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+--- Thread: Redhawk Caldera Stray away from the forces that make you (/showthread.php?tid=45639)
Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 08, 2020
Niamh had caught him nosing about the borders, indecisively debating whether or not he should even have come. She was unusually tactful in her approach, though, which led Bronco to believe that she'd potentially gotten word somehow- through Phox or Figment perhaps- that he and @Fennec had had a falling out of sorts. He didn't imagine there was much chance fennec would've told her anything- so he guessed that Phox had probably spilled the beans. He'd suspected as much would happen, and that would serve him right for telling Phox anything, if it meant it would get back to Niamh somehow.
But she hadn't questioned him- simply beckoned for him to follow, as she sensed somewhat that he'd come to see Fennec. He didn't get hit with the usual interrogation, though she didn't see fit to spare him small talk about things he already knew. That Meerkat had found her birth father, and that Towhee was hoping to find him again. He would have new siblings, but he'd assumed that this would likely be an annual occurrance and therefore, it wasn't a surprise. He listened to her drone on about this and that, though eventually she trailed off when she realized he clearly hadn't come to listen to her speak. Quietly, she led him the rest of the way toward where Eljay's den was.
"There. She's probably inside. Come by the lake later on, hmm? Your siblings would love to see you too, you know." There. There was always some way she could make him feel like shit, without fail. She left him with a nagging, guilty feeling, knowing he should have made more visits home to see Alyx, Quetzal and Primrose; once a month hadn't been enough. But he waited until she was out of sight before he approached the den, and he sniffed around the entrance- just enough to know that she was inside. He gazed into the dark- but couldn't make out any defining shapes; she might have been too far in. He moved forward until the shadows of the den's mouth darkened the bridge of his muzzle, before he pulled back. The shadow left by the mid day sun drew a soft line on the ground, but it was harder than he'd imagined it could ever be. Quietly, he lay down, edging forward so that his toes nearly reached the line of shadow created by the den's mouth, before he thrust his muzzle forward and called out with faint uncertainty.
"Fennec?"
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 08, 2020
pop this on the ol' log <3
It made little difference to Fennec where they'd put her, for now. The view didn't bother her, and though the air likely was a bit more stale, she took in too little of it to care or even notice. They could have dropped her in the lake and she'd have been right as rain. Dark humor, eh? She was close by Eljay just in case something happened, but they'd already found there was nothing he could really do. She just had to wait, and maybe if she didn't stop breathing first, it would get better. Toss up, which to hope for. Still jokes, but after a couple of weeks, it was becoming harder and harder to tell the difference.
She was zoned out when Niamh and Bronco approached the entrance, but she tuned in slowly to her step-mother's voice. Probably her and dad, she thought dully. Your siblings would love to see you too, you know? Immediately, Fennec tensed. He wasn't supposed to come here. But there was only one wolf who Niamh would say that to. Meerkat came back all the fucking time.
Fennec continued to softly wheeze as her heartbeat picked up, lightly thudding in her chest as he called out. Yet her physical and emotional reactions were on completely different pages. Simultaneous to her heart jumping her mind shut down. She hadn't wanted him to come here, hadn't wanted him to see her like this, and certainly hadn't wanted him to do her yet another favor. She opened her mouth, but all that escaped was a stifled pant as she drooped. Fuck it. He could talk, if he wanted to. She didn't have the energy to even consider knowing how she wanted to start. So she stayed where she'd been, silent, blind eyes staring dully ahead while her head rested on her paws.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 08, 2020
He waited, hearing the soft reverb that the den added to his voice but in the darkness he could hear it- the sound of soft breaths which made the den into something of an animal itself with a heartbeat of its own. He stirred slightly, flicking his ears forward to see if there would be a response; he knew something had happened to her sides, from what Meerkat had told him, and he reflected back to the times when he'd bruised his ribs and when he'd been gored by a mule deer. Ribs were a sonofabitch to heal. But he'd been able to speak.
"I know you're in there," It wasn't a threat, but he also wasn't really willing to accept the silent treatment- not after her silence had left him wondering if she'd been kidnapped or murdered. She owed him nothing, but that didn't keep him from feeling entitled to some sort of a response. He waited, peering into the darkness, eyes adjusting to the point where he thought he could make out the faint, chalky beige of her fur. He snuck forward, edging his toes past the line of shadow first, with the trepidation of a knight trying to tiptoe past a dragon. He scooched forward, only to clumsily inch-worm himself a foot past the entrance of the den and all of a sudden, the darkness claimed his entire head and neck. He jerked back, narrowly missing the lip of the den's entrance in a near-mirror of what had happened at Fennec's second den. He hissed softly, and crept toward the den's entrance again. "C'n you come out?" He asked, frustration dekeing its way into his voice.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 09, 2020
I know you're in there.
