rain falls in dense clumps, but there’s a humidity in the air they aren’t accustomed to, a heat they haven’t experienced since summer came to an abrupt and unwelcome end. sodden and vaguely resembling a drowned rat, Spider picks their way though the undergrowth with pursed lips and a lowered brow, ears flat beneath the downpour. stepping awkwardly, they pull a face and attempt to duck under a tree, seeking shelter from the muddy terrain and all it’s icky trappings.

"Speech"

He liked this place. How muddy it was. How everywhere he stepped, his paws made a satisfying squelching noise as the mud pushed between his toes. Unable to hide the pup-like grin that shows all of his teeth, Wilder plays. He plays for the first time in months. Summer down in Auster had been wet but wet down there meant more water, wider rivers, less mud. What he wanted was a cool, muddy swamp to nestle down in and relax. A passing bird had mentioned how winter in the north had started to warm and the snow was finally melting away. Wilder had never been this far north before. So far, he loved it. Water rushed violently beside him as he trailed up river in search of a snack. He was always hungry it seemed and getting a bite to eat while admiring the beautiful scenery wouldn't hurt. Pleased and distracted by the shady and low-hanging branches and the few bugs that lazily darted about, Wilder didn't notice the pup until he was nearly upon them. The little black pup that hid beneath a bushel of leaves made a yelp leave his mouth. Sliding to a muddy stop, he stares at them for a moment before blinking. "You scared me. What're you doing in there?" Wilder asks as he leans his muzzle down so his eyes are more on their level. It was clear that Wilder paid no attention to the drizzle of rain that plopped down around them and dampened his fur. Or the buzzing of bugs or the crooning of birds. He felt at peace here.

Spider flinches as the boy appears, for his pelt almost blends into this swampy background, fur exhibiting the very characteristics of a moss-strewn bank in a rainstorm. drawing themselves up, Spider fixes the boy with a quirked brow, a hint of irritation in their voice. normally they’re not one for getting particularly annoyed, but the ugly weather certainly takes a toll on them, as does the boy’s unabashed joy in it. “i wasn’t trying to scare you,” they protest, affronted at the very implication. drawing themselves up, they lift an unimpressed brow. “i’m taking shelter from the rain - clearly.” why is this boy so unbothered by the weather?


"Speech"

The reaction is given by the pup draws him back. Stepping away as the pup stands and fixes him with that 'fuck off' look has him lifting his lip in a bit of a snarl. What was their problem anyway? Flicking his ears backward as they practically snap at him, Wilder lifts his head and glances around at the rainy scenery. "But why?" He questions with his own quirk of a brow as he continues to not look at the pup. From what he can see, the land is beautiful. The drum of rain upon leaves is calming. Fish jump from beneath the surface sending the water rippling in circles as it courses downhill toward the coast. Even the wind, while chilly, feels pleasant against his fur, even sending shivers down his spine. The mud that he steps in is cool and smooth which is great for hiding scents and tracking prey. If one were to look down, one would notice small rabbit tracks or even trails of swine that move from one tree to another. "Ain't nothing bad about getting a little dirty," Wilder, with his one brow still raised, turns to look back at the pup with a clear 'you're the weird one' look upon his face.

the boy’s expression is one of surprise, moss-green eyes seeming to examine them with obvious surprise. it is as though their disgust is baffling to him, as though the very notion of rain is one to embrace rather than condemn. it is a strange notion, and one they seek to dissolve this wolf of; perhaps such a landscape is all they know. but then they aren’t exactly the paragon of normalcy; perhaps they ought to give the pup the benefit of the doubt. “because i’m cold,” they reply rather reasonably. “and the ground is…icky” surely he’d understand their reasoning. after all, who’d actually want to stay out in the rain.

"Speech"

His vermillion eyes turn down to his paws as the pup speaks. The ground was icky? What could they possibly mean by that? Was there such a place that did not have an icky ground? Wilder draws his brows in as he looks back at the pup. "Icky?" He questions before he takes a step back so that he is now further in the rain and less under the cover. The droplets plunk onto his fur, dampening him even further. Being cold he could understand for such a tiny pup, but icky... that part he did not understand.

