by moonlight

The sky above her was setting into darkness.

There were several things associated with night. The symbols as it were... were typically frowned on. Bats. Moths. Wolves. Owls. Other things too, that were beyond the comprehension of a simple wolf like her. Bats helped others by eating insects. Moths were lovely. Wolves were, of course, wolves! And owls? Symbols of wisdom.

Sometimes, things weren't always what they appeared.

So one could never truly treat something like the cover it presented itself. If they did, she would frown. Not scold. Just... judge somewhat. It was not her place - for all she knew they had a reason to dislike something! Still, she tried not to be condescending in any way toward others. Nikki walked at a slow pace, trying to find a place to settle.

She hadn't really found a location that suited her. In her search, she stopped and looked over. Spotting dense foliage of a pack nearby (Greenwood to her lack of knowledge) she avoided it. No reason to stir up trouble. It was obvious they were a community and she had no need of them currently. So she walked a bit around the foliage, to the west and further south.

There, she came across another wolf. Was he traveling? She chuffed a greeting to him.

@Daighre

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The strange cliffs and Swan Dive behind him.

The sun setting overhead and the night rolling in. Grey clouds against dark blue sky, passing in front of the moon and the stars. The distant glow of yellow and orange on the far horizon. The temperature dropping, the darker it got.

He hobbled.

The skin on his left shoulder tight and scabbed over.

His other legs sore; overcompensation.

He paid the blue and white bitch no mind when he limped past.

“What.” He huffed. His hackles bristled.

He had fucking places to be.

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"Just greeting you, sir."

She was not easily perturbed by aggression in any form. Her eyes peeled over his frame casually before returning to his face. Locking in his features in one swoop. She hadn't met him, true, but it didn't mean she may never again.

The world was big but the population was bigger. Recalling Camillia and her herbs, she wondered if she could deal with this in a simple manner. Nikki was not the type to use herbs for emotional healing, even if she knew physical was another manner.

"I need nothing from you" she added politely. Two strangers that crossed in the dark night was a common concept, she supposed. But she had taken note of his stiff hobbles. And yet! "is there danger back there?"

She frowned, wondering if she would avoid it.

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‘Is there danger back there?’

He huffed.

His ears splayed out on either side of his head like disappointed, disapproving, drooping airplane wings. He scratched at his shoulder with one of his back legs.

A tripod, momentarily, his body arched and curved into itself.

He shook himself.

All four legs back down.

“No.” He grunted.

Not unless he considered Swan Dive being a danger to himself as a danger to her.

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He seemed to be holding back, but for what reason she could not know. In the end, it came to an impasse. One social and eager to learn - the other stiff and unwelcoming. She would meet far worse folks in her life; hence she did not judge the others that seemed to be extra prickly.

"Thank you."

And even if his words had been short, she wished to repay the scouting he had done. Her eyes flickered to his shoulder. "Does it hurt?" Yes, probably, but she wanted to hear it "I could take a look at it if you want. I know some things about plants." And lucky for him, they were surrounded by them.

The full summer crop.

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“No.”

He huffed.

Sarcastic.

Why the fuck would he want her to look at his fucking shoulder? He had the fucking old man for that. It was his fucking fault, anyway, for fucking interfering.

He had had it all under control until he fucking fucked everything up.

---

He stared.

Flat.

Hostile.

His expression blunt.

She had fucking talked to him first, so she could be the fucking first to leave.

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"If you're sure."

Which he was. Nikita stared at him back, unblinking but neutral. She held no hostility in her gaze. Ah, the extra prickly bit again. Who was he kidding? He was in obvious discomfort but putting on a stubborn face - for what? For who? Surely not for her benefit. She shrugged lightly and turned away, going in the opposite direction.

Unbothered.

It was foolish to say 'goodbye'. He was too far gone into himself to care about others. She didn't need a fortune reading to tell her that - t'was quite obvious indeed. With a flick of her curly tail, she was off. Perhaps it was time to head back to the Mountains, and with it, the Tundra. Time to visit her friend, who actually wanted her around.

/end

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She left.

He hobbled.

Daylight wasted.

His ears pinned back against his head.

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