Hoshor Plains The way you laugh sounds like

omg im sorry this is so late I got busy ;_ ; @Finley Grebe 

Fionn traveled over the mountains again, familiarizing himself with the range each time. Along the way he would eat a couple poppy seeds every few hours, keeping himself under a constant high. It was the best way to bear the pain of departing from Deidra. When he could feel it wearing off he'd stop again to hunt for the plant, determined to keep his mind off of her for now. Finally he came across a plain which swirled in waves in his vision, coated in hallucinated flowers that weren't truly there. It was here that the lovelorn druggie halted to lay in the soft grasses, eyelids falling to half-mast as he let tiredness overwhelm him.

no worries! also finley’s never met anyone on drugs anymore, pardon her ignorance lol

Her travels had taken her further upriver, veering towards the eastern mountains but never quite daring to climb them. Finley had never been a mountain wolf, and she wasn’t keen on making a fool of herself venturing into them now. But she’d be lying if she said the endless grasslands, rivers and lake be damned, weren’t driving her slightly mad.

Speaking of madness, here was an unusual sight: a young wolf, in his lonesome, in the middle of the hills. Something was off about his movements as he lie in the grass, and for all intents and purposes Finley should have moved on with her day.

But she didn’t. To hell with keeping to herself; that wasn’t what Finley was here for, and it’d at least throw a twist into what was looking like an otherwise unremarkable day.

She approached the wolf with hesitation, making certain no one else was around—was he from a pack? His scent wasn’t clear—and lowered her head. “’Ey.” Finley bit back the urge to follow it with what’s wrong with you? or head lost in the clouds?, and went instead for the obviously very friendly “What’re you doing?” If he snapped that it was none of her business, he would have been entirely in the right. Somehow she would have been surprised if he did.

no worries LOL :D

At the sound of a stranger's voice, Fionn quickly found his feet, pulling himself up very suddenly as if startled. Ruby eyes looked her up and down- decidedly average in appearance. For a moment his eyes traced a pair of translucent wings upon her back, and then they were gone, and his vision fell back to her face- realizing that several seconds of silence had passed. Um, He breathed out, searching for his words as tongue untied itself from a knot. I was, ah- I saw something... He trailed off, blinking rather slowly. The gears were beginning to turn in his brain again. Tired! I was tired, He exclaimed suddenly like eureka. I came from over the mountains, beyond, Fionn explained vaguely, gesturing his muzzle in the direction of the willows, as if the mountains might separate to reveal them. And you're... from where? 

Something was not right with this canine. Finley blinked wordlessly as he jumped, let the question hang seconds too long, stammered his words and exclaimed and gestured. There was an unfamiliar smell on his breath, some kind of… plant? berry? Herb? Damned if she knew.

Finley took a breath, her own thoughts scrambled momentarily by the youth’s confusion. She found it hard to believe he’d made it all the way over the mountains, like this, and alone—but he hadn’t snapped as-is, and she wouldn’t be the one to set him off. “I’m a traveler,” Finley replied simply. “I guess this is as good a place to rest as any.” Open. Exposed. Unguarded. She mused for her own benefit, really. But something else nagged at her, and she risked a question: “What did you see? Was it in the mountains?” Fine, two questions. Simple enough, though, right?

A traveler, she called himself. Don't you get lonely? He wondered in his head, though after a moment of contemplation figured that he never got lonely when he was high. There were simple ways to avoid those feelings, and perhaps she had tapped into some other method. Yes, good to sleeeep~ He murmured, blinking slowly. Then there was another question. What did you see? Fionn scrunched his face up slightly, eyes slipping somewhere distant, as if trying to recall some distant memory. After a moment scrunched became sad, as the corners of his lips turned downward into a frown. I don't remember anymore... why... why can't I remember? He wondered, turning gaze back to her as if she might have the answers.

There was something almost hazy, even singsong, to the youth’s murmuring on sleep. Was he poisoned? But Finley bit her lip as, with her next question, he became lost in thought. Points for trying. When his focused scrunch drooped into sadness Finley almost held her breath, wondering if perhaps he’d seen something horrible—and his answer, when it came, gave no indication either way.

