It makes me see what I want to see

@Izumi no need to reply! Just having them move!

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@Aerasha was still nowhere to be found... and with @Old Man Druth now where he wants to be and saying their bittersweet goodbyes, the now two women moved on further south in search for the children. From four down the two. She couldn't be more thankful for Izumi's offer to join them than she was now. To wander this big world alone was almost too much to think of - but even then, she would do it if it meant finding the precious things that was missing from her.

The weary mother was tiring, but she still clung to hope. Even as they rested by the lake, her wandering mind still desired to move, to see if any signs of Hotaru or Haruki was somewhere nearby. A thin veil of mist rolled over the placid lake and Reiko, who barely slept that night as they rested, rose to wander the wayside of the water. Hoping to find some kind of clue to the whereabouts of the prince and princess.

The distant song birds began to slowly flood the morning with song, a welcomed sound as the Empress picked through the scents around the lake.

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His trek through the regions south of the Nameless Mountain was drawing to and end, but after being caught in a downpour last night Ele had awoken feeling... grimy. He'd hunkered down for the night under jutting stone to escape the stinging droplets, but the rain hadn't relented and the waters had seeped through the stones and pooled around him, turning the earth to mud beneath the dark male. He'd been too weary (and maybe just a little grumpy, and therefore more inclined to mope in the mud as a result), so he hadn't bothered moving. But when morning came, he'd awoken stiff, uncomfortable, and very, very dirty.

It would be a misery to traipse all the way home in such a sad state, and the longer he let the mud linger on his dark furs the more of a struggle it would be to remove it later. There was also a little bit of vanity in him too - there was no way he'd march back to the mountain looking so haggard, when he was still trying to make good impressions upon his pack mates. First impressions, and all that jazz.

So, after the sun had risen, Ele rose groggily from his patch of dirt and wandered towards the sounds of water fowl. An early morning fog covered the land, shrouding much of the world beyond the closest treeline. The sun was just peering above the canopy when he found the lake edge, and he sucked in a quick breath to prepare for the shock of cold before bounding forward into the water. It was chilly - a shock to his dark limbs that helped to zap some of the residual tiredness from his mind. The chill was invigorating, and he watched with mild pleasure as the mud began to dissipate as he moved forward through the water, trotting deeper until it was up to his chest. He drew one more breath, deep this time, and then leapt forward, plunging himself entirely into the lake.

He hadn't noticed the girl passing along the shore.
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Carefully she picked through the path, choosing to step on rocks and solid-looking grasses as to be careful to not slip or stain her coat too much with muck. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how hard she tried. The soggy grasses and dirt still flung up every now and then with a step too hastily taken, and the dirt visible on her pale pelt even if it was the smallest speck.

Oh, how she missed the snow already. How clean it was in comparison to the mud and dirt from Southern regions. Perhaps once she found the missing twins, they would all travel back North - stopping by to visit Druth along the way too to make sure he knew that they were found, safe and sound at their mother's side once more... but that thought was still such a distant dream.

Shaking her from thought, the sound of breaking water snatched her attention to a piece of shore not too far from where she treaded. Expecting geese or other waterfowl to be flapping around in the cool spring water, she was surprised to see a wolf jump right in and on purpose as well!

Leaping to one of the nearer stones half-submerged in the water, only letting her toes touch the water as they precariously hung over the edge, tail curling over her hips with delighted interest as plush ears pulled forward. Then - he was gone. Under the water like a loon! Shocked by the sight, she half wondered if something had dragged him down. Looking at the water in and around where he vanished to, Reiko searched the water for his presence, hoping the man was okay wherever he went.

Honestly, would she be any good to try and save him if he was drowning?

Most likely not... and she whined nervously for his safety.

