The morning sun cast bright orange and gold light across Boreas, bathing the eastern horizon of the lands in warmth. Milo's eyes slowly opened to the sun and the sound of birds singing in the trees just outside the den he and Nausicaa had shared. He lifted his head slowly, peering at the bright morning just outside, then glanced down at the sleeping fae still wrapped up in his paws. A smile crossed his face as memories of the night before flickered like a film through his mind. Last night had been full of new experiences for him, each one better than the last. He was happy to see that she had stuck around and not slipped out in the middle of the night, not that he had exactly expected her to. Of course, now they had to deal with the morning after. The brown-furred man had no regrets, but would she share that same mentality? Unable to find a way to extricate himself from the ongoing cuddling he and Nausicaa were locked in without waking her up, Milo settled for relaxing back down to the den floor, content to just wait until she had woken up as well. Excited jitters filled his stomach at the notion of getting to explore those ancient ruins just a few hundred yards outside, a world of untold discoveries just waiting for him! This nervous energy was a familiar friend to the explorer, the same anxiousness he had come to expect every time he was about to explore new ruins. What would he find in there? What sorts of untold stories and forgotten relics would be hiding away? The possibilities were limitless and oh so invigorating! An excited grin split Milo's face. Now he just had to wait for his temporary companion to wake up and join him. "Speech" — Thoughts

She couldn't remember the last time she had slept this deeply and soundly. Sleeping curled up in Milo's embrace had been wonderful, especially after the night they had shared together. Even though she had slept very, very well, she still found herself not wanting to give up the comfort and warmth that his snuggling provided so even when she did find herself inching toward being awake, she buried her face back into his fur and sent herself back into sleep. Eventually though, when she felt him begin to shift and fidget, she finally allowed her eyes to open and lifted her head with a reluctant grumble. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she brought her gaze up to his face and couldn't help the smile that immediately came to her face. She never considered the possibility that he could have left in the middle of the night or even early in the morning if he had wanted to. She supposed there was nothing keeping him here really, but she was certainly glad that he had let her snuggle to her heart's content. "Good morning," she said sleepily before her jaws stretched in a yawn. She glanced out toward the bright, sunny day that was ahead of them and remembered the ruins that were still to be explored. The thought of seeing him in his element exploring these lost civilizations was enough to make her untangle from him and get to her paws, shaking out her brown-hued coat and dipping her front half toward the ground in a long, lingering stretch. As she stood upright again, she gave him a wide grin while her tail wagged gently behind her. "So, Mr. Explorer, shall we get to it then?" Talk

It didn't take long after he had woken up for Nausicaa to begin stirring as well. She had slept so soundly through the night that he was quite surprised the gentle motions had waken her at all. He met her sleepy gaze with an amused smile and chuckled under his breath mostly to himself. She was so cute when she was all groggy and disoriented. "Good morning," he replied while she brought herself fully into the waking world. Thankfully, Nausicaa seemed to show nothing but blissful happiness to his presence, meaning she hopefully didn't regret anything that had happened last night. That had been the first time Milo had ever laid with anyone, and he had never taken himself for the one night stand type, but clearly he could be anything with the right influence. He unfurled around her as she hopped to her paws, watching with awe at how she had gone from sound asleep to active and energetic in no time flat. That was an impressive feat! It took Milo a solid fifteen minutes of stewing and mourning his lost slumber before he ever actually got up. She called to him, urging him to get started on their day of exploration with an enchanting smile. So she wanted to get right on with their day, huh? Sure, he could entertain that. Part of him had wondered if she'd be the type to want to talk about what happened between them, but apparently not. That was fine too; he could just get on with his life too. Plus she was right, those nearby ruins were far too tempting to ignore! Returning her eager grin, Milo rose to his paws and shook out the parts that had been flattened from where he'd slept on them, fluffing his coat back out once more. "Let's do it!" He trotted briskly past her out into the warm, sunny morning, the cool sea breeze smacking him in the face in the most delightful way. Boreas felt alive. Between the birds, the sound of the lapping waves, and the gentle breeze, it was turning out to be another beautiful day. Milo led the way for them back toward the crumbling resort ruins, walking down the beachfront to the cracked and ivy-coated concrete around an empty pool. He eyed the massive hole in the concrete, briefly pondering why any creature would create such a thing, before slowing his gait to a cautious tiptoe up to the large openings where windows had once been. In the broad daylight, everything seemed dramatically less creepy, although the quiet inside the tomb-like ruins still felt heavy and the air, while tinged with sea salt, tasted stale and heavy. Dark teal eyes examined their surroundings for a moment before he turned back to Nausicaa just behind him. "Have you ever explored these kinds of ruins before?" he asked, waiting for her answer before continuing. "They're usually not too dangerous, but they can be. Just watch your footing, don't step on anything, especially if it looks sharp. If you hear cracking, get back as quickly as you can, and try not to get too many rooms away. It won't do us any good to get separated in here. If we need one another's help, call out." He smiled then, eyes alight with a yearning to get started. "Other than that, have fun and let's see what we can find! Any questions?" "Speech" — Thoughts

