Sea Lion Shores 'Cause they know who is righteous, what is bold, so I'm told

@Tuvaq <3

They had followed the river north just as Tuvaq had suggested. After a few days, Acheron had started to wonder if their plan was correct, but he had kept the worry to himself, deciding it was reasonable to give it a few more days. He could have stopped at Kaistleoki on the way and asked someone there, but he wasn't quite ready to visit; he needed more time for the guilt to fade. 

The river had led them from the valley and into a heavy forest. The peak of a mountain could be seen high above the tops of the trees, and every time Acheron had glanced to it, doubt had settled in his chest like a stone. He was worried by that point. He should have shrugged it off and just taken things as they came since this was supposed to be an adventure, but that wasn't how his brain worked. They had set a goal, then made a plan to reach that goal, and so he felt like he needed to get them to their destination. 

A few days ago, the forest had started to thin, and the ground had started to change. Soft, pale dirt unlike any he had ever seen began to appear, randomly at first before completely taking over. The air had smelled different, and a soft, rhythmic, wooshing sound could be heard in the distance. The forest eventually opened up into a strange, sandy grassland. They continued to follow the river until finally it lead them to the largest body of water he had ever seen. The water periodically lifted up from itself and moved forward towards them, decreasing in size before dissipating completely on the shore where they wandered. 

They had spent the night in a cave on the beach the night before, once again wrapped up together as the ocean night grew chilly. And today, their adventure had continued west. He bounded down the beach, his white fur dirtied some by the sand and sea air. A sound drew him forward, but he slowed and then stopped when he found the source. His paws sunk in a little into the soft muddy shoreline and water filled the holes made there every time a wave came in. The animals were huge and like nothing he had ever seen before. He looked over to where he assumed Tuvaq had stopped. Have you ever seen an animal like that before? he asked. Were they dangerous? Could they hunt them?

Thank you for getting this up <3

Tuvaq had to admit, he was worried for a while that his idea had not been correct. That, perhaps, he was dragging his poor friend on an extended journey for no reason. But after several days of travel, and internalized doubt, the smell of salt hung heavy in the air. 

It was better than he pictured it. The Anneriwok's chartreuse eyes widened to take in the sight - endless water, soft dirt under his paws, the noise of water crashing to the land. He might have been a bit too proud of himself for getting them there, and had spent a longer than what might be expected of a wolf his age playing in the waves and chasing little scuttle-y bugs along the shore. But they always hid before he could catch them.

Today, they were simply traveling down the beach. It was nice - warm, sunny, and the water made awesome sounds when it hit the dirt. And Acheron seemed happy, too - his pelt unkempt but touched by sunlight, and it made him look almost... pretty, if Tuvaq could pick a word for it. 

But that wasn't what the focus was on at the moment. No, because there was a sudden loud sound, and then they saw them - massive, almost bearlike, creatures that sat like big blobs on the sand. They were so interesting. 

Tuvaq shook his head slowly at Acheron's question, and a smirk formed on his maw. "Bet we could hunt one," he reasoned, tail swishing slowly at his hocks.

<3

Cobalt eyes moved between the giant animal and his friend a few times, worry apparent on his face. You think just the two of us could take one of those things? he asked skeptically. Even the smallest one was easily double the size of them both together, and there were tons of them dotting the beach ahead of them. What if they all work together like a pack? he asked. They would really be in trouble then, because they were greatly outnumbered. On top of that, they knew nothing about these creatures. How were they supposed to hunt them if they had no idea how they acted or what they even were? His wheels were turning so fast that he thought his head might fall off. There were too many variables and he couldn't really control any of them. He looked back to Tuvaq, frowning. What if we get hurt or something? He would feel terrible. He was being a total stick in the mud, he knew, but he couldn't help it.

This kind of thing was what Tuvaq loved. "Well, then we just have to learn about them, then!" he announced, and promptly approached the creatures. Not intending to attack, but looking to see how close he could get without being charged at. 

Surprisingly, they were pretty mellow about it. It seemed the animals were more interested in soaking up the sunshine rather than attacking the nearby wolf. Perhaps they didn't even notice he was there, or didn't register him as a threat. Either way, he could get close - within a few yards - without one of them letting out a strange grunting sound at him. None charged. 

"Should I get closer?" Tuvaq called back, tail swishing back and forth. This was one of the more interesting things he'd ever done.

Acheron watched wide eyed for a few seconds as Tuvaq boldly approached the strange creatures. But he didn't remain behind for very long, if only just to make sure nothing happened to his friend. 

