Deal with It (Vixen)

[Deleted]

Dryston was barely tolerating the heat and humidity of the jungle. He longed for the cold, harsh conditions that would have defined Norway, not for this! The valley wolf had moved from the North of this section towards the South, where he had encountered this beautiful but completely deadly region.

Of course, the Norwegian knew from his experience from his travels that just about anywhere in the world, from familiar cold tundra and hostile deserts to urban centres and moorland was dangerous in some form or another. But something about a jungle felt more dangerous, he wasn't exactly sure what, but something pricked at his mind about it.

The hot male spared a thought to Faolan, the strange she wolf on the SS Rilon up North, where he spent his first night. He had learned that he had actually landed on Tas'elea, a smaller island that was connected by a land-bridge to the mainland Anikira. He hoped to move across soon enough.

It wasn't long until he broke out into the sunlight, Dryston gave a short cry of surprise as his pupils narrowed to allow him to see clearer. "Whoa" was all that came out the Valley wolfs mouth as he laid his eyes on the lagoon before him. The sunlight reflected off the surface of the expanse of water, appearing greener towards the edge, in which on land, gravel and boulders surrounded the lagoon.

Dryston couldn't stop himself from walking to the waters edge and taking in a drought of the water. Both rather annoying but also gratefully too, the grey furred wolf recognised the taste almost instantly and spat the water back out again. "Salt!" cursed the male in norwegian. How would he get rid of that taste left behind now?

Of course, there were plenty of answers, but annoyed to the brink at last, the too-warm wolf sat down and sighed.

Word Count: 314
OOC: Sorry this took so long! I have been meaning to do this for a couple of days now but my muse has down, partly due to a cold!
Tag: @vixen

[Vixen]

Vixen picked her way with some difficulty along the edge of the lagoon, her limp hind leg raised by habit to keep it from dragging on the uneven ground. The muggy heat, while uncomfortable for most wolves, was a comfort to the mixed breed’s short reddish fur. After living in the desert for such a long time during her time as a member of the Tassos pack, she was accustomed to the high temperature, although it was true that the heavy humidity of this tropical land was slightly disconcerting.

It was of no consequence, however, as the small she wolf didn’t intend to remain here on this island for long anyway. Mainland Anikira was much more to her liking – while the wolves there were almost all significantly bigger than her, at least they didn’t dwarf her like the giant beasts she had seen roaming Tas’alea. The only reason she had come here in the first place was to explore the native flora and fauna and see if she could gather information about this strange area which had so suddenly emerged from the eastern oceans.

Silver eyes were so focused on the gravelly ground underfoot that the former shaman almost didn’t notice when a wolf appeared from the depths of the jungle a short way ahead of her and moved down towards the shoreline, bewitched by the majesty of the vast green lagoon. Vixen quietly came to a stop where she was, surprised (and also relieved) to note that this male was in fact of a breed she recognised; he was a Mackenzie Valley.

Unsure whether she ought to disrupt him and make her presence known, the femme continued to watch. But uh-oh, he looked as if he was about to take a drink – maybe she should speak up and warn him…? Too late. He took a deep sip of the salty water and immediately spat it back out in disgust.

Vixen couldn’t help herself; laughter burst from her maw at his expression. Although she quickly managed to quell her outburst, it was impossible to undo the damage she had already done. The she wolf ducked her head in shame and blushed with deep embarrassment at her unintentional rudeness. “I… I’m so sorry, sir. Please forgive me; I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that I know what that awful stuff tastes like – I made the same mistake only a few days ago.”



((OOC: I'm sorry about the ridiculously long delay; I completely forgot this thread existed!))

[Deleted]

Dryston, frustrated at his antics, had only just began to register the laughter coming from one side. The Valley wolf snapped his head round towards the source, angered by the sound. The heat, humidity and the disgusting taste in his mouth, coupled with the situation had now given the uncomfortable wolf a short temper.

And a very short temper at that!

The grey furred wolf's angry eyes soon found the joker he was looking for. A female... something... the female in front of him was much smaller than he was, and had a red coat with patches of white, the most prominent being on her chest. He couldn't help but think that she was simply a fox, maybe she was a little big for one, but he couldn't remember and wasn't in the mood to do so.

The female seemed to have realised what was happening, but rather than run, she lowered her head, blushing. Dryston was still trying to figure out what was going on when she spoke out, “I… I’m so sorry, sir. Please forgive me; I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that I know what that awful stuff tastes like – I made the same mistake only a few days ago.”.

It was at this point that the grey furred wolf regretted his actions, and the anger inside him and etched onto his face washed away.

'If it wasn't as warm, I wouldn't have reacted like that.'

Dryston, now calm and at ease, bowed his head, "No problem ma'am." replied the Mackenzie, "It's just the heat, I'm not cut out for this damned jungle.". Dray let out a weak laugh to try and make it sound funny, though it wasn't quite perfect.