Nausicaa grinned at how eager and willing he was to get started on their exploration and was more than happy to follow him out of the den. It was another beautiful day on this island and it was making her more pleased with her decision to swim out here by the minute. A look toward Milo reminded her that she probably had more than just pleasant weather to be happy about with this chance encounter, but for now she just let herself enjoy their picturesque surroundings and turned her attention to the ruins that they would be exploring. She let Milo take the lead as they made their way back toward the crumbling structure that looked entirely different in the light of day. It wasn't nearly as imposing and creepy as it had seemed the night before at the very least. She looked at the big, empty hole that was lined with stone as they passed it, tipping her head to the side with curiosity while she took in how oddly straight the sides of the hole were. Whenever she would dig a hole or any time she had seen someone dig out a den it had never been this perfectly shaped - or this big for that matter. It was all very strange, that was for sure. Turning her attention back to the building, she followed closely behind Milo and came up to stand beside him as they approached some big openings in the walls. It was extremely quiet and still here since even the birds that were chirping in the trees were being left behind. She turned to look at Milo when he spoke, giving him a shake of her head to the question of whether she had explored ruins like this before. She took in all the notes he gave her about what to be careful about and what to keep an eye out for. She nodded occasionally to show she was listening even though she kept getting distracted by how interesting and attractive he was in his element. Even though this was all completely new to her she still felt confident going into the run down former resort because she knew she'd have Milo near by to help if needed. She grinned as he finished up his explanation and asked if she had any questions. "Nope! I think you covered everything!" She chuckled softly and went to step through the opening in front of them, but stopped and leaned over to give him a quick passing kiss before continuing on her way, a girlish giggle escaping her as she went. Talk

Beaming like an excited child, Milo turned back towards the ruins once Nausicaa had stated she had no other questions. "Okay, let's go!" he said, pausing to wave a paw for her. "Ladies first." The quick kiss she left him with when she slipped past made the young man give a few rapid blinks in surprise, his whole body stunned and paralyzed. When he snapped back into reality, his smile turned into a wider grin and he followed her into the quiet ruins. Stepped over the threshold, the two wolves were greeted by a massive chamber, its smooth stone floor stained by years of water exposure and spots of moss staring to overtake it. The air was a strange combination of sea salt and damp plants as the island tried to reclaim the building. Milo marveled at their surroundings, padding slowly up to Nausicaa, then wandering off over to a nearby counter. He placed his paws up on the marble counter and hoisted himself up over it, dipping down behind it into a separated section. The floor was littered with yellowed pages of paper, pieces of something broken clicking under his paws when he batted at them. They were baffling... perhaps they were a puzzle of some kind? Milo pushed a chair on wheels out of the way with a squeal of old parts, sniffing at some remaining artifacts laid out on a shelf just below the counter. Nothing seemed particularly interesting, so he placed his paws on the counter again and peeked his head up over the edge to spy Nausicaa with a happy grin. For a brief moment, he just watched her, letting the pleasant memories dance through his brain of their previous night. He didn't know who she was or why she'd chosen to spend this time with him, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. With a soft grunt, he pulled himself back out into the antechamber, trotting around past aging and broken furniture with moth-eaten cushions. "Helloooo!" Milo shouted out, listening to the way his voice echoed around them like a manufactured cave. He snickered to himself, then padded over to a corridor. The hallway was fairly spacious, with windows cutout along the one side that peered out into the forest surrounding the resort. The glass was covered in a thick layer of grime and smudges, turning the clear panes opaque and obscuring them from the outside world. Milo's claws gave staccato clicks against the tiled floors, the young brute studying the mosaics on the walls depicting the ocean, the forest, and other aspects of nature. "Whoa... I've never seen anything like these before...!" he murmured, half to himself and half to Nausicaa, lifting a paw to trace each tile in the mosaic. A little further down the corridor, they came to a fork in the path, the hallway branching out in two different directions. A written sign on the wall detailed what each path led to, and although Milo could not decipher the characters, there were two crude illustrations showing a circle with a trident and a blade on either side and one showing what looked like a flower blooming. Milo chewed on his bottom lip while he considered each one, humming every so often to himself. Then an idea stuck him, and he turned to peer at Nausicaa from over his shoulder. "Well, looks like we need to make a choice! What'd'ya think? Stabby disk or plant?" This was Nausicaa's first exploration trip, why not let her pick their path? "Speech" | Thoughts

