The night waned and Wilder tried not to think of her too much. Distracted by the fun he had with Clove and the other pups and yearlings, he found himself only looking at her every so often. Making sure she stayed where she was and didn't just disappear from sight. Sometimes, he thought he had imagined her. All holy and ethereal as if she were an angel.

Once they had danced the night away, Wilder excused himself for a moment. Claiming he was starved from all the fun they were having. He didn't want Clove to think he was ditching him though that was exactly what he was doing. It was getting late anyway and for a pup her age, surely she would tire soon. Pups still had bedtimes here, right?

Making his way through the crowd, Wilder approached Meadow with a shy smile. "Fancy seeing you here," he says as he moves to stand beside her. Trying not to intimidate her, but also wanting to be somewhat close. "Find anything good to eat?" Wilder asks, his tail waving a few times as he looks down at her.

"Speech"

He'd caught her eye. Ever-observant, she hadn't taken her eyes off the room. Okay, well, that was an exaggeration. Her eyes had spent a decent amount of time on the snacks, though a lot of them were... weird. She'd followed Elowen's lead on something with goat cheese, and that was okay. Other things laid out on the table were at least more approachable, and she recognized the Armada's smoked meats-- she likes those best of all.

Right, well, she knew he was here. Meadow knew he was here and dancing with one of her younger cousins. Really, she wasn't sure if she'd just... made him up. Made him up, after seeing him in the woods that day. Had she made an imaginary friend out of him? Maybe. Apparently not, if he was here, but Meadow was already thinking about slipping outdoors. That was what mom had said, if she got too stressed out... she could go sit outside. Wrapping a few more pieces of smoked meats and maybe one more of the goat cheese whatevers, waving a quick I'll be outside to Elowen and-- no there he was.

There he was talking to her. Meadow offered a shy smile, a little twitch of her tail. "I live here," she pauses for a moment. It was really... fancy seeing him here? She didn't know how to say that, though. Instead, she turns her attention to the food. "This is weird," it's good weird, goat cheese and fig. For as picky as Meadow could be, calling it weird and eating another one was high praise. She tipped her head over the shoulder, wandering down the long table, gesturing at the meats too. Those were good good, not just weird good, but less exotic than a lot of other stuff on the table. They are safe.

Trying to sort her thoughts, the whole environment is... a lot. It's a lot for Meadow, and she doesn't want to just walk away from him. Not when he came to find her. "I was going outside to eat," she gestures with her little bundle of snacks. "Wanna come?" Was that... hm. Was that right? Shoot, where was El, or Dusk, or literally anyone who would be able to give her a nod on whether she'd done okay with that one or not. All Meadow could do was offer a nervous smile instead.

"Speech"

His ears flick back slightly. Had she not understood the joke? He remembered her mentioning that she lived her so one would say... Ah, nevermind. He wasn't going to dwell on it. Instead, he'll clear his throat and look over at the snacks she's talking about. A brow raises and he looks at them curiously. The whole spread of food is stuff he's never seen before. Watching her wander down the table, he follows at a distance as she motions at the different options. Cheeses, fruits, breads, meats, everything one could ever imagine having. It was absolutely crazy to him that they had access to whatever this funky food was.

Distracted by the variety of food to choose from, he is surprised when Meadow speaks again. Nearly bumping into her as she stops to look at him, he looks at her with a surprised look. Go outside with her? He nods slowly, both ears perking up and his tail swishing slowly. "Lead the way," Wilder speaks softly, the gruff tones of his voice smoothed out by the idea that maybe, just maybe, she actually wanted to hang out with him.

WILDER

The spread was something that Meadow wouldn't have a hard time admitting... overwhelmed her. Overwhelmed her at best, and at worst? Well, listen, let's not go that direction. She's having a good time. Doing her best is what really matters. Wilder was safe. She didn't have to pretend around him.

Adding a few last minute snacks to share into her hastily wrapped parcel, Meadow led the way out to the back patio. One of her cousins was off on the other side of the building with some girl she didn't recognize, so Meadow would steer them towards the other side. Vacant, lit a bit more dimly, it feels... safe.

Settling down and putting the food between them, she gestures to Wilder before chomping into a piece of smoked meat for herself. "I um, I didn't know if I was going to come downstairs for this." The words are quiet, an admission she's... well, maybe she's a little scared to make. Avoiding eye contact, Meadow looks out across the manicured back lawn instead.

"Speech"

Wilder takes a snack or two himself as they wander outside. Chewing rather aggressively (he rarely received meals such as this), he swallows hard once the fresh air of the night greets him. His mouth drops open slightly at the beautiful sight. Behind him, the lull of the ball carries on beneath flickering candlelight. Out here on the balcony, it's beautiful. Stars blanket the night sky overhead with not a cloud in sight. The old stone pillars that create a railing around the balcony's outer edge is ornate and expertly carved. Who spent their time cleaning this place? It was obvious that wear and tear over time from the elements was there, but he could hardly spot any moss or unintentional plant growth.