Oh, here we go. Through the layers of despondence, Fennec felt a small flicker of anger stoke, and she grabbed it and fed it until her stare hardened. He had no right to anything from her, least of all the frustration she heard in his tone. The dim weird hollowness of the past few days was terrifyingly new, but anger was comfortingly familiar. She let it sink in and wrapped herself in it, holding it with all her might in the hope it might keep the other feeling at bay.
Her breath quickened again, straining the collapse and catching in the pressure in way that only made her all the more frustrated. She wanted to lambast him, to send him back to the Glen, but she couldn't. Not without stumbling and wheezing over her fucking words in a way that would invalidate all of them.
No.She responded, in as firm a tone as she could manage. The effort hurt. She curled in instinctually, features twisting slightly, then waited. Maybe he'd just leave.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 09, 2020
He wasn't sure how to take her answer. Perhaps he should have asked more clearly, or rephrased his question, because he wasn't sure by the frail but firm assertion in her tone if that meant that she couldn't come outside, or that she wouldn't. He thought he heard movement, but didn't see anything from where he was, so he attempted to sneak forward again, but found himself reeling against instincts which writhed inside of him the way a snake might in the clutches of a predator. He huffed and puffed slightly, frustrated, and teetering on the edge of having a small hissy fit. He wanted to see her, but he couldn't go in the den, and Fennec was either too wounded to move (evoking pity) or too stubborn (evoking frustration) so he had to take a few moments to allow himself to chill out a bit. It didn't work out very well for him.
"Well I can't go in there," He spouted in frustration, though his exhasperation was directed mostly at himself. Not that Fennec would necessarily know, though. He pouted, and slumped to the ground just outside the den's mouth. When he spoke again, it was with shame and resignation. "I can't go in there, Fen. I just. Can't-go-in-there." Why was it so damn hard to tell Fennec that he was afraid? Maybe because he thought she'd laugh at him. Maybe because he thought he'd lose some of her respect; but he found himself choking on a confession he couldn't quite articulate. "You still owe fucking backrub." He murmured dejectedly.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 09, 2020
He wasn't leaving. Instead, he was... whining? Or at least a close approximation.
She'd known a bit of what to expect, but she hadn't realized how bad it would be. She felt guilty as hell about it in a really nasty, really complicated way that she couldn't describe or explain. She knew it wasn't her fault, but that didn't mean it was easy to remember that it had been helping her that had done it. And it had been her who almost hadn't managed to save him in time.
Her ears pinned back as her stomach shifted uncomfortably, different from the nausea and lack of appetite she'd been feeling. It cooled the edge off of her anger some, but that just let the exhaustion back in. Why was he even here? They'd fucking replaced her after a week. Okay, so sure, she hadn't been testing them or some stupid shit like that. But she hadn't realized they'd do it that easily, and it still hurt her feelings in a way she hadn't felt since - honestly, ever. Another check for the Redhawks; they never would.
Her internal struggle between guilt, bitterness, and a weird growing sense of despair took a few moments. In the end it was impossible to say what won, but she bared her teeth silently, gritted.
Fine.She'd fucking do it. It didn't matter anyway.
She adjusted, then slowly began to raise herself to her paws. The other day she'd managed a step or two; today she didn't manage a single one. She'd had barely an appetite, barely slept, and as the knife plunged into her side, it twisted with the flex of muscle. She sank back down with a reedy whine that she quickly bit back into a violent hiss. The world wavered for a moment, and not for the first time since this happened, she couldn't hear anything but the rush in her ears.
She forgot he was there, for a moment. All she could do was press her forepaws and muzzle to the dirt and try to calm her breathing down before she completely lost it. Slowly, her choked gasps began to settle into the same stilted breath as before, the roar quieting down to a quiet, hazy buzz.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 10, 2020
He lifted his head when she answered, and heard her stir. The scrape of claw against dirt, the shuffle of limbs under bodyweight, chased by the irregularity of breath that signalled that something was amiss. He heard the harsh, soft sound of Fennec sliding back to the ground and the short, choked breaths that followed. He tilted his ears forward at the sound of his wounded friend, and panicked. What had he done? "Nonono," He murmured in a crackling voice, rising to his feet and for a moment he was ushered forward by his concern, and into the darkness only to skip backwards with a hopping motion, yanking his head back the way a horse will under a cruel bit. He shook his head wildly, flinging a few flecks of spittle through the air.
