Now that Delta had caught his breath and torn his attention from the mud, he noticed just how vibrant the sky had become. The sun was dipping beneath the trees now, staining the horizon a brilliant fuchsia which faded to violet and navy as his gaze moved further upwards. The faint beginnings of stars were coming into view, and he let out an awed breath at just how colorful the sunset was out in the open air. Carefully he picked his way forwards to try and find a better vantage point, settling himself on a large, flat stone and standing on the tips of his paws to try and catch more of the reds and oranges fading behind the treeline.
"Idsh beautiful," he said clumsily around the shell. He smiled slightly at Loch's reassurance--a small, stilted smile, but a genuine one. He had never been in the habit of smiling much; now that he thought about it, there wasn't much to smile at back home on the shelves. It felt strange to have his muzzle curl and whiskers push upwards, but he decided then that it was not strange in a bad way.
The little cat blinked in surprise then at Loch's offer, straightening himself and tilting his head. A flash of eagerness crossed his expression, but his gaze then softened into something sad and distant. The last time he'd ridden on someone's back was...had it been...? No, that had been his sister who'd done it. He'd seen his sister ride on their mother's back when they were very, very small; she'd swam in lazy circles and gentle loops as she clung to her fins. She moved slow and deliberate to avoid churning the water and attracting predators, and his sister had smiled, but stayed quiet.
They always had to be quiet.
Delta blinked, and realized with a start that he'd never answered Loch's question. He looked away, setting the shell back down and clearing his silence with an embarrassed cough. As the melancholy cleared, a slight excitement found its way into his voice again.
"You would let me, really?" he asked, blinking wide, unsure eyes at the wolf. It sounded nice, yes, maybe even fun. What would the world look like at his height? What would it feel like to cross the earth and stone so effortlessly? He looked nervously at Loch's intricate fins and frowned with worry. "I want to, but I do not want to crush your fins. I am, ah, heavier than it seems," he said, giving a self-conscious gesture to his fins. Still, despite the aching of his stumpy legs and the burn of his lungs, he'd made it this far already. On land. Loch was right. Even if he couldn't ride on his back, he would continue to follow him. Another small smile found its way onto his muzzle.
"Idsh beautiful," he said clumsily around the shell. He smiled slightly at Loch's reassurance--a small, stilted smile, but a genuine one. He had never been in the habit of smiling much; now that he thought about it, there wasn't much to smile at back home on the shelves. It felt strange to have his muzzle curl and whiskers push upwards, but he decided then that it was not strange in a bad way.
The little cat blinked in surprise then at Loch's offer, straightening himself and tilting his head. A flash of eagerness crossed his expression, but his gaze then softened into something sad and distant. The last time he'd ridden on someone's back was...had it been...? No, that had been his sister who'd done it. He'd seen his sister ride on their mother's back when they were very, very small; she'd swam in lazy circles and gentle loops as she clung to her fins. She moved slow and deliberate to avoid churning the water and attracting predators, and his sister had smiled, but stayed quiet.
They always had to be quiet.
Delta blinked, and realized with a start that he'd never answered Loch's question. He looked away, setting the shell back down and clearing his silence with an embarrassed cough. As the melancholy cleared, a slight excitement found its way into his voice again.
"You would let me, really?" he asked, blinking wide, unsure eyes at the wolf. It sounded nice, yes, maybe even fun. What would the world look like at his height? What would it feel like to cross the earth and stone so effortlessly? He looked nervously at Loch's intricate fins and frowned with worry. "I want to, but I do not want to crush your fins. I am, ah, heavier than it seems," he said, giving a self-conscious gesture to his fins. Still, despite the aching of his stumpy legs and the burn of his lungs, he'd made it this far already. On land. Loch was right. Even if he couldn't ride on his back, he would continue to follow him. Another small smile found its way onto his muzzle.