Nausicaa let her gaze drift over the expansive space that they walked into and was amazed by how there was something new to see wherever she looked. There was all sorts of chairs, tables, and stuff that she didn't really know what purpose they served, but they looked pretty. She watched Milo hop over one of the surfaces that blocked off another part of the room with a soft chuckle before letting her attention stray to look at some of the less obviously named things in the room. The chairs were soft and plush so she could definitely assume that they were for sitting or laying on and the tables were nice, flat surfaces to use for various things so those seemed pretty practical. What she didn't understand as easily was a figure that was standing a few feet away from the end of the counter that Milo had climbed behind. She walked a bit closer to take a closer look, her head tipping slightly to the side with curiosity. It seemed to be made of stone, though there were some moss and vines that had begun to creep around it. There was an empty basin around the bottom that reminded her of a much larger version of the bowls she had seen some wolves use and there was a smaller version at the top of the weird structure as well. Perhaps whoever or whatever had lived in this building before had used it to keep water in at some point? As she peeked over the edge of the basin she couldn't figure out of this was really a practical way to store water indoors, but it was the best guess she had for the strange stone carving. Her ear flicked to the sound of Milo emerging from the space he had been investigating and she looked over her shoulder toward him, grinning and giggling softly as he called out an echoing "hello". Following after him, she walked with him to a corridor that took them deeper into the building. She swept her gaze around the corridor, looking from the foggy windows to the patchwork picture that covered the opposite wall. She really hadn't known what to expect when Milo led her here, but it felt like every time she turned her head she saw something completely new. It was quickly becoming apparent why Milo had such a love for investigating these places. Though she wasn't sure she'd ever have the fascination that he did, she was still very interested and entertained all the same. His comment about the mosaics brought her attention back to him and she smiled while she watched him trace the tiles with his paw. If she was being honest half of the fun of exploring this place was just seeing his reactions, but she wouldn't say that aloud. It seemed weird to say that about someone she just met, but it was still true. They continued down the corridor for a bit longer until the path split into two different directions. She looked up at the signs above them with a tilt of her head. It was such odd symbols and she couldn't quite figure out what they could mean. One looked like a plant so she guessed maybe that at least was self explanatory, but in a place like this she had the feeling that even the obvious answers would end up being wrong. She gave Milo a surprised glance when he gave her the choice to choose which way they went, giggling at his description of the "stabby disk" option. She looked at the signs again with a thoughtful hum and pondered them for a moment longer before looking back at him again and replying, "Lets see what the stabby disk is all about!" Talk

Nausicaa gave them their heading, and with an eager smile, Milo turned and headed off down the corridor in the direction of the stabby disk symbol. As they walked down the corridor, Milo began to whistle a light tune, the notes echoing down the abandoned hallways in an almost eerie fashion. The sound of birds chirping and singing in the trees around them filtered in through the cracks in the glass walls, joining him in his melody. The corridor going down the stabby disk path was mostly unremarkable—until they arrived at a pair of large wooden frames that had once been doors, huge rectangles cut out of the middle where glass had once been. The doors were closed, but Milo managed to slip through the opening, waltzing into a large open-spaced restaurant with tables and chairs set up as if to receive guests for service. Milo strode past a weathering podium and across the spacious dining area, peering around at all the abandoned furniture, now covered in a thick layer of dust. All of the walls of the restaurant were the same aged and mucky glass that the hallways had been, with the exception that they opened up towards the beach and the ocean beyond. The ceiling was painted in a fresco of an ocean scene as if to give the restaurant an atmosphere of being underwater, with the dark teal walls fading from constant exposure to sunlight. "I've seen places like this before," Milo said while placing his paws up on the counter of a bar, rows of colored liquors and spirits tucked away behind it, also covered in dust and cobwebs. "They're pretty common around where the Lost Species would live. They were some kind of congregation area, like how packs will gather for shared meals or festivals." Milo hoisted himself over the bar, jumping up onto the back counter to better reach the shelves of alcohol. He gave each bottle a tentative sniff, but only ended up inhaling dust, which exited him in an explosive sneeze. He gave a small smile over his shoulder to Nausicaa to let her know he was okay before grabbing a bottle in his teeth and pulling it from the shelf. The aged label on the bottle was written in gibberish and pictograms he couldn't decipher, so he pulled the top off and gave it a tentative sniff. The acrid scent of whiskey hit his nose, making him grimace and recoil. The cap went back on quickly, but he still slipped the bottle into his bag all the same. The liquor smelled strong, and some nights strong was exactly what he needed... After nicking a couple more bottles into his bag, Milo slunk beneath an opening under the bar to saunter back across the restaurant floor. "If there's anything you see that looks interesting or pretty and you wanna take it, let me know! I'll bag it up for you!" he called out to his partner while heading for two swinging doors off to one side of the restaurant. "I'm gonna check out in here!" Milo pushed through the doors, feeling them give way easily to his weight and finding himself in a dark kitchen, the only light coming from some small windows along the walls and a broken down back door leading to the outside. Milo walked slowly down the rows of shiny stainless steel counters, tiptoeing over shattered plates and fallen utensils in his path. The only sound that echoed in the derelict kitchen was the occasional clack of his claws against the tile floor, otherwise the kitchen was silent as a tomb. Milo inspected some of the cooking tools on the ground, recognizing knives, as some wolves had adopted to using them as weapons, but unfamiliar with the flat metal club he found. He pawed at it, listening to the scrape of metal against tile when it moved. Huh... What a peculiar object... "Speech" | Thoughts