ROLEPLAY HQ - life’s-a-beach

Trigger Warning: This rp will contain violence, strong language, possible sexual content, and dark themes. If more come up, I will add them. (edited)

Seasick. Neoma wasn't a seafaring woman. In fact, she hated to be out on open waters. But, it wasn't like she was here by choice. In fact, she was on the run from the law for some theft charges. She took on a job that was far greater than her skill, and it garnered a large bounty on her head. At the first opportunity, she got on the S.S Indigo. This ship was carrying quite a few interesting passengers in fact. A good majority of the people were trying to illegally immigrate to new lands to escape a past life, or to get a better one. She was a bit of both. It was time to start fresh, and make a new name for herself. Or, that was the plan. She didn't expect the ocean to be so dark and move so much. The waves going up and down repeatedly was enough to make her stomach twist and turn. At least the rain falling from the sky was giving her some comfort. So much so that she didn't hear the crew hands yelling something about holding on as a loud boom of thunder roared overhead like an angry god. Next thing she knew she was in the water after a large wave crashed into the side of the boat. That was the last thing she remembered before waking up coughing on an island. She wasn't too worse for wear. A few scrapes from the rocky coast, and rips in her favorite outfit. Sitting up, her green hues looked around her new surroundings. It all smelled so unfamiliar to her. There were strange animals on this island for sure, and the salty sea seemed to be the most prominent feature of this green island. Rubbing the side of her head with her right hand, she looked quite confused. It wasn't like she paid extra for priority on the ship, or given up her real name. She doubt the crew even really cared that she was gone. "I'm so fucked..." she mumbled to herself and sat still, a little overwhelmed by what just happened. It was her own fault that she ended up on this island. Sure, she wanted a new start. >

15:13

But being on an island that didn't have any scents of humans being here was a bit concerning. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to sit there as the rain crashed against her harshly. The thunder continued to boom overhead as she contemplated on her next steps. One of those steps, however, didn't seem to be getting out of the rain during a storm. That would just make too much sense.

(What she would be wearing)

15:14

@Triceratops&Bottoms

"Go on this new mining project they said, you'll be rich they said. Bahhh" Rowan spat as he pulled himself along the sand. "I told them boats are cursed and a self respecting Dwarf should never be on the sea but did they listen? Nooooo." He mumbled before pulling himself to his feet. A new mining project that had barely started sounded like a great new start but as soon as they mentioned taking a ship he knew something like this would happen. "The boat sinks and dwarves float like a rock." Red faced Rowan dragged himself forward, his limbs on fire, needing to get some solid earth under his feet. "And you keep mocking me from the sky as well water!" He shouted into the sky before lightning struck and darted forward. Despite only taking a few dozen steps it felt like a mile before he made it to a boulder just off the sand. With new strength he pulled himself atop it. "Oh my sweet beautiful beautiful stone." He yelled with tears in his eyes before repeatedly kissing it. The salty dirt flavor of the stone would be gross to some but it reminded him of his mas cooking and home. Rolling onto his back he looked up at the black clouds overhead and opened his mouth letting as much fresh water into it as he could. "This salt water is going to kill me beard." He muttered before slapping the rock and rolling back to his feet. Looking around he was glad to see something other than sand. A forest might not have been home but it sure as shit beat the sand and the cursed water. One foot in front of the other he marched forward until he was in the treeline out of the rain. Reaching to his back he found his trusty pickaxe was gone and he shed a tear of loss. "Me ole friend rest in piece." He muttered before feeling the shaft of his hatchet. It was better than nothing but he still grieved for his trusty tool.

@Kamiko

The lightening that streaked across the sky gave Neoma more than enough motivation to get up. The last thing she wanted was to get struck by lightening while drenched. As she walked along, she noticed in the distance something dart toward the forest. From this distance, the figured appeared like a shadow. Maybe they fell off the damn ship too? Feeling hopeful, she began to run toward the tree line. To a normal person, this would probably look threatening. Who in their right mind would want some crazy looking woman running right toward them? Especially one with a few cuts and bruises on her body, and rips all over her clothing. "Hey! HEY! YOU A PEOPLE!" she called out, her brain running as fast as her legs were carrying her across the sand. When she got closer, she realized he was indeed a people! He smelled like a person. A short man. Big beard. A lot of muscle. He must be one of those dwarven folk on the ship! Or he was just a short human. Either way, she was thankful someone else was there with her. It was better than being alone out on this island. She stopped about 5ft away from him, her hands resting on her hips as she took in a deep breath. Her legs did feel quite tired. Must be from almost drowning in the ocean. Or the rocks on the beach knocking the shit out of them when she washed ashore. Either way, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. With her left hand, she pushed back her sopping wet hair from her face to get a better look at the weird man in front of her.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan was nodding off to sleep when he saw a figure suddenly running forwards him yelling. He startled back a bit and clutched his chest when he saw it was just some crazy person. "By Belnors hairy leathery ballsack you trying to give me a heart attack girly?!" He yelled back aas he stared at her. "I've had more than me fair share of scares today for fucks sake." Scooting over he made room for her the best he could. "Now sit down where it's dry before you take ill." Reaching up he grabbed his beard and started pulling on it to displace as much water from it as he could. "Well this is a real taint of a situation we're in eh?" He asked looking around. "When the weather's clear or I have me energy back I'll be heading out of here to find a town, I'm doubtful we're all alone here." Leaning back against the tree he looked at her for a moment. "So a dwarf and a human wash up on the beach, did you see anyone else?" He asked looking up at her hopefully. "Terrible fate if they didn't." He said with somber in his voice. "This was a lot of a day, rest if you want or not I'm not your pa, but me hairy arse is." He mentioned before closing his eyes for a moment @Kamiko

