Grouse Thicket yet sometimes that light seems more real to me than anything

@Weejay <33

 it could not be denied that the young starchaser had felt the words of his brother far too deeply, and he had turned away from his home and escaped into the wilderness. before, his mother had taken him to the borders and had started to train him on the proper way to tend to his pack. she had explained that he was growing into the age in which it was necessary for him to learn. while he had not taken a large interest in this role within the pack, he had followed along and done as he was told. as often as she had done it, he had never been sure that he was permitted to step beyond the boundaries.
 
eyes still watering, deku found himself in a thicket with large trees. the sound of birdsong drifted over his head in a lighthearted and merry tune. it did very little to brighten his spirits. the starchaser could still not understand what it was that caused orochi to hate him so very much. the two-toned boy found a spot beneath a large tree and reclined back onto his haunches with an exhausted sigh and an expression of hurt on his young face. it was challenging to be out there on his own when he knew very little about the world around him.
 
trying to provide comfort for himself, deku hummed softly – a song his mother had sung to him – but his young voice cracked and broke against the weepiness that had settled in the back of his throat.

@Eljay would hate it, but Weejay was on the move again. How she managed to give her father (her most attentive and wonderful father who deserved a way better behaved child) the slip, was something this author will leave vague: the point being, she done snuck out and did a bad.

She wasn't being all bad though. Weejay had hoped she could find some more interesting flowers this way. The more she went from home, the more she realized that certain things grew in certain places: this might be a "well duh" moment for an adult, but as a child, this revelation was an incredible discovery.

For now, Weejay was inspecting some moss she had never seen before. It was thick and rugged green, but with tiny little almost-flowers poking out between the lush surface. After some ooohhing and aaahhing! Weejay nosed a bit into her mouth (noting it tasted like UTTER garbage), and started to trot cheerily for home.

She wasn't very far when she saw someone sitting, and looking quite sad while doing so. If it was an adult she would have sped right past (figuring that adult was out looking for her, or about to chide her), but this was someone her age which stirred some sense of curiosity in the girl. "Mffhey!" She called in a muffled tone, her tail wagging cheerily. Who was he, and more importantly, why did he look so gosh-danh sad?

the sound of a voice shook him – literally – and deku startled before he turned his head around to see the wagging tail and friendly face of another pup close to his own age. the young boy’s socialization with others had been limited to the young boy who had fought with his sibling, and orochi wasn’t very good at playing games that deku wanted to play. on top of this, the young boy was far too self-conscious to seek out valour after watching the golden child fight with the angry dragon brother. deku felt like he was required to be more loyal to his family than anyone else.
 
this girl, though…
 
starlight eyes sought her features before a soft smile curled his dark lips. it did not take much for the boy’s tail to start flagging behind him, pleased that he was no longer alone. clumsily, deku turned himself to face her and closed some of the space between them on tentative paws. when he neared the girl, he caught the scent of a foreign pack on her cloak. questions flurried through his mind like a snowstorm, but he was careful not to set them free.
 
“hi! hello! my name is megumi, but you can call me deku,” the starchaser introduced to her, excitement ringing in his tone.

Maybe approaching strangers in the forest was not @Eljay’s idea of a good time, but Weejay regretted nothing — especially as she saw the warm smile unfold across what had previously been a concerningly sorrowful countenance. 

Weejay’s gaze met Deku’s for a brief moment — and in that sharing glance, she saw amity easily communicated. Excited for the prospect of a new friend, Weejay tried to coolly (failing, of course) place her bundle down, and introduce herself in a restrained manner. What really happened was, she excitedly dropped her load, her tongue twisted as she rushed into a hurried response. Hi!I’mWeejay!Iwaslookingforflowers,doyoulikeflowerstoo??The easy grin that had found its home in the crook of her gums never left, despite how hurriedly she spoke.

deku was of the belief that everyone had something that was unique to them and their interests. he had the stars and the stories that his mind conjured up as he looked on them. orochi had fighting and his keen ability to never back down – even when the odds were stacked against him. as soon as the girl dropped her load onto the earth and spilled words a million miles a second, the boy realized that he had met another one. this wonderful girl called weejay had an eye for flowers. all of his worries and fears had vanished in that moment.
 
“i like flowers!” the young boy could hardly contain the happiness that had swept through his youthful frame. his tail flagged behind him so swiftly that it seemed to throw his entire balance off. deku did what he could with that troublesome frame of his. “they’re real pretty, but i dunno a lot about them. i know about stars,” deku then added to the statement that he had made before. truthfully, he knew almost nothing about stars. he had crafted stories for them in his own mind, and that was good enough.
 
“what is your favorite kind of flower, weejay?” the starchaser inquired, leaning toward her with the softest of smiles and a pair of wide eyes. he was ready to hear all about this girl.

Weejay realized, after she had spoken at a freight train's speed, that maybe she had been incomprehensible. Luckily for her, Megumi (or Deku, she corrected herself inwardly) was not taken aback. If anything, he seemed to unravel from that tight stance he had before -- the transition caused Weejay's ears to prick in interest.

Realizing he did not know much about flowers was not a detractor in Weejay's book, for he had just mentioned he liked them -- already compiling a list in her head of all the most important flowers (there was goldenrod, and sunflowers, and indian-paintbrush and black-eyed susans and well, you get the picture), Weejay stopped at the mention of stars. Her eyes grew wide, for she liked stars too!! But she didn't know anything about them, either.

