Stone Circle a hero

uhh, timelines r weird so i'm not even trying to figure out where this fits in, lol. lookin' for the fambam but anyone is welcome!

atausiq departs from @hua and his little seadragons early in the morning, knowing that with her wolves there to keep the fort down while he takes a few hours to visit his family and share the news. i won't be too long. he promises them and trudges across the sandbar as it rises from beneath the frothing sea. he isn't sure how welcome he'll be ...but even if they are not pleased to see him, he thinks they should know of his children. he wanted them to know their family in easthollow ...at least, that was his hope as he walks the familiar path to stone circle. it is a path he would know even in his sleep.

he was uncertain of it all at first. of his siren bride. of what his ascension at her side. of being a father when he is just out of cubhood himself. somehow, premature as it all is, it feels right. like he is where he is supposed to be. he looks at the seadragons and feels nothing but love for each and every one of them; crushing and worrying and warming like the glow of a young, newborn sun.

he stops a respectful distance from the borders, tips his head and lets out a howl:

it's newt. i have ...big news to share.

Valette instantly made a u-turn when she heard the familiar sound of her child at the border. She knew the song of each of her children. At least she liked to think so, perhaps if @Ezra or @Clary would be at the border she might not recognize them as it had been so long ago that they visited. She hoped that they were well. This sound, however, she knew as Newt had grown up here recently. The mother had longed for her cub to return and here he was! She was so excited. Still, she liked to keep in mind that Greyback had told her he found Newt, with a new home and unwilling to come home. He probably changed her mind, she thought hopefully.

Valette galloped to towards the sound and spotted her son soon enough. She let out a happy whine/bark when she was close. "Newt!! You came back," she hummed happily and slowed down in a trot. She instantly moved in and greeted him with licks and motherly nuzzles. Clearly very happy and excited to see him safe and sound. "Big news, huh? I am so excited you have decided to come back home," she offered, clearly letting him know that she wanted him back here in Easthollow and not some pack far away at the coast. Newt had always been her smart and sensible boy. Clearly he belonged here with her and his family.

Val just chose to ignore what GB told her and have hope he will come back home anyhow haha.

aww. T-T

it doesn't necessarily surprise atausiq that his mother is the very first to arrive on the scene. he is excited to see her and glad that she doesn't ( presently ) appear to hold any animosity towards him. he allows to her to come close and pepper him with nuzzles and licks, even if a spear of guilt lodges itself in his heart, throat; twisting as she misinterprets his howl announcement to mean he's returned. his ears flutter back, slick against the curve of his skull. uh, n-no, he croaks; clears his throat and tries again. that isn't my big news, mama.

now, more than ever, he's invested in the isle. in the family that he and hua had. he likes hua, too. a lot. he wouldn't claim that he was in love with her yet ...but it wasn't hard to imagine that he would fall for her easily enough. and she needs him. the seadragons need him. he feels important there ( new rank aside, heh ); responsible. still, guilt twists within him again as he considers that he, once again, is disappointing valette.

hua, my wife, he almost stutters over the word but catches himself. he is emperor now. if he cannot speak to his own mother without stuttering, without stifling the guilt that threatens to drown him how will he address the pack? she has given birth. three girls and one boy. atausiq feels something warm him from inside, like a sun threatening to burst from him born from his joy at saying it out loud. i'm a father.

Valette watched his expression and could instantly tell that he was not going to give her the news that she wanted to hear. She stepped back with a slight frown. It was clear that she wasn't really liking his no. Now she was curious as to what his big news was. Valette could see the guilt on his face but really couldn't bring herself to be the bigger person here. She really thought Newt wasn't going to leave like he had and now he had returned to only give her a late goodbye.

Valette's face twisted when he mentioned a wife, and not in a good way. But she didn't comment yet, as he continued with his big news. "What?," she let out, as she almost felt that she didn't hear it right. Wife, pups? This boy had recently turned one year. He was not even able to father cubs? She instantly grew suspicious. Valette clearly wasn't very thrilled with the news at all.  "You cannot be a father, you aren't even fertile. Newt you just turned one year!," she returned sharply. "I hope you know the kids you will be father to won't be your own."

