[ P ] spare me

Against her better judgment, she ended up staying another night in these unfamiliar lands, driven solely by curiosity. She had encountered some wolves along the way, mostly during the parade, including a golden gem with whom she had shared conversations, as well as other passersby. She had hoped to bring something back from the parade, but alas, the wine was too dry and the food poorly kept, leaving her unimpressed. Back home, everything was plentiful and satisfying; here, not so much. The morning air was crisp, and it was the only way she could travel such a far distance without the heat weighing her down. She knew that if she were to travel home, it would have to be late at night when it cooled down, as there was no way she was going to travel by boat over water in the heat.

Her stomach began to protest, having missed many food opportunities during the parade. Her lip curled in slight disgust. "What am I supposed to grab here?" she muttered to herself. She could smell the food from the second round of the parade and realized she would have to put her indifference aside and force herself to eat.

Harlow rolled her eyes, clearly displeased, but made her way to the row of pop-up shops. She examined the offerings, some looking better than others, but she couldn't find anything that truly appealed to her. She glanced to the right and noticed a man who seemed to be doing the same thing, if not just window shopping. "Have you tried any of this so-called food?" she huffed.

@Declan

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Declan

Declan didn't know what to make of the parades; on one hand it was good to see the borders relaxing on the other he wasn't so sure it was all so... truthful, he guessed. Were the Kings truly committed to peace or was it all a ruse? He did not know and he would not pretend to know the minds of Kings. He was but a lowly commoner, trying to make ends meet by whatever means necessary.

He walked along the stalls now, looking for something to eat and pondering life when he noticed a woman nearby was speaking to him.

He flashed her a smile and shook his head "Not yet, but I plan to." he said. His stomach gurgled as if spurred on by his words and he looked back towards the stall nearest to him as the vendor handed out what looked to be some charred form or rabbit. His brow rose and he dropped some coin in the mans basket then took the crispified creature. "Hey, a guys gotta eat!" he said with a shrug as he looked back at the woman and her potentially horrified expression. She didn't seem too keen on the food here and who could blame her. These particular stalls didn't look all that appetizing if he were being honest.

But he was hungry and this was what he could afford, so... "bon apetit, or whatever." he said with a laugh before crunching the critter between his teeth. His eyes teared up at the sooty taste and he grimaced as he took another bite. "Mmm... so... g-" he couldn't even get the word out before he gagged and set the food down. Wow! How did wolves stomach this? He much preferred something fresh.

He tried his very best to play off the fact that the food was highly unsatisfactory. Regardless, she watched, finding it entertaining until he started gagging on it. "Lying is not an attractive trait," she said, knitting her eyebrows at him. She took one final look at the food and concluded she would much rather starve or hunt her own meal at this point. "Your coat is brittle, probably due to the lack of nutrients." Harlow shook her head and stepped back from the vendor, who gave her a blank stare. She returned the gaze coolly. "I won't be spending any earned coin on this junk," she sneered, turning away with a flick of her tail. Harlow half-expected her new company might follow, and perhaps, down the line, they would find something useful to eat.

"What did you say your name was?" she asked. He hadn’t mentioned it, and she was well aware of that, but it was to keep the conversation going, right? Meanwhile, her gaze scanned the rest of the vendors, who offered all kinds of jerky, rat, deer, and "sautéed" meats. Her head shook at the embarrassing selection until she came to the last vendor.

Harlow took a second look. The scent was appetizing, and the meat was not burnt to a near crisp. Her gaze lingered on the shopkeeper—a woman, one of the very few in the market. She narrowed her eyes and glanced back at the man. "Try this food," she said, slipping the vendor a coin. The vendor pushed a meaty turkey thigh toward the man. Harlow watched him in silence, waiting to see his response to the food.

Hopefully, this time he wouldn’t try to lie.

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Declan

"Lying is not an attractive trait," she said, and he flashed her another smile... one with little bits of fried critter stuck between his sharp teeth. "Who said I was trying to be attractive?" he supplied, rolling his broad shoulders in a shrug. She made a comment to the vendor and he just stared at her with a blank expression, probably not knowing what to say to that. Declan wanted to burst out laughing, but he settled for a pent-up chuckle instead. She wasn't going to waste her hard earned coin on his food, apparently. And Declan couldn't really blame her. It was no good. There had to be something better here.

It was then she looked to him, asking for a name, and for a moment he thought about giving her a fake one before he smiled, shrugged again and simply offered her the truth. "Declan."

When she started trailing the stalls, he followed, unsure why. She'd managed to catch his interest during that brief encounter, he guessed. As they walked she surveyed the food and finally settled on the final vendor who had stuff that looked somewhat edible. Declan raised a brow when she commanded him to try this guys food. She slipped him a coin and he pushed what looked like a turkey leg his way. "What am I, your personal taste tester?" he asked incredulously.

Truthfully, he wasn't mad by her boldness in demanding something from him and it made him want to relent. So... he took the food and took a big bite out of it, all the while staring her in the eyes. The meat melted in his mouth and he narrowed his gaze thoughtfully. Now this was good, he thought. He finished chewing then handed the leg to his mystery woman. "This one actually is good." he promised with a nod to the vendor. The man smiled and then went on about his work and Declan's attention settled on her, wondering if she'd take a bite or leave it to him.

"Harlow," she said, her voice steady as she gave her name in return. He had offered his own without hesitation, but she saw no threat in him, at least not for now. In a land where strangers knew nothing of her past, a name meant little.

She observed him in silence as he bit into the meat, her eyes fixed on his face, searching for any sign of deceit. "If I had to choose between you and me," she said softly, "I will always choose me, Declan." Her gaze remained steady, waiting for a flicker of distaste to cross his features.