Amazed, Wilder once again almost bumps right into her. It's the swish of her tail that forces him to plant his paws and catch himself. Smiling sheepishly as she turns to him, his mouth is watering once more as she offers him some bread, meat, and cheese. The smell alone was wonderful. Quickly grabbing a piece of cured meat, he chomps it down rather ungracefully as Meadow speaks in that faerie-like tune of hers. Once more, he swallows hard, licking his lips. Manners? Who has those? Concealing a belch, Wilder smiles at Meadow, his tail wagging a few times. "Would it be too forward of me to say that I'm glad you did?" There is a shyness to his deep tone that isn't normally there. Clearing his throat, he too looks out to the gardens below that seem to be alight with fireflies.

WILDER

He eats hungrily, like he's been one to worry about where his next meal comes from. Her gaze is a bit worried as she watches him, as she eats too. She'd have to send him with leftovers. Send him, but then, she didn't want to send him at all. For someone so used to her solitude, she doesn't mind sharing it with him. Wilder had been the only reprieve in that whole ballroom, after all.

Meadow is mid-chew when he speaks. A heat rising to her cheeks, flustered. It's a feeling she's not used to, a bit like throwing up, actually. For as much as Meadow wanted to dislike it? With Wilder on the other end, she'd allow it. "You made it worth it." The words are quiet, surprising even Meadow when they come. Gaze flickering to his face, heart pounding in her chest. Shoot. Eye contact was hard, but she's finding herself a little frozen. A little dizzy.

Fireflies flickering to life around them, her smile is soft. Ethereal. Meadow's head spun, the evening coming to life further, around them.
"Speech"

He can see why anyone would want to live in such a place. Having lived out in the wilds of the swamps his whole life, such a refined way of living was tantalizing. At first, it had been confusing. Why would wolves want to be holed up behind walls when they had the freedom of running around outside? But as he stands on the balcony, overlooking the plains with the setting sun, the picture becomes clear. There is safety here, in both the stone walls and in numbers. Their pack is large and they have many friends, that much he can tell just by their walk through the ballroom. The castle was massive that much is true and he wonders how they don't all get lost every day.

Pulled from his thoughts, a rush of heat swarms his cheeks. At a loss for words, he takes another healthy bite of the food they brought outside. He had never imagined liking a girl like this before and never imagined her liking him back either. She did, right? His brow furrows slightly as he thinks hard about how he should respond. Should he respond? Clearing his throat, he gives her a warm smile that may or may not have been before he swallowed all of his food. Manners? Wilder doesn't know them.

"All I did was show up," Wilder jokes as he notices the fireflies flickering to life around them. A beautiful sight just like the girl beside him. Looking down at Meadow now as he stands beside her, he can feel his mouth go dry and his heart hammer in his chest. Truth be told, he had never really been this close to another girl before. It was... dizzying.

WILDER

Even if she's never known anything else, maybe she'd like that too. The castle was cool and all, but it was busy. It was noisy. The halls echoed, and Meadow was pretty sure she'd like living outside. Her family is great and all, but... how did the rest of the world live? She'd seen it in her books, but maybe living it would be cool too. Who knows, though.

She... would also take a bite of her snacks, not feeling the need to scramble into filling silence. Hell, when did she ever. Around them, the evening coming to life. Maybe she's coming to life in a way, too, sitting out here with Wilder. She'd never been the best in their manners classes, either.

Dizzying, that's a good word. Meadow couldn't help but be overwhelmed by it all. Good overwhelmed? Was that possible? Turning back to look him in the eye, the girl takes a moment to look at him. Really look at him. "I wouldn't have asked for anything more than that." And it's true, she didn't want to bother anyone. But also, were his eyes always quite this red? Was it warm out here? Oh dear. Right, dizzying.

"Speech"

Even though Wilder is amazed by the architecture, the surroundings, everything that the castle offers, he knows he could never stay. It is too confined, too musty, too dry. There's not enough free flowing air or dampness or mud. He would miss his mud baths too much here, but as he stares at Meadow, he wonders if he could survive. Or maybe she would want to come with him. They could go on a grand adventure exploring the world. But he had just met her... But her eyes were so pretty, she was so pretty.

"Glad I could provide," he jokes again, his vermilion eyes never leaving her baby blues. Was Meadow always this pretty? Was he staring too long? He leans in a bit closer, their breaths intermingling, inches from each other. Wait, what was he doing? He wants to kiss her, but he's not sure she would be okay with that. Oh, fuck it. Leaning in the rest of the way, Wilder aims to plant his muzzle against her unless she moves and denies him.

WILDER