She hoped that at least this woman had been honest to her son that the pups weren't his, they couldn't be. A few months ago she was pretty sure Newt still had to grow his balls. This was all very frustrating to the female. Nanook would have pups, even Newt who couldn't even father pups yet was going to be a parent. What about her? Valette could feel the jealousy go through her body. Her green eyes scanned over the boy, and she let out a snort, trying to let her tension go. She didn't approve of it. "I don't like it," she stated, not pleased. "But, you made this decision and I guess I will have to accept that. I hope this female was honest with you from the start and your relationship isn't build on a lie."

Valette had a hard time accepting it, conflicted by her own emotions and what she had wanted for him. She knew she couldn't decide that for her children, but Newt had been one of her brightest. Yet, clearly not so bright as she thought. "I hope it will make you happy, happier than when you were staying here," she let out, she did mean it but her voice was still a bit bitter about the news she just received.

xD Not so aww anymore haha

just a cameo!

The father had heard the call, familiar as if it was the beating of his heart.

He wanted to heed it, to answer it with his own—but resentment was a frigid witch, settled and unmelted in his lungs. Taking space and refusing to give room to warmth.

His own son;  his own flesh and blood—the byproduct of his union with Valette, had turned him away and ran off to pursue a life of his own without so much as a goodbye to his family. Greyback saw it as cowardice, as immoral, and grieving the loss of his son's treachery he refused to go down there by the border and talk. There was no need to, he had given his peace to his boy once before at the borders of Yuelong.

Now he stood, like a statue on the ridge overlooking the meadow, and like a stone himself, he stared down at the boy with a heavy cold gaze. One that spoke volumes to his disappointment. He hoped that Newt would see. To fell guilty for what he had done. Valette had already arrived, no doubt talking and begging his son to come home. He watched as her excitement faded to unease, and it wasn't long until he smelt her distress.

He snorted.

He did not raise his son to be like this.

greyback's presence in the distance is noted by the passing of imperial jade gaze as it lifts from valette as his mother's face falls. atausiq knew the news he had to share wasn't what she wanted to hear ...but he doesn't expect her explosion. his world erupts with valette's anger ...and embarrassment burns at his cheeks, hardens his eyes as she tells him things he already knows. his shoulders tense and then anger seethes and rises within him; at what he perceives to be the insinuation that just because they are not his blood, not his seed that he must forsake them.

it colors his vision an ugly color as he regards his mother anew.

i know that! he all but hisses back at her; feeling defensive ...of himself, of his cubs. it doesn't matter who fathered them. they are mine and i love them. and if she couldn't see that — if they couldn't be happy for him then maybe — maybe he didn't want them in their lives. a lift of his chin is given; standing firmly by his budding family. i wasn't asking you to like it. he snaps, thinking he is clarifying but his voice comes out petulant, childish. even to him.

he takes a deep breath, trying to reign back his anger. not liking it; especially when it is a loaded gun aimed right for his mother. they do make me happy and they need me. his lips twitch. i made a mistake coming here, he sees that now and withdraws a few steps. if you ever want to meet your grandchildren you know where to find me.

unless she stopped him, atausiq would take his leave and head back to his coastal home.

Valette didn't notice her mate in the background as she was focussed on her son and the news he brought. Only when she saw Newt look behind her she was curious. She spotted him easily, perhaps it was good that he kept his distance. She knew how he thought about Newt. She was somewhat relieved that her son was not living in an illusion. She did have a slight look of approval when he showed his commitment to these pups and that he was going to be there for them. Valette knew like no other that even non-biological pups could feel like your own.

Newt really at a lot to learn but perhaps because he would be a father he would learn and mature. Parenting wasn't always about fun and games, it was tough and sometimes decisions had to be made or a decision would affect everything. Just like Greyback had done at the time with Vespera. "I don't think you made a mistake coming here. I am proud of you that you are mature enough to come home and tell me your news. But if you walk away after even the tiniest disapproval and harsh words then you will do a lot of running in your life, Newt," she stated as he stepped back. Then again, Newt was probably not used to much if any disapproval from his parents, as he always had been attentive to what his parents taught him.

"I'd like you to stay. Like I said before I may not like it but I do respect that you will raise someone else their young as your own and are so committed to doing so," she stated. Valette kept her face stoic, more than she liked but she wanted him to know that she was serious about this. "Tell me about this new wife of yours and the pack your staying at," she spoke, wanting to know how his life was over there.