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Although his eyes were closed, the chill of the water pressed sharply against his lids - not exactly painful, but stringent on the tender flesh. The world went silent as he submerged himself, the sound of the wind and the bugs and the birds cutting out suddenly and replaced with the dull thud of water, the only noise the thrumming of his limbs. The shock of cold threatened to have him pull in a reactionary breath, but his lungs were already full of air and he willed the impulse away. He kicked forward, doing his best to maneuver into a little underwater roll and savoring the way tendrils of water seeped past his guard hairs, through the thick expanse of his winter coat, and began to tickle the skin beneath. It was cold, but it was riveting. It was the canine equivalent of a triple shot of espresso. Only when his lungs began to ache, pleading for a fresh gulp of breath, did he let his hind limbs touch the bottom of the lake and spring upward, propelling him to the surface.

Ele emerged with a loud splash, snorting water from his nostrils in the way one would maybe only do if they thought no one was looking - an ugly, silly sound. He shook his head wildly, paddling forward with eyes still closed while the last remnants of the cold sting departed. A few more strokes forward, and then sterling eyes opened to take in the world around him again. Which had changed slightly in his minute underwater, because where there was once nothing but a bare stone there now stood a slender ghost. His eyes widened - she was staring right at him - and in a moment of awkward glory he attempted an "oh" of surprise, but his mouth had still been partially below the surface and instead water rushed in where the words were supposed to be.

He coughed loudly, sputtering as he regained control, feeling warmth spread across his cheeks in stark contrast to the icy feel of the rest of him. Finally finding footing for all four paws he stood on solid ground again, still submerged to the neck in water, and blinked twice at the wolfen apparition before quirking his head to the side (splashes trailing off of ebony ears as he did so) and regarded her. "Uh, hi."
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Leaning up, and forward as if it would help her get a better view of what was happening below the water surface without the glare of the rising sun against its glass-like exterior. She almost hovered over the water as she leaned out, stretching every bit of her from tail to ears - but all she could see was barely the rush of water from movement below.

Was he drowning?

Her heart pounded nervously. Was there time to wake up Izumi to see if she could swim? Another whine escaped her, pointed toes pawing at the water lapping against the rock she stood on, toying with the thought of trying to rescue him herself - and yet she wrestled with the reality of it all, knowing it would be more like two drowning bodies instead of one.

But what could she do? Frantically she tossed a glance around, searching for an answer, only for the sound of breaching water to catch her attention again and as if she was holding her breath this whole time— she breathed out a relieved sigh. Finally, she could relax and lean back to a more relaxed posture atop the rock she stood upon.

“Oh! Um—” Well now, she certainly must look kind of creepy just watching some guy swimming huh? Coming from a frozen north, it wasn't often she or her people would go swimming in frigid waters. “My apologies, I thought - Uh... mmm” Her eyes fell to the water, avoiding his gaze. “I thought you may be drowning.” Her voice barely audible, just a little embarrassed by jumping to such panicked conclusions.

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It was an amusing freeze-frame for anyone else who may have seen it: the beauty and the waterlogged beast, staring at each other across the water, a mix of confusion and embarrassment on both of their faces. Element was paralyzed by it until the snowy females eyes dropped, averting his gaze and speaking quietly to him. That kick started a different type of reaction, and he responded to her with a tiny whine of his own, soggy ears lowering as he tilted his head at her curiously. Eager to alleviate her concern, and feeling both a little bit touched that that concern had been addressed towards his well-being and guilty that he'd worried her, he took a few more steps forward to start making his way out of the water.

Wanting to give her her space, he paddle-walked to her right to circle to her side instead of approaching her head on, and trotted onto the bank. She already had the higher ground atop her rock, but he dipped his head to her anyway, cocking it aside and letting a sheepish smile play across his features. "Sorry to worry you," he started, giving a single, apologetic shake of his tail. "Thanks for, uh, looking out", he added coyly. He'd had a few moments to study her as he'd exited the water, and couldn't help but notice the elegance of her frame or the stark white shine of her coat. He glanced down at himself, suddenly remembering the intention of his dip in the lake in the first place - his mud problem. Most of it had been cleared, but the white hairs of his chest were still dingy and clung to him in a scattered, bedraggled way. Ideally, he would have found some time to groom himself before seeing anyone else, but such was not the fate of things today. "I was muddy," he offered sheepishly as way of explanation, glancing back to her. He hadn't shaken himself off when he exited the lake for fear of sending a cascade of unwanted droplets her way, so he stood lamely, dripping vast quantities of water. "But now I am just wet."
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Regardless of how strange it might be, Reiko couldn't help but catch a few glances at the man as he swam closer. The way his body moved through the water as if it belonged. Not quite like a fish or otter in grace and acrobatics, but clearly, he was accustomed to moving through it. Honestly, she envied such a talent - for her, the last time she tried, sank like a stone right to the bottom.

