Judgmental eyes

"If I can't move the heavens above, I will move Hell" Sah trailed behind Lily, a gentle smile on his face. The little pup was still such a new addition to his life but the Abandoned was already head-over-heels. The little wolf brought such joy into his life already. Just having a friend to sleep beside was doing wonders for Sah, and he'd found himself actually sleeping lately. As such, the little pup already had Sah wrapped around her finger, or paw. When Lilly decided she wanted to take a walk around the Sea of Branches as the sun was just beginning to rise, Sah got out of bed and went. No matter how much he wanted to sleep in. And that was how Sah now found himself standing in the middle of the empty area eye-to-eye with his wolf. Lily had found a table in the middle of nowhere and had promptly decided to jump up onto it to sit down in the center. Staring right at Sah, she gave a happy yip, brining a small chuckle from the Abandoned. "What are you doing pup? Happy to finally have some height you short thing?" He teased her, getting a playful nip on the nose in response. Sah glanced up when he heard footsteps, wondering who else would be out this early. sah There stood the wolf in the winter wind Full of fearsome might There stood the wolf in the winter wind King of the winter night. -Tim Vallie

OLIVER

Wandering around was one of his favorite pastimes. It was absolutely useless in an overall look, but it often provided with fun experiences. It’s how he ran into most people- hardly ever planning any proper meetings anymore. Very rarely did he actually choose when to see people, only running into them randomly.

And that just so happened to be the case today.

Out on his trek, he’d come across a… unique sight. A human- one he’d never seen, with a wolf and a table. Seemingly distant from any other living creature. Just. Sitting. At a table.

Tilting his head, Oliver hoped he hadn’t yet been heard, watching for a moment silently. If he was caught- ouch- that’s awkward. A blonde dude just staring at you. Totally not weird.

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

The footsteps had stopped but Sah knew that whoever it was, was still present. Sharing a glance with Lilly, the two eyed the trees. The pup spotted the stranger first, nudging her bonded subtly. Taking the hint, Sah turned, and his eyes locked with the blonde man. "Yes?" He asked, prompting the other to explain why he was secretly watching them.

A thought occurred to him. "Is this your table? Why in the seven hells is out here in the middle of nowhere?" If it belonged to the stranger, that would explain the staring at least. Sah then processed the fact that he was sitting at a table in the middle of nowhere. And that there was a wolf pup standing on the table. Maybe that's why the guy was staring.

The storm rages
I conquer

OLIVER

Seven...hells?

What?

"Of course it's not my table-" Oliver shook his head and sighed, running a hand through his hair. Calm down... you're lashing out at some random dude who is just talking to a wolf in the MIDDLE OF THE FOREST with a seemingly random table.

Why even trust a random table? Surely the damn thing is cursed or like a venus fly trap, ready to monch on your ankles.

"Sorry- it's just... super weird to see someone sitting at a table in kind of the middle of nowhere." Was he being a little judgy? Yeah... but he wasn't going to recognize that. Oliver may be nice, but damn is he an idiot sometimes.

Letting out a sigh, Oliver took a step forward. "I'm Oliver."

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah shrugged. "Not mine either. I was just walking with Lilly here and stumbled upon it." He nodded towards the wolf pup who gave a happy yip at being included. "And you're right, it is rather bizarre." Sah glanced at the table with furrowed brows. Lilly mimicked him, her little eyes squinting. The action made Sah let out snort and he poked the little pup in-between the eyes to make her stop.

Sah turned back to Oliver when he introduced himself. "I'm Sah. And I already introduced Lilly. Given that the table hasn't killed us yet, want to sit? What were you doing out here anyway?" It was one thing to be out taking a walk, but why else would anyone be out here? Especially this early in the day?

The storm rages
I conquer

OLIVER

A name for the companion was given far faster than their name. Strange, but alright. It wasn’t the weirdest thing they were dealing with and either parties seemed to truly understand the oddity of it.

”Is there a name on it? Anywhere?” The other person had been here for longer and Oliver assumed they were the sort to look for names first, but maybe he was wrong.

