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+--- Thread: AW EYES WIDE OPEN (/showthread.php?tid=12570)
EYES WIDE OPEN - KIVA. - 7/10/2026
It had really started out as any other day, running around her little village, helping others with this and that. And then Genevieve had asked her to take some herbs to the next little settlement over. Of course, Kiva had happily agreed. Wind Haven was her home, but it did sometimes get boring, not that she’d ever admit that out loud.
So, with a brisk trot and the herbs bundled safely in her mouth, Kiva set out on what should have been a routine run. Long legs ate up the strides easily, bounding along with ears pricked for any unusual activity. Her home was typically pretty peaceful, but you never knew what lay around the next bend.
Kiva wasn’t too far from the border of her own village when her pace began to falter and slow. Wait, hadn’t that been where the tree with the four scores in the bark was supposed to be? She couldn’t have gotten mixed up, that was just ridiculous. Call her self-assured, sure, but Kiva wasn’t one to get lost. Ever. She knew where she was and where she was going at all times.
Her ears twitched, then flattened against her head. Carefully setting down the herbs on a flat rock nearby, she picked up the pace and backtracked a little to… where an unusually shaped rock *should* have been. And the moss-covered one as well, right next to it. Hm. No, that simply wasn’t right. She had to be mixed up somehow, even though she wasn’t sure how that was even possible. She ventured further back from the way she came, her steps growing more hesitant as she realized that the land didn’t seem all that familiar anymore. Oh, well great. Genevieve was gonna be spitting mad when her herbs didn’t get delivered til next winter!
Grumbling to herself, the girl twisted her neck to see if the herbs were still where she left them. Yep, right there on the flat rock so at least she wasn’t hallucinating or going crazy. Cause that’d be fun, right? She shook her head, clearing out those thoughts. “Well, this is… unexpected. And embarrassing,” she told the herbs matter-of-factly as she came to a halt beside them again. “I don’t suppose you’ll show me the way, huh?”
Yes, the herbs would come to life and lead the way, like some sort of spirit. As if. Her nose raised, scenting and searching for any semblance of normalcy. Just damp earth, pine resin, and crushed leaves. How curious. She supposed she couldn’t hear anyone from Wind Haven either, no activity, no one yelling or sparring, nothing.
“He—” She stopped shortly after attempting to call out, gritting her teeth together. Her gaze wandered while she listened, eventually settling on a cluster of flowers nearby. Bright ones, too. Almost obnoxiously so. Kiva stared at them for a moment, brow furrowing. Had those been there before?
Of course not. Because apparently the missing landmarks weren’t enough. Now the flowers were suspicious too. Wonderful. She was having a perfectly normal day. Her ears pressed tighter against her head as she glanced back the way she’d come. This simply wasn’t possible. Kiva didn’t get lost; it was just as simple as that. Yeah, she was frustrated (and fine, a little scared, but she’d never say that out loud) but she was fine. This was fine. It had to be.
She wasn’t panicking. Just confused. There was a difference, thank you very much. This was supposed to be a normal supply run. How had she… gotten lost?
RE: EYES WIDE OPEN - Damian - 7/12/2026
He’d been wandering the area for… well, he wasn’t sure how long it had been. Mindlessly roaming, no longer wobbling like a clumsy child on four limbs instead of two. The senses nearly overwhelmed him upon waking, but it seemed that they, too, would grow milder with time. An owl followed his movement from its place in the trees above and Damian slowed to admire the creature. The soft feathers, stripes of brown and cream, kept it nearly hidden against the bark, but the scent - how had Damian lived so long without knowing the true scent of an owl? The true smell of the world around him? It was enough of a distraction to keep him from questioning what exactly had transpired to land him here, posthumously, as a wolf.
He continued on, saying a quiet goodbye to the bird whose eyes still followed. Here, in this moment, there was peace. His belly did not scream for food. He did not hear the cries of the children, nor see the large, sad eyes of their parents. In this moment, no one needed his reassurance that all would be okay. In this moment, death wasn’t biting at his heels, desperate for another burial. That, Damian had decided, was enough to give this world a chance.
Something clicked in his mind and Damian realized that new instincts accompanied this new body. It was yet another new smell, but his mind registered it as canine. Black nose began to twitch at the air, grasping for as much information as he could possibly gather. He spun in place in an attempt to catch the smell as he’d caught lightning bugs as a child. Ah! There, right there. There it is!
And then he was off, following hastily after it, red tail rising as he narrowed in on the trail. Puffs of air burst from his lips, the wolf huffed with the thrill of the hunt, human instinct fading into the recesses of his mind, where they would eventually fade altogether. The destination was within reach. Eager trotting slowed and Damian scanned his surroundings until mossy green eyes found their target. The excitement faltered-
…Now what?
With little to lose, he stepped forward and cleared his throat, head cocked as he stared at the other,
Uh… Hello?
RE: EYES WIDE OPEN - KIVA. - 7/12/2026
For a heartbeat, Kiva simply stared.
Relief arrived first.
Not because she recognized him. She didn't. She was pretty sure she'd remember a wolf like this, but because he was someone. Sinew and bone. Real enough to cast a shadow across the grass. It was enough to loosen the knot that had been steadily tightening in her chest since she'd realized every familiar landmark had vanished. She felt like she could breathe just a little better.
