[Amando]

The trees are just as sweet as he had hoped. It feels right, to be surrounded by purple flowers, and healers, and an army he's not in charge of. Amando feels safe, and accepted, and lonely, and so very sad. How sad is it, that he didn't even know he was sad until that Sentry pointed it out-- he didn't even give Aeolus a nickname, and that upsets him more than the outcome of the actual interaction, like he cheated the guy, somehow.

He lifts his head, to watch the wind in the leaves. There's just nothing like it-- like waves, but so much nicer. The trees don't have a hit-list for him. The timbre looks totally regal, with his head high, armor gleaming in the sunset, as he announces to the trees, "I'm gonna call him Aioli," with no clue they're not the only ones listening.

[.Birch.]

 

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The morning started off a little differently than normal for the chocolate dire. He awoke at the rise of dawn surrounded by his siblings, since they had slept together in a giant heap, thus starting his usual routine of wriggling out of the mass as gently as possible to free himself so that he could sneak out of the den. He liked to start his day before the rest of the pack because it freed him from the stress that came with the possibility of being forced into an unwanted interaction. It was a fear that Birch had since puphood no one knew when or how it developed but it severely impacted his social skills to the point where he couldn't even say a simple hello or morning to someone he would randomly run into. Instead he would actively avoid others. It left him without any friends which saddened the recluse because his greatest desire was to have someone accept him for all of his flaws but he could never bring himself to go out and make that connection.

His family were the only ones he could talk to without issue but he knew that they would eventually begin to drift apart and that fact scared the timid yearling. He knew that his more lively and outgoing brother Felix strove to be a member of the Royal Guard, which sounded both very hard and very cool, and Birch wished him all the success in the world. That being said he couldn't stop the underlying fear that he would abandon his weaker sibling to make friends with other wolves....better wolves. Probably ones that he could compete with and who liked the idea of participating in a real battle as much as he did. Birch was much too soft and fragile for that lifestyle. So the most he could ever offer were words of praise and an ever ready ear to lend when Felix complained about lifes injustices. It was a role easily filled by anyone.

This line of thought continued as he limped onward. Unlike his normal days where he would make a beeline for his secret garden the dire just wandered aimlessly lost in though and fearing for his future. That was until he was startled into reality when he finally took notice of the black and white figure in the distance. Every instinct told him to avoid the stranger but curiosity got the better of the meek yearling. There was something adorning the figures body. Golden eyes could make out the sheen of the material against the soft morning light. So he slowly, and carefully, he made his way closer to the figure who kept their gaze fixated skyward but for what reason was unknown. Small tan paws avoided the many sticks and leaves that threatened to give away his location which slowed his advancement to a crawl. As he got closer he could make out faint words that the other was  muttering to themselves. 

"I'm gonna call him Aioli."

 The yearling tilted his head in confusion. Was the person naming the tree? In that brief second of contemplation the dire accidentally stepped on a slender twig which snapped beneath his weight. The sudden sound caused Birch to jump with a start as he quickly looked down at the wooden remains beneath his feet before looking up to see if the stranger had taken notice. Which was more than likely. His ears fell back and he slowly took a few steps backwards until he felt he  was a respectable distance away from the other. Ohhh this was not what he wanted. He avoided the strangers gaze and bit his lip in distress. What was the stranger going to do? He couldn't run, his injured paw was still recovering, and hiding was no longer an option. Stupid Birch you should have just stayed home!

[Amando]

He used to startle like a jackrabbit, but Amando isn't nearly so jumpy these days. Maybe he's getting older and anxiety has all of his energy occupied; maybe he feels safe in Inaria. His ears swivel the instant the sound is made, but he takes a moment before actually looking over. The markings carve his eyes out sharply, although one of the white dots above his eyes is raised higher than the other-- curious, more than anything, with a side of concern. "Y'okay, kid?" The timbre ensures, standing despite the creaking protest of his cuirass. "You look like you seen a ghost or somethin'." Not that Amando has-- never; just the white wolf in the water, with knives for eyes and razor-claws, that would hold his head under until the pond ran pink and-- actually, let's not go there.

The leather looks a little heavy on him, with a cobwebbed coil of rope tied to his side. Dressed for war, with the voice of a caricature, and a hopeless smile. "I'm Amando, by the way." Not that anyone asked.

[.Birch.]

 

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 "Y'okay, kid?"