"This is the world and how it is. Do you know something other than this?" Wilder isn't accusing the pup, but his tone is not gentle either. He stares at them for a few more seconds before looking around again. "See, if the ground was not muddy, one could not see the trail of pigs by the trees," he lifts a paw to point at the worn game trail by some nearby trees. "If we had no rain, the river would not fill for the fish," the boy places his paw down and lifts the other to point at the rushing water that roars by them. "Even the sun, though it is bright, is good for us. The rain, the clouds, the snow, even the wind, and the storms," there is something now as he talks that sounds as if he is speaking from the heart.

Finally, he turns back to the pup with a tilt of his head. "Is this not good enough for you?" Maybe there was a bit of accusation now.

"Speech"

they blink in shock, shirking back slightly as the boy grows more and more impassioned. they hadn’t expected to hit upon such a sensitive spot, hadn’t thought him so well-informed on the topic of - well, ickiness. it’s not something they particularly appreciate, especially as the boy’s voice raises and he pins them with an accusatory look. Spider frowns, the fur beginning to lift along their spine as their irritation mounts. the rain has already put them in a questionable mood, and now this stranger is trying to lecture them on the beauty of nature, or whatever. “i-i’m very aware of that,” they protest, drawing themselves up with a vaguely affronted air. it’s a bit hilarious, given their current sodden state. “and i can totally appreciate the whole ‘we’re all connected through nature’ thing as much as you. but can’t i do it, you know - while dry?”

they raise a challenging brow and resist the urge to poke out their tongue. they’re almost a teenager now; they’re beyond that childish stuff. probably. “besides, if we can make daggers and stuff,” and here they brandish their own as an example, “then why is it wrong to wish for shelter from the harsher elements? we’re clearly capable of it.” they live in a perfectly serviceable treehouse after all, with a warm bed and a window and everything! so what does this boy really know?

"Speech"

Wilder can see that the pup is getting defensive, but his brain doesn't quite compute. He doesn't understand why they're getting so upset about being wet. Why did they have to be dry? None of it made sense to him. His brow furrows as the pup retaliates. Both of his ears fall backward as he the pup puffs up some more and starts talking about daggers. Daggers? They could make those? Wilder is switching from frustration to curiosity.

"You made that?" His eyes widen as he lowers his head to sniff at the dagger they hold. Pausing a moment as his brain calculates and contemplates, he finally lets out a huff of hot air before taking a step back. "Fine. If I build you a shelter to be dry in, will you teach me how to make something?" Wilder tilts his head slightly, wondering if the pup will take his offer. Truthfully, Wilder has never known anything other than his own paws and teeth. There is no fancy house to live in, just him and the nature around him. He makes do, that's how he's always lived.

"Speech"

the boy seems intrigued by their dagger, and Spider feels some of their defensiveness melt away as curiosity flashes across his face. "oh, well...not exactly," they admit, a tad sheepishly. "more like it was given to me - but i'm sure it can't be too hard to make one!" Bas and Hazel had managed it, after all. let's see, they'd need wood for the handle...metal for the blade...ooh, maybe they could hunt down some antlered beast and use those for the handle! though, their last encounter with a creature like that hadn't exactly been ideal.

frowning, they run an appraising eye up and down the boy's stature, lips pursing contemplatively. if nothing else, his size might come in handy. "okay," they agree finally, already relishing the idea of a real, proper shelter. "you make that shelter, and i'll help you make something cool." they raise their brows temptingly, wiggling them as though to entice the boy further.

Speech

Wilder raises a brow in question to their sheepish words. So... they hadn't been the one to make the dagger, but surely they had some idea how to do it, right? He then furrows his brows and purses his lips a little, noticing how the pup's eyes size him up and down. What could they possibly be thinking? The boy lets out a hum but doesn't comment until the pup agrees to their trade of sorts. Plus the temptation of having something cool in his possession was too much to deny.

