Emberwood come on over to my place

@Kukulkan

bhediya knew that it was only a matter of time before she went into heat. staying at home for the duration of her estrus was not an option so long as pygmalion was here. she couldn't leave alone, either; he was always watching, following from a distance.

she had a vague plan of action but needed extra hands (paws?) to make it happen. strolling along the border, bhediya wondered what to do.

To say he was happy to be reconnected to a sense of purpose and community again would be an understatement. He was elated.

Though his interactions had been few so far since re-entering these forests, he had found a warming sense of relief in the shelter of its canopies. Despite the chill that wrapped these lands there was a fulfillment that filled his veins as he meandered along the borderlines of the territory. K was never truly the sentimental type - as heartwarming as he may appear, he was still truly a pirate at heart. Adventure and mischief guided his heart, but unlike a high percentage of his family, he often didn't see the need for violence to mingle in with this.

That was not to say he was a knight in shining armor.
Simply a well-intentioned fellow with the impulses of a vagrant, push come to shove.

Nonetheless he still walked along the edges of Emberwood, eager to help where he could, and it seemed his size was a favorable asset. Even if he didn't have to confront anyone directly, maybe the sight of such a tall brute might dissuade the more malicious. But as he did so, a rather potent scent danced across his nostrils. Ears perked as he recognized it as Bhediya, but it was... heavier. With no question nor hesitation, the pirate lad redirected his stride to make his way over to the tiny shadow girl, a smile stretched across that boyish face.

"'Eyo Bhediya, fancy seein' ya here huh?" The joke was laden and pathetic, but he chuckled anyways as he approached, his gait bouncing as he approached and alinged himself side by side with here. "Ye uh... okay? Somethin' seems a bit err, dff'rent." There was something in her scent, something he didn't recognize. But aside from that, there was a stifle in her aura. A weight.

Ears flattened down, his pace slowing a bit and head dipping low towards her. "Ya okay..?"

@Bhediya

bhediya's reaction was immediate, but delayed until seeing kukulkan's face. a smile twitched at the corner of her lips, dying soon thereafter. it is, she laughed, her voice soft against the winter wind. pygmalion would be here; if not hiding behind the treeline, he would be found in a nearby bush. they would have to move to continue their conversation.

the elder motioned for kukulkan to follow as she broke over the border, out into the wilds. i'm trying to plan a scouting trip, she decided, looking back to guage his reaction, are you interested? he could serve as her protection for the duration of the heat. bhediya thought that finding another female to tag along would be simple, her mind immediately settling upon lainie.

Her smile fueled his, and Kukulkan fell right into stride with his little shadow as the two of them tread the edges between the woods and the wilds. Though he knew it wasn't actually the case, there seemed to be a bit more warmth between the two as they walked, the freezing temperatures surrounding them meaning little. He chalked it up to radiating body heat and little else.

With one signal he followed, his smile weakening for a second out of curiosity but quickly returning as she mentioned a rather exciting proposition. "Ah hell yeah that sounds fuckin' amazin'!" Lips split wide, exposing teeth in a grin of genuine thrill of the idea.

"Where ya goin'? What're we doin'?" A thousand questions buzzed in his mind as he found himself with an extra bounce in his step. Everything seemed to be flowing well, in his favor, with adventure around the corner and the promise of an outcome for his efforts. Gods knew what new regions he could explore, what fascinating peoples he could come across and pick their brains about. What more could he want?

Yet there was still something amiss.

"Why?" This time more quiet, more thoughtful.
She did not seem nearly as enthusiastic as he...

@Bhediya

kay's energy was enough to cheer bhediya up, if only for a moment. she laughed a big laugh then, a sound that lasted a moment too long. it was a tactic used to earn herself more time to think of a lie to respond with. 

i've been thinking about taking a trip to courtfall, she said, but i'm not particular. bhediya thought that their allies might be willing to help, andraste moreso than valette. it didn't actually matter, though; the danger would follow them wherever they went.

did bhediya feel bad about implicating kukulkan in her betrayal? only for a moment. i promised we would scout together, she replied with a smile, and you promised me training. any primary indications of unsuredness were masked behind a new expression, though one might still see traces of it in her gaze.

"Oh ya, Courtfall!" he spoke with a feigned confidence, that beaming smile so wide. "I'm ready when y'are!" Gods, he didn't even know who the fuck Courtfall was or where they even were, but he wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to actually do something. Let alone be able to spend time with someone that seemed to want him around. It was pleasant.

Her laugh had sent a warm shiver down his spine, bringing true life to his cheeky grin as the two meandered through what was now unclaimed lands. As a wanderer himself, K felt no wariness or worry in these steps, but for a moment he thought of what caution might slip into the mind of someone smaller. Someone like Bhediya.

But worry not, he was here. Right here, where something enticed him close.
Not that he'd have any reason to not be around her. But... this was something more. Something he didn't recognize.

"That I did!" A chuckle as she replied, and he'd dip his head dramatically in a bow, "And I plan t'follow through on that! D'ya expect t'come across a lotta assholes out--" well, they were in no-one's land right now... "--here?" A wayward glance around them, K couldn't quite see where the threat really was. "I'll go where y'need me." A lean in, shoulder to shoulder, meant to be nothing more than casual comfort but it sent a flush to his limbs. His face.

Then his eyes looked into hers. And saw a shadow behind.
His grin cracked, worry threatening to creep in...

