Coconut Grove nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.

Penn pulled himself out of his makeshift den beneath the palms that afternoon feeling perplexed. The sun was out. The skies were blue. The sand was a peculiarly soft shade of beige instead of the dingy grayish tan it had been for weeks. The breeze still held a chill, but it otherwise get somewhat warm. It was actually kind of… nice.

And thus, he was perplexed.

He was far too used to the weather matching the four mood he’d been in the past few weeks. To have things looking all bright and cheery felt off, even though he recognized that this was the way it ought to be in the grove. With mixed emotions over that, he set off down the beach with no real destination or intention. For the first time in a long while, Penn found he sort of just wanted to be in the sun.

Leaving Bracelet to bask on a stone, Druid moved closer to the surf. As had become her morning ritual, she emptied herself of all thoughts and feelings as she gazed over the water, eyes squinted due to the glare. Of course, the sea made her think of Mireille, but she banished all thought of her friend along with everyone and everything else she had ever loved.

She thought about leaving the snake, the last reminder of her days in Rivenwood. Sighing, she turned away from the water to go collect her friend, only to freeze when she saw a figure striding across the beach. Druid had avoided speaking to anyone since lying to Witch and leaving the bypass. Her tongue felt like dust in her mouth.

Penn had paused in his wandering to sniff at the sand. His brow furrowed thoughtfully as he recognized an unexpected scent—coyote. He lifted his head and looked around. What would a coyote be doing here, he wondered. It was only a moment before decided he was mistaken. The scent had only barely registered, so he figured it was just his wishful mind playing tricks on him. There were no coyotes around. Just a girl watching him silently further along the beach.

Wait, what?

Penn did a double take. He hasn’t expected to actually see anyone, though he had to admit, it was happening more and more lately. Must be the weather, or so he concluded. His first instinct was to bolt, but he stayed for the usual reason. She was young. She could be his.

”Have you seen a coyote around here?” Penn called over to her, internally admonishing himself for being such a moron over and over again. For as much as he told himself to drop it, it didn’t matter, he just couldn’t keep the thought from re-entering his brain every time.

Druid drew in a breath, wishing she had noticed him sooner so she could’ve slipped away before being spotted herself. But not only had he seen her, he spoke to her. For a brief moment, she considered turning away without answering. But after several weeks with no one but a silent serpent for company, she felt strangely compelled to engage with her own kind.

Setting aside her reluctance to ever connect with anyone ever again—even in the smallest of ways—and her inherent distaste for men, Druid took another breath, cleared her throat and replied, No. But I only just arrived in this… Her mismatched eyes cast around, wondering if there was a better term but ultimately finishing with, place.

Penn studied her as she responded to his question. Her coat was grey—a notable Blackthorn trait. But that was about where any resemblance ended, to his fairly untrained eyes. It didn’t occur to him to try and compare her to Ibis, not that it would’ve made much difference. He couldn’t totally remember what the girl’s actual mother looked like. Not that any of it mattered. She didn’t really look like him, so he let himself feel that familiar mix of relief and disappointment. He hated the feeling, but it was easier to move on from.

”Ah, well. Be careful. There might be coyotes about,” Penn replied a bit uselessly. He looked out across the water again and took a deep breath. He let it go in a huff a moment later and his face contorted into a frown. He shook his head and looked at her again.

”I take it you’ve never been to this place before?” he asked conversationally.

She wasn’t sure she had ever come across a coyote before, but the conversation suddenly reminded her of Mahler warning her about larger predators. Druid swallowed thickly and shoved the thought aside, breathing through the momentary pain, her face a rictus.

The man’s question distracted her and Druid realized they should probably introduce themselves. But even giving someone her name was going too far. She shied away from the idea. She was determined they remain strangers, even if she allowed herself a few minutes to have her first conversation in weeks.

No, I—no. Druid paused, biting back a sigh and clearing her throat. I’ve never been this far down the coast before. I’ve never seen anything like these trees, she observed, raising her two-toned eyes toward the palm trees bent over the dunes. Despite herself, she tacked on, Do you live here?

It somehow never occurred to Penn to introduce himself to strangers. Maybe because he never wondered about other peoples’ names. There had been a time when he was younger when he’d wanted everyone across the Wilds to know the name Penn Blackthorn. Now, he preferred anonymity, and for everyone who had known him before to forget about his existence.

He nodded to acknowledge her answer, though offered nothing in response. She was young, so he wasn’t surprised she hadn’t been out here before. As far as he knew, there were no packs nearby anymore. Her question gave him pause, though. Did he live here?

”…yeah,” Penn answered, a little surprised, ”Yeah, I suppose I do.” He’d been there for weeks, after all, and he had no intention of moving on. So, he supposed he did in fact live here now. He’d just never really thought about it before.

He realized after a beat that his response had been rather odd. So he added, ”I hear it’s real nice when the weather is warmer.”

He seemed to surprise himself with his answer. Druid blinked, wondering if that meant she was trespassing. He didn’t seem territorial in the least, and it didn’t look like there were others around here, at least in the immediate vicinity. Druid hadn’t come across any obvious markers, either.