The valley wolf looked the red female over again, "So... What's your name? And what's a little fox doing around here?"

Word Count: 309
OOC: Sorry this is late, I had only just noticed there was a reply! Hope it's good enough.

[Vixen]

The male spun around so quickly at the sound of her laughter that the jolt of alarm sent through her body had the small she wolf frozen to the spot. Her wide silver eyes took in the stranger’s stormy visage – she hadn’t expected him to react with such violent anger, although to be honest if she had been in the same situation she could have easily reacted the same way. Vixen occasionally forgot that other wolves could be just as sensitive as her, and while she tried never to say anything which might offend somebody, she knew she slipped up every now and again. Hopefully this slip-up would not turn out to be a dreadful mistake, as the little lame femme was hardly equipped to adequately defend herself if they came to blows.

Fortunately after a few moments, the anger within the stranger appeared to subside, as he relaxed and told her that her careless laughter was not a problem and that it was the heat that had caused him to react in such a manner. She wasn’t sure if she quite believed him – how could such strong emotion have dissipated so quickly? He must surely still dislike her, even though he now acted as though everything was fine between them.

“I… My name is Vixen,” she introduced herself in response to his questions, her voice quiet and cautious so as not to provoke him again. “I’m just a wandering shaman – a loner one now that my pack is, well, disbanded. I'm exploring, I guess? Though… I think I’ll be heading back to mainland Anikira soon. Since I agree with you that the jungle is uh… not my favourite place in the world.” The shy female wished she wouldn’t stammer so haltingly with her sentences, but she couldn't help it - the male had flustered her with his sudden changes in behaviour and she wasn't a good conversationalist even at the best of times.

“Oh, and despite what my size or the colour of my fur may suggest… I am in fact a wolf. Technically speaking,” she added with a quick smile, hoping to show that she had at least a little bit of humour. He had laughed about the climate; that meant she could make a light-hearted comment too, right?

[Deleted]

The female seemed surprised by Dryston's sudden change in attitude, he had to admit it was understandable if he was in her place. One second you have one very angry wolf looking you down, the next that same wolf was apologising and having a conversation. Even Dray himself loathed his behaviour. He was sure he had made the female uncomfortable.

The female quietly began to answer what he asked, but the poor girl was stuttering through.

'Ah damn it.'

With a mental kick, he began to listen to what the female had to say, “I… My name is Vixen, I’m just a wandering shaman – a loner one now that my pack is, well, disbanded. I'm exploring, I guess? Though… I think I’ll be heading back to mainland Anikira soon. Since I agree with you that the jungle is uh… not my favourite place in the world.”

Dryston's mind had, despite his best efforts began to wonder after the female, Vixen, had given him her name, but his ear's quickly perked up at the mentioned returning to the mainland. The grey furred wolf for a moment opened his mouth to ask how to get to the mainland, before he realised what he was doing and shut it. He couldn't help but give himself another mental kick in his mind.

Vixen then spoke again, quickly smiling as she did, “Oh, and despite what my size or the colour of my fur may suggest… I am in fact a wolf. Technically speaking,”.

The Valley wolf couldn't help but show complete surprise on his face, with his eyes widening and his jaw dropping ever so slightly to show it. "You seriously are?!" exclaimed the much bigger male. Of course, at this point Dray realised how stupid he must have looked and shook his head, "Ahem... I mean... err... I didn't know you were a wolf then... so... sorry about that..."

With a nervous breath, Dryston looked towards Vixen, "I'm fairly new here, and I have only heard rumours every so often. So... whats the mainland like?". The grey furred wolf gave a smile, "Because it won't be healthy for me to be stuck in a jungle... or a desert for that matter!".

Word Count: 370

[Vixen]

Vixen giggled nervously at his shocked expression and his attempted recovery, which mostly involved a lot of awkward stammering as he apologised for his misconceptions about which species she was from. It was nice to know that she was not the only one who occasionally struggled with social conventions. In fact, despite the alarming outburst he had had earlier, she was beginning to feel more relaxed about this conversation than she had in a very long time. “Don’t worry, lots of wolves make the same mistake. And I don’t mind it actually, I quite like foxes!” The little reddish she wolf smiled again. Vixen was not actually the name she had been given at birth, but she liked the nickname her mother, Revan, had created for her, and so when she had left home had decided to use it in her honour. Speaking of names… “Oh, sorry, you never told me your name, sir.” She pointed out shyly. “Only if you want to share, of course.”

