@Akavir

Blue eyes spent longer than a few minutes staring at the den that housed his friend and leader. Akavir had been inside there sick and weak and Arric be lying if he said it didn't hurt a little. Especially when he had visited and Akavir couldn't see him and still hadn't sought him out. Except in passing.

But Arric couldn't say nothing. After all he hadn't sought him out for the bitterness that had risen in recent months had still laid heavy. He had felt adrift and angry and sad and everything else. Then this morning he realized it just didn't fucking matter. His best friend had been sick and he was what? Acting like a ball baby pissy pants over borders and hunting and drama. That made him just as dramatic.

So finally he pushed one foot forward then another. Dropped a white weasel at his feet and called out to the man. He hoped Akavir was gonna come out cause Arric wasn't going inside because well. It wasn't his place to do so this was their home.

He didn’t emerge from the den—instead, the crooning beckon lured him from around the side, snow hanging from his jowls in a frost-tipped mess as he quizzically looked from Arric to the weasel. He had spent far too much time holed up in the den—aside from when he was sick, and then when trying to ease Eshe’s pain at her heart breaking news of her father.

Still, despite working at digging a new cache, he still felt unease ripple through him—tension—and he knew it emanated from his Beta, who despite all intents and purposes, wore his heart on his sleeve.

“Everything okay?” Because it wasn't like Arric to come around very often, either.

Arric snorted when Akavir came around the outside. The snot like long strands from his jowels. 

I hope you don't greet Quill with that fucking ugly mug. I'm questioning her choices hard right now.

Then a small smile and a flash of blue eye. Arric didn't know what to say. It wasn't okay. Nothing was okay. And it hadn't been for awhile and yet it was okay?

It was such a clustering mind fuck he wasn't sure what to say? Where to start? Even if he should. So as always he was blunt and silly.

Nope, but it will be if you and Quill start talking to your subordinates. I get it. A lot has happened. But there are others in the pack lands man. Including moi. Im starting to think you love her more. I'm a little salty about it..

“Listen—I still don’t know how I managed to land her, so don't jinx me” he joked—and yet also confided with when Arric greeted him in a manner that was absolutely Arric.

There was a flash of a smile from the blue-eyed man—and Akavir gave a quick shake of his pelt, stretching lightly as he prowled closer. But next, his Beta’s words held a more biting tone—and the champagne eyes of the Frostfur were rapt upon his friend with a more careful glance now—sensing the rise of the tension that had been simmering for months now.

“Arric….” He paused—playful, but yet… there was certainly an element of something serious that lay between them. “Are you trying to tell me you miss me?”

Arric chuckled and gave a nod. Scouts honor. I won't. Cause i don't know either man.

Eyes twinkling in good humor. It felt good to joke and jest. But Arric was also very aware of the snap of tension.

Arric rolled his eyes. Well yea. But i bet you missed me more. You big sap. But also.

Arric shifted and sighed. I also feel very taken advantage of and I have felt alone for awhile. It's getting better and i realize a lot of that shit is me. But well. Yea.

He hated this sappy bullshit. But he needed to tell Akavir that he and Eshe needed to do better. They were leaders. They needed to speak to their subordinates more. And yes he realized they had a lot of shit happen, but still. They were leaders.

And there—Arric brought forward a tidbit of information on what bothered him. Akavir studied the man, allowing their banter to rest for now—instead, sweeping forward, giving his pelt and face a shake, as if he could rid the ice and frost from his fur.

“Taken advantage of how?”

Arric had a way of offering insight to his concerns but then downplayed them by saying it was on him—the Mayfair knew he would have to dig a little deeper than that.

Arric snorted and backed up. As frost and ice showered him. 

You coulda asked for a kiss instead of throwing your frozen spit all over me dickfuck.