The hairy fellow spoke strangely to her. She giggled to his funny words. This one was a funny Dwarf. At least she was stuck with someone who had a sense of humor. Humor was a great way to help cope with what was happening. Most people would probably be freaking out at this point. Maybe even using inanimate objects as friends. Then naming them something silly like Wilson. "Ah, I'm sorry I scared you! It's been a crazy day. I threw up. Fell off a slip cause of that wave. Then waking up here. It's a whole big mess." Without hesitation, she walked over to flop her rear onto the ground beside him. At least it wasn't raining in here. Instinctually, she shook her head to get all the water out of her hair. Much like any other dog would do. "A town? I didn't smell a town here... or people. Then again, I got a lot of salt water up my nose." Rubbing her nose for emphasis with her right hand, she leaned back a little against the tree behind them. His next statement caught her off-guard. A human? She did appear like a human. She had rounded ears, and human skin. But her eyes were a bit strange if someone looked into them for so long. They resembled the eyes of a wolf, rather than a human woman. However, she decided not to correct him for now. Some cultures frowned upon beings like her. Most people thought werewolves were idiots, or savage beasts ready to bite at a moments notice. She was anything but that. "I didn't see anyone either. When I saw you, I ran alllllll the way here. And now I'm not alone! Which is super great. I hate being alone." She wiggled a bit in place as she spoke, talking excitedly. Talking to strangers was one of her favorite things. Even thieves needed friends

16:59

. "This was a lot, and my legs feel all wobbly. I think I'll nap with ya. I'm a light sleeper, so I'll hear anything coming." She gave her left ear a tap, a giggle following after words. Closing her eyes as well, she tried to get comfortable against the tree. Not finding comfort, she flopped onto her side on the ground and curled up into a ball. That was much more comfortable. Her icy cold, wet, bare feet pressed up against the dwarf for a source of warmth.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan kept his eyes closed not seeing any of the strange things she was doing but definitely feeling her moving around like she couldn't sit still. He grunted when he felt her cold feet against him and scooted over before getting up. "Would ye look at that, energy is back already." He lied but feeling a bit better. "Off to lookin I go." He called looking around for a landmark through the trees. "Curses why does everything have to be so much taller than me?" He asked seeing only a tree, another tree, and surprisingly, more trees. "Nothin to it but to do it I spose." He told her before marching off. "You goin to stay here or follow?" He asked curiously as he started pushing through the foliage. He didn't have his strength back but he felt better. His stomach growled at him and he had yet another reason to get going. "If I'm going to be cold and wet anyway Im going to get some walkin out of the way." He grumbled as a wet fern he pushed out of the way came back and slapped his face with a vengeance. "If these damned leaves leaf me alone anyway." The mud under his feet and the difficult terrain made it frustrating to get through but he hoped by pushing through he would find civilization and not some monster as hungry as he was. @Kamiko

Neoma jumped when the man suddenly scooted over and got up. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a confused look. Head tilted, she listened as he spoke about going off to look around. Sitting up, she looked around herself. Tree. Tree. Rock. Squirrel. Tree. Mushroom. Rock. Nothing too interesting to see around her. Then again, she was still sitting on the ground while looking about. She wasn't exactly the brightest in all the lands in some aspects. Reading and stealing was more of her forte. Not searching an island in the middle of the woods. Finally, she stood up as he started to march off. "Following! I'm following!" she said excitedly, chasing after him. Going for walks was also another one of her past times. Walking around cities and towns were some of her best memories. Interesting people to meet, and strange scents to explore. "If it makes you feel better, all the tree's are taller than me too. And the brush is sort of a pain in the ass." she stated as she moved through the brush a bit easier than him. She was 5ft 6in tall, compared to the dwarf in front of her. "Hahaha you said leaf me alone. You're funny Mr... Oh shit! I'm rude as hell. I'm Neoma! It's good to meet you. I mean, it's bad to meet you stranded. But good to have company!" She was a smooth talker for sure. Her words were as smooth as jagged dragon scales being rubbed backwards. However, she was friendly. At least she had that going for her in times like this.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan listened on silently, well grumbling but not speaking, as he moved through the greenery. Of course we everything had to be wet on top of everything else. "Rowan." He stated before pushing through ferns into a small clearing. "Well at least it's not full of more ferns." He mentioned as he waited for her to enter as well. It was a small clearing so there was less cover from the rain but it did let him see further. Now that there weren't trees blocking his vision he could see a mountain range wrapping around them. "Oh, sweet mountains that's more like it." There would be many more rocks and much less face smacking plant life there and he would be able to get a better look of where they were at. "Neoma we may have just lucked out, well not lucked out, today could never be called lucky." If there was a mountain there might be dwarves, or goliaths, any sort of civilization would be a godsend. "If there are dwarves there we can go home...well maybe I'll stay here. I don't think I could ever set foot on another boat." @Kamiko

