Moonspear cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Printable Version

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cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Arcturus - February 26, 2019

vaguely dated? not sure when arct/charon/co are back from searching for revui but wanted to get a new thread in since he doesn't owe any replies for once!!

arcturus had been overjoyed to see moonspear's perimeters once more: never had he thought he would miss so keenly the grave face of stone that signified his homeland, but here he was, bounding towards the stony promontory like a spring fawn towards a cloverfield. his first order of business had been informing everyone he was home, with a big boisterous howl -- and then, because he was an independent sort, arcturus had slipped right up to the summit to be alone.

during this time he inspected several things: habitually, he swung by his old hanging spots with revui, and then he inspected and sniffed the trails they often followed, and then finally, he visited the corrupted star that still sat in its own blackened ruin at the summit. once all of these rituals had been completed, the dark yearling nimbly leapt down the slabs and gneiss, until he was near the pack's rendezvous and cache site. sniffing around for any sign of family members, the boy pulled an old hare from the cache and ate it absentmindedly, thinking back on his journey outside of moonspear.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Revui (Ghost) - February 27, 2019

Despite the many days spent in the neighbouring valley, the loyalty extended to a few strangers trying to cobble together a new beginning, and a few fights in between, Revui wasn't so different. He crossed over the mountain pass towards what used to be home with a few new scars and a little bit of experience, but in the end nothing about him had changed. He did not expect the mountain to have changed either; it would stand as a monument to the inherent strength of his people until long after Charon and Amekaze's rule came to a close. When he saw the first series of familiar paths, the leviathan expected to feel... Something. The thrill of his return, an excitement for having survived on his own for that short period, something.

And then, there was the howl. The voice he knew so well—which he'd thought he'd heard from time to time in the wilderness adjacent, but had not investigated—the warm and welcoming tones of his dear brother. As stoic as Revui often behaved towards those of Moonspear, and as feral as he could be around strangers, there was something wholly different that engaged when he was around Arcturus. The sonorous quality of his brother's song died in the air and it took a concentrated amount of effort not to give in and call out in return.

Instead, Revui continued to hike along the trails in silence.

He soon passed along a bend in the trail where his father's scent sat waiting; there were no fresh marks along this edge of the border which made him paused and consider why, although the thought that Charon was out hunting for him did not cross his mind. Before long, the territory's edge was far behind him and he was climbing the mountain, as if he'd never left.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Arcturus - March 01, 2019

the meal between arcturus' paws was dry, and had little taste. he wondered if after a quick nap, he might go hunting -- certainly this rotted thing was of little sustenance to him, but it would tide him over long enough to cajole his family into a reunited hunt, if he was lucky.

he had just put aside the last of the stripped bones when a shade crossed in his vision, traveling not so distant from him.

it looked..

familiar.

it looked like --

revui?

arcturus rose to his feet, shaky as a leaf in a summer squall. for all of the miles put under his belt in search of his brother, he never expected to see him here, in moonspear -- their home. he stalked forward on uncertain limbs, his ears whirling like over-reactive satellites -- and a look of shock, and then joy bled across his features.

he walked, then trotted, then ran --

"REVUI!"

he called, ready to put the miles and the hurt behind him -- ready to be made whole again by his brother's presence.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Revui (Ghost) - March 09, 2019

At another point in his life, he might have met the roar of his name with great pride, or the charging of the dark body with his teeth in a playful game of rough-housing. If he'd been human Revui would have probably side-stepped with one foot out, just to watch his brother trip and tumble, then laugh about it later over some cheap beer.

The mountain had not changed. Revui would argue, neither had he. Yet when he heard his name explode from the mouth of his brother, he felt himself tense and draw away; when Arcturus threw himself in to a cataclysmic run aimed like a sniper's reticle upon him, the ironclad boy reacted with something far less playful.

There had been struggles while he had been away. Battles. Some situations that Revui had placed himself in to for the sheer joy of combat — this was not one of those moments, but brought him back all the same. A momentary lapse. He was defensive, baring his teeth as soon as the dark body came in too close, his warning growl deepening as Arcturus got close. Then, against his own will to some degree, Revui lashed out to set the target off-balance.

