Moonspear like a star that can't wait for night

i'm setting during the lunar eclipse for funs, but maybe @Charon if you'd like him any?

Jarilo has been around lately--a lot of different places by his standards, a little of here, then there, both physically and mentally. When he rounds his focus back around, he finds quickly he isn't sure what to do with it. He's grown keener than before, and fits his frame better than ever, and yet.. with nothing to actually show for it, is it true?

Feeling annoyingly introspective, he decided to seek out his mother; he tried to weigh against it, since he really never had anything good to report to her these days besides a big fat waste of time. He'd found no trace of his wayward brother, or his sister, and others have gone out instead to travel further.. so what's his cause? Unsure, and maybe a part of him is just seeking something familiar and comfortable. He just worries she may be a difficult find; she has been recently, or his timing is poor. Either way..

He set out to scope the places just edging their woods' northern reaches for a trail. It's bitterly cold out, and skies are open and vast, so he clings close to the cover of the trees where the wind can't bite him as badly.

There's no sign of his dam, but the yearling does notice the moon--wasn't it almost full earlier? His minty eyes narrow, and squint against the cold. It has shrunken away to almost nothing.. and he scrutinizes the eclipse a few moments longer before he ducks back to the sanctity of the foliage to resume his search.

It was hard getting any progress in on the whelping den really with this biting cold so Charon let it be for now. He was still awaiting Ame's season and it disturbed him that she was so wishy-washy about it. The truth was that she was not getting any younger and while Charon had absolutely no clue of her actual age he found himself worried about how lax she was about this season. He felt the strong urge to procreate, especially since catching whiffs of other females' heats here and there along the wilds on his travels looking for Revui and Yami. There was a stirring in him that felt unreciprocated and he hoped that she would come to her senses soon. Perhaps he worried unnecessarily but he was not getting any younger either and he yearned to further his legacy like he had in previous years and father yet another healthy litter.

While travelling through the woods gathering resources for the den Charon happened upon Jarilo, whose gaze was pointed upward. Charon had noticed that the moon was unusually large that night but that its light seemed to wane. Clouds, he had thought initially. As he followed Jarilo's gaze he saw the eclipse. The moon was darkened and Charon chuffed to let Jarilo knew of his approach. It seems there's a lunar eclipse tonight, he said casually while he wondered if Jarilo had - actively - seen one before.

Although he felt distracted by a thousand matters all at once, having found the moon to be just another one to add to the list, the sound of his father's chuff brought him right back to present reality. While not the parent of his he was actually looking for, he had a good feeling he could satisfy the weird void made of unknowns he was feeling the need to cover anyway, so took this as a good sign and waved his tail. Hey, he said back, posture dropped to deference of his alpha first, and a wolf leagues more experienced after, but with it came no tension; he was comfortable about it all, this was his dad after all.

Is that what's happening? I thought it looked weird.. that it was brighter earlier, he said, blinking. There had been other eclipses in his time of course, but he remembered best one happening during the daytime involving the sun and the daylight vanishing for a few moments. Maybe he had seen a nighttime one before, but maybe it didn't register as that striking as a memory--not compared to the daytime going dark. That kind of stuck. Does it cause anything..? he asked, wondering, since it was already dark and well, the moon was shrinking and the light decreasing, but it wasn't quite so profound as when an eclipse went on in the daylight--and this was the moon they were dealing with. Different rules, he figured. It's almost gone, he observed, not yet able to see the redness that would be overtaking the glow in mere moments.

Charon nodded to confirm the eclipse. He contemplated explaining what it entailed, but then, Jarilo already seemed pretty well versed in what was happening, it seemed. He wasn't too surprised. Jarilo was a smart kid, even though he was a little soft around the edges. As his son asked if it caused anything, Charon frowned a moment, unsure what he meant. Caused anything? Like.. illness? he wondered out loud. Not that I know of, no. It's just a thing that happens every now and then. Charon had no clue why it happened; what it meant interested him more most times. It's an omen, at times, of something big that is about to happen or is happening.

