Dayton's small paws were careful as they moved across slippery rocks. The water had splashed here, making them wet. But he was smiling. He smiled a lot more than he used to lately. Things were looking up for the boy. He quickened his pace a bit and jumped from stone to stone. Just then, as he prepared to leap, the early autumn sunlight caught the surface of the next stone. It was shinier than the others - more slippery, it seemed. But it was too late now. His rear legs pushed off and his body moved through the air a short distance before meeting the rock. Its surface was indeed very slick, and his pads slid right off. He barked in surprise as his delicate frame splashed clumsily into the water. Luckily, the water moved slowly, and he easily swam to shore. Coughing back a bit of water, Dayton shook out his coat. The moisture was released in a glittering spray all around him, soaking the objects nearby. He let himself laugh this one off. After all, he must look ridiculous. His coat was drenched and clung to his small frame like a second skin. It stuck out in strange places where the air was beginning to dry it. Hopefully no one was around to see him this way. Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha padded around the falls, the territory belonging to her and her pack; Tortuga. She finally felt somewhat happy, having been felt accepted by being brought into the pack. She couldn't have thanked her Queen, Roman, anymore. She loved Roman, even though she had only met her. She loved her as a child would love a mother, a protector, or a guardian. She didn't have to take Misha in, but luckily she was nice enough to.

Misha trotted towards the waterfall and bent down to take a drink, closing her eyes peacefully. She was new to this area, and to the wolves, but she was glad she was here. Home. The small red brown, white, and grey colored fae began to lap up a few sips of water, sniffing a familiar scent in the air. Was that Day? She thought to herself. She remembered that Day was also in the Tortuga pa-

Misha's thoughts were cut short when a wolf came splashing into the water, spraying droplets everywhere and soaking Misha. She shook her fur and looked over at the wolf as he swam over to the bank. 'Yupp, that's Day,' Misha said as she sat next to him. "Smooth," She said with a soft giggle.

The boy had paddled his way out of the water and was now sitting down to clean his pelt. Before his pink tongue could meet fur, however, a soft female voice met his ears. Its shy tone was quite familiar to him. Was it Misha? His head turned to examine the girl with his tongue still poking past his lips. As soon as the cooling air began to dry its pink tip, however, he realized it was still there and pulled it back into his mouth. He must have looked pretty silly standing there like that. Dayton chuckled lightly in spite of himself. Smooth indeed. "Yeah..." he murmured, his voice already loosening up, speech casual and free. It was easy to be himself with Misha, the two wolves were so similar. "That was my bad. I shouldn't have been moving so fast across those rocks... they're very slippery..." It was at this point that Dayton let his words trail away. He went silent with surprise. The petite, reddish brown maiden had come to sit at his side. The boy thought back to their first meeting on the beach, when a simple advance of two inches was enough to make her flee several feet away. Where was this comfortable companionship coming from? Where had her endearing shyness gone? Dayton had to admit he didn't miss it much. Now they could really talk to each other. "How are you adjusting here? Is Tortuga the home you were hoping for?" Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha smiled softly and closed her eyes, nodding. "Yes, very much so. I enjoy it a lot here." Misha smiled and shook her wet pelt, stepping over and away from Day not to get him wet again. She shook in the enjoyment of just shaking. Misha turned around and sat neatly on her haunches, wrapping her tail neatly around her paws. There was still a few dew drops sticking out at the end of her fur, giving the impression that her fur was sparkling. She smiled and looked at Day while flicking her ears around. For some reason, she liked listening to his chuckle, and his voice. Especially when he talked to her. She wagged her tail slowy, feeling safe around Day, not feeling to have to be defensive about herself that much as she had to be. The red brown, white, and grey pelted fae smiled and looked at Day, wondering what he thought about her and what he would say.

