It was a lot bigger than he had thought it was going to be, the land that seemed to be never ending. He had been here for only a few days now, and he had a feeling that he had hardly seen the tip of the iceberg. Would he ever be able to make it to the lands that his father had once held his pack? Or where his half siblings had been born? There were so many questions, and honestly such little time to get them all answered. Wistfully the boy walked through the new forest growth, pale green eyes skyward as he looked at the pedals on the branches. There was so much to see here, so many new things that he had only been able to dream of on the island that he was born on. At a year old he finally made it inland, the stories of his parents inspiring him to see it all for himself. The large grey boy stretched out his aching paws, shaking out the light and dark grey limbs. Weaving between the narrow trunks of the trees, the pedals drifted slowly around him like rainfall. It was serene, like something out of a fairy tale. That was, until his inner demons decided to pay a visit. He grew rigid as his body froze, tail standing out stiffy behind him. Panic fluttered at his chest as he closed his eyes, trying hard to work on the exercises that Othello had showed him. But this wave of emotions was larger than they usually were, a mix of so many feelings trying to rip him apart. Loneliness was followed by bitter regret, before a whole parade of bluesy emotions tried to claim him. Growling deep in his chest Cathaoir shook himself, trying to work some feeling back into himself so that he could manage to get a grip. Breath! One, two, three. Anger that his parents left him here reared its head, making his next breath hiss between his teeth. Four, five, six. Worry that his half siblings would never accept him, and turn him away to be left on his own. Seven, eight, nine. He focused on the sound of his breathing, and ever so slowly his eyes peeled open. Ten. "SPEAK!"

Art by Acrylic

This land was interesting. Though she had been wandering a while it seemed that there was still periods of time where she wandered into a new land that she was unfamiliar with. The nook was such a land. Or had she been here before? Sunniva felt a sense of deja vu... but sometimes she traveled so quickly through a land that it didn't really stick in her mind. Maybe if she had been less eager about rushing everywhere trying to chase after another she would remember more of the terrain of Alacritia. Her paws seemed to dance as she wandered along, feeling her wayward nature pulling her forth. Sunniva loved to travel, it seemed to be in her very blood. There was her siblings to thank for that as well. Reuniting with Sabine one on one had been a treat, and Sunniva still felt excited over the fact. All that was left now was finding out what her purpose was here in Alacritia, whether it was to join a band of souls and settle down or keep wandering from land to land until she could do so no longer. A scent would invade Sunniva's nose as she pressed onward. A stranger, male. Sunniva would allow a thoughtful smirk to play on her lips as she began to track the other down. Company was something that was time never wasted in her eyes. "Hey there! Ya'llright?" He was standing stock still, as if he had been trapped inside his own mind. Sunniva would tilt her head slowly to the side, wondering how this interaction would go. "Listen to me talk," 'but read my thoughts.'

Art by:: Tealah

He was still on edge, his body still tense and tight as his breathing slowed. His heart was no longer pounding in his chest, until a voice called out to him. He turned with his minty green eyes flaring, lips twisting away from his teeth as he faced the woman who spoke. Realizing that he was growling and spitting like some wild dog he backed up slowly, forcing his raised hackles down as his head shook back and forth. Shit. Generally he was fine at keeping his emotions under wraps, but they had run away with his mind once more. All that came out of him now was the sounds of his rasping breath, slowly becoming more calm and normal. It was several heart beats until he eyed the slightly shorter woman with an apologetic gaze, ribbon marked leg kicking at the earth like a scolded child. He wasn't the best with words, and struggled to try and find the right ones to say now. "Sorry..." he finally mumbled, ears pulling back slightly. He mentally cursed himself, taking a few casual steps towards the stranger. She had meant him no harm, but had merely startled him when he was trying to get everything under control. He knew that snapping at the wrong wolf could end up with him getting attacked, but he wasn't afraid to defend himself as well as his honor. His grey tail wagged a few times as his head lowered slightly, trying to show the woman that he wasn't a threat to her at the moment. He found actions far easier than trying to use words, he often fumbled and got irritated at his lack of being able to communicate what else was thinking properly. Cathaoir was often a man of few words because of it, finding that it was easier to keep everything under control if he didn't try to struggle with words so hard. Clearing this throat, Cath licked his suddenly dry lips, tail still swinging idly at his hocks. His green gaze roamed over her almost same sized form, taking in the strange red markings that adorned her bodice. He felt rather plain in comparison, but said nothing in that regard. "I am okay, thanks. By the way. Thanks for your concern." came his odd lurching reply, his tongue almost stumbling over the quickly spoken words. "SPEAK!"

