A Comforting Place [OPEN]

[Cinder]

~Maroon~

The small she-wolf let her maroon eyes drift shut and just focused on the smell of the flowers. Her jaw slid open just enough to let the cold breeze sweep the comforting scent onto her tongue. The breeze turned and she caught a different odor. She snapped her jaws shut to the stench of Lokianna. Maroon knew that she must not have cleaned away the feeling of the rude female jostling against her shoulder.

Her white nose shriveled in disgust as she found a seat to continue to clean herself as best as she could manage. Maroon only told herself to stop when her tongue felt sore and she couldn't scent a trace of Lokianna or Frigid Plague. She noticed the temperature of the air drop quite a substantial amount and rose to her feet again.

Her eyes fluttered open and she stumbled along, sniffing along to as close to the center of the flower field as possible. One of her front paws accidentally latched onto the other, and she stumbled. Her cream paws caught the ground, close enough where she could feel her breathe reflecting off of it. With a shake of her head, she sniffed the air again. Maroon spoke with a confident voice.

"Hello?"

[Deleted]

Bored. Azrael was so bored. He's been strolling along with no real destination in mind. It was still early and normally he would be asleep, but his brain was restless as ever. Mulling over things he had no business thinking about; it was all in the past, just like his siblings. Although he missed their company dearly, he wouldn't be the first to go crawling back and most likely have to say sorry, for something he really didn't regret.

By now the sun was starting to sink below the horizon, drawing away what little light was left. Hours now he's been moving, lost but dauntless. A cool breeze raked it's fingers through his coat carrying with it the scent of sweet flowers. And another wolf. How very curious...

He picked up the pace, no longer a leisurely walk but a full tilt run. Long legs easily swallowing distance in seconds. The further he ran the stronger the scent became, until he reached a field full of white flowers that were all beginning to bloom. A dark figure moved in the distance, crossing the field. But then..it stumbled and rolled, disappearing below, into the flowers. Azrael choked out a quiet laugh, stalking closer to the center.

Hello? Azrael's ears perked at the femmes voice. "What's a lovely lass like you doing all alone?" The lupus mused, cocking his head as though he couldn't fathom the reason. Those vivid green eyes were sneakily observing her.

Azrael

242 words // Cinder

Table by Allygɐtor 2016

[Cinder]

~Maroon~

Over the overwhelming smell of the flowers, she was positive that there was someone there. Bit by bit, she could could sense it getting closer and closer, stronger and stronger. Her body stiffened and she laid as straight as possible. Maroon could feel the vibrations of paws thudding along the dirt towards her.

She could hear their panting breath and the flowers being pressed to either side of their rapidly approaching body. Alarm spread through her veins and straight to her head as all of it stopped. She now had absolutely know way to know where they were. Maroon picked herself up off the ground and left her eyes half-lidded. The small she wolf twisted her head towards where she last heard noise.

A male voice greeted her, accompanied by his breath on her mouth and neck. Maroon resist the urge to reel away and curl back up into a ball. She swallowed down her anxiety and sighed. He had to be a decent amount taller than her, seeing as his breath came from above her head. Her pale rump planted itself among the flowers and she tilted up her head.

"Well, where else do you suggest that I be?" She said, with a flick of her tail. She cut herself off there before she carried on with a snarky remark that would give him something to use against her or that would surely get her killed. Instead of carrying on with what she was previously saying, she started a new topic. "Name's Maroon. What's yours?"

[Deleted]

Azrael took a small step back knowing he'd halted a little too close for comfort. Slowly he sat down after deciding she didn't seem the type to try anything. Her deep red eyes moved up, meeting his vibrant greens as she took her seat. Poor thing looked to be a little unnerved, but this was expected. Azrael didn't really look all that friendly. Most wolves took a stance of aggression or fear with him.

Her somewhat snarky remark caused the beasts half lidded gaze to widen a tad. And then he snickered, leaning down a little closer to her- almost invading personal space so that they were face to face; eye to eye. "Well, you could always be with me." Azrael shot back mimicking her tone; gracing a playful grin, his eyes swimming in curiosity and mirth. Secretly waiting for a reaction. She spoke once more, introducing herself. Maroon. Just like those scarlet eyes ensnared in a sea of white. There was a pause of silence. The lupus was prone to taunting and playing games or trying to make gain from something, but not tonight.. "My name is Azrael." The male threw his weight over suddenly. Flopping down on his side, rolling over onto his back flattening a patch of flowers beneath him looking at the bright twinkling lights in the dark sky.

