Navigation: Nephilim Island

Walk | Talk  | Think   The second Gale knew her heat had finally passed, she ran. At first just racing beyond Donostrea's borders had been enough; she had been eyeing the lands that bordered her home for so long that she thought she could describe each one of them in excessive detail and perhaps even guide someone across them without following along. It felt wonderful to finally set herself free and venture somewhere that was new and fun, particularly someplace that had not turned into something akin to a prison when it should have been a home. Not that she was complaining about the Elementas family's seaside retreat, but...she was the wind. She needed the freedom to go where she wanted. So she was off again. Instead of traveling north or east, she had chosen west, which might have been a foolish endeavor considering west meant out into the ocean. The lavender-marked wolf might not have been the strongest swimmer, but that did not stop her from charging out into the water with her sights set on another sliver of land further out from shore. The pull of the water worked in her favor, drawing her out, but it took more effort than anticipated to steer herself to the island and not out to sea. It was probably a really poor decision to make, venturing this way alone, but surrounded by water with nowhere to go but her currently set destination it was far too late to reconsider. By the time she reached the sandy white shoreline, she was exhausted. Her breath came in in heavy pants, her tongue lolled from her opened jaws, and her legs felt weak. She barely managed to drag herself clear of the water before she slumped down onto the shoreline and stretched out, letting the cool marine air chill her body beneath her soaked through coat of white, grey, and lavender fur. At least she had made it she thought as she glanced around her at what she could see of the island. But exploring it could wait a minute. She needed her legs to not feel like they would give out underneath her if she attempted even one step.

Once again, he'd been left to his own devices as boredom crept up on his life. He still couldn't remember how he'd washed up in Alacritis, but hopefully someday he would remember. He had however, remembered the events that happened before he ended up in the river...though how he acquired the scar across his left eye was left unknown. He stood upon the shore, debating whether or not to cross the ocean to see what lied upon the various islands that dotted the coast. He was hesitant, the faint memory of his possible near drowning in the huge river lingered in the back of his mind, but he wouldn't get anywhere in life if he was always afraid. With a deep breath to calm himself, he stepped into the frigid waters and struck out towards the island closest to him. With great effort and difficulty, he swam against the currents that threatened to pull him under. Seagulls flew overhead, his head tilted upwards to prevent the water from getting into his eyes and mouth, but it was a near wasted effort as a few small waves washed over him. For what seemed like what might be a long swim, he was in the water for no more then an hour by the time he felt shale and rock beneath his feet. Struggling to pull himself to shore, his body ached and his heart pounded. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the usually calm male had been afraid that a shark would come out and eat him...who would tell Quelt the reason he had disappeared a second time? As soon as he stumbled towards the shore, he vigorously shook out his fur though water still clung to his underbelly as it dripped from his body. But with the sun overhead, hopefully he would dry up soon. Once he reached the softer sands, he gazed about to study his surroundings. Audits would perk forward when he noticed something a little further down shore, was it a seal? A dead animal? Testing the air, he could catch the scent...and it wasn't dead, nor did it smell of seal, but of wet dog. Just...lying there on the sand. With a slight bit of panic, he trotted closer to ensure the animal wasn't dead, but as he drew closer he could see the rise and fall of the woman's body as he neared. Briefly, he thought about quietly walking away without a word, knowing that she was fine now, she could go about her own business. ""

Walk | Talk  | Think   As the cold finally reached beneath her coat, Gale shivered once but otherwise remained still upon the sands. Each breath was drawn in full and deep, but as she kept at it breathing became easier on her and her body began to feel less strained. She guessed that it would take longer than another minute for her legs to stop feeling like fragile flower stalks, but that was alright. They had managed to get her here, across a stretch of the ocean and to her destination on this new, unexplored island. There was a definite sense of triumph that came from making the journey, and in a moment the grey and lavender wolf was going to take a second to peer back over her shoulders to admire the distance she had swam, but for now laying sprawled on the shoreline was perfectly fine with her. And it would have continued to be so if not for the sounds of softly approaching footfalls in the sand. The Elementas girl's ears perked the second she caught the noise, and a second later her gaze followed, shifting her eyes to the side in a vain attempt to peer sidelong at whoever might have been coming her way without completely turning her head to give away that she had heard them. Who was it? Was the island inhabited? Could she possibly be trespassing? Suddenly nervous, the thought of pretending that she had not noticed the other approaching her seemed less desirable than did facing whoever might have been making their way to intercept her there on the beach. Quickly Gale lifted her head, turning it in the same motion to stare toward the mostly dark colored wolf who had stopped and continued to look her way. For a second, she studied him in silence, guessing immediately that this was no native to the island. She hardly suspected he would be looking at her with that expression of uncertainty if this was his home. No, perhaps he was only another explorer, and now that she looked him over more closely she suspected that was true. He looked to have just emerged from the ocean as well. Relieved over not trespassing and offending some secluded grouping of wolves, the Donostrea Aertus let her expression relax into a casual, crooked smile. "Quite the swim, isn't it?" she remarked observantly, rolling with the assumption she had made of this wolf making the same watery trek that she had. There was a slim chance he could prove her wrong, but she was willing to bet her next meal that she was right.

