Blacktail Deer Plateau i just was a girl

the day was rather uneventful. max wanted to stay off her paw until it healed, so she sat under a tree for the majority of the day and would only get up for water or a bathroom break. she didn’t tell anyone about the injury, nor the run-in with the coyotes. she didn’t want to cause an upset.

boredom made her tired and she slept through the afternoon. it was almost midnight when she woke up. her mouth was dry, so she stood up and started to limp towards a stream.

She had been traveling for a while, having strayed from the coast several days ago. Being the nocturnal creature she was, Narcisa had rested up during daylight hours and was now wide awake. The land across the river had interested her enough for her to cross, and so here she was, fur still damp. She was slightly uncomfortable being wet at nighttime when the temperature plummeted, but it was tolerable.

Narcisa eventually caught wind of another wolf nearby. She knew she should be cautious, but this wasn't claimed land, and frankly, she needed some connections out here if she wanted to last long. Soon enough, said wolf came into view. She was pretty, with several layers of brown in her fur and a light face. She was limping, though the injury didn't look too immediate, so Narcisa wasn't worried about an immediate threat around.

Hey there, She greeted with a lazy expression, sauntering closer on her stilt-like legs. You alright?

someone intercepted her path, someone she didn’t recognize. and wow, she was pretty. her fur glistened against the moonlight and golden flecks dotted her body. her eyes were a soft pinkish color. it was like nothing she’d ever seen and-

oh god, she’d been staring for god knows how long. longer than socially acceptable for sure. 

 “oh, uh, yeah i’m good.” max shook her head and smiled sheepishly. “um, sorry for staring. it’s just that your eyes are really pretty.” ok, that was pretty cheesy.

-slams fists on desk- LESBIANS!!!!

Narcisa was used to being stared at. It didn't bother her much anymore. Others either saw her as a disgusting freak of nature or stunningly beautiful. It was weird. This wolf saw the latter in her, apparently. Oh, thanks, She said cooly with a smile tugging at her lips. Narcisa supposed her eyes did look nice, she just wished they weren't such a pain in the ass to deal with. She wanted to return with a compliment but refrained because that seemed pretty awkward.

Instead, she introduced herself. I'm Narcisa. You live around here?

alright, it didn’t seem like she creeped her out with the staring. good, good. she laughed softly and averted her gaze.“narcisa. that’s a nice name. i’m max.” she dipped her head.

“um, kinda? me and my friends have been kicking it here for the time being. what’s your story?”

This wolf was certainly laying it on thick with the compliments, Narcisa noted. But Max seemed genuine and a bit shy, judging from her body language, so she didn't mind it. She dipped her head in return and quietly let Max answer, interested to hear that she had friends around. But it didn't sound like a pack, and it didn't smell like one around here, either. Still, friends sounded nice—she hadn't had one of those for months now. She bristled internally at the returned question. Externally, there was just a flash of surprise in her eyes before her relaxed gaze returned. Narcisa really didn't want to delve into the mess that was her story, so she kept it vague.

I left my pack to find somewhere less... chaotic. I'm used to the coast, but there aren't many faces there. So... now I'm here, She explained simply. Hope you don't mind me being here or anything, She added. Max seemed pretty pleased to have met her, but Narcisa figured being polite couldn't hurt. Besides, she had no idea what her friends were like.