The small boy continued to smile as Misha nodded and told him how much she was enjoying it here. "I'm glad," he replied, his voice warm like honey. Everything seemed to be going well with his life lately. Take it one day at a time, he supposed, and things get better. Just look at me now, Dayton thought. I may actually have a friend. His gaze sparkled a bit with amusement as the maiden moved away to shake herself dry. His maw twisted into a smirk. He hadn't thought of doing that, but then he didn't exactly know Misha was there when he had been splashing water around. "Sorry for getting you wet, my lady." Dayton chuckled again, continuing to smile as she returned to his side. His vision caught her tail as it wrapped comfortably around her legs. Yes, the girl was definitely more at ease with him now. He was glad. "So what brings you to this part of Tortuga?" Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha smiled, thinking about the question. "I don't know, just the past, I guess.. The memories.. The pain.." Misha's gaze fell to the ground, trailing off. She was now lost in her own thoughts. Misha had felt like nothing without her old mate Ahote, missing him still almost every second of the day. But, she of course hid her pain, not wanting to be known as weak. Misha's thoughts fell into the day Ahote had left her.. ~Ahote: "Don't you ever speak to me again, you dirty mongrel!!" Misha's world stopped, her heart literally felt like it was breaking. Misha: "B.. But What? Ahote, wait!!" Ahote crashed into the female and moved her aside, pushing the small wolf to the ground, making her tumble over. The last thing she would ever see from Ahote again would be him leaving Misha on the ground, brokenhearted.~ Misha closed her eyes, holding back tears as she bit her tongue and tightened her jaws, staring at the grass with an emotionless expression.

The quiet boy kept smiling down at Misha as she spoke, a frown appearing as her words were processed. Pain... he knew pain. Memories... those he tried to suppress. His gaze had shifted away for a moment, but now he brought it back. His eyes held concern for the girl, watching carefully as she seemed to remember something awful. Misha shut her eyes, fighting tears, and then stared blankly at the grass. They were fairly close now, so he dared to reach out and offer her some comfort. Though Dayton didn't know her personal story, he hoped someday they would be close enough for her to share it with him. For now he simply moved his tail, cautiously brushing it against her hip. He replaced the frown with a tender smile, waiting for her eyes to lift to his. He would offer her comfort - after all, no one had ever done so much for him. "The past can be a painful thing. Trust me, I know." The small brute had a truly gentle voice as he said this. His words were genuine, though as he said them he refused to think of his own incident. Often he let himself remember those things when he was around Misha. But not today. Today would be about her. Her walls were crumbling now... perhaps they would fall. "I'll always be here, Misha, if you ever want to open up to me." Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha tensed a bit as the male known as Day softly brushed his tail against Misha's hip. She blushed softly, surprised at his touch. It was a sense of release for Misha, and for some trusting, willful reason, she leaned against the male and lied next to him, nuzzling her head into his chest, finally letting go and tearing up, getting the fur of his chest wet with her tears. She closed her eyes tightly, not really aware of what she was doing; just knowing that she wanted and needed some senseful release of comfort.

Dayton's heart began to thud. What had changed inside of Misha? She trusted him so fully now. Immediately after his little gesture of comfort, she had flinched only briefly before leaning her entire figure against his. Her tearful eyes rubbed against the fur of his chest, making his breath catch. The warmth of their pelts intertwining was enough to make him shudder. He ached with everything inside him to move away. This was too much too fast, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Misha. She needed this now, and he had promised to be there for her. So he waited. She continued to hold her soft head against his chest, dampening his fur into clumps with her tears. He sighed shakily and bumped his chin gently against the top of her skull, making small shushing sounds to soothe her crying. "Would you..." his voice failed him for a moment. Dayton tried again. "Would you like to talk about what's troubling you, my lady?" Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha looked up, sniffling. "M.. My.. I.. My mate leftme after literally ripped my heart out, and left me for dead.. I'm sorry for weighing this down on you.." She wasn't sure what the male thought about Misha and her outbreak, so she just continued resting her head on his chest, curling up around him. Misha had grown second thoughts for Day, feeling safe and sound curled up into this male's warmth, her chest lying in rest on his chest.

