Stavanger Bay losing feeling's getting old

dalia didn't have many nightmares, even after the incident. it weighed on her more during the daytime, and at night she slept relatively well. now, anyway, the first few weeks following it she didn't get much sleep at all. but time -- though a short amount -- had healed a good bit. it helped to be surrounded by wolves who cared about her, and to have so much distraction. the addition of sparring was surprisingly helpful in numerous ways.


but tonight she had one. she didn't know why -- maybe it was all the failed spars she'd had lately, or maybe tonight was just a bad night. either way, dalia had woken in a cold sweat, frantic and scared. she couldn't remember the dream, at least, not in it's entirety, but she knew it was bad -- and she knew she didn't want to go back to sleep. not alone. 

she slipped from her den, her first rational thought being to find saucy. along the way she caught wind of @Velen, and wondering if he was closer, wanting to get out of the coasts chilling wind, dalia turned and instead sought him out. his scent was strong here, and though dalia was unsure if he slept in a den or in the open, she knew he was here somewhere, so she kept her eyes peeled.

he was trailing the coast, still restless. a little bored, if he was being honest. though velen did not know it, this would be the first time his body would respond to the fragrance of women, soon to come upon the wind. blissfully unaware for now, the boy slipped into the dark waters, letting out his breath in a long sigh.
when he surfaced, moonglow illuminated the sands, and before he could shake the sea from his umbergold pelt, velen caught sight of dalia coursing the beachhead. strangely pleased by her presence in the darkness, the boy waved oceanwater from his fur and trotted to approach her, letting out a low chuff of greeting as he slowed and extended his muzzle.
"out for a night walk?" the ceto teased, teeth flashing in a grin. "cold evening for it."

when dalia finally spotted him he was in the ocean. it was so cold, she couldn't even imagine how cold the waters were... did he really get in them? and at this hour? why? well, she supposed the mayfair-cairns were built for the water... no matter what. she, however, had her mothers genes, who was built for southern heat. though she'd grown up by the ocean, genetics didn't favor her in it. oh well, the beach was plenty for her for now. she waited for him, the winds pressing to her fur and ruffling it on one side. 

he eventually noticed her, picking his way back onto the sand to approach her. he noted the cold evening and asked if she was out for a stroll. dalia wanted to banter but her response fell short. "the water's cold," she said, quickly wishing she wouldn't've -- ah, she was so out of sorts. "you're wet -- you're going to get sick, velen," she said, voice rushed and quiet and she began to nose gently at his shoulders and neck, ushering him further inland with her. she didn't quite answer his question.

dalia did not answer; some strange aura surrounded him, and he followed silently as she ushered him away from the black lapping of the sea. falling into step with her, velen preened waterdroplets from his shoulders and chest as they moved, casting a gentle smile in her direction. "see? all dry." 
it was on the tip of his tongue to ask her what was wrong; it had become clear that the young woman had not merely been out for a stroll, but he kept it to himself. as before, dalia would lead their conversation; velen would let himself be guided. a comfortable silence stretched over the pair, and he paused to look heavenward at what stars were visible in the winter-misted skies.

"hardly," quipped dalia as brightly as she could muster, handing him a quick nip to the muzzle as he cast a look her way. and then she pressed against him. they were moving at a comfortable speed it wasn't so hard to keep her balance -- he could certainly use the body heat, but dalia could certainly use the closeness. 

they walked in silence for a while, and only when dalia could sort through a few emotions did she say anything. "i had a nightmare," she said quietly, ears flicking, gaze focused forwards, "i don't really remember it i just... know it was a nightmare."

she sidled closer to him; the warm press of her smaller body both comforted velen and caused a sensation of shyness to ripple through his veins. however, he did not reveal this, merely enjoyed the heat of her delicate form alongside him. at the movement of her ears, velen delivered to dalia his full attention. 
a nightmare. she did not give details, and he did not ask. it was to be expected, he suspected; the girl had worked through a a good deal of what had occurred, but shadows tended to rise in the night. "it's over now, dalia," velen murmured, lowering his muzzle to nudge her cheek briefly. "it's over, and you're awake, and all right."

