Stavanger Bay fade

@Saucy ❤

the sun barely cuts through the thick translucent haze over the shoreline, casting a grey tinge over what little can be seen through the rippling fog. the frigid humidity of the aggressive wind rips a harsh cough from the lone golden figure lingering near the water's edge, slim shoulders shaking a little with the force of it. he sucks in a stinging salty breath, reveling in the way the air chills his chest and throat from within. he feels at peace, settled against the cold sand with only the sounds of the wind and waves for company. idly he wonders about tack; the bird seems to have finally made the journey south for the winter (he hopes), and he wishes he had a way to know his friend is well. he often finds himself lonely without the snarky bird's company, but he thinks perhaps the solitude is good for him. he shifts slightly, digging his toes further into the stiff sand and watching it warp and crumble around his paws. it occurs to him that he could seek out ford — he's undeniably eager for more of the man's company. but it strikes him as rude in a way to inflict his own company upon others, as if they must entertain the mute, and the last thing he wants is to be rude to the wolf who'd given him a home. he'll just have to wait until he has some reason to approach him.

Saucy made her way down to shoreline, returning from a patrol unusually worn out. Rarely did the lioness not have energy, but the foggy storm bearing sky seemed to be draining her. Her feet sank into the sand with every weary step, but she continued on if only to reach her den and escape the berating ocean winds. While she had been growing used to the sea and her madness, this weather was not appreciated.

A figure became clear through the fog, he seemed to glow in whatever sunlight could pierce the veil. He wasn’t that familiar, but he smelled like Stormrift. That was good enough for her, and she trotted in his direction, mustering up as much energy as she could to look friendly. Heyo, what’s up bro? she greeted him, a ghost with eyes of ice in this fog.

despite his self-imposed isolation, company finds the mayfair in short order, coming in the form of a pale sylph approaching through the fog. he almost mistakes the figure for dalia, but her build is too solid and fur too stark to be the sweet blue-eyed girl. his ears perk as the stranger draws closer, tail thumping softly against the ground when she's close enough that her features become clear. he offers a chuff and a friendly smile to her words, pushing back the familiar melancholy of being unable to answer. it's always such an ordeal, navigating his lack of speech in interactions. he gets tired of it, sometimes.

the figure formed a small honey wolf, who was speechless in response to her greeting. He offered a chuff and a smile, and a thump of his tail and that was all. She moved slightly closer to him so as to better get his scent and see him through the fog. She was unsure yet of why he hadn’t answered her question, so she asked curiously, you don’t want to talk? it was fine if he didn’t, she was just as happy as to use her body to speak.

sorry it’s short :”)

no worries!! ❤

one fluffy bronze-tipped ear flicks back for a moment at her question, eyes averting briefly toward the ground. he'd expected this, of course, but that makes it no easier. his smile fades as he considers how to answer her, but his expression is still friendly when he glances back up. he lifts a paw to his throat and shakes his head, gaze gentle. he's not certain she'll understand; he's never tried this approach before, but he needs something better than just... opening up and showing her the problem. it'd worked well enough with zamael, sure, but he isn't eager to provoke that sort of reaction again.

This response was rather strange, Saucy’s brows furrowed as she followed his paw to his throat. For a second she wondered if he was choking, but then realized that was some crack shit, and he was definitely not choking. She came to the conclusion that he just couldn’t talk, and after a moment of contemplation her head tipped up and down slowly. Oh, my bad, we don’t have to talk then, she said with a friendly smile, similar to his own.

She took a few more steps towards him then glanced at his face, to see if he objected any. She sniffed at him, then nudged his shoulder with her black nose, urging him to get up. She thought maybe they could walk together, it would give them something to do. She could do silence, but only when some other part of her body was in motion instead. Sitting still was not her strong suit.

it seems, at first, that the girl does not understand; predictable, but not what he'd hoped for. disappointment swells in his chest for a beat and his features fall by fractions — until she speaks, and he releases a soft breath as he realizes his message has been received. relieved, he smiles more brightly this time, easily dismissing the twinge of confusion following her words; no wolf has ever opted to forgo speech to accommodate him, and he can't yet decide how he feels about it. he typically finds solace in listening, at least — but perhaps this will be easier. he welcomes her approach regardless, rising with tail still swishing when she nudges his shoulder. he gestures with his muzzle for her to lead the way, figuring she has somewhere in mind — and if not, well... ladies first anyway.