Now it was his turn to look up at her. "I've never seen a place like this before," He admitted, gazing in wonder at the glowing white blooms all around. From his current angle the plants seemed much taller and the night sky much larger. "You never answered my question Maroon." The pale faced male subtly reminded her, turning his gaze away from the gardens and up to her.

Azrael

288 words // Cinder

Table by Allygɐtor 2016

[Cinder]

~Maroon~

Maroon was about to shift away from him, for her comfort and preference. Then, she felt his breath move away from her, and heard him sit. When he chuckled, her eyes crinkled to match her bright smile. Before long, his breath met her soft tan and white face again, and she wiggled her nose at him with her dark eyes closing for a small while.

She started to let small giggles slip out of her jaw at his remark. She stopped to catch her breath as her stomach cramped. Maroon calmed down and lost track of where he was. She turned her head to the sky as if she was gazing at the stars and said, "Azrael's a handsome name. I'm sure it suits you."

A small gust of air tossed itself towards her feet and she swiveled her ears to hear his voice suddenly come from below her. She tossed her nose back to face the dirt. Her paw shifted as if feeling around her. It searched to see if she had room to lay down beside the male. She felt his warmth nearby, but otherwise felt empty space.

She retracted it back to rest beside the rest of her body and she mumbled, "I haven't really seen anywhere at all." Her voice drifted off and she sniffed her way to a nearby flower to prod it with her nose. When he promptly reminded her of the question that she had never given a straight answer to, she shrugged. "Maybe I don't want to." She gave him a small smirk as she slowly shifted her legs to lay next to him, but on her stomach.

[Deleted]

Azrael watched as Maroon's face shifted from laughter. Short giggles that were messily contained, almost infectious as she'd brought a small grin over his maw. It all eneded much too quickly, and his smiled vanished along with her mirth.

The compliment caught Azrael off guard, stiffing slightly before he was able to take a deep breath and relax. A chuckle rolled off his tongue, closing his eyes giving his head a small shake. If only she knew. His mother had named him after Death. She'd wanted other things for him..things Azrael didn't agree with; things that still haunted him to this day. But he wore the mask of amusement well. "Well would you imagine that," Azrael started with a wolfish smirk, "Pretty and kind! This night just gets better and better." Words slick like warm honey oozed past his lips. Although just meeting this femme Azrael was starting to take a quick liking to her company. Probably because she'd been the only one kind enough to give him the time of day others simply wouldn't. Then again, she has caught him on a good night. Most weren't so lucky.

A gust of air kicked up, bending the flowers to its will as it rippled through the lunar field. The cool earth around him changed, suddenly he was being hit with the smallest waves of warmth. Azrael hadn't recalled seeing her lay down beneath the flowers with him. Meaning she'd probably done so while he wasn't watching. Although they weren't touching the distance still felt intimate. A feeling that made the bone disguised lupus squirm inwardly with unease. Yet he never showed it, even in the slightest. Truth was it's been too long since anyone has tried..or done something so bold. Laying near him—or even being near him for that matter. 

Azrael shifted to lay on his side, long body curved and angled toward Maroon. He found himself crawling closer on his belly to catch what she said, her voice being so soft and carried off by the wind. She was sniffing the flowers as she spoke, once more avoiding eye contact he noted. Was she nervous? He wondered. 

"I haven't really seen anywhere at all." Azrael pulled his dark ears flat after what she'd said and took a quiet breath. "How strange..why not?" The words formed faster than he could comprehend. Why wouldn't a wolf of her age have witnessed many places? He had. In fact, Azrael couldn't recall a time he and his family weren't on the move. But maybe not all were nomads like him?

To the question never answered the white femme shrugged. Maybe I don't want to. She turned, a meek smirk pressed upon her lips as she shifted to lay closer to him. Azrael let out a low, throaty chuckle as he inched closer his body slowly coiling around hers. Being denined what he wanted wasn't something that happened often if at all. Now it was a deep rooted feeling of needing to know; even if it were the dumbest question ever asked. "Please?" The word escaped on the breath of a whisper meant only for her ears; as if the flowers around them may somehow take witness to this moment.

