The mid-morning sun brought much life to the geysers. Smaller animals that hid in the grasses could be seen here and there as they darted back and forth seeking their meals in safety. Trisdi, however, was not one to dart. Not now, anyway. Despite her small stature, her confidence in the way she moved through the land was almost without a care in the world. Almost. But what Tris lacked in height and build, she made up for in speed and smarts. On a day like this? It was pleasant enough - mostly clear skies, birds flying about, and not much excitement for a hunt. It wasn't like she was out to hunt around, anyway.
Water from one of the nearby geysers splashed forth as Trisdi walked in silence. This had been her home for a short while - only a few weeks. But it had been enough time for her to know the lay of the land and the safe zones for her to shelter in. The life without responsibilities was relaxing, but boy was it boring traveling alone for so long. No one to talk to, to tease, to flirt with? Nothing to entertain her other than playing with her food while she trapped it or seeing what interesting things she could toss into the geyser and see how it would sink, float, or fly.
Trisdi's days were the same here in the geysers. Lounging under the sun, bathing in the farther, colder parts of the hot springs that she could tolerate, eating and drinking her fill. But the solace was getting old fast. If she'd venture past these lands to someplace new, now that would be interesting. She'd have to plan her next steps carefully as to which direction would migrate. After all, the days would be changing soon. She'd need to prepare for the winter and maybe, just maybe she'd find some entertainment in the company of others for some time.
Walk "Speak"Magic
ooc
oh man first post in way too long. please forgive the dust bunnies!
In any other world, Matthias wouldn't be here, but he was lucky enough to have been transported to a place that actually had portals. Not all of the portals were the large, obvious monoliths, though. Some were quite unorthodox methods of travel, and he even found a particular one hidden away that he made a den nearby.
Because of the amount of time saved, he felt justified in being able to venture further and further away from his den and, subsequently, away from his daughter Roxanne. She was young, but not so young that she couldn't understand the importance of being quiet and staying put. Matthias was a free-spirit, not used to being tethered down with responsibilities; and though he would never outright say so, he was glad to finally be away from her for a time. To finally be alone and free.
Except, company in the form of other women was always good, and Matthias was no stranger to bedding with those unlike his own species, so it wouldn't come as a surprise when he notices the lean, petite she-wolf down below. Feathered blue and white wings carried him on a good breeze, and he circled her for a brief time just to take in the sight and see if she was actually worth interacting. After deeming that he indeed likes what he sees, he makes a spiraling circle downwards, the sound of his wing beats audible enough that she'd hear him if not see his shadow upon the earth.
The lion would land effortlessly just a few yards away, giving her plenty of personal space while still being close enough that she could make out his finer details: those bright, apricot eyes attempting to match her sight, large wings halfway out and head high, the gold chain on his neck shown in full view. He wouldn't move any closer, but he would smile, offering sincere, casual words, "Hello, what's a beautiful lady like yourself doing out here all alone?" he'd been around long enough to know that the gushing geysers weren't claimed territory.
Trisdi’s walk took her closer to the ever-heated waters when she noticed a shadow circling above. Upon glancing up at it, it became more clear that it wasn’t a bird or falcon flying up above as they drew closer. Her body tensed as she stilled, but she watched them with curiosity. They landed a safe distance away and - in her mind, at least - they were big enough to be slowed down on land if they posed a danger and she needed to flee. Tris was built for speed, after all.
His body language was pleasant, though, so she couldn’t help but match his smile with a slightly playful one of her own. "I was just out waiting for some company for the day," she replied with a hint of humor in her tone. This land thrived with plenty of places to explore, but that didn’t mean it was well-populated.
Trisdi didn’t catch any strong scent on the wind that would have been a tell of a kingdom, but it wasn’t like that mattered much to her, anyway. She didn’t belong to one herself and she knew this land was not claimed, so there should be no issue from either party. But her curiosity was piqued. What was such a large lion doing in the land of geysers? Didn’t they prefer warmer climates? It wasn’t like she had met enough lions to know for sure, but it was enough to gain some interest in her new conversation partner.