He had not meant to cause harm, but he was still not entirely in control of his own power.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Arcturus - March 10, 2019

how stupid arcturus had been to think only of him and his own selfish needs - he hadn't thought it through. it hadn't occurred to him that just because he was ready to reunite with his brother and bury all the hurt, that his brother would feel the same..

that crucial fact, that pivotal piece of information -- it came to arcturus too late. revui's body language changed into something terse and defensive, feral almost as it lashed out to rebuke his brother's affection.

arcturus had no time to dodge; he was hit in full and cast aside.

bewildered and too caught up in the moment to process the whys of what just happened, arcturus fumbled and stood up, his hair on end and his eyes glazed with hurt. "revui--" he mumbled, his voice pained and confused. he felt he had no energy in which to devise a physical retaliation, and instead he hunched over in a similar defensive posture, his accusing gaze measuring his brother.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Charon - March 10, 2019

Finally the snows were starting to perish. Not as fast as he would have liked; winter seemed to linger longer than he remembered years prior, but perhaps it was his own hurries in regards to Amekaze's reproduction that were rushing him along. Charon was busy digging on the birthing den. He'd done all he could to provide another litter this year: attended the fertility festival, made an offering there, received the blessings, had several wolves talk to Ame about the importance of this.. but so far none of it mattered, it seemed. What more could he do to make her see that time was running out?

His head heavy with thoughts Charon returned from a hunt. His mouth was bloody and a hare hung limp from his mouth as he made his way towards the den in the forests below, where he'd cache part of the hare that he hadn't eaten for later, when Ame needed it.

While on his way Charon suddenly heard Arcturus' voice calling out Revui's name. He heard snarls in the distance and dropped the hare to rush towards the noises. He could not believe his eyes to see his son there. All grown up, a bigger, bulkier version of Levi had ever been; a warrior, one befitting of this mountain. A champion. Sporting scars, but that only complimented his warrior's appearance. Stop it, the king commanded with level voice as he approached the boys, tail flagged high and head raised to signal his authority. He didn't know what was going on between the pair of them, why they looked so defensively upon each other, as if ready to grab one another. Charon stopped a few wolves' length of them, his gaze trained on his returned son. Revui -- you returned. There was gratefulness in his voice, and some degree of pride at seeing the boy that had left returned a strong man, a warrior befitting the mountain. What is going on here? he then demanded to know, looking between his two sons. What had driven them so apart that they would act this way upon being reunited?

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Revui (Ghost) - March 11, 2019

A calmer approach would have probably been better, but there was no accounting for the bewilderment nor the excitement that Arcturus would have to compete with once Revui returned; he should not fault his brother for that. In fact, he probably didn't. He saw the dark shape zooming straight for him and reacted to it, that was all. Yet when Arcturus drew back he looked as if he had been struck much harder. Smote with something visceral deep in his core, and all Revui could do was stare at him with his coat bristling and face set in a grimace.

The moment expired swiftly with the arrival of the pale patriarch, and while Revui did not turn his attention away from his brother (seething, feeling the full pulse of his adrenaline), his ears pivoted to the sound of Charon's voice. The command to stop - but there was nothing happening now, no follow-through. Revui didn't intend to do harm, he was merely defending himself.

Revui -- you returned. Charon's voice was almost boastful, and had Revui been more aware of emotions or how to read them, he'd probably have noticed the pride there. What is going on here?

A good question.

Revui doesn't have an answer; he merely grunts and withdraws, finally turning his glassy gaze away from his brother so that he can look at their father. He feels the adrenaline begin to ebb away and so he begins to relax a little, take on a less defensive posture and smooth out a little — but he blurts, Surprised me, as an explanation, as if that could make up for his piss-poor reunion.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Arcturus - March 16, 2019

charon's arrival elicited a change in arcturus. stonily, the boy sucked in his breath, regathered his composure, and looked coldly away. he was not going to give revui the satisfaction of his attention any longer. if charon hadn't been there, arcturus probably would have slunk off, his feelings wounded.

he might have answered charon's question, but revui beat him to speaking. glum and hurt, arcturus moodily inspected the ground and said nothing, though his limbs strained and he wished for charon's dismissal. suddenly, he didn't want to be here anymore; it felt claustrophobic, and he couldn't explain the hurt that seethed through him - he should be happy, he should be overjoyed -- but instead, all arcturus felt was a cold malice seeping in, and it scared him beyond reason.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Charon - March 17, 2019

The tension of the situation dissipated quickly, whether it was because of Charon's appearance or not, which took away the father's own tension too. Revui quickly explained that he was surprised, though it didn't explain what had happened -- how he had come back so suddenly, where he had been. The boy had never been much of a speaker. Before him no longer stood a boy, however, but a strong warrior.

