Splendor.

Beck's chest rose and fell in a slow and steady rhythm. A gargantuan creature that subtly roared into each exhale as he lay sleeping atop a fragrant bed of blossoms. His nose would come to twitch, tingling with a strange sensation. Nostrils flared, quivering between reflexively drawn breaths until those same breaths hitched in his chest. Weary lids blinked open gradually beneath the blinding light of a new dawn. 

Despite the uncertainty of the unknown and the monsters that may lurk at the corners of his ever turbulent mind, Beck's soft eyes touched over everything with an unyielding softness. A gentle caress like fingertips that brushed over every petal, branch, and flower that those dual toned eyes roved across. He delicately inspecting each with a childlike curiosity. Upon his face, his lips stretched with pleasant surprise. He could not remember the moment before this, nor the breaths he had taken before he arrived into this strange place, and yet that mere facet could not take away from the beauty of the violet petals surrounding him in a lavender cascade. Awe encapsulated him, for this was the current moment and it was one impregnated and ripe with a beautiful richness that he could not deny. Glimmering shards of sunlight speckled between the leaves had twinkled across his back, dancing as he unfolded his large body to stand.

“Huh...” He hummed thoughtfully to himself, his golden blue eyes ignited with mild awe. In an effort not to crush the small blooms flowering below foot, Beck tentatively placed his large paws carefully into the mossy carpet before selecting one of the blossoms to examine. Fascination brightened his broad features, a slight smile curling at the edge of his dark lips. “How did I... get here?” He rolled the flower carefully between his toes before plucking it from the earth and inserting it into the thick fur of his chest. A small memento, insignificant to most, yet it would serve as his first reminder of this strange new realm.

@Vienne
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She was away from home.

This was the farthest she had gone before and her bravery had be rewarded. Stone walls had a valley that had split out into the grove. Wide and endless with its beauty. The growth here was far different than what she had seen in her home and the gardens next to it. Rolling fields of tiny purple flowers that the morning sunlight cascaded down upon.

The trees did their best to shield what they could, and in that it gave way to cutting golden rays of light.

In all of this was a serenity to the very essence of the area. No one seemed to live here, no scents alarmed her enough to run home or call upon another — would any hear her this far? — in urgency.

Instead it felt like she had found a hidden treasure. For herself. A place to come to when home eventually became too loud, too busy or she felt overlooked. She had not missed the swell of her mother's sides — even if she politely never drew attention to them. Now was not a time to think about all of that.

It was time to figure out what she wished to do with her own self.

“How did I... get here?”

A voice, masculine but careful, cut through the golden rays of light. It only took a smidge of moving around a few trees to spot him. Tall and dark. She might have been scared of him had he not seemed so delicate in that moment. A flower tucked among the tangles of his chest. She had not wanted to stare at him but it suddenly seemed impossible in that moment.

She had meant to raise her own voice and say something, anything, but all that escaped her was a soft breathing sound instead. Somewhere between a sigh and a gasp all at once.

Her cheeks burned hot beneath her pale fur and at once she wished she had something wonderful to say.

Anything would have been better than the silence of staring that she had given him so far.

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The air wasn't familiar. The grand swells of floral aromas were pungent, though they did not quite verge on the overpowering. He sucked in a breath, content with whatever perceived afterlife this place may have come to be. The longer he thought on it, he didn't quite much seem to mind spending an eternity here. Since he had not known what he had before, the memories of his past nothing more than a foggy shadow, there wasn't anything to grieve, nor miss, nor yearn for. There was only the present moment, and for now he was at peace. A sigh riffled through the flowers and floated atop the smooth swaying of the breeze. However, the sound did not originate from that of his own pipes. 

The titan paused. With ears perked, he turned slowly into the direction from which the exhalation came. Faint whispers of lily and lavender announced her, but the declaration was barely a whisper among the chorus of the foliage that surrounded them. Then, he saw her. Nestled within the lush emerald stems, a young girl was perched like a white flower among them. Eyes wide like that of a doe's, her arctic blue gems were transfixed upon him, and he in turn became frozen beneath the weight of their influence. She did not speak, did not move, no she simply stared. Beck shifted slightly, straightening his spine as he cleared his throat. Was she expecting something of him?