“Oh! Uh not at all...” She paused, wondering if it mattered enough for her to explain why there was a worry to begin with. Ultimately deciding against it, at least now. As he came around, so did she. Looking down at her paws and carefully picking out her footing as to not slip into the lake herself. Surely the water closer to shore would be shallow enough for her to stand, but cleaning out the dirt would be a long and arduous task she simply did not have the time to do lately!

Gingerly she stepped across, this time less hurried and slow with her choices until finally finding herself back on solid ground as well, just in time to meet with the man who had come fresh straight out of the water. “Ah! I see.” So he was bathing! That made a whole lot more sense. It was surely a different way than she would it, going much deeper than she ever would for a simple clean. But to each their own!

Finally, a smile broke through her face at his declaration of being 'wet'. Trying to hide it or at least not immediately laugh at his situation, the efforts gave her an award "trying to smile" grin. “Certainly you know how to dry off, yes?” She didn't think he was trying not to get her wet by shaking off the excess water - honestly, she didn't care. It would be mild in comparison to falling into the lake.

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She finally smiled and he mirrored it, tail starting in a gentle sway behind him. He could not fail to notice that it was a beautiful smile, the way it danced across her features. It was an innocent noticing - devoid of intention - and maybe another man would have been charmed by it on the spot. But as he studied her, he could recognize elegance in the sweep of her fur across her shoulders and the stretch of her limbs, and it made him feel... pain.

There was something about the flavor of her femininity that scratched at one of those walled-off parts of his mind. Something hurtful pawed at that closed mental door, scrabbling and scraping and trying to break free. He could swear for just a moment he heard the sound of a quiet laugh in his ear, a well-placed nip upon his cheek, and the sound of light footfalls growing distant - the sound of her running away, and urging him to follow.

Why was it that the thought hurt. It was in his head, but like so many memories it was a ghost of a thing, there and not, tangible but ephemeral. Had he been alone it may have been enough to bow him, but in the presence of the pale stranger he mustered some resolve, drew in a breath, and tried to realign his sheepish grin. It was, at least, mostly genuine. There was just a small portion of it that didn't fully meet his eyes, where sadness brewed in mercurial depths.

Her words helped to snap him out of it - "Certainly you know how to dry off, yes?" - and his ears perked again, feeling silly once more. "Oh, yeah. Hold on." He accepted it as her not minding a little bit of an impromptu splattering, but still to be courteous he took a few prances backward before steadying his legs and shaking hard, head to toes, sending water flying. There was no attempt to make it graceful, and he finished with a kick and final shimmy of his hind leg before looking back to her, fur poofed out at odd angles all around him. Feeling a little more settled into his body (and desperately trying to ignore those memories that still clattered at the door and demanded his mood as sacrifice), he uttered a simple "I'm Element - nice to meet you."
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Then the air grew still and silent between them. Did it feel awkward? Strange. Something didn't quite feel right as she stood there with her head slightly tilted to one side as the man seemed to be fighting with something internally. It wasn't quite obvious, so she couldn't quite place her paw on it other than thinking that something must be bothering him.

It seemed like her question had eventually pulled him out of the depths of his mind. Perhaps he was drowning, but not in the traditional sense - maybe he was drowning internally, struggling within the depths of his own mind and soul. Forcing a new smile onto her face, she simply turned lightly away, pulling a leg up as if to shield herself from the spray of water as she shook off the excess water and giggled like a child caught in a summertime sprinkler on their lawn.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Element, my name is Reiko.” She couldn't help a giggle from forming at her lips this time as she watched the mounds of hair spike out from his body. “There, now you are less wet!” She declared as if she had anything to do with him drying off even a little. “As for the mud, I cannot really see much on you to be concerned about.” Placing a paw under her chin as she sat, looking him through as though studying a painting.

