Wheeling Gull Isle pi day

He drifted along the shore this fine March morning, glancing upward when the sun peeked out from behind thick, woolly clouds. It just as soon went back into hiding as a strong wind buffeted against Carcal’s slim body, tousling his fur and ruffling the water. His attention turned to the choppy surf before he looked beyond it, to the mainland.

Every day, he hoped to see @Killdeer and @Fennec appear along the strip of beach across the channel. For now, there was no one there. Caracal licked his dry lips and continued moseying, his mind turning now toward a midday meal. Maybe he could catch something in the shallows and bring it back to @Heda.

heda felt — odd. not in a bad sort of way, but rather that it felt as though something dawned before her that she could not yet see.
belly fluttering, she went to join caracal upon the shore, offering him a shy smile rather unlike their usual dynamic.
"caracal," she asked, running one salt-laced shoulder along that of his own, "what did god tell you? while you were in the lion's den?" and her golden eyes sought his own, wondering, near breathless.

Hey! he said brightly when Heda materialized at his side, her shoulder brushing his.

Before he could ask her how she was doing today and what she might like to eat for lunch, she asked him about that day in the “lion’s den.” Caracal turned to look her fully in the face before looking forward again, his stride unbroken by the question.

I stayed there all night, he told her, still looking ahead, and listened. But nobody ever spoke to me, at least not literally. But… Caracal drew in a deep breath. I had the strangest dream a few nights later. I dreamed I was another creature altogether. It’s hard to describe but I didn’t have any fur—except on my head, lots of it there—and I walked on two legs. I had a very weird, flat face and flat teeth too. And I was a girl. So weird!

He glanced over at Heda to gauge her expression, then redirected his gaze to the horizon as the beach began to curve away from the mainland. His shoulder bumped his friend’s.

But it gets even weirder, he continued. I found my skin—as in, my real, wolf skin—and put it on, like… Well, he didn’t know how to describe it. And then I was me again, only I was still this weird girl on the inside. It was like our voices blended into one inside my head. Actually, I’d forgotten this part but… He blinked hard. She told me she was my writer.

Now he came to a halt, facing Heda again. He made a face. It had been a very peculiar dream. And Caracal wasn’t sure he’d really answered Heda’s question. He sensed he had, in his own way, but he wasn’t sure it was really the answer she was looking for.

heda's eyes widened as caracal told her this dream. no. it was not what she had expected, but neither was it understandable.
she studied him for a long while after he had finished speaking, thinking of this transformation into an entity she had never considered before.
"your writer."
a small smile slowly lit her face. "your maker."
so god had indeed come to caracal and showed to the other wolf a side that she had not known possible: in the form of a vision, a feminine vision.
heda wondered if it had to do with the fact that caracal had found more of himself. or perhaps in a different way.
whatever the reason, she eventually reached to wend her arms around him in an embrace of relief, lying muzzle across his shoulder and breathing a prayer of thanks to god for his existence, for his willingness to come to caracal.

Heda didn’t say anything for a long time, instead looking at him in assessing silence. Caracal tried not to fidget, though he wondered what she was thinking. In hindsight, that really was a very weird way to answer her question.

He opened his mouth to clarify something when she spoke. He blinked, nodding as she made the connection he hadn’t.

Yeah, I mean, I think… Caracal mused aloud. God might be… a girl?

Heda had always used masculine pronouns when talking about God, so the word “girl” came out hesitantly. Caracal felt a certain conviction as he said it, though he worried that he might offend her. He pulled another face.

But then she reached for him. Surprised, he leaned into the embrace. As she settled against him, Caracal let out a small huff of laughter. After a moment, he remembered to bring up his own forelegs to wrap around her slim shoulders, the right unconsciously snaking upward so he could weave his toes into her crimson nape.

for a long while heda and caracal only held each other, and she felt a secureness in his searching embrace that she had not experienced in a long while.
at length she drew back, shy, sheepish, delighted. "i missed you," heda admitted with a twinge to her spirit that was truthful as it was painful.
shouldn't she only need god?
but she had come to need caracal too, to want him here. to daydream of little wolves running through the shallows between their legs.
her cheeks burned; a small, self-deprecating laugh escaped her.

