Sailing Joys
#1
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000

OOC goes here.


The ship had sailed, leaving Dalgina rather giddy with excitement. Tehu nested in the masts of the ship, while Dalgina ran about on the decks. She didn't climb them as she felt like doing, too shy to act the part of a silly girl in front of all her pack members. Dalgina did spend her time at the bow of the ship though, gazing forward as the boat moved, the sea calling to her heart. It was a breath taking view, keeping her riveted for hours.

When she wasn't there she was below deck, sketching what she had seen. Pages of drawings filled the air around where she slept. Some of it was crumpled up, others placed neatly in a pile. Dalgina didn't seem to be able to stop herself, trying to capture what she saw and never quite succeeding. Pushing the dark hair out from her face she looked over where the other pack members were, sitting around or working around the boat.


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#2
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Lupus form. I wasn't sure if she
was currently below-deck so I made it vague.


Levent hated the ocean.

He hated the way the boat pitched and rolled in the waves, the changing speed as the currents and wind aided and hindered them, the constant smell of water and fish and sea birds, the unchanging horizon once you were in the middle of all of it. He hated it, and more to the point, he was terrified of it.

The wolf was in constant fear of being blown over the side, or otherwise getting completely swallowed up in the sea. He spent the first hour staring forlornly at the disappearing lands of Cercatori d’Arte before reality set in, and the next hour was spent huddling in a little ball below decks, beside himself with terror. He’d shifted into his lupus form for primal comfort, his face buried in his dark-tipped tail, shudders passing through his body as he made himself as invisible and small as he could. Only the constant stream of reassurances mewed in his ear kept him from having a full-blown screaming panic attack, and even then it was a long time before he showed signs of life again.

The man forced himself to move after a while, lifting his head and blinking slowly as he took in the darkness of the ship. Animals fidgeted in the shadows: the horses and sheep and other creatures that were to be traded off to the northern packs. Some had succumbed to the same quiet panic that he did, and so he moved slowly among them, offering hushed sounds to calm them, anything to stay sane.

Even that did not last long. The floor beneath him heaved upward suddenly before dropping, and Levent tucked down into his ball again. A rough tongue rasped against scruff, and he grimaced as he tried to relax his toes, which were digging his claws into the wood. His chest heaved like a bellows as he tried to bring himself back, his pale eyes searching for a distraction besides the uncomfortable animals. Maybe a pack member—although he was ashamed to let any of them see him like this, especially the more savvy sailors. He didn’t mind others thinking he was a ditzy fool—but this time he wasn’t just acting the part.

He set his jaw, gave his head a violent shake, and looked at Wilson, who reluctantly halted his ministrations. “Did you just call me baby?” the wolf asked, and Wilson grinned, dropping his ears.

Levent pushed himself onto all four trembling legs and began the unsteady walk across the wood. He marched grimly, like a man walking toward his own execution, but luckily the trip was not as far as he thought—and the water remained placid during this stretch, enabling him to almost pretend he was still on land. And there wasn’t anything left in his stomach to heave up.

His eyes caught sight of a dark luperci, and he remembered the girl from the day before the voyage. He opened his mouth to call other, but the boat decided to pitch sideways again, and he fell back on splayed haunches, yelping.


+515


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#3
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000

OOC oops, meant she's below deck drawing. love wilson.


A yelping cry immediately drew the dreamer's attention. Standing up Dalgina watched shocked as he tumbled to the ground. Rushing across she knelt down, looking over the trembling brown wolf. This did not look good! Was he sick? Was he hurt? Are you okay? She looked over to the pale cat that stood nearby, wondering if they were selling cats as well. Tehu was above in the masts. She wasn't so cruel as to ask him to come below to such a crowded space.

Hesitantly she reached out a hand to touch him, hoping against hope that he was okay and he didn't need a medic. Dalgina wasn't even too sure if there was a medic on board. All she knew about medicine was to hold on tight and do exactly what the doctor said to do. And that bleeding all over the place wasn't healthy for anyone. Biting back a cry Dalgina studied him, hoping that he would respond to her pleas.


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#4
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yay that's what i thought



He'd caught the girl's attention, although it wasn't in the way he'd intended. She rushed toward him with obvious concern, kneeling down beside him and reaching out with one of her dark hands. Wilson had come scampering up too, but all the worry was as annoying as it was touching. He'd only fallen, after all -- and made an ungodly noise like he was going to die. He flattened his black ears, hoping that the rest of the traders and crew didn't come to see what the hullabaloo was about.


"I'm -- I'm fine," Levent forced out, scrambling away from her searching hands. He flicked his tail against the cat to drive this point home, and Wilson dropped into a crouch, watchful nonetheless. "I'll live," the Turkish man added, trying to grin at the she-wolf to reassure her, but his black mood made this a vain attempt. He snarled. "I just -- bu aptal lanet tekne nefret, ve ben okyanus nefret ediyorum, ve ben bu aptal sefer nefret ediyorum bu boktan topraklarına..."