@Vienne
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He said nothing.

At once she wondered and fretted over what he must think. Her intention had not to be rude, but she surely felt like it in that moment. Yet to blurt out that she had only thought he looked otherworldly here (among flowers bright and with one tucked among his tangles) was not exactly royal behavior either, was it?

Perhaps she might mix some truth with some manners to soften whatever damage she may have done.

“You looked peaceful,” That was truth without baring so much of it. “I did not want to ruin your...moment.”

But she had anyway, she figured, and her cheeks still burned hot.

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The smile that had slipped from off his lips was gradually beginning to beckon once more. It pulled invisible strings, tugging the corners of his mouth into a handsome boyish grin upon its return. Her voice was soft and harmonic, a melody that appeared to somehow weave itself into that tranquil meadow. Otherworldly in a strange way, the purity of her whites made her stand out and yet it was as if she could not have belonged more. She was a flower all her own, an ivory lily among the violets. One of many, but unique and rare all the same. 

“You didn't ruin anything,” Though his expression had stumbled at her presence, it was nothing she had done. He wouldn't let her carry that weight upon her shoulders, even if it was only perceived. Beck's feet were the wandering kind, and as such, he had landed himself in hot water more than once by following a trail that tempted him through the trees and onto another's border. He didn't think to stop and smell for scent markers, they never made much sense to him anyhow. How could one claim the mother earth for themselves? Lowering his head to meet her gaze more evenly, his features softened further. “Do you live here?”

@Vienne
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And like that he came to life. A smile reforming on his features once more. It gave her that feeling again, the same one that had caused her to stare at him in the first place.

This time she had enough grace and wits about her to let her gaze trail off elsewhere for a moment. His legs, long and lean. He stood tall above her and she did not need to be closer to him to know that. Staring at his legs was no better than staring at his face though. So she convinced herself to actually look away for a moment.

Off towards a sunlit patch of flowers that she drifted closer to physically as well. She willed the fairies to guide her now, if they were here. It seemed like a place that their presence might be.

“Not here, no, but close.” She blinked a bit owlish in the brighter stretch of light. “You don't know where you are, do you?*” She had overheard his confusion even if she had not immediately responded to it when she had arrived.

---

* —same energy as

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When she moved, she danced, floating between the sun-kissed mounds of meadow atop her slender alabaster stilts. It was now that he was able to judge just how small she was, how petite-- a yearling at most but even still... His thoughts trailed of, the last of which being what a behemoth he must seem to her. Is that why she had frozen up and could do nothing more than stare? Did she fear him? Bicolored lenses flicked down to the flower he had tucked carefully into the tangle of silky dark threads. He swallowed, and then proceeded to tentatively follow her path. With shoulders slumped, he lowered himself the most he could manage without it becoming uncomfortable. If only he had not been so domineering in his stature. A gentle sigh hummed off his lips once more, a thoughtful one as his smile became one of embarrassment. “Not...exactly.”

Now turned sheepish, he found the grin on his face to grow further as his brows lifted. There deep within his gaze was a small spark of something playful. “Would you tell me?” Whatever this place was it truly felt as if it was one of the ethereal. Beck would wait patiently for her reply, hoping in some way he had not been the first lost traveler through these parts. Something about her disposition told him he wasn't. It would only provide more stock into the hypothesis that this meadow was something strange. Maybe it was the pollen from off the flowers, or the petals that fluttered down from the tree tops, a scent that would cause wolves to wander in and then to forget how they had arrived. He gave them a suspicious glance before his attention returned to the girl who now stood only a few paces away.

@Vienne
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He drifted towards her and she watched his shoulders fall. As if he suddenly crumpled in on himself. Don't, she wanted to say but her voice failed her. Lodged in her throat as she watched him with pale blue eyes.

She was a true image of the cold places she had come from, out of place among these flowers and sunshine.

Would she?