Patting the leaves as she went, she started to skip a little as she moved to be at Rowan's side. "Rowan? I like it. Very stoic name." she stated, looking around curiously. As they found the clearing, she walked toward the center of it to get a better view of everything around them. She didn't see a source of fresh water, and it was hard to listen for one with all the rain pounding around them. Not to mention the rain was rattling off the leaves, trickling to ground. There was a ton of sounds, and the smells were almost muddled thanks to the rain too. "Mountains are a good thing?" she asked, finding that strange. It wasn't until he explained there might be dwarves that she understood. It was a possibility. "Don't dwarves hate water, though? How would dwarves even get here? I don't want to get on another boat either if I don't have to. It made me super duper sick." Her stomach churned a bit at the thought of being on that rocking pile of wood and rivets. Shuddering from the idea, her nose wrinkled up into one of disgust. "If there's people here, I'll probably just live here. I like nature... sorta." For a werewolf, she wasn't exactly a fan of forests. All manner of monsters and strange beasts lived out there. That's why she stuck to towns and cities. A person was a better source of communication compared to that of a wild animal. Plus, she was used to the finer things in life. Which was plumbing, and running water for baths. Bathing outside in the cold did not sound like a pleasant idea. But depending if they found people or not, she would have to get to know nature a lot better. "That's a lot of mountains though. Do we have to do a lot of climbing? I'm great at climbing." She thought back to the many rooftops she had climbed up onto for a quick get away. Heights she did not mind. Higher spots meant a better vantage point. It would also allow them to spot any sources of fresh water. They couldn't exactly drink ocean water without boiling it a ton and -c-

18:50

-c- filtering out all the salt somehow. They didn't really have a lot with them from the looks of things. All her belongings were on the ship, including her daggers. She was going to miss those daggers. They weren't exactly cheap to get.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowans eyes continued to drift as he followed the horizon. At the moment he still couldn't see anything but the dark clouds and rain was doing him no favor. "I don't know, I spose it depends on if we can see anything. Do you think we should wait until the rain stops to start climbing? Personally I'm not much worried about myself, a little water can't keep me from moving up a mountain but it will be slick." Rowan stopped looking at the mountain for a moment to look at his current companion. "Any chance you've seen anything to eat?" He assumed the rain would leave all the animals bunkered down out of the rain since he hadn't seen any but he also hadn't seen any plants that looked liked food. He hadn't ate since the night before and although he would be fine some food would give him more energy. "You know you have a lot of energy, care to share that around?" He asked thinking about the hyperactivity he had witnessed from her in the short time that they had been together. He didn't mind it, everyone had their quirks and hers was fun, but he would love to have that energy right now. In a way she reminded him of the dogs they used to check small tunnels in the mines. @Kamiko

"Hmm? Stop cause of some rain? Pssshh rain isn't a problem for me. I can climb very well. I've climbed a lot in my lifetime. Nothing to worry about, I can keep up with you!" Neoma was used to turning bad situations into something positive. Rain was a good thing! It got them clean, and if they opened their mouths they could get a good drink! With the thought in mind, she turned her head upwards and opened her mouth. Catching raindrops in order to get a little drink. Looking around for food wasn't exactly on her mind. "Nope, I've just seen clouds. Animals don't like the rain sometimes. If I hear or see anything, I'll let you know." She grunted as she walked right into a tree because she was so busy catching rainwater in her mouth. Laughing, she looked to Rowan with an embarrassed look. "I probably should look where I'm going." She apologized to the tree, before walking around it to continue with her dwarven companion. "If I could, I would. I'm always like this... Except on a boat. That ship made me so sick." Looking ahead now, she made an extra effort not to walk into tree's. This time moving around if any came into their path. It was quite easy to avoid things when looking to where they were going. "I wonder what island dwarves are like. If we find some, think they'll be friendly? Are Dwarves racist?" She figured it would be nice to make conversation and learn more about each other. Plus, she could find out if they were fine with werewolves or not. It was a bit of a worry for her. Especially if they did find other dwarves. She did not want to end up dead, or excluded. It would be too lonely without some sort of person to talk to.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan laughed at her comment about the ship. "Indeed indeed." He began to chortle and guffaw just thinking about those horrible inventions. "Ships are the worst. A person's feet should be on the earth where they belong." His laughter only grew when she ran into the tree. He had to stop and curl over to breathe. He didn't think he could laugh after the day he had but apparently he had been wrong. As he lifted up he thought he saw something ahead in the mountains. "No, not most of us." He said quietly as he squinted to look. "Hey, hold on a moment." He started walking off in that direction. The further he advanced the more his suspicion seemed to be correct. After making his way forward he arrived at the base of the mountain and part way up what appeared to be a cave. "How do you feel about caves?" He asked thinking if it was clear it would be a bad place to spend the night until the rain cleared. Reaching for his hatchet he grabbed the wooden shaft to make sure it was still there. You never knew what would be lurking in caves and he didn't want to risk not being armed. On an island like this he didn't know if there would be beast like bears or large cats or something monstrous waiting for them. Besides in this kind of weather things that didn't live in there might of entered for shelter the way he wanted to. (edited)

@Kamiko

Neoma was more than happy to hear that dwarves were not racist overall. That made her feel even more comfortable around him. Plus, she couldn't help but find him a wee bit adorable. He was hella jacked, and his beard reminded her of fluffy bunny rabbits. What wasn't cute about all of that?! Small fluffy things were always the cutest in her books. She followed him as he changed direction. Heading toward the base of the mountain. It was then she noticed what he did. A cave. She looked up toward it, taking in a deep breath of the air. She detected many scents around the cave, but couldn't fully tell if it was recent or not because of the rain. Some of the smells were unfamiliar to her. Then again, she didn't exactly go hiking in the woods all the time. "I'm fine with caves. Never stayed in one. I think the last time I even went camping was with my mother when I was just a little child. But that was in a tent." she stated as she walked with him toward the cave. "I smell a lot of things here... It's possible this cave is being occupied. Let's just be cautious, ok? Some of these smells are new to me." There seemed to be a switch in her demeanor now. Instead of all bubbly, she looked far more tense. If he looked toward her eyes, he would notice her pupils becoming more animal-like in nature. Her eyes were glued to the cave as she made her way toward it.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan nodded his head on agreement before he started climbing up the mountainside. The slick stone made it harder to climb but what sort of dwarf couldn't make it. He had noticed that the constant noise from behind him was gone and he assumed that she was also focusing on climbing. He stopped to look back at her and although it might have been the lack of light but he thought she looked different. Turning back around he continued onward to the cave looking closer at it the closer he got. He still couldn't see anything but that didn't mean much. As he got to the entrance he slowed and pulled out his hatchet before moving against the outer wall. He looked at her and held his finger to his lips to tell her to stay silent. A moment later he swung around to face the opening brandishing the axe and saw....nothing. His ready pose dropped and he relaxed. "Nope nothing." He called before walking in. The cave was dry after a few steps in and while not wide or tall it would have enough room for them to rest comfortably. Dwarves were able to see in the dark for a way and this let him see the cave continued down like a tunnel. If he got bored sitting around he might venture in but at the moment he didn't see a point at the moment, although he did love a good tunnel. @Kamiko

