Heron Lake Plateau triple shot espresso

xBackdated to November 1st.

A day has passed, and yet the injury upon her right hind still aches in some ways—annoying how she feels it so strongly now. Perhaps the journey has worn on the yearling more than she realized until this moment. Alas, she is determined to finish the job, if only to return ‘home’ to Diaspora sooner rather than later.

From the Thicket, she travels up. The incline not as steep as that of a mountain range, but she thinks back to Mahler’s words—of him seeking a spot to overlook the terrain he borders. Perhaps a candidate? Yet it is vast fields and lakes, differing from the forested region he dreams of. With the disasters that have struck, however, Annaliese questions if that might be for the better.

The red woman continues her search, the winter cold biting into her coat despite the midmorning sun.

He had been hunting for a while now with nothing to show for it except a bad attitude, but he knew if he kept on trying he would find something eventually. It wasn't hope that drew him away from the familiarity of the coastal pools, more like spite. See how long his crew could survive without him he thought; but it was safer this way. It was wise, and one thing Yutani could rarely call himself was wise. He didn't want to fight with the asshole any longer than he had to, not when there were more pressing matters to focus on, like food and the lack of it. Leaving was the only way to go—and if nothing else, cutting ties was easy.

The further he went from the beaches and the sea, the more prolific the green became. Most of it had withered in the cold. Still, there was a swamp-like quality to the cold waters further north of this place which left him streaked with mud and otherwise uncomfortable. He wasn't one to complain; mud, blood, guts, glory—it was all the same to him. A big old mess, but one he'd prefer to be submerged in. It felt good most of the time.

When Yutani's path crossed from half-frozen bogland to this plateau he didn't know what to think, really. It was high and dry, sure. But there wasn't much to look at. Some trees clustered in various places and the smell of fresh water leading him further—but nothing to hunt at first look. What was it about this place that drove all the food away? Ah hell, I should'a done the whole surf'n'turf thing when the crew was still around. He voiced to the empty air with a subtle eye-flick to the sky, which glowered back in shades of grey. The man grunted to himself, full of disdain for his short-sighted reaction to the takeover by Tillamook; it was the same aspect which made Yutani doubt the little demon, loathe him even, and disperse from the company of his fellow hunters. Now look at him! 

He roams as he thinks, glaring at the road ahead as the most obvious path wrapped itself around (and in some ways through) a thicket. There is a lack of enthusiasm to Yutani's already naturally grim face. He's scowling a bit as he comes around one bend and begins to hike up a stony incline when he catches a whiff of something foreign, but alluring, intriguing. He pauses his long stride to look around but, at first, sees nothing but the red of fallen leaves and the trembling of various trees against a stormy sky; then, something moves.

The fulvous color of her coat is almost as dark-red as some of the leaf piles. That's what he tells himself as he finds the stranger standing at the top of the hill, overlooking the rest of the plateau. The scowl vanishes immediately; he can recognize a pretty girl's shape even if he's missing his eyes. He can make out the contour of her hips and the bushiness of her tail and draws closer, the scowl replaced with a smugness taught to him by the pirates of home.

With a cough to clear his throat, he tries to get her attention. Whether he's successful or not, Yutani's brooding voice calls out: And what's a little lady like you doin' in a po-dunk place like this, huh? He's quite proud of himself for finding something, even if he'd rather be eating some well earned food, girls were a good substitute for his varied appetites.

Here a pack could, in theory, flourish under normal circumstances. The waters and nearby forests would provide the perfect landscape for animals alike to gather—the wolves would take advantage, respecting them enough to not turn gluttonous, but alas, she could see pups frolicing in the open fields, protected by their guardians. Among them a few redheads, she hopes.

Her entire journey from Hunter’s Slope focused on creating her own dynasty, and Diaspora is a step in this all. She cannot run alone, and with a pack that focuses on survival at its core, she sees a life here for awhile. Ears flicker, however, taken from her surveilling and daydreaming at the rustle of footfalls upon the stoney walkway, and a beckoning cough.

Pale blue eyes land upon the black-phase wolf, frost touched by grey at a young age similar to Mahler. His tones warmer, however, with less blue. Lemon yellow eyes. Mhm. Annaliese arches an eyebrow.

Unlike other men in these Wilds, he’s got… some confidence to him, approaching her with words and with intentions clear.

Little? She asks. Perhaps she has thinned, losing weight with the famine and travels further. A chuckle escapes her lips, and she places a paw to her chest briefly. I guess you could say I’m looking for a place of my own, for Diaspora, but he doesn’t need to know that right now. You got a better place?

She reacted in the typical manner he'd expected, sort of... Offended-but-not-really. Girls were tricky like that. You can't really call them big or they'll get really uppity about it, so it was always safer to go with the opposite, and to watch them with their fake outrage. It was a little game that Yutani had always excelled at though; he liked their attention and the warmth they often exhibited when they were in good spirits. This one doesn't seem too bothered by his presence and that's a pretty great sign—but she's more invested in the surrounding area and Yute wants to draw more of herself to him, so his smile gets a little bigger, his movements a little more fluid and emphatic. He strides a little bit closer while a soft chuckle lilts from his throat.

Aye, anywhere but here. He drawls hastily, with a leisurely affect. I'm new in town; thought I'd try my luck huntin' in the area but all I've got to show for it is... well, a raise of his brow, a small eye-roll, and he's looking at the lifelessness surrounding the two of them. Diddly-squat, 'cept for you. But hey, a pretty girl is better than nothin'. Except that he can't exactly eat her and he isn't some starving zombie or a cannibal. He shrugs his narrow shoulders. What's your name, sweetheart?

So sorry for the delay!

Unexpected, yet not a surprise either when she hears these lands are barren of prey just like the other stretches in the Wilds. It makes her curious, however, where this man has seen some. Icy blue eyes shift from the expanse before her to the frost-touched male. Eyebrows lifting with interest.

How kind, she adds in, after his ‘pretty’ comment—although she resists the urge to roll her own eyes. ‘Better than nothing,’ perhaps, but the term rubs her the wrong way.

Annaliese, and you, darling? The red woman teases the nickname back, giving the tip of her tail a wag. I take it you’ve seen prey recently then? Whereabouts?