Swiftcurrent Creek and nobody knows what to do with the heat

sorry this is kindofbad LMAO

Her return to Swiftcurrent Creek was reluctant; she knew she should not leave again. She could not guarantee she would return— nor could she guarantee she would not regret that decision. Frustrated, she sought @Samothes. If he was to tether her so thoroughly (without even trying!), he could at least suffer through her company for a time.
Samaantine avoided all of the pack's residents on her hunt for her brother. Not that it was difficult— she knew none of them, and many were too busy with their pups to be wandering about. Perhaps another reason to leave. There were so many of them, lately; she didn't think she could stand it.

lately he spends more time away from the creek than within it, exploring ... possibilities. alarian is a pleasant distraction, one he intends to keep up with. he feels a restless itch in him like the one that drove him away from his family's home in the first place, and wonders sometimes why he doesn't just follow it. it had been so easy to leave the first time, but samothes has invested himself in the creek's development, and it is hard to extract himself from that, even if he wants to.

and samaantine is here, although that part he'll never own up to. even when she comes looking for him and he lets her find him, lazing by the edge of the creek. he does not rise to greet her, indicating with his nose that she may take a seat by him. "you're out and about, i see," the messeda boy says, tone casual even as his gaze turns sharp, the usual flinty stare he reserves exclusively for her.

He was easier to find than she had predicted, a fact that immediately set her more on edge than she had already been. Samaantine sighed almost imperceptibly through her nose, stopping a bit further from where he had gestured; she did not sit. Observant, She returned evenly, only glancing over him once with a critical gaze before she turned her eyes to the creek.
I'm leaving. The announcement was casual, testing the waters. She hadn't decided yet, actually; this was part of the process, in a way. The shadow kept her gaze trained on the water, tail flicking slowly as she waited for her brother's reaction. She expected indifference— or perhaps he'd claim she hadn't repaid her debt. Or some kind of reaction intended to thoroughly irritate her— it absolutely would not work, of course.

with exaggerated effort he rolls back onto his belly, letting the tip of his paws touch the side of the creek where water laps against. samaantine's announcement does not register for a moment, and then it does, and he sighs, a soft aaah that mingles with the rush of water. he is quiet for a moment. and then: "me too." amusement colors his voice as he finally turns his head, resting that rosy gaze upon her sable form. there's thousands of other things he could say. they course thru his mind: biting, caustic remarks, jokes, observations of the small ironies of their lives. reflections. he does not voice them, instead watching the subtle shifts in her expression -- wondering what will happen next for the both of them.

Her brother managed to find something unexpected to give her, but the sentiment itself made enough sense that she believed it; Swiftcurrent Creek held little for either of them, and his loyalties had never lasted long. It was almost a shame. She'd liked the idea of knowing where to find him.
Some small pleasure flickered behind her gaze at the knowledge anyway, largely lost in an expression best described as unamused. Impulsively, she opened her mouth to speak— 'Leave with me, then'— but the words stuck in her throat. He would not agree. The battle between her pride and whatever desire she still had to mend her relationship with Samothes was brief and decisive.
Her pride won, and her expression turned into something unreadable. I'm not surprised, In a way, it was true. She simply hadn't expected it now. Of course he had the sense to see what she saw at the Creek (nothing, that is) but she'd never known him to make a logical decision. Part of her had expected he'd hold out, from stubbornness if nothing else, until his apparent penchant for abandoning everything surfaced again. Or perhaps it already had, and she was simply over-estimating his decision-making skills again. Ah, well—
Northwest, She told him, turning to leave and wondering if she would stick to that path now that she'd announced it. No part of her expected a visit, but he'd know which places to avoid now. The shadow would not depart yet, not for a few days, but something told her to put distance between herself and her littermate immediately. The coast. Maybe Ravensblood— I preferred it.

how easy it would be to stay in each other's lives! easy enough, in fact, that neither would move to pursue it, too stubborn to ever admit such a banal desire. instead samothes snorts, accepting her sentiment, watching her body turn without moving to follow. it's more kindness than he expects from her, offering up her destination like that -- if she actually follows through. not intent on being outdone he calls after her, "think i'll stick around here -- a bit north, perhaps," waiting for her to completely disappear from view before taking his own leave (only to be greeted by her...gift the following day.)