She suddenly wondered whether a single wolf could claim and hold a territory. Druid supposed she would find out for herself someday, if she decided to stop moving and attempt to settle down someplace. Druid had considered trying to join a pack of strangers and simply refuse to develop any kind of personal connections with them, but she’d decided that sounded both implausible and risky.

But what if she teamed up with one other wolf? Would Druid get attached or could she keep him at arm’s length? Did she really want to spend her days with some strange man? Realizing she was hypothesizing about this perfect stranger before her, Druid grabbed that thought just like the others, stuffed it in the closet in the back of her mind and slammed the proverbial door.

Not really sure what to say in reply to his latest remark, Druid remained quiet for a moment before peering at the nearby waves and asking, Do you know how to fish?

The girl didn't say anything in response, but there did seem to be something going on inside of her head. He wondered what was up with her, but didn't ask. It would be rude, which was irrelevant to him. Mostly, he just didn't care. He'd been up for about 26 minutes at this point, which meant it was almost his naptime. He wanted to try and find something to eat before he went down.

As though reading his mind, the girl finally spoke, and it seemed as though her mind was on food as well. "Yeah, you stand there until your brain tricks you into thinking you felt something by your foot and then you smash your face into the water at what turns out to be nothing," Penn answered with a small smirk, "Or do you have a different method?"

Under different circumstances, she might have laughed at his humorous description. But Druid’s lips didn’t so much as twitch. She doubted she would ever smile again, not when she’d committed herself to such a loveless existence. What was happiness anyway, except something else to lose?

I’ve never fished in the sea, she admitted, so my methods are moot here. I guess I’ll just have to learn. Maybe I’ll try your way. Druid gazed at the roiling surf for a beat, then looked back at him, wondering if he might like to join her and whether she was open to that.

It was a testament to how bereft and lonely she felt that Druid realized she very much did want his company, at least a bit longer. Speaking slowly, she asked, For the purpose of this exercise, what should I call you? You can call me… Her mind skipped through a series of names she knew: Sequoia, Witch, Mireille… No, she needed a name that wouldn’t evoke intolerable heartache, one that meant absolutely nothing to her. Penn.

He failed to procure even the hint of a smile from her, which he found slightly insulting. Fortunately, he didn't particularly care, so he merely headed out into the water with a shrug of his shoulder to indicate she could follow if she so chose to. Her words seemed to indicate that she would, but again. He didn't particularly care.

Penn tilted his head a little more towards her as he stepped into the sea so that he could catch her words. It seemed she felt the need to introduce herself. He was content to just refer to her as fancy eyeballs in his mind and never refer to her as anything out loud, but if she wanted to do the dance, that was fine by him. He was semi-distracted by the hunt now, his eyes drifting across the tide. But, distracted as he was, he still stopped dead when he heard her say his name.

Penn froze for a moment, his face contorting into a frown as he half-glanced back at her over his shoulder. Had she just said Penn? He did a quick check of himself and determined that she was standing to his right, so he was certain he'd heard her. Was she fucking with him?

He turned his head the rest of the way back until he set eyes upon her. He studied her for another moment with a single brow quirked dramatically to indicate his confusion and suspicion. "Did you say Penn?" he asked, then added after a beat, "...Isn't that a guy's name?"

The name meant nothing to her, just like the man who sported it. But apparently it meant something to him, judging by the look on his face. He pressed her about the moniker and Druid wondered if perhaps he might know the real Penn. If he did, he didn’t seem to be a fan. She pondered this as she followed him into the shallows.

I didn’t know there were men’s and women’s names, Druid replied, which was the honest truth, but I’m named after my father. She paused, ignoring the cool seawater sloshing around her ankles before wondering, Do you know him? Penn Blackthorn?

Oh. Well. Fuck.

Penn's blood ran cold at her words. Thank god he was so practiced at controlling his expressions so he could lie like a champion because she otherwised would have witnessed her long lost father shitting his pants through his eyeballs. As it was, he merely stared at her with a blank look on his face while his brain emitted a high-pitched whistling sound in lieu of actually doing anything useful.

Her father.

His daughter.

Well fuck.

Penn had no concept of how he felt about this revelation. He had no capacity within himself to even start to think of how he should react or what he should do next. So, he rolled with his gut.

"Nope," he replied, then turned away and looked back at the water.

“Nope,” he said with convincing casualness. Druid looked at him speculatively but saw no real reason to doubt his answer. Perhaps he really did just think it was a masculine name.

She turned her attention to the water too, eyes roving the shallows. She was used to fishing calm, still waters. Maybe Druid really did just need to stand still and wait for a tickle, then snatch at it. Sight wasn’t going to be much of an asset in these churning waters.

For reasons unknown to her, Druid felt compelled to share with the stranger, I don’t know him, either. I’ve never so much as met him. He left before I was born. Abruptly, she remembered the lie and added, I’m not sure why my mother named me after him. She might as well have named me Trash.