he reassured her that she was okay, and that she was awake. both things dalia knew but... needed to hear. they were more comforting said aloud, and by velen, than they were thought in her own head -- which also yelled multitudes of other things at her. 

his muzzle against her cheek brought warmth to them, hot against the chill of the winter night. she usually felt confused and uneasy by the feelings, but on such a cold night -- and feeling so exhausted -- dalia almost welcomed them. feeling bold, she touched the bottom of his chin with her nose, appreciation for his words, and asked, "would you stay with me, just for the night?" but after she asked she felt sheepish again, her ears pressing back. she added, not wanting to seem so desperate and needy, "or just for a little bit."

dalia lifted her face to his; velen's plume swayed at his heels. but he did not expect the question she posed. and so for a long moment, the dark chestnut of his gaze was swallowed by the turquoise and the cornflower of her own eyes. "i'll stay as long as you need," the boy declared, hopelessly snared. for her, he wanted to be strong, resolute, but the need of his presence had produced in velen another feeling, a protectiveness he had not realized had long felt for dalia.
a sheepish curve wreathed his lips; he blinked. "i sort of sleep, uh, wherever. so." so we have to go to your den," was the finishing to that thought, though velen was suddenly too awkward to admit that the prospect of being in such close quarters with the budding warrioress made him quite nervous — and exhilarated.

he agreed, appearing more than willing. dalia, more keen on noticing things than handfuls of other wolves, made silent note of his hesitation -- note of the size of his pupils -- note of the awkward pause that lingered at the end of his sentence. dalia had sometimes pulled this side of velen from him, but she'd never understood it -- and it'd never been so all at once. dalia wondered how often she acted like this, if her own caution and unease were so easily noted in her appearance. she wondered what he thought she looked like now. 

if he was as observant as she, velen might've noticed her own tenseness to his response. worry flooded her as she silently wondered if she was burdening him -- he seemed so keen on staying with her, so agreeable, but she could only wonder if all his hesitation was on account that he didn't really want to. ah, if only she knew. 

it'd be a lie to say the idea of him in such close quarters with her didn't make her stomach knot -- but the good kind of knot, she couldn't explain it. but he'd said himself he slept wherever, something dalia was entirely unfamiliar with but accepting of. to her den they'd go, which was fine -- it wasn't far off. and he'd warm up quicker in there, and she could easily treat him for a cold if he'd come down with one from his midnight swim.

"it's close," she assured him with a gentle nod, a light, nervous smile pressing to her features, "thank you, velen." and then she led him towards it, feeling more and more at ease -- and somehow, more and more anxious.

"not a prob." he followed at her side dutifully, nerves fraying with every step. velen had indeed noticed how she had seemed reluctant, almost shy. perhaps it was the prospect of having him close.
velen and dalia were not strangers to one another, but it was one thing to frisk and wrestle on the beach, and another to have what amounted to a sleepover. perhaps she was regretting her offer, but did not think she could retract it now.
of course, velen would have released her from it in a heartbeat, but they were nearing where he knew her den to be, and his tongue twisted into silence. it would be nice to be warm, instead of drying slowly in the cold air on the beach. a night swim in the winter was a pretty foolish thing to do, after all.
he glanced toward dalia now, an encouraging expression lighting his gaze, though for once, no witty quip came to mind.

his response... how casual -- something dalia always appreciated. she was not uptight by any means, but she was always so fretful, took a lot of things rather seriously. to have him -- and saucy and rannveig -- around always helped her loosen up a bit. it always helped calm her restless mind, remind her to take a breath. 

they walked in silence -- where dalia took the time to think of things to say later. silence with velen never felt uncomfortable, but she didn't want it to linger forever. she appreciated his company and his help -- she didn't want to be a bore. but when they arrived at her den, stomach still in knots, dalia suddenly wished he'd had some witty quip, just to lighten the tension. but he didn't. and dalia scrambled for her own -- but she was not as crude (in a good way!) as he was. "i get to tell saucy you came home with me," she said brightly, regretting it immediately. how embarrassing! that wasn't even funny! or even vulgar, it was just poor wordplay. "ah -- pretend i didn't say that," she added. damn.

