[PRP] Winter's First Kiss (Elegy x Gloamstalker)

[Krysin]

The redwoods were eerily silent when she woke, curled up beside the trunk of a tall tree. Snow had fallen overnight, a light dusting upon the earth. The temperature was just chilled enough that the snowfall had not immediately melted upon landing on her. It would have been smarter to bury herself in a den somewhere, but Elegy had been exhausted by the time she curled up to sleep that she hadn't exerted her normal cautions. Normally the chill would not bother her, she could barely feel the snow haloed around her body, but with the cold an old injury ached.

It had been seasons since she had gotten hurt, but the bones had never healed right. For the most part, it was a dull pain in the back of her mind, ever present but bearable. Today it made her hiss uncomfortably as she rose onto her feet and shook the snow from her pelt. Her youth did her many favors, especially when it came to her own survival. Food was hard to come by, hunting difficult and scavenging a risky business in itself. But, she was nothing but hardy and determined.

"Another day," she mused with a soft huff as she stretched long legs out in front of. Elegy had enough of dwelling on her pain for one day, and the day had only just begun. She pushed her discomfort to the back of her mind - she needed to get up and moving, warm her body up and chase the pain away. The young female needed to hunt, but would only put her energy towards it if the right situation occurred. She did not have the same amount of energy to spare as others did.

Elegy would have benefited from a pack, but none would benefit from her and so she was alone.

The pale wolf made her way to a familiar clearing, lilac eyes landing upon the small pond there. No other animals were about, which wasn't entirely surprising when there was an apex predator in the area. But it still... unsettled her. Things were too quiet, and she was afraid of being left alone to her thoughts for too long.  

[Shia bean]

Initially, he had come looking for his mother. He wanted to exchange rumors, fully expecting her to be wandering the wastes in search of the veil; just as he was.

Kells had been crawling with the whispers ever since these oddities arrived, and when he had started his trek, he was certain that she would have picked up on the spreading word. A curious beast tempted by curiosities…but… now that he was in the thick of the forest, wandering in a perpetual silence and left to his own thoughts, he was reminded that she rarely acted on impulse. That she would have no interest in assumptions whatsoever and, as a result, would be the least likely to hear a rumor as it spread...So much for his excitement… But fortunately (and unfortunately) for Gloamstalker she was nowhere to be found. In fact, he couldn’t find anyone at all. Hadn’t for hours. Not even a stray bird. At least, for this being his first time through, he was amused by it living up to the rumors.

--

Like Elegy, Gloamstalker had taken his rest beneath one of the many decrepit trees. When the sun rose, he rose with it, gliding languidly across the territory; no longer with any intention in mind. It would be nice to find the veil now, sure. He could share the true nugget of knowledge with the knowledge seeking female. But he might just end up walking straight through the wastelands and back to the main forest, which would be okay too. He knew he would get tired of the view here anyway…

He was sure he would be alone for the remainder of his day but was surprised when, he came across the very same clearing that Elegy drank within; how serendipitous. Gloamstalker was so unlike his mother in this regard, hardly giving impulse the chance to well up before making his smooth approach; shedding the lazy stroll to put on a more suave show. It was worth the danger, really, and anyway he was thirsty. If it seemed like she would dart, he would call out and offer some words of assurance… but if she seemed resolute, well enough to allow his company on the other end of the pool, he would acknowledge her first with his eyes, one red one blue and stranger than he ever accounted for yet falling heavy lidded and gentle upon her. He’d silently lean into the cool waters and refresh to his limit before pulling away, returning the gaze upon her, and smiling.
 

[Krysin]

Elegy had heard Gloamstalker's approach before she had even seen the other wolf, so she had no excuse for lingering as long as she did. There had been enough time for her to disappear back into the undergrowth of the forest before the stranger could get close. Yet, she had remained still, trapped between the violently potent need to be heard by someone and the need to keep herself out of harm's way. A life of seclusion had never been meant for her, someone who was driven and who gauged her accomplishments from the way others reacted to them.

By the time Gloamstalker had made his confident approach it was too late for her to leave, not without giving away the ache in her bones. Keeping her pale eyes trained on him, she sat down at the water's edge, feigning comfort with his presence. She let the male drink in silence, though when he had quenched his thirst and their eyes met Elegy almost regretted watching him so intensely. The pale female quickly diverted her gaze from his contrasting eyes, even though it wasn't the best move if she was worried about keeping herself safe from him.

She already suspected that the male was no threat, he would have made his move already if he was.

It had been a while since she had spoken to anyone, and when her lips parted to breathe life to her thoughts her voice croaked. Her fur was just thick enough to disguise the blush to her cheeks, though her embarrassment was clear from the expression on her face alone. Quieting the pounding of her heart, she steeled herself for her second attempt at a simple greeting. "Hello," Elegy finally managed. It was difficult to tell from just one word, but her voice was odd. It was a voice that was meant to be strong, meant to carry over the winds and be heard by all who were willing to listen. Strong, but feminine, yet it had grown rough from disuse and thus unable to reach it's full potential.

