This place was truly beautiful… which was what drew the young girl away from the island she called home. Venturing to the mainland wasn’t a common feat for her, given that it was exhausting and took a lot of time. But she had always wanted to know where the families of geese went that flew overhead in this direction. They never landed on the islands, seeing that they were freshwater birds. But she wanted to know where they went instead.

So she followed them here, unknowing what was in store for her. And when she saw this sanctuary, she was left in awe. Looming willow trees cast their shadows over clusters of ponds littering the area, creating a lush sea of green despite the heat of summer. The symphony of frogs croaking, geese honking, ducks quacking, bugs buzzing… it was so different compared to what she knew from home. A childlike giggle escaped her jaws as she walked along a path, taking in the scenery with a big smile on her face. A large, ivory butterfly fluttered in front of her, and she abruptly stopped to avoid disturbing it. “Hello, beautiful!” She said, just as it landed on her nose before fluttering away. She giggled again, falling onto her haunches so she could raise a paw and wave goodbye to it. She was glad she made the journey here. This place was so fun!



"Speech"

Code by Sea

Since receiving the lecture on his trip up north with Sephiran, he had taken special care to make himself scarce around the beach. Which might have been the opposite of what his father was wanting to achieve, but that was beside the point.  So, while he didn’t travel nearly as far- just a few territories away- he was still consistently looking to spend most of his time outside of Pirate territory. Which was giving him the opportunity to explore things a little more thoroughly than just a quick pass-through.

On the other side of the sand dunes, he found his way to a forest of willow trees. Coming from a far more dry environment where the wind whipped its way across the sand … the low-hanging leaves of the weeping trees caught each gust- taming it to a gentle breeze as it fought its way through layers of flora. There were plenty of echoes of the inhabiting wildlife as far as the ambiance went, but that wasn’t the most interesting thing this little paradise had to offer. After only a few minutes of looking around, his attention was immediately stolen by what might as well have been a nymph. For quite a few moments, Aresenn stood silently, watching her as she interacted with a butterfly that crossed her path. As she heard her greet it, only to bid it farewell … he couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine.” He called out to her in dry amusement. As he casually closed the distance between them, he lowered his tone a bit. “Don’t let me interupt you, though. Keep living out whatever fairy tale you got going on here.” He explained with a few quiet breaths of a haughty chuckle as he met that rose-tinted gaze of hers. “I just like to watch.” He finished with a sneer, and for the first time, he really looked her over. What a little thing, she was. Her pristine white coat  dyed in hues of russet resembling a fire in her own light. Pretty.

As she watched the butterfly flutter away, carried by the soft breeze flowing through the willows, she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. Inside of her mind, she wondered what journey the creature would make in its short life, and if it would find happiness in the simplicity of the world. It may have been an insect, but to Vaia, it was a living creature whose life was worth just as much as her own… One with hopes, dreams, and a purpose. At the thought, she wished it a silent farewell, which was followed by a soft sigh.

She had been so entranced by the butterfly, and so naive to her surroundings, that she hadn’t noticed the male until his voice was booming behind her. She nearly leaped out of her skin, paws shuffling beneath her as she crouched against the earth, ears pinning against her head. Her reaction was quite animalistic in nature, only it resembled the traits of prey, not a predator. "O-Oh, um,” She started to say, eyes frantically searching for him. And when she saw his massive crimson frame moving towards her, her tail tucked close to her body, pressing against her right thigh. “I was just saying hello to, um….” She started explaining, as if she owed him an explanation. “… the butterfly.” She looked up at him through thick, white lashes, brows furrowing upon her face. “I-Isn't this place beautiful?” She asked, trying to keep her composure the best she could. But everything inside of her told her to submit and obey in the presence of a man much larger than her. Because it was easier that way.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

What he hadn’t expected was the response he was granted by the sound of his voice. It was clear she hadn’t been expecting anyone else to happen upon her judging by the way she startled. The girl nearly flattened herself against the ground in reflex- a reaction that was very peculiar coming from something that resembled a wolf. It enticed a more animalistic response in the back of his mind. If she wanted to act like prey, he had half a mind to treat her as such. As he approached- maintaining that casual air about himself- there was nothing that could be done for the hackles rising along his shoulders and spine, or the tail that arched over his back as a banner in the wind.

Even her words were weak as she stammered through an explanation as to what she had been doing. As if he had ordered it from her. “I see.” He answered lowly, though in reality, he couldn’t have cared less what she had been doing. It was what she was going to do now that had his attention peaked. As she grappled for something resembling small talk, an inquiry to the beauty of the weeping forest. And while he would answer her question, his attention would remain fixed in place on her magenta gaze. “Yes … It most certainly is.” He rumbled, implying a different meaning than perhaps the one she had been reaching for.

Aresenn hadn’t encountered anyone on the way in. And based on her initial response, he had a hunch that she was on her own. As to why … well, that’s what he wanted to know. “What are you doing out here all alone? Don't you have someone to protect you?” While his words were framed as a question, his tone was far more assertive. It wasn’t an ask per se. It was a demand.

