Forever Friends [Phantom]

[Deleted]

The sun’s warm glow was beginning to appear in the eastern skies, signaling the end of a night that had been unusually cold for the grasslands, nestled in a valley below the Oriens mountain range. Menacing clouds were low on the western horizon as Sunny left the place she had found to sleep for the night, the chill of the early morning a shock to the system after a comfortable night. The cozy den had been big enough for both Sunny and Journey, the cold night vanquished beyond the warmth of the females’ embrace. Sunny had scarcely left her side since making the crucial decision to join the pack that had adopted Journey into their ranks. Sunny was officially a pack wolf now – a thought that disturbed her still. It would take some getting used to.

It wasn’t that Ananke was a bad place. So far, Sunny was impressed with the wide piece of land its female alphas had claimed for the pack. The territory was no longer free and open for wanderers and loners, limiting the range allowed to the strangers who wanted to hunt. It was better to have security, she reminded herself, though she was still not entirely convinced. She had made no effort to meet her other pack mates. In time, she would know each of their names, but for now, Sunny was glad that the pack lands were large enough to host the entire pack, and with ample space to be secluded, if one desired.

The pale femme took dainty steps in the direction of a small stream that snaked through the grasslands, its water cold and inviting. As her tongue lapped the frigid water, her lilac-hued eyes turned to look upward at the sky as dawn painted the eastern horizon with shades of golden and scarlet. But a masculine scent caught her attention, and instantly, her attention turned to the yellow grass that surrounded her for signs of life.

There, she could see him in the distance, alone. He looked like a shadow in the faded morning light, his two-tone pelt accentuating the lupine form of the brute. Twin pools of pale iris squinted to see the wolf, accompanying a sinking realization: This was no stranger.

Her expression lit up at the sight of him – nevermind that she had left him alone in the desert, without comment and without saying goodbye. It was nothing personal against him. On the contrary, she had remained by his side for a few weeks, much longer than she had intended to. He was good company, but that hadn’t meant that either expected they would be best friends until the end. Nothing was meant to last forever. She had said so herself. Wasting no time, she began to venture closer to the brute. ”Shimmer?” Her bell-like tones rang out across the silent field. There could be other wolf just like the one before her – his distinctive pelt and mask, ebony and white. ”It is you!”

words: 515 

tag: Phantom  
ooc: hope it's okay she spotted him right away!
(the thread title is meant to be ironic)

[Phantom]

HMorning arrived slowly, as it always did in winter. The sun crept over the horizon lazily, dissolving the residual chill of the night ever so slightly. The warmth was a welcome relief to Phantom – his coat felt damp from the cold night despite the dry climate – though the sun was not yet high enough to dispel the cold that had settled in his bones overnight. Despite his body’s versatility and the thick coat that was slowly replacing his summer one, Phantom held a particular grudge against winter. Still, he could not yet see his breath fogging the air before him, so he was counting his blessings.

He made his way idly through the tall, golden grass of the plains, unhurried, letting his paws carry him in any direction they pleased. Phantom had eaten well the previous night, despite the seasonal migration of the prey, and he had slept… Well, he was still getting used to sleeping without one eye open. He was cautious to let his guard down still. The solitary habits that had kept him alive for so long were persistent and lingered despite reason dictating that they should do otherwise; watching his own back was second nature now. It didn’t help that he’d made no attempt to meet his pack mates. With the exception of Nimue and Morrigan, he knew nothing about the wolves he shared this land with besides their scents. It made sense to get to know them and build trust, he knew that. After all, why had he joined a pack if he was just going to live as a loner within pack territory?

The question remained in his mind as he moved through the grass. The sun was higher now; he could feel the warmth of its rays spreading across his face, the rest of him hidden by the tall grass. Why was he here? The ghostly black and white wolf came to a stop, pausing to savour the peacefulness of this moment. His heart beat steadily against his chest; resolute and determined, grounding him in the present. Why are you here? Phantom closed his eyes, focusing his attention on physical sensation: the whip of thinning grass against his torso, the sun’s warmth, his heartbeat, the light breeze through his fur, the dirt between his toes.

Who could possibly be happy on their own?

The thought departed his mind just as soon as it had arrived when a familiar voice called out to him. It took a few moments for the nickname to register, his brain foggy from the brief moment of meditation. Immediately, his eyes opened wide and he turned to face his absent acquaintance. If he weren’t looking at her with his own two eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.

After a moment of hesitant disbelief, a smile spread across Phantom’s maw to match hers. As she made his way toward him, he was struck by how different she looked compared to the first night they met. Instead of the reddening moon, Sunny’s tawny pelt was lit by the eerie, grey morning light that filtered across the field. It made her look softer, he thought.

“Sunny,” he stated in response, unable to keep the fondness from his voice as he moved to meet her halfway. Although the two wolves were strikingly different, Phantom regarded Sunny with a large amount of respect. She was difficult to read. It was more difficult to interpret her actions and decipher her feelings than anyone else Phantom had come across, but he didn’t begrudge her that. Nor did he begrudge her unannounced departure.

“I did not expect to see you again.” As the distance between them closed, Phantom inhaled not one but two distinct scents. Both female, one clinging to Sunny’s coat as strongly as her own. Phantom was curious, having not pegged Sunny as the kind of wolf to settle down. “Nor did I expect you to miss me so terribly, yet here you are joining my pack.” Phantom’s smile grew then, his tone bordering on teasing. It was odd how comfortable he felt in her presence; how willing to let his emotions peak through despite initially distrusting her. It was unlike him to crack jokes, regardless of how unfunny they were.

It was not only Sunny’s apparent significant other that surprised Phantom, he was taken aback at her decision to join a pack. She had not seemed like the type to settle down in any form. But neither did he.

“How is pack life treating you?” he asked, genuinely interested to see if she had found it as difficult as he had to settle in. While awaiting her response, he seated himself on the ground and fixed her with his signature unfathomable gaze.

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Word count: 790
Muse: eh
Notes: sorry if this was a bit waffle-y x_x If you need me to edit in more dialogue lemme know
Tags: @sunny