The wet rocks were not hard for her to climb. Her hands gripped each stern stone, pulling herself up with ease. Climbing came naturally to her. However, going into a cave did not. As they got to the opening, she stayed silent. Following him step-by-step, her eyes stayed glued onto the darkness. Even as he stepped against the outer wall, she mimicked his every move. Even the quick swinging around the opening to face the darkness. She made a growling sound, but soon realized there was nothing inside. Blinking a few times, she looked confused. "We supposed to be fighting something?" She figured he had seen something she didn't with all the sneaking around and stuff. But it seemed he was just being cautious of the new lands. That sounded like a good idea. Venturing more into the cave, she sniffed the air. There was a lot of different scents inside. Some were very old, and some were semi-fresh. Yet, she could tell nothing had been at the opening for at least some time. Looking further in, she saw that the cave continued to tunnel deeper into the mountain. She could tell that something had gone down into these caverns at least a few times. Crouching down to all fours, she slinked forward and inspected the ground. Old claw marks were embedded into the rocky floor of the cave. "Something went in there at some point and never came out. I have a feeling if we go too deep inside, we might find something we don't want." Sitting down onto her rear, she crossed her legs and shook her head to get some of the water off of her hair. "All the tree's are wet, so making a fire will be hard to do... So I guess we just sleep here and hope for the best? Hunting will be hard in this weather too. Rain makes everything so icky." She stuck out her tongue, making a disgusted face about the situation they were in.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

He watched her get down on all fours and stared at her thinking how strange she was. He didn't mind strange though, she was pleasant which he appreciated and he could get used to the strange. He had spent most of his life underground or in mountain cities surrounded mostly by other dwarves so most others seemed a bit strange to him, he knew he was strange to others as well. You wouldn't catch an elf licking stone afterall. "The best thing about caves is their always consistent with their temperature. Summer or winter, snow or sun, it's always the same. More importantly it's dry right now and I'm tired of being wet." He wished they could get a fire going but there wasn't anything to burn. Putting his clothes to hang near a fire to get warm and crisp would be delightful. "So any chance you can see in the dark?" He asked hoping she might be able to but knowing most humans couldn't. "If you can't I say we just wait here but if you can exploring would help kill some time." He looked back down into the tunnel and walked a few meters down before stopping. There wasn't anything to see but more stone but he was hoping he might see something to eat or at least something interesting. @Kamiko

"That is true. It's a good place to be rest because of all that. But it would be better with a fire." Neoma let out a sigh, flopping back into the hard floor to look at the cave ceiling. Her head tilted as she saw what looked like weird carvings in it. The more she looked at it, the more she realized that they were depictions of strange animals. Animals she had never heard of or seen before. Her thoughts were interrupted as he spoke about seeing in the dark. "I can see better than most in the dark. But I rely on my ears and nose when in a dark place. I got heightened senses." she stated simply as she sat up. Watching as the dwarf began to walk further into the cavern. "I think people were here once. There's picture up there." She stood and pointed to the low sitting roof. As she reached up, she was able to touch the tips of her fingers against the carved in drawings. They felt like they had been there forever. "You might be right about dwarves being here after all. These feel old, but maybe they live further inland? Or further in the caves?" She was a bit hopeful about that idea as she lowered her hand. With a bit of a smile, she followed after him. Even she was curious about was deeper inside. "Let's go with caution, though. There are things drawn that I've never seen or heard of before... and those claw marks go inside... Yet I don't see anything showing it came back out." She was all about exploring. There wasn't much else to do, and it was better than sitting in one spot. Besides, the cave could lead them to more answers about who was on the island. Or, who was still there. It was worth the risk in her mind.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan turned around at the mention of carvings and went back to her craning his neck up to see. "Well ain't that something." He muttered examining it. It didn't look anything like the dwarven work he was used to but there's no reason it couldn't be different in a more remote place although the only thing that made it seem like it could be dwarven was that it was carved in the stone. The figures portrayed in the carvings were fully unknown to him as well and he wondered if they were just legends or something found around where they washed up. He grasped the handle of his hatchet more closely to comfort himself. He hadn't seen the claw marks she mentioned earlier either but now that he was looking for them specifically he found them without trouble. "You're quite good at finding trails, good lass." He said as he examined them. "Maybe some sort of giant badger or mole?" He pondered out loud before looking inward. "I agree we check it out since we don't have anything else to do but I don't think we should fight anything unless it looks manageable, especially with you being unarmed. My wee legs don't go too fast but I'm happy to run away if we need to." @Kamiko

"I notice a lot of things that others don't sometimes. It's a little quirk of mine." Neoma replied, rubbing her neck a bit. "I'm not sure what made the marks. It doesn't smell like any creature I know... but, I like your idea. We run if it's too hard for us. I could go for a nice snack. I know I don't have my weapons on me, but I will be useful!" She gave him a thumbs up and a big smile, to show her confidence about the situation. If one was confident, then they could do anything! That's what she always told herself, anyways. She began to head down the tunnel, walking ahead of the dwarven man. It was hard to imagine what goodies they could find down there. Would there be animals? Water? Weird underground cannibals' that want to eat their brains?! The limits were endless! "I smell a lot of stuff this way. If we do get off path, I can always get us back here." she stated, giving her nose a little poke as she continued walking to prove her point. Another weird thing she did was place her hand on the wall of the cave, as if leaving her own scent to follow back that way. "Everything has a unique smell to me. So even if there is a lot of tunnels and smells, I'll always get us back. That I can promise."