The creatures didn't seem too concerned about them being there, which was kind of odd, but that didn't stop Acheron from internally fretting about their proximity. These were big animals; what if they suddenly changed their minds about how close they were? It could easily get bad for them quickly. One of them made a loud, grunting noise in the distance, making the freckled boy jump and whip he focus in that direction. But nothing happened, whichever creature had issued the sound hadn't done it again or moved from what he could tell. 

He answered Tuvaq's question with a wary look. That doesn't seem like a very good idea. he pointed out. He hoped his friend would listen and not wander any closer, because then Acheron would have to go with him to make sure he didn't get hurt.

For all that Tuvaq was excited to see these big creatures, and as willing as he'd be to run up to them, it was clear that Acheron did not want to be there. And for the first time, in his entire life, did Tuvaq take notice of the levels of comfort of another wolf. Even further still, he did something about it.

Tuvaq had always had a hard time understanding emotion, and much more so empathizing or wanting to help alleviate those emotions. But Acheron was jumpy and nervous and very much looked like he would rather be anywhere but there, and Tuvaq... well, he didn't like that at all. Surprisingly, even to himself, he wanted to fix that.

"Actually," he began, turning to lead Acheron away, so he wouldn't have to be near the big, scary, interesting creatures anymore, "maybe we could do something else." Hazel eyes flicked up to blue and he offered the freckled boy a smile. "Whatever you want."

Acheron paused when Tuvaq turned to face him, seeming to have suddenly changed his mind about antagonizing the large creatures. Then he began to walk away, and the freckled boy was quickly at his side, question in his expression. He silently held the other boy's gaze for a few moments, concern causing a small frown to appear on his spotted face. He wondered why the sudden change of heart? But instead of pushing to figure it out, his frown softened into an appreciative smile. He wanted to do anything that didn't involve messing with those strange animals. 

Well, he said softly. I would really like to swim. His smile widened into a grin and he nipped playfully under Tuvaq's chin. Then he turned and sprinted away, not stopping until he splashed into the salty ocean water after first making sure there was a comfortable amount of space between them and the creatures. His tail beat against the shifting sea water, and he turned to wait for his friend, playful challenge on his face.

Acheron seemed so sweet, up until he aimed a nip beneath Tuvaq's chin and sprinted off into the water - a sizeable distance from the brown creatures. So he wanted to swim - well, Tuvaq had never done that before, but it wasn't like he was unwilling to try. How hard could it be?

The blond chased him into the water, only pausing briefly at the strange sensation of the sea water in his fur, before he leaped mightily into the surf and aimed to splash Acheron. They weren't too deep yet - this was fine, he assured himself. Nothing to be worried about.

Tuvaq splashed water in his face as he joined him in the ocean, and Acheron shook head and laughed. He then jumped forward to try and splash him back before turning and sprinting away through the water as best he could against the heavy friction it provided. 

Assuming his friend had followed, the freckled boy stopped and turned to him with mischievous grin.  I bet I can swim faster, he boasted playfully, then he turned and threw himself forward, paddling his legs as fast as they would go and not daring to look back to see how close his friend was getting. It didn't take long before he didn't have the muddy ocean floor to push from, and then it was all up to how well he could swim. He knew how, but he had never pushed himself to see how fast he could go.

In all honesty, Acheron probably could swim faster than him, but Tuvaq was always down for a challenge - as nervous as the deep water made him feel. The Anneriwok followed him boldly out, keeping up well... at least, until the ground suddenly disappeared from underneath his paws. 

Tuvaq was fast on land, and pretty strong - to toot his own horn - but in water? His paws were immediately swept from under him and Tuvaq didn't even have time to brace before the current swept him under. Salt water filled his mouth and eyes and ears, and he'd never felt so disoriented in his entire life. Blinking under the water, he tried to decipher which way was up, but things were spinning so quickly that he couldn't really manage it. 

Well... this had been a bad idea.

He had made it pretty far before he decided to stop and call the race but when he turned around, no one was there. There was a splashing up ahead but no Tuvaq. His eyes searched the shore in the distance as he bobbed around on the water, but still no Tuvaq. Then he saw a silver tail pop up for only a few seconds and the realization of what was happening caused a sinking in his stomach. 

