Meadowlark Prairie Taking in The Scenery

Intended for @Gabby :D

The male wandered through the tall grass with his tail held high. He took in a breath of the open air, a smile crossing his muzzle. He had always loved the prairies on warm, breezy days such as this one. The mild temperature tended to put an extra pep in his step.

He knew that he should hunt sooner or later, but his stomach wasn't demanding anything just yet. He could take his time.

The cream wolf was ecstatic to find dandelions in abundance. She wasn't in need of them at the time, but their smell always calmed her. She wasted little time clawing at them to free their scent, then rolling happily in them. She came back up, shaking her fur clean of any clinging leaves or seeds, which flew off of her with the wind. They tickled her nose and caused her to sneeze. 

Afterward, her fur was fresh with their scent, stained green from the grass. Upon finishing her haphazard dance, she sighted another wolf a few hundred yards out. She loved new wolves, and quickly abandoned her crushed bed of dandelions to greet them.

He was soon snapped out of his wandering as he spotted an unfamiliar wolf trotting towards him a bit ahead. He squinted his bright eyes to get a better look.

She didn't look like much of a threat, however he still dropped his tail. He had no issue meeting new wolves, however he was particularly cautious around women. It was a force of habit.

"Hi, hi!" the wolf yelled. Now approaching the wolf, she noted his size. And his, at least as she perceived it, handsomeness. Granted, not usually something she cared all that much about, but it was at least notable. 

"I'm Gabby. Are you here for dandelions, too?"

Beau blinked at the she-wolf. Her behaviour reminded him of the domesticated dogs back home, or a puppy that hadn't been taught not to speak to strangers.

"No, not the dandelions. Looks like you like em' though."

He responded, noting her grass stained fur.

”Yes!” she responded, enthusiastically. At this point, her tail flagged happily behind her. ”Don’t you?” 

She moved closer, rump wiggling with her tail. She knew enough to respect personal space, so when she did reach about two wolf-lengths from him, she bowed, almost flopping to the ground.

"Can't say I have a.. particularly strong like for them, no. But they're fine." He snickered, amused by her actions.

"Aren't they weeds though?"

He recalled the yellow flowers being pulled from gardens, tossed away like trash. He had never thought much of them.

She had a feeling he felt that way. Most did. Her tail’s wagging slowed, though still kept a steady pace. 

But were they weeds? What made a plant a weed anyway? She didn’t feel being a weed was a bad thing. 

”Hmm. Maybe.” 

Her tail picked back up again. 

Had she introduced herself? She certainly didn’t know this wolf’s name. Usually if she knew a wolf’s name, it’s because she told them hers. 

”I’m Gabby!” she repeated.

'Gabby' he thought the name over in his head. It had a nice ring to it - he thought so anyways.

"You can call me Beau - that's what what my friends call me."

He usually wouldn't introduce himself by his first name, however this was a rare case. He had no reason to hide it from her as there was nothing he intended to take. It didn't seem as though she had much.

He offered a smile, his low tail wagging.

Yes, Beau. This was Beau. And she was a friend, so she could call him Beau. Friends! Cute! 

Even his smile, yellowed as it was, filled her with warmth. She loved smiles! She reciprocated with one, mouth hung open, tongue out, and lips curled in the corners. 

”You’re alone too, yes?” 

She didn’t smell other wolves. Just Beau. But he wasn’t much worth smelling. Sort of plain. But, he was alone, she thought.

"Can't say that - I'm sure I have a few fleas to keep me company."

He snickered, tail flicking upwards. "But nah, I've met a few others before you but I'm travelin' on my own."

He hadn't been in the Teekon Wilds for long which gave some explanation, however he was confident that he would be alone for some time. Organized packs never suited him.

Gabby wrinkled her muzzle. She hated fleas. Her back paw started reaching up to scratch her ear, now believing one was crawling just behind. She put it back down though, remembering it was rude to scratch during a conversation. 

