The sound of crashing waves rolling onto the shore lulled Arya into a calmness. She was far enough down the beach from where everyone else who found themselves drawn to the sea had congregated that any noise they made was muffled by the sounds of the ocean. For a moment, she even allowed her amber eyes to close, a gentle sigh slipping from her lips while, for the moment, she was allowing herself to be vulnerable and completely immersed. A small smirk tugged at the edge of her lips as she remembered how many times her parents would search for her, only to find her out by the sea, troubled by school or some other issue that seemed so trivial now that she had grown and matured; she truly was a creature of habit.

Arya was so caught up in her own thoughts, her eyebrows creasing ever so slightly, that she hadn't noticed anyone approach her until the subtle, or less than subtle, sound of a throat clearing to gain her attention caused her to spook slightly. The young Were flinched, eyes blinking in surprise before they shot over to the source, before just as suddenly they widened in surprise. She had expected it to be some stranger, and usually it was some gross, old man trying to hit on her, but instead this figure was distinctly familiar. Even if she hadn't seen them in a while, it would be hard to forget someone like Matteo. For a moment, her thoughts were forgotten, as a warm smile engulfed whatever troubled expression her face had once held. Even from their short interaction, Arya had quite liked him, he seemed like such a kind and genuine person, someone so full of life that she almost envied him in some ways. Yet rather than envy him, Arya found she simply wanted to be his friend, especially after he fed her some of the best food she had ever eaten in her life. "It's nice to see you again Matteo," she said, beginning to rise to be on his level before stopping as he insisted she stay seated. Arya made sure to scoot over so that he could join her on her towel rather than sitting on the sand. This wasn't exactly how she envisioned this day going, and yet she didn't mind in the slightest at his sudden appearance and company, it was almost...soothing to have someone like him around right now.

A light giggle bubbled from her lips as he explained his reasoning for being on the beach. Matteo didn't seem the type to like to spend his days on the beach, perhaps watching the waves from afar, or maybe in a nice building safe from the dreaded sand that did indeed stick to every surface it could. "You get used to finding sand everywhere, i'm starting to think i'm made of sand actually," she responded with a laugh, joking about the irritating nature of sand. Arya truly didn't get much of an option to love or hate sand, with the nature of her species and job, she was literally always covered in it; that or she smelled like fish and saltwater, she couldn't decide which of those were worse after the hours she had spent trying to rid herself of them only to realize her hands still smelled like fish, her hair like sea salt, and there was sand in her ears of all places.

Just as distracting as his sudden presence was, his gentle words reminded her of why she was at the beach in the first place, those thoughts and worries she had tucked away to give Matteo her full undivided attention creeping back to the surface. The fae had asked what was on her mind in such a way that wasn't forceful, like a gentle outstretched hand that left it up to her to decide if she would take it. Arya tried to fight to keep her lips from tugging back down to a frown from the smile they had just been in moments before, but her sudden hesitation was blatantly obvious. How long had it been since she'd expressed her worries to anyone? The last person she could remotely remember trusting enough was her mother, and her relationship with her was...complicated, Arya had left to start her own life long before she could resolve any of that. Perhaps she could talk to him, trust him to help her or at least be an open mind to simple listen. At the very least, Matteo would be one of the best people to speak to about if she should join Tetradore's pack. He could at least help her resolve her worries there, which would make it so she only really had to worry about one other thing...she wasn't sure she had the strength to unpack the trauma that came with that even to herself, let alone another individual.

She quickly forced a smile to try and hide any of her hesitation. "I always end up by the sea when i've got a lot on my mind, helps me focus, think clearly. It used to drive my parents crazy, because i'd just disappear and they'd find me out sulking by the water about school or boys or any other typical teenager issue," she explained, the last part stated in a humorous way intended to garner a laugh from her companion. Amber eyes focused now entirely on Matteo now, a soft smile on her lips. "I have no story for you today my friend, but perhaps you wouldn't mind helping me with one of the things i've been thinking about? I could really use some advice," she asked, giving him room to decline having to listen to her woes about joining Tetradore's pack if he so desired, but she knew he wouldn't do that. Only after he was ok being a soundboard for her brain, did her amber eyes cast back out towards the ocean."I've been thinking about joining Tetradore's pack."

That seemed like such a simple thing, like it should be so simple to decide on really, but she was so far in her own head, so riddled with self doubt and worry she couldn't make the leap. "Ever since I moved away from home, from my parents, it just feels like there is a hole inside me,"she says, bringing her legs up into her chest where she can wrap her arms around them and rest her head on them,"like something is missing. It's like a familiar humming that's always been in my brain is gone, and it's been so quiet," Arya was trying her best to explain the feeling that had nagged at her since her arrival to Sacrosanct years ago, that she had managed to smother for years until she met Tetradore and it resurfaced with a vengeance. Yet she had no way of knowing if Matteo could truly understand the feeling; he was a fae and this was a very were issue. "You'd think it would be a simple answer then, everyone would just say 'well Arya just join the pack then if you miss that bond' but it's....difficult," she said, her voice more quiet at the end as she frowned lightly. Arya hadn't been so open in a long time, it felt weird to just...spill her brains and thoughts out to another.

"I don't know if I would fit in. My colony was family, I never had to worry about fitting in with family, but this is different. I mean what if they don't like me? Socializing isn't exactly my strength. And i'm a WereSeal, that's not exactly common. If they're all land animals, how would I even keep up or fit in? I might be a burden with my fat stubby flippers, I can't even climb stairs," she pouted and gestured slightly as she rambled, it was both sad and kind of adorable. These issues surely were so trivial, things like a highschooler worried about making friends in class. Yet for Arya, these were massive issues, and very valid concerns. "Sorry, am I making sense? I know i'm rambling," she muttered in embarrassment, cheeks burning a bright red and she quickly tucked her face away in her knees so he couldn't see. She let out a small sigh, surely Matteo thought she was crazy, overthinking something so dumb. Once some of her embarrassment cleared, she looked back out over the ocean, her brunette hair ruffling slightly as a cold, ocean breeze washed over them. If only she were brave or confident, this would have been so easy.