Azrael

392 words // Cinder

Table by Allygɐtor 2016

[Cinder]

She almost scoffed at his compliment. Her focus fluttered to his voice as he questioned her about sightseeing. She rolled her neck to look him in the face with an almost pitiful look. Maroon realized her fault and the look slipped away, returning to an indifferent gaze. Honestly, it was strange to look at someone else as intricately as they looked at her with pity. Maroon didn't say anything at first, but he piped up for her. His laughter made her a little uneasy, as it went hand in hand with the shuffling of his body. His skin met hers and her brows furrowed. She was puny and it had to have been easy to wrap around her.

As his warmth engulfed her, she pondered if they were the same age. Did he know that? Or did he think of her as just a small pup, barely out of the den? Her expression Her ears straightened out as his nearly inaudible whisper swirled around her. She lifted her head and her eyes wavered back and forth, searching for something, anything. "Why do you care that much?"

She considered pondered it for a moment and murmured, "If it seems important, listen on in. I'm out here all alone because I don't actually have anyone. I lost a wolf named Snow in my literal blindness. Before him, nobody was there for me. My parents dumped me before I was even able to walk."

She sighed after pausing. Her voice was devoid of sadness. Instead, frustration took its place. "I would've hoped that they would have been thoughtful enough to think about their pups that would suffer from their idiocy." She shook her head, with a joking smile deliriously dancing on her lips."You know, you and I are probably around the same age. And from what I can tell, you're a heck of a lot bigger than I am. Stunted growth to add to my problems. This sucks." The last sentence came out as a grumble and she rested her head next to his chest.

[Deleted]

At first said nothing to him, merely casting him a pitying look. This puzzled the pewter colored male, head cocking to the side in wonder. Why could she possibly be looking at him such a way? Azrael raked his brain trying to recall anything that may have caused such action but found nothing. Straightening up, he chose to ignore it. Labeling it as something for later and not now.

Her shuffling body brought him away from his thoughts, the lanky beast shifted away from her leaving an inch of space between them so his skin no longer touched hers. Spreading his limbs so she may have room to move. Suddenly Maroon had snapped. Meek no more, her ruby eyes hard and pointed as she spit out two stern words. This shocked him! Making his brows contort if only for a second. He hadn't expected this- not from her..she didn't seem the type. The wolf huffed loudly in response but said nothing. Seems that maybe there was more to her.

As her gaze fell away, back to the ground a quiet voice met his ears. Softer than before, yet insulting all the same. But something happened; something he least expected. The flood gates came open. Her life's story laid out in short verse, or so it seemed. Azrael hadn't wanted to hear such things..but he did ask. "Well love I'm not blind," he started with a snort. "Just because I 'ave two eyes and two ears does not make me a psychic," his deep voice broke out in a low murmur. "I can't tell by a glance what's going on in someone's life."

The wolf lay his head on the ground, looking up into her gaze. Maroon's face contorted in anger and frustration; a network of emotion behind her eyes. What did you say to someone after that can of worms? "Sorry?..not sorry, about your friend..maybe I could help you find him?" Word vomit. He'd said sorry! Ha! What a laugh, why would he feel sorry? It just seemed like the right thing to say; bit it made him feel like a lair, so he took it back. Looking more like an ass instead.

Silence curled around them, and then she spoke; the sound livid and perhaps even tortured. For a while he was quiet and made a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat. "We can't choose the lives we are given," he started carefully. "But, we can decide who we become." If she really wanted, she could ease if not end her own suffering...if she tried hard enough.

What she said next threw him for a moment. Azrael hadn't at all taken in the account of her age. But he had her size. "Aye, that we are. I'm just an oversized pup I suppose..or your just very small.." Voice trailing off it's teasing path as she slumped against his side, beneath a field of wild flowers and stars.

Azrael

446 words // Cinder

Table by Allygɐtor 2016

[Cinder]

The small wolfess found herself fumbling for words after her outburst. She shook her head lightly and went to stand up, detangling her limbs from his. Maroon bent her head and sniffled lightly to look for his breath. The moment she had found it, she turned her face and gave his cheek a lick, like a sister would to a brother. "I'm sorry Azrael. For wasting your time, for snapping at you, for everything. I think I'm going to go look for my friend. He's probably worried about me. Thank you for spending the night with me." Her voice was gentle, hoping to not hurt his feeling. With that, she turned her back to one of her only friends and started walking.
-exit the blind babbu-