But what it meant now, the King of the mountain had no clue of. He glanced at the moon as the eclipse faded, expecting the moon to pop in its full glory any moment. Meanwhile, he wondered out loud: What do you think of Alya getting a mate? It was a weird question, perhaps, but Charon had noticed that it caught him off guard and maybe it shouldn't have. He was younger when he and Ame had gotten together. Jarilo's age, round and about.

Illness? Maybe he hadn't considered that but his ears cupped back in concentration. Well.. not exactly illness, but.. like I don't know, doing anything wit weather and tides and whatever.. anything else out there.. He wasn't going to discredit the possibilities where nature at large was concerned. But, it seemed there wasn't nothing major to worry about if it was just an event that happened now and then to relatively no consequence.

However omen did strike him as peculiar, although it was ambiguous enough to go either way he supposed. Hope it can be a good something, if it is, he spoke, eyes up still. He was fine without more bad coming around and didn't think that the moon would betray them here on Moonspear. There was no reason for bad to come their way, he felt.

As for his sister and her mate, he did glance to Charon with a scrunched look for a second before returning skyward. Frankly it had barely effected him in the grand scheme and he had been busy sticking his nose in other business that he had not taken the time to dwell on it. I guess not much, he admitted frankly. I don't know him.. he better be worth it, he sighed, sounding a little like his mom, only less cold about it. He didn't want Alya to live anything besides her best life though.

I'll miss her not being around mostly.. so I hope it's good for her, wherever she goes with him. Jarilo paused, frowning a bit. Will that be how it is--when they get mates, they just leave all of a sudden? Albeit not a sister, was he supposed to do it too? Or was it his place to make potential mates leave for him?? He wondered about distracted Vela, and if that was a precursor to an inevitable leave that may hit him closer than his older, more worldly sisters. It made him uncomfortable, protective too. He didn't want to have to depart entirely yet (neither did he have his eyes set on any mateships of his own, which.. should he?), or watch them all go.

Not that I know from my studies, said Charon. He'd looked into it but had seen no significant differences. Admittedly, eclipses did not happen as often so his study material was also very meagre. Either way right now, too, it didn't seem to change all that much that he could see.

Time would tell what kind of sign the eclipse could be. Ame coming into season would be a good one, he thought sullenly to himself. She was not getting any younger. Of course, he wouldn't bother his son with this thought and merely nodded in silence.

On the subject of the three legged boy that Alya had run off with, Charon had a drawer full of opinions. She said they'd only visit his mother in Easthollow and return, he said, but even as he said it Charon knew that it was unlikely they'd return to live here, on the mountain, Alya and her three legged boy. Even so, he would much rather have had a useless wolf around here that could contribute less if it meant keeping Alya close. It doesn't have to be this way. Any partner of my children would be welcome to live on this mountain, he said, and he looked at Jarilo. What about you? Have you ever thought of mateship or children of your own? He guessed the answer to be 'no'. Even though Charon would've liked a bit tougher, cooler son, Jarilo was still more the nerdy son living in his parents' basement than claiming a piece of this pack and world for his own.

Without anything notable to report caused by the eclipse, it would have fallen from his focus were it not for the deepening reddish-orange the moon was beginning to adopt the more of it that was revealing itself--after fading off to near-complete dark for a moment. He kept half a glance up towards it now and then, seeing it still progress slowly, but steadily enough to tell that it was changing.

But, he really didn't know what to think about Alya's guy and supposed in the long run, it didn't matter all that much what he though. Oh. Well then.. I still would guess that will take a while, he's only got three legs and it's winter.. He said, having not caring enough to realize the depths of it all, just that she had gone for now (so he missed her) and he doubted a three-legged wolf would do very well to live comfortably on the mountain. But maybe the assumption was unfair without knowing the guy at all... and it was good to know that he didn't have to leave. That earned a quiet sigh.

As for him, he knew right away he had little to mention on the subject. But.. no, not really any mateship, he said after that when his ears began to splay. He wasn't around many girls enough to really build relationships like that, or even ones that would inspire him to think about that greater tier. I guess I don't really know too many who aren't related to me to be good enough to want them to be that.. yet.. he murmured, feeling his description messy yet incomplete still, and very much a work in progress sort of thought. At best, he had a few opposite-sex acquaintances he had liked spending a few minutes with once or twice and that was really it, besides his sisters. But, pups? Maybe I would want that one day—but I don't know, they can be pretty bite-y, he scrunched, remembering all too well his shark of a brother's wrath that he was still recovering from; maybe when he was able to forget about that he could been more interested in taking on that much work himself.