Penn's mind was blank as she stepped into the water with him, his senses numb. After a moment, he managed to get his brain functioning enough again to begin noticing her out of the corner of his eye. He studied her, trying to find himself in her features. Was that dark slip on the bridge of her nose from his dark muzzle? Was the white that circled her shoulders his? With a jolt, he realized with sudden certainty at least where her eyes had come from. Two different colors, just like her mother. Whose name was... Crow's ex.

Her voice interrupted his trail of thought, and once again he couldn't help but wonder if this was all some practical joke. She had to know, right? Otherwise, why did she think so poorly of him? Maybe Crow's ex had never told her the terms she had laid out regarding their coupling. She had literally told him to bang her and then get lost. Did his kids hold it against him that he'd obeyed? Was that wrong of them?

"Seems a little harsh," Penn replied, trying to sound casual, "She must've had a slightly positive opinion of him if she gave you his name after he was already gone." Which was also weird. Why would she name their daughter after him? Or had that been her attempt at fucking with him? Was this just some giant conspiracy? Had Crow pissed her off that badly that she was determined to torment all Blackthorn men in every way possible? I mean... he could see it.

She couldn’t argue with him. Druid knew it was a harsh thing to say. And seeing as Sequoia would never actually have named her after Penn, she couldn’t corroborate his supposition. The yearling merely shrugged, happy to drop the subject now, especially because it was making her pine for her mother and Druid needed to keep Sequoia et al out of her head as much as possible.

Druid knew how much patience fishing required, yet she couldn’t muster it up today. Every time she tried to concentrate, her thoughts strayed down dangerous paths. Eventually, she heaved a sigh and waded back toward the shore without a word. She stepped out of the surf, shook out each of her stockinged feet, then glanced at the man whose name she still didn’t know.

I should get going, she said, glancing off in the direction of the rock where she’d left Bracelet to bask. No matter how much she knew she should also leave her behind too, Druid knew she couldn’t bring herself to part with the snake. They had just reunited and, well, there was a part of her that clung to this last memento of Rivenwood, despite herself.

She didn't say anything, leaving Penn to wonder what was going on in her head. There was so much he wanted to ask. What had Crow's ex said about why he wasn't present in her life? Did she have siblings? Would she have liked to have a dad around? He wanted to explain so he could see if she would forgive him.

He didn't want his children to hate him. Maybe if he could convince her not to, there was hope for the erst, whoever they were. But that thought was bashed to smithereens in the next moment. He hadn't been there for her because her mother had basically forbidden it. He hadn't been there for his children with Ibis because he was a worthless piece of crap. Two very different conversations.

"Hm?" Penn hummed when she turned back to shore out of no where. With a panicked jolt, he realized she wanted to leave. His mind raced for a moment. He didn't want her to go yet. Or did he? He didn't know. She couldn't just leave before he knew if he wanted her to leave. "Already? Without a meal?" he asked, trying not to sound desperate.

His question made her pause. She couldn’t concentrate well enough to fish these swift waters. Druid could scavenge or, if she was very lucky, capture some small game. Maybe if she teamed up with this stranger, it would increase her chances of success.

She was trying to prove to herself that she could get by all on her own. There was nearly no risk of getting attached to some random man, yet she didn’t want to rely on him or anybody else. Then again, she didn’t want to be obtuse. When opportunities like this arose, she should take them. That was only savvy.

Would you care to hunt with me? Druid said eventually, turning her eyes toward him. She gestured at the waves. Because this isn’t going to happen today. She paused, then abruptly recalled aloud, You never gave me a name.

She didn't decline, but her response still wasn't exactly ideal. Hunting in the more traditional sense was not exactly a talent of his anymore. But still, he could pretend, if that's what it took to keep her around for a little while longer. There was so much still he wanted to know. But most of all, he realized he just wanted to know her.

"Fox," Penn replied easily--he'd told the semi-lie a half dozen times by then, "I'll follow your lead." He trudged out of the water to join her on the shore and gave her a smile that felt awkward on his lips. "So, not a fan of dad," he said, trying to come across casual and conversational, "But how about the rest of your family? Mom? Siblings..?"

It wasn’t his name that gave her pause, but his direction. Aside from fishing, she wasn’t a particularly confident or experienced hunter. She was counting on him to be these things, by merit of his age. Druid supposed she could take point on tracking, for the moment.

Before she could consider the matter any further, he asked her about her family. Druid’s jaw clenched as she felt a wave of mixed emotions wash through her. Part of her wanted to tell this Fox all about her beloved mama and her equally lovely sister. But she was meant to forget them, close off her heart. The separation was still so fresh, the wound of it raw.

Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry. And she wanted to be alone, even though it was the hardest thing she’d ever done. Druid looked at Fox, her face full of pain. She managed to grit out an, I’m sorry, I have to… but didn’t quite complete her sentence before whisking away up the beach, taking a moment to hurriedly collect her snake before finding somewhere to wallow, alone.

That was that.

Penn said nothing to prevent her from leaving, though his lips parted briefly as though he might. Nothing came to his mind. After all, he had nothing to offer her. There was no reason for her to stay with him, even if he could've been honest about who he was or how meeting her made him feel. So, he just stood there as she walked away, watching numbly as she disappeared from sight.