"Alright, so first thing first, a shelter needs sturdy poles," he looks around until he spots some fallen logs not far off. Trotting through the shallow mud over to where they lay, he grabs one by the end with his teeth. Dragging it over with a bit of effort, he leans it up against a wide tree. Next, he does the same thing with the second pole. Once he has that done, he leans against the tree to take a rest. "Now, we'll need to find some leafy branches or big leaves," Wilder says, slightly breathless, as he looks around for the next task.

"Speech"

to the boy’s benefit, he gets to work pretty quickly. still shivering from the cold, Spider sits back and watches him with interest, a spike of admiration piercing them as he drags the logs over. and though they know this is all part of their deal, they can feel themselves warming towards the boy, touched by the effort he’s putting in for their benefit. “i can help with that,” they offer, pushing off the tree and wading out into the rain. he just looks so exerted, and they’ve never been very good at sitting back and watching others do the work. besides, building a shelter could be kind of fun…they cast a dubious glance at the grey clouded sky and pull a face. mmm, maybe not. they continue into the undergrowth, snuffling along in search of some large branches and checking occasionally to make sure the boy is following. “what’s your name?” they ask suddenly, apropos of nothing.

Speech

When he turns to start searching for long boughs to cover the shelter with, he is surprised when the pup offers to help. Both ears perk as he glances over his shoulder with a raised brow. "Thought you didn't want to get wet?" His tone is halfway between teasing and bullying, a sharper edge to friendly tones. Hopefully, the smirk he adds afterward helps to show that he was merely poking fun at the small fry. "Won't say no to help though," Wilder says as he follows along behind the pup. With his stride being so much longer than theirs, he has to keep himself in check so that he doesn't outpace them.

The question has him realizing that neither of them had introduced themselves. He supposed a conversation might be better than soggy silence as they traipsed through the rain and muck. "Wilder, and yours?" He asks in return as they continue. It's not far though that he spies a newly fallen tree with plenty of boughs broken off near it. "Ah, there we go!" Trotting over, Wilder inspects the specimens first to make sure there are no squirrels or other critters taking refuge in them. "Find one you can carry," he instructs the pup as he grabs a few larger ones in between his own jaw to start carrying back.

"Speech"

Spider rolls their eyes and attempts to bump their shoulder against the boy, the gesture teasing and irritated simultaneously. gods, this boy is annoying! “just be glad i’m not making your weak ass carry all this back by yourself,” they snark, flashing a cheeky grin. although, the boy isn’t certainly doesn’t look weak, but it’ll certainly be amusing to watch him splutter and defend himself if he chooses to.

although, they suppose they can’t just refer to him as ‘the boy’ anymore. Wilder. so that’s their companion’s name. Spider tilts their head in thought, running an appraising eye over his green and brown pelt. it suits him, they decide. “i’m Spider,” they announce, lifting their chin. “Spider Fatalis.”

they might be small, but they’re determined to pull their weight. as Wilder indicates the branches, they rush over and begin gathering as many as they can between their teeth, dragging them back to the tree they’d been sheltering beneath.

Speech

Wilder lets out a hearty laugh. Spider's spunk is admirable and he gives his head a soft shake. With his mouth full of tree limbs, it's hard for him to respond right away to her snarky comment. Instead, he continues on over to where he had lifted the poles against the wide trunk of the tree. He's thankful that Spider is willing to help because it appears the rain isn't letting up anytime soon.

Once they reach the poles, he lays the boughs down over them rather haphazardly because the mud is squishy beneath him and it's hard to balance. Taking the smaller limb from Spider, he places that one down too. Taking a step back to admire his work with a bleary gaze, he smiles proudly to himself before ducking done underneath the temporary shelter. "C'mon four eyes, we can finally get dry," he calls out as he slouches down and leans up against the tree so he's not as cramped but at least isn't taking up the whole room either.

"Alright, now tell me. What's a tiny pup like you doin' out here alone?" Wilder turns his gaze to Spider, expecting an answer of some sort.

WILDER