well howdy there

---

These mountains were certainly some sight to behold, nothing like the distant, faint-colored things he grew up around—sprawling high and stretching wide, craggy stone and intermittent growths of trees and dense foliage that caught his eye when birds of small animals would hail from them, cool winds and cooler breezes swept through, ruffling his thin fur and leaving him with a slight chill to his bones as he padded along. The life of patrolling borders rather primed him for wandering, whether he enjoyed this or not, an easy gait and endurance to accompany his slow yet persistent pace. Nikolai was rewarded eventually, after so much aimless pushing forward, the sound of rolling water quirked his attention and hauled him to the outskirts of a glassy lake.

He'd drank from dank puddles and a thin stream he wished he hadn't lost in his trek, making the proposition of such a divine source of quenching saw the wolfdog eagerly pressing on to take his fill of the water, his surroundings—and those who could lurk within them—a distant thought.

---

@Tallulah

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Patrolling was like second nature to her by now.

At first, she kept it up to scout and discover what wonders Elysium offered her. Now, she did it to protect those within. The sliver between those had been to earn her keep, as a vagabond and as a place to stick her belongings. With the festival behind the pack, Tallulah walked from her nearby den to discover a canine near the scent line. He was drinking, perhaps thirsty after a journey. She chuffed to him to let the man she was there.

While he wasn't on the border, he was close. She made a bee-line for him, aware of Ms. Valeska telling her troubles and problems were lax for the pack. Her steps were not aggressive anyway. Bending her neck, she drank too. Opposite the location of the man, free of his personal space. Giving him respect for his boundaries. Her eyes flickered up once to memorize his features before dropping. He wasn't causing any trouble, so she left him alone.

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---

He'd taken massive, eager gulps, soothing his timid hunger with a bountiful serving of water that dripped past his jowls and left him smacking a bit feverishly, taking a slow step backward—only then taking notice of the wolf's reflection stilling in the water, seemingly taking her fill, too. Nikolai squinted, tilting his head a little before nodding with a whuff to alert her to his presence.

"Aye there!" he hollered out, the slight wag of his tail a contradiction to his greeting that came from a thundering voice and a grit he'd never been able to shake. "Wanderin' 'bout, too, yeah?"

---

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"Aye, that I am." She smiled politely, ears twitching at his accent. Did he... belong to the same world or was this another world he had come from? Accents could be funny. It wasn't like Cassius though. Tallulah knew him from somewhere familiar, and it had nagged her constantly when around him. This man? She felt nothing familiar about it.

She let it hang in the air before continuing. "That, n' I live here" Her eyes drifted to a spot she knew the border to be "recently, though" As in, brand-spankin' new "yer near Elysium borders, sir" Her gaze wandered back to him, but her stance remained calm. No stiffening, no aggression "name's Tallulah." She left her rank out.

It would not matter to a vagabond, and she was not going to 'outclass' him anyway. Many loners, herself formerly included, valued their freedom.

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---

Nikolai felt at home the moment he heard her voice.

For the first time since he arrived in this new land, he could briefly imagine what it used to be like on the ranch, easing physically at it, though what the wolf said brought him to a squint, thick brows knitting together as he smacked his jaws together and stepped to the side, as if to advance—though he remained stagnant. "Elysium... What's all that?" he said, maw twisting a bit in contemplation as he looked around; there were no fences, no barbed wire, no haphazard signage to denote property. "What borders?" He was soft-spoken, naive, and though one could presume from his instinctively stern tone he was being some sort of aggressive, he was merely lost. "Nikolai though folks call me Nick—s'pleasure to meet ya' Tallulah, mighty pretty name ya' got; very fittin' n' all."

---

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"Izza wolf pack, sir." Tallulah had been where he was weeks prior. While aware of the pack mentality through instinct and common sense, it had taken her a while to get adjusted. She assumed this one was more dog than wolf. Tallulah rose from her spot, walking to where the border marking was. She pointed with a slender limb to where she knew it to be.

"Most o' the folks here live in packs. Is akin to a community, all under one or two leaders" With ranks and politics "they mark border by scent, so it shows that the land is claimed beyond it" If the man was to approach, he'd be hit with the smell of various individuals. Her pack smell was too weak right now though "some packs..."

She rolled her eyes back to him. "Well, they can be aggressive if ye step over, obviously. I'd learn t' smells they make quick-like. Elysium izza haven though. We ask questions n' we don't rightly attack unless ye causin' a ruckus, aye?" She assumed he knew what a border was... in a different sort of way. Nickolai introduced himself, however.

