Anyone can reference Ryes reluctant, grumpy attitude! Tag is simply a ref, no obligation <3
Daylight hours was something he tended to avoid, vastly preferring the safety of night and its all consuming darkness. His packmates was similar to daylight, avoided at all costs and often grumpily ushered away if any dared to speak to him, except @Lane; he wouldn't push her away. For six days he stayed miserable but then the seventh day crested the horizon and Rye awoke to find himself empty, void of emotion, not a shred of grief to be experienced. Nor anger, or guilt. At first it was alarming, he began to think it was simply delayed but as the morning sun began to sit high in the sky there still wasn't an ounce of sadness. He waited and waited, even eagerly waited for his normalcy to return but nothing. For an hour he laid under the pines beside his den, watching the sun finally slip under the horizon. He sighed, chewing his lip as the uncertainty of his situation plateaued, then sank into boredom. The hotah decided to use the change productively, by going for a small jaunt and hopefully ease aching joints with a few stashed herbs. Maybe even talk to someone? A charged thought at best, the sporadic urge to seek out conversation was shot down, the man wasn't confident he wouldn't be hostile towards his packmates. For the night, he would let the jaunt occupy his time. Lifting himself up with a small groan, a few joint pops and a wince, Rye headed for the meltwater. His eyes peeled for any packmates.
Without either one of them being aware of it, Meerkat took up the torch of tetchiness Rye had only just set down.
A heap of melting snow slipped from a spruce's bough overhead and plopped to the forest floor with a soft sound, causing Meerkat to stop in her tracks, her shoulders coming forward toward her ears as the muscles in her back twitched from annoyance and over-stimulation. Since when she been so sensitive to noises, especially such innocuous ones?
Deliberately coaxing the tension from her muscles, she resumed padding through Bosk Iana, wondering at her recent irascibility. Even with everything going on lately, it was so unlike her to feel so damned grumpy. Perhaps it was a lingering effect of her recent cold; or the dreadful forward march of winter; or, most likely, a byproduct of the negative energy reeling about the glacier lately. Oh, and that... other thing.
Thirst drove her to seek a drink at the nearby lake. When she arrived, she saw Rye also approaching the water's edge. Meerkat let out a breath as sadness washed through her at the sight of him. It was a change of pace from the inexplicable pique, though again she found herself wondering why she felt like such an exposed, raw nerve lately. She hated it!
"Hey, Rye," she called out even as she tried to wrestle her own emotions into submission.
Through the grape vine had he learned of Winters death and Tzilas suicide. At first there was no room to process the tragedy, too occupied with his familial grief, but there came a day where he pondered on what happened. Specifically Tzilas actions, uncomfortably fast he came to the resolution she wasn't in the wrong. Rye was sure everyone else must've thought she was but what did they know? Losing a spouse, a best friend, so suddenly left even the strongest debilitated and Tzila was as strong as the glacier itself. He would miss her, and Winter.
The closer he got to the melt water, the tighter his belly twisted into a knot. It slowed down his pace to a careful walk, he took extra time to get there in thinking whoever was there might finish up and leave. That didn't work. On his approach Rye spotted Meerkat, he sighed knowing damn well she was going to talk to him. He felt stupid for being so obstinate, he knew he should be looking to his friends for support but something inside him said no. It was a mean voice, very demanding.
She began with a simple greeting, Rye tried to replicate his normal, happy, smile but was sure it came out lopsided. "Hey." He repeated. "I won't stay long and bother you." His gaze averted from her eyes, favoring the water below. Rye knew she'd protest, like any good friend might but he also knew that no one liked to be around miserable people. He wouldn't force her to stay or force himself to be happy for her sake either. Of course, I'm selfish, why would I try?
He smiled, though she could tell that it was forced. There was misery written into every line of Rye's body. Then he said something that made her feel a prick of irritation, followed by another swell of sadness. Why would Rye think he was bothering her? Never mind that his words had just done that very thing. That was on her, not him.