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan watched and listened wondering if she was some sort of human nose. Although a stone tunnel was never uncomfortable for him he had to be careful not to grow too comfortable, he had to stop himself from whistling twice already. There was just something about being back underground that cheered him up. He wondered what was further down the tunnel if anything as they walked until stopping abruptly. He could faintly see that there was something ahead of them around a bend but not what it was. While he could see in the dark everything was grey and dim not great for details. Pulling out his hatchet for safety he crept slowly forward and tried to get a better look. Rowan wasn't sure what it was exactly, some sort of furry beast like a bear but with a feline head and skinnier. It might be better for them to turn around. He looked over to Neoma to see what she was thinking. @Kamiko

The underground didn't make her feel too uncomfortable. But all the strange smells were a little overwhelming, yet exciting at the same time. She looked around curiously, taking in all the smells. Her ears even picked up the very faint sound of running water in the distance. Signaling some sort of mountain water source. Perhaps a good spot for fresh, clean water. As they walked, one scent grew all the stronger. Something both feline and ursus in nature. Alarm bells of danger began to go off in her head as she crouched down lower to the ground. staying beside Rowan. "Something is close..." she whispered softly. Unlike him, she couldn't see this deep into the darkness. Relying on her ears and nose to navigate dark spaces. A growl began to echo in the cave as the furry beast began to move. It's head lifting up to sniff the air. It's long ears flicking this way and that to pinpoint the source of the sound. Out of reflex, Neoma began to growl. Her hands on the floor of the cave as she stayed in her crouched position. Her growl grew in intensity as the creature before them started to stand and face them with glowing eyes. Neoma stood her ground, trying to sound more intimidating than the beast growling at them.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan watched while his breath became heavier. The creature moved and sniffed at the air like it knew they were there and when it turned and looked at them he knew it had. Dwarves weren't the best runners, great at long distance where it required stamina, but the short legs made sprinting slow. He knew both bears and cats were fast and since this creature was similar he imagined it was faster than him at least, he wouldn't be able to run. Rowans mind raced as he tried to think of what to do in the seconds that followed until he noticed his companion...growling? Moving from the side of the wall he moved to the center of the cave and started yelling. While still shorter than most humans he was tall for a dwarf and just as stocky as the rest. He yelled and waved the axe but keeping it at the ready. Flexing to make himself look as big as possible he hoped they might be able to get it to decide they weren't worth the trouble and leave. He knew it worked for some bears and other predators and he hoped this would be one. If it ran away it would save them a fight and even if they could kill it they would still be injured as well with no options or medicine of any kind. @Kamiko

Neoma was surprised when the dwarf started yelling. This was a good thing. Sometimes being the loudest and scariest thing intimidated bigger beasts. She stood upright to make herself look bigger to the beast, arms out and fingers curled. She growled out more viciously, her pupils looking more oval shaped the more she growled at the beast. Their tactic seemed to work as the beast turned and ran deeper into the dark depths of the cave. It seemed to know this place better than they did. Once the creature was far enough away, Neoma sighed and lowered her arms. "That... was a bit too close. What was that? It smelled like a bear and a cat? Bear cats? Are those a thing?!" she asked, as if a switch had flipped. No longer did she sound or act like a feral animal. "I think it might be best to explore this cave deeper later. I don't have my daggers anymore. They are on the boat. Maybe I can use stone to make a spear though..." Her sentence trailed off as she got lost in her own thoughts. Tools would be important to have. Food was also important. She could barely hear the pawsteps of the creature at this point. They could very well go deeper if they wanted. But if they cornered that beast, it could end up badly.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan was pumped full of adrenaline as the creature backed down. He didn't know if that would work and the tension was a lot to handle. When the beast was finally out of sight he relaxed and wiped his brow. "Well that was something eh?" He nodded his head before walking back towards the entrance. "I suppose you're right, we can use the hatchet as well to make something to use as a weapon." He walked in silence not finding the energy to speak much at the moment. He hadn't noticed because of them being deeper in the cave but as he made it to the entrance he noticed the rain had cleared or at least reduced. "Well how about that? Maybe now we can see something out there other than rain and more rain." @Kamiko

"A weapon would be great to have. Put us both at an advantage. Plus, I'm super hungry now!" As if on cue, her stomach began to rumble as they walked back to the entrance. Sounding like it's own personal thunder in the depths of the cave. Once at the entrance, she was glad the rain was significantly less! That would make hunting a lot easier. "Right! We can go hunting too! I'm sure deer or something like it exist on this crazy island. I'll just need a tool. Even a wooden spear would be good enough. Are you good at hunting, Rowan?" she inquired, looking to him with that excited look in her eyes. Hunting was the only thing she enjoyed of the woods around towns and cities. Street food was nice and already prepared, but something about the thrill of a hunt was exhilarating. It made her blood pump faster by just the thought of it. Nearly wiggling in excitement, she approached the edge of the cave and looked out over the lands. "Wow... it's so pretty here."

