Sand Between the Toes [Open]

[Deleted]

Yana


Trust was a fickle thing. It was an endless task that a very being required to elicit out of others in order to survive. The realization came with the teeth in her neck and the cold water when she was plunged into it, just a little pup, unable to have a say in the world. But being born on an island where she was unwelcome was not the place she desired to stay. Leaving had been difficult, despite being in the jaws of her companion. And then, miraculously, she had hit the beach.

The sand was cold now, it was harsher on her paws. Threatening the ever changing season, promising that she was in for her luck. Her eyes watched the waters, suspicious, but then the sigh rolled off her tongue. What more could she offer to the cold water, looking like it longed to eat her alive. The waters would merrily swallow her up, but it was not the first time that she chose that fate. In her mind, she could see herself attempting to swim once again, this time on her own accord.

Yet she never touched the water, never found herself wandering to the edge. Solid red eyes looked hungrily at the island off in the distance, but the hunger was not there. The urge was not there, spurring her forwards, and her tail swished behind her as the irritation. It would make sense if she went back to her birthplace, it would make sense if she graced the old waters. Whether or not it would consume her would be another thing, but she would work with that when it crossed her path.

What did it matter on the land she was on now? Everything had changed; the difficulty of grasping the notion that she had once a home was gone. When her eyes glanced back to the trees, sprouting along the grounds further back, the air rattled around her. She felt like a snake, wanting to strike at something; it exhausted her to know that everything she had worked for in her youth had ultimately just fallen apart. Everyone who had earned her respect had all but vanished - better grounds, better calling. Wanderlust was only so meaningful. The abandonment of the wood was almost harsh on her ears - it was ringing in nothing but silence.

The water was the best noise, crashing in glee. Misery loved the ocean.

[Kenren]

The chill air of impending fall ruffled through his fur, and he gave an irritable shudder. Summer had flown by so quickly, too quickly for his taste. He'd spent the last two winters in the south, avoiding the cold winters of his childhood. And yet, once again, he was looking in the mouth of a winter that was likely to be harsh after one so mild. Living through the warmer months without a pack was one thing, but he grimaced at the thought of the frigid cold without other bodies to keep him warm. He hated that all of these thoughts came to mind before the first snow had even fallen, and yet he couldn't shake the dread that had clung to him for over a week. He was patrolling now to try and outrun it, occupying himself with the mundane task of scouting the borders. The borders and, of course, the beach. With the channel to Sharktooth just beyond, it wasn't uncommon for him to come across someone half-drowned in the surf - while he couldn't do much else for them but pull them to land, most of the time that was all it took. Sometimes they weren't so lucky, though - he had a certain place he'd take them, if the channel had swept the life from them. It wasn't something his father had ever done, but he didn't feel right leaving those bodies for the gulls to pick at. He made his way through the thinning trees and out onto the thick sand. He slowed to a walk, gold eyes scanning over the long expanse of shore. He spotted the figure near the water almost immediately, though that in and of itself was not unusual. There was a fair bit of traffic between the Woods and Sharktooth, and his lands had always been open to travelers making their way through. As he drew closer, though, he felt a tickle of recognition at the sight of the mottled fur. She was bigger than the little-more-than-yearling she'd been when he'd last seen her, and yet... "Yana?" he asked in disbelief, and yet even as he said it, he knew he was right. He'd seen no sign of her since he'd gotten back, and yet here she was. For once, he found himself a little lost for words.

[Deleted]

Yana

The scent was a lie to her nose, but the female paused when it started to drift on the fall air. Oh, the thoughts that countered with the smell that filtered through her, the awareness that caused a deep feeling of shock. The mottled wolf glanced easily, red gaze faded with a hint of wariness. Joker, the name was on her tongue before she dared speak it. It proved that the yearling that had been had counted on the male too much. It caused her to offer a mental scold to herself, but eventually she twisted to the summoning of the voice on the air. Had she ever ignored it before? Why would it change now?

Gaze settled on the wolf with the air about him that she had never denied before. While he had been reckless enough to leave when he was but a yearling, she had still believed in the leadership feeling that graced him. There was no reaction visited upon her face while she stared at him, watching the lost sensations come back. It had been a long time, had it not? Dare she just stare him down, then jump into the icy waters as if she would abandon the scene without a moment's notice?