Her voice always sounded better in her own head. "What brings you here, besides thirst?" Elegy had been in the area for a while now, enough that her scent lingered in the air. Familiar was good for her, knowing where she was at all times was... good for her.

Shia bean

 

[Shia bean]

Sensing her apprehension, Gloamstalker made himself easy to read. Hiking his brows when delighted by her attempts, widening his smile when at last her voice was found. That warm and raspy touch to it, which she might have called 'underused', charmed him immensely. It was in between consciousness and slumber, dreamy and lulling in all the ways he fancied.

"You." he replied with ease, as if their conversation had always been in motion. Directness often garnered results, and he thought himself quite perceptive, the sort to read a room fairly well. This scenario warranted it. And she would respond well enough.

"Thirst and you." Reiteration to drive home the point. A light shrugging of his shoulders, as if it were all too clear, finally pulled his gaze off of her. It could almost be read as sudden shyness himself.

But just like that, his transparency turned enigmatic once again. He would wait, as he always did, for her to make moves he could play off of.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

'You', he had answered, and the single word had taken her so by surprise that she felt her center of gravity sway with it. Never had anyone been so straightforward and blunt with her, and while it was deeply embarrassing it was also reassuring. He wasn't here to drive her off, nor was he here to harm her. The thought of not being in mortal peril would be more comforting if she had any idea of how to handle the male. He was far too confident, far too bold that it would be understandable if she turned her nose up at him and walked away.

But her loneliness was crippling, and while she did not possess the same interest in him that he had in her... she was hesitant to turn him away. Figuring out how to respond to him was difficult. She turned her gaze down towards her feet, as if the earth beneath her paws would give her a guide on how to navigate a very difficult and startling charged conversation.

"Apologies, I have not spoken with others in some time so..." Clearly she had just misread him, though she knew she hadn't. It was just a convenient excuse to skirt around that conversation. "Well. I'm Elegy - I have not caught your scent in this area before, are you passing through? Where did you come from?" Ah, yes, she fell into the classic trap of 'trying too hard' to evade a topic that clearly made her uncomfortable.

Shia bean

 

[Shia bean]

He watched her carefully, snout tilted to do so with a heavy-lidded gaze. He was doing so well, achieving his goal so effortlessly… but it couldn’t last forever. It wouldn’t.

And his snort, which followed, was unintentional, meant to be a sharp exhale from a cheeky grin only his throat betrayed him. If only Elegy knew just how alike they were, just how inexperienced he was with all this talking… she might have just laughed him off entirely. Turned her nose up and walked away. But Gloamstalker was adaptable. And in the same flowy way he carried conversation, he coughed, cleared his throat, and spoke quickly.

“I’m serious, Elegy. I’ve come to talk to you,” Then, suddenly all too insecure about his approach, he went on to say. “I don't come from anywhere in particular and I don’t make habit of talking to pretty girls often… but I mean, look at you." He had fallen effortlessly back into his charming stride and yet still, at the back of his mind, the snort nagged at him. "I was passing through. I’m still quite thirsty. But I figured... a little bit of confidence goes a long way, wouldn’t you agree?”

Giving her a lingering look, whether she met his gaze or not, Gloam chuckled. This time it was a proper chuckle. Before dipping back into the water, he finished with. "And how about yourself? I can smell you everywhere, so this has gotta be home right?... Should I be expectin' company any time soon?"

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

She could feel her cheeks burning from embarrassment, and could only hope that her coat was dense enough to disguise it. Elegy had to get him to stop complimenting her or she would never survive the conversation. Inhaling a sharp breath, she fixed on him a cautious stare. "Compliments are... nice, but stop. Please." If some unknowable force or existence could take mercy on her, now would be an excellent time. "You don't need to compliment me in order to have a conversation with me. I'm not chasing you off." Not that she really could chase him off for long - normally she could maintain a good short sprint, but beyond that she found it impossible. It was too taxing on her old injury.

"I am also not stopping you from having a drink," she added with the barest hints of a smile upon her face. She hoped that was what he meant when he said he was thirsty - she refused to entertain the notion of what else it could mean. Uncomfortable with how he looked at her, she shifted her gaze back towards the water. Everything about the male was bold, confident, and so unlike how she felt about herself. She didn't quite know how to handle him - it had been far too long since she had engaged in any sort of civil conversation.

His next question gave her pause, and the look she fixed on him was cautious... wary. She knew the impression she gave off was that she was alone, but to confirm it aloud was another story entirely. He clearly was more concerned with competition, where she was worried that he would realize her loneliness and think there a reason that others stayed away from her. "I am sure you can smell that I am alone here. This is not... my home really, but I have been here a while to avoid as much of the winter up north as possible. So, it's just me, take that as you will."

Shia bean