He hardly made demands and that alone was enough to temper some of her nerves — both about him as a whole and his newfound proximity. Her family may have scolded her if they saw her now, so close to him... If he was dangerous, then she might learn a lesson by the end of it all.

Like why he had those scars placed so delicately upon his kind face. Perhaps he was like her mother though. Even kind souls could be marred by those unkind.

“Maybe,” Her voice teetered on humored for a moment before she softened again. “I think this world changes as it wishes. I could tell you what I know, but it might not always be true. Would you accept that?” She did not want to deceive him or make him feel he had been lied to. The world had seemingly slumbered and shifted about once, what might prevent it from happening again?

Idly she plucked a flower and held it up softly.

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Placing himself down, Beck reclined into the foliage laden meadow once more, glancing every now and again at the girl who stood opposite to him. He hadn't missed the way her gaze lingered on his face, on his scars particularly. There used to be a time when he felt self-conscious about the gashes marred into his skin. He could remember trying to cover them with mud as a young pup. They were still fresh then, and he could practically feel the way the cold muck seared his wounds all over again at the recollection. There used to be more, yet thankfully the gods saw fit to heal at least some, reserving the deepest of the collection to remain. Still, Beck found himself avoiding his reflection where he could spy it. It wasn't something he cared to dwell on.

A brow perked at her jest, that playful spark growing within those mismatched depths before her voice came again. All mirth was gone from her voice, replaced with a solemn sincerity that he didn't quite understand. The man watched her carefully pluck a flower and examine it, blinking before he nodded slowly, anticipation and confusion tossing from within as the mirthful glimmer extinguished itself altogether.

@Vienne
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He accepted it — and she felt relieved.

It was better and easier if there were not heavy questions about the wonders of this world. It might lose its magic if one dug too deep, refrained from partaking in it all. She hoped he did not lose a grasp on the special feeling of newness — it was not always a bad thing. She set the flower down near him, steeling her nerves enough to do such a thing!

All of this to comfort and carry that feeling of whimsy as they moved onward in conversation.

“Sundance Grove,” It came off of her tongue as if it was natural. As if it lived in her very bones even if she had never stepped foot here before. It felt right. “But beyond here, behind me is coldness. A frozen ground that spreads far to a mountain area that is my home. Shiroshika.” Adoration in her voice and eyes to speak of the familiar places that she cherished so much.

She had not yet told him that she was of royal blood, the Princess of the Emperor and Empress.

She did not want to scare him off with royalty.

“But I know the world is wide and big beyond these places too. Are you looking for something maybe? I can...help.”

Could she?

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Around her there was a veil of serenity. It was a calmness that hung on the atmosphere, cloaking them beneath the weight of a soothing quilt. He imagined the experience was not limited to himself, that it was simply the kind of girl she was. She could put others at ease simply by twirling a flower between her toes, even if the truth had been a large and altogether confusing pill to swallow. She moved tentatively nearer to him, bestowing the flower she had plucked earlier at his feet. Beck’s head cocked, observing the swell of violet hues evenly painted across the narrow petals as she spoke.

Only a blind man might have failed to notice the adoration imbued into her pale blue lenses as she spoke of her home lands. Even then, the pride that saturated her youthful voice was palpable. A realm of ice and snow. A girl of winter, he’d muse, his gaze sauntering down her pelt once more with new appreciation for the colors that swaddled her dainty frame.

A soft chuckle rumbled through baritone pipes and reverberated through his chest. “Kind of you to offer,” Bowing to sweep the flower stem between his teeth, he moved toward her, aiming to embed the fragile stem into the thick ivory tuft of silk just behind her ear. “I can’t seem to remember anything. Flashes here and there… but I can’t remember much beyond that.” He shrugged, the smile returning to the ebony velvet of his lips. “Can I ask your name?”

@Vienne
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He looked over her and she warmed softly.

What things did he notice, she wondered. The layering of a coat that must always face chills? The light freckles that danced like stars across her face? She flattered herself and she knew it — still she wondered and hoped.