Why couldn’t he remember indeed. He turned to her, apparently not meaning the question hypothetically, and Finley frowned. She knew nothing about this wolf, where he’d been, what he’d seen; was any of it a cause for concern? Because something’s not right with you, she thought, but provocation seemed… inadvisable. Who knew what to expect from a wolf in this state.

He saw something; he came from the mountains; he was tired. Tired. Finley offered the best she could: “You could have been dreaming,” she said, matter-of-factually. “Or in some other daze.” Idly she wondered how much he’d recall of this encounter by the time the next day broke.

Dreaming, or in some other daze. Fionn nodded thoughtfully with eyes closed like a scholar, blinking them open again as a smile bloomed once more. I feel like I'm dreaming... pretty often. Maybe I'm dreaming now. You don't seem so real, He admitted with a little shake of his head. Was he dreaming about other women, then? He wasn't thinking of Deidra right now, but somehow it felt wrong, like there was a reason he shouldn't be seeing Finley. It wasn't like she was pretty anyway, and he couldn't understand why she was in his head. Um... did you choose to be here? Or did I create you? 

So this altered state was nothing new to the wolf. To the point where he thought Finley was an apparition. She took another sniff in his direction; was he of a pack? It seemed vaguely so, but Finley wasn’t familiar enough with the area to tell. Either way, she wondered what kind of leader let their wolves exist in such a state.

Worse, the youth now seemed to be under the impression he’d made Finley. She scoffed, drawing nearer with a raised head, as if a closer look might prove otherwise. “I’m Finley Grebe and rest assured I’m very real.” Rest assured. Perhaps she should leave him back to his slumber soon—although she’d hate to hear him mauled the second she turned her back. “Who are you? Are you alone?” The lack of wolves nearby told her the answer to the latter, but it wouldn’t hurt to see just how loose this wolf’s grasp on reality really was.

She scoffed, assuring him she was very real. Wow, okay. He raised his eyebrows slightly as if pretending he didn't believe her, but it was all in good fun. So this wasn't a dream, then? Suddenly she was interviewing him, and he grinned, charmed that she was (from his perspective) apparently interested in his life. Fionn Faoláin, He introduced with a deep bow of his head towards the woman, slightly exaggerated like a comedy. Was he alone? Eyebrows scrunched again. Well- well, you're here, so, no. He stated as if it should be obvious, and then blinked, realizing he may have misinterpreted the question. Uh- and, I've got some lovely people way over yonder, and a pretty girlfriend, and... He explained loosely, waving a paw towards the willows again. His words trailed off then as he recalled Deidra in spite of his high, face growing suddenly serious.

He didn’t seem to believe her, but at least he was grinning now. With a comedic bow he introduced himself with an accented name, its origin foreign to Finley’s ears. And… ah, of course Fionn wasn’t alone. That was the obvious answer. What a character.

Fortunately he clarified without further prodding, and Finley almost could have been convinced he’d come to his senses. Seemed as though he’d made it quite a long way from home, despite everything. Again Finley had questions about these “lovely people,” but shortly after Fionn mentioned his girlfriend, he trailed off and his expression shifted.

Finley squinted, lowering her head. Had he noticed something? The area was still clear, far as she could tell. Maybe it was another vision. She kept silent, wary, awaiting his next move. Fionn’s girlfriend, Finley thought, must have been a very patient wolf.

woah, sorry for the wait! can we wrap soon tho?<3

She squinted, dipped her head slightly. Was that it? He'd given this fancy introduction, and she had nothing to say? Fionn tilted his own head as if asking a question, and squinted right back, frowning slightly, though it looked like he was joking with her. Something going on in that head of yours? He breathed, gaze flickering away oddly.

no worries~ works for me, and thank you for the thread! feel free to post again or archive here :>

Hm. No. If Fionn had noticed something it now seemed to begin and end at Finley’s own face, which he almost mirrored. Likewise she had half a mind to turn the question back on him; for all this talk and Finley’s wariness, all she’d really been able to discern was that very little of substance was to be found.

“I’m thinking I ought to let you doze off again,” she said flatly. “Safe travels, Fionn.” A perfunctory statement, but the least she could offer after he’d entertained her interrogation.

With that Finley gave a small bow of farewell and turned away, back towards the north. Unless Fionn had more to say she’d leave without another word, none the wiser about this wolf or their surroundings than when she’d arrived. The lands beyond the mountains must be strange indeed.