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The sound of her giggling eased him, soothing some of the shreds of worry that had prickled in him from the start of their unconventional meeting. At least as far as he could tell, she didn't seem to be in a rush to escape now that she knew he was not, in fact, a drowning not-quite-damsel in distress. (To be fair, Ele was more often than not in some state of mild distress these days, but for the time being it could at least be of the quiet, subconscious variety). "Nice to meet you too, Reiko." She seemed to give him a once over and that lit her giggling afresh, and with some abashment he first glanced down at his chest and then over his silver-dappled shoulders, realizing with growing mortification just how absurd he looked. A few days of travel, more than one rainstorm, and a muddy night had done his shining coat no favors, and post-shaking it was equal parts frizzy and clumped.

"Less wet, and less muddy -" he agreed with a bashful chuckle, looking back to her as she seemed to settle comfortably with her chin upon her paws. Since there was nothing he could really do about his coat now other than a full-fledged grooming session, which rarely made for good conversation, he decided to just lean into it. "-I think that's a suitable enough goal for one day. What else could I even hope to accomplish," he teased. Aware of her eyes on him, he shot her a grin and did a quick little spin, putting the full 360 of his waterlogged coat on display and pairing it with some prancing paw action. "Maybe," he started, part way through his twirl, "I'll just make this my new look. Make's me look bigger. Tougher even. Could even start my own trend."
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“Hmmm yes indeed you are.” She played along, adding a humourous posh accent to her voice as she agreed with his sentiment. Truthfully, even if she could play the upper-class woman who thought she was better than most due to her blueblood lineage, Reiko was the last to truly think of such things and instead used her trained posture and elegance more so as a joking aspect rather than anything more serious.

The man twirled and showed off his new look, and once again she shouldn't help but just give in to the giggles that erupted from her. This was such a pleasant momentary distraction from the heartache of constantly trying to find her missing children, a lightened moment to get lost within and just enjoy herself as a recharging moment before she lost herself in the darkness of anxiety over their safety.

Playing into his little fashion show, the pale woman got up from her seat and trotted around him with a deer-like gait. Toes barely touching the ground with every step as her straightened posture and poised tail arched just lightly over her slender hips as she circled him once. Eyes looking him over as if she had a pair of glasses to look above their frames. “Hmmm yes. It just screams sturdy.” Pausing in her steps, “I believe young boys will quickly adopt such a distinct look for themselves.” She shot a cheeky grin to Element.

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Element too was enjoying the break from the cruel realities that had been tormenting him. While he'd managed to find comfort among Empyrean, and was even growing familiar with life there, he still could not shake the sense that he was missing something. The sense that he was giving something up - old vows - to his pack, to his friends, to a family he may have had. But dwelling on these things hurt too much, and it got him nowhere, because the memories seemed to be shrouded in unsurpassable fog. When he steadied himself enough to try to dig into them, they evaded him all the further. It was unfair, he thought, that the snippets of memories came unbidden, flashing into his head when he was unprepared for him, and when they were liable to do the most damage.

Fortunately for them both, they seemed to be granted a temporary reprieve in each others company. Element finished his spin, ending with a final flourish and a sweeping stroke of his head, ivory chin pointed towards the sky as he eyed her. She'd begun to circle him, and he held his pose steady as a stature as she did so, only keeping his sterling gaze upon her as she moved. "Sturdy," he murmured, sampling it on his tongue. "You're right - I feel sturdy." It was all silliness, but he was enjoying it. His rigid stature broke when he saw the pleased sway of his tail, and he found himself unable to stop himself from mimicking her, his own snow-tipped tail waving gently side to side. "A monument for the youth, I'll be," he continued, eyes twinkling. "They'll tell my story for generations to come. The muddy man, reborn anew from the lake."
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For a moment the two were lost in their own little game. Reiko was no longer an empress at this moment, no longer holding the heavy crown forced upon her by her parents and stolen by her sister. She was no longer a mother, a widow, a mournful lover but a young woman who was just enjoying pleasant banter with a strange man she just met. Strange thought in the best of ways, strange in a way that meant fun, funny, unlike most who took life perhaps a little too seriously.