she ducked into the den, face burning, expecting him to follow and probably poke a little fun at her -- she deserved it! only now did she realize it was kind of a wreck inside, which was even more embarrassing. oh! why'd she have to be a healer? why couldn't she just tell stories? or fight? never mind the pile of coconuts in one corner of the place -- some split and some full -- or the scattered shells and glass and stones that surrounded them, there were also small assortments of seeds and dried leaves on stones, like she begun to make a cache but gave up halfway through. it was the dead of winter, anyway, there wasn't much to be storing away for use... 

truthfully, it wasn't bad, just a few piles. but dalia felt bad about them anyway. 

she grit her teeth, glancing velen's way. "mom's den was always way more organized than this," she said with a sheepish grin, tail wagging slowly, "i don't know how she did it -- she had way more stuff." 

why were they so awkward? was it just him? was he making things weird with his odd silence and his horrible smile? no? keeping his face carefully arranged, velen's composure broke at the first chance it got. "no, i'm totally gonna remember you said that," he purled, stepping into the den after her. it was neatly appointed, each small pile of things carefully sorted. here were coconuts, here a glittering pile of things that glimmered and drew his eye, a half-built cache.
perhaps it was because he was male, or because he was a heathen who slept outside, but velen found himself impressed by the decoration and ambience of dalia's shelter. he sensed she was put out by what she saw as a 'mess,' however, confirmed by her next nervous words.
settling himself upon his haunches near the denmouth, head lowered somewhat as his height would have made it quite easy for him to bang his skull against the roof, velen watched dalia move about the den. "dude, give yourself some credit. you have some sweet digs." 
his mind returned to what she had said about saucy — did they talk about him, then? the suspicion made him flush beneath his burnished coat, and he glanced outward, to the ever-present, dulled roar of the ocean in the distance. in a moment's time, however, velen looked back to dalia, thumping his tail once as he slid down to his belly with a yawn he could not hide.

he seemed to break out of whatever chain held him so quiet and stiff -- she was glad that, if anything, her comment had done that. she wished she would've been a bit wittier, maybe if she had saucy's wit... ah, no. dalia knew better than to compare herself. but her friend! ah, her friend. saucy was so quick to come-back. dalia was slow and often not as witty, but she did always try, and you'd have to give her credit for that. 

a pink tongue stuck out at him as he made his own comment, which he was well within his rights to do. "fine, but i'm gonna deny it." and she would, too. 

he settled near the mouth of the den, which was taller than the rest of the space. nestled in between two cliff sides, the place was just a hole in the wall -- literally, but while it did get shorter, the place was pretty roomy. it was why she had chosen it... at least, one of the reasons. 

sweet digs. dalia grinned, her tail wagging a bit quicker as she watched him slink to the floor. she settled herself, though a bit hesitantly for some reason, before tucking her forelimbs beneath her chest. she was not far off from him, a little bit from the wall as she kept her ocean eyes trained upon him. "drageda all slept in one place -- hougeda... it was this big cavern underground, by the cliffs. there were different rooms and caves, and my mom kept her cache above ground by her garden, but it was nice... at night we all could curl up together," she said, gaze eventually pulling away from his to stare at the pile of coconuts in one corner. her ears flicked, shoulders tensing, as she briefly wondered if her family was all curled up together now. dio, large and thick-furred, was always the most comfortable to cuddle with, especially when it was colder.

dalia folded herself neatly nearby; velen watched her, somewhat entranced until she began to speak. and then he was enchanted in a new way: she spoke a language he had not heard before, save for perhaps a snippet here and there. drageda — the place to which dalia could never return. her fondness for her mother was something the boy knew well, and there welled in his heart a fierce longing for deidre, and even the gruff coldness of skellige.
but he was here now, in the bay, and it was not so bad. especially not tonight, with the seaflower beside him describing hougeda. velen could see it: moonlight trickling through the cavern walls and dalia gathered with her family. a smile lit his muzzle. his clan was altogether different; the boy could not remember ever having voluntarily cuddled with his littermates unless it was out of necessity.
was there a wistfulness in her voice? he wondered at the prospect of it, gaze following her own toward the stack of tree-nuts in the corner. a true glint to his eye now, for the sight of them reminded him of their first meeting with saucy and how they had all played like ribald children for hours.
"that sounds nice," velen murmured after a heartbeat, before clearing his throat and crossing his forepaws. "uh, if you get ... um ... cold, you could ... like ..." marvelous. you're doing great, sport. "you could come curl up over here. i don't mind. if you want," velen added quickly; this was dalia's space, after all, and maybe she didn't need to be close, just needed his presence to stave off more nightmares, which he was more than pleased to do.