"Isn't there a saying," she mused dryly as she ventured closer, so they stood just a few feet apart, "about misery loving company? You look miserable—understandably!" Meerkat huffed out a breath, eyes softening as they lingered on his down-turned features. "And I'm miserable too, for less logical reasons. Anyway. Maybe we can sit here and be miserable together."
Her haunches sank to the ground and she sighed in the direction of the water inches below her nose. Before anything else was said, sitting here with Rye lent Meerkat some perspective. Sure, her life wasn't a piece of cake lately, yet she hadn't just lost her mate and child, on top of everything else. Her heart clenched.
"Life has been cruel to you lately, Rye. If you need someone to vent to, I'm all ears."
Would it be possible to forward date Towhees thread in Sunset by one day? I plan to snatch that thread up since no one else has. Alternatively, it can be backdate one day as well. Edit; pfff I forgot I put it at night, just gonna fix that
She sounded almost as miserable as him, sick and tired of the curves life threw ad nauseam. He couldn't blame the tone, he shared it. While Rye listened he continued to stare at the water when for a short moment the sky opened and moon shown through to the melt water. Enabling a better, clearer picture of himself. Rye sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, he looked rough, really rough. Mangey coyote rough. Logically he knew he wasn't pretty but damn, he has officially sunk to a new low and likely stank to a new high. Sitting on his rump, Rye used his outside leg to gently slide himself away from Meerkat, muttering a nearly inaudible sorry in the process. It was for his smell and the awkward feeling that might squeeze itself between them.
Meerkat offered him her ear and for a moment the mans lips parted as if to take her up on her offer but quickly closed in the next second. He breathed deeply, shaking his head as he exhaled. "I think I would rather hear what's going on in your life." He paused, looking towards her. "Frankly Meerkat, I have done nothing but wallow in my own pity for six days. I am exhausted of it. No more, please?" There was an edge to his voice, fear that he may have to expose his emotions and put them on display. The tormented man held his gaze, a pleading look on his face, truly he wanted it known that talking about himself would be agony.
I sent you a DM!
Rye didn't want to wallow in his misery, which she could certainly understand. But now that she thought about it, Meerkat didn't really want to dwell on hers, either. She agreed with him; it was exhausting. He'd asked about her life in general, so the yearling supposed she could pluck out something else entirely apart from her recent afflictions.
"How about, instead of talking about our lives, we..." She trailed off thoughtfully for a few minutes, fishing around for ideas. One hit her.
"We could go hunting, try to find something to bring to this feast the packs are planning. Wouldn't it feel really good to kill something dead right about now?" Meerkat said, surprising herself with the fierceness in her own voice, which reflected in her brown eyes.
Rye looked at Meerkat with offended confusion, his head tilted and eyes slightly squinting. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea that a feast was being held during such a time of tragedy. The deaths of his alphas and the disappearance of his wife and child. How and why, but quickly he realized that none of the remaining wolves in the Galcier were founders, Lane and him were the only ones left that truly got to know the former alphas. Why would the others mourn with them? It was just any other ordinary day for them.
Ryes expression withered, wilting like a flower in the scorching desert sun. Rye shook his head, "No." He muttered. "I do not wish to hunt for the joy of others." As he once did for Imaq. "Take care Meerkat." Was all he said before turning to leave, already fully burnt out on her company. Back he went to do exactly what he was fed up with. The cycle continued.
Rye disagreed. In fact, he leveled her with a look that could've scorched the earth. Meerkat felt herself stiffen in knee-jerk response, wondering what she'd said to earn such a glower. She played her own words back in her head, though she didn't get very far before Rye's scathing words registered.
"Okay, but Rye," Meerkat called after him, "it's not—it's a memorial feast." She had no desire to make him stay if he would rather go, so she added, "Just wanted you to know. You take care too," a little bit awkwardly.
Under the circumstances, it really didn't surprise her when her annoyance returned in full force once Rye left. It wasn't directed at him. No, Rye only had her sympathies. Her grouchiness was as unfocused as before and just as unshakable, leaving Meerkat to tromp across the territory and eventually leave in search of reprieve.