So he was strange, and she liked it. She would be strange with him and feel like herself again back before all the sudden turmoil that tossed her life upside down in a new, hectic path.

“It will be legendary!” Her soft voice raised an octave to sing him praise, engaging in a faux intensity for their little back and forth. “YOU will be legendary!” Exuberantly she corrected herself. Quickly she hopped on the spot to mimic his direction and posture, letting her tail curl just a little more than usual as the excitement coursed through her veins. Puffing out her chest and holding her head up high, she struck her own pose. He wasn't the biggest individual she had met during her and her companions' travels, and yet she still felt dwarfed by him standing shoulder to shoulder.

Something she might have to get accustomed to here, perhaps her and her family pack were just a bunch of midgets in comparison to the regular wolves outside of home. Still, she couldn't help but break character for a moment and erupt in laughter - she couldn't help but see herself as his little sidekick in the moment.

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 It felt so good to laugh. There had been such tightness wound around his heart, even the first few chuckles had been unable to loosen the bonds. But as their giggles mingled and the silliness continued, he could feel the tension releasing, like thick vines falling away to reveal the prize at their core. Element beamed as Reiko joined him in striking a pose, and another deep churn of laughter escaped him as her voice sang out around them. Still playing the part, he held his head even higher, muzzle pointed towards the sky and canines flashing in the depths of his grin. "The songs that will be written - I can only imagine. They'll sweep across every mountain and valley, through every den." She joined his side, petite beside his average-sized frame. For once, maybe, it was nice not being the smallest one on the hill.

  Playfully, he lowered his head to nudge her gently with his snout, eyes flashing. "A correction though - I'll be the legend of the muddy monster, emerged from the lake. But you," mischief glinted through mercurial seas "you're the one they'll call the hero, she who took down the beast!" As he finished, he leapt forward, dancing on dark limbs for a few paces as he glanced over his shoulder at her, wishing her to follow. One brisk step, two, and then he barked gently tore away, running parallel to the shore. He was a man of the opinion that a good game of chase and tag was not something you ever had to outgrow.

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“I will sing them to my children and their children's children!” Even the mere mention of her children didn't cause her pain this time around. Though the thought lingered within her, they did not bubble up as she relished in the moment. Instead, what she was left with the sweet memories of lulling them to sleep with lullabies back home and how silly it would be to speak of the great mud-man who swam in the magical lake.

She squealed when his nose touched her, a squeak more so out of pleasant surprise than one out of any pain or shock. Her body curled as he spoke to face him, catching the little hints that he was putting down. “You fiend!” She gasped, immediately playing along and standing just long enough to watch him prance off and initiate the chase with a light bark. The thought of being the hero in this story was a pleasant one, normally she did all the running but this time it was a strange and fun twist of events. Element ran off and she was quick to follow.

Long legs carried her swiftly on his trail, trying to watch her footing enough to not kick up too much mud and step on mostly rocks - a task that was near impossible thanks to the previous rains, wet terrain and yet she tried anyway. Still, her toes, legs and abdomen would soon have mud of its own as a chase was not something she took lightly. Though her mother would disapprove that a princess, now Empress seeking to reclaim her crown would allow herself to get so dirty - she was not her mom despite how much she loved that woman.

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I love that they're having fun so much.

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 He wasn't even just laughing now, he was cackling. The noise bubbled up wildly in his throat and leeched into the air, set into motion as Reiko named him a fiend as he tore away. The mud and gravel along the lake shore were slippery beneath his feet, and despite the sunlight streaming down and glinting across the water it provided little minimal warmth on his wet coat. The air blowing past coursed through his fur, doing it no further favors in its already wet and bedraggled state. It was all fun and games now, but god, he was really going to hate it later when he had to spend hours combing out all these knots with his teeth.

