It was cloudy that morning, and not wanting to be outside for once Sulfur had taken back to exploring rooms in the resort. The dark pup was cautious, nose peeking in first to see if he could scent anyone else in a room before he poked in. He didn’t have that same confidence Wade had where he’d walk in like he owned the room. This one was… different. It appeared to be a room with lots of different stuff - a storage room the lad would later learn. Lumber, vines, rocks, and other various materials were sorted for their usefulness in whatever manner they had been able to be brought in by.

Red eyes shining, Sulfur made his way to the lumber pile and stood on his hind leg to place a paw a bit further up. Head tilted as he looked up higher, where the stack was taller than he was. Could he get up there? He dropped back down, trotting to another spot before doing the same thing. Hmm… maybe… if he could find a way to crawl up it? What would he see from that high up? Tail swished thoughtfully as he tried to grip the wood and hoist himself up, back paws scrambling at the bottom of the pile as he tried to get up on a particularly big log.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

coded by NachoMumma

It wasn't often Calliope stayed inside. The walls felt suffocating. Too close, pressing in on her. She much rather be out in the jungle, finding trouble, getting lost. One can tell by the look on her face that she isn't pleased. That slight wrinkle of her lip, the hard glint of her gaze. Prowling through the hallways, between the floors, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Was that a hushed conversation? Someone sleeping? Two wolves entangled? Yuck.

The sound of shifting wood catches her attention. Quickly, she moves her trajectory to the supply room. Stopping in the doorway, she notices the young pup attempting to find a way up a stack of lumber. Her head cants to the side, watching silently as he tried to put the puzzle pieces together. From what she could tell, there was no real point to climbing the lumber pile, but pups were curious and going to pup. Stepping forward, Calliope lets out a chuff, a noise to alert the boy to her presence.

"Need help?" She finally asks, her silky smooth voice a bit hoarse from the recently arid air.

"Speech"

* predating cal leaving the pack & recent meeting

The dark furred boy’s back legs kicked at and dug into the wood, scraping against it as he tried his best to haul himself up. Alas, Sulfur didn’t have the strength that he had hoped to get up there, and, after a moment of trying and failing to get up he let himself drop back down to the floor. So that piece was too big to climb, but he wasn’t going to give up. He was looking for another way up when he heard noise behind him. Sul turned to find a tall girl before him, the chuffing noise having caught his attention to the colorful girl. She reminded him of the ocean water a little, or even the night sky… The combination of colors wasn’t the same as those two elements but to the pup they were close enough. Plus Sulfur thought it was neat she had those colors in his fur. His family had vivid colors too, but they were warmer colors! He liked the cool colors a lot.

There is a bit of a rasp to her voice, an edge and quieter than Sulfur is used to making out when he could hear. He doesn’t understand that this is the result of her having a hoarse voice, but it has made it harder for him to pick up what she was asking him. Her body language and facial expression was similar to ones his big sister would make when she caught him doing something on his own though. Was she asking the same thing Rivin would? If he needed help? Sulfur’s brow furrows a little and he looks back up at the wood. Did he need help? Was it worth climbing the pile? Maybe she knew what sort of view it would have? His tail gives a thoughtful swish, seconds ticking by in silence as the boy’s brain churns.

Then, finally moving, he sets a paw on the log he had been trying to climb and looks back at the colorful girl. His head tilts first to one side and then the other before he motions with his muzzle toward the top of the pile. Sulfur just hoped she would understand what he wanted by the gesture.

Silence comes as the boy turns to her and stares. No words, just an awfully awkward pregnant pause that leaves her fur bristling slightly. Why wasn't he talking? Why was he staring at her with those beady red eyes? Was something the matter? She hadn't been mean upon approach like she typically she chose to be so he had no reason to not talk to her. It forces her brow to furrow, a rumble in her throat as she contemplates just leaving him be and moving on with her life.

That is until he turns and places a paw upon the log before looking back at her. So he did need help? But he couldn't talk? Wouldn't? Didn't want to? The answer is confounding, but Calliope wouldn't deny the boy since she had asked if he needed it. Moving forward, she lays down on the floor beside the large log. "Climb on me then on the log," she turns to point at her back and then back at the log. Maybe he was deaf and if so, hopefully her muzzle pointing would give him the right idea.

"Speech"

At first there is awkward silence between them, stretching on as Sulfur stares at the femme. He wishes he had the same ability to speak as his fathers and siblings, but his words sound so garbled and strange… speaking makes him feel sad… feel awkward. A soft, drawn out huff is what leaves his lips now, his newest version of a whine, and with it comes the slightest of noises. He wants her to understand, to not get frustrated as his big sister sometimes did. Thankfully the colorful girl before him gets it, motioning with her muzzle from the back to the log, and Sul’s eyes light up with delight. She understood him! She understood what he wanted!

Immediately the young pup’s tail begins to wag back and forth with delight, practically dancing on his paws happiness before he moves over to her side. He is careful as he tries to climb her, doing his best not to pull too hard on her fur, even readjusting and going for a gentler pull as he works his way up. Then, standing on the girl’s back, he carefully makes his way to the log and hoists himself up again. The whole time his happy energy radiates from him, a bright smile on his face and tail moving back and forth. Once up there he turns back to the girl, laying down as he looks back at her.

Above his back his tail continues to wag, small ears perked up and his smile now so wide it stretches from ear to ear. It is a small gesture, but it is one that has made the boy endlessly happy, and he looks at the colorful wolf with admiration now. He pats a forepaw on the log a couple times and then stands, looking back up toward the top. He looks back toward the colorful girl, tilts his head to the side, and places his paw on the next log before looking back at her. Would she come with him? He didn’t realize that too much weight on the wood could cause it to shift. He’s more focused on the fact that he seems to have made a friend.

Calliope would turn her face away the pup climbs up onto her back to use for leverage. Once he's safely on the log, she rolls away to comfortably lay on her hip and watch him. Whether or not she's ready to catch him if he falls is... undetermined. After all, she's not the nicest of wolves he'll ever cross paths with. At least the rest of the climb would be easy for him. Giving him a bit of a smile as he reaches the top, she nods her head and even lets her tail wag a couple times in a silent way of telling him 'good job!' Yeah, this was probably the nicest she would ever come with someone that wasn't her sibling.

And though his tail wags and invites her up there with a pat of his paw, she gives her head a shake. No way was she going to be climbing up those logs after him. Making sure to meet his gaze first, she draws her sunset eyes away from the boy down to the logs he stands atop. Reaching a hind paw out, she gives it a few taps, hard enough that he should feel the vibration of the wood beneath his own paws. "Too big," Calliope says, smirking as she then lifts a forepaw to motion at her larger form.

"Speech"