How do I do this? [tagged]

[Meds]

Axel;

Axel's blue mane caught the light breeze as he turned and look at Atra happily as the tree crashed into place. It hadn't been so hard with them working together. She was stronger than she probably gave herself credit for, he imagined. Axel hoped that the otherwise-shy female would be proud of something she had done after putting her mind to it. Sometimes accomplishments worked wonders.

"It is cool, literally. In summer it will stay cool, and otherwise it will keep you dry and warm on all sides. Go in, check it out." He smiled. The sun was setting though, and he knew that eventually he would have to make his own way on again. "My gift to you, ma'am."

[Emorli]

Atra;

A big smile forms on her face as she basically runs into the newly finished structure and from the inside a muffled voice can be heard,

"It's cooler from the inside!" As soon as she's done looking around on the inside, she walks back out, the smile still plastered on her maw.

"Uhm- Thanks," She gets a bit nervous from talking to another straight on, but her stutter has gotten much better since their first meeting.

"OOOH! I- Uh- almost forgot. I-I wanted to show you something." She had almost forgotten about her newly obtained power, which she, obviously, wants to practice (but show off at the same time).

Atra squints her eyes and her face contorts slightly as she concentrated on the space in front of her. She bites the insides of her cheek before allowing her entire body to relax while still staying focused on the area in front of her. A small barrier appears in front of her, but it's obviously weak and wavering (like a glitching hologram) before disappearing completely.

The female's eyes light up and she smiles looking up at Axel like a pup that just showed her parent her first success in hunting, although she's slightly fatigued from making the barrier appear.


(I'm gonna slip in practicing her power somewhere !!!)

[Meds]

Axel;

The den seemed to be to Atra's liking. This made Axel very happy, as it always felt nice when good work was appreciated. It hadn't been difficult, but it had taken some time. The sun was lower now, but he felt confident and glad that Atra would have a safe and warm place to stay for the night.
As she scampered around inside the den and shouted things out to him, he smiled. It was as if her nervousness had washed away. If only for a moment, she was distracted enough, and he finally felt like he had a glimpse of the true-Atra. Who would have thought?

Then she said that she wanted to show him something. Axel regarded her with a quiet and curious expression, then nodded slowly that he would like to see whatever it was. Then suddenly, she was focusing on the space in front of her, and by the time Axel had looked, what looked to be a barrier of some kind had sprung up in front of them. He turned back just as it disappeared.
"You did that?!" His blue-marked tail waved softly through the air. "So somebody found the White Wolves after all!"

[Emorli]

Atra;

With the biggest smile she's put on yet, her eyes sparkle with happiness, and she gets goosebumps all over her body from the excitement of both having a power and at what she thought as impressing Axel.

Impressing another wolf before. Something she's never done.

"Yeah! Lady Taboo was really nice. It kinda surprised me a little." Atra thinks back about all she's heard about the great goddesses, mostly about how Geist was one to take body parts of some wolves with a promise of a power, leaving them with a disfigurement while they got nothing in return. The thought of something so brutal sends shivers down Atra's spine, and even though she didn't expect Taboo to be as horrific as her evil sister, it did leave her wondering of what Taboo was capable of.

"That was the first time I tried using it though!" Her eyes light up once again, forgetting about the thought of her fears of approaching one of the goddesses.

"Was it cool?" Her voice goes quieter as she asks a question, still not completely comfortable with asking things of wolves, be it a favor or just a simple yes or no question, they all made her embarrassed and uncomfortable in some sort.

[Meds]

Axel;

Using her gift really seemed to calm Atra down and put her at ease. Axel felt proud of himself, that he was able to be a kind enough presence that she seemed to be slowly getting comfortable around him. Her smile was bigger than Axel had yet seen. His friend explained meeting Taboo, and how she was kind and had surprised her with the gift. Axel nodded slowly. He had never made his way up the mountain—he had no intention to, either. If he did it would be to request an earthen-gift... but he did just fine without one, it would seem.