The male then inquired about the mainland, and the crossbred wolfess paused to think. “Oh. Well, Anikira is a large place, so kinda difficult to explain.” Where to start? There was so much land across the lava bridge, and Vixen hadn’t even been to half of it despite the three years she had been living there. “The first land you come to after Aleisul Crossing is in fact a desert – the Occasus, it’s called. I used to live there, but the Tassos pack is gone now so you should have no problems passing through.” Then again, he did have a much thicker coat than her… the desert heat could be ruthless, she knew from first hand experience, although fortunately now that summer had passed the worst of it was over. “It is definitely worth the journey. The lands to the north are much nicer. Yes, much nicer than this horrid humid climate. I was born in Kamari, and I lived in Tiayr for a while too – those are both nice lands with plenty of prey… though I think the Descai pack controls Kamari now after they destroyed Haishin, my birth pack, and those guys are not nice wolves to encounter…” Realising that she was starting to ramble, Vixen’s ears flattened to her skull and she averted her metallic silver gaze. “I’m sorry, that was probably more information than you’ll need.”

[Deleted]

As the Valley wolf recovered from his erroneous observation, Vixen giggled. Unlike before, when he foolishly tried to drink from the salty waters of the lagoon, Dryston didn't mind the giggle. In fact, we was comforted by it, everyone had their flaws and mistakes, just as they had their strengths and successes. It was the nature of personalities.

The red furred she-wolf also seemed to relax as he did, which was a major improvement over the heat-fuelled outburst he had mere moments before. “Don’t worry, lots of wolves make the same mistake. And I don’t mind it actually, I quite like foxes!” explained the little wolf, smiling as she did so, in turn, prompting the relaxing Dray to smile back. Relaxed enough, in actuality, that when Vixen inquired about the Norwegian's own name, he give his head a short bow. "The name's Dryston", speaking in a friendly tone as he gradually got more relaxed, bringing his attention away from the unpleasant heat.

Vixen proceeded to explain the lay of the land, and the grey furred wolf couldn't help but sigh when she mentioned another desert to pass through, the Occasus, she called it. Dray simply wanted to be rid of hot places, humid or dry, jungle or desert. Thankfully for the valley wolf's conscience, Vixen mentioned lands further north far better than the scorching tropical areas. The word north alone was enough to get him interested, and reminded him of cold, windy Norway.

The little she-wolf in front of the bigger male began to shift topic, moving away from the regions and onto something about two packs, Descai and Haishin. Dray couldn't help but feel sorry for Vixen as she simply mentioned how her birth pack was destroyed by Descai. Vixen suddenly looked away, seemingly embarrassed, “I’m sorry, that was probably more information than you’ll need.”.

Dryston, noting this, nodded slowly in reply, "Don't worry about it, I'm sorry about Haishin.". Dray felt a brief pang of sadness as he said this, hesitating for a moment, before deciding he should mention it.

"I was adopted by this pack in Norway years back, and later went to America to... search for something... I returned to Norway only to find the pack had fell apart." Dray gave a slight bow of his head, "Guess that's something we have in common".

Shaking his head, Dray looked back to Vixen and smiled, "But enough of the past, I'm glad to know the entire island or continent or whatever is not covered in sand or sodding jungle!".

Word Count: 482 (approx)
OOC: Ok, I have been an idiot and failed with the last few posts and been really late with replies, so I hope this one is worth the time I spent on it, at least as an improvement over the last posts I had. Further still I seem unable to use tables all of a sudden, so sorry if it comes out stupid.
Tag: @vixen

[Vixen]

Dryston offered his condolences for Haishin, and Vixen smiled weakly back at him, thankful for his sensitivity. “It can’t have been your fault, but yeah… it wasn’t a great time for me.” He then went on to talk about his own home pack, who apparently had lived in some place called Norway, which sounded as if it was near some other place called America? She had never heard of these lands before; but of course, if they weren’t on Anikira, how could she have? Vixen had been born and raised on the island, and while she had met quite a few travellers in her three years of life most of them hadn’t felt the desire to share their histories with her. But even though the lands were unfamiliar to her, what he said was true. Both of them had lost good packs due to unfortunate circumstances out of their control, and both had survived the aftermath in order to end up here in this godforsaken hellhole.

“Haha, no, it’s definitely not all like this. That would make Anikira a miserable place indeed, wouldn’t it?” To tell the truth, the short furred creature was quite fond of the desert, and the jungle wasn’t really so bad either, she supposed, but she liked the varied climates which her island continent boasted. It meant there was something for everyone; even if you detested one place, you could easily move on to something different.

“I guess… I guess I might see you around then?” Vixen questioned when she realised that neither of them seemed to be making a move to speak. She found that she didn’t mind the idea – despite their initial misunderstanding and the wariness which the little she wolf still felt towards the short-tempered male, this had been a decent conversation for her. In fact, she would be inclined to say that their encounter had been a success, and that she had made a good acquaintance today, if not quite a friend.

“Goodbye, Dra-Dryston,” she stumbled over the pronunciation a little as her tongue tested the foreign word. “I hope you have a good life and such.” Before she could embarrass herself with even more awkward phrases, the fiery-coated femme dipped her head and swiftly turned to make her escape into the labyrinth of plants and vines which the locals called a jungle, hoping that the male behind her wouldn’t notice her awkward limp as she did so.


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