Yet she wanted to turn this back on him again. Comfort his worries, be a guiding hand in new times. She was young but she carried the knowledge of wolves beyond her own years. Shiroshika did not lack in knowledge or teachings.

“Maybe there's a feeling you can call upon...” Her gaze fluttered softly to the warm light before it returned to him once more. “A good one. To carry you onward.” Wishful thinking — even she knew that, but it was harmless as well. The idea of holding onto the good to make the most of whatever awaited him. She wish she knew — both so that she may see growth but also guide him.

“Vienne Fuyuki aén Fidháil —” She gave him her whole name now. Perhaps it would not mean much to him but it meant the world to her. “A princess to Shiroshika.”

Would he balk at her now? Become dangerous like tales warned? She waited with a held breath to see.

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That same light shined brightly once more within her eyes, twinkling the pale blue depths like a starfield at dusk. He'd nod, mulling over the words she had said, allowing her to finish before he would speak in turn. That was until that term fell from her thin pale lips, her large bright eyes shining like a doe's behind the unseen wall the words created.

A princess. He almost scoffed. How easy her life must have been. Her recollections composed near entirely of happiness, she had no need to reap it from the clouds and heavens above. A title placed upon her shoulders not for the heart that beat within her chest, nor for the compassion that rested beyond her brow, but the simple factual occurrence of her birth and that alone. An inheritance. Her offering to catch hold of a positive feeling, the optimistic light that would serve to carry him on would only further weigh down his pockets. Sometimes catching that happy thought was simply reaching into an empty sack of cobwebs, hoping the demons did not decide to fill the empty spaces it left behind. How different must their lives have been. The pessimistic side of himself was one he often chose not to advertise. It ignited memories that he desired to snuff out. As such the sculpted symmetry of his smile did not waver. Instead it only grew with kindness, a blind empathy she had not yet grown enough to understand.

“Yeah, maybe. That's a good idea.” He smiled kindly, not an ounce of mocking laced into his tones. For a man like Beck, joy came from the experience of the here and now, not the bones that would rattle in those sealed shut closets. “Pleasure to meet you Vienne, my name is Beck.” The smile quirked subtly at the edge. “I appreciate your help in getting my bearings.” Occasionally his eyes would flit upward, noticing the soft dance of golden hues that patterned the shimmering leaves above. She came from a world of ice and snow, she was a princess of that land. What had brought her to a place like this? “Do you come to this grove often?”

@Vienne
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thank you for the stardust <333

---

Beck.

She tucked the name away carefully in the back of her mind. Beck of a land far beyond here, of another world even maybe. Vienne had only ever known here. She could not even begin to imagine what it might be like to have to start again.

She hoped she never knew that feeling.

“My help is the least I can give,” And she meant this. She wished that she had more to give in this moment though. A bountiful feast, a warm den, fine furs. She wished she could swaddle and care for the whole world at any given moment. Was that a concerning or comforting thing?

“It is my first time here, but I think I will seek it out again. The growth is different and radiant.” If it was even possible, her features grew softer and perhaps a touch more melancholy. “Will you come back here once you have your bearings?”

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Not that he cared for power or lineage, what all meant relatively nothing to him if not something he had outright disdained, but he imagined being acquainted with a princess must have been something to be desired for most. This girl had probably felt the influence of such a thing, a change in demeanor at the drop of her title, even if she had announced it to him all the same. It was a pleasant exchange he assumed, returning home to guards who would protect and servants that would likely fulfill her every whim and desire. Most of all, a family who had likely adored her. She would blossom just as the flowers before them had done, her growth unhindered so that she may unfurl beautifully vibrant petals beneath the full attention of the sun.

If only.

A soft expression touched his eyes, his mouth, the fur cresting those lips that remained pulled upward but had tugged the smallest amount further. “I think I will. I too enjoy the growth,” Sweeping the carpet of purple blooms, his eyes strayed from her briefly to appreciate the swaying petals before returning. “and the company.” He remarked softly, eyes gleaming in a friendly way as his tail beat rhythmically behind him.

Fade on next post?

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@Vienne
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