But it didn’t come.

"Hmm," she noted, pursing her lips as he made a sound of satisfaction, indicating the meat was indeed quite good. He offered her a piece, but her eyes narrowed. She wanted to challenge his sincerity, but he appeared genuine. Declining the meat now tainted with his touch, she ordered another from the vendor.

As she received her fresh portion, she looked at Declan with a cool gaze. "You better not be lying to me," she said, her voice carrying an edge of threat despite the knowledge that any actions against him would not benefit her.
Sampling the meat, she was surprised to find it quite decent. It was a relief, given the uncertainty of her journey and the risk of motion sickness. She had no intention of succumbing to the discomfort of vomiting over the side of a boat or enduring the misery of an empty stomach on the return trip.

Savoring the meat, she walked away from the vendor without glancing back to see if Declan followed. She would enjoy the rest of the view, and maybe his company still, if he chose to follow.

code // art

He'd commit the name to memory but he wasn't so sure he'd see her again after this. She smelled foreign and he had to wonder if she came from that island or elsewhere. Either way, formalities were met and all that. His ears flicked as she spoke again and he let out a gruff laugh. "That's fair, I suppose." he said in response to her comment. They'd only just met after all, and this was no life or death situation. It was just food.

Eventually she partook, after a skeptical look and some quiet humming. Oh, and even a threat. But he didn't mind, he only smiled back at her.

"I would never lie," he teased as she bought her own meal and began walking away. She didn't indicate to him that he should stay or follow, so he took it up as a silent invitation to accompany her on this fine day. He snapped up the rest of the meat, hucked the bone, and trotted after her. As he came up behind her he trailed off to her left and looked about as if he were sight-seeing for the first time. There was tons of shit going on here, but he really didn't care about all that. He was more interested in this woman and where she'd come from.

"So, Harlow... are you from around here?" he asked, tilting his head and looking at her curiously. "I live further north but you kinda..." he paused, wondering how to word it without seeming weird. "Smell different." He laughed a little, continuing to trail along beside her. "Not that I walk around sniffing women like a creep or anything," he said playfully.

"speech"

Harlow regarded him with a skeptical eye as he spoke about honesty. The way she narrowed her gaze made it clear she was calling him a liar—though subtly. Still, the disagreement wasn’t worth dwelling on, so they moved on. At first, she walked alone, but he lingered behind, maintaining the conversation. The question resurfaced, this time framed differently. The initial inquiry had come from a man named Sethos. Neither of them knew where she was from, just as she knew nothing of their origins. And yet, here she was, intruding upon their world.

“I’m not,” she said simply, stopping by one of the vendors and taking a slow, measured breath. “I’m from the Hinterlands. Have you heard of it?” Her curiosity was evident, she wondered if others had traveled this way with the borders being more open. Being inquisitive was not below her.

“Our values are quite different,” she added with a hint of disdain. “Here, wolves seem to be at the beck and call of Kings and Princes.” Her nose wrinkled slightly at the thought. “I couldn’t imagine,” she mused, shaking off her cloak as she continued down the line of vendors. She considered whether there was anything else worth taking home before she finished her time with Declan. The boat was due by midnight, and she planned to rest her feet and escape the social whirl before then.

code // art

When she revealed she was, in fact, not from here and from somewhere called the Hinterlands he quirked a brow at her, his face consumed by curiosity. "Nope, never heard of it." he admitted. She carried on to tell him that their values were different and that they were not ruled by a King or Queen. Declan stared for a moment then appeared confused. "Then what do you do?" he asked, wondering what kind of chaotic system that might be. He'd never known anything less than what he'd grown up with and it suited him just fine, he supposed.

Who called the shots if they had no monarch? Who made the laws? Who decided what was right and what was wrong? It wasn't that he enjoyed the way things were, it was more like he was indifferent to them. It had always just been this way and nothing more. "I couldn't imagine a free-for-all." he said thoughtfully, if that's even what it was.

"speech"

Another question from Declan made her cast him a sidelong glance. “You ask a lot of questions, Declan. Are you sure you’re not plotting to kidnap me and lock me up in some dark hole?” She squinted, her sense of humor dry and dark, though she wasn’t worried he was actually up to anything sinister. Still, his nosiness was starting cause her to retract. The more he poked and prodded, the more she felt inclined to retreat.

“Is that normal for wolves around here?” she asked,her head cocked to the side at him. “To be so nosy?” Back where she came from, people didn’t pry like this—they didn’t care enough to ask.

Without waiting for his reply, Harlow turned on her heel and started heading back toward the dock. She said nothing as she left, not expecting him to follow. If he did, she’d politely ask him to stay behind. She had enjoyed the time they’d spent together and was glad she’d managed to eat something before the boat ride.

These festivities were ones she wouldn’t forget, and with the people she’d met on her travels, she was certain she’d return someday—maybe for one of them.

exit harlow

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“You ask a lot of questions, Declan. Are you sure you’re not plotting to kidnap me and lock me up in some dark hole?” At this, Declan stopped walking, dumbfounded. His jaw hung slack as he stared back at her in silence, unable to quite catch up with what she'd said enough to make a response of his own right away. “Is that normal for wolves around here?” she asked, her head cocking to the side curiously. “To be so nosy?” He blinked again, his brow furrowing. "Is curiosity not a thing where you come from?" he scoffed, but she was already turning away from him.

Part of him wanted to chase after her but she'd already made it clear she was no longer interested in his company. He wasn't sure what had set her off aside from asking about her homeland but the secrecy caught his attention. Maybe he'd visit this place she talked about and see for himself. He let out a 'hmph' noise then turned and made his way back to the festivities.

exit declan

"speech"