Dammit! She would notice him. His attempt at potentially sneaking away without a word would be an ungranted wish. The silver femme had noticed him, his fault for approaching her in the first place. Ears flicked the droplets of water off, crimson gaze betraying nothing as he simply looked at her. It was a simple enough question, though Kakashi was hardly one to respond right away. After a long and uncomfortable silence, he would speak at last. "I'll have to agree on that. I haven't swam a distance like that in years, perhaps not even close." His expression remained stoic, thoughts carefully sealed away behind a mask. Voice cool and collected. He half turned around then, thinking that perhaps he had satisfied her with a brief answer though he wasn't sure if he was inclined to talking. But, that would be rude of him wouldn't it? So instead, he played it off as if he were simply staring out over the waters, a long swim indeed. He gazed back at her, for the first time he would really take a good look as he sat down. After he curled his tail around his haunches, crimson gaze looked her over as he secretly searched for any sign of injury, but there would appear to be none. What he did note, however, was the lavender that wove throughout her fur, even going as far as marking her face in a unique X shape. Slowly, curiosity would take hold of him as his eyes followed the lavender trails before falling on her light green gaze. The colors along with her silver tones complimented her pretty well, but he would not comment about it. He had come across many different individuals in his five years of living, though she definitely had to be the most unusual of all. Ah, the uncomfortable social situations he put others through. He knew it too, the male usually not saying much unless there was reason too or if he was comfortable with someone he got to know. Arian was definitely one of them, though even with her his conversation wasn't much to go off of. Mild curiosity struck him, however, as he wondered what she was doing out here all alone. She carried an underlying scent of a pack beneath the salt and smell of wet dog, did her pack live out here? "Coming back home after a trip on the mainland? If your pack lives here, then I will go." ""

Walk | Talk  | Think   Gale waited. And waited. The crooked smile upon her lips began to slacken and lose some of its good humor, an uncertainty of her own beginning to creep in and confuse what she had thought just a second ago to be true. Did he possibly not know how to answer her? Was something preventing it? Had he not understood her words? Her grey-green eyes grew puzzled as she continued to look the stranger's way, wondering to herself if she was even going to get an answer when the stoic creature across from her managed to find his voice. Ah! He could speak after all! And he had understood her too. That was a relief and a delight, and the return of Gale's easy, companionable smile expressed her happiness, perfectly unfazed by the expressionless mask of the red-eyed wolf. "Don't believe I have either. I'm really just happy to have made it." She continued to watch him from where she lay on the sandy shoreline as he looked away and then, after a brief moment, returned his gaze to her. The friendly smile from before still remained comfortably presented on her face, but she could not miss that his did not change either. It betrayed nothing, hinted at nothing, and looked about as neutral as a face could get. After living among her family members, each more energetic than the last and all poor at hiding their feelings from view, Gale could not deny that she was intrigued. She had nothing to go off of, not a twitch of a brow or the corner of his lips that she could even use to make any guesses about how he was feeling in their current situation. She had to assume he meant to stay with her for a moment simply because he sat down, but whether that was because he wanted company, wanted to keep an eye on her, or had more devious plots scheming behind his excellently flat poker face, she had not a clue. Not even his words gave anything away when at last he spoke again. Considering the lengthy delay she had gotten before, Gale had been unsure whether he would offer her anything to make conversation with or if she would need to strike something up herself, but the question he posed was observant and curious. And yet still said nothing of his motives. Casually, comfortably, Gale crossed her forepaws one over the other before answering him, using her smile as a mask of her own while she continued to study him and try to make sense of his blank stare. "Actually, it's the other way around," she explained, smiling, "My pack lives on the mainland. I'm just here to see something new." Right. The island. Almost as an afterthought she turned her head to gaze forward into the central portion of the island. Strangely, it no longer held such a strong pull for the Elementas girl's curiosity.