@Bhediya

bhediya should have known to expect nothing less than the extreme enthusiasm displayed by her partner. kukulkan had an imposing aura, one that applied a calming pressure to her own anxious state. it's a two-day trip, she laughed, we should probably rest beforehand. 

the pair continued on their path, wandering just far enough to be out of reach. she realized that she'd never stopped to explore the surrounding territories, always plowing through them with disregard. bhediya took a seat and looked up at kukulkan, finding herself giggling over their difference in height.

there are.. ass-holes everywhere. the words sounded unnatural, the curse getting caught on her tongue as it was released. that's part of the reason for this trip. she looked away from him then, allowing a moment for kay to respond.

Two days? An adventure indeed, then. Hopefully Bhediya knew where this place was, or at least some scent markers to look out for so that he could help. If anything, K demonstrated his lack of knowledge of the surrounding regions and their inhabitants already. Hopefully over time and with Bhediya's guidance, he would come out on top over the coming months. Settling for anything less than success was not the Riccus way.

Their stroll seemed aimless, just a way to work the legs and to keep the body busy while they weaved their words. But once the scents of Uaine Gorsedd faded enough, Bhediya stopped, Kukulkan mirroring her a half second later. Ears flickering, he took a quick gander around the two, trying to figure out what about this spot in particular warranted their halt. But as the little shadow sat and giggled, he whirled his head around to stare down at her. The tune of her laughter brought a pull to his grin, though it paused just as quickly...

"there are.. ass-holes everywhere. that's part of the reason for this trip."
A chill gripped his chest for a moment, her tone felt haunted and she broke eye contact. For a split moment, K could only stare at her, trying to decide whether to let her have a moment of silence, or to immediately comfort her. In doing so, his pause offered that bit of quiet before he took a final step or two to sit beside her.

"Well er... any partic'lar assholes t'look out fer?" They were quiet words, as though they were meant to vanish as soon as they touched the breeze. "I--" A low, soft sigh, his brows furrowing, "I feel yer not tellin' me somethin'..." With a lull he'd hang his head a bit, a solemn but concerned gaze locked onto her. Perhaps the least cheerful, the most serious he'd been in a long while.

"I'ma worried."

@Bhediya

bhediya gulped, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. there were a lot of things that kukulkan didn't know, things that no one knew. it felt wrong to tell him first, before her own family. and if she did tell him, there would be no going back; he would be involved, just by knowing. 

the slyph drew in a deep breath. i'm.. only telling you because you said you would go on this trip. there was an edge to her voice that served to contrast the pleading look in her eyes. and once i tell you, you'll still do it, right? you won't change your mind?

she waited for kukulkan to reply before continuing. it's pygmalion, — a deep breath — i'm afraid of him. he'd been an agreeable man throughout the beginning of their relationship, but as of late... when i go into season, i don't want to be around him. bhediya hoped that he would know what she meant and understand her reasons.

i have a friend at courtfall. she'll let me stay there, but i don't want to take the trip on my own. passerbys might think her an easy target, being small and in heat. but kukulkan had promised to teach her how to defend herself, hadn't he?

A pit formed in his stomach, a knot in his throat as a voice he had not heard before come from her lips. A tone that set the world around them to the background, a static haze while the little shadow became anything and everything before him. A new chill settled over him, but this had nothing to do with the freezing temperatures. Even the warmth radiating from Bhediya did little to counter it.

"'f'course I'ma not changin' m'mind... I'ma comin' with ya. I said I would." Each word she said, each pause in her voice, it built a weight on his shoulders, an anxiety that he didn't know. It left him feeling vulnerable with worry.

And there it was.

Confusion at first - he didn't know who this Pygmalion fella was. But at the mention of her fear, the chill in his veins was instantly frozen to ice. The softness in his eyes began to twitch, not at Bhediya of course, but at the idea of a threat. And then the kicker... going into season... trying to avoid him. That ice shattered and vaporized into a broiling heat, his blood simmering as it raced throughout his body.

Clenching his jaw, K lowered his gaze to the ground before closing his eyes, brows furrowed. For a split second all he could feel was fury at this situation, and he wanted nothing more than to fix it. To undo the threat.
But, recognizing this, recognizing the strain and the heat and what ultimately was the curse of his bloodline, he forced an exhale, low and steady through his nose. He leaned over to Bhediya, resting his shoulder against her, lowering his head to lightly brush his nose atop her forehead. Gently. Cautiously.

Then, with the utmost resolution, he spoke with a confidence he hoped would soothe, "I'll getchya t'yer friend. Y'won't be 'round him." Lowering his head a bit more, he'd stare into those emerald green eyes with dedicated intent, "An' I'ma teachya t'fight on'th way." And with that he'd raise his gaze, casting it out across the wintery woods that surrounded the two. But this time he saw everything different. The cold would not be his enemy here, he had something else to look out for.

"An' if ya ever see 'em comin', if'n ya need me, ya just call. Aye?" As well-intention of a beast Kukulkan may be, as much as he cared for what he presumed was the greater good, he was, to his core, still a pirate. Still a Riccus. And there was a passion, a fire, in his bloodline that could not be smothered, even though he seemed, by all means, to have been spared by it.

And if this fire could keep Bhediya's beast at bay, so be it.

@Bhediya

dude i just realized that bhediya is a cougar and a milf, i-

bhediya welcomed his touch with a gasp, an apprehensive shutter. kukulkan was warm, unimposing; he was different from pygmalion in a most essential way. she did not feel weighed down by his being here, rather soothed. it was only a moment shared between them, but one that carried the promise of another.

but he might follow, she whispered, and you'll still do this for me? it meant that by helping, kukulkan was running the risk of getting himself hurt. bhediya didn't want that on her conscience, but figured that it was ultimately not her choice to make. 

she laughed, a small, quiet sound. it might be best that we save training for after the trip. accidents were easy to make, after all. i'll call you if i need to. she looked him over, giving a polite nod before standing and walking back toward home.