There’s a raise of an eyebrow at the offer. Now… it was tempting, but something still felt weird. ”Im Oliver- and maybe. I’ve been wanting to walk around a bit… what would we sit down and do?” It wasn’t a lack of trust in Sah, it was a lack of trust in the table. Maybe someone left it there for a reason and would be mad about it being messed with.

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah shook his head, eyes glancing at the table. "Nothing. No names, no scratch marks. Not even a speck of dirt. It's a little unnerving. But it seems mostly harmless." It really was bizarre and Sah had been hesitant to sit. But with Lilly jumping on it without hesitation, he had assumed it was safe enough.

Sah gave the table a small pat. "Might as well sit." Lilly gave a happy bark and wag when Oliver introduced herself. "Nice to meet you Oliver." Sah eyed the table again, brows furrowed. "I genuinely have no idea. I have some bread with me, want some? It was baked just a few days ago. There's also a ton of weird plants and random objects around. Likely abandoned by other travelers We could do something with those?" The bread he had made with Vai was still fresh and delicious. It had been a great snack while traveling. As for the trinkets, maybe they could come up with something?

The storm rages
I conquer

OLIVER

There was a reluctancy… but then fresh bread was mentioned. It had been ages since he got some good bread- ever since Amalia moved away he always felt sad. Nobody could bake bread as well, then again, there weren’t many bakers. But… maybe this one was good? And it was free-

With slightly wider eyes, Oliver walks over and plops down before turning to the canine and offering her a nod. ”What stuff did you find? Anything fun?” Objects became lost often and would resurface at the strangest of times. He’d have a broken pocket and there goes a small knife, lost somewhere in the woods waiting for a new owner. Buttons used for mending would be found with a bird who thought it was seed.

”You’re not from here- where are you from?”

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

When Oliver sits own, Sah hands him some of the bread. Vai is a master baker in Sah's opinion, so he's sure that Oliver will like it. Upon the question Sah glances around the area. "It's weird, a complete menagerie. There's old clothing, broken weapons, etc." He then pointed to a small pile of particularly odd findings. Sah had bunched them together out of boredom. "I found an old clock that's somehow still ticking. As well as what appears to be an incredibly colorful hat. The shield over there too is strange. It's....iridescent? I have no idea what it's made of."

Sah ruffled Lilly's ears as Olive asked about home. "We're from Halo. Though, I'm an Outlander. What about you? Where's home?"

The storm rages
I conquer

OLIVER

Oliver's eyes drift to the side as he looks at the items. They looked lovely- but it felt wrong to take them. "I wonder why someone would leave them- they all seem lovely and even well cared for... do you think they lost them?" Maybe they fell out of bags? Oliver wasn't sure and had no idea how to return them to the original owner.

It was easy to understand why Sah behaved the way they did- they were an outlander. Most of the Natives of this world weren't as happy. They had been through so much and had little time to enjoy the little things in this world like an abandoned table. It felt nice to talk to someone not yet tainted by the nightmares, it felt like home, in a way. "I'm an Outlander myself- from some part of Ireland in some weird time in history. I haven't fixed all the bugs yet, not exactly an Irish history book here." There was a soft smile and he continued on. "Right now, the Greatwood is my home... it's nice." There was a slight pause before he asked a potentially iffy subject. "Why choose to settle in Halo?"

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Sah

The wind howls
I answer

Sah eyed the trinkets for a moment, contemplating. "Perhaps. Forgotten or lost, or even left behind to be found by others. But it really is an odd assortment." Some were simple trinkets, but others like the shield looked like they'd be valuable if refurbished.

The Abandoned tilted his head in confusion. "Ireland? I've never heard of it, we're likely from different worlds entirely. Does the name Lunaria ring a bell to you? That was what my home was called." Sah had a feeling that Oliver hadn't, but it was worth asking.

"The Greatwood? I love it out there. What made you stay?" He asked curiously before answering Oliver's question. "I came into Caido via the portal at The Fangs in Halo. And in my world I lived in the mountains surrounded by snow and tundra. So Halo just felt right. It's not yet home, but.. it's probably the closest I'll get in Caido." Sah explained with a wistful tint. "I can't exactly move to the Draig, which seems to have the most similar climate to my homeland." He added with a small chuckle. If that region wasn't lethal, the Abandoned would absolutely live there.

The storm rages
I conquer