Verdant Basin he speaks of the sickening longing, the unwell emotion.

@Magnolia but if ur busy, i can easily turn this RO or AW :3

the saints had become...hildibrandr.

which he struggled to even say. then ranks shifted under new names too, things felt more like a kingdom of warriors. and he felt uncertain in it all. but he had continued to do his part in between his trips. tending to a garden in a lackluster way, making sure things were stocked. running errands for those higher up.

he always left to wander again after a few days.

some part of him had realized it was better out here in some ways. a little more freedom, a lot less confusion. although when he was confused it hardly mattered out here. although his knowledgeable friend magda had done a lot for confusion lately.

which was maybe why he...accidentally trudged around, looking for any fresh scent of her. then loosened a call.

prepared to wait a whole sunrise and sunset before heading elsewhere.

sunset came before she made her arrival.
the water here had stilled. whatever bugs had been present in the summer heat had died off, leaving a silence everywhere. she followed the sound of veran's voice but she also took her time.
as magnolia came romping through the muck, she called out to him: aye, boy! haven't seen ya inna couple days. as she moved to where he waited, she bumped shoulder-to-shoulder, and reached playfully at one of those copper ears.
her nose wrinkled after. ya smell like people.

he had not been one for a lot of things before magda.

yet it was somehow easier to unfurl before her. welcoming the bump and leaning his head as she reached for an ear, offering it freely. it was nicer than he ever wanted to admit.

so he didn't. instead he focused on her words.

like people? he arched a brow, inviting her to explain.

ya'know, the biggun and her butch-ass daughter, over yonder. she made a motion that was vaguely in the direction of the saints, not knowing of their recent changes. they got you doin' all their dirty work? they jump, you jump, all that?

that's what a crew was like, right?

anyway, yew called. got questions? maybe he wanted another lesson. that would be tough — she hadn't prepared anything, and the weather was dipping closer to a winter chill lately.

that was, perhaps, the clearest description he could be given. truly. although his copper ears quickly smoothed at her question.

"they jump, you jump, all that?"

oh, um, not...really. maybe his nonchalant avoidance was enough of an answer as his. i don't think i'm exactly their type. not 'jumping' material.

not to say nobody had been excluding of him, but it was hard to fit in when almost all activities circled around war and spars. he preferred to hide behind his scouting and plants, thank you very much.

although his face did that funny thing of getting all hot under her sunset gaze.

realized i hadn't seen you in a while.

he shoved nails into the dirt some, a substitute for there being nothing else to fiddle with.

he was bashful! had she said the wrong thing? mag wasn't usually attentive to how others felt in her presence, and could probe pretty deep before a snapping fang would stop her. he didn't have the spine for that, but she saw something curious in him and was pleased by the power she felt in that moment.
realized i hadn't seen you in a while.
he couldn't look at her. she considered playing in to that, see what she could make of it, but... that wouldn't be very nice.
aw, well ya know me, i'been around! frogs've gone a bit quiet lately. methinks they're sleepin' fer the winter - stupid things, don' know it ain't winter yet. tsk.
that was also a clue — the woman hadn't been eating great as a result.

what was a clue, he snatched to use as a distraction.

maybe too happy for it!

what else is there around to hunt? there's two of us. and he was more than happy to throw himself into a task to not have the brunt focus of her rosé gaze.

even if that was exactly what he had come for.

nothin' tasty, she remarked.

less ya like rats n'birds, and yer fast enough ta'gettum. mag could be, if she tried. if she had the energy to spare. she didn't right now - the daylight had faded and with it, much of her focus. the day had been a hard one for her.

but, that was also a choice. y'know, yer boss made me a-offer. what'd he think of that? she wouldn't outline the deal since that was a private matter. better to wait and see what he thought of it.

the statement earlier when it came to hildibrandr had made him itchy.

but now he realized something about it. that if magda said jump, he'd jump. if she had said she wanted the rarest of birds he would have busied himself with hunting them until she was happy.

then home was brought up again.

i think she's good at that. he admitted softly. as much as he did not want to be under that fire gaze, he turned his own heron blue to look at her.

are you...thinking about it?

hesitancy.

a loud guffaw erupted from her! not on yer life!

the sound rang out and filled the quiet of the greenway, echoing in to the sky where clouds had gathered. the wind pulsed, as if it had been summoned by mags to clear the air.

ain't a place fer me there. bein' bullied by someone too big fer their britches, and like-wise, giant crotch-goblins? hell or high water, i'd never. the mirth filled her sunset gaze and the rest of her carried laughter to it, but she let the raucous wave-break of her laughter fade.

if they were gonna get dinner, she'd probably ruined those chances now too.

i like my life the way it is. my bogs, my frogs, m'boy, she chuffed and reached for his cheek, playfully nipping at it, and if he flinched she'd go for his nose next. d'you think i should? fall in line, join yer crew?

believe it or not, he found relief in the way she erupted. her confirmation all he needed to let his shoulders sag. he had not yet realized the tension that crept along his spine.

he engaged in some sense of half-play as she came at him again. laughed softly as he lifted a paw to push at her shoulder.

no. you got your bogs and frogs. keep them. he encouraged, far more hushed than her own voice had become. don't have to make any deals for them either!

there was something like envy lingering in the back of his throat and gaze. quickly he moved to shuffle at a random patch of tall grass.

as if it was of any true interest.

that why yew livin' there? a deal? her brow quirked, though she did not probe him long with her questions — it didn't really matter to mags, not if he was free to roam.