Acheron dash forward, swimming as fast as he could. It didn't help that his muscles were already a little sore from pushing himself to swim so fast. Adrenaline helped him forget the pain pretty quickly, though, and when he finally reached his friend, he dunked his head under water, teeth snapping furiously as he tried to grab on to some part of him. It took him way too long to find the other boy's scruff but when he did, he clamped down hard and started swimming backwards towards the shore. It was way harder to do this with the extra weight, but he tried not to think about it. Tuvaq spluttered and coughed, but he continued to swim, eventually reaching the beach and falling to the ground with his friend. He lay there for a few moments, panting, before finally forcing himself up. He stood over Tuvaq, fear making his chest tighten and his eyes burn. He nosed his friends face and licked his cheek. Are you okay? he asked, worry apparent in his voice. Please let him be okay.

Salt water was not very fun, Tuvaq decided firmly as Acheron dragged him up onto the beach. His stomach was full of the stuff and he coughed and heaved on it, spewing up liquid onto the sand for a few moments and blinking salt from his eyes as he tried to regain his bearings. His lungs burned, like he'd breathed in smoke, and he groaned a little, trying to get to his feet so he could shake out his fur. It didn't work - even if he wasn't feeling particularly scared, emotionally, his body still had a fear reaction, trembling legs and shaky breaths. 

Acheron licked his cheek and Tuvaq was snapped back to reality, hazel eyes finding their way up to his friend's blue. He coughed again and winced at the burning sensation. "I... don't... think I can... swim," he rasped out, a sheepish smile forming on his maw.

Acheron stared down at him, worry quickly shifting into anger. His jaw tightened, and he pushed a harsh breath through his nose. Don't you think that's something you should have said before we got into the water? he pointed out, each word sounding angrier than the last. He stepped back and looked away. He was furious with his friend, and it showed in his dark blue gaze when he finally looked back to Tuvaq. What if something had happened? he asked, getting to his feet again. You could have died. His voice shook as he uttered the last few words. His temper flared and his anger continued to boil in his chest. Before he could say anything he might regret, he turned and stomped down the beach, eventually stopping and throwing himself into a sitting position, his back to his friend because he just couldn't look at him.

It might not have shown on Tuvaq's face, but he felt like flinching with every word that came out of Acheron's mouth. Sure, others had been mad at him before - for a ton of reasons - but this was the first time it had ever really effected him. A sinking feeling in his chest, a burning in his eyes when Acheron turned his back on him. 

He'd fucked this up, irreparably, his mind supplied. 

A sharper pain lanced through his chest and the tears spilled over, cutting across his already-damp cheeks. Tuvaq wiped them away with a sandy forepaw, confused by his own reaction. This was... nothing. He'd had so many more angry wolves in the past. Acheron hadn't even shouted or cursed, and yet...

Tuvaq got to his feet afterward, ears lowered. His mouth opened and he took a step forward, ready to say something - an apology would be best, he figured - but those traitorous tears leaked down his cheeks again. 

He hates you now, he hates you now, he hates you now.

Chest aching from both emotion and the water he'd inhaled, Tuvaq turned and sprinted, up toward the shelter of the forest nearby. He wasn't aiming to be gone too long, but these emotions were so new and scary, and he needed to process them.

Acheron sat and stewed for a few minutes, unwilling to turn around and look at Tuvaq. But eventually, his temper died down, and then the guilt settled in. He was still angry about the whole thing, but he realized that he hadn't really handled it well. With a heavy sigh, he turned around, ready to go back and try to talk about this more reasonably. But no one was there. He stood up and walked over to where he had left his friend, coughing and soaked, like the asshole that he was. He glanced around a few times before he saw paw prints in the sand leading away. 

Acheron followed the prints for as far as he could, but they eventually ended as beach turned into forest. Dammit. He had pushed him away and now he might be sick and on his own. But he was stubborn and after a few minutes of looking miserably at the line of trees, he moved forward, set on trying to track Tuvaq. 

He wasn't sure he would be successful, but he would try until he either found his friend or grew tired and passed out somewhere.

Fortunately for both of them, Tuvaq had not gone very far. Frustratingly enough, nearly drowning was exhausting, and he was having a hard time catching his breath. So, he had to stop at the edge of the woods, his fur curling slightly as it dried in the sun. 

From there, he'd crawl halfway beneath a bush, feeling miserable and a bit sorry for himself. And he wasn't even sure why - dozens of wolves had been angry at him in the past. Why had this one mattered so much?

Why did he value Acheron's opinion like this? 

Ears pressed to his skull, he rested his chin on his paws, blond fur not concealed well by the bushes he had crawled beneath. He coughed a few times and curled his tail around his flank, watching some ants march by on the ground near his feet. 

