We Can Show Eachother (Lilith)

[Lilith]

For a moment, Lilith felt the cool sensation of water wrap around her. She recalled thrashing about, trying to swim for the top. Before blackness could completely steal her vision away, she was gently fished out and placed on the shore. A paw gently pressed at her chest until she coughed up whatever water was in her lungs.

“That’s not how you swim, Lilith. Let me show you.”

She couldn’t even get a clear picture of the wolf behind the words. She had a feeling didn’t want to know.

“I’m not fond of swimming,” she started. “I can’t tell you why. Not that I wouldn’t. I just can’t remember.”

With a sigh, she addressed his tale. “I don’t believe I have many fond memories of my own home. Just a feeling, really. Lacking emotion was a key part of my pack, but I’ve never been without anger. I was a bit of a failure all around. I think I feel too much emotion.”

She shifted, regretting the self-pitying comment.

“What if we were companions? We work well together. You don’t appear to be too offended by my…outbursts. I don’t believe I’ve shared anything about myself in a long time. Maybe it’d be best if we stick together. I like you. I really don’t say that about many wolves. Don’t let it go to your head.”

The last part was a growl, but even so, she felt a little lighter for having said it.

[wings]

Ketaro wanted to laugh. Not with a mocking emotion but with joy. She was liking him and companion in a sense was friend. Just in Lilith language. Ketaro ended up with giving a smile of gratitude. He bowed his head in a way of being a nod, more so. Oh nice. We could be good companions. I've never hunted better with anyone myself. I found myself liking you when you opened up to me. I mean, liking you a bit more. He smiled, saving his words so they wouldn't offend her. Of course her growl at the end only made Ketaro want to come closer and tell her she had no reason to come off as trying to be intimidating. Ketaro wanted to now be sweet with her and talk like she was his best friend who needed guidance. That would be awfully stupid of him, what would he be thinking? Has he gone mad or is he developing the very feelings that he wanted to encounter when he arrived. He shook his head, obviously this had been too good to be true and he was now being a fool, falling to his own new found sensitivity to this girl. Lilith could just be the closest thing to Ketaro's first crush. If only they just spent more time together, he could get to her trusting side and he could understand how he felt more.

[Lilith]

Lilith found herself analyzing Ketaro once more. He was obviously physically strong and able to control his emotions. He was kind enough despite this, and able to hold his own against insult. There was no tale of woe that seemed to follow him. He was simple in that aspect, and she needed simple after what she’d been through. She couldn’t remember ever having a true companion. She’d had wolves follow her before, though it was only the starved, maddened ones that were hoping she’d drop dead. She shuddered at the thought.

He’d said he liked her. She couldn’t remember being liked by anyone, either. Her own siblings had treated her as the oddball of the group. None of them were liked by their mother, but Lilith was as close to the favorite as one could’ve been. The fact that another wolf liked her made her uncomfortable, and she resisted the urge to bolt away or insult him. He’d opened up enough to express that, and she didn’t know whether or not she liked it. Already she was clawing for his emotions, thinking of ways she could try to manipulate him. Old habits die hard.

Then she realized she’d been staring at him and quickly focused her attention on a nearby tree.

“I find it funny that you have no tragic tale. I thought everyone had an horribly emotional story to bore people with. Surely my stories have amused you, but you seem to live a fairly simple existence. Do you not wish for more? Perhaps some sort of tragedy or enlightenment or immense joy? Or have you had such experiences? It seems strange that you could have lived any amount of years without an experience that elicited extreme emotion.”

She sighed. She imagined the tree on fire, burning to ash. That’s what she felt like. He’d set fire to her, reducing her to the pile of ash she was now. Her sturdy defense had burned away into something so fragile that a gentle breeze could carry it. She felt too vulnerable. Her paws pressed against the earth below to root her to the spot.

[wings]

Ketaro shook his head, thinking. Wow she really made him think about things. He thought and thought and though, for quite a while finding one story that he could barely remember. I wish I had more stories. More interesting and some weird but my life was somewhat normal. My family, they had killed many, one time it was a female I was seeing from another pack. He cleared his throat. He randomly came upon this story, and he was very happy to tell it. It wasn't pleasant but he would like to share something for her. I had been with his female for about a year. As friends of course. And my father saw her once and it was off with her head. My pack killed her and then her family, making any witnesses pay the price as well. Is that good enough? Ketaro smirked and gave a light chuckle. She was really trying to pull his emotions every which way. This almost made him laugh and kick dirt onto her, if only she was a male. He would've kicked this wolf to the ground if it wasn't a girl.