Broken Boulder dream for me anything, but dream it in color

@Lanawyn
backdated to 3/26

 

The boy's good moods were becoming more frequent, even with Lennon's disappearance. Maybe because of it. It had hurt, but so had his lover's presence, in ways. Now the wound could close. Ali could heal. He was trying to, anyway. Restlessly he lingered near the Bracken Woods, resisting the familiar temptation to roam through them. As much as he loved the forest, he thought more lately about what was good for the pack. His pack. It was still strange to think of it that way.
They were his family, too, though-- and his rank only emphasized his responsibility to them. His responsibility to keep them safe. The boy's eyes turned towards the center of the territory, hesitation slowing his anxious pacing. Determination rose within him. Even if Lennon had shirked this duty, Alarian would not.

she had been lingering more towards the borders and her brother since lennon's disappearance and the unsettling pack meeting that had been conducted following his leave. she had been contemplative, quelling her wanderlust to pay attention to her brother instead of the world around her.
she sought him easily, coming to his side with a gentle chuff and a touch of her nose to his cheek. good morning, she offered hopefully, her fiery gaze turning up to meet the quiet hazel of her brother's. are you doing alright today? it had more to do with his mental state than how he felt about lennon, although either answer would suffice for now.

Alarian was immediately cheerful when he became aware of his sister's presence. He welcomed her touch, responding with a brief draw of his tongue over her ear.
Lanawyn. The boy murmured, warm and content under her gaze. At her question, he offered a tentative smile. I'm okay. I want to-- I think we should do some exploring! It had been so long since he had asked her that. Of course he had tried as a child-- she was his sister and he loved her, but something had always been off. Some inexplicable melancholy had gripped the girl, and Ali's younger counterpart had not cared to pry.
But he cared now. More than he could express over days or weeks; he expected to spend years showing her. He wanted to.

it was as if he was able to sense her internal wanderlust; a wry grin was forced from her and she laughed. she was glad that he was feeling up to doing more than sitting around and moping, which if she was in his position was all she would have wanted to do. sure, she began, is there anywhere we haven't checked out yet?
she would be more than willing to let him lead the way, and she doubted he would take issue with it.

He tilted his head in thought for a moment, tail wagging behind him in response to her enthusiasm. They hadn't really explored the western half of their northern border, had they? Ali turned his gaze back to Lana. We could go west along the border.
He gestured with his muzzle in the direction he meant. After a couple beats he started off, brushing his tail along her flank as he passed her. The boy let his lead dwindle after a couple yards; he fell into step beside her, comfortable with silence for now.

Anywhere with you, she muses out loud, meeting the ever-changing hazel of his eyes before he bounds off. She lopes behind him in a lazy and almost moping manner, her head low to the ground. Playfully, she issues a few nips at his hocks but lets them fall off as they continued. How is Korei?

Ali brushed alongside his sister now, letting their fur intermingle and nudging her cheek softly with his nose. Her question was met with a slight pause. She's-- I don't think she really understood he was gone at first, but now she does... she tries to hide it, but I can see it.
He was silent for a few beats, but it only took that long for the pair to stumble into something distracting. Though it wasn't a conscious thought, he was relieved; a patch of wildflowers spread out across the ground near the border. Immediately the boy moved to mark said border, but his eyes never left the section of flowers. They were beautiful, though still early. After a second, he took a couple steps forward and flopped himself down face-first into the flowers. He stayed in the position he fell in, doing his best potato impression and failing miserably because he couldn't stop the furious wagging of his tail.

she senses that he does not want to talk and she laments her lack of awareness. she knew he needed to, but it would have to be in his own time. soon they had reached the borders, swathed in pastel watercolour. she lay down in the flowers, rolling onto her back to gaze at the sky. the sun had broken through the clouds, revealing a robin's egg spring day. i like it here, she says, turning to her brother with a giggle at his silly posturing.

The boy scooted himself closer to his sister, turning onto his back as well to follow her gaze. A tentative smile had spread across his face at her words. He didn't say anything for a few beats, simply studying the sky, but then he turned to lean his face against her.
It's nice. He agreed, allowing another pause before he spoke again. We should tell the others about it. But it needs a name, I think-- it deserves one.
Ali's eyes settled on her half-expectantly, then; he may not have been close to his sister, but it had never been a secret that she was a creative soul. He thought of her as stained in pastel paint rainbows, wrapped in the dancing lilt of a tune; even if she had not inherited their mother's fine features (which she had), everything about Lanawyn was elegant-- crafted as if she herself were a piece of art. So of course he expected her to name the goddamn wildflower patch.

for just a while, she wanted to keep this spot between the two of them. rarely did lanawyn budget for secrets, but the quiet painting would not be the same with the others here. "paradise," she whispers, nuzzling into his fur as she gestures with a paw at the swatches of pastel that had broken through the snow slush. was there not a better word for the floral wonderland they had uncovered together? perhaps later she could be more creative, but for now it was all she had to offer.
but before we show everyone else, i'd like it if we could just... relax. get away. whatever, you know?

Paradise. I like it. Like a.. garden paradise. Paradise Garden. The last two words came decisively; they would call it that. Ali was silent a few beats, thinking about Lanawyn's next words. Normally he was inclined to share, but he found he liked her suggestion. It would be nice to have something to themselves-- just for a little while.
Yeah. I'd like that too. He murmured, shifting a bit to get more comfortable.
They stayed like that for awhile. It was a welcome escape; their own paradise, secret and secluded for the moment. Nothing so perfect could last, the boy knew, but he was glad to share the fleeting beauty with his sister.