Moonspear i read the news today, oh boy
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#1
All Welcome 
muh boi @Terance

Something was comforting in the dreariness that had settled over Moonspear. Dark and billowy snow clouds consumed the skies overhead, blocking the sun from the inhabits of the mountain-dwelling pack below. 

The weather was symbolic of Rannoch's inner turmoil as of late; he was as equally disturbed by Galaxy's death as he had been longing for the return of his wayward brothers. These two tragedies haunted his every step, and he hadn't gone a day without reflecting on both incidents in some capacity.  Outwardly, Rannoch appeared to be the happy and attentive young man that he was. But below the surface? Rannoch was sad.

It was mid-afternoon when Rannoch found himself alone with his thoughts; he hadn't realized that he had spent so much of his time meandering. Coming to, he paused on the trodden trail that he had been mindlessly following at the base of the mountain. With a heavy sigh, he turned his head towards the neighboring woods and attempted to refocus his attention on something more productive but, even as he sought the familiar brambles, his best efforts failed him.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
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#2
terance had been patrolling on some of the higher cliffs, feeling okay. he wasn't really happy or sad or like... anything, but he wasn't feeling that usual empty dread. he was okay, all was okay. galaxy's death didn't really effect him like it did to others-- but he knew where his family was. wraen was here, sarah and his parents were back home-- and so were his baby siblings. and he didn't know galaxy... like at all. the only attachment he had to her was almost dying fighting the fucking bear that kidnapped her... and that whole memory was somehow attached to lyra

he didn't think much on it.

ranch's scent was nearby, so terance took a brief detour to see his friend. spotting the brute, his ears pricked, and he arrived just in time to hear a dramatic sigh escape his mouth. curious, terance gave a yip to grab his attention, padding up to him. "hey, man," he greeted, a concerned look on his face.
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#3
Terance's detour presented Rannoch the motivation he needed to shove his negative thoughts aside; Rannoch adjusted his demeanor accordingly at the sound of his friend's yip. When he felt adequately presentable, he turned to face his fellow yearling with the best smile he could muster. 

"Terance, hey," he greeted as his eyes followed Terance's approach. Once they were alongside each other, Rannoch affectionately bumped his shoulder against Terance's. "Sorry I missed our patrol this morning, I got distracted by something," he said with a deliberate lack of details. Hoping he could avoid talking about what had kept him, Rannoch offered, "You wanna head down and do a quick one now?" 
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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#4
the vagueness of rannoch's comment was offputting-- something he would've said himself. he let rannoch finish speaking, nodding in response before moving along. "don't worry about it, hydra joined me," he told him, offering a smile. and after they'd gotten going, terance looked again to his friend. 

"what distracted you?" he asked, ears cupped forward.
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#5
Naively, Rannoch felt a rush of relief at Terance's initial reply. "I'm glad she's out and about," Rannoch remarked. He had seen a different side of the Beta during their last encounter and hoped she was faring well with the misfortune that had entered her life recently. Curiously, he asked, "Did she seem okay?" 

At Terance's question, Rannoch felt his heart drop suddenly, and his smile grew weary. He was conflicted, to say the least; the two yearlings had formed quite the bond over the months but, he wasn't the most confident when it came to disclosing his more negative attributes. Opting to take a  genuine approach to his internal conflict, Rannoch offered, "A lot has happened recently, and I took some time to think it over," as he looked at Terance. Though it wasn't inclusive of the entire truth, Rannoch hoped it was enough to keep any further questions at bay.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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#6
terance shrugged, trying not to linger on the topic of hydra. "all things considered," he responded quietly.

his answer, once again, was vague. terance eyed his friend, thinking of all the different things he could say. there was certainly a lot going on-- and he didn't really have any answers for his friend if we to try to console him. he was quiet, nose twitching as he took a moment to check the nearby scents. then, with a soft breath of concern, terance looked again to the delta. "do you feel better now?" he asked, referring to the thinking. sometimes thinking put him more at ease-- he wasn't sure this was that simple.
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#7
At the news of Hydra's well-being, Rannoch nodded. It was natural that the Beta wasn't doing well, and he made a mental note to check in on her and the rest of her family. 