And then her brain caught up. It was… a stranger. Right. That was significantly less comforting, but she could work with it. Her ears flicked forward as she studied him, taking in the uncertain way he carried himself. Yeah, he looked healthy enough, but there was something kinda off. Not dangerous, exactly. More like he'd wandered into a story halfway through and was trying to pretend he knew the plot.
The corner of her mouth twitched. "Well," she said, breaking the silence with a small huff of amusement, "unless I've finally started talking to myself, I'm going to assume you just said hello." Smooth, Kiva. She glanced over one shoulder toward the trail she'd come from, then back again, as if expecting the forest to suddenly explain itself.
"I have to admit..." Her expression pinched into a sheepish smile. "I'm really hoping you know where we are."
A beat passed. "...Or at least that you're as lost as I am."
The admission felt foreign on her tongue. Kiva almost never called herself lost. Misdirected? Temporarily inconvenienced? Sure. Lost? Never. Yet here she was. Drawing in a slow breath, she gave a polite dip of her head. "I'm Kiva."
The smile softened, more genuine this time. "It's nice to see someone else. What’s your name?" She had to be polite sometimes, no?
Relief arrived first.
Not because she recognized him. She didn't. She was pretty sure she'd remember a wolf like this, but because he was someone. Sinew and bone. Real enough to cast a shadow across the grass. It was enough to loosen the knot that had been steadily tightening in her chest since she'd realized every familiar landmark had vanished. She felt like she could breathe just a little better.
And then her brain caught up. It was… a stranger. Right. That was significantly less comforting, but she could work with it. Her ears flicked forward as she studied him, taking in the uncertain way he carried himself. Yeah, he looked healthy enough, but there was something kinda off. Not dangerous, exactly. More like he'd wandered into a story halfway through and was trying to pretend he knew the plot.
The corner of her mouth twitched. "Well," she said, breaking the silence with a small huff of amusement, "unless I've finally started talking to myself, I'm going to assume you just said hello." Smooth, Kiva. She glanced over one shoulder toward the trail she'd come from, then back again, as if expecting the forest to suddenly explain itself.
"I have to admit..." Her expression pinched into a sheepish smile. "I'm really hoping you know where we are."
A beat passed. "...Or at least that you're as lost as I am."
The admission felt foreign on her tongue. Kiva almost never called herself lost. Misdirected? Temporarily inconvenienced? Sure. Lost? Never. Yet here she was. Drawing in a slow breath, she gave a polite dip of her head. "I'm Kiva."
The smile softened, more genuine this time. "It's nice to see someone else. What’s your name?" She had to be polite sometimes, no?
RE: EYES WIDE OPEN - Damian - 7/15/2026
Initially, Damian wondered if wolves couldn’t communicate through words. Or, maybe he couldn’t speak the language. His ears lowered at the thought. That would complicate an already complicated situation. He merely returned the stare and stood awkwardly under her gaze until something shifted in her features. At the sound of her voice, Damian exhaled, relieved.
I have to admit, I’m really hoping you know where we are.
His tail, which had begun to sway as she spoke, slowed for a moment.
Or at least that you’re as lost as I am.
Well,He swung his head to peer at the vast trees encircling the pair,
I wish I had an actual answer for you, but it appears we’re both lost. I’m not exactly from around here, you see.
His gaze returned to her as she introduced herself, and he offered a reassuring smile despite their predicament.
I’m Damian. It’s good to meet you, Kiva,Damian lifted a paw out of habit before remembering that he didn’t actually have hands to shake. Neither of them did. He settled for a polite nod of his head instead,
I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you regarding where we are. It’s been a… weird morning. I’ve walked a bit of it and the forest continues that way. There is a river back there as well, if you need fresh water.
He motioned in the direction from where he came. He’d nearly fallen into the river when he saw his reflection - the red hues coating his doggish face. If Kiva was also lost, he wondered if she, too, had died and woken here in this forest, but how does one ask such a strange question without seeming crazy? Or rude? Damian chose to keep that thought to himself for the moment, tucked into a pocket for another time.
Have you been lost for long?He elected to ask instead. He noticed a pile of herbs sitting near her, as if placed there purposefully,
Out foraging and took a wrong turn?
RE: EYES WIDE OPEN - KIVA. - 7/15/2026
Relief softened the tightness in Kiva’s shoulders the moment he answered. Not because the answer was particularly reassuring (it wasn’t) but because he’d spoken at all. For a fleeting moment she’d wondered if the two of them simply weren’t going to understand each other. His admission earned a quiet, crooked smile. “Well… that’s both reassuring and completely unhelpful.” The words carried an easy humor despite the situation.
Her ears flicked toward the direction he indicated when he mentioned the river, committing it to memory before her attention returned to him. “Thanks. Good to know.”
When he introduced himself and instinctively lifted a paw, Kiva blinked before a laugh escaped her. It wasn’t loud, only warm, the sort that slipped out before she could stop it. She glanced at one of her own forepaws and flexed her toes experimentally.
“I almost did the same thing.” The awkward little moment somehow made everything feel a fraction less frightening. Then his question drew her gaze to the bundle of herbs resting beside her.
“Eh, not terribly long,” she answered, nosing lightly toward them. “These were supposed to make it to another village.” She gave a small shrug. “I thought I’d just wandered off the trail somehow.” A beat passed before she looked back at him.
“I’m starting to think that explanation doesn’t really hold up anymore. What about you?”