The male struggled to stay still, listening with his full attention as the maiden began pouring her broken heart out to him. Her mate had abandoned her, left her for dead. Though Dayton hardly knew the girl, it made him furious to think of such a terrible thing befalling her. If he were larger and stronger and had skill in fighting, he would track her mate down and make him pay. But here he was, weak and fragile, with nothing to provide but a shoulder to cry on. And in this moment, that was enough. The earthen boy started to feel more comfortable with her body against his, and the warmth began to spread. He prodded his nose against her cheek and found a stray tear, licking it dry without a second thought. Misha was closer to him than any wolf had been before - except, perhaps, his own sister. But she was dead now. Memories pressed at his barriers, threatening to break through again. "You aren't weighing me down, Misha. In fact, helping you makes me feel lighter. As you've probably guessed, I have troubles and pain of my own." He lowered his voice to a whisper and gave her cheek one more soft lick, though there were no tears to dry. "Would it take your mind off of things if I shared my story with you?" Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha nodded in reply. She would listen to his story and comfort him when he would need it as he had comforted her. She widened her eyes a bit when he licked her cheek a second time, blushing softly and smiling at the ground. Why had he done that? Why would anyone lick Misha? The small fae smiled at the thought. You're friends. That's what friends do. Misha nodded. Friend.. For the first time in forever, she wasn't alone. She had someone she could call a friend, a wolf to talk to, to socialize with, to even call a friend. Misha smiled up at Day. After all, when pain went down to the core, pain was pain.

The earthen pelted boy sighed deeply. He had relived these memories many times before, more than he cared to admit. He would be strong when telling them to Misha. He wouldn't let himself crack. Dayton drew in a steady breath as he prepared to speak. "When I was young, my father tried to rape my little sister." This was difficult enough to say. Little did his new friend know that the worst of his story was still to come. "Apparently he was used to doing this to his daughters. Despicable, I know. But he was a monster - we were used to his abuse." "I tried to save her, to intercept him, but he simply turned on me. My slight figure and... feminine... bone structure made him think I was just another daughter and he - he, um, raped me instead." Saying it aloud. That was something the boy had never done. He felt something stab into him, piercing straight to his core like a cold knife. "That was traumatizing, as you can imagine. Well, you probably can't, but still. I ran with my sister and we escaped our father, but she fell ill soon after and passed away only recently." By some miracle, Dayton had survived. His eyes were dry as he looked down at Misha, measuring her reaction. "So I hope you know that I understand your pain. But we can get through it together, if you'd like." Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha gasped in shock as she heard Day's tragic story. He had been raped. She looked at him and nuzzled his cheek, giving it a small and softly reassuring lick against his cheek. "You're not a girl. You're a very handsome young wolf," Misha said with a soft smile, being nothing but truthful. Misha looked at the boy known as Day. It was true, he was a very cute and handsome wolf. And here he was, curled up with Misha. Maybe the fate was led to the stars, and the choices led to our hearts. Misha smiled and nuzzled her head against the male's chest again, enjoying his warm-hearted company while he rested with Misha. 'Maybe one day everything would be all better and at least some of the pain would be washed away.' Misha nuzzled her head deeper into his chest, closing her eyes in rest.

He listened to Misha, caught up in her soft, friendly voice. Her words touched him. Of course he knew he was a male, it was in the biology of things - a smirk lit up his face - but being called handsome was an entirely different matter. Dayton felt his jaw go slack for a split second before he composed himself again. Was Misha complimenting his appearance? No one ever complimented his appearance. He was too feminine. Too delicate and fragile. Nothing close to attractive, at least not to a female - his thoughts were caught in the sudden darkness, which he soon threw aside. "If I am anything close to attractive," Dayton began. Which I'm not, he wanted to add, but he swallowed the words... "Then there would be no words for you. Dear Misha, you are beautiful." Some part of his mind tried to stop him. Was he really saying these things to someone? How much was changing inside him? He bit his lip, anxious, as he waited for the pretty girl to respond. Her head pressed close to his chest. He sighed as something began to stir deep in his gut. None of this was normal for him. Walk. "Talk." Think.