Jarilo made a valid point about Nikai that further diminished Charon's opinion of the boy. If Jarilo already didn't have any good words for him, something had to be wrong with him. And, well, there was, physically. Charon did not understand why his strong and proud daughter would choose such a weak boy, and one that would not do well on a mountain. He simply could not grasp that, and he'd begun to realise that she would unlikely be coming back to live here any time soon. Not with Nikai, anyway. He could only hope she'd come to her senses, but there was little he could do about it.

Anyway, he was here with his son who he did still have some influence over, but seemed to have little interest in finding a mate so far. Jarilo wasn't really the tough and strong son Charon would've liked. He was obedient and that was good when he was a pup but now he wasn't really taking his place in the world, seemingly happy enough to live in his parents' shadows. Though he got out and about, he didn't really have aspirations, it seemed, to be anything bigger than a follower. Then again, followers were convenient enough and they weren't exactly full up at the moment on wolves that weren't Charon's own flesh and blood. Maybe it was just as well.

I ran into one of your friends the other day. Moorhen? Speaks poorly? She said hi. Charon studied Jarilo's face to see how he'd react. Jarilo hardly seemed ready for pups, but it seemed he could use some coaching in finding love if he ever intended for it. Charon had some advice on that, of course. I fell for your mother because she was strong, and we were both Alphas who chose to make our own destiny. But Jarilo was... well, not that. So my advice is to look for someone who is like you, and whose company makes you happy. 'Happy' was not really what Amekaze made him, admittedly. It was more... hm... proud? She was strong, like he, but serious, and not into games like some of his friends like Dhole and Pyx had been. But that was good, too. He admonished his statement: Maybe not just happy -- but proud. Someone that you think of, 'I can't believe my luck that she wanted to be with me'. But you have to take initiative if that's something you want. Nobody is going to come up to you and admit their love to you. It takes effort finding the one that fits you, and even then, you need to take the lead. Something that wasn't exactly Jarilo's forte, but maybe some of these words would stick by him.

Since he didn't know what to make of Alya's new mate, or really the concept of fostering his own kind of bond like that, he could've paled a little when his dad mentioned Moorhen suddenly too—on top of all that other stuff too. Oh? You saw her? Yeah.. I met her kind of by the sea, he mentioned back. Akhlut, protector, he remembered the curious title she wore back from her island, and the way her muzzle felt working through the ruff of his neck. Okay, wait.

Centering himself before he could wander off mentally, he had to listen, for his dad had a lot of words to share and these were valuable ones, he sensed. At least ones he intended to put the value behind. His parents were too important to him, he looked up to them as leaders, and wolves who understood more, who nature had seen fit to divine together and to last well enough for him and his siblings after all; he'd do what they said, and take their words to heart and so far, this was a topic he couldn't, or wouldn't yet, breach with his mother—not for fear of how winding, and vague any explanation was going to be when his own understanding was still so poorly formed.

He couldn't say if he had the aspirations in him today and now to be the alpha of a claim, like his parents, and like what had brought them together, so he seemed less keen to apply that notion to himself. Doing so seemed to imply leaving here, to him, and nothing had made him want to do that so far although he was young still and knew this. Times could change, he understood.. However: look for someone who is like you, and whose company makes you happy.

He answered first with a small nod, then wondered on—how he was meant to know when to take that lead and feel that for sure in his heart. He definitely thought it sounded good, because who didn't want company they enjoyed? He wasn't excluded.. but to feel proud, too? It all sounded good, great actually..