I miss you anytime we’re apart, he admitted with an unselfconscious laugh, kneading his toes against the base of her neck, and I don’t care if that’s cheesy as hell. It’s true.

For a little while, Caracal was content to just linger there with Heda, casually embracing. When they eventually slipped apart, neither one of them went very far. They still hovered in each other’s space, breaths mingling.

Are you hungry? I was hoping to grab us some lunch. Specifically, I thought about going fishing. Or maybe crabbing. His lips twisted thoughtfully before asking, Do you have a preference?

heda shut her eyes with the pleasure of the little massage; caracal was quite dexterous. this was a lovely thought, and one that made her flush with something else.
luckily caracal changed the subject and reminded the sweetharborian that she was very hungry. "crabbing," she decided, kissing his cheek and slipping away; she loved that they had missed one another, but he was here now. "i should practice hunting them. there's several kinds here on the island, you know."

Heda decided they would go crabbing. Caracal bobbed his head. Crabs were slower than fish, easier to catch. Of course, they had sharp claws. Catching them without getting hurt was kind of an art. He’d gotten better at it since living on the island, though the little nicks on his flews were probably a clue…

I could use practice too, he said cheerily as they began to move toward the shallows. The surf or even a tidepool would suit best. I didn’t realize there were different kinds. I mean, I’ve hunted them quite a bit since living here and I guess I’ve noticed there were some differences, though mostly I was distracted by trying not to get pinched, he explained with a laugh.

"well, they all sort of pinch," heda teased, bumping her shoulder against his. "but some are slower about it. like the little green crabs outside the palm forest. they'd rather run than pinch first. it's the dark red ones you have to be wary of."
she frisked ahead, light, suddenly inviting her beau on a run through the greening tropicality of their sweet home.

Green ones? he echoed, flabbergasted to hear such a thing existed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a green one!

Next thing he knew, Heda frolicked ahead, a clear invitation for a playful chase. Caracal lagged behind a moment just to admire the view, then burst forward. He nipped at her tail, then rocketed past her.

Zoomies! he hollered, then turned his head to taunt over his shoulder, Hurry up so I can give you crabs!

heda didn't truly understand, though she recognize what caracal was saying as truly ribald!
"yes! they're tiny, and green, and —" and she veered closer with a giggle, hoping to overbalance him as she soared over a fallen log and tried to take the nimble upper hand.

Heda barely brushed against him, yet in the name of the game, Caracal veered away to avoid impact. Like a car careening off the roadway, he then overcorrected and momentarily lost all control of his own body. Later, he would marvel at the peculiar sensation of it.

Presently, the soft sands underfoot undid him completely. Caracal not only stumbled, he tripped with such powerful forward momentum that he flipped end over end a total of two and a half times. For a hilarious instant, he stopped with his head and shoulders dug into the sand and his bum in the air. Then gravity hit and he flopped awkwardly to the side.

He untwisted himself enough to raise his head, laughing and panting at the absurdity of what had just happened. Caracal’s sparkling eyes looked around for Heda, wondering if she’d just take advantage of his total wipeout and kept on running.

she had, at first.
and then she had turned to watch caracal tumble, first in shock, then worry, and then she doubled in hilarity, helpless laughter filling the air.
"how are you so funny all the time!" heda exclaimed when she could speak, returning to check caracal over through tears of mirth.

She came rushing back toward him, looking a little worried for a minute. Caracal waved his paw to show he was okay, at which point Heda burst into laughter. The sound was contagious and soon he was chortling right along with her.

I dunno, God made me this way, he replied without missing a beat, springing back to his feet and brushing the sand from his coat. Alright, let’s scuttle, he said a moment later. Get it? ‘Cause crabs scuttle…?

Laughing like an idiot, Caracal broke into an easy trot this time. All this running around and falling down was making him even hungrier. He looked ahead to the distant palm forest, licking his jowls at the thought of the crunchy feast to come.

Since we have a newer one, I figured I’d offer a fade, though I’m game to continue if you need this for a trade or anything! :)

fading here! <3

god made me this way.
heda felt as though she might weep at the beauty of the sentiment.
she kept close as they continued their hunt, glancing often with adoration at her bold husband.