Firefly Ravine When the cold wind is a'calling

It wasn't long after she left Cadeau that Maia announced her departure... her howl rang out from the borders of Rusalka, thanking @Illidan for letting her stay, but letting him know she had to go.  It was probably okay if he thought something urgent had come up.  She just wanted to go home now.

Let him stay there with his "partner" who was super nice and super interesting and who Maia couldn't even dislike because she was just... ugh.  Great?  Which blew bigtime because she didn't want to like her, but now they were kinda friends but also kind of not and it was just super awkward.  Why did boys have to ruin everything?

First Epic blew her off and now Illidan.  It was a dejected Maia who plodded her way towards the ravine, ready to make her way around it and back to the Firebirds forest.  It had been dumb to think that a prince might ever look twice at her; Cass had been right all along.  Girls like her didn't really get to be princesses.  They just had to play dragons instead.

What's wrong with that?  She thought to herself angrily, though she felt tears pricking at her eyes.  Dragons were super cool and super strong and didn't need a guy to protect them.  So neither did she.  She was going to be juuuuust fine.  Right after she had a nice little cry, that is.

tag for reference! this may turn into a RO depending on if anyone wants to hop on it <3

MINE, ALL MINE

In continuing his journey, Jackalope made steady progress toward the South, though he meandered this way and that, not terribly concerned that it might be months before he found a family member when it could have simply been a matter of days or weeks. It wasn't exactly a priority anyway- he'd left family, and he hadn't done so strictly so that he could find older family. He was content to be aimless, for the most part- without having the final goal of joining a pack or settling down. He'd never been one to aim terribly high, though he certainly had the charisma to acheive high goals...If only he could care enough to set one. 

The wolves he met along the way were interesting, but not so much so as to persuade him to abandon his lonely travels and join them. He had been criticized for his lack of attachment before, but it didn't burden him. He disliked seeing how emotional others could get over the opinions that others had, or the comments they made. Jackalope preferred to let those things roll off his shoulders like water off a duck's back. 

And so, he was neither repelled nor brought to summon pity or empathy when he saw a cute young woman who looked- even from a distance- as though she was doing her best to hold back tears. She wasn't attractive in a traditional, womanly way- nor was she svelte, lean or sleek but it didn't mean he found her appearance displeasing. No- there was a squareness about her build and the frame of her face that told him this girl was probably plenty spunky, and capable of brightening up considerably once she let go of her inhibitions. She moved with a self-conscious sort of gait, her steps short as though she wasn't quite used to the build of her frame. Perhaps a bit graceless, he thought- but there was something charming about her. He found himself doubting that she saw herself as being attractive at all- and that was possibly the most alluring thing about her. 

Of course, Jackalope wasn't exactly one to judge others for their looks- with the hunching of his shoulders, his bob-tail, and his long, protruding upper canine teeth, he was aware that he resembled something more like a cross between a hyena, a sabre-toothed tiger and a wolf...But he didn't care, and bore himself with the sort of assuredness that might've been better suited to a wolf of traditional handsomeness. But his confidence didn't stem from vanity- it came from a lack of caring what others thought. So he called out, when he felt he could do so without having to bother to raise his voice. 

"I could hunt him down if you like. Rough him up a bit." He said, leaping to the assumption that this girl was upset about a boy. The offer was made in a mild, unassuming tone- not one that bore any trace of a threat whatsoever, so that he might stand less of a chance of spooking her.

She was just thinking that a break might be good, sniffling away morosely, when he called out.  She'd been wondering if she hadn't jumped the gun a little, and if now Illidan wouldn't even want to see her again or hang out.  Because who told someone they wanted to stay and then just up and left?  She was so dumb.

Wh....what? She asked, spinning to see who it was.  Umm, no.  That's ok.  She frowned, thinking about it.  Probably she deserved to be hunted down.  Who are you?

She was a little wary, but not superbly.  Maia had met very few in her life who meant her actual harm, so she didn't tend to fear strangers often.  He looked a little rough, but he seemed to be okay nice, and the teeth gave him an interesting look.  She appreciated interesting.

He'd surprised her, but she didn't look too alarmed or upset that he felt he should depart and leave her on her own. Her comment lacked conviction, and he sought to remedy that, bringing a half-smile to his features which danced more in his eyes than it drew his lips upwards. She asked who he was, but he ignored the question for the moment, choosing instead to move a few more steps forward- his posture still casual but confident, so that he could get a better look at her and gauge her facial expression...He suspected that she was probably quite expressive when she wanted to be, with the markings that framed her eyes. 

"Are you sure?" He pressed, quirking an eyebrow. "I wouldn't really hurt him..." He drawled, before he shrugged. "Badly" He said. As she'd asked his name, and he realized he could possibly be freaking her out right now, he dipped his head to her. "I'm Jackalope."

He was enthusiastic about this plan, to his credit.  She sniffled and let out a single shaky laugh, shaking her head.  Yeah.  Its fine. It wasn't.  It really wasn't.  Do you offer to beat people up for every girl you meet? she asked, smiling slightly.  Despite the weirdness of what he was saying, she didn't get bad vibes.  He reminded her of Terance, a little.  Maia.