Louder footsteps reached his ears and Tuvaq looked up to see Acheron entering the forest not far ahead of him. Tuvaq stifled a few coughs, but made no real move to hide himself further. It wasn't like he didn't ever want to see Acheron again, anyway, and seeing his friend coming to search for him did make him feel a little better.

It didn't take him too long to pick up his friend's scent again, and he followed it farther into the forest, stopping every now and then to look around. The last time he stopped, a flash of light fur against the bright green of a bush caught his attention. He moved closer, unsure at first if it was Tuvaq, but when a breeze moved the leaves of the bush, it revealed enough of the other boy to make Acheron sure it was him.

He slowly walked over but realized he had no idea what to say. He could apologize, but he was still pretty angry about everything. He hadn't meant to stomp off, though, and he did feel bad about that. His thoughts froze, though, when he saw how miserable Tuvaq looked all curled up under the bush. It made his chest tighten and filled him with a strange feeling; he didn't think he had felt this before, but it made him want to curl around him and comfort him. So that's exactly what he would try to do.

He lowered himself down and began to move under the bush unless stopped by Tuvaq. If he let him continue, then he would scoot underneath and wedge himself behind his friend, curling around him and resting his head along his back. He still didn't know what to say, so he offered only silence and hopefully comfort. They could talk about things later.

Tuvaq glanced up at Acheron as he approached, hazel eyes slightly wary of the other boy. It was just that he wasn't sure how angry the other still was, and he didn't know if he should be worried, or if he was about to be struck, or what. His head was kind of a mess at the moment. 

But Acheron didn't do anything cruel. Instead, the freckled boy settled in behind him and put his head on top of Tuvaq's back, which caused the latter to tense up momentarily before relaxing and letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. 

"I'm sorry I scared you," he whispered, voice hushed and eyes watery as he stared at the ants on the ground, unable to meet his friend's gaze. Shame burned under his fur and he pressed his ears back to his skull, planting his chin more firmly on his paws to keep it from wobbling. "Please don't leave." It was barely a breath, but the request hung there, just barely loud enough to be heard.

Tuvaq tensed against his presence at first, but quickly relaxed; it didn't make him feel any better about making him feel this way, though. His apology came first, and honestly, that was enough right now to soothe any residual anger. If anything, he felt like he should also be apologizing for letting his temper rule his actions. It was something he had battled his whole life and he still often had trouble with it, especially in moments of intense emotion. He was about to say as much to his friend, but then Tuvaq's quiet request made him freeze. He lifted his head. The words made his chest tighten painfully and for a moment, he couldn't speak.

He shook his head and sighed. Then he began to gingerly groom the other boy's wet coat. He paused only to say: I'm not going anywhere. It was surprisingly easy to make that promise because he definitely had no plans of leaving, and being angry with his friend wouldn't change that. It was odd that Tuvaq even assumed that, and he wondered why he automatically went there. Just because I'm mad, doesn't mean I want to leave, he stated softly, continuing his gentle grooming. But, I'm sorry for storming off like that, I just—I don't always handle anger very well, he admitted. Then he was quiet again, resuming the grooming he hoped was comforting his friend.

Acheron wasn't leaving. This was quite possibly the first time Tuvaq had ever truly cared if someone stayed or went. Perhaps, when he was very young, his mother... but that wasn't permanent, as much as it felt like it was at the time. But if Acheron were to leave, Tuvaq didn't really know what he'd do. Which was terrifying in and of itself - he had never been this attached before; didn't realize he could be. 

The other boy was grooming his fur, and Tuvaq relaxed slowly beneath his ministrations. Was this how friends were supposed to behave? He wasn't sure, but he didn't want it to change. "I don't... really know how to deal with emotions," he admitted slowly. "I haven't been scared in a really long time. Usually, uh, when people get mad I don't really care. But I cared with you." His eyes fixated firmly on those ants near his paws. He couldn't look up. Maybe it was time to talk to Acheron a little, to explain some of the reason behind why he was... the way he was. "Um... d'you remember us talking about me being uncomfortable? Back in the bramble field?"

Acheron didn't really know what to say at first. He liked that he was important to Tuvaq, but in a way he wasn't sure was normal. Or maybe it was just because he hadn't ever felt quite that way with anyone else. That was why he had been so angry with his friend for putting his life in danger, though, because he also didn't want to be without him. I was scared that you were hurt, the freckled boy offered quietly. But I definitely don't want to go anywhere. 

