Hushed Willows And trees and hills they long have known.

I'm honestly not sure what to tag this because if Brilliance wasn't PPC I'd assume it'd be a private thread, but this kind of has to happen because he's keeping his word and better this than like.. tangentially referenced in an outside-the-territory thread??  Mal isn't really a hostile trespasser, but he certainly isn't looking to deal with anyone other than his sister and would be avoiding populated areas to get where he knows Brillo is likely to be, have a conversation, and then head out again.

As such, I am totally ok with it being treated as a "read only" thread since he's not sticking around.  *shrug*  The paragraph on the end is theoretically the main "this is what happens if R/O" part, but if you really wanna make it a real thread instead of R/O, I'd prefer he be intercepted on his way out because that's probably way less complicated. XD

The weather seemed appropriate.  Here he was, coming back to a cursed land, and the temperature had dropped and the snow had started.  It was like the world was outright saying that he should turn around and leave, that this cold hell was not for him.  Go away before it consumes you, boy.  But he had to go see Brillo, had to keep his world because it seemed like nobody else ever did, so even though he'd been gone, at least he could prove that he would be back for her.  He really doubted anyone had shifted their attitude, so who knew, maybe she'd want to come with him to escape them all as well.

In a month, he'd certainly changed -- he was more confident in his abilities (as awful as they were) and was certainly more streamlined even if he was still gawky and awkward looking.  At some point that would even out, but probably not until he had reasonably reliable meals again.  His opinions towards most of those in Elysium, though, hadn't.  A howl for her would draw too much attention from people he didn't want to deal with.  There was a grand total of one wolf here he wanted to talk to, so why would he sit around at a place where she wouldn't find him?  Nah, he knew exactly where @Brilliance would be, and so he would find her.  He strode across the borders without a pause or consideration -- nobody was anywhere in sight to bug him about it anyway, and why would they?  He lived here, and they probably hadn't even noticed he was gone.  It wasn't like they paid him any attention before, so this was probably no different.  Honestly he hadn't come to realize borders were anything more than "there are probably wolves here" thanks to them, so that was pretty much their own fault for teaching him that.

At the very least, barring any ill-advised attempts to intercept this was his plan if things go read-only: he would sit down and tell her all about the crazy people out there.  Lots of people trying to kill each other -- also he recommends not going to the coast, those peeps be cray.  There's also a lot of nothing out there, so he'd probably have to keep searching, but that was okay.  He'd come back each month to bug her and tell her how things were going -- the only reason he could think of that might prevent him from doing so is if he just joined a pack and they didn't want him to leave or something.  He'd totally find them somewhere better to live, though -- or at the very least he hoped to be able to better figure out that whole hunting thing so he could just support them both and they could ditch this place entirely.  That was his plan, at least.  She didn't seem especially keen on the idea either way, but Mal was steadfast in his belief that it was the right thing.  And if the pair were left to their own devices, he'd hang out for at least a reasonable chunk of the day, ending up finding something in a cache for them to share before heading back out into the wilds again.  Staying the night seemed wrong -- dangerous even, like they might try to hypnotize him into staying or something.  It was better he keep going so they couldn't.

can't resist -- but this can stay a one-off post if mal doesn't notice him <3

brilliance is grown enough that ariel does not keep careful watch over her -- though truthfully, he never has -- but being that she is his only remaining child, he does pay attention to her coming and going. add in the fact that she's easy to spot in snowfall, thanks to her inherited coat pattern, and it's not surprising that ariel discovers her in conversation with his estranged son. he stops short, still enough of a distance away that hopefully neither have noticed him, and draws himself against the willows for cover. how long they'd already been talking he can't tell.

mali is bigger than last ariel saw him (of course he is, he chides himself, children grow). he looks... he looks okay. he doesn't look starved or beaten. ariel yearns to reach out, but what could he possibly say? he's taken the blame for everything onto himself already, and does not expect his son to consider himself as such any more. apologizing, at this point, he thinks, would be more of a selfish way to reassure himself than to actually mend any damage with mali. or maybe that's just what he tells himself because he is afraid to reach out and be rejected, though he deserves it, wholly. 

it is, at least, good that they have each other. how much longer, he wonders, will brilliance be content to stay with him here, too? 

like a shadow ariel remains at their steps as long as he can. assuming mali does not notice (or, maybe more likely, ignores) him, he does not intrude on the siblings' afternoon; later, he will retire to his marriage bed and feel the swell of olive's belly against his and try to hold tightly to her words of trying again.

There was a brief moment where Mal maybe saw his father.  One turn of his head where he looked over, past, or maybe through a distantly familiar ghost of a silhouette.  But if he actually did, apparently he hadn't deigned to acknowledge that fact.  He flowed back into the conversation with Brillo without a blink.

There was some part of Mal that probably was thinking that if he didn't want to interact then fine, he could remain a ghost.  It wasn't like he was treated any differently.  It wasn't like he had anything nice to say, either.  So, probably for the best that he ignore the lurking shadow.  Mal had his own life to live now... Kinda.  Even if his sister wasn't ready to come join him yet.  He hoped she would soon.  That'd be better for them both.  They could start over or something without this nonsense hanging over their heads.  Hopefully.  There were long roads ahead, and he didn't want to travel all of them alone.