Leta arrived late to the party, and had missed... a lot. But she arrived in time to hear wife and a new pack. With the outcasts? she wondered. Leta remained watchful, not so sure of her own brothers feelings toward her except for the fact that he thought that she was, well, lame. The truth did not make her love him any less, though. It only brought a new self-awareness to how others might look at her. It hurt, sure, but at the end of the day they were family... whether he liked her, or not.

atausiq rarely got angry — didn't like how it made him feel when he did; hot and feeling like he was going to burst at the seams. when valette calls after him, he pauses; jaw clenching against her words, her chiding. sometimes walking away is the best thing to do when you don't want to argue. he explains, letting her know that while it was her words that ignited his anger and own disappointment — for he has a name now for that other feeling seething within him. arguing wasn't going to solve their very different and stubborn stances of opinions.

i expected you, out of everyone, to understand. he tells her, turning back around to face her but does not draw closer. why does my happiness have to be strictly tied to easthollow? it wasn't fair and it wasn't fair to try to strip him of what he's found. his gaze flickers then to leta as she appears on the scene and his gaze softens as he looks at his sister, remembering their last conversation, before it goes back to valette. it's called yuelong and my wife, hua she's the empress. he gets the biggest, most obvious facts out of the way first. she's nice and very doting. i don't think i love her yet but i know it will be easy to do so. maybe he was already starting to fall; just too preoccupied with the current going-ons to really sit and examine his feelings in any sort of detail.

Valette didn't feel arguing was bad, she just saw it that they were both very passionate about something and didn't agree on something. There would always be something to learn from the other. She just didn't agree with Newt's statement. He had walked away before and that had left more questions than he just straight up told her as he did now. Apparently he had had a different view of her since he had assumed she understand. However, she understood perfectly.

Newt had fled from their family after seeing something he didn't like, and it seemed Newt had found a new life, and a new family to have a restart with. This time as a father instead of the child. She was curious about how it would go, how he would do as a father. "I am not sure why you think your happiness has to be tied to Easthollow. I never said that," she commented in return. "I said that I wanted you to be happy and if that is at this yuelong pack then so be it," she stated. Though she wasn't very happy about it. "In fact I hope it makes you happy and that being a father will bring you the joy of life." That was her fear slightly, that Newt would have come to hate them. That was the worst thing that could happen as a mother.

Valette slowly nodded. She hoped that he would love this female and that it would bring him joy. Raising pups had brought her and Steady closer. What age had she been? That is right, a year. She remembered how desperate she was to go in heat and give Steady his own pups. Perhaps she was a bit of a hypocrite, but Newt didn't know that and she wasn't perfect either. "It sounds like a good life, Newt. So you will be a leader and a father then?," she asked.

I think dad said he was just a cameo so poke me King if I posted out of turn!

 

Leta felt for her brother, but also felt like he just thought that the world revolved around him. Did he not care at all for how their mom felt, too? Did he totally forget he left her without a word? But she was much too timid to say anything about it then. Atuasiq already thought she was lame; she worried he might never talk to her again if she did say a word... did she want to be the one to put the final nail in the coffin? 

But then, should she be ashamed? She did not think so. 

He ought to be. 

Yeah; he left, without a word, and acted like he was better than everyone, her included. Leta frowned, deeply, not knowing that while she looked a lot like their mother in the moment she was a perfect caricature of her father and his own feelings. Leta just openly revealed them, if he did not. You-- she started, flabbergasted a bit by this all. You just leave, and you... you come back, with a wife, and a kid, and you expect everyone to just take it, take this news, be totally okay with it at a seconds notice, she shook her head, continuing, that just isn't fair. No one wants to fight, or argue, Newt, you just don't even give us a second to understand. You do what you do, and you just, you just go with no regard for anyone else, she huffed, squinting at him. Defensively she stood beside her mother, and continued on, voice not angry but sad: What are you going to do when you're unhappy there? Leave those kids, too? Like you did us? Without a word?! Leta herself wanted to walk away, but she stood there because she did not want to be the same sort of wolf that he was. Who was worth staying for, for him? Leta truly wanted to know. He disagreed with his mother, he turned his back; he disagreed with his father, he fled them all. What would happen when he disagreed with his wife? His cubs? 

What the heck did family even mean to him?