Amalia had been silent. Fretting and motionless for weeks. As such her weight was down and the once glossy fur a little dull and tired.
Ahe stretched and stood in the sun. Anxious for word about Atreus, but also knowing she couldn't dwell. He would come back some day. He had too.
A frown marred her pretty face and she slowly began to groom herself. She'd hunt next. Time to stop this mope mobile.
As it is often the case with young adults - they are more wrapped in their own world and self-importance and therefore might miss the tragedies and turmoils in live's of others. While Amalia had gone through a hell of her own, Dwin had begrudgingly accepted that she would never be in the centre of attention again. And she had taken the role of baby-sitter - not her favourite job in the world, but it gave her aging parents at least some sort of respite.
Time from time she would go on her own adventures, enjoying the aloneness and the chance of doing, what she wanted. Today she was on the way for such outing and, when she spotted Amalia in the distance, she figured she would not mind the company. "Hey!" she greeted, when she was within hearing distance. "Busy today?"
Amalia didn't expect anyone to know her personal struggles and as such ahw kept it to herself. Putting on a bright face when she heard footsteps.
Hello.
she called out.
A shake of her head to the younger girl. Not busy. Just some self care and maybe a hunt. What about you? No little siblings to follow you today?
Amalia missed siblings. She had never had younger ones, except Atreus, but she always thought it might be nice to have more.
Dwin cringed a little, when Amalia mentioned siblings following her around. She looked quickly over her shoulder to make sure that none was sneaking up on her ninja-style, then turned back to the packmate. "No, not today. They are quite handful and they are toothful as well," she said, having been a chew-toy to those shark-teeth on more than one occasion and, when they attacked in a group, reprimanding them with growls and snaps had been fruitless. Recently she had chosen to run, when she heard the gang in the distance.
"I just don't understand the appeal of kids," she said truthfully. "I admire my parents for choosing to have me and going through this, but I am cured of the desire to ever have my own," she explained. "So - want to go to the lake?" she suggested visiting Lake Rodney right outside the caldera. "That's pretty damn far from the rendevouz's site."
A small chuckle at the look on Dwin's face. Clearly she loved her siblings, but had trouble with how they behaved and chased her around.
Yhose little teeth are painful.
Amalia listened and she could understand. She wasn't of the opinion she never wanted any, but she was also happy with not having any. Granted no one had ever stayed for her to get a lasting relationship with. So there was that.
Laughter. Loud and bubbly it felt good. I would love to go to the lake.
Well... Dwin had learned that, while she did not hate her siblings and that her indifference to them had decreased with them growing up to a sentient age, "love" may be a bit of a strong word to describe, how she felt. She liked them enough - as one would like zoo animals. It was interesting to observe them, engage with them, but it was also nice to leave them to her parents and get away.
"What have you been up to lately?" Dwin asked, while they were walking westwards from the caldera.
Amalia loved all her siblings, both adopted and blood. There wasn't many, but she did. However, they all seem3d to leave though Alaric found his way bwck of course. Even if he wasn't in Brecheliant with her.
oh um looking for my adopted brother, Atreus. He just sort of disappeared and then honestly moping because i can't find him.
It hurt a little to admit auch a truth, but Amalia was if nothing else honest.
"Oooh, that's unfortunate," Dwin gave a sincere half-hearted attempt to feel 100% compassionate, but recently news about lost siblings were not something that would excite her too much. On the contrary. Every instance of losing sight of either Frolic or someone else from the brood, meant that she would have to spend hours to look for that kid and then try to compose herself so that she would not rip that kid to pieces. Or give them a hearty shake. Since adults in comparison to little kids could make their own decisions, them being gone or disappearing - well, that was their problem not Dwin's.
"Well, in my experience... the lost person will either turn up or they won't. And there is very little I or you could do about it," she said, referring to Dee's disappearance and the somewhat frosty reunion months later. "I am to saying this means your worry is is in any way... useless, but that's how life is. People just go."
Amalia couldn't quite hide the smile. Dwin was quite refreshing in her lack of lies. She was an honest, almost to a fault, much like Amalia. Though Amalia made a conscious choice, she felt that perhaps this was simply part of Dwin's personality. She liked it.
Amalia nodded her head and looked down. There is that, but with the exception of Alaric and even he left for a time. They all seem to leave me eventually. And your mother hasn't either.
She didn't quite know how to handle the constant leaving. Part of her simply wanted to leave off getting to know anyone ever again, but the social part of her wouldn't allow such a thing. Besides there was no use worrying about it right now. IT was a beautiful day.
What would you like to do when we get to the lake? Fish or simply relax?
Dwin pondered briefly over "they all seem to leave me eventually" part, which so resonated with the time, when she too had felt disappointed by Dee's choice to go and the slightly rocky reunion after that. She had learned this was the wrong way to think about it. People going somewhere else was not meant as a way to insult or hurt you. It was their personal choice and you were either included in it or not. "Thinking like that does not help you at all," she remarked. "They do not leave you, they simply do not include you in their future plans. And therefore you can "not include them in yours" either to have it even," she suggested. This worked for her.
"We'll see, when we get there. There is always a possibility that we do not get there at all," she grinned. "The woods are dark and dangerous, you know," she added.
That was a way to think about it. And that was the problem though. She was never a thought. She thought of others often, but it seemed they didn't always think of her, but that was alright. Dwin was right, but in a different way. Amalia was being unfair in her way of thinking.
Amalia chuckled. That is certainly very true. Though i find comfort in the dark if I'm honest it's always there.
"Mom told me that Aunt Wraen used to say that in order to not be afraid of dark you have to imagine being the very worst thing anyone could meet there. In the woods," Dwin added, but she liked Amalia's suggestion too. It was the same idea, but from a different perspective.
"So - why dark and not the loveliness of sunlight?" Dwin asked out of the blue.
I understand that Amalia is no longer an active toon here. If you wish - you can fade out this thread in your next post.
yes i just had no direction with her currently and it was hard to write <3 thank you. I will.
Amalia liked all times. Dark or sun and all seasons. She could always find something to love about it. The leaves in fall, the snow in winter, etx.
She smiled.
they are both lovely and i refuse to choose.
They would continue on their way sharing their views on things and finally find solace in thr cool of the water. A day well spent with friends.