〔❁〕I thought maybe we would kiss tonight,

For @Ciri! Dated for 5/10

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  Izumi, while still quite thin, was starting to gain back some of her strength through regular hunting. Such neglect on her body would take a while to actually fix, excpecially when journeying through the mountains made focusing on anything else difficult. However Izu was slowly gaining back control of everything again. In...one way or another, at least...
  Every once in a while, the crane couldn't help but seek out the mountain peaks of Vanderfell again. Her mind always wandering to whether the people of Shiroshika had actually been recovering up there, and whether or not Rei had seen her as a traitor afterall. A strange pull -- one that gave her the urge to linger in the mountains for a little while longer as if the cranebird had been second guessing herself all this time....
  Izumi blinked, then shook her head at the thought of actually going back. The idea of returning home always sounded nice, but deep down she knew the misery it would've brought her actually staying there.
  She turned her head away from the mountains in one, sharp motion -- and shut her eyes and lips tightly together.
  'No.....that isn't home anymore...'
  Home was the treck to nowhere -- and this path would've been the best choice...wouldn't it?
  By the time she opened her eyes again, the mountain tips of Vanderfell had long been consumed by the heights of the valley she'd been entering; into a deep unknown, which centered itself around a large, blue lake. A pink tounge ran over her parched lips, as the sight of a lake had begun to remind Izumi just how long it had been since she took the time to hydrate herself.
  and so the crane's stilted legs drifted her towards it's shores like a fish out of water, and she wasted no time lapping up what she could before taking her leave to the next stop...

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Her return to Empyrean after scouting the unknown territories to the North had been short, but Ciri had enjoyed reacquainting with family. Her mother had welcomed her home with open arms and they'd spent a great deal of time lounging together, with Nyx listening intently to what stories her daughter brought of her travels. Ciri's cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and she was grateful for the chance to relax for a time.

Only a few days later, the blackbird ventured outwith Empyrean's claim once more. This time she picked her way to the East, figuring she'd trail aimlessly until locating something of interest.

That came in the form of a lake. From her vantage point, the dark-furred Ostrega could see that its waters were a clear and bright blue shade. She lingered for a little while, sunflower eyes drinking on the view. A bumblebee hovered near her muzzle and it brought her back to reality; Ciri twitched a whisker and huffed a breath at it, before pressing on toward the lake at a brisk trot.

She was not alone at its edge, and as she loped in closer to quench her thirst she was sure to shoot the pointed stranger a soft smile should they turn to observe her approach.


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  She was not ignorant to the presence of a looming pack nearby -- one that, for all she knew, wouldn't take too kindly to a rouge wandering anywhere close to the claim they called a hearth. It smelled mountainous, and they were plentiful. If her intuition about them being territorial was correct then it was a dangerous gambit should she decide to stay any longer. It was best that Izumi made this water trip go by quickly...
  -- Except one seemed to have found her -- quicker than she'd be able to escape before hand.
  It was only one that approached, yet the cranebird did not turn to meet them should the possibility of eye contact come into play. A female who smelled of the pack just ahead of her -- though that was all she could tell with a black striped back turned to them. Izumi continued drinking as they walked seemingly unhurried near her, her back muscles tense and twitching should the situation call for an escape.
  Except it didn't.
  No words were exchanged from the interloper, yet for a small smile she saw from the corner of periwinkle eyes --- and her head turned to meet that smile, along with the bright firefly gaze that lied just above it.

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The water was crisp, soothing Ciri's mouth and throat where she hadn't expected to require such a balm. Enjoying the fresh coolness, the young Ostrega carried on lapping at the surface and took a bold step forward so that both forepaws were submerged just above her ankles.

A droplet clung to her dark chin as she rose her crown, and she swept her tongue between lips to swipe at it. Satisfied that she no longer appeared to be drooling, Ciri lifted her sunflower gaze once more to seek the face of the bi-coloured stranger. She saw no warmth in the lavender of her stare nor even the hint of a smile, so her own bright expression softened.

“Hello,” she said sweetly, raven tail giving a gentle sweep at her hocks. Ciri wondered quietly what sort of exotic place this wanderer had come from, and fancied that she would like to lay eyes upon the land that'd produce a creature so elegant and pretty. “Are you new around here? I haven't seen you around before.”


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  The girl was young and vibrant looking. Not only because of her eyes, but it was as if Izumi could see into the girl's soul with the smile that beamed towards her. The crane was still reluctant to soften just yet, but in knowledge that they hadn't come here to run her off for being close to territory the woman’s nerves calmed just a tad. Just enough to make proper eye contact.
  Clearly the ex-duchess' presence didn't stop them from hydrating themselves despite it stopping Izumi, stopping whatever she'd been doing just to watch the stranger who'd approach. To think that they were that comfortable around someone they haven't met before made Izu curious about their intentions. Or maybe -- and just maybe -- Izu was over analyzing things once again. Straying from home all alone seemed to have made her more anxious....
  A tounge ran over her dampened maw, and she'd give a small bow in response to their greeting, before casting her floral gaze back to the reflection of the lake with relaxed, half-lidded eyes. A paw sweeped gently over the surface to watch small ripples form in the water, like a cat playing with goldfish."Perhaps...." she answered, neither confirming nor denying the young girl's question. "The mountains are a vast expanse. We are bound to see new faces..like yours for example..."
  The crane then turn her eyes back to the bright-eyed kestrel, in an attempt to switch the attention from herself to them; "Your pack is close by, yes? I smell many of you..."

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There was something calming about the shade of the stranger's gaze despite the blankness of her expression. Ciri, reminded of her sister's own lavender eyes and those of a father she could barely recall, associated the colour with kindness. Her smile widened. She was so tall and pretty, like the she-wolves she'd met in the Northern reaches, and she wondered briefly if perhaps they were acquainted in some way.

“Yes,” she answered simply, and gestured with a jerk of her dark snout over a raven shoulder, “I'm from Empyrean, South of that range.” She was barely there of late, having made a habit of trailing out for days or weeks at a time to better map the region. She loved her family fiercely but wanted so badly to sever her allegiance so she might pursue her desire to travel farther. Ciri, so dedicated to maintaining her mother's happiness, didn't know how to approach her about what she wanted.

The crane could go wherever she pleased, Ciri realised. She had no ties to anyone or anywhere, and knew no bounds. Her position gave Ciri more to mull over after they parted ways, and gave a further push toward making a final decision.


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  Empyrean; south of the range -- she'd make note of such information for future references.

  It was not Izumi's first time knowing of the pack's existence -- after traveling in bits and peices of the mountains in the past, such a strong presence was difficult to ignore. Though to finally refer to it by name gave her at least some insight, ecspecially with someone who claimed to have hailed from the place. "You must feel cozy in such a large presence, yes?" The crane referred kindly. Such a friendly soul as herself wouldn't have been brought up in worse-off circumstances, Izu assumed.

  Shifting a bit in her seat, the cranebird took a moment to relax and take in the silence between them, before breaking it with the sound of her voice; "I am Izumi Fujiwara, a nomad from the north." the cranebird introduced, her tone a tad softer, and her posture a little less guarded than it initially was. "There is no claim that I call home," at least, not anymore... "--but perhaps one day that might change."

  "What about you?"

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