This is roughly set on the small western piece of The Waste that Inferni doesn't occupy and is really almost borderline into Arachnea's Revenge. Open for one to two others, where they're from doesn't matter to me. No need to match length either. 
[html] Having followed the coast out of Inferni, Hezekiah ventured towards an area that he thought seemed the slightest bit familiar. Though it was far from the forest where Kaena had found him, he had distinctly recalled the long and winding stretch of sandy beach that he had seen through the dense growth. It was muggy, but not uncomfortably so, and off in the distance over the bay—or was it an ocean, he wondered—tall thunderheads churned on with no intentions of coming ashore. It was out there by the ocean where he could feel the chill of the water, which considerably put a cap on how warm it would dare to be. That salt water was almost too cold for any sensible creature to stand, although those who were used to had quite a tolerance for it.
Hezekiah was really not one of those tolerant ones. He kept his distance from where the waves washed shore, eyes scanning the area for anything that would link him to anything he may have had with him, or even to the memory that was currently eluding him. His wandering was also a sign that he was feeling considerably better, although he was still by no means healed. His left side still ached and burned with a fire, ribs bruised and healing skin tender to every taken breath and movement he made. But his energy was renewed, his thoughts organised and focused, nothing really but that injury was out of the picture.
Of course, he was forgetting that he didn’t know very much about the place he was in. It wasn’t all that different to where he had grown up, although Inferni lived much more closer together than the home he had belonged to. It was bigger than his home, for that matter, not in gathered territory but body count. It reeked of its own size, rather than being a scant indicator; a suggestion. But it wasn’t too hard for him to adjust, even though he wavered currently between being seen and unseen, friendly or shy. They didn’t seem too bad, at least not so far.
Stopping by a piece of driftwood, Hezekiah bent carefully to pick up a mussel that had been washed up during the tide, caught between the rocks, and tossed it back into the sea. And then he stayed there for a few moments, watching the waves roll in, just trying to will himself into thinking of something that would fit in the jigsaw puzzle he was trying to piece together about what had happened to him. And strangely enough, watching that ocean made him wonder if his father was looking for him, but the boy shook that thought away. He wouldn’t. He didn’t care, he thought to himself. He was just another burden to the ageing man. [/html]
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oh hai! o.o;
Alacrity's summer had passed in a melancholy haze. One day was very much like another, spent exploring old trails and figuring out how to lure and catch unfamiliar prey. (She'd finally mastered stalking rabbits; fishing here was much the same, but a more expanded menu still eluded her grasp.) When not occupied with survival, her mind drifted to the gravity of her decisions of late - leaving home, traversing the desert, then crossing the little water north and finally the big one into the west. Alacrity, normally indomitably sunny-spirited was undergoing a period of ennui. This was, she suspected, why she had settled here for the last few months, when previously not even the wonders of the civilized world had held her attention. (Granted, being bound to four feet had also limited her enjoyment, but she was inclined to overlook that fact, at the moment).
Yesterday's successful hunt kept her sated today, and the slightly-built lupine found herself following a trail down out of the highlands to a stone-littered beach. The air was heavy, a state generated, no doubt, by the clouds building off shore; her sluggish movements mirrored the currentless air. Alacrity walked along the water line, paying the waves little heed as they lapped over her paws and ankles. Frigid though the water may be, she liked the feel of it on her skin and the way the salt would stay in her pelt for days thereafter.
Thoroughly distracted by thoughts of family and home, Alacrity missed a mounting wave that crashed suddenly over her backside, drenching her tricolored pelt from rib to tailtip. Surprised, she sputtered and danced out of the retreating wake, shaking herself as she went. Great. She was cold now, and would be hard pressed to dry and warm herself before the sun fell. Dropping the sullen mood temporarily, she picked up the pace to a steady loping jog that continued until her body heat began to send the water begrudgingly back into the already-saturated air.
Alacrity was still chilled when a figure appeared on the beach. The thoughtful look on his face was familiar, even if the features were not. Approaching the young fellow carefully, she greeted him with a query. "Care for some company?" If not, well, she'd be on her way.
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I am sorry for the wait, Kimfluff. ;_; *fails*
[html] When an unfamiliar feminine voice rang out, one thought and one thought alone occurred to Hezekiah: he should have been paying attention. Sharply and perhaps too swiftly did he look for the source of the voice, turning with such a motion towards the wild dog that his side burned with white hot pain. He went from shock to a grimace in a split-second, instantly cradling his ribs with a hiss and a hunch to follow.
But when the pain had subsided a second or two later, save but a lasting ache, he was able to regard the woman who had come upon him and her most unique appearance. Bronze in coloration like Anselm, it was hard not to spot the smattering of black and white to her body. He stared for what seemed like the long time, mouth agape slightly with the notion to speak, but words failed him momentarily. “I, uh,” he foundered finally with an uneasy crack of his voice, “I don’t mind, I-I guess.” First impression made not as well for either party, but at least she didn’t seem like the aggressive sort.
Or so he hoped. [/html]
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no worries. college is painful -hugs-
Although Alacrity felt she had been obvious in her approach, the younger male started when she spoke. She instantly felt bad, because he grimaced and hunched as if in pain. Alacrity stepped forward instinctively, her face wearing an expression of concern. She bit back the reflex to ask if he was okay, because he was very clearly not -- it didn't take her long to notice the burn marks that trailed down his side.
"I'm sorry if I startled you," she replied after a moment, having used the time to properly translate her thoughts. Her English was clear but accented, and it was easy to mark her as a non-native (as if her appearance hadn't done the job already. Not wishing to alarm her company further, she halted before she got too close. She was not completely unaware of how bizarre her appearance was to the native population. "May I ask what happened to your side?"
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