"Ooohh! Let's trade!" Weejay thought of the most brilliant idea then: she would give him a tidbit of knowledge, in exchange Deku would return the favor, and maybe tell her about all those far off and astonishing galaxies which she often found herself gazing into.. "I like all flowers, but there's this one flower, it's red and crinkly and my friend found it for me -- that's my favorite. What's your favorite star?"

the girl wanted to trade information with him. deku could not imagine how that could go wrong. if he offered her his stories about the stars, she could teach him about the flowers that she knew and then he could dip his toes into both of those worlds. for the most part, the young boy had his head in the clouds. he enjoyed his own peace and quiet. he felt at home in the silence of night with only the twinkling of heavenly lights to peer down at him. the boy wondered if weejay was similar in this way.
 
“okay! wow! you would really do that? teach me about flowers?” deku spoke eagerly, taking another step toward her with wide eyes and a flagging tail. there was nothing that could stop him from feeling the seeping excitement that was making its way through his young body. “i could tell you all the stories about stars! they’re my favorite and my brother doesn’t like to listen to me… so it would be nice to share with… someone,” the child added in a softer voice. his head lowered and he looked to weejay with a worrisome expression.
 
she asked him about his favorite star, and deku furrowed his brow thoughtfully. he had never really considered taking a favorite. most of them were so pretty that he didn’t imagine it was possible to single one out. “there’s one that’s so bright. that one’s called mino! and it’s named after a great wolf who helped guide lost wolves to safety. i could tell you about him?” deku prompted happily.

To Weejay no idea seemed better than sharing knowledge. Young as she was, she was still a budding scholar -- it just so happened her school occurred in the garden.

With her ears perked, Weejay nodded enthusiastically. Even though it was pointless to look at the sky right now, she couldn't help but crane her head skyward anyway. It was dusky, and the pine canopy obscurred far too much for her to see anything meaningful.

All the same she tried to imagine this Mino. Who were they? Did they love flowers too, or have brothers that didn't care for stories? Were they proud but sweet like Elfie (at least to her, anyway), formidable like grandma Finley? Did they want to wander, like Deku, or maybe stay close to home and guard all they loved like her father?

Weejay settled into the pinestraw expectantly, and practically put her head in her hands as she waited for further storytime. "Yes please!! I want to know all about Mino."

there was something that shifted inside of the young boy when his offering was not shot down but encouraged by the girl across from him. deku had never really been involved in the type of friendship where this was possible. all his youth had been spent fearfully dreading the day that orochi no longer found interest in him. it was almost a miracle to have stumbled upon someone who was interested in the stories that he had created and could provide a wealth of her own knowledge. she had a way to offer him a glimpse into a world that he’d never been a part of before. for deku, that was invaluable.
 
once he had been cleared for takeoff, the boy reclined back onto his haunches and donned the mien of a professional storyteller. you see, deku had been practicing his ability to spin a yarn during his time alone. he had told stories to the grass and the leaves. he had even shared a few with passing insects. any chance that he had, the starchaser took it. so, when he had the opportunity to share his tales with a participant who could actually enjoy them, he felt a warmth spread through his limbs.
 
“once upon a time there was a wolf who walked on very tall legs. this wolf was called mino,” the boy began in a voice that suggested his story was worth the buildup. “mino did not like to fight like his sister ori did. he was better at discovering! while ori defeated enemies in scary battles, mino had found out how to learn the land around him. mino could remember every detail about where he had been, from the first rock to the last bug that he saw,” deku went on to explain the strengths of the wanderer.
 
taking a deep breath, the starchaser leaned a few inches toward weejay. he found it pleasant that she smelled just like the flowers that he was sure she tended to. for a boy whose head was so firmly rooted in the heavens, it was almost remarkable to find someone who was as grounded as she was.
 
“one day, there was a terrible disaster that hurt the earth. everything that was once okay had been destroyed. many wolves were left without a home. in this time, mino became like a guiding light. he helped whoever he could cross the earth. he became a leader, showing lost wolves the way to safety before they were harmed.” it was here that the dual-colored child looked up to the grey and blue skies above them. the trees were far too thick there. deku almost wished that they were somewhere open and dark so that he could point out the star to her specifically. it would have helped if he could place the shimmering light from just memory.
 
“after mino died, his spirit carried on into the stars. if you’re ever lost in the dark, you can look up and see mino shining down for you to follow… and he will always lead you to safety,” the starchaser finished, suddenly bashful at having rambled off his made-up tale to this girl. the boy’s silver gaze darted from the earth to her features, waiting to see if she would say something.

Weejay had settled into the earth, her tail beating a soft rhythm among the pinestraw. Deku's story enraptured her -- it captured both her fancy and her need to feel as if it were relatable. Ori reminded her starkly of Elfie -- he was fierce, and always fighting against the norm.. and maybe she was a bit like Mino, wanting to explore and bring those lost souls home.. maybe Deku was like Mino too, in his own way? She wanted to ask questions, but kept her lid on politely up until Deku finished.

Then the barrage came, for Weejay had too many goddamn questions. "What happened to Ori? Why did Mino die? Did Ori cause the bad things that happened on earth?" She wanted to know more about this story, this legend -- but she could not help crane her head skyward, as if searching for those elusive siblings between a star-studded sky punctured by overhead forest canopy.