[ P ] Golden Hour

T

he ocean breeze was heaven on earth. The youth stood alone on a tall cliff that overlooked a beautiful beach just to the east of this new place she had discovered. Far down below, the ocean was relentless in its approach, hammering the rocky shore below in rhythmic waves. It was late afternoon, and the mist seemed to glow a golden hue in the warm autumn light. She breathed in the sea air, exhaling in a noisy sigh.

She was not terribly far from her home, but this place seemed like a different world entirely. Willow loved her home very much, but as she was drawing closer and closer to adulthood, she found it more difficult to stay in one place. The girl had always had an adventurous spirit and restless paws. So far, it had been a pretty good day. She had spent it entirely alone, except for the lovely sights that she saw. She had not even encountered a fellow traveler that day.

”This must be the most beautiful place in all the world,” she announced out loud in a dreamy voice, just as she had at nearly every stop along her journey, even those places that most would find underwhelming. Even in those locations, Willow could find beauty where others seemed unable. For now, she was content to peer down upon a peaceful scene, not minding the solitude she had discovered there.




@Jupiter

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

The

day was welcoming. Inviting. The wind caressed the edges of the highlands, seas-salt kissing the breeze and gently coaxing its fingers through his coat. He had returned--though he was uncertain of where he had gone. Unaware of the strife and struggle the lands had suffered, he seemed to have simply vanished, only to later re-appear with little to no knowledge to speak of. He had aged if only slightly, no longer a yearling but only in name alone, for he remained as lanky as usual. Gossamer and soft, wind-swept fur and wind-chaffed nose, he had followed the lights. Followed the soft, dancing lights away from the edge of the forest, away from the trees and out farther, farther until the quiet roar of the ocean filled his ears and the foam of the sea washed over his toes.


The breaking waves along the shore splashed salted water along his side and snapped him free of the trance-like reverie the lights always left him in. He blinked once--twice-- and became aware suddenly that he was far far away from where he wished to be. Far away. So far. He turned--the waves washing away his footprints in the wet sand. Something gripped at his chest, a vice-grip on his heart. Was it fear? Anxiety? Uncertainty? Something--never could he place it. Emotions were a mystery to him, a jumble of strings he could never untangle. Panic wanted to set in--
And then a voice, carried on the wind, down from on high.

This must be the most beautiful place in all the world.


RUN. Run run run. He turned, swiveling on his heels to run--where? To whom? From whom? He could not say and could not know. All he knew was that he had to go up. Maybe this was the voice that Father heard? Her?

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Willow

J

ust as Willow was preparing to move on to her next unknown destination, the scent belonging to another of her kind caught her attention. Instantly, her desire for solitude vanished like an ocean mist. Curiosity urged her to look around and see who else had happened upon such a divine scene.

A figure was moving in the distance, not terribly far away, but evidently too great a distance for Willow to perceive that the wolf was distressed at the very sound of her feminine vocals. Instead, she could see only his coat – and it was quite a lovely one, with bold colors that almost blended in with the autumnal color palette, hues of sable and steel all mixed up. He looked tall and lanky, which was fairly typical of one her own age. He was shifting on his paws, making the youth appear as if he were dancing rather than panicking… at least to Willow’s naive eyes.

Instantly, her false perception inspired a smile upon the girl’s muzzle, and hazel pools sparkled in the golden hue of the afternoon. Where one might see danger, Willow instead recognized a youth like herself, exploring alone like herself, with so much energy he could scarcely keep still. After she had observed all of this for a lingering moment, the almost-adult femme began to trot toward this potential friend and adventurer, and she called out to the stranger in her approach: ”Hello! It is a lovely day, is it not?” Her voice was enthusiastic, and her facade was one of innocence.




@Jupiter

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

The

anxiety winds itself around his chest in threads he cannot pull and wires he cannot trace. It's a slowly-building panic that gathers in his stomach and threatens to burst out of his orifices as h runs--the sand under his feet is hard-packed, wet and tight and his feet hit it with a dull 'thud'. Dense. He cannot know who she is--or if this voice is outside of his head or inside of it? He closes both eyes, squeezing them shut tight--so tight that tears threaten to prick at the corners of them-- and when next he opens them, his feet have carried him farther from the beach and closer to her.

And much to his surprise--and brief relief-- she is real. A real person. His clouded eye catches only the hovering, blurry lights around her person--he cannot discern what color her soul is. What color her aura is? It is prismatic and unstable-- she's not yet found herself. This isn't strange--he has no idea who he is, either. It only means she is more real than he had initially thought. And his relief--while honest--is short-lived. She is real and he struggles with flesh and bone people who focus on words and actions rather than thoughts and feelings--which he cannot control anyway. But she speaks to him with friendly lilt, a chipper tone and a smile plastered on her face. He cannot be much older than her-- perhaps they are very near the same age, though he is but months ahead.
"What?" Oh. Right. He turns his head towards the sky and slowly circles-- is it a beautiful day? ......Yes, he decides. It is. Observations decided, he nods sharply, though the action itself still seems hesitant.
" Y..yes. The..the day is..." he trails, knowing his words come out broken and stuttered, staccato in the most inopportune way.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Willow

W

illow was still marching closer to this maybe-friend, lack of awareness a hallmark of her approach. But as the space separating the two youths diminished, as she skipped closer, a strange sort of feeling crossed over the girl. It was like a shadow of understanding, a recollection that not every wolf is as they seem. She was more certain that the one she had encountered was also young, on the precipice of adulthood. But he seemed… distracted. The enthusiasm she carried in her posture and her expression faded, but only for a moment. Perhaps he was simply shy. Or maybe he was in some sort of trouble, and needed her assistance?

