Sunsets

For @Delgata :3

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Apsephion— the least likely adventurer, but the most likely soloist. He didn't despise company, of course... but, the strings that were his nerves were too easily strung. Too easily cut in half, at that. Asocial, he chose to be, for this reason.

The air had grown warmer since the recently retreated winter. Since discovering this new place, the lumbering beast that was Apsephion was glad for these temperatures. It was still chilly here, but not unbearably so. The perfect place—or so he may have admitted under less sour circumstances.

He was a sour man, and it showed. Whether scowling or barren, his facade was hardly ever friendly and inviting. Marred and disheveled, instead. Perhaps still somewhat handsome, but why did that matter? Who wanted a gruff man like him? None... or so he would have assumed.

But wasn't it better this way? Alone. No one to look after but himself. No obligations or worries for the wellbeing of another. A peaceful, carefree life. The perfect, but most unrealistic reality.

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The woman was tired of staying in the pack lands, though her growing stomach was a clear indication as to why she should stay within the borders. But she was as stubborn as she was a free spirit and quickly wandered from the lands without even trying. Soon, she found herself looking across a large frozen patch of earth. 

Curiosity got the better of her and she stepped down on it, wanting to explore this more. She wandered a bit before she ended up accidently slipping, sliding a bit downhill with a small yelp. It was about then that she saw a large dark wolf, but it was too late for her. If he didn't move, she would slam directly into him with a grunt, paws splayed out across the ice as she huffed slightly.

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made a teeny assumption that she may have landed on top of him, given the angle of the hill and the way he stood. let me know if this needs to be changed!

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Paying little to interest whatsoever to his surroundings, the yelp in the air went in one ear and out the other.

But when he suddenly went from an upright position to a not-so upright one, Apsephion was both startled and furious all at once. Flat on his side, with another body right against his, a low snarl bubbled from within his chest.

He pushed and pushed, trying to get them off. But it was to no avail. They were... oddly heavy. He could not see them fully, though, to find the reason why, even despite how much he tried to crane his neck.

Grunting in frustration, Apsephion whipped his tail against the ground. “Get... Off... !” He growled, teeth clenched tightly.

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Sure enough, she ran directly into the large wolf, grunting slightly. As quickly as she could, she shifted off of him, laying on her side on the ground. She panted softly but looked up at him, lowering her head slightly. "I'm so sorry!" She spoke softly, not wanting to anger the man. 

Slowly but surely she would stand up, her enlarged stomach shifting as she did so. "Are you alright? I hope I didn't hurt you at all." She probably should have been more worried about herself rather than the walking brick of a wolf she ran into, but that just wasn't who she was.

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She moved off quickly—or, mostly so. Something deterred her hasten. A round belly. Which, of course, explained her unusual weight.

Apsephion didn't stare upon it for long, though, finding his own feet as soon as she'd let him do so. “Thinking a bit carelessly, huh?” He snorted, nose tipping downward. You'd think a pregnant woman would be more careful. But clearly, her attention was elsewhere.
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She shrugged slightly and offered a small smile, backing away to give him his space. "I certainly should, but unfortunately I wasn't paying attention." She stretched slightly and moved to stand up fully, "I should probably at least introduce myself now that I've ran into you." She nodded her head in greeting, being extremely respectful. "My name is Degata, would you be up for maybe a hunt? A way for me to apologize if possible." Regardless if she was pregnant, she didn't mind hunting and even enjoyed doing go when she could. She cocked her head to the side, one of her ears bending slightly as she did so.

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So many words. Useless ones, at that. Apsephion could have easily turned away, but he didn't. He wanted to see how this played out. Of the two, he would be made the fool in this interaction? After all, that was how it often seemed to go.

Delgata. So they were exchanging names? So be it.

“Apsephion.” A grunting reply, tone low and lacking warmth.

Then she wanted to hunt. What did this woman take them for... friends??

Scoffing, his nose wrinkled. “I'm not exactly a team player.” It was harsh, but why not tell the truth? Otherwise, she might get the wrong idea of him. “If I hunt, I do so alone.”
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She nodded slightly as he spoke his name. "Apsephion" She said simply, letting the name roll off of her tongue, almost as if testing it out. "That's a nice name." She smiled and flicked her tail behind her, clearly a very warm and bubbly personality, clearly very different from how he held himself. For some reason, that made her even more interested. 