The timid youth felt his face flare with embarrassment as the stranger focused his attention on him. His own attention fell down to his toes seeking refuge that he knew didn't exist. Sure the other sounded like a nice person but Birch was just too scared to open up to someone he didn't know or his family trusted. This stranger didn't fall into either of those categories which made the dire lock up as the other began trying to converse with him. However Birch soon found himself glancing up at the black and white stranger as a foreign sound caught his attention reminding him about the strange contraption that the darker male had strapped to his figure. It seemed rough and weathered making the sheltered youth curious about how long the other had been wearing it and how they were able to clean themselves properly if they never took it off.

"You look like you seen a ghost or somethin'."

Birches response was a knee jerk reaction, "I-I-I'm F-fine," he squeaked out in broken pitches as his body tensed up in preparation for his flight or fight instincts to take over. He wanted the ground to swallow him up right then and there; this was so humiliating. 

"I'm Amando, by the way." 

Brain frazzled into an overworking mess replied, "Birch," his ears fell back a bit as he just comprehended what he was doing before he started trying to figure a way out of this situation. He couldn't do this. He'd mess up soon and the stranger would know how pathetic he was but he had so many questions about the object attached to his frame. "Isn't t-that he-heavy," he softly inquired before quickly adding in a more frantic tone, "y-You d-don't have to a-answer."

[Amando]

He smiles a little, happy to have gotten even a name out of the kid. "Birch. That's good, it fits you." He comes a little closer, keeps his head down so as not to scare him off. "I'm still not gonna call you that, though. Always come up with nicknames-- it's just a me thing." He finally looks up when asking about the armor, but backpedals faster than Amando can run-- and he's pretty good at that. Glancing down at the chestpiece, he conveys, "Nah, not really. Weight's distributed all over, so I don't even notice it." He's not sure that's a good thing.

Finding his eyes again, Amando presses just a little, "Really though, you sure you're alright?" He knows the look of scared out of your mind. Used to spend a lot of time looking for reflections.

[.Birch.]

 

                                                                       

"Birch. That's good, it fits you."

The smaller dires attention was no longer on the strangers strange....accessory. Instead the child was devoting his focus to anywhere but the figure standing before him. For some reason the compliment made Birches face grow warm and he became oddly self conscious. Mainly he observed the trees surrounding the two and how beautiful the light appeared as it filtered down from the canopy creating a series of brilliant luminescent beams that cut through to the forest floor.  The youth groaned silently to himself. This was why he disliked talking to others it just brought about odd sensations that made Birch feel out of place and overall embarrassed. Whether it was from shame or the praise the world would never know. It was at this moment, however, that the chocolate dire took notice of the others proximity. Was it just his imagination or had Amando gotten closer?! Swallowing thickly Birch was now unable to look away from the sneaky timber, less he try sneaking even closer, and was surprised at how bright their eyes appeared in contrast to their fur. I mean the green just popped amidst the black and white coloration. It was hard not to look at them.

"I'm still not gonna call you that, though. Always come up with nicknames-- it's just a me thing."

A stretch of silence accompanied by a series of blinks was the only response Birch was able to muster as he processed what the male had just said. "W-what," he inquired softly his voice sounding so loud in the quiet morning air, "n-nickname...but y-you don't even k-know me." He finished with a squeak as he tried to find out just why on earth this stranger, named Amando, had just stated that he would be giving the child a nickname. Sure his siblings and father had given him nicknames but they were close and from what he understood nicknames were given to people who were dear to you....Birch didn't even know this guy for five minutes! The dire was about to ask the other to not waste the effort of thinking of a new name for him but he was cut off as the bubbly male chose then to answer Birches earlier question.

"Nah, not really. Weight's distributed all over, so I don't even notice it."

There was just no way that the shy recluse was going to be able to change the others mind seeing as it was bouncing all over the place. Can we focus on one subject please, Birch silently cried out as the realized that Amando was going to do as he saw fit and Birch was just going to have to accept that fact. It was like he was meeting a male version of his sister Trillium and that thought kind of terrified the child as he recalled all the shenanigans that his spritely sister had dragged him into. None of them had ended well as far as Birch could recall. Amando wasn't like that though....was he? 

"Really though, you sure you're alright?"