Indecisively, he approached the dark opening and then shuffled backwards with a high pitched whine. Several times he did this, and each time he got no closer. The den got smaller every time he approached it, an artery growing smaller and smaller, closing in on itself. He touched the sides of the entrance with his nose as though to test it for durability but came away with dust on his nosetip; a sure sign, he thought, the earth was dry and likely to crumble. But Fennec had not emerged- and it seemed now that she hadn't come out because she didn't want to. What he had just heard implied that she hadn't come out to see him because she was in worse shape than he thought.
He was too possessed by his fear to wonder if he should even be trying to see her. He'd doubted himself the whole way there, but despite how much he felt that Fennec begrudged him for caving in her first herb den, he couldn't simply walk away from her.
So he moved forward once more- this time avoiding the center of the den, and instead, he pressed himself against the side. One step after another, he passed the line of shadows and quivered as the darkness passed the curve of his hip, falling over his haunches and past a tail that was tucked tightly between his hind legs. He crept with his head, neck, shoulders and entire body pressing constantly against the side of the den as though to hold it in place, though he felt at any moment he might feel the rest of the den crowd him the way he was snaking along the wall. The whites of his eyes showed and he panted in short, panicked breaths, saliva dripping from the tip of his tongue that poked just past his tight lips. It began to foam at the corners of his mouth.
He didn't speak when he saw her, but he likely reeked of stress as he came to a halt, staring almost blindly at her prone, weakened form as he tried to separate reality from paranoia. He uttered a soft, trembling whine, as though to ask for help from someone who was no more capable of helping him than he was himself. Slowly, he mustered the courage to pry his muzzle away from the wall where it had been pressed, and reached out to touch the tip of her nose with his- before he jerked it back, and leaned heavily against the den's wall again, staring around with a wild, bewildered look, expecting the world to collapse in on him again at any moment-
But at least this time, he wouldn't be alone.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 10, 2020
She lost even herself for a moment there. She didn't hear any of his struggle, but she did dimly notice when he came in. She thought vaguely that it was strange. She'd been going to him, not the other way. That thought fled with the rest, though, as for a moment she just lay there with her cheek pressed to the cold ground. It helped to ground her, and while the pain remained, incessant and damnable as ever, she slowly tunneled back into reality.
The first thing she noticed was breathing, quicker and harsher than her own even. Bronco was in here and she could smell his fear and desperation so strongly she could almost feel it herself. At first she couldn't pinpoint where he was, but her ears twisted while her head remained down, and she quickly honed in.
Bron, get - outta here.She didn't ask for this. She didn't need him to come in here for her, scared half to death, when it was doing favors for her that put him here in the first place. Didn't he see that she was never going to be able to return it all? She didn't have anything to give but lies and tough love. She wasn't knocking herself, but she knew that neither of those would do. With Penn, maybe, but not with Bronco. Bronco was different; he wasn't like them.
You don hav - jus go. It's fine.It wasn't. Nothing about any of this was fine, and for once she didn't have the energy to make the lie convincing. But she still tried, an edge of pleading sliding in under the halting, awkward cadence of the words.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 10, 2020
He wasn't reassured by her voice, nor did he leap at the chance to be excused and back his way out of the den. He didn't want to leave her, and had he been in his right mind he might have stayed simply out of stubbornness- but truth be told, he didn't leave because he couldn't. He was frozen. The only thing that he found even somewhat comforting was the cool feeling of the den walls against his side, and against his cheekbone. He could see Fennec in his peripheral vision, but he stared into the darkness, eyes flitting about and searching for cracks or fissures, and felt himself tensing up every time he caught sight of a root or clawmark in the earthen walls. Perhaps he might have been comforted had he known that it was Elwood and Finley who had dug the den- but it might have also reminded him that they too were underground now.
Some time passed- he wasn't sure how long. It could have been seconds after Fennec had last spoken, or it could have been minutes- he had no frame of reference. But nothing happened, and every halting breath he took was punctuated by a short, faint whine, though he paused every now and again waiting to hear the rush of calamity, the sound of the world falling in upon him. But it didn't come.
