Northstar Vale …when it's not your turn

open to anyone allowed in the den. tags for ref!

Anytime @Sylianos was separated from him, Saleem would begin to cry out. He was only happy so long as he was in physical contact with his twin. Even when he hungered, he would only grunt and whine. He fed from @Tamar. He sniffed lazily at @Arsenio. He became familiar with the other scents that drifted in and out of the dark den.

The boys were perfect. 

Their tiny forms were always close to each other, almost one. Arsenio watched them, tired and warmed by their presence. Each time Sylianos or Saleem sniffed at him with their eyes closed tight, he was smitten. 

The redstone man scooted closer, head low. His nose stretched to sniff at one of the boy’s heads. A smile found his features. The father hummed softly, a song from his own childhood.

A sensation of warm breath on his back. The steady vibration of what he would one day know as his father’s voice. It lulled the boy into a steady aback and forth with his head, still to big to hold up on his own. Instead, he swayed unsteadily from side to side, bumping into Sylianos with every other movement.

The boy’s head bobbed unsteadily. Arsenio couldn’t help but chuckle. Unable to see, unable to hear, and still the child found strength to bump with the vibrations of his father’s voice. Each head bobbing motion gave a soft bump to the other son. 

Arsenio drew his tongue over the child’s face. A kiss to the crown of his head. Even in their small shapes, he could see the touches of sharp russet that highlighted their points. Gold and red and beautiful, he thought. 

My good sweet boys, Arsenio crooned.

The steady vibration stopped, and Saleem’s head ceased bobbing. The swipe of a broad, warm tongue tickled his nose, and the boy cleared the tickle with a tiny sneeze. In doing so, he had lost touch with his twin, and the boy began to wail, unintentionally squirming away from Sylianos.

Saleem appeared surprised by the kiss. He squirmed, only a small space away from his brother before the wailing began. 

Arsenio’s ears drew to a point. He did not want for Tamar to wake to the sound of their son crying. With a gentle nudge of his snout, the redstone man pushed the child closer to Tamar’s belly, squishing him against Sylianos. 

Glacial eyes remained pointed on the boys, hoping this might end the wails of distress.

skippable from here on out!

As quickly as his cries had begun, Saleem fell into silence, once more touching his brother. The camaraderie he felt for his littermate was unbreakable, and Saleem began to feel sleep start to take hold of him. Only seconds passed before his brain powered down, exhausted by the interaction with his father and the brief absence of Sylianos. He would sleep, recharge, and be ready to feed in mere hours.

Antigone had left and the girl wanted to do nothing but wade in her own sorrow. She remained quiet as she tended to her chores through the past days. It was as if Saleem and Sylianos were her small beacons of hope for the passing weeks. The strain to her mother's body was not forgotten by Zulema amidst her grief. It prompted her to get on her feet, help in the ways she could.

Zulema took full advantage of Ethan's lesson, heading back to the den with a rabbit. The catch was not clean, blood streamed along her chin with no shortage of dripping making a trail behind her. The gnosis peeked in, letting her eyes adjust to the lighting before entering. She offered a nod to Arsenio as she placed the carcass by the denmouth to not overwhelm the space with the smell.

❝Morning,❞ She whispered, fondly looking to the twins.

Zulema stepped away to clean, eyes moving between her father and the boys nestled at their mothers side.

❝What color do you think their eyes will be?❞ She remained quiet, gaze now remaining on Saleem and Sylianos.

They were two halves of the same, he found. When Saleem was placed beside Sylianos, all crying had ended and the boy found himself at peace. If only all problems were solved with a touch of familiarity and warmth, the man thought.

A quiet voice sounded. Arsenio turned to his daughter with a smile. Her familiar features and soft greeting was enough to warm the man’s heart, to draw his attention away from Antigone and Reyson and the drama that surrounded them. It was only Zulema and she was there to see her brothers.

I am not sure. My father had blue eyes, like mine. My mother’s were dark brown. Like the earth, after rain, he described in whispers. I would like if these boys had Tamar’s eyes.

She hadn't known until the man spoke that her father's voice could dispel the sadness, even if it was slight. It was nice to hear of the others before her; imagining the colors of there eyes as he whispered.

❝I'm sure Mom's eyes would look nice.❞ She had always thought her mother to be one of the prettiest wolves she'd seen.

Everything felt intensely emotional to the girl, even small interactions. Zulema had never felt so overwhelmed than she did these past days, but for now, she still looked to the twins with a faint smile. Her eyes grew misty, but she refused to let it continue.