She turned to face him, though was no gentle little maiden to blush with a compliment. "S' nice ta meet ya, Nick. Did ya, erm, just arrive here?"

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---

Tallulah might as well have been speaking another language, such a bizarre blend of things he vaguely knew, or at least some version of; the concept of a pack sounded familiar enough, something like his band on the ranch but there weren't no leaders in it—just the old folks and the folks learning from them, Nikolai was of the latter. He further failed to grasp the marking of borders, following where she motioned. His band indicated borders with their presence, a constant patrol, and while he understood the marking of territory... he'd never done it so deliberately. In a way, he was just a dog and piss was just piss.

Wolves seemed much more sentimental.

"Lotta thought goin' on there, huh?" he said, unable to instinctively see danger written into the concept of piled scents. Nikolai would come to regret not heeding her words. "Everyone else 'round 'ere like that? All bite no bark?" Nikolai looked to her, letting out a hum before he made the move to abandon the waters and inch toward her, tail offering a slight wag. "Sounds solid to me, darlin', I ain't lookin' to start nothin'."

He looked to her, then angled his head to glance at himself, then back to Tallulah, chuckling. "Aye, what gave that away?"

---

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While she belonged in Elysium and over their border, Tallulah felt it was rude to talk to Nick while she sat near it. She moved, shuffling back, and turned to face him properly. The border was left alone, but she'd return to it after their encounter. "Most folks here know better" she commented "scent marks something or someone as something's or someone's else." She attempted to make this clear to him, despite his own accent. Nobody could say she didn't warn him.

As for if he heeded her words, well... Time would say. "The folks below us, Vanderfell Woods, also claimed the Run" she eyed to the southeast of Ullacraig "it ain't official, but if ya hunt there... Ya may encounter their bite" However "I ain't knowin' any other packs in the Mountain region that is aggressive. But there are some, I reckon." The folks were kind to her so far. Not many aggressive encounters, but Tallulah was already respectful and it showed.

Nick said he wouldn't start anything, but she remained a bit concerned. "Cause it's common knowledge here" she began after a pause "if ya don't rightly know, ya in the same position I was in" It took a bit of time to cement the knowledge "but I gotta warn ya; some folks won't be so understandin'..." Though that stood to reason, considering a mesh of personalities "I'd be careful, even far 'way from borders." Elysium was safe, and Vanderfell Woods was kind... 

But she didn't know much about the others. Shiroshika was another near, but she also didn't know about them. "Oh" Tallulah began again "if ye need to go to the coast, there's some sorta dispute there right now. Either side may try to pull ya in" Dragonford and Northfall... She wondered who would triumph. Of course, she preferred Vendrussel to 'win' "and if ya ain't careful, they may react violently near their borders."

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---

It wasn't for her lack of trying that it didn't click, he just hadn't the wit to understand much at all without learning the hard way, same way he had to be nipped in the ass by a rangy coyote when he was a kid; he just didn't grasp why they were meant to be ran off when they were so measly looking. This was none different, failing to grasp why Tallulah was approaching this so seriously when he'd been kind as he could be to the folks who waltzed onto the ranch without knowing. Nikolai'd bare his teeth and bark the order and they'd haul tail.

Of course, he wasn't one to make anyone—and certainly no lady—feel like he didn't hear them, so Nikolai nodded, deeply humming during her intervals of silence in order to coax her on. He allowed a moment following her final sentence before saying, "Sounds like I did good comin' across ya' then, aye?" The wag of his tail was simple in its wordless expression of simultaneously his gratitude for her assistance in offering what she knew of the lands. "Certainly ain't no one 'round these parts I'da rather crossed with."

Nikolai slowly eased to the earth, whuffing his exhaustion as he did so, glancing around a little. "Ya' spoke of folks tryna pull me in," he said. "Ya' too polite for that or did I not catch yer eye?" It was a tease, a rough laugh rumbling deep from within his chest.

---

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She was pretty dense when it came to this sort of thing, especially since her Pa had sheltered her from most men around. Cassius and others were trusted, and sadly Nick was not known to her. She didn't know if he was being polite or something more, though she did feel her cheeks heat up somewhat. "That ya did" she agreed with a puff of amusement, though it held no ego behind it — the words were supposed to be jesting. Her jokes oft fell flat for what that was worth.