only when velen began to stutter did dalia look back towards him. her gaze, expression drenched in concern, fell upon his russet features. her black-tipped ears pressed forwards, patiently awaiting the entire statement. only after he said it, finally, did dalia understand -- not that it was a riddled comment, after all. her face, once again, lit aflame. hot and radiating -- dalia was surprised he hadn't asked her if she smelled smoke. her fur might've singed off if she'd felt any hotter. 

but maybe she looked perfectly normal on the outside. 

wanting to say that his hesitation was only proof that he wanted her to go over there -- after all, he seemed just as nervous as her, for some reason. dalia picked herself up, feeling like a pound of bricks was weighing her down, and moved slowly over to him. only as she pressed herself against him, her shoulder aligned with his own, did dalia realize she hadn't said a word. and, beyond that, she might've even been holding her breathe.

she let it out, a heavy breath of air that she tried to stifle not to seem so stupid. and then, scolding herself for being so weird and silent, she said, "only because i don't want you to catch a cold." and then she gingerly pressed her nose to his neck, trying to be friendly and prod at him, but too nervous and hot to make it seem that way. it came across much milder than that. 

"i... really appreciate this, velen," she then said softly, tucking her chin to her chest, "i know you were on an important mission spying on the sharks of the bay but... i really needed you." or saucy, she wanted to add, she felt too forward -- forward?? as if she was pulling a move!  but... she didn't. you.

he too, had been holding his breath, wondering if she would come to join him, and when she did, velen let it out in a low sigh. this wasn't so bad; it was similar to how it had been when they were walking, the warmth of her seeping into his damp fur toward his skin. only now, the boy was keenly aware of how small she was, how fragile dalia could be in quieter times, and the feeling of instinctual guardianship rose in his heart again.
"it would suck to catch a cold," velen mumbled, a pleasant heat sweeping across his withers as she pressed her slender muzzle against his neck. carefully, aware of their proximity, he moved to mirror her, letting his lips linger just beneath the bulb of her ear before pulling away.
the girl was speaking now; the ceto cupped his ears to listen. a grin cracked his jaws; tongue lolling in amusement, he gave a short laugh. "honestly my mission was totally compromised by an orca." but despite her light-hearted humour, velen found he didn't feel much like joking, not now.
on a whim, afraid she could hear the wild thudding of his heartbeat, the mayfair-cairn shifted and passed his muzzle across her cheek reassuringly. "i'm glad to be needed." especially by you. only by you, velen added silently to himself, swallowing some vestige of terror before looking out to sea once more, seeking to steady himself on the scent of brine in the cold night air.

the press of his nose against such a sensitive spot brought a chill through her, which came as something of a shock. she shivered, gently, before shifting and pressing closer to velen -- perhaps it was easily played off as a cold chill. ah! what was this? dalia had so much questions that she could not ask -- but if she did, could he even answer? 

she pressed forwards, seeing that velen did the same. "how dare they," she murmured in response to the orca -- which was a far stretch! even further than her own, since it was highly plausible that rannveig and velen would put one another up to swimming with sharks. but an orca? never! but dalia didn't call him out on his story... it wasn't worth it. 

a soft hum escaped dalia's throat to respond to his comment. she didn't have the right words to use but she could make plenty of sounds -- just to show that she heard. that she listened. that she understood. she liked the feeling of being needed -- no matter by who. back in drageda, everyone needed portia or dio. no one needed her. she was a carbon copy of her mother, disposable to a fault. here she was someone else, here she was needed. and by velen. 

