To say Lark was in a foul mood would be an understatement. Everything had been eerily stagnant as of late. Most of his siblings were still gone, save for Sparrow and Sandpiper, and even Lillianna had been unusually scarce. Her absence made him feel more hurt than angry - two feelings that he'd grappled with far too often over these last few years. He was tired, sick of it all, and done with second chances. If she left again, for real this time, he wouldn't let her back in. Just like he wouldn't let his parents back in, nor some of his siblings. Lark was sick of waiting for them to turn back up, sick of never quite knowing who would stick around. He was almost surprised that Sparrow was the one that seemed to be keeping them all together, his fiery sister who'd been gone more often than not when they were kids, was the one who'd stepped up to keep Abaven running. It was so ironic that he nearly snorted with laughter as he thought about it now. He was grateful, though. He wouldn't deny that. It helped being reminded of his two siblings that had stayed when he was feeling like this - at least they hadn't all gone, right? A sigh left his lips as he reclined to his haunches near the edge of the lake. It was a pretty enough sight, he supposed, but the days when he'd found himself relaxing and enjoying the scenery seemed far behind him. He'd always been more of a realistic man, not one to stop and smell the roses as much as figure out something to do. There was always something that could be done. Borders marked, the scent of strangers tracked, prey to be caught.. in Lillie's company he had found it much easier to enjoy himself, but now that she was growing absent yet again he'd reverted to his more solitary self, quiet and guarded. A slight frown - or was he on the verge of snarling? he himself wasn't even sure - painted his features as he sat there, sea-green gaze cast across the lake's still surface. It was a cool afternoon, not all unpleasant, the surface of the water only disturbed occasionally by a soft breeze that whistled past. As the sun lowered in the sky, Lark noticed that fireflies had started to emerge, their lights flickering occasionally and reflecting on the lake's surface. One buzzed close to his face, and he wrinkled his nose and raised a paw to bat at it. "Fuck off," he muttered under his breath, deciding at that moment that the fireflies were as annoying as they were pretty and that he'd be just as happy if they disappeared completely.

speech

The woman went where the wind took her and it seemed it had blown her to the warmer region of Boreas, even though it was the middle of the winter it's grip was clearly looser here, the lake was unfrozen and glowing bugs floated above it. Her gaze was turned towards that as she approached, slowly. Then it was drawn downwards as she heard a voice angrily exclaim.

Despite herself she let out a chuckle. "What did it ever do to you huh?" She teased, announcing her presence as she approached from behind the unknown male. Magnolia angled her path so that she was standing at the shore of the lake, a safe distance between her and the clearly miffed male. She might not have been too worried about the male and his anger at the bugs around him but she wasn't about to push her luck with someone clearly in a less than friendly mood.

Original Coding by Shelby

Lark had been too deep in his own head to notice someone else approaching. If he had noticed, he probably would've headed in the opposite direction. He wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation today, hence him leaving the packlands.. which wasn't something he did all that often lately. Lark heard the voice cut through the quiet before he sensed her, and his head jerked to the side as he sought her out nearby. "Didn't do anything to me," Lark retorted plainly, his nose wrinkling again in distaste as his gaze fell back to the firefly, watching it flit away, obviously perturbed by being disturbed by him. "Isn't just existing enough of a reason to be pissed off by something?" He grumbled, a single brow quirking as he eyed her, wondering if she would argue with his logic. He was definitely in the mood to argue if someone felted like it, but he wasn't usually one to provoke others for no reason.. so he fell silent, shifting slightly where he sat to turn and face her a bit more properly.

speech

His head jerked in her direction and Magnolia quirked her eye brows in both amusement and a friendly gesture. She could tell there was disgust plain in his voice and despite herself Maggie chuckled softly. She shrugged, still watching the man. "I suppose," she began a light teasing tone in her voice, "though I don't know if it existing is its fault. Far as I am aware none of us ask to exist, it kinda just... happens! Like nothing and then poof!" She rocked back slightly on poof to emphasis the word.

"If you ask me, and I know you didn't, makes more sense to be angry at the universe for existing!" She watched him, wondering how he might respond to her mini thesis.

Original Coding by Shelby

Seeing her friendly expression, in the face of his irritation, made the prickling annoyance calm just slightly. "You suppose?" Lark responded quickly, one of his eyebrows lifting slight surprise. "Ah, I see, so you're an optimistic," he commented dryly, resisting the urge to scoff and roll his eyes at her - which would only further prove that he was definitely not one. Not that he'd say he was a pessimist.. but more of a realist, if he had to pick one. At her next words though he finally did roll his eyes, rather melodramatically, and shrugged. "Maybe I am angry at the universe," Lark commented, though not angrily. Just matter-of-factly. "It's never done much good for me in the first place." Not that he was the most proactive wolf. Could he have done more to make his situation better? Sure. But some things weren't in his control, and never had been, and left him feeling frustrated and wanting to lash out. "I take it it's been kind to you? You seem awfully cheery for a loner." Her scent wasn't that of a pack wolf, so he'd take a guess that she was a rogue.