nowhere to go

Some part of her was wondering if Celeste had any experience with this level of loss. Maybe she had, from her stoic, rigid calmness in the face of her contrasting emotion. The way she paused, waiting for the yearling to heed her words. This lady had a lot of patience - something Zoey had never really grasped. But perhaps this silence was born out of her own life experiences, and perhaps she was too quick to judge her sternness, thinking it meant a lack of empathy rather than actually understanding. Then the woman pressed forward in her talking, her tongue smooth and unwavering.

Zoey knitted her brows together as the mottled canine mentioned that if Zoey didn't wish to really die, there was more to lose and equally as much to gain in her life. Her smile, gently lifting the corner of her lips, lit something like realization, deep within the girl's own chest. Perhaps this was something she had experienced before, and if Zoey wanted to live, to thrive..she'd have to understand that loss was a bitter but necessary cycle in life. The world was cruel. But it was just as filled with wonder and adventure beyond the scope of her imagination. If only the darkness that settled upon her shoulders would let her experience that as fully as she could as a child. The woman referred to herself as Celeste, and Zoey's expression softened in the slightest curiosity. It was a beautiful name. She couldn't promise that she, too, would disappear from her life as well - and something about this comforted her. Beforehand, everyone in her life promised her they wouldn't leave. And that made their losses all the more painful to bear. Celeste's brutal honesty gave her some expectation that even if she did leave her as well, at least it wouldn't hurt nearly as bad.

Zoey's sorrowful brown eyes flickered with a spark of interest upon mention of Cel's pack she was starting. The russet yearling even managed the softest smile upon being called 'smart', and she thought for a second before looking at Celeste and saying, "Under Abaven, and then the Menagerie, I had an interest in researching not only various flora and fauna native to the packlands, but also an interest in studying artifact and relics left behind by the humans that once lived here. I think the items they left behind may actually serve some purpose to us, in learning how we can adapt and survive in our own packs and environments." Her passion for research and understanding how the world worked was unmatched - she could spend hours just examining a specific item or relic most wolves would simply ignore. She strongly believed that learning about the artifacts left behind and the nature that surrounded them would offer new perspectives on how to survive and live peacefully in the lands. With a soft but deep breath, she tried not to dwell too much on the memories of past mentors, shedding away the pain from her shoulders like a thick coat. She could ignore the static, the nightmares that plagued her, at least for now. She wasn't quite ready to pour her trust into Celeste, but she'd be open to joining her pack, even if it might dissolve again, too. "My name is Zoey, by the way. I hope my talents may be of interest for your pack."

Speech