Hoshor Plains hey, it's me, your sister

@Spica @Syrma FEEL FREE TO BE MEAN TO MY NERVOUS NERD!!! attn @Ira (backdated!!!)

 

Again, Leta had ranged a bit ahead of her supervisors... she was just too excited. And anyway, this was around where her sister lived. If she got into any trouble, Ira would come to her rescue... or Emrik! @Nanook and @Siarut were not too far behind; always close enough to intervene if trouble came, but far enough where she was not in their immediate line of sight when she caught the scent of Ira and went full speed ahead. 

Her tail waved as the smell came to a head here, with a variety of others. This had to be the place. Leta was mindful of not getting too close after being told as much by her aunt and uncle, and gave a quiet little howl for whoever was closest. They had a visitor!!

Hoshor Plains was the worst thing that ever happened to Spica. Like... It was just so boring here. Anyway -- she amused herself well enough by pestering Syrma, their mother, exploring the regions around the territory -- she loooved an excuse to get out of here -- and occasionally actually learning something from her pack mates.

Spica was actually just on her way out when she heard the howl and her interest was immediately piqued. She trotted towards the borders where she saw a wolf who seemed just a little older than her, but not by much. Eyo, Spica greeted casually as she got closer, her body language neutral. Who are you?

Leta's tail waved left and right at the sight of another wolf who, Leta also recognized, seemed around her age. It was strange to realize that she had only been around boys her age; her brothers, Charles and his brother, and even those she had recently met! Seeing a hawk-eyed, young girl caused her tail to beat left and right a little too frantically, and Leta almost forgot to be mindful and dip her head. But she remembered—her mother had taught her about respect and all of that—and even if they were the same age, she didn't live here. 

That didn't take away from all the nerves she felt, though. H-hi!!! she greeted, ten times more enthusiastic. This was not something she wanted to ruin, because Leta had no girls that she called friends except for her family. I'm Leta, she introduced, her tongue for once complying with her mind not to slip. What's your name?? She asked, forgetting her reasoning for being here entirely. It had shifted to make a friend that is a girl now, which, with the wolf here, seemed more like a priority than the other task she had set out to do while here.

Wow, this girl was enthusiastic. I mean Spica thought she was pretty chipper and everyone else was pretty boring but this girl was pretty high up there if you know what I'm sayin'. She greeted Spica with an excited hi and went on to introduce herself. Okay, so she got points for energy, for then minus points for doing plain old introductions rather than something cool like playing or going on an adventure or whatever.

Anyway -- Spica decided this wasn't the time for boring introductions, so she said in the best pirate accent she could muster: Yarr, I be The Lioness Of The Isles. Farrr away frrrom home in these lands of Borrrrrring Plains. Oh, how I long forrr the ocean. She tried to do the r so she sounded more like a pirate and stuff. She looked at the enthusiastic girl, hoping that she would go along in the story that she was crafting here.

Leta blinked as the other introduced herself. Uhm, hi, Lioness, she answered back. The way the other spoke was confusing and absolutely new to the mocha girl who was not really sure what was going on here. Her tail waved nonetheless, still happy to be with another girl her age. So she thought, anyway. Are... you okay? She had never heard anyone talk like that, and as she spoke of the ocean, Leta blinked. I don't think I've ever seen the ocean before, she remarked, rather unhelpfully, but these plains... they seem... nice? 

They were the plains of Ira, she thought. And Ira must think they were nice to stay here. But Leta was not at all a girl of conflict, so she good-naturedly added, but boring-nice, she tacked on, looking down.

Spica squinted her eyes as the other girl totally messed up the game. Ugh, why was everyone so much less competent than she?! To top it off this girl asked her if she was 'okay', a total insult to her amazing pirateness. Lioness isn't my name, dumbass, it's my pirate title! (Seriously, wasn't it super obvious?) Spica truthfully had never seen the ocean before either, but she knew of it and she knew it was a pretty vast and cool place and one that she could visit almost (well, the exact words had been 'when you are a little older' but Spica had grown a lot since then and when they moved back to coolplace river rather than this shithole they'd live closer so Spica was sure she'd get to visit then).

Leta went on to comment that these plains looked n I c e which was pretty much the biggest insult anyone could've given. What's wrong with you, you dweeb? Wasn't it bad enough to ruin the game, now you gotta act like this place is nice while I suffer here every day?! And who wanted to be nice anyway? It was sort of an insult, she supposed, but like a lame insult only some loser nerd would use. Spica was usually pretty friendly to everyone, but there was something about this girl's inability to spot a cool game that rubbed Spica the wrong way.

Leta visibly wilted, ears flattening on her crown as she was called dumbass. Leta didn't know what that was, but it didn't sound good. I... I've never met someone with a pirate title... was her only answer, eyes averting immediately. In fact, she didn't even know what a pirate title was. It certainly showed, and Leta was every bit embarrassed about it. Should she know? This was the first time she had heard of it. But she did not think Spica was lying to her about its existence. 