"What about you? Surely there are more interesting lands to explore than these never-changing geysers. Unless you were looking to have a dip in the hot springs." Her tail whisked to her side in a slow wag as Tris tilted her head with a playful smile. He was a curious fellow from first impressions, but she was game for some new acquaintances… especially if that meant one less day of boredom in the geysers before she migrated further south.
Walk "Speak"Magic
ooc:
image by WatermelonCreature on dA
Matthias' arrival was met with a friendly reaction, which allowed him to maintain his open, relaxed posture. At the she-wolf's mention of looking for company, Matthias would respond with a friendly, "Looks like I'm just the guy you need, then. I happen to be quite the conversatioalist," there were hints of a flirtatious undertone in those words.
He'd fold his feathered wings fully to his sides, bright apricot eyes looking at both her and the terrain around them. The air was dry, but kept warmer by the heat of the geysers that surrounded them. He had intentionally landed on the furthest side away from the nearest geysers, not particularly interested in getting soaked.
Yet, her next comment would remind him that getting soaked didn't have to be a bad thing. Matthias would shake his head playfully, "I was just exploring this area for the first time, but a relaxing soak in the hot springs sounds like a nice idea. What do you think?" at that, he would turn his body somewhat in the direction of a geysers, extending out one wing in a cup-shape as an invitation to cover her.
"Well, that’s just fantastic news, then," she replied with a small wag of her tail. There was a sense of something a tad more than general friendliness in his tone that she had caught, but it wasn’t like a little harmless flirting would hurt anyone.
Trisdi tilted her head at his next statement. This was his first time here? Oh, well now this could be entertaining if she played her cards right. He offered to escort her and Tris let out a light huff of amusement and moved closer to accept the offering of shade. "You really haven’t been here before?" she asked simply.
Not even waiting for a response, Tris tilted her head to the side and began to lead him to one of the geysers further out on the right. "I don’t recommend the geysers down that way," she began, humor in her tone but truth in her words as she gestured towards the area filled with deeper geysers, "unless you want to boil your fur off. The springs closest to the edges are your best bet."
Trisdi quickened her pace towards a spring she knew well, her steps light and quiet, avoiding the little puddles here and there with delicate practice. She pulled ahead of the lion and stepped into the spring just enough to cover her paws before glancing back at him with a reassuring smile. It was always good to test the waters, after all.
Walk "Speak"Magic
ooc:
thank you for your patience!
image by WatermelonCreature on dA
I wrote a really long post (like 40+ min) and then it got deleted and now I'm super depressed ;_; this version is obviously lower quality+length, but I wanted to get it up instead of losing my muse
With the wing offer accepted, Matthias would wrap his wing around her, offering her the warmth and embrace. A shake of his head would give her his answer, "Nope, I haven't been this far north much. Kind of just appeared after being whisked away by a blinding light, then fell down from the sky," he says it casually, as if the idea of being transported to a different, or even a different universe, was just some mundane conversation starter. Then he began to wonder if, just like Reed, she had been transported here suddenly too, "What about you? Any similar harrowing tales?" he'd smile.
Eyes would look towards the geysers as she mentions them, and even from here he could see the more intense steam waft from the water. With a nod of agreement, Matthias would jokingly say, "Yeah, definitely not. Note taken."
As they approached the more preferred geysers, Matthias could not resist the urge to take in the way her lithe form moved effortlessly around and over the small puddles dotted around the landscapes. Not that he was trying to resist, anyway. Once they had reached their destination, her dipping her paws into the water was all the confirmation he needed to dip his own paws - and hooves, into the water.
With a sigh, Matthias would flex and tighten his toes, "Ooh, yeah, I could get comfy in this…" and so, the lion would continue to sink himself into the water.
The sudden temperature change would sting a little, but it was worth it for the chance to do this. At first, only Matthias’ kudu horns and wings remained out of the water, but slowly he would rise, water dripping down his body as he moved towards her, eyes narrowed with clear intentions. More and more of himself would continue to be revealed the closer he got, and it wasn't until his maw was just a few inches from her own that he would stop - assuming she didn't back away.
Then, with that characteristic charming grin and bright, apricot eyes on hers, he would ask in a half-humorous, half-sultry tone, "Hey babe, you got a map? ‘Cause I think I'm getting lost in your eyes."