“Aresenn Praetor”

With each step the man took, he slowly closed off the space that would have allowed her to escape. Not that she realized this anyways. She just watched him with a sheepish smile on her face, naive to the danger she was putting herself in. Now that he was within her proximity, his larger, rigidly muscular frame loomed over her. Her tail pressed harder against her side, and she fought back the urge to look away from his intense gaze. He may have portrayed a casual interest, but she noticed the way his body responded to her. The bristling of his pelt, the waving of his tail as it curled above his hips. She had seen this type of body language a few times before… but she wasn’t entirely sure what it meant.

He offered a simple response in which she nodded her head, still looking up at him with that same childish smile on her face. He was awfully handsome, and may have been around her age… Oh my, what was she thinking! She felt her cheeks start to burn, as the pigmentation of the skin beneath her white fur morphed into a rosy color. Luckily he asked her a question to take her mind off away from her thoughts. “U-Um,” She stammered, trying to find a proper response. But she already felt so nervous being around this stranger, it was hard to form sentences. “I-I left home for the day,” She started, wanting to appease him with a proper explanation. “But on the island… I’m alone.” Her voice had a somber tinge to it, as she pulled her gaze away from his to settle on her paws. She had been alone for some time now, and the older she got, the more she realized how lonely it made her. She found companionship in the animals around the island, but it had been a while since she saw another wolf... especially one her age. "D-do you protect anyone? She asked, still focusing on her paws as she was too nervous to look back up at him... and after a few seconds, she felt embarrassed and wished she would have kept quiet instead.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

This girl. The way she acted- it was like nothing he had ever seen before. The blush the bloomed across her features only an indication what might have crossed her mind. He had never realized a smile could scream naive, though her’s did. As she reeled through her thoughts, trying to come up with a response to his inquiry, he casually drifted closer, relenting to the draw to invade her space. To see her squirm even more. As she described that she had left her home- but only for the day, Aresenn tilted his head ever so slightly as he considered this. She didn’t seem to carry a pack scent with her, which left him wondering just how many others would miss her. “Hmm …” He acknowledged his contemplation aloud. Though, much to his pleasant surprise, she volunteered that it was an island she lived on. Alone. “You’re a pretty long way from any island.” Aresenn observed. While they weren’t exactly in the center of the continent, it was still a good distance from the western coastline as far as he knew. As he continued tossing thoughts around in the back of his mind, he continued on. Offering an open-ended comment with the purpose of keeping her talking. “It must be lonely there, then.” He added lowly, not really caring if she was an individual who craved company or not. Whether she wanted it or not, he was here.

While he hadn’t been expecting her to have any questions for himself, he would entertain the inquiry no less. He wasn’t responsible for anyone at the moment, and he would be quick to answer as such. “No. I protect myself.” Aresenn answered curtly. “Something I’m not certain you would be capable of doing if your life depended on it.” The Praetor boy mused in that rumbling tone. As the words rolled off his tongue, he watched intently for her reaction. Searching for a spark. An ounce of defiance. Anything that would prove that she wasn’t entirely at the world’s mercy. At his own mercy. “Do you have a name?” He asked pointedly, already trying to figure out what he would call her in the event she didn’t have one or refused to give it to him.  
“Aresenn Praetor”

By the time he stopped drifting towards her, there was little space separating them. His larger body cast a shadow over her pelt, blocking the rays of sunshine that crept through the canopy of willow trees. Even with his proximity, she tried to keep the conversation light and airy, still naive to the intentions swarming behind those volcanic eyes of his. His voice was a deep rumble… she felt the baritones in her chest when he spoke, vibrating her very core which brought out another flare of red in her cheeks. “It was a v-very long swim,” A short pause, before she continued. “And y-yes… it’s very lonely.” She said, almost breathlessly. “But I-I’m friends with the animals there.” She added, thinking of the small woodland creatures who lived near her den. There were also sea creatures who came to the shore, like turtles and seals… which she occasionally played with.

And when he answered her question, she couldn’t help the bewildered expression that replaced her sheepish smile. He protected himself… did that mean he was alone too? The thought was quick, as it morphed into confusion when he made an obvious statement. She couldn’t protect herself. It was a fact she rarely thought about, given her home was basically a sanctuary. But now that she was so far from home, practically wallowing in the dirt at the feet of a complete stranger, the reality of her inability to protect herself was staring her right in the face. Looming over her really. “I-I know how to run from jaguars and stuff,” She explained, only perceiving danger in the form of predators larger than herself. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept of another wolf wanting to harm her, so it never became a thought.

Do you have a name? A few moments passed before she responded. “V-Vaia.” Her voice was soft, nearly a whisper as she answered him. Her mind was spinning, as she tried to think of what to do or say next. With each second that passed, she felt herself crawling deeper into her shell. "What i-is yours?" Her ears pinned against her head, and she dared to glance up at him, but the intensity of his gaze forced her to look away again.

"Speech"

Code by Sea