Dweeb. Another new word, so perfectly said that Leta all but flinched when she heard it said. What was wrong with her? Was there something? I didn't mean to! she answered, apologetic and contrite, gaze not once leaving the vicinity of the earthen floor. Now they lingered on her paws. I didn't know you suffered here, she also added; she didn't know a lot, apparently. Why do you stay? She asked next, more curious than anything else and trying to get the focus off of her and her, well, dweeby-dumbassness.

The girl's submissiveness only made Spica feel more annoyed with her. She wasn't trying to be dominant, but now that she apparently was being dominant, she had to admit it was pretty, well... Empowering. It gave her quite a power rush like she hadn't had before. There were a lot of wolves who would talk back to her — either they'd try to dominate her or they would be talking back to her. At best, they were on equal footing like her sister Syrma or her brother Acheron. So this was a new experience to Spica and she loved it.

Just because you don't mean to it doesn't mean you're free of blame, Spica said matter-of-factly, as if this was a well known fact that dumb old Leta didn't know. The girl asked her why she would stay if she was suffering, which was another pretty dumb question. Well, DUH, I can't just leave my mom and my sister and brother all alone here in the middle of boringdom. Someone has to take care of them. Spica rolled her eyes to emphasise how dumb Leta's question was. Where are you from, anyway? What are you doing here? She squinted her eyes somewhat suspiciously as her tail curled over her back dominantly. She better not be a spy or something.

Fair point, Leta realized with downturned lips; the blame remained squarely on her own shoulders, then. What about your dad? Leta asked, a little lamely, realizing that she had not listed that individual in the party of "who to take care of". Maybe their dad was taking care of them, and this yellow-eyed wolf was helping? In which case, the other wolf before her couldn't be that bad... no matter how much Leta didn't feel great around her. 

Probably because she had done wrong. Since when did that feel good? Guiltily, Leta looked away, but when the next question was posed she remembered herself. Tail waving, Leta minded her own place with a little duck of her head as she noted the tail of the Lioness wolf. Oh, I was visiting my sister! Ira, she explained, realizing that this cool pirate wolf and herself had something in common. A sister. Which must make her somewhat cool, right? Hoping to win a point there, Leta answered the last question, I'm from Easthollow.

What about your dad didn't really hit much of a chord with Spica. She didn't have a dad, she didn't need a dad, they were fine without a dad. She hadn't really ever considered that she missed anyone, and the thought that a dad might've help keep her family company or worse, keep them safe, was laughable to Spica. But she decided that rather than just say "oh, I don't have a dad" she would pressure the guilt just a little bit more. My dad died, she said with an accusatory look that she dared bring up the subject at all. Spica didn't know who her father was or if he lived, but she didn't really care about the truth of the matter.

Spica knew that Ira existed, but she didn't really know Ira at all. She knew she existed, that was pretty much it. She hadn't ever heard of Easthollow. Oh, she said, sounding pretty uninterested. Spica wondered why Leta was talking to her at all right now, instead of with her sister who was apparently cool enough to visit. Dang it though, Spica wished that she had a sister in ~ another pack ~. That would be sooo cool. She'd never admit this to Leta, of course.

Oh. Oh no.

Her dad had died. The agouti girl need not give Leta any look for her to say no more on the matter, and even though Leta's gaze averted she could still feel it being given. Leta felt awful for making the other dwell on the event at all, and murmured, 'msosorry, in a rush, but thought of the others words from before. The damage was done. Leta had made the other think of something awful. Something Leta could not imagine. 

Did not want to imagine. 

Suddenly, Leta wanted her dad. Visiting Ira had been her initial goal, but the thought that her dad might die—something Leta had not even humored as a possibility or that had even occurred to her—altered her priority, significantly. So when the other said oh, Leta let her gaze look beyond her. I guess she is not home today, or... busy... so, I should go... No doubt the other wolf did not desire her there anymore either, for bringing up such a thing. 

Dipping her head, Leta turned tail and quit the scene... and before long, once her guilt subsided some, she thought of her own father and his mortality.

It felt pretty good to see the girl look taken aback and sad about the situation. Hell yeah, feel bad, Spica thought to herself, feeling victorious and like she'd won some sort of competition that the other girl didn't even know they were playing. One did not simply barge into Spica's pack and come tell about how cool you were. Thankfully, Spica had managed to put down those victorious emotions again and made this Leta girl feel bad. Good.

Leta seemed to want to excuse herself suddenly. Spica felt a mixture of disappointment -- she was having a good time with this clash of words and emotions -- as well as victory -- leaving was admitting defeat -- but she didn't stop Leta when she said that she should leave. Cheerio, loser, Spica said harshly. It might be unclear if she was still upset about the dad-thing or if she was just in a bad mood in general that she called such a retort after Leta. She stood and waited for some time as Leta left, as if making sure that the girl had really left. Then she was kinda sad because she'd actually been having an alright time. I mean, it could've been better if Leta had actually had an imagination and had played along with her pirate game, but it wasn't the worst anyway.

Good riddance, Spica murmured to herself under her breath, as if to convince herself that it was better that Leta was gone.

I enjoyed this thread so much, thank you! Would love to have them meet up some other time.