The golden male stood to follow her, letting her lead the way with a gesture. She in fact, had no idea where they would go, so she just started walking into the mist. She moved closer to the water's edge, so that she could walk in the shallows. The cool water lapped at her feet, somehow sparking a bit more energy into her step as opposed to the tired trot she'd been at. Also company, even the silent kind always brightened her up. She glanced back at him with a friendly smile on her maw, her tail waving laxly behind her.

As they walked, movement in the sand caught her eye. Something small and pinchy. She made a clicking sound with her teeth, mimicking the sound of the crabs claws as it scuttled towards the sea. She lowered her body and then with a quick pounce she leapt upon it before it made it's escape to the waves. It'd taken her a few good tries the first time, to catch a crab without getting pinched, but she'd gotten the hang of it now. She bit into it with a crunch, then turned back to face her quiet friend.

You wanna share? They taste kinda pissy but everything in the ocean does so, she said with a shrug as she dropped the crab between the two of them.

he trails slightly behind her, wrinkling his nose a little at the tiny droplets of saltwater that splatter his muzzle as she walks. he lifts his head slightly to avoid the spray, trying to return her smile when he notices her glancing back at him. as they walk, he wonders where they're going, still unaware that their wandering is aimless. the knowledge wouldn't bother him anyway, pleased as he is to have company. it's a foreign feeling; he's only ever known his solitude.
he pauses at the sound of the girl's teeth clicking together, ears pulling forward as he attempts to peer around her to see what's in front of her. he only catches a brief glimpse of the strange creature before his friend is upon it. his eyes widen as he watches her, and as she turns he eyes the thing with curiosity. her words draw a faint smile to his lips and he nods as he glances back to her. his gaze is drawn again to the unknown creature a moment later, head tilting slightly as he settles back on his haunches and waits; even if it wasn't the polite thing to do, he has no clue which part of this thing is edible.

Saucy stared down at her crab for a moment, it’s furled and unmoving claws looked rather unsettling this way. She grimaced at it as she waited for a response from Sentinel, then it occurred to her he wouldn’t be giving one. She glanced up to see what he was doing and found his head tilted in what was taken as doubt. No they’re good, good pissy, she reassured, shifting closer to it then sitting. Salmon pink tongue slipped between her pearly teeth as she returned to the crab, crouching so she could grab it in her mouth again.

She put one paw over its legs, then latched on to its stomach exoskeleton with her teeth. She pulled back, cracking the skeleton and exposing the creamy meat inside. Her eyes drifted back to her friend with a glint of satisfaction, and she smiled, Here, just try it you’ll love it.

had sentinel witnessed the pale girl's grimace, the doubt she assumes might have been a reality; as it stands, the mayfair finds himself stifling a laugh at her reassurance. good pissy, he thinks wryly, got it. perhaps slightly inspired toward skepticism by her words, he watches with wide eyes as she fractures the glistening shell with her teeth. the split reveals a strangely pale sort of meat of a texture he's never seen before, and the scent is... odd; his mind wars to decide if the briny smell is enticing or nauseating. he glances back to the other and, seeing her satisfaction, offers a smile. his gaze flicks back to the strange creature between them at her suggestion; he hesitates only a moment, casting her a grateful glance before he leans in to sniff the pale meat and, after another moment, take a small mouthful. he holds it gingerly in his jaws as he steps back, eyeing the creature a little warily and tasting the meat slowly before he dares to chew. the meat is soft and tastes of the ocean. he's never had anything like it before. his tail swishes slightly as he glances back to his friend, offering another smile. good pissy, his expression confirms.

Saucy watched him with an expectant gaze, she could almost watch the inner monologue playing in him mind. Finally he offered her a grateful glance, to which she replied with a presumptuous smile and nod, and then he bent down to take his fill. He seemed cautious, he only took a little portion, and it took him a few seconds to decide whether or not to swallow. But when he looked to her his expression read that he liked it, and Saucy's striped tail began to wag too.

Told'ja, trust me I'm the best taste tester this side of the coast, she said as she bent down to eat some herself. The crab tasted fleshy and as she had said before pissy, but definitely good.