Stavanger Bay Ain't no love when the wicked run

set almost directly after smokie thread<3

It had been a good many years since Rosalyn had been this upset. She'd begun to let her guard down, and as a result, Smokestep's words had cut to the bone, right to the core where that scared little girl still lurked, locked away beneath a learned veneer.

Stupid. Haven't you learned?. She lay in the lee of the shoreline cliffs, near the edge of the territory. She didn't want to risk running into one of them. Family. Even the thought of it gave her a sour feeling in her gut. She had thought the code set; crew was family. But apparently here, blood ran thicker than water. Such ties were a thing Rosalyn had never had claim to, and they weren't something one could want and obtain. So the idea drove her wild with envy; that Sandpiper and Smokestep could share a bond deeper than that of normal crew, one that she could never hope to surmount or ever have, made her unreasonably upset. It had been a vain attempt, but she's swum with the sharks anyway, and she felt their teeth profoundly.

Now, the damage done was likely irreparable. She had said a good many things, and none of them were things she wished to take back. He, too, much that she could not forgive.  She should run, like she always did when things got too hot. Find a place where she would be appreciated and perhaps she could even call the shots. Start up a crew of her own. She took a beat to think on it... but only a beat.  Because there was only one problem with this plan, but it was a dealbreaker; it meant that they won. If she left, Sandpiper moved back up, and things settled in as if Rosalyn had never even set foot on this ground. She wasn't conceited enough to deny that.

She let out a breath, and most of the fire that had been holding her up doused.  Smokestep had neither chased her out nor taken the place she had earned; she wasn't sure what he expected, nor what these next few days would hold as a result.  Just that she would stay, despised by whoever might choose to do so, until they either saw the worth she knew she had or finally made up their damn minds and forced her out.  Her ears tilted back... history had taught her the latter was more likely.  Only time would tell.

The tension in the air was thick. She didn't like it. Her small paws padded silently, yet her mind was racing, thoughts echoing in her mind. Knowing little to nothing about what was happening did not set well with her. It felt like home, and not in the good way. She was always the last to know, her small frame drawing almost no attention from her large family. Flicking her ears in irritation at those thoughts, her eyes wandered over the sea. It was like she said to the wolfess a while ago...it was like the desert. It was like home. She didn't realize how right she actually was. Whether that was a good thing or not, she had yet to decide. Had she made the right choice? Should she have stopped searching for her father?
Stopping, she shook hard, brows furrowed. No. She wasn't going to run. She wasn't her father. A promise was a promise, and her word meant something. Didn't matter how hard it got. The words that left her mouth had meaning, and she would prove it. To them. To him. Even if he wasn't around. Huffing, her tail swished as she moved forward. Her attitude today was rare. And for their sake, she hoped no one messed with her. Muscles tense, she turned towards the sea, hoping the air would calm her, as it had in the past. Nostrils flaring, she took in as much of the salty goodness as she could, closing her eyes. And calm her it did, although not as much as she wished, yet she felt some tension leave her. 
As she topped a small rise, her body paused, the sight of her friend laying there almost dejectedly bringing her to a stop. Did she want to even see anyone? Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, her legs made quick time over the ground towards her. If she needed her, she was here, whatever happened. Her ears perked forward as she spoke, almost hesitant. Rosalyn?

Dakini's call cut into her reverie, and Rosalyn lifted her head, but didn't bother getting up.  The smaller wolf was likely one of the only friends she had left in the pack now, depending on where Raptor stood on challenges, and so she didn't mind so much the interruption.

"Hey."  She greeted her, warmly if with little cheer.  "Think this is the first time I've ever been shamed for a rank won.  Strange bunch, this crew."  She let the words roll casually, not wanting to get into it hugely, but knowing likely the girl wanted some kind of explanation.  "How's things?"

As Rosalyn spoke, the girl's eyes went wide as she moved forward. She got shamed? By who? Closing her eyes for a moment, she huffed, her muscles tensing again. It could only be one.  Hijo de puta, she murmured in frustration, unceremoniously flopping next to her friend. Her head nodded slightly at her sentiment, agreeing wholeheartedly at this point.
She shrugged, her tail tucking in beside her. Alright. Been playing chase and run with blubbery beasts. They can move faster than they look like they can. A half grin appeared on her face as she glanced at her companion. Also grouchy if you nip their tails when they ignore you. Her smile spread for a moment before looking out over the sea, a serious tone underlaying her light one. Are you staying?

translation "son of a bitch"

Rosalyn didn't argue with her assessment; but her anger was spent for the moment, so she didn't confirm it either.  

The comment about the blubbery beasts did earn her friend a smile, though.  "Most things are.  Can't imagine why.". She appreciated the mood boost, especially when after, Dakini cut straight back to a rather pertinent issue.

"I am." She sighed.  "No matter what he thinks, I earned this fair and square.  Spent my whole life on coasts like these.  Can't let one captain with sand in his craw chase me off."  She gave a small grin to Dakini, serious despite the clear jest in her tone.

The smile her companion flashed made her relax tensed muscles she didn't know she had tensed. Stretching her neck out, she huffed then shook, closing her eyes. Her shoulders were sore. She wondered why. Seriousness was in her eyes as she nodded, Rosalyn starting to speak. Then a small giggle fell from her mouth. Not knowing what 'craw' was didn't stop her from understanding the sentiment, and it amused her. 
Looking over at her friend, she gave her a lopsided grin, her eyes bright but genuine. You definitely did. And just so you know, I'd follow you anywhere. Although, that might get annoying. Her voice was soft in the first part, yet at the end, she laughed and turned away, a bit embarrassed. Yet the other deserved it. She seemed to know what she was doing, and the girl felt that she had the heart for it.

She didn't talk for a moment when Dakini spoke, because honestly, she was a tad lost for words.  It had been so long since she'd had a friend, and she couldn't remember the last one she'd had that was a woman like she. Not even Red, or Vlad, had truly been, because in the end, she had never really known where she stood with them.  But here was a friend telling her, and somehow, Rosalyn believed it one hundred percent.

It was honestly really, really nice.

"Dunno as I'm the best to be following, I do tend to start things," she joked lightly.  "But... it's nice to hear."  She nudged her newfound friend, glad she had wandered into the pack and decided to stay.  Even if she was the only one so far who saw the good in that, it hardly mattered.

"When you came... you said you were lookin for your dad? What's he like?". She was curious what sort of family Dakini had come from, if her friend was willing to share such things.

They talked a while before departing, setting off to hunt or hang or whatevs for the remainder of the afternoon.