Dusty Canyon

He grinned, watching her. "What is so mesmerizing about my tail?" He asked, turning to move into slightly shallower water.
"You're not supposed to /inhale/the water you know. It may be your element but you still can't breathe it. Honestly how have you lived so long?"

“Well if you keep twitching it then of course I’m going to get distracted by it.” She said with a slightly over dramatic sigh. She watched him move away but was more than happy to start floating in the water.

“How have I lived this long?” She repeated. She gave a humourless laugh. “I wonder that myself sometimes. But when it comes to my element it’s because I can do this.”

As she spoke all the water around Aderyn’s legs drained away briefly, before rushing back with a splash. She gave a slight shrug. “That and dumb luck I suppose.” She added with a grin.

He looked down at the water with mild surprise, then tipped his head one way and the other, before looking to her.
"Still, it's impressive. ananth could learn a thing or two from you." He said, sitting down, enjoying the cool of the water.

"Both of us are hopeless with our elements." He said, stretching. "I think dumb luck favors all living Shinlai, to be honest. I've had my share."

Alk chuckled at his reaction before wading further into the shallows, sitting opposite him. “And I’d be more than happy to help her.” She said with a smile. “And I know a few Dark Shinlai if you ever need a hand.” She added tipping her head to one side slightly.

She sighed and looked down at her paws, noticing the gold pendent still around her ankle. “I think a lot of Shinlai rely on dumb luck these days.” She said. She gave a shrug. “Or maybe that’s just my positive outlook on life.” She added sarcastically.

He nodded a bit, then frowned. "Yes, you know one of the Elites personally, don't you?" He glanced at her, tilting his head.
Then his frown deepened. "I tried training with my sisters mate, but he is a right bit useless." He snorted distastefully.

"Dumb luck can get you some ways. "He said. "But intelligence keeps yo alive."

“Uhh...” She trailed. She wouldn’t have said she knew him personally, but she did speak to him a fair bit. “Yeah I suppose I do.” She said after a pause. “I’m not sure how well he’d be able to help you though. You’d have to ask him.” She said with a shrug.

She pulled a face at the mention of Silas. “Yes he is a bit isn’t he.” She said plainly. She didn’t want to talk about him too much, she found it more complicated and confusing than it should be.

“intelligence can keep you alive, but too much of it can kill you." She replied smoothly. She looked up at him with a half smile. “And that’s speaking from experience.” She added.

"And he's a Darkblood." He said low, with disdain. Glancing about as if he would see hm there, so he could step on him or something.
He really did want to, the little creep. But then, of course, his sister would never forgive him. and he didn't have much else.

He sighed inwardly, then moved up out of the water further so he could shake it from his fur, glancing back at her.
He tilted his head. "Too much?"

Alkyone didn’t have any reply to that. She curled her lip in distaste but kept quiet. Ananth could have had anyone she wanted, and yet she somehow wound up with the son of Darius Kordeth.

She looked up abruptly. “Yes.” She said bluntly. “I’m sure you know I’m a gossip. Well knowing as much information as I do can have its down sides.” She said slowly. “Sometimes humans and Shinlai as me to find stuff out, or if I know something. And if I decline, then not all of them are happy about it.” She explained slowly.

She gave a grumpy huff and moved up onto the bank, giving her fur a slight shake to dry it. She sat down with a bump and stared at the river.

He pushed thoughts of the annoying, runty Kordeth out of his mind, watching Alkyone settle down.
He growled low in his throat, which came out as a rather decent rumbling sound. He could be louder, but he didn't want to broadcast himself all around.

"Has anyone /hurt/ you before?" He asked, watching her intently.

“Ohh yes.” She said, sounding a little more cheerful than she should have. “However unlike most these days, I have a nasty habit of fighting back.” She said with a toothy grin. “Check this out, first scar I ever got.” She said, sitting back on her hunches and reaching up to her mask.

After a moment of fiddling she managed to remove it with a slight click. On the left side of her face a long thin scar ran from just behind her Dailain all the way under her three eyes and into the soft fuss at the base of her horn. She blinked a few times and wrinkled her nose. Unused to the maskless feeling.

“I tend to keep it covered around people I don’t know well.” She said with a quiet laugh.

He sat back, a little taken aback by the thought of Alkyone being scarred.
He had his own scars, of course. but he somehow didn't expect her too. he seemed all around too cheerful.

He leaned closer to peer at it.
"Where did you get that?" It certainly looked painful.