He continued his grooming, silent for a few moments until he heard Tuvaq's hesitant words. Yeah, he said, pausing to look at his friend even though his pale yellow gaze was trained firmly on the ground at his feet. What about it? he asked gently, wondering how the two situations were related.

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: past sexual abuse

That was nice, Tuvaq thought absently. That Acheron would be that worried about him, that he felt so strongly one way or another. Abaddon wouldn't have given a fuck, that much was certain, and all of the men and women from before... they wouldn't have cared. But Acheron did, and Tuvaq didn't know how to feel about it.

"Jus' thought I might be ready to talk about it a little, s'all," he murmured, rolling over a bit to look up at the other boy. "I don't know if I'm really all that... normal. You and your family were different than me and my mom." That was probably more normal, staying with your parents until you were a year old. Having a support system. "Um... my mom didn't really care about me, I don't think. She didn't really care much about her, either, probably, because she kinda just let..." Yikes, this was hard to say. "Anyway, when I was a little older, she stopped caring, I guess? Just let stuff happen to me. And I thought it was all okay - like that happened all the time, so it was fine." Hazel eyes flicked back to the ants for a moment. "I think you're the first real friend I've ever had. I've spent more time with you than anyone and you haven't tried to... do any of that stuff with me. Like, you actually care about me. And I care about you. It's... weird, but nice."

Acheron listened quietly as Tuvaq opened up about his past. It made his heart hurt to hear that his own mother felt so little about him. It made him grateful to have a mother that always made sure he knew how much she loved him. It was even more heartbreaking to hear that the other boy had never had any real friends. It made him realize how much he had really taken for granted. Even now, when he was no longer a member of his pack, he still had their support to fall back on, and that was far more than it seemed Tuvaq had ever had. And he wondered what things his mom let happen to him—the same things his friend was surprised he hadn't done. Whatever it was, it sounded bad and he was kind of afraid to push for clarification. But how could he make sure not to hurt him the same way without asking? Because as he just said, Acheron cared about him very much, and the last thing he'd ever want to do was hurt him. I do care about you...a lot, he said first. I'm sorry about how your mom treated you, he offered. It felt like not enough, but he wasn't sure there was much else he could do to help there. But um, what do you mean by she let stuff happen to you? What stuff? he paused. I just want to make sure I understand so I don't let that stuff happen to you again, he quickly added; he wondered if it would help, though. He half expected to get shut out again, but it was an important enough question to risk it.

Acheron was surprisingly quiet through his explanation, and Tuvaq smiled a bit when the freckled boy apologized for his mother. "No worries, spots. She wasn't the worst in the world. Never hurt me or anything." Just ignored and neglected. Still, the blond boy leaned in and pressed his muzzle to the other teen's shoulder before leaning back again, seeking out that bit of physical contact. Surprisingly enough, the idea of the sex he'd had in the past didn't really bother Tuvaq. It was more the discussion of it with Acheron that was so difficult, but... well, he needed to do this. Needed to start getting better. Sex was something that he'd begun to chase and seek out on his own - an addiction that he needed to fill some kind of void. "I mean, I would have sex with them," he responded bluntly, because that was really the only way to do it. "Or they'd have sex with me. Didn't really matter which, really. And I never told any of them not to do it, so I guess it's my fault, for not speaking up. But most of the time it wasn't a bad experience. At least, after I got used to it." His ears swiveled off to the sides and he looked back down at the ants, awaiting judgment. "S'why I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I never got asked that." That was odd, he thought, that no one in that gang of immoral hedonists had thought to ask his opinion on the subject. Perhaps he would've said no then.

He smiled at the affection. It helped soothe how mad he was about how his friend had been treated. It kind of seems like she hurt you in some ways, he pointed out. It wasn't until after he said it that he realized it might be insensitive. Sorry, it just...makes me mad. He shouldn't look back and feel like his mother didn't care about him. 

To his surprise, Tuvaq didn't freeze up at his question; he offered plenty of explanation, and Acheron was shocked. There was no judgement, just complete shock. He never would have thought that sex was what he was referring to. It was a subject he had little knowledge about, and what he did know was all second hand. But there was one thing he said that didn't sit well with Acheron. I don't think that makes it your fault, he said. I've never had sex but if I did, I'd like to think I would make sure whoever I was with wanted to have sex too. He briefly nuzzled Tuvaq's shoulder. But it makes sense, now...why you asked that. He just wished things had been different for Tuvaq, but there was nothing he could do to change it. At least now he could be someone he trusted and cared about that felt the same way about him.