it was not her native tongue, but trigedasleng was second nature to her. it felt more personal to her, it was something her family and pack mates had spoken often to one another -- even portia and dio, who had not been born into drageda. and beyond that, she could say anything and velen would not understand a word of it. "yu laik a nemiyon kom lanik de." she murmured, feeling bold under the account that he would not understand her. and she would never explain to him what it meant -- it was corny and embarrassing... if he ever found out she would blame it on her tiredness. and then she pressed her head against his neck, beneath his chin, gaze fluttering softly.

velen was used to being needed, but in a much different way than he was now. his presence was necessary; he was a pillar of stormrift, a carrier of their great lineage. he was integral in a removed fashion. now, as dalia pressed herself toward him, arching her muzzle beneath his chin, the feeling of being needed was a warm coal that collected a glow in his belly.
gingerly first, then with a growing confidence, velen ducked his head to preen her ears gently, a low rumble sounding low in his chest.  he had never touched anyone like this before; the fine-boned girl at his side had done much to usher out the boy's softer side, and for that he was grateful. eyelids fell to half-mast as he feathered his lips along the velveteen curves of first one aud, then another.
more than her usual grooming of him, or he of her; it was a sharing. and for the first time, velen allowed himself the luxury of feeling what he had already kept reined in his heart for so long. dalia belonged to ford, or so he had believed. he had seen his skeletal-marked brother look upon her; he sensed in his soul that the massive warsaw creature saw the seabloom as something worthwhile.
and so velen had forced himself to regard her only as a friend, a companion — now he knew it had only been a lie, one he told himself to keep from hurt or resentment. and not a strong one. had he always loved her? he wasn't sure, and right now, it didn't matter to the ceto.
only dalia mattered, only the sensation of her silken forehead beneath his muzzle, the scent of crushed flowers that followed her always now filling his senses, and the words he did not recognize reverberating in his skull like a hymn. velen was wholly content, to be at her side, to touch her; the night would not be long enough for him to experience this feeling fully.

something that wolves did so often -- and dalia could count multiple accounts of when she'd done it to him before -- felt so sacred now. it was something common, something simple, but as he carefully began to preen gently at her ears and then the fur along the top of her crown, dalia realized the act felt like something entirely new. something she'd never experienced before. he rumbled, a sound that dalia was not used to to hearing. instinctually, she pressed closer into his side, twisting her head so that she could gently groom the fur at his throat. 

it wasn't that dalia didn't understand how she felt -- because she did. she'd felt it for a while, naturally, it was only a matter of time before anything happened because of those feelings. it was just that she didn't know what to do about them. she was so convinced that she was so broken, and that she couldn't make it much further than something as innocent as grooming. she tried not to ruin the moment for herself with such anxiety-ridden thoughts. 

a gentle sigh fell from her maw as she groomed, comfortable and quiet. there was no need for words. and as she settled further and further into the idea of being with him, just in this moment, dalia's lids felt heavier and heavier. 

unless you have further plans for this thread, i don't mind wrapping it up in the next few posts <3

i am cool to fade here or w your next post! <3

she could have asked anyone; dalia could have found ford, or saucy. but she had chosen him, and as she untangled the fur at his throat with a sleepy aptness, velen felt the joy of her choice clench his throat with some unidentifiable emotion. the creature was not willing to explore it, however, not now; he only wanted her nearness and to act for her dreams as a shield between the creeping shadows that had woken dalia, and her slumber.
velen licked the tip of one dove-grey ear before lowering his muzzle to press alongside hers, blinking with the weight of his own sudden tiredness. there was sleep to be had, he believed, but only when she had found her own respite. 
"you're exhausted," velen whispered softly. "i'll be here when you wake up." lowering his muzzle to his paws, the boy shifted his large frame, wanting nothing more than to soothe her in this moment, help her find the dreams that had evaded her.

"okay..." murmured a quiet dalia, who gently pressed her muzzle against his as he lowered it. she relaxed there for a minute, engulfed by a heavy sigh, before he brought his head to his paws. the sylph watched him silently for a moment before following suit, her own muzzle resting on her legs, shoulders aligned with his. she stared forwards for a moment, thinking, before letting her lids flutter close again.

it was quiet now, save for the gentle sounds of breathing between the two. and dalia, eventually, drifted into an undisturbed sleep.