beltane festival!

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The sun was bright, the skies were clear, the wind was warm, and the air smelled fragrantly of fresh fruit and flowers — and Bragi was having none of it.

It reminded her of the fairs and parades back home, in a way, just on a smaller, more furry scale. She felt like she used to enjoy those? — she couldn't... remember — but the juxtaposition of the two in her mind made but it hard to breathe. There was a raccoon making flower crowns, for fuck's sake, and once she'd discovered the berries, it was over. They looked rotten and utterly unappetizing, but she'd seen the others eating them and the scent tickled uncomfortably at something familiar in the back of her mind. One tentative whiff confirmed it.

It smelled like wine.

The wolves could make wine.

After that she had found the quietest corner she could with ringing ears and unsteady legs and her heartbeat in her throat, away from all the hustle and bustle, and promptly tucked herself beneath the low-hanging fronds of a bush to die (read: decompress).

The dirt was cool against her stomach, what little sun could penetrate the branches was warm against her back, and the breeze brought with it fresh air that smelled of neither wine nor the salty sea. She breathed in and deeply out through her nose. She closed her eyes and tucked her ears flat against her head and tried to focus on the steady rhythm of her heart beating in the pads of her paws.

She wanted to go home.

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A soft rhythmic hum rumbled in her throat while three lasting flower crowns had sat comfortably over her brow, quietly awaiting for their new owner to appear. She had made so many, passed out to nearly everyone, and even now she still had energy to waste! It made her so happy seeing everyone else happy, she wished her two sisters that’d went off with their father had been able to enjoy it as well, it ached for a moment, the missing presence they left, nevertheless she was quick to turn such feelings into something brighter, on the brighter side she could tell them all about on a later date! And she tucked their crowns away so that they could also have some! It wasn’t a perfect fix, but it was definitely a fix!

After doing another lap around and through the party, she spotted another new face, a frowny face at that. It was a dark coated girl cooped up in a shaded corner all by herself. She couldn’t help but see the resemblance between her and her sister, Eidola would surely be somewhere quiet in a place like this too, and Illi would be right there keeping her company. Maybe the stranger wanted company too?

With a quiet chuckle to herself, she trotted over to the girl, a bright smile rippling across her lips and wrinkling the tips of her eyes. With a swift motion, she lifted her paws to her crowns and plucked on off her head, a light blue and white mixture she’d made earlier, a plopped it gently on the others. She chirped a sunny greeting, "Hi!" Her tail happily swaying from side to side. "It looks really nice on you! I’m Illithya! What’s your name??" The pup introduced herself as warmly as she knew how, parking her haunches right beside the girl, looking from the crowd and back at her.

She wondering curiously where’d she come from, who she came with, if she was having fun or not. The girl didn’t look to be much bigger than her either, were they the same age?? All this information only allowed her to better know the girl, to her, she was making a friend regardless if the other party knew of it or not!

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There were footsteps. Close. She didn't move. Wolves had been passing by her all day, some drunk, others just enjoying the festivities. They'd be on their way soon enough, just like all the rest. Except this pair didn't move on. And then there was something on her head and a young, eager voice in her ear.

Bragi opened her eyes.

Another puppy materialized before her, all bright smiles and wagging tails. She blinked a bit in response, her brain slow to process. She could feel the itch of whatever had been placed on her head, glanced up and saw the corner of a flower, felt the weight of it hanging off one of her ears when she pricked them forward.

Uh. Thanks, she said a little numbly, disoriented still and more than a little confused why this kid had taken an interest in her. I'm... Bragi.

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For a moment she was unsure if the girl would answer, maybe she just didn’t want to, or perhaps she didn’t even have a voice.. well that was her first thought until she did in fact speak, and she had a name, Bragi! "Bragi.." She echoed, stamping the name into her ever traveling mind, her smile growing and her tail padding just a bit harder than before. "You have a pretty name Bragi!"

The ever joyful Illithya gave another look around at the party before her, her paws giving stifled taps as if countering her excitement elsewhere. "Are you having fun, Bragi?? Did you eat? Are you hungry?? It’s plenty of food around if you are, snacks if you’re just a little hungry too!" A spew of questions and following statements crossed her lips with little processing, her intentions were good! She wanted to make sure her new friend was enjoying herself! She didn’t have any braids in her fur, or flower crowns until just now, and she didn’t quite look tired which scratched off the assumption of her dancing before hand, she seemed like she was just.. just there really.

Perhaps the girl just felt left out? Illithya would fix that right up! She herself hated being left out, therefore she would do her very best prevent anyone else finding such a lonely fate. "Do you like mushrooms, Bragi? My sister ate a lot of them but I think there’s some left!" She offered, head tilted and eyes wide for an answer. It wasn’t good to stay in one spot for long! Everyone needed to stretch their legs every one in a while, and what better way to encourage movement other than food??