Nocturne Summit an empty space has filled the void behind my face

It was strange to encounter someone so young, so much like himself, yet so different. Mentally Tsukiko was closer to the dark girl than anyone he'd met so far; but having grown up with an already aged wolf as his sole confidant, there were some things that were off about him. He was perplexed for a minute or two after her ground-pound and the fur of his shoulders spiked when she dove in to make her playful grab. He pulled back from her as if to avoid the danger of her teeth, turning in an awkward spiral while his tail lowered and curved into a belly-grazing crescent. He bared his teeth defensively, but not seriously. More like a grimace filled with his uncertainty, telling her he had defenses if he needed them - but from her antics, it appeared he did not. Tsukiko licked his lips then and briefly turned away from her, feigning interest in something else while he considered what to do next, and then slumped towards her with a far from graceful play-bow of his own.