She grinned at his startled reaction. She had a lot of scars. All hidden by the crazy amount of fluff. “I think I got that one when I was... six? Maybe?” she said frowning and trying to remember.

“My mum wasn’t exactly the nicest Shinlai around.” She said with a shrug. “And only a couple of Shinlai know about that, so no telling.” She said pointing a claw at him.

He snorted softly. "that, I can associate with." He said, digging his claws in the ground absently.
"Not all parents are especially loving, are they?" He said, wrinkling his nose beneath his mask.

"You need to be more careful." He said. "Maybe become /less/ of a gossip"

“I wouldn’t know.” Alk said. “I never knew my dad and I think it was losing him that made my mum go insane.” She said, placing her mask back on with a shrug.

“And where’s the fun in being careful?” She asked tilting her head to one side. “Gossips is a good way to stay in the know.” She said with a grin.

He shrugged. "Both of mine were rather hateful." He said. "They tended to pick favourites, and drive out the pups they didn't like. though I suppose they were never outright abusive." He shrugged again, then grunted as he settled himself to lay on the grass.

He shook his head. "Socializing is hardly worth it. It just brings large amounts of varying kinds of pain. Not to mention annoyance."

She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows at his statement. “Well that’s not fair at all. They shouldn’t pick favourites, the pups are all theirs after all. If they don’t look after them, then who will.” She said, frowning rather annoyed. She couldn’t understand why someone would do that. There was a difference between bad parenting, and picking favourites.

She flopped onto her side as he spoke again. This statement making her frown just as much. “Well then you have /clearly/ been hanging out with the wrong Shinlai.” She said. “It doesn’t have to hurt, and if they do hurt you, then they clearly aren’t friends.” She said with a slight huff.

He tucked his feet beneath himself, eying her.
He shrugged again. "I survived. I found shelter, I stole what I needed." He grinned. "And then when they eventually drove Ananth out, I raised her and made sure she didn't have to struggle like I did." He said. Very simply.

"Bah, friends." He scoffed, trying to brush the statement off. but there was a dark edge to his tone.
But thne he paused, and frowned thoughtfully. then sighed heavily.
"... Drat. Now that I think of it I may have one or two."

“Well you’ve clearly done okay. Apart for the anti-social-ness the both of you have.” She said with a slight grin.

Her face fell slightly at the dark tone of voice. If he had had trouble before, then that would explain the reluctant-ness to have friends now. She perked up again as he reluctantly considered the fact he might have friends. “Well you defiantly have one friend!” She said cheerfully. “She is sitting with you after all.” She added with a creeping grin.

He grumbled then gave a large sigh.
"I know, I know." He said, eying her. Still difficult to see her as a friend, for some reason. But it was difficult to see anyone like that.

"I have you, and this particularly annoying Light shinlai that follows me around from time to time. talking. Non-stop." He groused.

Alk tutted at his expression. “Well don’t expect to get rid of me for some time. Once I make friends I keep friends.” She said truthfully.

“And whose this light Shinlai?” She asked moving her head from side to side with interest. “They sound like one of my friends. She never shuts up unless you say something to insult her.” She chuckled.

He laughed. "Oh, no." He said. "Mine is no female, surprising when you see him, trust me. His name is Savitri." He said, shifting to stretch his legs a bit, and sigh more contently when he finished.
"He always smells of either soot, from the time he spends with humans, or flowers from when he is acting like an idiot."

She paused at Aderyn’s description.
“He sounds...” she said slowly. “Like a fun guy to hang around with.” She said with a smile.

“Does he hang around with humans a lot then?” She asked, rolling onto her belly and watching Addy with interest.

He sighed heavily. "Yes, for some reason, he gets along with them."
Aderyn was not a human lover. But Aderyn didn't seem to love anything very much, so.

"He goes back and forth between this human settlement, and his Shinlai family. Occasionally he finds me and decided to annoy me along the way."

Alk didn’t understand the attraction to humans either. But most the Shinlai she knew were fond of them or interacted with them somehow. Even Dagda had helped raise and look after one.

“You ever ask him why he finds you?” She asked. “Maybe he’s trying to be friendly?” She said with an air of sarcasm. “Probably won’t hurt to put up with him for a bit.” She said kneading her claws in the earth.

"he's determined I need to cheer up." He said, with another sigh, then an accompanying snort as he turned his head to the side.
"Where he got that notion, I have no clue." Because Aderyn was a cheery Shinlai.
Right.

"I put up with him, however." He said.