His halting words, distracted by some unseen force, caused Willow’s movements to cease. She was close now, not so close that she could touch the stranger, but close enough to see more details – a clouded eye, medium build, and a face that was mysterious as well as lovely, in its own peculiar way. The girl blinked as she took in the sight of him. He did not seem particularly scary…

”My name is Willow. I guess I didn’t really think I would find anyone here today.” Her expression remained pleasant, though there was a part of her that remained a bit uneasy. ”Are you lost? Maybe I can help,” she offered with an even wider smile on her dark muzzle.



@Jupiter

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Is

he lost...? Is he? He cannot know. He doesn't know. His brows furrow, expression twisting into confusion that mingles with his distress. He shuffles suddenly, recoiling as if he's been struck-- back back, away away. She means no harm, this he knows--but the prospect of contact--of closeness, of someone daring to squeeze their way past the paper-thin walls of his defense-- startles him. Rejects him. He steps back, pulling away from her sphere of influence. In his mind, anyway. He doesn't mean to be rude but it likely comes off as such-- and he does not apologize, as he doesn't quite know how.
"No. No. No. Yes? No." he doesn't think so. Maybe he is. He doesn't know how far he's traveled or where he's traveled to--but does that make him lost? He is lost. She cannot help him, but she doesn't know that. "H-have...Have you seen...the...lights...?" The lights that led him out here--the dancing balls a fae-fire that swam in the corners of his limited vision. Maybe she had. "Where....did they..go...?" They were gone, vanished into the waves. Or into the air? He cannot say. He does not know where they have led him. Maybe to her, on purpose?
He regards her warily, carefully, from his perceived safe distance.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Willow

W

illow’s face briefly registered her surprise as the stranger moved awkwardly, as if some invisible phantom had hit him full force. The girl even took a moment to look around, wondering if she had missed something. But the air was clear, the sky was intensely beautiful, and there seemed to be no one around but the two youths. Her dark muzzle turned downward, her posture shrunk so that her pale belly was nearly touching the earth beneath her, instinctively attempting to make herself look smaller, less threatening – though no one had ever regarded Willow as a threat before, and it felt rather strange to do so.

If the boy was lost, he seemed not to know it for certain. The tri-color femme opened her maw to speak again, concerned as she was, when the stranger spoke again in halting language: "H-have...Have you seen...the...lights...? Where....did they..go...?"

Lights? Like the Northern Lights that painted the skies during the wintry months? Willow, unable as she was to mask her emotions from her visage, arched an eyebrow questioningly. ”Uh, well – I… Maybe I have seen the lights,” she ventured to guess. ”They – I think they come back in the winter. After it starts snowing?” She was second-guessing herself now, his confusion seemingly contagious.

She resisted a growing urge to back away – slowly. Something was definitely not right here. But her tender heart kept her planted there, in a prone position, green eyes merciful as she watched the boy. ”Do you live near here? Can you – do you need help?”



@Jupiter

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he Changeling child regards her warily still, her poise serving to confuse him ever more. .....But no, he decides. She is not 'Her'. Not the one that speaks to Father. He hopes he never hears Her. This one seems... real, perhaps. She speaks of a different light-- a winter light. He things for a moment before recalling watching the sky dance and shift but only in the snow. She has seen THOSE lights--not the lights of the Fae, but the lights of the Gods. He nods, but shakes his head shortly thereafter which appears to be a confusion action though in his mind, he is affirming that she has seen A light, but not the ones he speaks of. He blinks up at the sky. The sun really is very nice, warm on his coat. The beach is lovely. He remembers how to get salt from the seaweed and how to dry the seaweed into a crispy, crunchy snack. Perhaps this is why she is here too--or maybe she's just made of seafoam and will disappear on the wind? .....Hmm, no. Too real. Too solid.

He inhales, exhales, inhales again and tries to focus. He manages to still the tremor in his legs but not so much the one in his voice."..The f-forest... I am from... I followed th-the lights. They... they play. Pranks. T-too many." He can find his way back to the Forest...eventually. Perhaps. He swallows down the sudden surge of fear that threatens to kick him into high-gear again. No. Father said to make friends. Said he had to. "....Not...not lost. Just....Misplaced." What a way to put it.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Willow

W

illow had been hopeful that adopting a non-threatening posture would help to ease the concerns of the other, but it seemed not to matter much. His fear was palpable, and Willow’s heart rate had increased, and her breathing came more quickly now. She moved herself into a sitting position, returning his wary look with one of her own. He was older than Willow, but seemed younger in his demeanor and behaviors. It was odd, to be certain.

"..The f-forest... I am from... I followed th-the lights. They... they play. Pranks. T-too many." Willow simply stared, uncertain what to think of the halting words pronounced by the strange boy. She was fairly convinced now that there was indeed something going wrong with him. Maybe he was sick? Maybe he was like one of the wolves she had heard about, the kind that look alright, but are sick instead inside of their heads? A sickness was a sickness, no matter where it could be found in the lupine body. Her urge to help still remained, despite her growing unease.

The boy attempted to explain, still struggling to find the words: "....Not...not lost. Just....Misplaced.” Willow was quiet for a lingering moment before she ventured to ask, ”What is your name? You – you must not be from around here, I guess, if the lights are not here.” She bit her bottom lip. ”Is your mum nearby? Or your dad?”



@Jupiter

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck