Avantika stared up at the stars in the night sky. It was cold now. Winter had set its icy claws into the world and it wasn't going to let go anytime soon. She didn't really mind, for some reason. She had a bed, good food (not rotten at least), and best of all, a family. A little nip of freeze made her feel alive, somehow. Her breath rose in white clouds above her. Most pups ought to be asleep by now. That made it even better to be out. She wondered if there would ever be a time when she was more comfortable around others than she was alone. Even the people she thought of as friends. She was always nervous that she'd do something wrong accidentally. There were things she didn't know that they did. At least her vocabulary was getting better. She was doing just fine here. Well enough, anyway. Maybe someday she'd be sure that she was safe, like the other kids. She so envied Rudy's forthright confidence--maybe even his naïvete--at times. "speak"

Emile was definitely not supposed to be up right now... But his brain simply wasn't slowing down tonight and after tossing and turning more than a few times the boy decided he was done trying. It had taken some time to slowly extract himself from his siblings and parents before sneaking out of the den. The packland was so much different under the pale blue light of the moon and Emile stood gaping for a moment, then his paws carried him forwards... where he wasn't sure but soon he caught the scent of a girl. He approached carefully, he'd seen her out and about a bit but didn't really know her... was she one of Bowen's siblings? "H...ey." He called out softly, not wanting to spook the girl as he continued to appraoch. "Speech"

Art by EffraSorbus

Avantika noticed the quiet footsteps behind her. Her heart sped up. She took a deep breath and turned. Just a pup. A pup she didn't know, though. Probably another one of Bowen and Rudy's siblings. Although, there was another bunch too, wasn't there? She wasn't educated on those matters, being so young, but ten children seemed an outrageous amount. A soft hey whispered across the night sky. His voice had a little stutter to it. No matter. She had her own nervousness, and wouldn't judge. "Hey," she replied gently. She remembered to smile. "Who are you?" She was concerned that she wouldn't be able to keep up the conversation. She liked listening to talkative people, like Rudy, because he would be babbling away whether she was actively listening or not. She was able to follow his lead and toddle along a bit. "speak"

The girl responded to his hey with a soft response of her own and Emile took that as an invitation to settle beside her, though he kept a polite amount of space between them. She asked after him and his tail brushed against the ground as it wagged, he loved meeting new wolves! ""I'mmmmm Emmmmile Adravendi." He watched the girl carefully, trying not to the double stutter bother him, or show on his face. "Who're you?" Chances were high she was one of Bowen's siblings... but he was more curious about her name than anything else. He shuffled slightly, tipping his head back to gaze up at the night sky... watching the stars dance above him. It wasn't something he got to see too often and a slight smile pulled at his lips. "Speech"

Art by EffraSorbus

The little pup settled down beside her. Despite the distance, Avantika had to force her muscles to relax. There was no need to be afraid. She knew that. But her anxieties were nothing if not irrational, and abstract consolments didn't always help. She kept her mind busy by examining the boy's appearance. Under the pale light of the moon, his light pelt seemed to shine. He had green eyes. The facts, sorted into nice, friendly, predictable boxes. Eye color, pelt color, size, even his mannerisms she categorized and felt peace wash over her with that categorization. His tail wagged. That was a good sign, and she liked that she knew that. He stuttered on his name but thankfully it was still clear. Emile Adraventi. Another stranger now not a stranger. He asked for her name in return. "Avantika." She didn't add her last name. Something nebulous in her stomach clenched and knotted at the idea, and by the time she was maybe over it enough to try, it had been too long of a pause. Her hesitation would have been screamingly obvious. She'd figure out why her innards had rejected that idea so dreadfully later. Despite spending so much time alone with her thoughts, the foundling was still only a child and couldn't be expected to be perfect at self-reflection. She didn't want to think about her past anyway. She wanted to sit, with a kid her age, and relax. "speak"