She raised an eyebrow at his words and chuckled softly. "I don't think two people is considered a team." She said jokingly, offering him a playful smile before shrugging. "But I understand, dear. Then at least let me bring you something as an apology." She offered, waiting to see what he would say to that.

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Tipping his chin upward now, he flicked his tail dismissively. “You behave as though I've gained some dire injury from this. I still have my limbs, don't I?” Clearly so.

“Now cut it with the apologies.” He ended with a demanding tone, perhaps coming off more forceful and demanding than he'd meant to.
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She blinked a bit at his demand, a bit taken back by it as she wasn't really expecting him to speak like that. But, instead of lingering on it, she simply sighed slightly and nodded, sitting herself back down and wrapping her tail around herself lightly. "I suppose you're right, very well. I'll stop apologizing." 

She glanced around for a moment, noticing how the sun began to set around them. "It's getting late, I hope you have a place to stay out of the elements." She turned to place her light blue eyes back upon him, her feature soft. It was clear she wasn't showing pity to him, but simply wanted to make sure that he didn't get himself into a bad situation.

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To his surprise, she gave in, backing off from "making up" for her mistake. But still, she did not leave. She sat instead, continuing on to another topic.

He shrugged the suggestion of a place to stay. “If need be, I'll find a cave or dig a burrow.” But other than that, he was free to travel as he chose. Nothing except for poor weather would keep him trapping in one place for an extended time.
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She nodded slightly, watching him for a moment. "You seem like the type to not stay in the same place for long." She thought for a moment, glancing behind her at the mountain range she called home before glancing back at him. "If you stick around, or find yourself near Tsukiishi, perhaps I'll see you again." She moved to stand, stretching herself out and shaking out her fur. She knew she needed to get back home before night time, wanting to get safely back to across the borders before anything dangerous happened. She knew that predators and other wolves might not be as kind to her.

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“I've never had a reason to.” Apsephion answered, observing her with an odd, new interest.

Why was she so keen to stay and hold conversation with him? What was it about him that made her stay. He couldn't fathom what.

There was an invitation of them meeting again. One he did not imagine himself taking. But then when she turned to leave, his ears swiveled. “How far of a distance is your home?” Perhaps he was a cold hearten giant, but that didn't mean he wanted to be responsible for this woman not making it home.

If it was far, he would offer to escort her. But if not, she would be left alone and he would go on his way.
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She wasn't expecting him to speak up again, seeing how little he had spoken the whole time, but she would glanced up at him when he did so, flicking her ears slightly. "Over that mountain side." She said simply, pointing over to the snowy mountain range. She only had to cross the Frozen Ground and head up into the mountains, which in reality wasn't too much of a distance, but her current situation made it a bit more taxing on her. She couldn't fathom why he asked and would simply wait, wondering if he would explain. "Why do you ask?"

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Over that mountain side.

So, not far for others — but more-so for her in this current state.

Screw asking... he eventually decided.

Gesturing outward with his nose, he heaved a sigh before taking a few steps forward. “This isn't an hour for you to travel alone.” Or was it not so obvious to her? “Lead the way.” And it wasn't up for debate.
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They are already so cute! I can make a thread for them at the borders if you want?

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She waited for a moment, curiosity clear in her blue eyes, but what he did wasn't at all what she had been expecting. She quickly realized he wasn't like most, and something about that made her stifle a smile. "I-" She started to speak and ask him why, but figured he probably wouldn't answer anyway and she didn't want to annoy him anymore than she probably already did. 

She eventually sighed and started to walk, her pace slow but comfortable for her. As they walked, she simply glanced over at him, speaking softly. "Thank you." She said simply, before continuing to walk.

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Sure thing!

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She started to speak in questioning, but stopped herself. Smart.

And when she thanked him, his eyes rolled a bit. “Let's just not make a habit of this.” This wasn't something he did often, and he sure didn't want to be called a hypocrite by making it a regular thing.
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