The female swallowed, caused her eyes to drop after she stared for a few moments too long. It seemed improper, but still her voice seemed brittle, lacking in confidence when she offered up a greeting. "It surprises me you remember my name, Joker." Words tumbled with a hint of familiarity, her head dropped faintly as she shifted around in her spot, forcing herself to face him head on. The pain was instant, but she forced the stab of it back from where it reached.

"It's been a long time." The obvious stated, the nagging question beckoned at the heels. "Have you returned home? I'm afraid it's not much of one, anymore." Sadness touched at the edge of her words, but the reminder that he had fled to live his life caused her to arch her neck. Lifting her head just an inch or so, the female sighed. Yes, home no longer existed, did it?

[Kenren]

It was Yana. Joker's mouth widened in a grin, if only for a moment, at the revelation of meeting his old friend again. The smile began to fade, though, as he realized she didn't share his elation. "It surprises me you remember my name, Joker." His brow furrowed. It had been two years, sure, and she'd been younger than him, but it wasn't like one just forgot. "It's been a long time." In theory, yes, but for Joker it had passed in something of a blur. He felt a guilty little seed settle in his gut. He hadn't thought about anyone but himself when he'd run off, and he'd always been at peace with that fact. In most respects, he'd been an adult - it wasn't uncommon for a two-year-old male to leave the pack of his birth. He'd never given a second thought to the ones he was leaving behind. No one but his father. And that was the point, wasn't it? He didn't know what to say. "Have you returned home? I'm afraid it's not much of one, anymore." Her words were more reminiscent than accusing, and yet that guilt spread a little further in him. He'd never planned for that to happen. He had always planned on coming back someday, though the mantle of responsibility was never something that he'd wanted. When he'd left, Irial had been a healthy six years, in his prime... how was he to know that he'd fall sick and die so suddenly? Though fate had taken him, Joker knew that it was his own absence that had caused the back to fall apart in his absence. Why Arastan couldn't hold them together, he may never know. When he'd heard, he'd come back to his birthplace, but it had been too late. There hadn't been a sign of anyone. He shuffled a little uncomfortably, hating that she wouldn't look him in the eye. "Um, yeah. I'm back." He didn't say anything about the sorry, empty state of the Woods. The memories of his childhood were full of laughter and life, not the empty sound of the wind through the trees. But he would change that, if he could. He hated being alone as much as he hated being tied down, and if was forced to be one, then he would sure as hell keep the other from plaguing him. "Yana, where have you been?"

[Deleted]

Yana

The patchwork female was not about to stir the pain that she had pushed aside long ago. The shock of seeing the strong male, the one who she had been told countless times would take lead of their pack and keep them safe once his father passed away. When the time had arrived, where had the male been? Where had been the ill-fated Joker without a say in his destiny?

Briskly, the female loosened her shoulders and forced the calmer nature to take over. An emotional investment in the lost sounding wolf before her warned of a wasted moment. She had missed him, loathed the realization. But what would words of accusation, blatant and battering down upon his head do? Where had she been, the question lingered on the air and her tail swished restlessly. "Staying safe." Blunt words rolled off the tongue easily enough, "Arastan never held my allegiance, he was not the one who ruled. Without you, without Irial..."

Her head inclined as it trickled off into her thoughts. She favored the pain of the memory, knowing that he had not been here. For all the time she had lingered in hope, when the time came she had allowed herself to slip away. Eyes dropped to the ground, almost as if the female expected the world to explain everything. As if the ground would begin to move on its own, and forgive her for not having the words. Instead, loneliness favored a constant reminder. Things had changed, dramatically.

"Nothing remained, Joker. Nothing was here for me, any more than I would thrive if I returned to my birthplace." Fierce words were displeased with herself for the admission. Ears swayed on top of her head, and she forced her attention forward, her eyes lingered on the paws she could view standing in the sand.


"I trust you've found whatever you went searching for?" Eyes blinked faintly, her head tipped to the side as she breathed in the air around her. The cold water soothed her senses, reminded her she had a choice. "Isn't that the only reason you would come back to..." Words hesitated,"Here."