He wasn't sure if he was pleased that he'd made the situation uncomfortable, or ignored the fact that he made the situation uncomfortable. Not intentionally, of course. But it had been a pretty long time since he'd talked to a girl that wasn't family. Or anyone who wasn't family for that matter. He kept his mask up, neither afraid nor unafraid of her presence, but he simply watched her. Silently observing. In a way, getting a feel for who she was without asking questions. He was a sneaky bastard wasn't he? "It's quite the feat. You should be proud." He said it simply, but there was the possibility he was...praising a stranger. She seemed pretty pleased with herself, so why not feed that pleasure if only for a quick, spare moment. He remained still, the only movements upon him was the wind brushing through his fur, the rise and fall of his breathing, and the occasional blinking. Could things get anymore awkward? Maybe. His ears did lift a little, however, when she replied. Telling him she was from the mainland. Interesting. So what made her swim out here? What made him swim out here? Solitude? The need to get away? To just...be alone with your thoughts? There were many reasons, and he couldn't quite answer that question himself. If she was from the mainland, he would guess that she was here for one reason. He studied her for a moment as she looked about, the man finding a moment to clear his throat in a non charismatic way. "Well, if you're here to see something new. Then I suppose it's time to leave the beach." His gaze flicked upwards, revealing the slightest little hint of humor as he turned away. His fur was drying pretty quickly, but it didn't rid him of the wet dog stench that clung to both of them. When he took a few steps away, he stopped and looked back at her, his piercing gaze searching hers as a question fell from his lips. "What's your name." It was more of a statement then a question, but it was neither rude nor unkind. He took on the same poker face he had moments before, wondering who this woman was. And curious too, about which pack she belonged to. ""

Walk | Talk  | Think   A compliment! For someone who did not appear very conversational, he was sure making what little conversation they carried enjoyable. The smile that had remained seated upon Gale's lips twitched once and then brightened considerably, her wispy tail adding a wag behind her. "I am, indeed," she responded with confidence, though internally she was grateful she did not need to make the return trip too soon. It had taken quite a bit out of her, fighting against the currents and getting to where she had ended up. It had been worth it - this was possibly the furthest from home she had yet to travel - but it did not make it any easier. For all her smiles, she still could not pull an answering one from the dark colored male. His face remained as stoic and unresponsive as ever even though he spoke politely to her, formal and somewhat stuffy. She was unused to it. No one in her family behaved this way - well, maybe Arcus did a little, he always had something to brood over - but it only made her more curious. Her grey-green eyes blinked and her look slackened as he suggested she exit the shoreline, unsure whether he was trying to get her to leave him or whether he was only trying to be helpful. It was near impossible to tell considering he gave nothing away, though she thought she saw something in his face. Was that a spark about his red eyes? Unless she was seeing things, it might have been the first hint of emotion to cross his face since he approached her. Skepticism and uncertainty caused the lavender-marked wolf's eyes to narrow slightly, recognizing in the back of her mind that her own expressions felt a little more exaggerated likely due to the fact her company was giving her nothing to go off of. He had already turned his back to her, however, and had marched a few steps down the shoreline. Gale pushed herself up to her paws, giving her still damp coat a little shake and staring after the male with a confused sort of pinch to her brow. Did he expect her to follow...? Or--? Even as she stared at him, he stopped and turned his head over his shoulder, his expressionless face staring back into hers. Gale remained still, staring back and trying to figure out what sort of game, exactly, he was playing. It would have been much more fun if she could keep up. Her ears perked as he asked for her name, and taking that as an invitation, regardless of whether it was one or not, she smiled and trotted after him down the beach. "Gale," she answered as she approached and stopped next to him, "Elementas." Her smile was back, her grey-green eyes curious, as she watched him closely. "And you?"