Arric sighed. Ive been hunting and on the borders and i have felt very alone. First you went after your dsughter i get, then wren and silver and that swemed like a mindfuck. Then wren was an absolute beast towards the end. Then you holed up with Eshe and didn't come out. I just feel a little burdened i guess. And don't get me wrong I don't mind the work or helping out. But it's not just me you're doing it too. You have other subordinates that feel like their main leaders avoid and ignore them.

He snorted as the man backed away from a bit of snow and ice—Akavir made no move to correct him that he had been digging around the garden and ground for Eshe—if the man thought he had just lobbed the version of a winter spitball at him, all the better.

“Can’t kiss you anymore, bro—Eshe would be jealous,” he confided in faux seriousness, instead.

At the sigh from his friend, Akavir settled to sit—his own emotions welling in his chest as he considered Arric. Silvertongue and Wren were mentioned—neither who he was keen to discuss, and perhaps that was part of the problem. Akavir hadn’t exactly been forthcoming about what had occurred—only that Silvertongue had pushed him away.

Wren he had never understood—believing only that she had fled because her self depreciation left no room for anything else—and her heart was broken at the potential of Silvertongue’s demise.

“Who else feels we ignore them?” It wasn’t spoken a demand—simply curious. He couldn’t fix this without knowing—and granted, there were only a handful of adults amongst them now. “I got…. Sick, Arric.” He paused, his brows furrowing as he considered the delusions—the fever—the time that felt missing inbetween the weeks he had suffered. “I got really sick.” But he felt his friend knew that. There had to be more to this.

Arric gave the equivalent of a wolf middle finger amd snorted back. Their language mostly grunts and innuendo but it worked for them.

Arric nodded. Arlette too.

Arric knew he didn't want to talk about the girls and that was okay. He got it, truly. But that was when it really started.

Arlette does. I haven't talked to Ensio or Sovereign bout it, but have you actually had a conversation with them?

Arric nodded. I'm aware. But shit. I hate this.

He grumbled and glared at the ground. Regretting even opening his damn mouth.

This has been building for awhile at least with me. I'm always here Akavir and I don't mind. But it would be nice to see others here too. Like. I don't know how to explain. I suck at this bare your heart shit.

Arric offered a tidbit of information that caused Akavir’s eyes to sharpen upon the Beta—Arlette would be jealous too, hm?

He said nothing—simply tucked the information into his back pocket for later use.

He didn’t respond to Arric asking if he had actually talked to Ensio or Sovereign—besides assigning them a duty to organize a pack hunt, he hadn’t. He could only assume then that Arric must have noticed that they felt out of sorts on the matter as well.

Arric looked to the ground—fumbling with his words in ways, and drawing a fond smile from the Mayfair—which he tried to hide from the other man. “You don’t suck at baring you’re heart out,” he offered, bemusement lacing his tones. “Your problem is that with most others you don’t give a shit… Except for your pack and friends. And then you are a complete wolf pleaser. You go out of your way to push away your own feelings in favor of keeping everyone else around you happy.”

He paused, snorting. “It’s endearing. But fuck off with that, okay? Just tell me when I or anyone else is being a dick.”

Arric knew Akavir would pick up on Arlette's name being thrown down. And he did not give a shit. He was not ashamed or shy in the least that the healer caught him.

Arric furrowed a brow. Well of course why should i care about someone who doesn't give a shit about me? Honestly.

Arric stared at him. Then deadpan. Okay you're being a dick and so is your wife.

A small smile then. He tilted an ear forward. Just do better from here on out okay? Stupid. Fucker. Making me come over here and get all emotional and shit.

A flick of his ear, his gaze rounding upon the man before him. “Except Eshe. You can’t call Eshe a dick,” he decided then, a frown pulling at his features.

Arric rumbled some more—telling him to do better, and while a part of him wasn’t entirely sure the entire grievances Arric held. Still, the Beta had come to him with his concerns—and he would do his best to address them.

“Now what?”

Arric frowned in return. He wasn't happy about the turn of events right now.