A call to let us know of your return would have prevented such a thing, said Charon, glancing between his sons. There was something gloomy about Arcturus, something Charon didn't understand since he'd helped looked for Revui and wanted him to get back. But I'm glad to see you returned. What happened -- where did you go? Why didn't you let us know you were going? A lot of questions, perhaps, but he had to know.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Revui (Ghost) - March 18, 2019

His brother was wounded - perhaps not physically, but there came a shift to his demeanor, a darkening, and soon enough Arcturus was averting his eyes and making way for Charon's questions; mute was not the proper term for the silence that lingered around him yet Revui could think of nothing else until their father's voice - and many questions - became the focus of the conversation. He should have apologized (even if it made him feel diminished, weak, as if he'd done wrong when he had merely reacted to a potential threat). The young man focused on the many questions and decided to let his brother fade in to the shadows.

I was angry, he finally admitted with his usual drawl, and did not deserve the mountain. I needed... here Revui pauses for a breath, long and slow and filled with weight, because he still didn't know exactly what he'd gone searching for; he certainly had not found what he'd been after. I wanted to be stronger. And yet here he was, still angry and still in need of tutelage, hardly better than when he had left. His body boasted new scars while the rest of him remained closer to the feral child he'd always been. I came back, he concluded with some pride leeching in to the deepness of his voice.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Arcturus - March 20, 2019

with little else to say, arcturus gladly fell to silence as his father launched a barrage of questions revui’s way. the boy could feel his wounded emotions sleeping through him like a dark venom — it was good then he did not speak.

by now it was customary for arcturus to be quiet as charon did all the talking. with all the time they had spent together searching for revui, no doubt charon was accustomed to arcturus’ presence rather than his words. revui was spared no further glances, though arcturus did listen in sullen silence as his brother explained his reason for abandoning them.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Charon - April 03, 2019

There was still a spark of anger in Charon that his son had left them without saying a word. He sensed that Arcturus was the same, the way he sullenly listened to the conversation. Yet over time Charon had learned just to be happy that they returned, rather than being upset that they had left in the first place, like he would've been had he been younger. Should Julia and Yami appear at his doorstep, he would do his utmost best not to be angry but simply welcome them back with open arms, too. The same went for others that he had lost. Time had taught him that bitterness only chased those you loved further away, even if it was justified.

So he did not show his anger, instead simply saying, his tone of voice calm: Warn us next time. It cost us a lot of resources searching for you. Resources he knew they would spend, because he had seen them search for Yami, too. This time the searches had been even more extensive, searching for both children. One of them in vain, it turned out. Then, with a warm smile, the father said: Welcome home, son. And he approached Revui, intending to bump his nose against his son's shoulder in loving gesture.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Revui (Ghost) - April 03, 2019

Despite how the confrontation and conversation started, Revui would leave the pair of them feeling better about his choice. He could not tell that his father was actually fuming beneath the surface. He took the commands to heart, and would make sure to speak up the next time he felt the need to find his own space; but whether or not he would follow through with that concept was still up in the air regardless of how he thought about it now.

Charon welcomed him, showing affection which Revui was not accustomed to, but it made him feel righteous. He glanced at his swarthy brother who remained mute, and regardless of their rocky reintroduction, stepped closer to offer a similar gesture to him. A bump of shoulders, the equivalent of a handshake to make peace — although he didn't think about his dear brother's feelings or if he might willingly accept it.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Arcturus - April 10, 2019

in some small way, arcturus was disappointed revui appeared let off so lightly. he could tell his father had bitten his rage back -- but arcturus was not so steeled in his emotions, and they were laid plain across his face.

he loved his brother more than anything, but he had left them without a word. it would take arcturus some time to overcome that slight, just as it had taken revui some time to let go of arcturus' cruel outburst. begrudging but not at all hostile, the boy offered his shoulder in a silent bump. he said nothing, instead turning back to his den to sort what seemed to be some very conflicting emotions.

RE: cause i was born with a smile, and a heart of stone - Charon - April 17, 2019

The pair of them made up in silence, as was their thing. Both had never been too vocal. Charon supposed they'd inherited that mostly off Amekaze. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but Charon himself often found it frustrating; where he and Ame had a great nonverbal communication, it wasn't always as easy to communicate on that level with his sons.

Content now that things were good again, and having bitten back whatever frustration he might've felt at this, Charon said: Let's go find your mother and siblings. Surely the rest of the family would be overjoyed to find Revui back home again, too.

fade? :)