 Glancing back over his shoulder to see how she if she was gaining on him, he was amused to see the ivory female storming through the mud just as he was. Wet grass stuck to her paws in stark contrast with her white coat, and splashes of mud flicked up on them both as each footfall collided with the earth. Soon he would not be the only muddy one - and they both may be due for another dip in the lake. She was smaller than he was, but she was lithe and surprisingly agile. He didn't summon all the power of his limbs to try to outrun her and instead kept his same pace, pleasantly speedy enough to exert himself . Looking back again, he sent another teasing bark in her direction, suspecting that if they kept their respective paces she would quickly gain on him.

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It's so wholesome!

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She too laughed loudly, holding nothing back as she cried out with pure joyous laughter, something she knew deep down inside she hadn't felt in a long while. Though she had fun with the silver boy in the mountains, Quicksilver, this felt more mutual and pure if she were to compare both instances. Element sure came off less shy that was certain. Still, she wondered how that sweet boy was fairing?

As Element glanced over his shoulder to check on her, Reiko only simply took that as a challenge to pick up the pace and see if she could catch up to him soon - maybe snag that tail of his in a quick nip? She smiled devilishly at her own thought, a facade that only lasted but a few seconds before the wet soil threw off her balance sent the pale woman's spindly legs in every which direction but the one she was heading in.

Sprawling and sliding a couple of feet with her chin and chest against the ground, hindquarters comedically nearly flipping over her head but thankfully finding gravity pulling it back down and with a wet "slop" thudding against the mud behind her. A moment passed with no sound as she blinked wide cerulean eyes, letting the situation settle in before she herself erupted in only what one would call "ugly laugh" as tears welled up at the corner of her eyes just thinking at how ridiculous she must look!

Not to mention the slide was almost fun if it wasn't so spooky at the time.

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 She was starting to gain on him, an ivory bullet flecked with mud and grass streaking towards him as he ran. Just as he glanced over his shoulder again and was preparing to playfully taunt her, he saw Reiko's expression slip from laughter to sudden surprise - he noticed the expression before he even saw her feet flounder - and where before she had been graceful in her speed and elegant in her purpose, the white girl was suddenly spinning through the mud. Element slammed his hind legs down suddenly, barely managing to stop himself some slipping on the edge of the especially muddy patch that had slain Reiko. Swiveling around to face his fallen companion, his mouth was partially agape, his own laughter fallen away as he waited for her reaction and hoped she hadn't injured herself in their game.

 But there it came after two comical, wide-eyed blinks - a squealing, deep laughter echoing from her and let him breathe away the sudden tension, and break into chortles. "That," he breathed through his laughter, trotting over to where she lay. "Was, without a doubt, the climax of our legendary tale." Closing the gap, he did let himself give her a quick once over, looking briefly for any hidden hurts she may have yet to notice. "Who's the muddy one now," he added in jest, leaning down to boop her shoulder with his nose, right on an area of thick mud that now oozed through her white coat. His muzzle came away muddy after the gesture. And then, because he was a gentleman "are you okay though?" he asked quietly, raising a brow curiously and hoping for an affirmative.

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She saw his feet approach first. Lifting her chin off the ground just enough to see Element as he approached, darkened lashes blinked a few times up at him as he too began to laugh. It wasn't the most elegant and lady-like way to end a game, if mother would have called a game of chase in the mud anything even remotely ladylike to begin with - but heck if she didn't have a great time.

Rising from the ground in a muddy, soaked mess. A straight line down her midsection separating the darkened mud from her pale coat as if she were an inverted version of Element. Angling her body to avoid any more mud staining the untouched areas, she looked more or less like some bog creature than the elegant princess she was but moments ago. Curved back and head hanging low to avoid any drips as if it would help her chest and legs at all.

“I am not accustomed to muddy ground.” She chortled an explanation. Snow and ice were no problem but it seemed that muddy terrain was still rather problematic. As he pressed his nose against her in a gesture to see if everything was well, she nodded affirmatively to his inquiry, only for pearly whites to peer through the darkened mud that now stained her mouth as she grinned.

“Join me-” An attempt to deepen her feminine voice was made. It didn't work out very well as imagined. Prowling forward, she threatened to throw herself against Element to share the disaster that was now a part of her.