Yet how was he meant to find this feeling out in the great wide wilds, too? It sounds like a lot of just.. feeling it, and knowing. How.. he made a thoughtful face, trying to organize his thoughts well enough to speak on.  Because I can hang out with someone and think hm yeah that was good, I could do that again but that's not.. all. I guess it needs more time to feel like it is something for sure, right? If I'd want to see them a lot more.. or go out of my way to spend time, and not just because we're both doing the same stuff anyway.. His words came a little faster, he squirmed a bit with nervousness starting in deep, deep down as he pictured this feeling towards someone, somewhere, but he had to find out for himself the answers to all of his questions.

Charon had shined a different type of light on his next thought, one he had kept loosely avoiding but highly aware of it all the same: Guess I just need to get out more and see, came with an awkward little laugh since he knew this and felt kind of shitty for admitting it to his dad. When most of his time was either with family or own his own accord, how was he supposed to forge real bonds beyond that? He now was only recently realizing that his sisters were easier to lose immediate touch with than a younger, more naive boy had thought, and who knows what was going to become of his younger ones. As hateful as he found the mere mention, they might not be here forever, so he couldn't spend all his time shadowing them, or his parents, exclusively..

The subject of Moorhen was quickly shifted aside as they went on to more important things. Jarilo seemed lost in thought as Charon spoke, trying to give everything a place of its own in his brain it seemed. Charon hoped that he would take the words to heart, especially the ones about him having to take initiative. That wasn't Jarilo's forte, or Charon estimated that it was not based on how he was around the territory. He didn't seem the kind of guy to reach out to a girl just like that. Maybe the advice to do so anyway helped a bit.

It was true that love was mostly about feeling things. Charon had rationally picked Amekaze, though, based on how she was a strong Alpha and also because they were Alphas together. She'd chosen that, she'd accepted that, so why would she not accept him? The pride tacked in there, again. Rationally, Amekaze was the best fit for him: She had strength and power and she was the sort of wolf that would make all the heads turn. Truly someone to rack other guys' envy when bringing her into a room. Emotionally, he was missing some things, but in the end it was more important to Charon that he had someone that he could be proud of and that would help him further their legacy by producing and raising strong children, rather than someone that truly made him happy. This made him happy, in its own way. It was complicated.

It's not just about feeling, and if you're not sure if you like someone in that way, think about how you would feel introducing her to your friends. Would they be impressed? The most important things in a girl are that she makes you proud to be with her, and that she will help you achieve greatness and build a family you can be proud of. 'Greatness' did not seem something Jarilo aspired for that much, but to Charon it was pretty damn important and since he wasn't the most empathic cookie in the box the father therefore could only really give advice in that direction. It's a good idea to get out and find out. Feelings are important, but it's also not a bad thing to look at things rationally. Charon was the kind of guy who didn't see any problem making pro's and con's lists about potential partners. It was almost as if it was a business proposition to him. Yeah, he loved Amekaze and valued her greatly, but not in the same way that he valued someone like Potema, for example. And the business side of life got the upper hand for Charon each time. Amekaze was the perfect match for him in almost every way, and she ticked almost all the boxes. All the important boxes, anyway.

So it wasn't all feeling.. but that and much more that Charon detailed well into the realm of greatness, even. He tried to keep this with him, no matter how overwhelming it did seem to conceptualize it out of nothingness. Jarilo scarcely knew what he wanted out of life's long run--so much that he had yet to figure out quite the companionship he needed around, besides what was just here thanks to other convenient reasons, so there were just a lot of places to start and maybe this talk could motivate him into figuring it out.

He wanted to think he understood at all. He did want to be proud and do his family proud at the same time too but starting from next to nothing, it seemed like a daunting, tall order right this very instant. Had his sisters ever wondered the same? Speaking of those siblings of his, he was mildly horrified at the thought of them all meeting some prospective mate of his, how nerve-wracking that could be.. and whether or not the faceless she in question could hold her own among them would surely be something he would wonder eventually... just like he had caught himself doing over Alya's three-legged speckled dude. But all of that was getting a little ahead, even if it was helping him make sense of this.