she made the effort to keep up with him, and scouted the tree line with a few glances, or snuffled at the dirt, or pawed some standing water; little things to keep her mind busy, and to fill some void while she waited for his answers.

maybe they'd get lucky.

i mean...i guess.

he used a paw to uproot a dead plant, tossing it aside just as quick.

she told me they had plants and herbs inside the valley. if i was looking for a home. and i was at the time.

he wondered if he said too much already. if his voice betrayed him too much by virtue of being an open book.

the woman tsked. this whole world has plants n' herbs, nothin' special about that place, she hoped he knew that. mags was biased though - she thought everyone ought to be free, untethered, unbranded. it was no detriment to the budding relationship between them exactly, not unless something went wrong and that giant woman refused his passage for whatever reason.

y'think - would they be mightily bothered if, say, y'left them? a cheeky smirk slanted her muzzle. gets lonely out here. an' yer gettin' good cullin them frogs... or was he loyal to his little deal?

truthfully, the parts of the valley he had wanted had been deemed not worth it. the island lingered in his mind. yet if he was advised against it...

then she!

she! —

magda! he barked, but his voice was full of light for that moment. the loudest he had perhaps been in months. quickly it shrunk and he became bashful again.

you'll have to make me good at catching other things, if the frogs think it's already winter...

sheepishly he swung his head away, snatching up some reeds in his mouth.

whaaaat, 'spect me to let a catch like yew go? she pestered him, charmed by his reaction and so thrilled to see him bothered, in a good way. he was bashful again, or at least made very shy and as he withdrew, she followed him.

ah mean it! we could make it out here. two of us, eatin' less than those stomachs-on-legs yew serve naw. he was chomping grass. was the idea of living wild, like they were meant, so upsetting to his belly? maybe the boy wasn't ready for the idea. she'd jumped the shark, so to speak.

he dropped the reeds. half-slobbered on, useless. nothing more than grass truly.

you mean it? we could make it? even with the cold coming up?

he humored her offer now, genuinely. eyes a bit softer. although he quickly aimed to bump a shoulder into her, taking a note from her book.

my 'ma always sayin', always say whatcha mean, even if it bites ya in yer ass later! she let out a chortle after that, high-stepping among the grass and mud to parry with him. shoulder-to-shoulder, teeth against him in a grabby, possessive game of wrestling.

that wasn't the entire truth; mags hadn't known her mother that well, but she'd learned plenty back home. didn't matter who had said it, only that it had been said.

c'mon vee, we gots the whole wilderness ta ourselves. she let out a hoot, a holler, a howling bray and cantered about like an idiot, coming back full-circle to his other side. coulda made a home if'n ya want. right here.

he learned quick with her wrestling. offering teeth in a showy way with no harm, leaning his small frame into hers. clicking softly with a wild look in his eyes for the moment.

she did something for him.

she came back, giving good words too, and he bounced away. towards the sound of water. he was overwhelmed, delighted, exhilarated. all of it new and served to overwhelm his brain; in a good way, if that was possible.

he barked, trying to goad her to come along. his tail a whip behind him.

he'd only bow once before he'd take off.

words could wait for a moment, he thought.

she'd hardly had the energy to hunt, and had been in sour spirits before he'd come to call for her; but now they were playing and talking of a future together, which mag could drum up some enthusiasm for.

her jostling got him roused enough to run, and as he whipped his tail she chased after it, then him, and kept pace pretty well with the soft ground and the roots along the edge of the water; lunging and climbing where necessary, lagging back, or jolting ahead, rounding at veran with playful teeth.

what would it take for him to say yes?

was the chance to learn not enough, or the taste of frogs not to his liking? was she not enough?

he wasn't exactly the most athletic. a lot of his wandering was done slowly, picking along as he searched for things.

so a sudden burst of energy from him would not last long.

so somewhere between the third and fourth time she rounded with teeth, he slowed. this time when he came crashing into her it was with heavy breaths. a shoulder offered against hers.

here?

she was positive? just them, here?

yeh, she was almost out of breath, being a fatass (even on her reduced-frog diet), and was glad when he stopped his hopping.

here, or ah, her tongue was drooping from one side of her mouth. there was mud on it, though mag acted like she didn't taste that. anywhere ya wan' go? m' partial ta these wetter places - but uhm, winter'll be hard.

she paced, and then as she came upon him where he stood staring, and draped herself over his shoulder, making puppy eyes. so? hmmm?

anywhere?

we can set up here. like a home base, y'know? he did not mind her added weight upon his shoulder. some sense of comfort in it. but we got the whole wilds. bogs and frogs. a lopsided smile on his tired face.

whatcha picture here?

his body sagged a little, threatening to make them into a dog pile if she did not object.

whatcha picture here?

she gave a shrug, which, given her bulk and her position, served to topple her a bit - and she tried to use him as a brace, except they were tangled together now and when she tipped over, he tipped too.

down they went! ahk!!

a puddle? could be worse. she was laughing and adjusting as they tumbled. and when that ended, she sighed and gave a whistful look to her blue-eyed boy.

i jus' wanna live, veran. eat m'frogs, play wid' flowers. dun think we need a plan fer that, do we? naw. imagine - yer garden fulla fat toads, n'such!

his head and body practically matched now as they tangled in the puddle.

something that once would have horrified him, but it wasn't so hard when he was here. picturing toads and gardens. things he had come to love deeply.

then that's my only plan, magda. make a garden and get some toads. he sighed against her. somewhere against her, truthfully it was hard to tell where she began and he ended...