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan almost jumped at the sound of her stomach thinking the beast had decided to come after them. "Me hunting?" He asked as he remembered trips to the pantry, buying food at the markets, and pulling mushrooms he grew at his old home. "Oh yeah, sure, I'm a great hunter." He lied trying to sound as sincere as possible. " I mean it wouldn't take long to sharpen a limb for you, it might not be exceptional but it could work for a while until we figure something out." Stepping outside the light rain felt much nicer than the downpour from before. "Before we do anything though I suggest we go further up and see if we can see anything. "Maybe there is still a town on the other side of this mountain. Maybe a warm place with a hearth and a bed just an hour walk away." He smiled at the thought before beginning to hike upwards, he even whistled now in a pleasant mood again. @Kamiko

Neoma beamed as he spoke. A fellow hunter! She never met a dwarf that could hunt. That was new to her. But, she wasn't going to doubt him! "That's awesome! Then we can do a hunt together. I can flush out the game if you want to take them out with your hatchet. A sharpened stick can only go so far." she stated as she walked out into the mist-like rain. Taking in a deep breath, she stayed locked onto the forest below them. It was really pretty, but she rather see buildings. At least some source of civilization would be nice. "Of course. Let's go up the mountain and see what we can find." She began to hike behind him, whistling with him. Well, trying to whistle. It was off-tune, and high pitched. Not exactly pleasant to listen to. But damn it, she was trying her hardest! Pausing from whistling, she said, "Hey Rowan, you seem to know a lot. Do you go up mountains all the time? I figured Dwarves would stay as close to the ground as possible. Didn't think you all could climb. You're like part mountain goat."

@Triceratops&Bottoms

"Oh..yeah...sure...no problem. I'm sure we could hunt a deer or something, kill it dead to eat and all." He said before letting out a pained laugh. "I'm sure that will go great for us, just use me hatchet." He pulled himself up nimbly and kept looking out but unable to see any signs of civilization. He stopped at her comment about the mountains. "Careful girly you're borderin on racist there." He waggled a finger at her disapprovingly. "Most dwarven cities are in and around mountains. Partially burrowing into the mountains and building around the out side is what we're best at. Besides even when we get high up as long as the mountains beneath us we're still on the earth." Noticing the sun was starting to set he took a deep breath and looked around. "We should probably find some place to call it a night." He kept looking until he found a small outcrop with a overhang. "Something like that." He said before shuffling towards it. He inspected it and sat down underneath the ledge. There was barely enough room for the both of them so they would have to curl up to stay warm but they would be blocked from most of the wind and rain. @Kamiko

Neoma was surprisingly nimble on the damp, rocky terrain of the mountain. Keeping up with him quite easily. Her mouth salivated slightly as she thought about eating Deer. Venison was absolutely one of her favorite meats. It had been quite a bit of time since she had it. But would it be wise to go after such a large prey? "As much as I would love some deer, how about we start a little smaller? I was thinking boar. I did catch hints of it in the forest, but nothing fresh cause of the rain." she stated, looking around curiously as she walked. Pausing midstep, she stared at him wide-eyed at his statement. "Racist? Really?" she stated, looking both confused and curious about this. It seemed she had accidently been racist toward the dwarf. As he explained his culture, she looked fascinated by the information he was providing her. "Oh wow, I didn't know about that. Never been to a dwarven city. What do you use to dig with? Surely not your own hands. You don't even have claws." She figured maybe they used pickaxes, but that seemed to be tedious work. Way harder than snatching a few shiny things and selling it to the black market. Looking on up the mountain, she noticed the outcrop and overhang. That looked like a dry spot to sit under and get a good nap in. Not to mention keep a good look out over the area. "Looks good to me, boss man." she said in a teasing tone, followed by a giddy laugh. She scurried up the incline with him so they could sit beneath the ledge. Letting out a content sigh, she crossed her legs to get comfortable. "Higher up, things look even more beautiful."

@Triceratops&Bottoms

From under the canopy Rowan laughed. "No...no, we don't use our hands most of the time. We use pickaxes mostly but there are plenty of dwarves with magic to make it go quicker, using spells to move the rock out of the way. Good ole mining helps to keep a dwarven body strong." He looked out from where he sat. "I suppose so but personally I prefer the look of a mountain then what you can see from it." After the day he had he wished that he had had some food or even better a hard drink. He was glad they had gotten water but some mead or dwarven whiskey would really hit the spot. With a loud yawn he squirmed his way back as far as he could before leaning against the cool rock. "I think I'm ready for some rest, how about ye?" He asked yawning once more and closing his eyes. @Kamiko

"Dwarves can use magic?! That's quite amazing." Now she was excited. The only magic she could do was turn into a large wolf. Nothing too extraordinary in her mind. It wasn't like she could move mountains or summon fire. No, she just became a large dog with a few keen senses. But, for some reason, people thought that was something to be afraid of. Stupid rumors of a werewolves bite could turn another into a werewolf. Oh how wrong society was with such a silly thing. Yawning, she settled down next to him. Her back against the stone as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her legs curled up toward her chest as she got as comfortable as possible. Her side was pressed up against his own so they could share some heat. "Yeah, rest would be good. Tomorrow is a new day. A new adventure. Goodnight, Rowan." As the two slept, the world around them crept on by. The birds of the forest hooting and chirping, and the frogs making their mating calls. It was a cool night, but not too cold. The wind would dry their bodies, hair, and clothing as they snoozed. It was almost peaceful, a full moon peeking over the both of them. When morning did come, Rowan would wake to him being alone. Remnants of reddish color fur on the stone floor and just outside of it. There were no signs of blood or a struggle. Just the fur to show something else had been in the indention of the cave with him at some point.