So his breathing steadied, but he remained pressed to the wall and tense, falling somewhat complacent with his fate like a rabbit pinned by a fox. He was no less terrified of the situation than he had been before, but he was also incapable of either escalating his emotions or calming himself down enough to relax. So his breathing settled into a quick but quiet and rhythmic stress pant as he remained by Fennec's side, unable to offer her anything but his presence for now.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 10, 2020
Time stretched on between them, but not silence. She listened to his ragged breathing, waiting for it to move, to fade as he left. This time she was hoping he'd run, and of course, this was the one damn time he stayed. She didn't know he was frozen; all she knew was that she hadn't asked for this. While he slowly began to realize the space, she grew more and more agitated, until finally she couldn't do it any more.
She'd prove to him exactly how little he owed her.
What, you - think I need - you here? I left. I lied - t' Meer n' - said I didn' bu' - I did. So f - fuck favors.She drove through even though every word was a hot iron through her chest for a number of reasons. He'd hate her now. Her eyes closed as her face tightened with it, but she didn't stop. She was going to say this if it killed her.
I ran jus' - like he did n' - fuck.She broke off with a choked sob of air. She was too upset to control her tone and it was making it harder than it had been so far to speak with any amount of clarity or caution.
Jus' stop. Stop tryin so - fuckin hard - to do things. I can't...She cut off there, her teeth gritted. If she didn't pause she was going to start legitimately choking and she knew how quickly that could go bad.
To hell with it. If he wanted to stand there panicking like an asshole rather than leave and be normal for once in his god damn life, okay. She didn't know what about him made him convinced he had to be so ever-loving noble all the time but she'd had enough of it. She needed him to leave, to be the one to crack this time, because then she could call him the coward instead. If he hated her and ran out on her, then just like Penn, she could hate him back and could stop feeling so goddamn guilty every moment she thought about him. She'd never wanted to lunge at him more, to snap at him until he got the hint and took off.
Instead she couldn't do anything but slump, defeated, and hope that her words did the work for her. She only had so many in her, so they had to be enough.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 10, 2020
While he remained somewhat shell-shocked, pressed against the wall, he was able to turn his near ear toward her, listening as she struggled to speak with a raspy voice, punctuated with gasps of pain. There was an odd sound to her breath that seemed to steal a bit of her voice away. He didn't quite understand what she was trying to tell him at first, until he realized that she was confessing to him that she hadn't gotten lost- that she'd run away. He felt his heart twinge, but this wasn't a surprise. He and a few others had already spoken back and forth about the possibility that Fennec had chosen to run away, and when compared to the thought of her getting kidnapped or murdered, it was an easier alternative to take.
Still, he knew that it was his fault. She'd run because she wasn't able to handle the things he'd been doing for her, which he found ridiculous, but tried to understand. Did she think she owed him something, for every little act of kindness he'd shown her? And did she shirk these obligations she fashioned for herself with such determination so that she could keep herself estranged in order to avoid being hurt again? When she referenced Penn, his panting quieted and was replaced by a low growl. That fucker. He'd done this- Penn was likely the reason Fennec had decided to shove others away, because he'd done it to her. Now, she was doing the same thing to him, and he was attempting to break the cycle.
"I'm not Penn." He said, teeth chattering together slightly. "And neither are you."
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 10, 2020
They weren't enough. Either he didn't get it or he was somehow a much better wolf than she was, because she'd resolved next time she saw Penn, she'd drive him off herself. (Lucky for him, she was hardly capable of it now). Then again, she knew he was a better wolf than she was. He always had been.
There was a terrifying truth in the fact that when wolves disappeared for her, she didn't have the choice or the privelidge of following. A trail only worked so long as the pursuer kept up, and as soon as a wolf was out of earshot, they were essentially gone. It had been so easy for Penn to leave her in the dust that day and for her family to do the same, likely assuming she'd gone with him. She'd been left in the pouring rain with two trails gone cold and absolutely nothing left.
She never wanted to live her life afraid of losing anyone or anything, so instead, she made sure she never cared enough to worry about it in the first place. With her family it was easy, but Bronco made it damnably hard. And when she thought he'd died on her... something snapped. She hit the exit switch fast, ejecting herself as quick as she could from something she refused to explain or acknowledge.
She wasn't Penn, but she understood him now. And even with understanding, she still hated him for what he did. That's why she found it hard to believe that Bronco didn't hate her.
Either way, it didn't matter. She couldn't go back, so he was rid of her regardless. Fennec stayed listlessly where she was, lacking the energy to even turn towards him or make a comment to counter. She did idly note that despite the chatter, he seemed to be doing better in here. Too bad she'd already given the den away; if he did manage to overcome the fear, he'd have to fight Leta for it. If she'd have known, she might have waited. It was always meant to be his and Meerkat's.