”You sound funny,” she said, yet again changing the subject. His voice was funny. It was like he shortened words that didn’t need to be shortened.

He blinked at her, surprised by the statement. How rude! If anything she was the one who sounded odd - that's what he thought at least.

"Everyone at home sounds like this - you sure you ain't the one who talks weird?"

His lack of grammar likely didn't help. The accent was fine, but Beau generally wasn't the most eloquent speaker. He didn't see the need to force himself to talk all 'fancy' to impress other's.

She visibly thought for a moment, right ear slowly falling to the side. But it was back upright in an instant. 

”Yes, I’m sure. But it’s not bad.” She affirmed with a nod. 

He used new words, too. They made sense in context, but the wolf hadn’t ever heard it. 

”It ain’t bad,” she mimicked, taking her time with the sentence, clearly focused. ”Like that?” she asked, tail returning to a wag and orange eyes studying Beau for approval.

"Gotta put more emphasis on that last bit - show it that you mean business."

While that made very little sense, he seemed to be confident in his words - standing tall with his chest out.

"But I'on want you talkin' like me - it's weird." He grunted. "It's my turn to ask a question anyways."

She hardly ever meant business, so maybe she meant to not mean business and he simply misinterpreted. Or she used it wrong. Who knew, really. 

Oh well. She loved questions! And she liked Beau. Her rump wiggled again. 

”Ok. I ain’t do it again.” 

Almost. 

She waited patiently impatiently.

Well.. she had tried. He shook his head, choosing to move on before he got too frustrated over something as silly as a word.

"What're you doing in the Teekon Wilds? That seems like a good start."

Is that this place? The Teekon Wilds. That was here? She hadn't known what "here" was, so she wasn't doing anything pertaining to the location itself. Unless that location was this prairie, in which case she'd be..

"I'm talking to you!" she said excitedly. Wait, that question usually had other connotations. Like, a more encompassing question than just what was she doing right now at this moment. 

"And also exploring." 

She was looking for something, but she wasn't ready to find it yet.

"..Uh-huh. You just wandering then?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or are you looking for something?"

He sat down in the grass, assuming that the pair would be sticking around for some time. It had been a while since he'd had a peaceful conversation, so he wouldn't complain.

Her ears fell and her tail stilled. She’d rather not. 

”You’re cheating!” she reminded him. She let her body resume its normal wiggling. She remained seated for the moment. 

”Why are you here,” she parroted the question.

He smiled, amused that she wouldn't let him get away with another question until she'd had her turn.

"I wanted somethin' new - wolves back home got tired of me."

He smiled, tail wagging lightly.

Tired how? Was he boring? She didn't think he was boring. She did barely know him, though. He could be boring. 

"Was it the voice?" she asked, now laying down to meet him face to face. There was no ill-intent behind her question--she really was curious.

"No - they all sounded like me!" He responded, furrowing his brow. "And hey - now yer' the one cheating!"

He considered his next question, briefly glancing upwards. He clicked his tongue before beginning to speak.

"Where'd you come from? You have a pack before this?"

She almost couldn't believe an entire pack sounding like him. It was not like any other voice she'd heard before. 

She flashed a grin, tail moving faster still. She didn't mean to cheat. 

Her eyes blinked when he clicked his tongue, not expecting the sudden noise, but she shook it off no problem. She wasn't sure how to answer his question. She didn't know which direction she came from, or how to get back to her old pack. She couldn't, even if she wanted, so knowing the direction made no difference. 

But she could answer the second question. She did note that he'd asked two questions, which was contrary to their agreed upon one. 

"I did! I was the smallest female in my litter."

He'd know what that implied, she thought. 

"My turn! Do you have a sister? I bet you have a sister." 

She had no grounds for that assumption, but she really felt like he did.

He smiled at her question. Sisters was all he had - that's why he knew better than to let his guard down. Sisters were damn mean.

"Oh yeah - a lot. My ma' had a streak, I was her only son and her last litter." He snickered.

"She was real old when she had me."