Art by Acrylic

My, what a snarl he had! The woman was taken aback for a moment, ears pinning to her skull. She had half a mind to snarl back on her own. But what could would that be? She would click her tongue, getting ready to make a sharp remark, when the man would mumble an apology. Oh? What was this? Sunniva would quickly bite her words back and lift her ears from their pinned position. Hm... At least he wasn’t a total asshole and had the sense to apologize when she had done nothing wrong. “It’s quite alright.” Sunniva’s words were a bit cooler than she had meant as she reigned in her own temper. “Just seemed a bit... Out of it or something there. It was only right to make sure you were okay.” Sunniva would offer a slight smile. “How else can one potentially make a friend or allies if they don’t show kindness once in a while?” Sunniva would shake her head, her smile lingering. “My name is Sunniva by the way. If you don’t feel inclined to give yours that’s fine.” She was trying to continue the conversation, though it felt a little awkward to do so. "Talk" "You" Think

He was not surprised when the female reacted to his snarl, in fact he would be rather concerned if she had not. He could very easily have sprung at her and bit into her soft flesh if he so desired. While Cath was very much a fighter, he was not one to jump into a fight over every little thing. While it was hard at times when he wasn't in full control of his feelings, not to just be able to snap when he felt the desire to. But that is exactly why he tried to stay in on top of everything when it boiled down to his emotions, so that he wouldn't let his emotions take him for a ride. He was the one in control, and would not let his disabilities hinder his every waking moment. That is why he tried to calm himself as fast as he could, before anything worse broke out between the two strangers. The tsk of her tongue caught his attention, as if she was going to scold him like some child. He huffed and bit back another growl, eyes closing for another moment as he fought to push down his anger. From what his mother had told him, Mercy struggled with her anger, but did not try to hide it as he did. But Cathaoir did not want the world to be his enemy, and tried hard to be level and calm. Once he thought that he had better control, his minty green eyes found the dark red depths of the stranger. He attempted to smile, but it came off as more of a lopsided smirk. He felt a tad bit uneasy, his fur standing up slightly in his discomfort. The woman was quick to fill in the gaps with her own words, she had only been concerned for him after all. Ears pulled back slightly, he was not used to complete strangers taking an interest of his well being. Unsure of how to reply, the boy simply shrugged his shoulders in a closing sort of matter, not wanting to struggle to find the right words to try and explain himself. It would get him nowhere, and would put him back where he started. With the anger already just below boiling point, he didn't want to do anything to encourage the heavy emotion. He had it under wraps, for now. Stiffing a deep sigh, his weight shifted as he moved to place himself in a seated position, two-toned tail curling around his mismatched paws. Her question about friends and allies had him wondering, his head tilting slightly to the side. She would be open to befriending a complete stranger without knowing so little about them? Gaze narrowing slightly, he sharply inclined his head in a nodding motion. "Guess so. If strangers are your thing. Many different types." he mused softly, his broken and jarring speech filling the silence. She seemed unsure of how to make their conversation go on, and Cathaoir felt embarrassed. Heat flooded to his cheeks as his head hung slightly, uneasily clearing his throat. "Not good at talking." He barked simply, his words a soft mutter. He was unsure if she would even be able to hear him, but that didn't matter too much to the taller man. At her introduction he looked up slightly, taking her name and storing it away. Sunniva. It sounded foreign to his ears, like she was from somewhere exotic and far away. A deep chuckle rumbled in his throat at her awkward ending, making him feel a bit better at his own failed speech. At least he wasn't the only one. "Cathaoir." He replied, not giving her much to go off of. He shuffled again and looked at the pedals drifting around the two of them, pausing to take in the simple beauty of the new growth around them. "This place. Its... new. Growth, and to me." Came his hushed words, a sense of awe in the broken pattern of his speech. "SPEAK!"

Art by Acrylic

Such a curious individual he was. His smirk, strange as it was, was kind of nice to look at. His words were kind of interesting too to her ears. Broken and jarred speech, yet, unique enough to capture Sunniva’s attention. He seemed to have an attitude to him, but so did she at times. In fact, this male seemed both unique and normal at the same time within her eyes. She would adjust her own position, ears perked curiously at the male as her red eyes scanned him over. What a unique look he held too. She rather like the marking upon his leg. His words almost seemed guarded in a sense too, and Sunniva would chuckle softly. “Yes, there are many different types of strangers. The good, the bad, and the ugly.” Sunniva knew well enough that not everyone would want to be friends. She knew hat not everyone was friendly or open to the idea of having an ally, or even a conversation. But the woman was one who would try regardless. She would let her eyes close, perhaps a bit of a foolish move, though she kept the rest of her senses trained on the man. “There can be a thrill at the chance of danger as well. You can get some good practice in for fighting if a stranger ends up being dangerous... Though it all depends on your own taste in lifestyle.” Sunniva would feel the wind ruffle her fur as she spoke on, her mind at work. What sort of stranger would Cathaoir turn out to be, she wondered? Would he continue to be that awkward sort of conversing type, one that would eventually walk away and never be seen again? He would claim that he wasn’t good at talking so maybe not even that option was going to be possible. Maybe they would be parting ways sooner than she would like. “Not everyone is. That doesn’t mean that they can’t have a good conversation or exchange important information though.” Sunniva would open her eyes once more, a smirk playing upon her lips. “The place is new for you as well huh? I’ve been in Alacritia for quite a bit of time, but it seems that I keep finding new places.” The woman of grays and red would cock her head to the side curiously. “Are you perhaps newer to Alacritia?” The she-wolf would dip her head apologetically. “I apologize if I’m talking too much, by the way.” "Talk" "You" Think