Finally, after a couple of beats of quiet, she let out a pained breath.
Doesn' matter.She answered quietly, a dull defeat lacing the words. There wasn't even any bitterness to drip from them. She was exhausted.
Can't - go back.That familiar heartsick despair was clearer now, probably because one of the main inspirers of it was standing here listening while she said it. The words were a white flag, though things were hardly less awkward now.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 14, 2020
It took him a while to process what she'd said, and he didn't fully realize what she might have felt or intended in speaking those words. He realized that she might have meant she couldn't go back to the Glen because she'd lied to everyone, but also thought that perhaps she wouldn't go back, because she didn't want to be around him anymore. It was too difficult for him to process properly with his mind still in panic mode.
As such, there was little he could do in reply but chuff softly. He wanted to tell her she was being ridiculous, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to do so without having to explain further- and he wasn't exactly very keen on having to talk, or defend his opinions. So after a moment or two, once he'd managed to set aside enough conscious thought to process what she'd said, and to come up with something that would hopefully not invite too much debate, he shrugged. "I can keep a secret." He stated, albeit somewhat absently. He intended to say so much more with that statement- that he wouldn't speak a word of her elected abandonment to Osiris or any of the others, so that she could be allowed back into the pack without question, if they simply all still believed she'd gotten lost and injured. He was also willing to (more or less) forget about the fact that she'd confessed to him that she'd chosen to go. All he really wanted for her to know was that running away wasn't enough of a reason for him to hate her. She couldn't really create distance between them without taking a part of him with her wherever she went-
But that was all too much to try and say when he still felt as though he was being held captive by a thorny cage. It took everything he had to remain still and quiet, and while he'd calmed a bit, he still felt very frightened of moving away from where he was, plastered to the den's wall. He could withstand the closeness as much as he had to- so long as he could just stay still.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 15, 2020
She had the wherewithall to appreciate what he replied with, but the words definitely failed to cheer Fennec up at all. She wasn't even talking about Osiris, because she hadn't even gotten as far as considering it. She'd been halted before it by some weird new thought, one that she didn't like but that she couldn't shake, not since Leta had come with Hydra.
Even if there was room at the glen, the Caldera was small. Eljay and Maia were a thing now if Fennec had heard right, and Maia wasn't exactly leaping to live here. Which meant Eljay might very well (however unbelieveable it was) leave. Both Fennec's parents were looking to have kids (what a weird sentence that is to write) and she felt, for the first time, like she owed it to her family to stay. Not even in a bad way, however sick she might feel over what saying goodbye to the glen meant.
There were a lot of words there. Fennec was quiet for a moment while she figured out how best to put them together. She clenched her jaw against the emotion welling up and refused to let it show, though her voice cracked.
Glen's full. New healer - others.She didn't specify how she'd heard, and she wondered if Bronco knew that Leta had visited. Her ears tipped back, and she had to look away.
Said I'd stay. Need me.
It was good she'd looked away, because with all of the talking, the twist in her side was beginning to grow worse. She bit her lip as she waited for it to pass and the lines in her face and body went rigid with pain. Even her breath paused for a second as she held it. It was worth it to explain, but she hoped he didn't argue. She didn't have it in her to fight and, honestly, she didn't think she could handle it if he argued for her to come. That scared her too. She was selfish and she knew it; her resolve on this wavered dangerously already.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 18, 2020
Bronco hadn't paid the welfare of the Glen a lick of attention after Fennec had gone missing. He'd haunted the borders and the neutral territories nearby, but unless another packmate crossed his path as he patrolled or searched, he hadn't spent much time amongst the others. Even those who might have caught sight of him in the distance might've read his body language as putting out a blatant 'I'm busy' vibe, so he hadn't noticed terribly that the pack had a healthy roster of wolves, and that bringing in any more might present hunting difficulties. He also had no idea that there was a new healer in the Glen; somehow Fennec had heard, and he supposed it was likely Meerkat who'd told her.