So If she does something to wrong someone its okay? And she's not bring a dick. Because that isn't fair and it causes a whole other host of problems if she also isn't held accountable.

Arric sighed. He realized he hadn't been very clear.

But what could he say. He was trying to let it go.

Now what, what? I verbalized to the best of my abilities my issues. I'm good. Though I refuse not to call out your wife if she's not doing the best by the pack. I call you out. I'll call her out too.

Arric had already had misgivings about Eshe and they were growing by the minute. And that Akavir was willing to let her do as her happy ass pleased. Pissed him off a little. He hoped he was misunderstanding and he just wasn't allowed to call her a dick, because otherwise. 

He frowned. Unless you just mean I can't call her a dick?

Akavir snorted—a tangent offered, and the ebony male narrowed his eyes on his friend—only huffing a soft sigh when Arric came to the conclusion at the very end of it.

“Yeah. Call her out on her shit, by all means—just don’t call her a dick or be mean about it.” He paused—testing the waters now. “I can’t imagine you’d like it if I started calling Arlette names.”

A pack of assholes they might have been—but somehow, he couldn’t help but feel it was the two lead males who fit the bill most of all in that statement.

Arric blinked and snorted Arlette doesn't have a mean bone in her body so i doubt you'd be calling her a dick, unless you were just being a dick. And if that was the case then yea I'd be pretty pissed off about it.


Akavir was probably right on the front that the assholes were mainly him amd Akavir here. But he wasn't to certain. Cygnet was a bit of an asshole and Eshe could be. He didn't know enough about Ensio or Sovereign.

He sighed, standing up then. “Neither does, Eshe, Arric.”

He didn’t like where this was going—unless Arric knew something he didn’t about the silver healer, it certainly seemed there was something more to the situation then was being let on. The implication hung between them, and suddenly, Akavir became weary once more—and he blinked, looking up to the sky, unable to keep the dry tone from his voice on his next statement. “Mae invited me to visit her in the mountains. I plan on going, but maybe you guys can tell me when would be best for you?”

Arric didn't say anything, because Eshe wasn't mean. But there was something he couldn't put his mind on. He just didn't know about her and clearly it showed. But the next remark hit home like a barb and Arric froze. He stared for a moment, irritated as hell. This hadn't even been worth it.

Arric shook his head. Go whenever the fuck you want.

He shifted and stood shaking his fur out.

I'm gonna go take a patrol. See ya around.

Arlette had told him to just talk to Akavir and he tried, really he did. But he was twrrible at this shit. And clearly so was the leader. Because now they were both irritated and neither one knew what the other was talking about.

Whether it was Akavir defending Eshe that bothered the Beta, or him wanting to make amends with his daughter—which had to have him gone for a few days—he didn’t know, but then Arric was up, shaking his fur up and all but telling him to fuck off, in a roundabout way.

The Mayfair said nothing—finding himself rather irate at the entire ordeal—and turning back to the garden he was trying to tend to and loosen up for Eshe.

The more he worked away at it—the more angry he became as he recalled their conversations. Akavir had bled just as much for the safety of their home as Arric—had hunted threats, and tried to ensure the safety of his scattered-to-the-wind kids, but apparently, that wasn’t good enough for the Beta.

[quote="Akavir" pid='608664' dateline='1707843178']

It was not the defending of Eshe or even visiting Mae. It was how Akavir had worded it. How Arric had felt alone defending their home. Yes Akavir was out hunting threats down. But Arric was still here. Building caches. Making sure the kids were taken care. Made sure everyone had enough food. And it had been daunting.

And yes his verbalization could use some work. But it was like Akavir had fucking stone for brains sometimes. Arric sighed. As he walked. They could get past this small tear in the seamless fabric right. Like he wasn't gonna lose his best friend.


He was far away now that he stopped and stared at the ground. A maelstrom of emotions in his blue eyes. He took a deep breath.


Fuuck. Fuck!

Then he closed his eyes counted to ten. And left for the border.