When Rowan awoke he smacked his lips looking around at the scenery in a foggy daze. He let out a huge yawn as he struggled to find where he was until he suddenly remembered the events of the day before. He started looking around seeing the tufts of red fur around him and the lack of Neoma. "Strange." He muttered standing up and looking closer. "Maybe something got her while we were asleep but I don't see any blood." He noticed how sore and cracked his throat was and realized how little he had drank the day before. "Guess I'll see if I can find her or water." He muttered as he started climbing back up the rocks of the mountain. The area around the mountains was actually quite beautiful and would be nice to explore now that it was sunny. There was plenty of water around but nothing to drink, the sea seeming to mock him. The further the sun rose he thought he could see light reflecting as if off water but he wasn't sure. He stopped to sit on a rock deciding to give her some time to wander back. He didn't know if she was exploring or what had happened but he didn't want to go too far from where they had stayed. If she came back they could go explore together. It was still disappointing he couldn't see any signs of civilization. @Kamiko

I hope I get back before he wakes up. thought Neoma as she was dragging back a partially eaten deer-like beast by it's leg. She was in her wolf form, four and a half feet tall at the tips of her ears when her head was up. Nearly a foot bigger than a typical wolf. She thought it was early enough that maybe she could get this back before he would be up and about. But, she had seemed to have lost time in her transformation. On full moons, she had no choice but to change. It was part of the gift that she inherited from her family. One of the few things she disliked about being what she was. On those nights, she couldn't sleep. As the instincts of the wolf was stronger than the instincts of man. So, she went hunting to keep her mind off things. The hungrier the wolf, the more feral she could become. As she drug the carcass up the mountain, he would easily spot the reddish-colored wolf going toward where they had slept. It seemed she had not noticed the dwarf was sitting just further up the mountain. She dropped her breakfast and noticed he was not there. She sniffed the spot and started pacing back and forth, not thinking to really look up the mountain. He would notice that this wolf had the same color fur as what was next to him when he first woke up.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

After a while of sitting Rowan noticed a shape moving up the mountain, a red dog...no a red wolf. He remembered the red fur next to him when he woke up and stood. He started making his way back down seeing the beast make its way to where they had slept. He got within twenty feet of the beast before he pulled out his hatchet. "Not today beastie, you already got one of us and you thought you would come back for seconds?!" He yelled brandishing the hatchet and getting into a fighting stance. He had seen his companions strange, almost beast like behavior the day before but he hadn't put the pieces together yet, this wasn't something he had ever seen before. "Well come on now you pup!" @Kamiko

Smelling a familiar scent, the wolf would turn and see the man with the hatchet. Neoma blinked a few times and looked between the hatchet, and the dwarf. Shit, he's awake. I took to long. Uh.. uh... act natural! She laid down and rolled onto her back. Looking at him upside-down, her tongue would roll out of her maw. Her tail began to wag back and forth, appearing like a domesticated creature. She figured this might help calm him down enough. It wasn't like she could just leave and come back human... He also said Dwarves were not racist. Maybe it would be safe to be herself around him? She barked softly, her massive paws folded against her chest as she continued to watch him from her strange position. She looked goofy as hell like this. A giant of a wolf that was submitting to a small man. Hopefully he don't try to whack my ass! It's hard to move out of this potion quickly. I'm a good girl! Promise! It was times like this she wished she could talk in this form. One of the downsides of the gift.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan watched on in confusion as the wolf....played? The dogs antics of rolling around on its back confused him to the point of him lowering his hatchet without even realizing. Maybe this wolf had been trained and there actually was civilization around or at least more people. Of course it was always possible that the wolf's owner was long gone and only the world remained. "Ummmmm....good....boy?girl?" He mumbled quietly not having any idea of the wolf's sex. Dogs could be found in dwarven cities but they were short dogs with long bodies and short legs bred to go through burrows to drag out pest. He had seen them acting like this before and it had meant they were friendly but he didn't know if that was also true for wolves. Stowing the hatchet back at his side he slowly approached the wolf with one shaky hand out. "Good doggo, it's all good." He hummed in a soft tone as he got closer. He looked closely at the dog avoiding looking into it's eyes but looked for any sort of movement that could show the wolf getting aggressive. His heart was pounding in his chest but if this wolf was friendly he would have good help hunting and a furry companion. When he got next to it he lowered himself and watched the dogs face as he put his hand on it's stomach. He started softly scratching the underbelly checking if the wolf would enjoy it or snap at him. @Kamiko