"Dunno about this new healer. But they're probably not a witch." He said, as a complaint. It was a bit easier for him to converse and be distracted from his paranoia and anxiety now that he had a point to make. He didn't think that her argument that the Glen having another healer was a valid enough argument for her to stay away- and doubted very much that that was the real reason she'd chosen to stay with the Redhawks. "Redhawks have Eljay." He said. He saw Fennec flinch in pain, and he sighed. He shouldn't be picking at her; he'd coax her into an argument, and it would hurt her even more to speak. So he pulled himself carefully from the wall of the den and slid closer to her, gingerly laying slongside her, and setting his chin down on the floor so he could still remain somewhat grounded. He heaved another heavy sigh, and stared toward the light coming in softly from the den's entrance. There was likely very little he could do to convince her, but at least he could give her some comfort- if she'd accept it, for once.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 18, 2020
They probably weren't. And maybe, if Eljay didn't leave, she could come back. But as much as she wanted that, she knew this was an easy way out too, and she hated herself for thinking it. She loved the glen. She just didn't want to stay there if all she was going to get was, in her view, empty gestures and avoidance. All Fennec ever really wanted from Bronco - from anyone - was time. She wanted to be company that someone sought out because they wanted it, not her, and if she were to ask, it defeated the purpose. She wanted to be his go-to the way she'd been Penn's... and look how that turned out. It was a selfish and insecure wish for someone who proclaimed to be a 'witch', but she couldn't very well control it. If she could choose how to feel she'd still be in that canyon and none of this mess would be happening.
The space between them felt yawning, but she couldn't move to close it. Her self control on that account was waning when she heard him shuffle, then slide down and begin to move closer. She felt her throat catch with gratitude that he hadn't made her ask for it, because she knew she'd been only a second away from it. And she knew the way it would have sounded... how it would have come out. It would have been pathetic.
She tried to lean against him as best she could.
Eljay migh-she began after a beat, unable to help herself. But she'd capped on her quota, and she was forced to hold the second half of that statement in as a coughing spell began to claw it's way from her throat. Finally she couldn't contain it and the air expelled in a short series of choked convulsions that died off into panting. Her mouth tasted sharply metallic and god... her side...
Fennec turned and shoved her face into whatever of Bronco was available, trying to shift closer so that maybe his warm would stop her shaking. She wasn't so much afraid of dying, but she was absolutely terrified of having to live this way much longer.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 22, 2020
Bronco had been a bit out of touch with the events that had taken place at the Caldera with regards to Eljay and Maia, and had little present awareness of the fact that Wraen was forming a pack in the Fen nearby, if he had any knowledge of it at all. He'd been told that Maia had been attacked, and he'd also been told that Meerkat had found her biological father, and these were pretty big events- but very little had preoccupied his conscious mind aside from Fennec's disappearance. So he wasn't able to connect the dots when Fennec tried to tell him something about Eljay, but it did concern him when the attempt pained her.
He winced as she coughed, knowing how much it must have hurt her to do so. Wavering like a dry leaf on a branch, she pressed gently against him and he welcomed her, gently angling himself so that she could rest her head upon the soft fur of his neck, as he tucked his head beneath hers. He figured she might have a better time breathing if she used him as a pillow, and he was comfortable enough laying with the rest of his body curled against hers, to keep her warm.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - Fennec - December 23, 2020
She wanted so badly to finish that sentence at first, but there was no way, and she let it die. The taste of blood lingered on her tongue and, as the overwhelming initial sensation passed, she felt the constriction even worse than before. She probably couldn't have gotten the words out if she tried. Fortunately, Bronco angled himself, and as she felt him shift she followed suit to rest her head upon him. It opened her chest some and helped considerably.
She owed him the biggest backrub for this. He was still here, and he'd stayed despite her attempts to get him to leave. For the first time, she felt the lid of that box she'd shut crack open... just a tidge. A little hope that, despite everything, maybe they'd be okay. It wasn't a defined or conscious thought. It was more a shift in her thinking and a slight chip in the wall that she'd build up between them. It let a little warmth in where before there'd been only wary chill.
Despite the elevation, it wasn't long before darkness claimed her. She'd fought against it earlier, but now that Bronco was here against her instead of outside, she couldn't resist. It was harder now to deny it when it offered respite from everything she had to deal with awake. To Bronco it would likely seem as though she'd simply fallen asleep, her head still resting across his neck. Essentially it was the same thing... this time it wasn't the shifting fog, but complete and total unconsciousness. She wouldn't wake when he left; something that was becoming a pattern for her.
RE: Stray away from the forces that make you - RIP Bronco - December 30, 2020
Surprisingly enough, with Fennec's weight against him and her head draped across his neck, it was easier for him to settle his nerves and really relax. Sure, he was still paranoid that the den might cave in and claim them both- but it had been lessened from a fear to a thought, and while that still gave him some anxiety, he actually felt calm enough to heave a sigh, and close his eyes. He settled against her in her den, and eventually drifted off, lulled to sleep by the sound of her breathing.