Wilson cleared his throat, and the wolf remembered himself. He blinked at the youth then curled up into his ball again, ashamed in addition to feeling nauseous and scared. "I hate boats," he said more succinctly, and buried his face in his forelegs.


+515


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#5
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000

OOC goes here.


His ears were tight against his head, clearly upset. Dalgina wasn't sure how to deal with this, usually off by herself and away from typical social interactions. Should she call someone to look at him? The cat had rushed up as well, his actions carrying worry in his frame. Dalgina hadn't dealt with cats much. Was he like Tehu? The male backed up, Dalgina's ears drooping as he pulled away from her. Oh, okay. She smiled timidly, hoping that she hadn't done the wrong thing in her response. Would he be angry?

The snarling expression intimidated her, coupled by words she didn't understand. Dalgina's brown eyes drew wide, wishing she hadn't rushed over. The black female retreated a couple steps back, fumbling over herself to try and apologize. The words cut off, the wolf retreating into a tightly curled ball. The muffled words slipped out, Dalgina looking at him in surprise. You do? What was he doing on a boat then? The trip was optional.


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#6
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out of character



The dark-furred girl looked uncertain after his blunt statement and recoil from her touch, and the look on her face when he ranted flooded him with guilt. His emotions were heightened and quick-changing due to the stress on his body, mind, and heart, but he was still ashamed of spooking her and quickly adopted a submissive, apologetic posture to show this. Maybe he shouldn’t have come on this stupid trip after all; it wasn’t worth the benefit if he was going to destroy relations with his own pack in attempting to provide for it. He wondered how Wilson even put up with him, although the cat’s amber gaze was only gentle and understanding when he looked at him.

“I do,” Levent confirmed tiredly, sitting up again but remaining hunched over and miserable-looking. He was glad that no one else other than this child could see him right now, especially after his demonstration of an outgoing, careless individual. “I needed to—I needed to come, though. Being a merchant was my trade even in my old country, and I want to benefit d’Arte with it. And I… I probably need to get over the whole boat thing anyway. Sometimes the best way to overcome your fears is to just expose yourself to them until you calm down—well, it all sounds like saçmalık now, but maybe it works.”

He cleared his throat and tried to give her a friendly look, even if his cream brows drew together in a pinched, worried expression despite his smile. “I’m sorry about the fuss. I’m Levent Kartal, and you… You smell like one of the Wolfe-Denahlii children.” Or so he thought; despite meeting one of said children and the scarred, intimidating matriarch of the family, he wasn’t entirely familiar with them. He supposed that meeting new pack mates while trapped on a boat with them was another benefit of the voyage.


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#7
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000

OOC goes here.


The wolf coiled down, submitting to Dalgina. She wasn't a very dominant wolf, though she wasn't submissive either. Dalgina simply didn't spend much time with others. Her tail arched instinctively behind her. The rest of her remained gentle, simply puzzled by his actions and a little frightened. Dalgina listened curiously as he spoke. confirming his deep hate of boats. Why he would choose to be on one was certainly a puzzle then.

His explanation was messy, not completely understood by Dalgina. She did grasp that he was here because he felt he had to be though. Nodding her head the small female managed a tiny smile. He seemed like he was actually fairly nice. Yes, I am. I'm Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii. It's nice to meet you, even if it is in such a bad situation. Forgetting about his problem she immediately brightened up, eyes aglow. They have an amazing view here! You can watch everything for miles, with nothing else around! So much to draw! The sea just seems to swallow the color in.


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#8
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Back and rambling!



Levent was not entirely unfamiliar with the rites of dominance and submission. Although the Eastern hemisphere was more civilized and humanlike, their adaptation to the virus and to the domain left to them by Homo sapiens did not breed out their canine instincts. Such forms of dominance had become more subtle than outright lifting your tail or flipping over an omega wolf, but they were there, especially in the big families that ruled Europe and expected compliance with their laws.

He was not as well-versed in this instinctual law when he was a scruffy tawpie, and many times he’d gotten slapped around for refusing to lower his eyes among nobler folk. The street-rat had learned quickly to fake submission even if he didn’t give it, and eventually this had evolved into an art form—a slinking, simpering fool heard more information than was trusted to a competent individual. In this case, the submission was apologetic and to reinstate himself as a harmless figure, because Levent hated solving problems with violence that he could easily solve with brown-nosing. It took fewer muscles to smile than rip out throats, after all.

The girl introduced herself as Dalgina, and Levent smiled although he couldn’t place the origin of the name. Said smile disappeared when she began gushing about the ocean, though, and he scowled at the floor for a moment as he considered a response.

“The sea swallows more than just colors,” the brown wolf snorted at last, although he tried to sound amused rather than terrified. “But how many ways can you draw the same old ocean?” he went on, more curious than disdainful. “I mean, maybe one scene has birds and the next has a shark leaping out, but otherwise, I don’t see what all there is to draw.” He lifted a paw in the same way he might lift both hands to fend off any protests to his rudeness. “I’m no artist, of course, have no idea what I’m talking about.”



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