The yearling nodded anyway, despite the heavy look of concentration and how badly he wanted to mentally balk at all of this--especially when he had to bring rationality into the matter too, which he knew he should expect such a mention of logic from parents like his. Makes sense, I think. I'll remember.. he said, softer, and forcing it to stick with him somehow, hopefully. He supposed he could start at what did seem doable, as his father had put it: to get out and find out. Step one, he told himself. Do you think Mama and Alya thought about those things like that, too? he asked, head swimming. When did you know it was.. that for you? his brows scrunched, kind of vague about what that was. Mateship? Just courtship.. to the point of more than friends? Any of it??

Jarilo seemed to process things for a bit, which made sense. Charon was glad that he was giving it some good thought. Though he considered his daughters headstrong enough to find men who would not rob their names or identities as princesses of the mountains from them, Jarilo was a different thing altogether. And he was a man, which made it easier somehow to not have his name taken and replaced, but instead for him to share his name with a mate -- and pups.

It seemed Jarilo had another question. A tricky one, honestly. How did anyone ever know that something was love? His and Amekaze's had started as a practical partnership and honestly, it had only turned to love because they were both Alphas and Charon felt that it was right to become mates, too, reproduce so they may fill the world with strong children and leave a legacy. He hadn't loved her at first; even the first time they had mated had been rather loveless and he had proclaimed her his then, not told her he loved her. But such was also her way, he often felt, and over the years and through raising their children and facing many hardships, their relation had turned into love.

We were Alphas together first, he began. Then as spring and summer rolled around, it felt like the natural thing to do because we were Alphas of this mountain and knew we would make good, strong partners for each other, so we became mates. I simply knew when I looked at your mother that she would make me only stronger, as would I her, so it made sense. His love story was perhaps not the typical love story and perhaps that was also why he advised Jarilo so pragmatically.

He could consider this for hours, but it wouldn't change the fact that he still had growing up--and into himself--left to do before he could understand this better. If he was lucky, he could be able to put this prefacing of how it all could be to good use, but at this point, there was no telling. Quite frankly, Jarilo was new to this and now knowing better how his father felt about it.. he could better gauge his own self going forward. Ideally.. maybe.

But, although there was not exactly a drive to seek the relevancy of his parent's story, what with a dual claim somewhere.. he would keep that for later, too. Another maybe--and this one to him difficult to imagine, but not impossible one day faraway, right? He didn't like to leave enough to realize any options beyond what was here, comfortable beneath his parent's reign on this particular mountain. For him, for right now this very instant, this simple way of it was still his own it made sense.

Well.. all he could say to that was a nod, so he did, and wondered again about his sisters--if they would all do the same, like if that was Alya's inevitable fate with her tripawed guy? It all sounded like a deep, big deal to him. Anyway, he had a lot to stew on and hearing the circumstances that had led to him and all his siblings and everything here around that let him live so comfy had kind of quieted him down. He didn't know how he made it sound so simple, just because it made sense. So a brewing existentialism set carefully aside: Hm. It sounds like so much.. At the same time, not? Not really? He shook his head--he'd learn because he would have to. But... what else should I know..? he asked, trying to lighten up. I'll see what happens, he promised, this one with a small nod. Besides that, he suddenly didn't know what else to want to ask; this was enough to unpack for now.

It was a complete mystery to Charon how his story could feel like 'so much' to Jarilo. It was very simple, after all. Yeah, maybe Jarilo wasn't an Alpha or Beta or anything in that direction but he was the son of Alphas and it shouldn't be that hard for him to find someone, right? But then, looking at his son who was admittedly a bit of a wuss, maybe it was asking too much. Charon figured he may have to wait another year for Jarilo to bring home anyone -- or a find home with anyone -- really.

He decided he would see what happened which was pretty much in line with Charon's expectations at this point. Sounds like a plan, sport, he said and then offered: Join me on a quick hunt? He was eager for something fresh to eat and they could cache the rest for when they needed it for the pups in spring.

Really, that was that. It was simple enough but he still felt overwhelmed with a weird heaviness overtaking everything, he didn't have the energy to keep questioning it right now. Jarilo had a lot to digest about this and that was a lot more difficult than the idea of a hunt, though. He readily agreed, and kept all the concerns about his future for later. He could deal with them then. A hunt sounded far more promising to him immediately, anyway. Of course, he chuffed and trotted on after Charon to pursue.