Nick continued, asking casually about the conflict. She opened her jaws to answer the best she could before they snapped shut. Afraid she had gawked a few seconds, especially at his lingered sentence. "It ain't that" she fumbled, her creamy cheeks heating once more "Elysium izz neutral" That isn't what he meant and she knew it. She dropped formalities "ya one of those 'charismatic' men, aye?" Tallulah went on the offense next, considering he had been subtly remarking compliments.

It was her turn to make him fumble.

It wasn't an insult though. She squinted at him somewhat. The man didn't seem to mean harm. It wasn't aggressive flirting. Just a remark here and there. But just enough so even her ignorance could catch on. Weird. She let it go over her head usually. "Ya ain't bad to look at," she told him bluntly, unused to commenting back or giving compliments about features "if that's what concernin' ya" He should be more concerned about borders... "though I reckon I dunno what ya want me to say back to yer comments." She shifted her weight awkwardly. It felt weird to be 'flirted' with.

If that is indeed what he was trying to do.

Or was she just imagining it? Still, her words hadn't been unkind.

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---

Nikolai didn't ever expect folks to answer to his comments, words, sentences, tone saturated in an innate honey only the south could make so easy on the tongue of a creature meant to cut his teeth on others; often it was just that, instinct. So used to the familiarity of others raised on the same sweetness that it didn't occur to him much how others could take it wrong. Except...

...he meant it entirely how it was taken today, bold in the way only a male with a twang to his voice could be without a shred of hesitation; it could've been the fact Tallulah reminded him of the few women he'd taken to in the past, warm and familiar and none unlike he could imagine himself lazing on the porch with her next to him, none of this dennin' and huntin' and scent markers to think about, or it could've been the fact he thought she was mighty pretty, it didn't really matter, she entertained his words and he couldn't nothing more. "Aw, naw, charisma ain't my thing," he said. "I'm just bein' honest, ain't my fault ya' make it mighty easy to say yer' the finest sight 'round here—ya' ever think them mountains up there just get so doggone jealous?"

Her words were stiff. For a second he worried he crossed some line, made her all uneasy, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to make another feel, she didn't say nothing against it though, and she seemed in herself enough to say what she thought and what she hated if she did. Nikolai wouldn't underestimate her. He'd not push his welcome neither. "Ya' don't gotta say nothin', darlin'," he told her, a wag of his tail emphasizing his words. "Ya' just gotta like acceptin' 'em s'all." After a pause, he went on, "Do ya'?"

---

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More charismatic words. More flirtation. She had opened a floodgate, it would seem. Now that he knew it hadn't flown entirely over her head, he was laying it on thick. Tallulah lifted a brow at his comment about the mountains being jealous of her, unable to help the breathless laugh escaping her lips. "If the mountains had an issue, I reckon they'd send a boulder down to squash me by now." Okay, maybe she could navigate this with logic and reason. Or just play along.

Tallulah never considered herself a vain creature. Nor did she consider herself needful of flattery. It was both unwelcome and also... strangely welcomed. As if she had been missing something so far, faced with the unknown. "I accept that yer serious bout yer words" she said slowly, now moving to sit down "though a lady gotta ask; if ya do that with all 'em, or am I just special?" She smirked at Nick now, challenging his 'honesty'. True, she wouldn't get offended if he said 'yes'. Honestly, they just met.

She didn't need to take him seriously, did she? It'd be stupid to fall for charms right away. Tallulah had a lock over her heart, and inexperience with men overall. If he was just gently prying, fine. But if he was serious, he'd have to do a hell of a lot better. Perhaps if her Ma had been around... Wait. She flinched suddenly, doubling over with a light gasp. "Ah" she could assume that Nick would be concerned bout it. She had closed her eyes as if in pain as well "sorry... seems like me memories are returning."

Slowly but surely. "I'm fine." Honest.

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---

He let out a sigh, amusement threaded through it. "Ah, glad ta' know they're blind," he said. "They'd be awfully silly to thank they were yer' competition anyhow." Nikolai watched her settle down, finding relief that she'd not taken ill to his words as well as a faint coax to continue on. He was used to the grit of women in the south, either as wild as the horses they helped keep in line or just as stubborn, and he didn't expect no falling around because he knew how to verbally work his way around—it wouldn't feel right, neither, like he wouldn't know how to woo someone who'd not lead him on some sort of chase, make him work to catch their eye.

The smirk she offered won her a huff, canting his head to the side with a bit of disbelief. "Ya' give others too much credit, I ain't got  eyes for 'nother the way I got 'em for ya'," and this was true, he'd met plenty during his time here and none had tugged him from neutrality with so little effort, utterly intent to earn any scrap of attention she'd offer because it felt damn fine to earn the eye of someone like her.

