Heron Lake Plateau Pure intention juxtaposed

Referencing this howled mess.

After a few days to recover, Camilla was feeling a lot better. It felt like she hadn't left at all, actually. Like the foul man had never come for her in the first place. The reality of the situation only struck her when she saw Phox's face, and the guilt that sprang forth in her gut twisted her in to knots. She was glad he was alive, but... It was her fault that he'd been hurt in the first place. It was something she would atone for.

Like before, she kept far from the territory limits. She was just on her way alongside the central lake (to see if it was frozen, or if she could find some plants or food for later - paying rent, more or less -) when she heard an explosion of shouting so intense that she thought she'd jump right out of her skin. Rather than do that though, Camilla flattened down — as if a real bomb had gone off and she was trying to avoid the shockwave. Birds exploded from the woods, some of the herons wading in the water turned their heads or took off, it was chaos for all of five minutes — and then stillness, and Camilla's whimpering.

He couldn't make out what was being said, but Towhee's voice was recognizable enough. Phox decided he didn't want to get involved this time, especially when he came across Camilla whimpering and flat on the ground. He frowned, concerned, and knelt down so that his eyes were level with hers. You okay? he asked, knowing as he asked it the answer was no. Still, he had to ask.

Even after the chaotic din faded from the air, as the birds returned to their roosts with tentative zips between the trees, she was flat on her belly and cowering. Her whole body was quaking as she tried to get to her paws, and then when Phox came up behind her she spooked again - ducking, as if avoiding one of the sparrow wings. But she saw it was him. There was no need to be afraid of Phox, but Camilla couldn't shake the terror that possessed the rest of her.

She shivered as she moved to intercept him, and pressed her nose against his cheek a few times - softly, like eskimo kisses - and tried to breathe, and quell the electricity of her adrenaline. It.. It scare me. That didn't answer his question, but she was trying to calm down enough so that her teeth didn't chatter. Her tail was curved at her hocks, and would've brushed her belly if she'd been a smaller creature. Big noise... Th-thought he came back — I'll be okay. I'm okay... Her lips moved to recite that, I'm okay phrase a few times silently, but that was a clear indication she was still struggling.

He comforted her as much as he could, scooting around so he was parallel with her as she showered him with... kisses? He felt his skin grow hot under the fur on his face. Aside from Towhee, Phox had never had a particularly close relationship with anybody. There was Niamh, who he had started to get close to, but their relationship was mostly built through joint trust with Towhee. Camilla was... something entirely different. He felt responsible for her well-being, which wasn't something he had felt for anybody—not even Towhee. His sister had always been able to take care of herself.

Do you... want to talk about it? he offered clumsily. Phox didn't think he could offer any kind of advice, but he was very, very good at listening.

Despite being through so much in her life, Camilla genuinely wanted to trust and she wanted to love. Her fluttering pecks and too-soft kisses came to an end as she calmed herself down, but soon enough she resumed pressing herself close to him, as she had when he'd found her. It was like she couldn't quite get enough of him.

Talking wasn't something she excelled at, obviously. But it helped to focus her thoughts on the problem. Having someone there that would listen without passing judgement (or trying anything, or manipulating her), who genuinely cared, was something new and coveted. Dunno, she sighed as a response, mostly because she didn't know where to start — and not wanting to push him away out of some strangeness that might fall from her lips. Feel better now. You here, I.. I'm safe, that was all she really needed.

As she sighed against him, she remarked in a too-casual fashion, You make me happy.

"You make me happy."

Huh, that was a statement. Phox was at a loss for words when she said it, and he half-cleared his throat, half-choked on his own saliva. It had been clear that Camilla liked him, but how she liked him was still unclear. Towhee had immediately assumed Camilla was his girlfriend waifu. Even Camilla seemed confused, introducing herself as his wife when she had first met Towhee. Phox was stuck in between, not really knowing what to think except that he wanted to keep her safe.

Happy... like friends? he asked, trying to clarify exactly how she felt about him. He was her friend, he knew that much, but if she wanted more... well, he wouldn't be opposed, exactly. (It wasn't like there were any other prospects in the Redhawks, and he was a creature easily steered by instinct.)

Clarity would probably never be one of her skills either. One had to wonder what she'd eventually become - what set of skills could she possibly cultivate after everything she'd been through? The woman had not changed much between her first interaction with Phox; in her mind, he was her husband. But that meant something totally different from what everyone else likely assumed, leading to confusion all around. Towhee mocked her for it. What was she supposed to call him? Phox was her protector, her rescuer, the closest thing to family she'd ever had — Friend? She parroted back at him, pulling away and looking at him with doe-eyes.

He looked --- hopeful? Concerned? She couldn't read him, and dropped her eyes away. I.. I guess, friend, is that the word that they used around here? Was that what Raven called Quixote, or.. Finley, with Elwood? But wasn't Towhee friends with Niamh...? Poor Camilla was so confused by this subtle exchange, and her ears fanned about awkwardly. M'isser Quixote... is Raven's friend?

She repeated him, seemingly trying to make sense of the word. Then she mentioned Quixote and Raven... and that made his skin hot all over again. If his fur hadn't covered him, he would have been as red as a ripe tomato. Quixote and Raven, well... they were a bit more than friends, as much as Phox didn't approve of his sister's choice of a mate. Oh, uh... they're mates, he replied with an awkward chuckle. Lovers, he clarified. Is that how Camilla thought of him? Did he think of her the same way? Phox being a sort of dummy had never really... thought... about... that.

He was just there for Camilla like he would be for any pack mate. Right? Maybe Towhee had picked up on something he had missed. Maybe he was the only one on the outs regarding this whole thing. Wouldn't that be embarrassing?

He threw some new words at her, which caused her to think - the cogs in her mind clearly ticking along through the windows of her eyes - and it seemed as if she understood. It didn't embarrass her the way it did for Phox; she didn't notice the flush of his skin but he did get quiet, and that made her a little bit worried.

Oh. They husban? she queried, it was one of the first words she'd learned when she was here. It felt like a lifetime ago that she was roaming the wilds with her sister, Sif. It brought to mind images of her giant of a husban and the giddiness she always seemed to hold when he was around. But that made sense too — Camilla's vague understanding of relationships had branched in to something more sinister among the Company, but she made the link. Now there were these other words to add to it, all which apparently meant the same.

So she just nodded. You're mine. It made sense to her. Camilla's understanding was that every man had a wife, sometimes many, sometimes shared — and Phox had rescued her. She belonged to him.

He put a hand on his snout in a face-palming motion, feeling like she was not understanding the implications of what she was saying. She said he was hers, which, to some degree, was the truth. He was her protector, and he had sworn to keep her safe. But he had other responsibilities. Phox had sisters and brothers here, nieces and nephews. Settling down and finding a mate had never, ever been a priority of his, and yet here was Camilla, deciding for him. He wondered if it was worth it to reject her, but something told him that would only make her sad.

So, being the stupid, dumb boy that he was, the paw slid off his muzzle, and Phox nodded along placidly. If everybody else was thinking it, it must be true, right? How Phox had somehow managed to become Camilla's husband without him actively agreeing to it, he did not know, but there it was. She had claimed him. Considering he didn't have any reason to object, he decided to go along with it. Maybe she would make him happy, too.

Talking with him had helped her a lot. She wasn't panicked anymore, and had almost forgotten about the startling noises that had made her drop to the dirt in the first place. She was wholly focused on him now, watching him, and when he finally seemed to understand (nodding his head), she smiled. 

A genuine, not-even-a-fidget kind of smile, and booped him with her snoot.