It would take hours to comb through the mud and wash it all out, she may as well have a little more fun with it while she can! “Join the mud kingdom!”

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 Good - she seemed unharmed by her impromptu invention of the canine slip n' slide. He wagged his tail pleasantly behind him, feeling comfortable again to sink back into the joy of the shared moment now that he'd been able to verify she wasn't hurt. Fortunately for them both, her pride did not seem to be too pained by the tumble either, which added further points in her favor to his mental assessment of her. "I'm not accustomed to the muddy ground" she explained. Element threw her an exaggerated shrug, trying to paint a knowing look on his face as he responded "Well, we weren't all born mud men - they get an extra mud toe for traction," he jested, lifting one paw (which if she were to count, had a normal number of toes and no special mud-mutations) and pretending to examine it, as if he were looking for the appendage of which he spoke.

 He glanced up suddenly from his mocking examination of his own paw to Reiko when her voice changed - something like a comical feminine falsetto. Mischief danced across her face and his brows raised, eager to continue to play along and glad the change of pace had not ended their fun. "Join you!" he proclaimed, backpedaling slowly as she approached, doing his best to look intimidated. "Not the mud kingdom!" he pleaded playfully, lifting a dirty forelimb and crossing it before him, as if to shield himself from her approach. "I thought I had escaped my birthright!" he whined, unable to stop from laughing. She stalked forward, intent plastered on her face, and he let her come, his attempts to back away half-hearted at the very best. She was welcome to bring on the mud.

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An extra toe for traction? She almost fell for it. Lifting her own paw to mimic him and letting her eyes cross just a little as she focussed on her own toes, wiggling them slightly as she imagined having an extra one just tossed into the mix. Brows raised curiously before looking back at Element as she placed her paw back down, knowing very well now that he was uhhhh - how did the saying go? Full of uh —shit?

Giggling at her own impolite thoughts of accusing him in such an atrocious way, the conversation swiftly changed as their little game continued.

“None can evade their destiny!” Keeping to her role as the nefarious "monster" Reiko only waited long enough to see if he would put an end to their game in fear of crossing any boundaries with someone new she knew very little about - and so when he played along still, only then did she pounce.

Sort of like a kitten with a new toy. Not very intimidating but it really wasn't all that meant to be either. What she wanted was to tackle the lad and share the muck that clung to her coat and drag him down to her level of filth.

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 He hadn't been able to fool her, but the look she'd given him after examining her own paw was a priceless one. Full of shit indeed - and wearing nothing less than his best shit-eating grin to match. It seemed, however, like he was about to pay penance for his crimes. "Noooo!" he yowled as she approached, the sound mixing with a graceless snort of laughter. She pounced and connected with his dark shoulders, and he let himself fall backward under her weight with a dramatic flair, flopping onto his back. "I'm slainnnnn," he howled in mock despair, grinning all the while.

 Back in the dirt and Reiko poised above him, presumably taking any opportunity she had to transfer whatever mud was on her to him - Locard's Exchange of Muck, if you will - he nipped playfully at her paws, tongue lolling. Once did a poorly thought out nibble instead get him a mouthful of mud, and part laughing part hacking he grimaced, "uurrgh" as the filth coated his teeth. He recovered quickly though, unwilling to let her keep the full upper hand throughout the whole exchange. Trying to aim for a cleaner patch of fur than the last, he set his sites on a frosty and untainted patch of her shoulder, leaning forward to drag his muddied tongue across it sloppily.

 Whether that worked or not - he wasn't done yet. He was a man of commitment, and to this theatrical bit was he now wed. "My destiny," he croaked, rolling his sterling gaze skyward. "To think I tried to escape it - I should have known better. Once a mud man," his eyes flicked back to her again, "forever a mud man." On his back, his paws skyward, an air of mischief still about him, he tried to entangle his forepaws in hers, hoping to get enough of a grip so that when he rolled over - which he now did - he could pull her down into the dirt with him.

