering. I'm sorry if this is trash I'm trying to get back into it! 

Collision had to take a long moment to consider that question that was thrown back at him. So this was where the Seelie court was setting up home, huh? He considered that he had ran into two wolves that were living in this place and creating a home of it, but he had no idea who lead them or who she was. Why had he not met their fearless leader? A thought he cast away as it didn't particularly matter. 

 "Sometimes one requires time away," His gaze falls away from Dante. He doesn't wish to make eye contact any longer and instead stares off in the direction of the sun. The glow on the land creating a rather glistening effect as the earth became radiant. Of course, they hid beneath the shade of the willow. Collision seemed to spend a lot of time in the shadows lately. 

 "You ever have too much of a good thing?" His eyes did turn back to Dante with the rather heavy question. It was the first time he had considered that was what happened in the Empire. Things had been so perfect. Too perfect. They had hit their peak and it all had to come crashing down around them to humble them. They were not as strong as they so seemed to be.

Sorry for the wait! Been craaazy busy/distracted lately

pYou ever have too much of a good thing? The question winded Dante, leaving the young man looking quite stricken. Collision's first statement had already managed to hit close to home for him, a shiver had run through the his pelt and his eyes had flickered away similarly, but this one strikes him right at his core. Yes, he rasped quietly, a brilliant smile and crinkled eyes and fleeting touches flitting through the back of his skull, the pain that came with loving them so much blinding him briefly. 

When he managed to finally catch up to reality once again, several moments had passed. Dante's shoulders shifted as he blinked back to the man's gaze, his maw opening before quickly snapping shut again, as though the words he'd prepared to say had been stolen straight from his throat. Too much of a good thing, he began again, interrupting himself with a deep breath, can never be good for long. His eyes held true to their stare into the other's, something more solemn having inahbited him as he watched the man's reaction carefully.

Collision wasn't sure the kind of life that Dante had lived and so he wasn't sure if he could understand him. Perhaps his own had been beautifully whimsical and he had never faced a harship. Perhaps one day he would and the illusion of perfection would come tumbling down around him. Then again, Dante could have easily been the kind of man that had faced bad after bad and somehow managed to retain some glimmer of hope. At the thought of the latter Collision found envy for anyone who could pluck happiness from a sea of betrayal. 

 "We're always left wanting more," Collision sighed and his eyes fell on Dante. There was a different light about them, however, "You seem like a happy man. I don't want to troube you with details. I'm sorry for impeding on your pack lands. Simply, I was lost in thought and passed onto property that was not my own. There are tough times ahead for myself," Decisions, decisions.