As quickly as he'd flitted from sweet words, his ears twitched back against his head, worry marring his features instantly. Nikolai was up, breaking up the space between them, none of what he did imbued by anything but honest concern, snuffing her cheek to investigate, a contemplative hum in his throat. "I ain't tryna be presumptuous but I don't reckon I believe that... ya' hurt at all?" As if for punctuation, he licked her cheek, intentionally obnoxious as it was attentive; just to get her to look at him. He swallowed then, brows knitting up. "...Memories? Like, ones from 'fore... 'ere?"

---

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She was hardly a southern belle, more like a rancher or farmer... She didn't wilt and titter like a teenager either. Tallulah considered it a small victory on his part that he was making her laugh. Not in a condescending way, but more joyful than she had in a long while. "Yer a card, ye know that aye?" she chuckled, shaking her head. He certainly was something, if she had to be honest. Which she wasn't able to do just yet... Even if she enjoyed his company.

Whatever else she wanted to say in reply was cut off by the swarming memories of... a memory. Someone she had heard about, had painted a picture about. But never truly met. Pa... Pa had done his best, but sometimes a mother knows best. So what did that entail? Maybe... Her Ma had died before she was born. Nick moved closer, but she hadn't been aware. The pain had shot through her system as if struck by lightning. Not quite a deja vu though. More like a painful reminder.

Tallulah jolted when his warm tongue touched her cheek. Both eyes shot open and she turned to look at him — standing closer than most ever had. She flushed this time, not used to being around others in such a way that wasn't... a spar. She nodded, swallowing her distinctive feminine feelings that seemed so far away before now. "Naw" she began, slowing her nerves "it hurts a bit when they come, but they go 'way fast." How does one explain...

Nick continued and asked if they were from before. She nodded, glancing away. Unable to meet his eyes properly. "Aye" she began again "I cannae remember much of me past. I came here alone, without much but me name. Seems like it's rightly common. Memories come back slow like. Some folks don't have them even come back at all. But rare folks; they got all their memoires playin' round in their head." She nodded again as if confirming. 

"Think I remembered me parents."

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---

While he'd been here some time... it certainly wasn't long enough to learn the effects of what the land could do.

It sought to make him learn.

And, boy, did it. Nikolai couldn't hide his worry well nor did he try hard to, focusing entirely on how she was, feeling a bit like a fish out of water when he saw how she looked to him; he'd mistake flushed for something awful, pulling closer and taking a seat beside her, their hips touching and him none the wiser to if this was new to her. He glanced down to keep an eye on the circumstance. She worried him with every new word.

"These happen... a lot?" Enough to know the process, at least. Nikolai could note how their experiences differed, saw how he was lucky—perhaps more than most and it made his heart ache to know she lacked and yet knew too much, knew what she didn't know any longer, he let out a breath. "I dunno 'bout all but I know I got most, 'nough to miss it back home, least." Nikolai shook his head, expression shifting tattered though bold he remained, sparing a glance at her. "Yer' parents... Ya' wanna talk 'bout 'em, what ya' remember?"

Nikolai didn't allow much of a pause in between breaths. "Ya' don't gotta say nothin' neither," he said, offering her another option, one that put the situation back in her control, somewhat, when it otherwise desired not to be. "I don't mind just sittin' with ya', ain't gotta talk... or I could walk ya' home, whatever ya' want."

---

 

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Well, this was even more awkward. Not about Nick not having anything to go back to, or having his memories, or what have you. No, no. Tallulah's eyes widened at the ground, a slow fluster creeping on her face. "It ain't an'thing bad" she uttered in a soft protest, aware he was glancing her way "just — ah..." How did she say this without being so... ignorant? Or even embarrassing herself?

I don't have a mother, so this whole thing is new. Male attention, yep.

"My Pa raised me" Tallulah began slowly after a beat "he did his best" He did more than his best "Ma died before I knew her" Childbirth maybe? She didn't remember so well "ye, ah... yer..." she stumbled. He didn't prepare me for this sort of thing. "yer attention" she forced it out, now burning brightly "it ain't unwelcomed but... I... dunno how to..." She sucked in a mental breath "yanno. Be all smooth-like back."

Maybe Nick would prefer to spend his time with some girl who could appreciate it. Even flirt back. She was a dud. That's what she believed. Tallulah shuffled, self-conscious. It was clear her mother's death didn't phase her. She was too young to know the woman, a baby right out of the womb really, and it had long since not affected her. Her father had still been there, and he was well enough, else she would have broken down. No, no. She focused on the here and now.

