"Pray" The swim had been rather calm today, the sun bright and warming his pelt soon after touching the sands. The cross marked male marched down the shore at a steady pace, black paws collecting sand as he moved. Black striped tail swayed with the breeze, his fur blowing every which way as the day carried on. The male was constantly searching, but for what was beyond him. He always felt lost in the sense of emotion, unsure as to whether or not it was normal. He had found some of his family at last, the search nearly over. But it seemed he still had much to discover, more family to find. Would the search ever end? One could hope...but his family seemed to be scattered across the lands, and he wasn't even sure whether or not they were on the same continent. Deep blue pools stared out across the waters, the sun reflecting across the surface. Would he ever find peace? Or would he always be at raging war within himself? Either way, he would carry on as best he could and show to others he was okay. The marked male would sit in the sand, though curiously investigating a mound that was in front of him, barely raised above the rest of the ground...but for some reason, his attention was pulled to it. "Speech", Thought, "You"

That day was a day the Valhallan pack was still on edge. They had been challenged for and Odette was growing impatient and aggravated by the tension in the air. She knew that they were all wondering the potential outcome and while Odette cheered on for her mother silently and publicly, she still needed to get away from the black cloud that hung over their island. Bravery and recklessness combined as the young Epsilon snuck away to explore one of the other islands. Of course, Gael was aware of her absence, but she trusted him to not say anything. Family was about trust, right? There had been rumors of a pack on one of the other islands. Scents had flown from wind currents of the neighboring islands and that was where she would start first. After reaching the beach, she hit the water and began the long swim to the set of islands that were in the distance. In no time at all, she reached an unfamiliar beach and sniffed the air. There were no scents that hit her nose and disappointment hit her. Darn, she had landed on the wrong island! Oh well, this gave her an advantage to explore. And explore she did. Unknown to her, there was someone else on the island. His scent hadn't touched her nose and she hadn't seen him along the part of beach she had reached. Her eyes began to scan the land as she slowly walked towards the jungle part of the island's heart. Curiosity propelled her to walk further as she sniffed the air and detected unfamiliar plants and trees that swayed in different directions. What she didn't count on was what happened next. As she looked up and around at the nearby trees, Odette's left forepaw hit thin air instead of ground. She lost her footing and upon looking down, realized she was about to fall into a deep crevice. A loud yelp escaped her and she immediately turned so her front paws grabbed onto the ground beneath her. Hind legs dangled for a second before she started to try and grab onto the crevice walls to get support and pull herself up. To no avail, she felt herself sliding from the lack of traction and fear quelled in her throat. 'Don't be stupid!' she thought, so she did what she thought was worth the effort: she howled. It wasn't a song of pride and confidence, but one of fear and a call for help. She felt her hind paws touch a piece of rock that stood out against the wall and kept them there. She didn't know how long she had, so she howled again and then yelled, "HELLLLLP! HEEEEELLLLLP!" She felt dumb, but maybe there was a slim chance someone would come to her aide? Talk like this

"Pray" The breeze remained steady, the male soaking in the sun in quiet grace as he waited patiently. Patiently for what? To the eyes of a stranger he, was a lone figure sitting upon the sand, the only companionship it seemed was the tide of water and the gently blown sand that was all around him. But he was not alone, he was with company. The small mound he had found was not just an insignificant mound of sand...for inside, it contained a nest of sea turtles. He had heard a small scuttling noise within, and knew that at any moment they would begin to dig their way free from their confines and head to the waters. Jinxx was ready and waiting, wanting to see the start of something new before his very eyes; ready to chase off the predators that were possibly lurking about to steal the innocent lives away. Although he knew it was nature, he would not let an innocent die if he could help it. It would be immoral of him to stand by and watch a new life, a baby creature at that, get killed. As the sun rose steadily and slowly, he would bring himself to sink onto his belly. The warm sand giving him the relief of soothing his skin from the breezy draft, and eyes slowly drifting shut in the beginnings of a peaceful nap as he waited. But, as it would be...he would not get the relaxation that the atmosphere was luring him into. A howl pierced through his mind, jerking the male awake. Confused, he turned his head towards the inland direction, audits twisting and turning to catch the sound again. Was it just his imagination? No...it couldn't have been. It was real...as real as the cry for help that just rang out. "Heeeeelllllp!" Immediately, the male was on his feet. Eyes intent upon the lands before him, the call sounded distressed and quite young. Someone was in trouble! Of that, he was sure. Immediately he kicked into action, sand spraying all around him as he moved to an immediate headlong run. He had pinpointed where the voice had come from, and as he moved further inland, he realized that perhaps this place wasn't so safe after all...a large crevice seemed to open up from nowhere, the trees thinned out the farther he went, which from the shores, wasn't very far at all. The sounds of falling rock and scraping could be heard nearby, and the boy would slow to a stop as he looked for the source of the sound. Frantically he looked, spotting nothing that would tell him where the cry for help had come from. As he moved a few more steps, he saw it. A pair of paws peeking over the ledge, desperately trying to retain their hold on the earth. Without second thought, Jinxx rushed forward, skidding for a second as he came to a stop, dust and earth going over the edge as he stared down at the young creature. "Hold on, I've got you!" He would make an attempt at reassuring her as his head snaked forward to grab at her scruff. Legs braced themselves in a wide stance, body leaning back against gravity to keep him from sliding forward. Teeth met with scruff, and he would begin to push his weight back as he pulled her up, claws scraping against the ground. It did not take long for him to reign her in to safety, as moments later, he fell back with her in tow, the young girl landing on top of him and he on his back...perhaps he had used more force then he intended. No matter, she was safe now. He lay there panting, heart pounding from the brief fear he held at seeing her in that position. Claws ached from the force he exerted against the ground, but he would ignore it for now as he tried to catch his breath. "Speech", Thought, "You"