To Terance's concern, Rannoch hesitated to answer. As he considered his feelings, he frowned and avoided his friend's gaze. "I'm... better than expected," Rannoch decided; it was the most positive perspective that he could offer at that moment. While Rannoch didn't want to lie, he also was not comfortable enough to expose his inner-most thoughts. He forced a smile then, as he attempted to hide his discomfort in their conversation. 

"How about you?" he asked after a beat, "Feeling any better since we last talked?" After all, it seemed as though the world had gone up in flames since their last conversation.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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#8
though terance desperately wanted to be there for his friend, he was not the wolf to go to for advice-- as seen by the numerous times he's attempted to console poor korei julia. he nodded, deciding maybe rannoch didn't want to talk about it anyway. "i won't make you tell me about it," he told him out loud, offering a soft smile. if it wouldn't help, by god don't do it-- terance feared he'd only make it worse anyway.

"i'm fine," he responded with a flick of his ear, "i think i'm just distracted. there's so much going on. it... lingers, i can feel it, but i'm way more focused on this whole murder and the whole vaati thing and just... all that." his problems felt small compared to those-- especially now that he was saying it out loud. but that was good, despite their negative impact on moonspear-- they were helping him.
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#9
When Terance spoke, Rannoch's relief became evident. Without a word, he reached for his companion's nape and nudged it to show his appreciation; he was thankful that he'd no longer have to teeter around the uncomfortable subject matter. It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, and he felt rejuvenated by his friend's acceptance. For now, his self-doubt remained at bay. 

With the concern of Rannoch's well-being out of the question, he felt more prepared to listen to Terance's self-evaluation. "That could be it,"  he offered after considering what had been said. Though Terance did seem better, Rannoch knew better to assume that things were all sunshine and butterflies, and he'd make sure to continue to check up on his friend. 

Rannoch's ears lowered at the thought of everything that had happened, and he couldn't help but frown. He was conflicted about what had happened at the borders, and he wasn't sure of how he felt about the way it had been handled. "What do you... make of it all?" Rannoch asked quietly, breaking his gaze from Terance to observe their surroundings; he didn't want their conversation to be overheard by any bystanders. When he confirmed that they were alone, Rannoch turned his attention back to Terance.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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Ooc — Magdalyn
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#10
his lips pursed at rannoch's question-- what did he make of all of this? he followed his friend's gaze, also feeling a little stiff. he wasn't really the diplomatic sort. he could be, probably, with proper training-- he was dante's son, after all. but really, terance was content with being told what to do-- and then doing it. unfortunately, he didn't have much say in whatever was going on... he wasn't even asked to help. he shrugged. "i kind of wish i'd been asked," he offered quietly, glancing to his friend, "i dunno if i think it was right or wrong but... i would've been helpful if they'd let me come along." or ya know, something like that. 

"it's just a lot," he then added with a soft sigh. too much death and manipulation and... just a lot.
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#11
Terance's answer was unexpected, and Rannoch couldn't help but feel surprised by what had been revealed. "I can understand where you're coming from," he acknowledged and offered his friend a kind smile, "And I believe that under any other circumstance, you would have been invited." But the Cerebus had been out to avenge their sister, and he could see why Terance had not been included. 

"They were out to avenge Galaxy; it was a personal vendetta." And while he understood their disclusion of Terance, he still did not comprehend why they did what they had to Titmouse. Secretly, Rannoch worried for his former ward. 

As he waited for Terance's response, Rannoch licked his jowls out of anticipation; he hoped his words would make his packmate feel better about the situation.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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Ooc — Magdalyn
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#12
shrug. terance supposed that was true. "i guess," he said with a glance at rannoch. he didn't grieve the same way the sisters did, but he thought he was family-- he felt he should've been included. "but still."

"what about you?" he then asked, flipping it.


SHORT I'M SORRY
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#13
Rannoch felt as though his answer hadn't satisfied Terance. Feeling unable to appease his friend adequately, Rannoch nodded at what Terance said. "I understand," he replied. "Do you think it'd be worth it to talk to Hydra about it?" Rannoch wondered as he glanced at the guardian. 

