Whitefish River stay awhile and listen

for chronicler trade thread, anyone welcome!

The sun was low and eventually it faded to darkness. As the days grew shorter, Dorian was reminded that spring was right around the corner. He liked spring for various reasons, particularly cause pretty ladies wanted to talk to him! He knew it was all about the breeding but he still made some friends out of it. Or at least he hoped he could.

The young man would settle outside of his den, chewing thoughtfully on the leg of a small prey animal. Probably rabbit. He was musing to himself, wondering if he should seek out a pack mate and socialize. But before he could get up, pawsteps came toward him. The coywolf looked up, ears piqued in interest and his yellow eyes focusing on their form.

He gave a wag of his tail, inviting them closer.

Im going for that trade too, so gonna plop Izumi in this one! :D

Izumi didn't know why she'd decided to approach the stranger, nor did she even know who it was -- though curiosity drew the dame closer in their direction. She was still but a new member to Kaistleoki, but has been around long enough to recognize the scents which lingered near the rivers -- and this man's scent was too fresh to call farmiliar.

"I not seen you before." The crane stated simply in a soft, uncertain voice. Despite not knowing who she was, however, he seemed strangely friendly. "Are you new to pack too?"

The woman that came before him was delicate and pretty. She spoke softly to him, and it took all his self-control not to get up and barrel into her. Not in a mean or cruel way, oh no, but to greet her like he'd do any other wolf that let him. He fully expected she'd be scared or snap at him for that, so he kept to his ground control and buzzed inwardly.

"Yeah!" he burst out, unable to keep himself bottled up for long "I just joined a few... well, maybe a week ago?" the coywolf let that sink in before adding "I'm Dorian. Nice to meet you!" Whoever she was. Just good to see more faces, honestly. Her accent and way of talking was strange to him, but a good strange. "are you not from the Teekons?" he asked the woman.

Ah, he was a cheerful one as well.

The crane wasn't exactly sure how to respond to him in a way that would give off an equal energy -- a smile couldn't be returned in his direction, unfortunately, only her resting bitch face. Though her tail did sway contently in response; was that enough for them? Izumi sure hoped so. 

"Izumi..." she responded to the giddy boy, seating herself and curling a tail around her inky paws. Of course they just joined recently, no wonder the woman hadn't seen him before. Though her own origins were brought up as well. "I am not native to Teekons, but been here for long...." It was about all she'd manage to say before looking away and akwardly shuffling. Her background was not something she was comfortable sharing so easily...

"Izumi" he tasted the name in his mouth, scrunching his face and taking proper care to say it right. Compared to his name, her's was exotic and unfamiliar. He liked it. It suited her in this moment. His head tilts. "what does it mean?" he asks the woman.

Shuffling his paws on the ground, he grins again. It momentarily lapsed when Izumi looks away, as if offended by something he had said. "I bet you have lots of fun stories from far away" Dorian presses gently "I like stories. Maybe you can tell me some folktales sometime?"

A pause before "I'll tell you some from my homeland too." It was only fair, right?

He had a bit of trouble saying her name, which was the typical reaction she'd usually get upon saying it. She too had difficulty pronouncing the names of these lands too -- so many different people, from so many different cultures, all clustered into this one space they called the Teekons. The young crane had never seen such diversity back in her home land and as scary as it all was, she secretly enjoyed the thought of knowing more about other wolves and their history.

"Izumi--" she began "--it mean harmonious spring in my home language...". Ah, such a vibrant name given to such a miserable person. But at least Izu held some sense of pride to her surname -- it was the only familial connection she had now.

His next words would come off as a little random to the crane's, and she was a little taken aback as she turned to look at him again. Fun stories....hopefully he didn't mean her history. Though if he wanted to trade folktales..."I...don't see why not..." she had a few to tell from her childhood.

"Oh, nice!" he grins, not skipping a beat to learn more "what does winter mean in your language?" Dorian hopes he isn't bothering her too much. Izumi seems a bit hesitant to talk, but agrees to tell him a few stories sometime. He nods to her, wondering where to begin with his own tales.

"What sorta stories do you like?" Dorian started there. He doesn't have a firm grasp on Izumi's tastes yet. She could be into romance. Adventure. Horror... anything cool, he suspects. All genres were nice to know in some way. His mother had told him so many stories from so many other places...

It was hard to really nail down his own culture.

He dug deeper into the rabbit hole that was her culture. "冬...." even asking her for the meaning of a specific word that would've held no significance. His curiosity, the energy he carried on his shoulders for the world to see, his overall demenor-- Izumi didn't think she'd meet another like @Caróg at all -- another who she'd ultimately envy due to their ability to wear emotions on their sleeves like nothing....

'What sort of stories do you like?'

Additionally, the crane hadn't met another who'd be interested in something related to creative arts -- not that she'd think anyone else was interested in anyhow (at least, not back at home...). Izu looked towards him with a distinctive glint in her violet eyes, a small feeling of excitement that didn't show on her icy features. "Fantasy stories...fiction..."

He didn't even try to pronounce that. But - "That's pretty" Dorian remarks, still grinning like a fool. She would go on to proclaim that fantasy and fiction were her favorites. He tilted his head, looking away before a decisivie nod. "oh! Okay, how about this one..." he shuffled a bit on the spot before clearing his throat.

"There was a pup who never wanted to grow up - so strong was his wish that it drew the attention of fairies" Dorian's voice took on a soft tune as he recited a few lines his Ma used to tell "and one of the fair folk spirited him to their realm, granting his wish. But - because his mother loved her pup dearly..."

He paused, squinting his eyes "The fairies replaced her pup with one of their own kind. It was supposed to be a fair exchange; both identical in every way. Right down to appearance and smiles" Dorian sucked in breath "the replaced child went on to have a normal life, but the pup stayed young forever. Except it sorta sucks since he didn't have the love of his own mother, right?"

He shrugs. "I guess the morale is that you never know what's good for you until you lose it."