OOC: AWW TOTES MOTHER BUNNY ADORABLE.~

Misha looked up at the male known as Day when he had called her beautiful. Did she have to check her ears? Slap herself silly? He had called Misha beautiful. Was he being serious? Misha never saw herself as decent looking; much less attractive. MUCH less beautiful. But here she was, still taking in Day's compliment. Maybe he had meant it. Maybe, just maybe it was true, not just for shits and giggles. Misha gazed into the males eyes, smiling softly with a rosy red blush upon her cheeks. "Why thank you," She simply responded, still blushing. The red brown, white, and grey colored fae dropped her gaze onto the ground, smiling awkwardly at the grass. She had practically melted with Day's comment, her heart beating like a friggin mustang. She felt her heart flutter abnd her stomach twist into a knot, all of this new to her. She felt more real feelings with Day than she ever felt with her old mate.

In the slight silence that followed, Dayton felt his words rush to catch up with him. What had he just done? Did he feel that way about Misha? He wasn't sure, but he had to reassure himself that he was only telling the truth. Whether or not he knew her well enough to care so much was another matter altogether. But Misha was beautiful. That much was clear. Her coat was a dance of gorgeous colors, and her eyes were enough to make a heart stop. They held a quiet blue that was shining in its quality. Like two pools of ethereal water. He gazed into them for a moment before both young wolves blushed fiercely and began smiling at the ground. "Why thank you," she had whispered, her soft tones making his heart flutter. "You're welcome, Misha." Why had he said that? Was it a mistake? Probably not, and the male shouldn't be so paranoid. Things would turn out fine. They were friends. That was all. For now. The voice came without his consent, and he snapped at it internally. He couldn't afford to sell his heart away. That would only bring him more pain. So for now, the two friends stared at the ground, lost in their own thoughts of humility. Their matching fur intertwined as they curled up on the ground, the air surrounding them with sounds of the waterfall. Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha was lost in her own thoughts. Of course a male could use fake words, play with Misha, lead her own, then break her down as easily as he had built her up. That had been her old mate. And she had began thinking all males were the same. Hurtful, malevolent creatures. Until she met Day. She had began having second thoughts about him ever since they had met. But was she too quick to let her heart out of it's cage so easily? So easily to let go? Maybe she had been foolish.. Or maybe she had made the right decision, but how would she know? Misha didn't want her heart broken; that was the last thing she definitely wanted. But Day made her thoughts weigh towards letting herself go once again into the happy, bright wolf she once was.

Yes, Dayton really wasn't sure about all of this, but letting himself go had worked well so far. Why not trust his instincts and grow close to another creature? Misha was worthy of his affection, after all. She was pure, and lovely, and she was his friend. So he leaned his head down and rested it upon hers, closing his eyes to rest. "How did you meet your old mate?" he asked tenderly. He didn't want to rip out the stitches in her heart too soon, but clean wounds healed more quickly. Maybe he could help more than he already had. Walk. "Talk." Think.

Misha felt the male rest his head against her's and smiled softly, surely this being one of affection. "Well, when I was born, my mother had died in giving birth to me, and I was her only pup born. An only child. Then my father took care of me; and he was a healer and knew how to keep me alive without mother's milk. It was hard, but he had accomplished it. Then, when I was about one; my father had gone out to hunt one day, a spring day when a bunch of mother bears were out with their cubs.. He never came back. I was so lonely, dying for any amount of company.. That is when I found Amoux/Ahote. He had two names. And he loved me for a few months, keeping me fulfilled with the company I needed for a hearting heart. Of course I fell in love with him, I fell easy. So easy. But, he left as soon as had came, like a ghost."