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Upon contact she squealed again happily, victoriously! This time as she fell, Element was there as a sort of barrier between her and the dirt below, and he, well, was sandwiched between them both as she flopped over on him not-so-gracefully transferring as much of the stain as she could. From her muzzle to her chest she wiggled and rubbed like a feline in a patch of catnip with her tail hanging high above as she angled downward.

In his declaration of being slain, she took a moment to stand. Front paws lightly against his chest while she placed most of her weight on her hind legs against the ground as to not weigh down on him too much. Even with such a smaller stature, she was still quite self-conscious about being heavy for others. “I have done it! I have conquered the Element!” Pun was definitely intended, only for her gloating to be cut short with his slobbering mess of a tongue spread the mire further up her coat. “Awwww noo!” Now was her time to whine, jokingly, dramatically tossing her head back as she called out to the heavens.

His little soliloquy was enough of a distraction for Reiko to be none the wiser when he did his little trickery, flipping the scenario where now she too was on the ground. Slowly getting more... brown and black as the staining was just more evident on her pale complexion while he had the midnight shade to ease the transition. “I suppose it was my fate as well to wallow in the muck.” And here, she flopped. Accepting the dirt and disgust to crawl over her slender frame. She was defeated, having nothing left to counter with.

“I hear it to be good for the skin at least.” A mud heavy tail flapped against the earth in wet slaps as she found it humorous.

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 It took him a second, during which he stared at her curiously as he deciphered her pun. It was, he thought, probably the first time that anyone had ever done so, and he was delighted by it. "Hah!" he exclaimed when it finally clicked, the sound escaping him unintentionally. She was perched on his chest, and he could feel the cool earth on his back, trying to seep through his rough (and by this point, terribly, terribly dirty) guard hairs to tickle the skin beneath. But before she knew it, his paws crossed hers and he folded them against her limbs and heaved to his right, sending both of them flopping further into the mud. He was pleased that the final gesture hadn't gone too far, and it seemed that she had finally succumbed to fate of the turbid-coated.

 As far as being good for the skin - his ears perked at that. "Is it now," he huffed curiously, rolling onto his belly at last and splaying his forelimbs out before him. "At least there's one benefit then," he mused. If it was good for the skin, he'd be sporting a youthful glow for weeks. Her tail flopped loudly in the mud and he couldn't help but copy it, the white-tip of his own tail fully camouflaged at this point in hues of brown. As fun as all their jests had been, he found himself growing short on quips but was not upset by it - instead he could feel himself buzzing with the pleasant high of joyous encounter he'd never would have thought to occur today. Taking a moment to inhale deeply and release a content sigh, he smiled at her again, and relaxation made itself evident on his features. "Thank you," he murmured, inclining his head to briefly. "I think I needed that."

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It was a bad pun, horrible, awful pun and she loved it. The worse it was the more it pleased her, and her tail happily swayed as it finally clicked in for Element and he seemed to have enjoyed it too. At least her comedic "genius" wouldn't be wasted on him.

With the excitement dying down and only a few more humorous quips added on the account of how good mud was for the skin, it wasn't upsetting that things were now winding down and coming back to reality. She couldn't remain there forever after all. Not with her children still out there waiting to be found and brought home - wherever home would be.

Element expressed how it was something of a necessity that he nor she might have known. A little game to forget the woes of reality, a moment of escape to find joy even if it was fleeting and brief. “I did too.” It was easy to admit.

Pushing up against the ground to stand, her movements sluggish as it felt heavier than what she was accustomed to. The wet dirt weighing her down just enough to feel the weight on her tender muscles and bones. The dark liquid dripping from her body as she cast a humorously embarrassed look at Element as she stood here like some wet feline. “I think — I think I also need a bath.” Her cheeks felt warm but that smile on her lips gave way to how silly she felt. Wadding over to the pool of water with careful steps, waddling almost as she fought with her balance on the wet earth and her own new weight.

Once out of Element's reach, only then did she furiously shake to try and rid herself of as much muck as possible. How funny she must look now with mounds of pointed fur coloured in the darkest lumps of mud. Extreme caution was taken around the lake, picking her steps as she went into the lake but not too deep neither - thankful that the lake was placid and no undertow threatened to sweep her away.

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