And part of her was freaking out.

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The wolfdog was nothing but attentive.

Though this did not make him smart.

Nikolai presumed recollections of the past would hurt as his did when the only times he dreamed were times when his failures visited him, loneliness trying to bed down in his bones. It didn't cross his mind how vastly different it could be; until she brought it to him, that is, and he flicked an ear, looking from her to the landscape before them. Nikolai didn't have his parents far past being weaned, not intended for the stead they protected, all he learned came from his mentors but this? Well, that came as it did. Nobody taught him what would make another warm or feed into him, it often didn't even work, hit or miss he presumed. "'m sorry 'bout yer mom, really am, but there ain't no how to with this, ya' know? It's just... feelin' stuff," he nudged her a little, leaning enough to lick at her ears. "Reactin' to it how ya' want, if ya' like it." Another lick, careful to draw from her ears to her cheek, waiting for her eyes to meet his.

And when they did...

"All I want is ya', however that is, ain't gotta be smooth or nothin'," he told her, sincerity thick in his voice. "Honest, darlin'."

---

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Much as she tried to be logical, to think that because she had no exposure to other women outside her age group of rare friends... That it was like a piece of her missing. That somehow she was lesser. Maybe that's why she never had anyone interested in her. Too stiff. Too logical. Too indifferent to those type of things. Most of it flew over her head, true, but Nick seemed to make it stick. Why was that? How was that?

He said there was no manual for this, that it was all about feelings and feeling things out. He even gifted another 'kiss' to her, and that same old feeling returned. All I want is ya he said, with such certainty that she turned to look at him with unease. How could he be so certain about a woman he just met? Why? she wanted to ask but was scared of the answer Why me? Why not anyone else? Plenty of ladies in Elysium, some even single gals.. Take yer pick!

She drew in a deep breath inwardly, refusing to let him see how rattled she was. Tallulah leaned into the man, bumping her head against his. Stupid guy. She leaned back. "Well, fine" she proclaimed after a moment of composing herself "then ya have no qualms about visitin' from time to time" She puffed out her chest as if challenging him; which she was "just, yanno, don't go over the border. Call from here. Wait. Don't want yer looks ragged and scarred from a beat-down, aye?"

She was half-teasing and half truthful.

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Some would say he was being fast. Nikolai would simply say he knew what a good thing was and didn't want to let it go, even if he didn't grasp it entirely. He was young, he could spend his days learning her if she allowed it... and was that not the basis of something good, choosing and following through? Someone looking in could also take the guess he was single-minded, interested only in having her lay with him for the night, saying what he had to to reach his goal, but the wolfdog's thoughts wandered far from that—content watching Tallulah, how the air ruffled her fur, the sun caught her eyes. They could've lazed like this and he would've been fine.

 

But she leaned away, leaving him cold and yearning though unwavering. "Lucky for me a lone ain't got no business that needs tendin'," he said, meeting her challenge with a wolfy sort of croon as he made the move to touch her again—and didn't, a tease himself. "I'll be 'ere waitin' on ya'." Nikolai then half-chuckled, half-whuffed. He knew he bore scars; some old, some fresh—what the Nightwalkers delivered, what that stranger in the Temperate did. He hardly doubted a little spat would do much. "Damn, an' 'ere I thought I had a fine plan ta' catch yer eye."

---

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She barked laughter at his words. So he assumed she'd fall for some ragged and scarred individual? Plenty of those around. The trick was to remain untouched for a long time and keep it that way. So far, she had avoided most spats and confrontations. She trained herself for the day she'd need to use her skills in defense. "Me eye is already caught." She points out to Nick in a tease, though it is truthful.

He made her laugh. He joked with her. Her words didn't fall... flat with him. He could even understand her twang, considering he had one of his own. Sometimes in Elysium, she felt like some were humoring her words. Not really understanding or listening to them. Point was, while she didn't know what this was yet... She did like Nick in the sense she liked talking to him. Other things could come with time, and he already said her 'inexperience' didn't bother him.

"I don't hafta go back yet" she mused, her eyes drifting away from his features to the border before them "I'm actually right here" So "we can talk fer a bit... longer, aye?" And talk they would. Perhaps Elysium wolves came to the border, watching as Tallulah joked and laughed some more with the stranger. 

/fade end with them just talk talk talking a bit more

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