It's working! Ha! He's not scared! Neoma thought as her tail continued to wag excitedly. When he reached out to pet her, she licked her tongue out at his arm and hand. She felt this was the most reasonable thing to do. Lick his arm and show that she was not going to hurt him! That would make the transition easier. She wiggled all over as he reached her belly. Belly scratches were one of her guilty pleasures in this form. Her back leg twitched before kicking, like any normal excited dog. Her tail thumped wildly against the ground. Another sign of her tameness to him. She soon rolled over and crawled away from him a bit before standing up. A bright light covered her form, and grew to something bipedal before vanishing. Neoma now stood where the wolf had been. "I'm sorry I scared you. I was hoping to return before you woke up. I didn't realize that last night was going to be the full moon." She rubbed her neck, giving him an apologetic look. "I should have been honest with you when we first met. I'm what most people would call a werewolf, but it's nothing like horror stories and fairy tales. I'm not evil in any way, and I can control my shifting except on the full moon." She then motioned to the partially eaten deer on the ground. "I did get us breakfast! I already ate my fair share, but I figured you would want yours cooked." She was speaking way to non-cholent about what she just did. As if this was normal, and people every day saw this. However, this wasn't exactly the norm. People were not too fond of werewolves thanks to the stories that surrounded them.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan rubbed the wolf's stomach as it seemed to enjoy it. "See that's better, everything is fine." He told the doggo as he felt it licking his arms. He was even starting to enjoy himself as the dog kicked and squirmed before suddenly pulling away. Rowan backed up not sure if he had done something wrong and angered the beast before eit started shining. "What the fuck?" He muttered as he watched and the wolf's form changed. He only grew more confused as suddenly Neoma was standing there. Staring on in confusion Rowan listened as she explained but it was all so strange. "Well that's something." He said quietly when she was done. He wasn't sure how to feel about any of it, it was just a lot to take in. "Well maybe that will make surviving here easier, I'm sure you're a great hunter." He mentioned before looking at the half deer he had forgotten about. @Kamiko

Neoma's smiled broadened as he spoke. She could see that he saw her as strange. The confusion in his eyes spoke volumes to her. However, his statements made her feel more relaxed. He was fine with what she was outwardly, which was more than she could have asked for. He even made a statement about surviving easier because of her! This was something that made her jump in place a couple of times out of excitement. "I'm glad you see it that way. I can hunt pretty well, but it's hard as a single wolf. I'm also very much out of practice. It didn't take much hunting to get food from town, I just went to market. I lucked out on this deer. It was lame, and couldn't outrun me. At least we have some normal deers here." she stated, talking somewhat fast due to her excitement about all of this. "Oh, that also reminds me. I found fresh water! There is a river that is not too far from here. I was super thirsty, and wandered around till I found it. I bet you're thirsty too. There's also a lot of weird animal smells here... and I smelled more like that weird creature that was in the cave too. Something to look out for." She was now talking at a normal pace, looking more calm as she tried to reign in all that excitement from before.

@Triceratops&Bottoms

Rowan watched her jump in place in excitement before she started talking so fast he wasn't sure if he caught it all. "I'll settle for any kind of deer, lame or not, but I need a fire. I can't eat raw meat and a parasite is all I need right now while we're on this island." He knew how to start a fire but he would need wood and he wasn't sure if he would be able to find anything dry here. He slung the remainders of the deer over his shoulder to carry and thanked the gods he was strong enough to do so. "Is that river connected to a lake? I saw one earlier looking off the mountain but I hadn't seen a river through the woods." He heard her mention more of those creatures as well but he wouldn't have to worry about a beast killing him if he starved to death first. "Either way I suppose we should make our way down now." He told her as he started walking down before stopping. "Sorry for calling you a good girl, I thought you were a doggo." @Kamiko

"Right. I don't expect you to eat raw meat. My stomach can handle it, but... I don't see many other races being able to." Neoma replied as she placed her hands behind her back to watch him hoist up the rest of the deer. It seemed he was ready to travel, and wanting to eat. If only they had a way to dry wood quickly, but maybe they could find something that was somewhat dry? "I think so. It's not very big of a river... Maybe more of a creek? I'm not sure the difference between the two, to be honest. Schooling wasn't my specialty. Got too distracted for it." she admitted as she followed after him. A bit of a blush on her cheeks as he said good girl again. Scratching her cheek with her right index finger, she looked away from him as they stopped. "Yeah, I know why you did it. I was trying not to be scary, so I just did what normal dogs do. It was a new experience for me to be called that. I wouldn't say I'm a good girl, though. If I was good, I don't think I would have ended up here, ya know?" She chuckled a little, looking back to him with a gentle look in her eyes. She felt maybe he would understand that. He was on that boat too. Maybe he wasn't good either. Not wanting to look awkward, she started walking again. Picking up her pace to be ahead of him a bit. "Ah, I could go for another drink of that cold water! I'm sure you are thirsty too. And while we walk, let's keep a look out for something dry. That way you get fed! Oh! Could you eat raw fish? I know raw fish is sometimes eaten."

@Triceratops&Bottoms

"I can definitely imagine that lass." He said before chuckling trying to even imagine her sitting still at a desk, he imagined she would vibrate from the pent up energy. He stopped and waited for her to pass him so she could lead the way. He could find his way down the mountain with no problem but he didn't know where this creek or river was. Having a lake and River near by would be great but he still wished there was a town or city they could make it to. At least they would have fresh water though and that would attract other animals making it easier for them to get food. He didn't particularly like the thought of making a home here but they needed something to survive until someone else came along and they were bale to get free. "I've never had fish so I don't know." He said shrugging his shoulders. "I would think it would have the same problem as raw meat but you didn't find many fish in the mountains. There were these pale fish with no eyes we would find in underground lakes and pools but apparently they tasted horrible so no one ever ate them, and they were slimy." Personally he never wanted to try one but he would try the fish here if it meant food. @Kamiko

"You've never had fish? You're missing out. I really like trout a lot. I've had it quite a few times in Erika... Fish with no eyes do sound weird. I wouldn't eat those." stated Neoma, walking with her hands behind her back as she looked around the forest curiously as they walked. She was recollecting the path she took toward the small river of water. It would be good for them to have a water source as long as they were there. "While hunting and exploring, I didn't find any people. No scents or anything. Then again, I didn't go too far because of those weird cat things. Do you think we might be the only people here? It looks like a big island... maybe no one is on this side?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him for a moment. It was growing more evident they might be the only one's here. Then again, she wasn't for sure since they had not been all over the whole island.

@Triceratops&Bottoms