Totoka River i believe pain breeds wolves and joys give rise to moons

it occurs to cyron that he should feel guilty. it was not his place to give nor deny permission to drink. this is neutral, unclaimed territory and just because he was making his way through it did not mean that he had any right to be territorial. he didn't. ...yet he was. and he did not feel guilt. he was drowning in the guilt he feels at not meeting the expectations of his parents and sister; thus leaving a vague numbness in the stead of guilt he should feel in the current moment. or ...maybe that's just an excuse. maybe blackfeather's influence is too strong within him — they basically raised him after all — and though he grew up in conditions that had left his body turning against itself when he ( miraculously ) managed his escape their darkness had seeped and taken root in him. he sees it now.

cyron looks away as she takes her drink, trying to fend off the panic that wells up in his chest and throat, threatening to choke him. he knows that he should apologize, that he should explain that she's free to do whatever she wants, that she does not need his permission and yet when scarred muzzle parts with intention to speak the words no sound comes out. he clamps his jaws shut with a soft click of his teeth as they collide with one another and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, not realizing that she is talking to him, at first. he refocuses just in time to catch what he's fairly certain is a name and then gratitude for allowing her to drink there. he waits for the guilt to hit him like a wall of bricks but it does not. instead, he feels a little nauseous about the fact that he doesn't feel guilty.

"i'm cyron." he offers her simply, choosing to ignore commenting upon her undeserved gratitude, though he silently accepts it nevertheless.

i'm so sorry about the wait on this!