A frown fell upon Rannoch's dark lips as he was questioned and quietly, he replied, "I'm not sure, Terance. I don't think it was handled properly at all." He sighed then, unable to hide his displeasure from his friend. "I understand that everybody was angry— I'd be mad as hell if that was my kid." But even in his angriest moments, Rannoch always sought the truth. "There was just nothing that proved that they did it, and I think they're innocent. It just saddens me that even with evidence proving their innocence, they were hurt." 
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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Ooc — Magdalyn
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#14
terance slowed to do some quick pissin' on a stone, nose twitching as he listened to his friends concerns. he couldn't say he disagreed-- it was one of the reasons why he would've liked to been invited along. but it'd been done, and he also couldn't say he wouldn't've done the same thing in that situation-- who's to say he wouldn't? he gave a small shiver and kept moving, offering his friend a half-hearted shrug. 

"yeah they seriously fucked that up... but, i think it was just an... in the moment thing. like, ya know, everyone's stressed, everyone's angry, someone does something impulsive and..." he trailed off, giving a sniff, "i mean what if he actually had hurt galaxy? and they just let him off?" did that make sense? terance wasn't sure he was properly explaining himself.

"i guess i'm just saying i really can't pass judgement," he added with a shifted gaze to rannoch.
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#15
Rannoch's considered Terance's perspective with a thoughtful nod. He understood what the guardian was trying to explain but, it was more their treatment after the initial commotion that made Rannoch uneasy. 

"I understand," Rannoch replied with an undeniable uneasiness. "I just wish that they wouldn't have gone for Titmouse after the fact. It was obvious that he had nothing to do with her death." Titmouse had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and his misfortune had cost him an eye; Rannoch felt terrible about how he had been treated. "And I understand their anger; I just wish they hadn't done it. But, there's nothing that can be done about it now." He smiled weakly, showing his friend vulnerability that he did not often exhibit.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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Ooc — Magdalyn
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#16
oh. well, yeah, terance agreed with that. he didn't voice that, but he nodded along with pursed lips. maybe it wasn't the best way to handle that. after a minute-- not fully recognizing that this was a side of rannoch he didn't alw"ays share-- terance let out a soft sigh. "yeah... it's definitely not really an uh, ideal situation to be put into," he responded in regards to poor titmouse. and as much as terance enjoyed rannoch, he was closer to hydra-- he understood a lot of her and her mindset. he smiled weakly. "hydra acts on impulses-- i think the whole trio does-- if we're being honest, i guess i'm less bothered by the whole situation because... i mean, i assumed they woulda' just killed the guy."
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#17
Although Rannoch did not like the alternative that Terance had come up with, he couldn't help but agree with him. "It seems like cruel and unusual punishment," remarked Rannoch with a frown. "And... I just can't get behind the logic," after all, if Titmouse had been guilty, then what would have stopped him from coming back to avenge his injury on Vela or Jarlio? "If he is guilty like they say, then whats to stop him from coming back and seeking revenge?" asked Rannoch after a thoughtful pause. He met Terance's gaze then and wondered if they were on the same page.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
guardian of the galaxy
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Ooc — Magdalyn
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#18
the cerberus had talked briefly to him about this-- mostly hydra. he'd understood it all, for the most part, he just wasn't so sure he was qualified to tell her 'hey bad idea'... and besides that, he didn't know the exact specifics of it until it was too late, and terance was so fiercely loyal that he just couldn't stand up against them. though rannoch's concern did rock his boat-- he didn't really enjoy the feeling of a moral dilemma. 

"you're right," was all he said at first, sifting again through words. he was trying to be as professional as he could-- this was an important topic-- but terance was struggling getting past the 'these are my friends and family and i support them through anything' mindset. "i think they think that if that does happen, we'll be able to fight them off," he added with a furrow of his brow, meeting his friends gaze. "i can't say i agree, dude, i promise, but it's sort of a gray area... i don't know if it's right, necessarily, but i trust hydra so fiercely i just can't say i think she made the wrong call... and impulsive call, yeah, but we just gotta wait it out... i think." 
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#19
"No, no I understand," Rannoch assured his friend; for the most part, their beliefs aligned closely. "I care for Hydra and trust her, too. I just have a hard time with all of this, you know?" His ears splayed, and he frowned, hoping that Terance understood where he was coming from. "But, you're right— it's a weird grey area." 

With their agreement spoken, Rannoch and Terance shifted their conversation elsewhere. They chatted for some time, and when it was time to depart, Rannoch bid his friend a fond farewell before retiring to his den for the rest of the night.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show