[Kenren]

Every word she spoke drove another little spike of guilt into his gut, but he kept his expression from showing it. She spoke of her birthplace, which he knew to be a tender topic for her, even if she'd never shared the details. Most didn't, if they washed up on the shore. "I trust you've found whatever you went searching for?" Her eyes on him made him feel very small indeed. "Isn't that the only reason you would come back to... Here?" Something in him rebelled then, his natural fire overriding the guilty feelings. I was never searching for anything," he said a little irritably. "I only ever felt pinned down here, and nothing I did was ever right. I couldn't breathe." He wasn't the sort to bottle things, but he generally didn't outright share his feelings, either. He felt like he needed to explain himself at least a little to her, though. They had been friends once. He owed her that. "I'm sorry that things have been hard," he said, more quiet now. He took a few steps toward her, until they were only a foot or so apart. He looked her in the eye, gold on red, hoping she could see his sincerity. "But I'm not going anywhere now. When there was a choice, I wanted to be anywhere else. But now there isn't one, and I'm not going to let you or any of the others feel... well, homeless, again." His voice was soft, but very open. If she remembered anything about him, he hoped it was that he wouldn't break an outright promise.

[Deleted]

Yana

Relief touched her features only when he finally decided to defend himself on the matters at hand. It bothered her that he had abandoned everything that had been his. Of course he had felt suffocated - duty was often such. But it was a matter of time before she offered him a bow of her head and she huffed hopelessly. It bothered her that she felt so intrigued, so elated with his return. It was like home seemed attainable once again, and she loathed the fact that it carried on the shoulder's of someone she had cared about once upon a time. Then he drifted away, never thinking about her again or what she must have felt when she realized that he never even conferred with her.

Truth was, she would have gone with him, merrily. They had been close - she craved a home and a family when there had never been one from her. Washing up on the beach was the last thing she had ever figured for her life, but it had changed her for the better. Then like a blast of wind, she had been swept off her feet. That illusion had been gracefully erased in the disappearance of the heir of Shore Woods.

The stare was returned with some, and her shoulders slumped with the meaning of his words. Now that there was no choice. Fighting the sting, her words were tinged with laughter. "Oh, I trust you won't leave." Her eyes gazed at him finally, softening around the corners. The hurt was just not going to go away, it could not be avoided. Shaking her head faintly, the female huffed agreeably. "You were always true to your obligations, no matter what they did to you."

Then something little within broke, and she closed the gap restlessly, head bowed, her body swung lightly to avoid face on, but her muzzle brushed up against his shoulder loosely. Touch, acknowledgement - hell, the mere scent of him meant all the memories of a happier time washed up. Still, she couldn't help but feel torn. He never wanted to be here, he still didn't; no matter how she felt, the painful reminder that she had argued about his contentment being more important than his obligations lingered. "Welcome home, Joker." Sad words muttered, "I hope we won't disappoint you."

[Kenren]

He realized too late that his words might have come out wrong - that maybe she'd think he meant that he hated it here. But she didn't say anything, and he didn't ask, letting the moment slide. She gave him the affirmation that he needed, and he visibly relaxed a little. She moved closer, quite suddenly, but he didn't so much as flinch. She touched his shoulder, and he realized how much he'd missed her. The easy friendship that they'd had was something he'd taken for granted, and he regretted that now, as much as he could. He'd made it a habit to never look back, because much of his past held pain in his heart. He turned his head, touching his muzzle softly to the fur beneath her ear. "You could never disappoint me," he murmured, and he meant it. If anyone was going to be a disappointment, it was him. Always him. It was strange, though, how much hearing the words 'welcome home' affected him after so long. After a moment, taking his time to remember her scent, ha stepped away. There was a chill on his skin where she'd touched him. "This is your home, Yana. Even if if feels strange now, I hope I can help you think of it fondly." He stopped, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish. He wasn't the type to get easily embarrassed, but all of this was foreign ground for him. All he knew was that he was happy she was back, and it made the knot in his gut that had settled ever since he came back loosen a little. It was a start. Speech ooc: We can stop here unless you want to keep going :D I want a thread with these two and Kita after the thread where she finds him <3