Was she always smiling? He was amused and somewhat fascinated that she kept smiling, even after he had left little if anything for her to go off of. He had to admit, she had determination and spunk. Inwardly though, he smirked to himself when he briefly caught the narrowing of her eyes. Yes. There it was. While he enjoyed playing a game of poker once in a while, it amused him to no end when people played into his hand. But he was sure that eventually, someone would lose interest in his one way games. Still, he drew it out for a bit longer until she popped off the ground towards him, seemingly taking his somewhat casual, hidden offer to follow. It was always funny watching others try to decode him. Quelt had tried. Pamela had tried. They had all tried. And yet, his locks kept firm. He watched and waited as she trotted towards him, a name falling from her tongue. Gale huh? And then a last name as she stopped beside him. Elementas? He allowed his gaze to show a look of mock thoughtfulness, though it probably didn't look like it was mocking thought. He seemed to be deep in thought, when on the contrary, he was playing another facade card. Finally, he would show the possibility that he'd come to a conclusion. "Elementas huh? Never heard of them." There it was. Initially, he had appeared to be acting as if he knew who they were, but he'd never heard of them at all. That wasn't to say what he did was...rude. But he hadn't really gotten out and about to socialize up until now. He turned around, a slight grin tugging at his lips as he led the way towards the forest or..whatever wasn't the beach. He hadn't missed her question about his name. So after a few steps, he stopped again and remained quiet for a moment, then he'd turn and find her gaze --probably riddled with confusion about him--and he'd answer. "Kakashi." He let it hang in the air for a moment, the slightest quirk of his lip showing he was growing amused. "Arrow." Which was his first name and which was his last name? The world may never know! If he were anyone else. Or if he were in her position, he might have felt the slightest hint of annoyance. But he was him, and he enjoyed these sorts of...games. If you could call them that. "Kakashi Arrow. I suppose I should say it's nice to meet you, Gale Elementas." That was a little better right? Probably not. Perhaps he should quit what he was doing before she decided to try and drown him. Or bury his head in the dirt. But judging by her attitude thus far, she didn't seem to be the type to do that. Maybe...just maybe...he could get away with it a little more. But then, he might end up completely confusing her to the point it would be traumatizing. Maybe. Not really though, he could see her innocence. So eventually, he'd stop. Eventually. Maybe not now...but eventually. Speech,

   

Walk | Talk  | Think   Through the male's impenetrable mask, Gale thought she saw a look almost familiar to her. She second guessed it immediately - this wolf was so good at hiding things that she did not fully trust her own ability to read him - and she realized very quickly she had been right to distrust her judgment. He must not have been thinking on her name after all, or drawing any sort of conclusions about it, even though that was what she had thought. He denied having heard of her last name before, which likely meant her family were all strangers to him as well, but that was somewhat to be expected. "Figures. We don't draw much attention to ourselves," she chuckled, refusing to be beaten by his indifference. Without offering an answer after she turned the question around on him, the dark colored wolf began to walk away, leaving Gale staring puzzled at his back. Did he ever crack, even a little? Was he annoyed, amused, content, indifferent? Without anything to go off of, without any idea of whether her mere presence was being tolerated or discreetly told to leave, the Donostrea Aertus felt a small level of frustration beginning to grow. She needed to know something, at the very least so she did not overstay her welcome or inadvertently say something that seemed out of bounds. Stubbornly she followed a step behind him, the bubbly expression on her face beginning to show its first sign of strain. They had barely gotten very far when her company stopped again, and she had to quickly catch herself to stop from treading too quickly on his heels. What was the meaning of all this? She could feel her confusion rising, and with it her irritation, though she tried her best to keep it from becoming too visible on her face. He turned to face her and Gale stared back with obvious confusion as he uttered two words, only one of which she recognized. Arrow? What was he talking about arrows for? It clicked a second later, after she saw another flicker of something, some well-masked emotion pass briefly, almost recognizably, across his face. Was that...amusement? Was..was this all a game? She could not be sure, was not sure about anything that had to do with this man - this Kakashi Arrow if that was his name - and desperately wished she could keep up with whatever game it was that he was playing. He offered a noncommittal question, and she laughed, a quick, short sound, as she stepped forward to stand beside him and stare pointedly up into his face with a look that was one part intrigue and one part confusion. "Only if you mean it," she answered, her tone gently challenging the claim that he had tried to make. Was it really nice to meet her? She could not tell.