It felt like forever after Odette had piteously called for help. She felt like giving up, but the part she had inherited from her father kicked in and the flame stayed ignited in her chest. Her head rested against the overhang where the grass met the beginning of the crevice and she softly closed her eyes. What was she going to do?! The rocks beneath her hind legs started to shift and her eyes widely opened in surprise. Panic, that's what! Then, out of the blue, a voice broke the ongoing tumbles of small rocks and dirt. Red and blue eyes looked up to see an unfamiliar face that loomed above her and her heart started to hammer rapidly in her chest. Her ears flattened against her cranium as her front paws began to slide closer to the edge of the crevice. She whimpered loudly until the male spoke and grabbed her scruff with his powerful jaws. As he began to pull, she worked with him and pulled herself up once her paws got a stronger hold on the grass at the edge. In a matter of minutes, the crevice was no longer beneath her and she was flying in the air because of the male's grip. A loud "OOMPH" escaped her tan lips as she landed against him when he hit the ground. Her head bumped against his chest and her eyes quickly clenched tight as she tried to realize that she was no longer in harm's way. She was safe! The reality of it made her slowly open her eyes and she used the same slow manner to turn her head so she could gaze upon her rescuer. Odette blinked and she took her left forepaw to press her weight against his chest. Her heart continued to pound against her ribcage and in her ears as she rose from where she had landed on him. Words weren't said until after she nuzzled his cheek. "Thank you..." she said before quickly shifting away from him, leaving behind rapidly evaporating heat from where her body had previously been. A death glare was given to the crevice that was now to the right of her and a growl intentionally escaped clamped jaws. "I'm never coming back here again," she swore, intending to live to true to her word. She silently reclined to her haunches on the firm ground, her back to the male who had just saved her. She was lost for words once again and wasn't sure how to recover from the affectionate token she had given him. Talk like this

"Can You Check My Pulse For Me & See If I'm Alright?" The cross marked savior lied there as he caught his breath. Although it wasn't something that was over exertion, it was still a frightening task. What if she had slipped from his grip? Forever lost to the void or injured beyond repair? Jinxx would have never been able to forgive himself for that, accident or not. It was never easy for him to lose someone, especially when he was trying to help them. And stranger or not, this girl had become his responsibility the moment he decided to heed her call for help, and he would not have taken rest until she was safe from her predicament. Luckily for him, and for her...he had accomplished his task. She was safe in his arms, and as crazy as it might have seemed or looked, he would have wanted her nowhere else at that moment. It meant she was safe. Alive. She would live to see another day. He felt her lift away briefly, when he made to raise his head a bit to look at her, he unexpectedly felt her brief touch upon his face. He stopped mid motion, attempting to comprehend what just occured, and then her voice sweet and light, thanking him. He felt a blush rising up through pale cheeks, heart pounding against his rib cage as the girl moved off of him. "No need to thank..anyone would have done the same." Or so he hoped... He lifted himself onto dark stilts, pelt shaking away the dust and debris that clung to him in a desperate attempt to hold on. Her enraged words at the unknown amused him, but he was glad all the same. He would have the same thought after all. "You're lucky I was around to hear you, otherwise...who knows what could have happened." He sat down at her side, glancing at the void that could have very well swallowed them whole if a step was misplaced. "I guess this place isn't as safe as I hoped it would be..." His voice would trail off for a moment like a cloud dissipating in the sky above. Will I ever find our safe haven? Deep blue eyes looked to the sky for a moment, a small sigh passing through inky lips before turning to look at the young femme. She was cute, that much he was sure. He was still flustered by her show of affection, after all, she had been the first stranger to do something like that towards him. Someone that wasn't his family. "You're okay, right? You're not hurt?" He asked in a slightly worried tone, knowing that something like that would have very well left him shaken up if he had been in her place. "Speech", Thought, "You"