Once again the shy dire felt his face flare up as Amandos eyes focused on his and he felt his fur stand on end before he ended up looking away swiftly, "Y-yEs," he yelled out before calming himself,"I-I am f-fine," this time his voice was smoother and more stable, "I j-just d-don't talk with others m-much is all." It was true but he wasn't going to be rude and say that the black and white timber was making him feel uncomfortable with the oddly close and cuddly vibes he was radiating...was this guy always like this? Were others alright with his interactions?! Why oh why did Birch have to go through this! He wasn't ready for holding a conversation it was starting to get awkward. Can't he just politely leave and call it a day? No that would be rude wouldn't it? ARRRG why didn't anyone teach him about correct social ediquette so there the chocolate dire sat unable to meet the others gaze and worrying that he was making a mess of this conversation but honestly...it was all Amandos fault wasn't it? 

[Amando]

Birch's face lights up, like spring blossoms blushing out the white, saliva so thick when it snakes down his throat, Amando flicks an ear at it, and plants his rear on the ground, heavier than he has to. Stop trying to snuggle up, he's not into you, dude-- Just kidding, but Amando's always been overly friendly. Well, as long as he's been himself, anyway.

Kid stutters over disbelief, and Amando cocks his head. "Well not yet, I don't." he needles, good-natured. He's wondering if Inaria is just a more uptight than he's used to, if he should tone down the boundless positivity he holds for the sake of his new packmates' sensibilities-- oh, forget that. "It's called making friends, you should try it some time." He lifts a paw, limp at the wrist, and nudges the dire, just in the slightest, to help fish him out of Amando's eyes. He'll jump from it-- he jumps at everything-- but maybe he'll see the smile that's melted hearts halfway across the straits, and know he's just joking.

White eyebrows shoot up when he shouts, and although one settles while he explains a lack of interaction, the other's not so sure. The male glances left, the right, in a slow, conspiratorial swing. "I'm gonna tell you a secret, Birch," he admits, and a smirk stays even as he lowers his tone, "Neither do I."

Birch may be awkward, but the boy just met his match.

[.Birch.]

 

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 "Well not yet, I don't." 

Wait....what? Not being aware of even basic communication this sentence left the small dire wolf completely confused, than he already was considering his company, and slightly alarmed."Um a-are you a new pack member," he inquired trying to verify the tricky canines legality. How stupid could he have been to just randomly chat up a stranger without confirming whether or not he should even be here. He mentally winced as he could hear the sound of his fathers voice scolding him for this possibly dangerous blunder of his safety. Dad really did have a lot on his plate already with Trill and Felix. He didn't want to add to his fathers stress...not to mention dad seemed to have become...lonely...haunted one might even say.

 It wasn't something Birch could honestly comprehend but he was sure it had something to do with mom. She had been at the healers for so long that he wondered if he would ever be able to see her at their cramped family den; surrounded by her pups and loving mate. Their small messy but happy home. Lost in his worry the healer in training didn't notice the timbers approaching limb until he felt a solid pressure pushing against his shoulder. With that action amber eyes shot back up to focus on the Armando who was sporting a goofy crooked grin that reminded him a lot of Felix when he was trying to flirt with the females. For some reason that comparison, and the memories of the rejections and Felix's humorous meltdowns, caused him to almost let out a laugh but he just managed to hold it in letting a small snort escape.

"It's called making friends, you should try it some time." 

Not trusting himself at the moment the dire just nodded at the timbers words not thinking about what he was agreeing to but knowing that if he opened his mouth the laugh that he was fighting back would bust free. He was also very aware that eye contact with this fellow was making the need to laugh worse so in desperation the brown dire instead looked off into the distance past the black and white timber; focusing on getting rid of this laugh. It worked and after a few quiet moments the dire cleared his throat chasing away the lingering giggles. Letting out a sigh of relief and triumph after.

"I'm gonna tell you a secret, Birch,"

This got the yearlings attention and his gaze was once again focused on the black and white figure before him. He wasn't sure how he should have felt as the male looked around their surroundings for something or someone before focusing his emerald eyes on his once again, unknowingly Birch had craned his head closer and his ears were perked out of curiosity, before and in a voice much softer than what he had been using before Armando said.

"Neither do I."

Birch just stared quietly at Armando for a few seconds not really believing what he just heard the other say. Uh, from where Birch was standing Armando seemed to be quite comfortable conversing with him and on top of that he did say that he had friends. The earlier nickname remark. So how was he unsure of how to talk to others. After all at least Armando had made friends....,"I-I'm sorry but I don't u-understand," he said as he eventually found the words just aimlessly floating in his empty brain. Birch had retreated to his earlier position a respectful distance as he cocked his head sideways, "y-you've talked to a lot of o-others though r-right?" 

Sorry for going mia had stressful life issues that needed dealing with. You can post a reply if you want and I'll reply or if not then we can end it here.