Barrow Fields swiggity swooty

set after the conclusion of this, tags for reference (except Dragomir who is by his side) but feel free to hop in!

That. . .had not gone how he had expected.

Hubris was a hell of a drug. Verx had gone full Icarus in his position of power at Rusalka and had been taken down by the first challenger to face him, someone he barely knew. Furthermore, he was injured considerably, bleeding from several wounds, and there was a marked hitch in his step as he got the hell out of Dodge. He wasn't gonna be a subordinate, not in that place. Fuck that noise.

If you get sick of this place, too, grab @Erzulie and the kids and come find me, he said to @Rosalyn while passing her, perhaps overestimating their relationship. She probably was just as sick of him as she was of Rusalka. But he'd miss the russet woman, in body and in mind, and he did hope she took him up on the offer.

C'mon, let's go, Vercingetorix said gently but firmly to @Dragomir, nudging him away from whatever he had engaged himself in. He thought he saw Aure and Isi together nearby, and lifted his head, staring over at them. We're leaving. Let's get the hell out of here. He didn't altogether trust her to follow, nor with the care of his daughter, but there was little choice. Herding Drago away was going to be tough enough; obstinate Isi was another challenge altogether.

One large, one small dark shadow flitted from the Sound, heading for the open field. It was only when he caught sight of the bleeding forest up ahead that he began to slow his step, panting, beginning to really feel the pain Aningan had wrought upon him. His brow furrowed, he turned to Dragomir, a sheepish expression on his face.

Sorry about that, he offered weakly. It wasn't much, but what else was he supposed to say? Just as with Icarus, there was no fixing his brazen, spontaneous act.

since your names mess up the formatting tagging here @Aurëwenn and @Isilmë

After being unceremoniously hauled away from whatever he and Reyes had been doing, Dragomir followed Vercingetorix in irascible silence. His obedience was the result of the tempest whirling away behind his breastbone; these changes were happening far too quickly and far too frequently for his comfort. He wished they had just stayed in Diaspora, where they were safe and well taken care of. Now not only was Aurë bloodied once more, but Vercingetorix was, too. He was old enough now to know irresponsibility when he saw it. Dragomir didn't understand the why behind any of it and was finding it very hard not to scream.

He remained silent until they reached the forest and Vercingetorix looked down at him. That expression on his father's face was met with the screwing up of his son's mouth and a lash of his tail. He seemed older than his three-and-a-half months when he responded with a cold and honest, sorry's not good enough. Where was mother? Where was Isilmë? Dragomir thought they'd been right behind them, but... of course, their distracted dam had likely led Isi somewhere to show her something or other. Maybe she had gone off to get hurt some more, she seemed to like doing that. He was livid with his mother and how she left them behind for that, but he hoped she would bring his sister back sooner than later. Isilmë was the only wolf in his entire family who hadn't disappointed him.

You left us for that and then you just drag us away again? I thought you were tryin' to find us a home and you were gonna make it better, he pointed out, not bothering to hide the accusation in his deepening voice as he curled his lip and bared his teeth. Mother dragged us away from Diespor and left us with some weirdo and you found us and took us home so we could just leave again like we left Diespor and she could go get hurt again and you could go get hurt too? Bristling, Dragomir growled, Why? He couldn't handle much more instability in his life, particularly at the paws of those who should have been his role models. So far all he knew was what it meant to be dishonest and disloyal.

small post

She’d kept by their brood while the shitstorm’d gone down, gaze inscrutable and steeled, jaw set. When Verx returned and given them words of leave-taking, the silver had only nodded, curtly turned from him, and began to gather up Isilmë... if there was anything that could contain her.  (Nothing could.)  So, short to say, just as the father guarded their son from her, she too would eye from their daughter’s side — not that Isi would even want to be near at this point.

As of now, she was anything but a distracted dam; like she’d leave their children in this forsaken place — how could she have ever trusted him in all their living here? ...But if she could sway Isilmë with the prospect of ’being with daddy again’, then perhaps that’d be just enough to get her to at least follow.

The herbalist in her wanted to tend to her warrior’s wounds; the nurturer in her wanted to comfort and listen to her children; and yet, they all were exhausted in many ways, and the supposed mother was sure neither wanted her near.

So the end, Aure herself followed regardless, hung towards the rear; figure stiffened with silence, brow drawn, even as Dragomir began his tirade. There was nothing good that she could say to make up for what she’d done on her part, anyways — and she was tired of arguing.