"First time?" Axel repeated, allowing his smile to touch his eyes. "I can only imagine how much stronger you shall get with practice. I hear the gifts from the White Wolves have noticeable levels of power."
He let a good-natured chuckle rise when she got suddenly self-conscious again and asked him if what she had done was cool. He tossed his chin upwards and widened his eyes.
"It was a lot cooler than any powers that I have, that's for sure."

[Emorli]

Atra;

The self-conscious feeling that invaded her body suddenly disappears at the sight of Axel's smile appearing on his face, which was replaced by her own smile.

Axel commented on how he thinks she'll get stronger and she nods her head,

"I hope so." Her excitement calming down, Atra's words revert to her usual sort of short answers. The female sighs, forcing herself to talk more, trying to get herself to open up much more than she would usually be comfortable with. It's okay to open up in front of Axel, he's been nothing but kind to me. Talking to him is the least I can do.

"I really want to become stronger, not for myself only, but for others too." She's always felt weak and protected, despite fending for herself since a younger age, and still, for the most part, takes care of herself.

She's lost in her own thought until Axel's words snap her away from them, "It was a lot cooler than any powers that I have, that's for sure."

Her mouth hangs open like she's trying to say something, but her words come out in a jumbled mess, turning into some sort of incoherent mumbling and she has to shake her head like she's shaking her thoughts back in order and she's finally able to speak,

"I-No. Look what you did for me." Atra turns to motion toward the den he had just built for her and she continues to deny what he's said,

"You're so much cooler." Atra pauses at the compliment that accidentally slipped out,

"I mean. Uhm." Her brain doesn't provide her with any more words to speak and she looks around like she's searching for any words to say, her body tensing up slightly and her ears twitching, threatening to flatten against her head, but she tries her best to fight it, not wanting to revert back to how she acted when they had first met.

[Meds]

Axel;

She answered him happily enough, but seemed to steel herself in that moment, as if she was convincing herself of something. What it was, Axel wasn’t sure. The next time she spoke however, it was without hesitation. Atra mentioned that she wanted to become strong for the others in her life, as well as for herself. Axel gave another soft smile.
”That’s very noble,” He said smoothly. It was, really. Axel had never been a protector necessarily—he couldn’t fight well—but he did know the value of helping others. Indeed, his life had been built around it.

Atra then corrected him, saying the den he helped her to build was better and cooler than her magical power. Axel chuckled and nodded his head side to side. She then surprised him by saying that he was, in fact, much cooler than she. He laughed, an easy and gentle sound.
”I suppose we all long for that which we do not have.” He didn’t exactly long for her power, nor she his building and nature experience—but both could appreciate the other’s gifts, whatever they may be.

[Emorli]

Atra;

Atra takes a few deep breaths, trying her best to relax her body, which still doesn't agree with her brain about having any sort of communication with others. But, because Axel has always been kind to the timid female, she's brought herself to trust him more and more. Possibly enough to consider him a friend, although she probably wouldn't tell him that.

"Thank you." The female answers, her voice slightly quivering. She took the words as a compliment, but she didn't actually understand what a noble wolf is like. She didn't know what a good personality was. For all she knew, both Axel and herself had terrible qualities, but the happy feeling she got whenever she had a conversation with the brown and blue coated male allowed her to assume otherwise.

A chuckle erupts from the male's throat, taking the female off guard a little.

”I suppose we all long for that which we do not have.” The male gives a small sentence, that, despite the very few words, encapsulates Atra's thoughts about herself. She wants to be better at speaking to others, wants to get a lot of friends and be able to protect them all, and she just wants to be happy. To be happy with how she lives her life. That's why she's made an effort to leave the mountains, even though without Axel's help, she would probably be dead right now.

"Yeah. Thank you. For everything."

By everything, she literally means everything, the male talking to her for the first time, getting her to come out of her comfort zone and explore the cave with someone else. It's all been a sort of domino effect. Without his help, she wouldn't be outside of the mountain right now and she wouldn't be talking so freely right now, not even to the air, or the random birds that land on the floor.

