[open] when it untangles in the moonlight

[Nemeon]

Her laughter is bright and sweet and he does not feel foolish for having caused it. The wolf is a friend - a best friend - and Nemeon feels more jealousy than anything else in that moment. He finds he does not want to hold onto that harsh emotion as soon as it arises, at least, and so he buries it quickly where it will needle at his brain later once they have parted.

“In that case, maybe I can help you find him?” It feels only natural for him to offer - at the very least, they could wander a little and heighten the chances of finding him. “Do they…” He pauses for a moment, a little taken aback by the realization that he doesn’t know whether ‘does he look like other wolves’ is a helpful question or not. Perhaps this is all a little embarrassing to admit but Nemeon finds that he doesn’t mind, and grins a little at his own lack of knowledge. “Do wolves come in different colours? Will your friend be easy to spot?” Nemeon had never paused to wonder this before. He knew wolves existed and occasionally heard their serenades during his moonlit wanderings, but he had never been up close with one before.

When she asks about what he’s done alone at night, Nemeon does his best to keep from wincing externally.

His denial about how truly lonesome he has runs deep within him, and he is unwilling to confront that now - when his company offers sweet smiles. So he gives her a small smile in return, and hopes it comes across as warm instead of sad. “Oh… well. The night is when I can be out looking for friends. Or wolf-friends. I couldn’t be much help at all if you were looking for your wolf during the day.” Considering their activity during the night he could reasonably assume wolves were nocturnal like him, though he also assumed it was safe to bet they could move in daylight if the need arose.

NEMEON