But if they wanted her words, then so be it. Other than that... to hell with Rusalka.

she'd followed her father here, in the end, because the vast uncertainty of the unknown was more pressing than her hatred for her family, in that moment. had it been her mother come to collect her, perhaps, she would have refused to follow - that anger had been raw and fresh. and despite it all, her alienation and deep-seated hurt, she'd come to grudgingly grow fond of the great roaring sea and the vast strand in the time they'd been here. 

she had the unfortunate luck to be near her mother when Verx called to the both of them, and when he did, she stiffened. she lurched passed her mother, face already set in an angry grimace. tension radiated off her as decided to park herself besides her brother - while he too had once disappointed her, she'd decided his act forgivable - in time to hear the latter half of his tirade. "you're stupid and you're a liar," she spat, "I don't want to leave again! stop fighting and leaving and being stupid—be our parents!" she had a sparse set of examples to compare her own parents to, but she knew enough to know their instability was far from usual. she was tired of being angry all the time. and while her words were childish, so was she - and Isi was tired of her world being upended by her parents.

He was more than happy to answer Dragomir's queries, painful as they were. He was acutely aware of his own failings, now more than ever, and opened his mouth to answer for them. And then his daughter spoke, and he shut his jaws with a sharp click, his face changing completely.

Enough! Verx snapped, lifting his head high to stare down at his children and their mother. I understand that I've made mistakes, but I will not be spoken to in that way by my children -- do you understand me? Your mother and I haven't been the best for you, but what we've done has been to make your lives better. Things happened and yes, we owe you an apology, but you will respect us.

His eyes were gimlet as he stared at the two pups, lips tight. Is that clear? he thundered, and had to stifle a shiver as memories of his own fearsome father surfaced. For all Vercingetorix had been a wild child, his sire never stood for sass. Titan had made that abundantly clear, too.

Goddamn...he was old.

The wolves on the coast have done bad things, he explained, voice modulating down to a diplomatic rasp. To raise you there would be even more foolish than leaving now. We're going to find a place where we can live in peace. Nowhere will be perfect. . .but goddamn it, guys, I'm trying.

Even Dragomir was taken aback by the brazen way Isilmë spoke; his eyes narrowed on her in a silent plea for her to shut her dumb mouth, but it was too late. Vercingetorix boomed above them and Dragomir felt a spike of resentment for both his sister and his father. He hadn't done anything to deserve being yelled at, but Vercingetorix lumped him in, too. He supposed it made sense. After all, Vercingetorix had done absolutely nothing to deserve his children's respect and everything to lose it, so he sought to command it with fear instead.

If only he knew what a pathetic example of manhood his father was setting by demanding respect in such a fashion after doing everything possible to earn their distrust and anger. Alas, he lowered his head and ears and looked hotly away, giving Vercingetorix the respect he wanted, if only in body language.

Dragomir no longer wished to hear any explanations or excuses about why they had come all the way here just to leave. He shut his ears to his father's logic, his eyes stinging with upset and anger for having been lumped in with his disrespectful sister. He failed to see his own disrespect. After all, he hadn't openly called them stupid, even though like Isilmë, that was the impression he was beginning to form of both of them. I want to go back to Diespor, said Dragomir firmly, pinning his furious gaze on his mother. You should never've made us leave. That was home, not this forest and not the coast where the wolves did bad things but for some reason his parents thought it was a good place for their kids.

last post / skippable loves <3

When Isilmë stormed by her, the silver truly thought nothing of it; there were many things she didn’t deserve after doing the things she’d done; attention being one of them, trust being another from all three. But when their daughter opened her maw to caterwaul at the warrior, Aure was prudent in cutting a glare of Watch that tone, young lady! her way. ...And then Dragomir was there, breath like steam and words as hot as flame, hissing molten words in her face.

The temptation to snap for respect as Verx had was... vast; but after an effort, the herbalist only feathered her tail to hang like a crescent above narrow, boney hips, “We are forbidden to return to Diaspora, Dragomir,” a faint, almost croon of a rumble beneath her words; between her lungs and throat. It wasn’t her intention to make him flinch, or to demand respect; only to warn him of the line in which he toed.

“We will find our own place by ze sea, or lake, or mountain, if it please you,” her tone miraculously gentle as ever, but backed with a firmness not yet heard before, “but we are family. Remember what I told you — ze both of you,” fixing Isilmë with a cloudy blind eye, sparing her dark warrior a fleeting glance, before her thin shoulders wilted, and she began to eventually stride once more.

Home might be a precious place... but it was a family, too.

her father's tone is enough to shock her into silence. she's stiff, hackles raised and paired with gimlet stare. she infuriated but knows when to stop pressing. most of what her father says flies directly over her head, but even after he falls silent it take a long moment for the stiff arch of her shoulders to relax in the slightest. he's wrong, she knows, all they've done is make their lives worse. can't he see that? 

she tears her angry stare away and directs it to the ground by her feet, imagining the ground opening up there and swallowing him. the beginnings of a headache set in, fuelled the sheer intensity of her stubborn anger. when her mother begins to move again, however, she knows it will be only so long before she does the same - being alone is worse than all her anger.