Don't Be Shy

Andy asks about Isa’s home and the pup watches as the woman eyes close and she begins to speak of her far-off homeland. The world is built and as the purple pup sits, watching the woman, she swears she can see it. There is so much love in her words for the place she is from that it helps to paint the scene and the girl’s eyes drift slowly closed so that she can join Isa on a stroll through her homeland. Suddenly, the land flashes into view and she can feel the sun on her fur as a warm breeze runs its fingers through her coat, tickling the girl and making her smile. The jungles come into focus where broad leaves wave to her and thick canopies filter the bright sun and causes shadows to dance upon the ground.

Then she is running along the white sandy beaches, watching the way the sun glints off the rolling crystal ways. At night, the pup lays beside the woman underneath the night sky, watching the colors dance above them as she tells her stories of the wolves that came before them. Her words slowly melt away, taking with them, the beautiful scene and Isa’s sigh has Andy blinking open her eyes. Pale blue eyes catch the woman’s aqua gaze and the girl offers her a smile that is filled with love. It is obvious that the beautiful blue woman has been through a lot by the way she talks of her home; it sounds so beautiful but also felt final when the last word faded away.

A small inkling of sadness tugs at her heart but talk of oranges has the subject shifting on to happier things. Isa’s words about not getting in trouble have a smile slowly blooming across the pup’s lavender lips while a sparkle of mischief glitters in her eyes. Leaning toward the woman, Andy pitches her voice low into a conspiratorial tone as she shares, “I won’t get in trouble. Besides, they haven’t caught me yet!” A giggle has her shoulders lifting while her head ducks and she leans back to continue enjoying the food and company. She speaks of her parents and notices the way the woman’s pale brows knit together and her pale eyes fall to her paws as they talk of her father.

Isa tries to reassure her and she offers a small nod, knowing that the words are true but it still feels so hollow to be on the other side of the silence. True, Andy and Sirius have made breakthroughs with his anger but it still hurts that she feels like she cannot openly speak about her mother. Turning her eyes up to Isa once more, she softly says, “I know. I just… I want to talk about it… about her. I… I miss her.” A small shrug of purple shoulders is given and the girl changes the subject, turning to retrieve her last gift for the injured woman. With a gentle, loving smile, she offers up the doll that Briar had gifted her before she left the Hallows and she watches as Isa’s accepts her gift.

The woman’s eyes become glassy with tears and the smile that is offered has the girl’s heart lifting and breaking all at once. Isa reminds Andy what it feels like to think that the world isn’t so out of control, to not feel like the floor isn’t going to fall out from under her paws at any moment. Isa’s words have the girl ducking her head slightly as heat burns her cheeks but, when the blue woman moves to embrace her, Andromeda does not resist. No, she actually moves into it, trying to be careful of the blue woman’s injuries while wrapping her slender legs around the woman’s frame. The love in the simple act has Andy melting into the older wolf as tears sting the backs of her eyes. She has missed the hugs and kind words of her own mother and, for a moment, Andromeda allows the world to melt away until all she can feel is a mother’s love cradling her.

Once her heart is full, she releases her tender grip on she injured woman so she can lean back and take the weight off her injured leg. With her gifts delivered, Andy sits back to scrub away the tears that had leaked out when she wasn’t looking and says, “Well, it has been a pleasure to meet you Isa. But you should rest so you can heal up! When you feel up to it, I can show you around. And… if it is okay with you, I would like to come back and visit.” Andromeda smiles warmly as she gathers the satchel up, ready to leave the woman to finish her food and rest. Standing to she turns to leave, Andy pauses a moment as a thought tugs at her mind and she soft says, “Isa?”

Once the blue woman’s aqua gaze is locked with her own, Andromeda softly says, “I would like it if you called me Andy.” The smile that pulls at her lips is warm as she lets Isa know, in a subtle way, that she is her friend. With that, she offers her goodbyes and heads to the door.


-exit Andromeda-


"Andromeda Fatalis"