The female isn't anything less than grateful for his efforts, so much so that she has no words to say how grateful she is and "thank you" is the only phrase that comes to mind.

"I feel kinda bad..." Atra's voice comes out in a whisper since her words were only meant for herself, and her eyes travel to her paws, not so much fearing the eye contact, but simply out of the habit of always looking toward the ground.

[Meds]

Axel;

Axel's yellow eyes twinkled as he smiled at Atra's next words. He dipped his head when she thanked him, showing in action that it truly was nothing. If Axel could help at all, he wanted to. He would. Doing otherwise just seemed wrong. She then thanked him again, but this time it was for everything. Axel's ears flicked slightly with another smile, and he tilted his head gently.
"It's been my pleasure, truly. I'm happy I wasn't as bad as—perhaps—I seemed to be upon our first encounter." He chuckled, referring to how frightened she had been of him when they had first met. She was still a timid wolf, of course, that couldn't be aruged—but she was warming up to him. He could sense it.

His smile faded, however, at her next words. This time his ears perked forward and his mouth parted in a slightly confused expression. She felt bad? What on earth for? Obviously Axel hadn't been clear enough that it really was nothing.
"What do you feel bad for?" He glanced at the falls behind and to the side, but remained sitting just in front of her. He tried a hesitant smile once more. "Honest—I grew up doing this stuff. Frankly, that you weren't yelling at me to move faster made it well-worth my while."

[Emorli]

Atra;

With a smile, her eyes stay glued to the ground and she nods in response to the male's words. Their encounter definitely was much more enjoyable this time, rather than their first. She wasn't usually good at figuring out those things, although the lack of her stutter and her brain not allowing her eyes to spin, it all made her feel much more comfortable. It was like her body was telling her that Axel is safe to be around. She's getting permission from her body to continue on in his presence. And she only continued to feel better with every twinkle of his eye and small smile earns, giving her more confidence that whatever she was doing was right.

The small smile that she didn't know was painted on her face disappears as Axel's own smile becomes non-existent. His expression was confusing for the naturally-colored female. She opens her mouth to try figuring out why he suddenly looked confused, but thankfully for her, he asked her a question himself, sparing her brain from attempting at staying conscious while uncomfortably questioning someone.

He explains that he's grown up doing these types of things. That he was happy simply because she didn't give negative feedback. Somehow, she could understand how he felt. She's been grateful for every second with this wolf because he was simply being kind. A bright genuine smile crosses her face, causing her eyes to squint slightly.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Her embarrassment disappears with her words, and she doesn't recoil back into herself out of regret. Finally, she's able to come to her own conclusion. Axel isn't just a random wolf who she accidentally happened upon. He was something special to her. Something she's never had. Although she didn't quite know what it was since she's never had anything close to a friend, she felt happier with whatever it was she felt.

[Meds]

Axel;

Any tension that had been in the air dissolved when the shy female smiled. Axel added his own smile, chalking it up to the fact that whatever she had been feeling a moment ago was now settled. This made him happy, as he was the last wolf that would want to make anybody uncomfortable; especially for having offered his time and help.

"I do hope the den serves you well. It's rocky, so hopefully it will remind you a little bit of the mountains," He turned and glanced behind him. "But still grounded." He chuckled. "I just hope that the spray of the falls doesn't get you too dewy come morning."
The sun had begun its descent by then, and Axel became aware that he should be getting back to his own makeshift den before it was dark out. He had no pack, and no real acquaintances besides Atra herself. It wasn't good math to be caught alone once the darkness set in.

"It's getting late," He murmurered, sighing to himself softly as the falls splashed away in the background. "I think I must now take my leave. But it was a pleasure to help you, ma'am. I'm glad no rock slides buried us this time around." He chuckled once more, before turning his shoulder and beginning a gentle lope into the trees.

-Exit Axel-