As she was trying to recover from the shock that still resonated in the air, the stranger started to speak in response to her words. He stated that if he hadn't been there, she probably wouldn't have made it. It was not what he directly said, but the message was read as such. Nevertheless, it didn't stop a shiver run down Odette's spine and pulse through her body. Her eyes closed tightly as she tried to push the vivid mental image from her mind. "That..would be horrible," she murmured, voice evident that she was still regaining her breath. The black and white stranger continued to voice his lack of knowledge regarding the island's safety and she gave a half-hearted snort. "Psssh. If I had known that such dangers were within walking distance, I wouldn't have attempted to visit this island." She slowly opened her eyes, gaze now facing the ground and her front legs that were weakly holding her up. Ears remained flat against her black and gray crown, not intending to rise anytime soon. She had felt his frame sit next to hers, but didn't acknowledge it until he asked about her physical status. The tone in his voice, indicating worry, was something she didn't expect. Slowly, she closed her eyes and raised her head, for her steady breathing had been regained and she could properly answer him. "Still shaken, but I'll get over that in time. Mentally, still surprised and shocked from what just transpired here..." Odette sighed and opened her eyes to look over at him. It was the first time she was able to take in his black and white form, the latter color making her think of the foam that danced on top of the beach's waves. They seemed to have the same texture, but she wasn't sure if it was true. His markings were distinguished, for she had never seen markings like his before. Her blue eye (I'm assuming he sat on her left side) looked up at him with curiosity and her voice carried the same tone. "Who are you?" Talk like this

"When Everything's Meant To Be Broken, I Just Want You To Know Who I Am..." "That..would be horrible," She was apparently still in shock about the situation. Then again, how could he blame her? She had just had a close call, and it would have been tragic for the young girl to have lost her life here. Ears twitched at her comment, a small smile lifting his lips. She had spunk, that much he could tell. Determination and bravery despite her near brush with the the Dark Lord. He watched her for a moment as she seemed to slowly regain herself, pulling together her mind from it's previously shattering moment. Brows raised slightly as she responded to his question, blue gaze boring into her own dual colored eyes. They were certainly different then what he was used to seeing, and yet it completed her appearance and only made it that much more intriguing to look at. "At least you are alright, it will be forgotten in time." He responded softly, Everything is eventually forgotten...unless it leaves a scar on the inside. The young male had not realized that he was staring back at the girl who was staring at him. His tail swept the sands lightly in subconscious thought as she looked him over, his Cross marked shoulder facing away from her as he had taken a seat on her left. "Who are you?" He startled at her question, her words pulling him back to the present, suddenly realizing she was staring at him and he at her. A blush would rise upon ivory cream cheeks, as he glanced away for a moment. "I-erm, my name is Jinxx. Jinxx Black. But my family calls me Coma." He glanced back at her, a light grin on his face at the introduction. When he thought about it, he felt silly really. It had been quite a while since he interacted with anyone, and having recently found some of his family, his social awkwardness had not had time to improve. He was unsure even, if he should tell her why his nick name was "Coma." There was a silly story behind it, but if it were asked about then he would tell. Clearing his throat for a quick moment, he twitched an ear in embarrassment before gazing shyly back. "What's your name?" "Speech", Thought, "You"

Her composure started to reveal a more shy side that hadn't been obvious since the short-lived battle against Death. Her ears gently perked forward as her attention turned more towards the identity of the stranger and the introductions that had yet to be made. She watched him with interest as the answer to her question willingly slipped from his lips. Jinxx Black... It was a name she had never heard before. His nickname that his family had given him came shortly after his birth name and a soft smile appeared on her previously angered face. "Coma, huh?" she asked, blinking a bit with that one blue eye. "Both names are quite unique indeed, but they seem to suit you." She didn't want to seem too curious about his nickname at that time. After all, they had just met and she didn't want to be rude. "I am Odette. Odette Adravendi." She spoke her full name with honor and a hint of pride slipped from her tongue and around her words. "I don't have any nicknames that I am aware of, unfortunately, so Odette will have to suffice." It was then that she turned her head to look at him with both opts. Her red eye was revealed and the bi-colored gaze was temporarily hidden by eyelids from a quick blink. "Do you think that is all right?" Talk like this