Altar of Twilight and our time is flyin'
parts of stars, parts of legends
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#1
All Welcome 
While compared to the rest of his family and pack, Jarilo was flying low beneath the radar of all the Moonspearian tension best he was able to, but the effects were not lost on him even then. The friction between his parents had spurred the real beginning of it, then Hydra's heat helped speed it right along, but he had gone avoidant mostly and tried to splice it with good old-fashioned obedience to help stay busy when he could--because it was when he did what he needed do that he learned more. Alongside that much, other pieces of information did find him, as did the telling scents of who was where, and who was not where they should be as he skimmed over their borderlands on patrol and watch, hour after hour. 

So although he tried to exist on the fringes of it all to preserve his own tail, he was not completely in the dark.

He knew enough to know he was worried, plain and simple, and feeling it in ways he never had before from his head to toes. Every unknown that he didn't understand came to him as a knot of stress in his gut. His teeth were sore from grinding them without realizing it when angst bore down on him too. Once again, in further looking for any outlet for these strange frustrations that he could not put into words beyond that he didn't like it--or the meltdowns all around him--he slogged along, confused. Oddly wounded, slighted, although nothing had happened to him.. and maybe that absence was what was wrong sometimes, as if an uncertainty about what was to come wasn't enough.

And although he had been dutiful in staying home, unlike so many, late in the afternoon today his paws took his down the mountain and beyond into the valley. He was gaining momentum by the time the fields spread open around, and for reasons he didn't know how to place other than a faint scent to the winds, his heading went south with a faraway look in his eyes.
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the bonecracker
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#2
Is it cool to date this before the Zafina thread?!
 

Her own heat had ended, and Hydra had little doubt in the outcome of she and her mates union except for the ones her inexperience lent her. When would she know? How would she know? As it stood, it was far too soon to tell. The tension sensed went largely ignored by Hydra; her father was still not home, and despite all of their families misgivings Hydra was content to know that all things would be dealt with, whatever the result of it. She would not let these things effect the future of her own progeny, and so was settled with the idea of letting sleeping dogs lie until they woke. 

One fine day, she stalked Jarilo; she sensed his own unease, and felt for him. Thinking they were long overdue for their own quality time, Hydra followed after him, stalking mutely to see if she could uncover where it was he desired to go. Too impatient to follow him to the end of it, Hydra navigated her way beside him with a low whuff to announce her presence, tail swaying amicably behind her. Her sojourn away would be very brief, but she worried for her brothers—each of them.
I'll find that you'll find that I'm lethal
parts of stars, parts of legends
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#3
yess!
For a good, long while, he did not know he had company. His mistake despite knowing better, but in his distant headspace, one that was trying to occupy several places at once and not understanding half of them, he felt fogged out in his own consciousness--this, too, was just another side effect, he presumed, of the events and stress of lately. Although never aimed at him, not yet, he was still catching some of the fallout, and he was just in tune enough to know it was bothering him.

But, he swallowed thickly and moved onward, paw after paw, even when the creeping suspicion started to come lurking on him that he was being followed. Not more than a prickly feeling under his skin at first.. but, one that was definitely not to be ignored--not when it was Hydra who appeared after the fact.

As he turned his head to see her, and the sway her tail gave, he keyed in quickly enough. He had missed her, oddly. She had been around, so he had of course, yet everything happening kept a distance between them lately--however he could say the same for much of his family, sadly. Since Charon had planted doubts in his head that he wasn't as put together as he should be, everything had been a strange blur where he was still trying to see better. Although his ears angled back in deference, he shelved as much of his wary unease as he could, and instead would be glad for her distraction. Whuffing back as if to say hey, his voice lowered into a chuff too as he felt torn on if he was meant to keep going as she had come in beside him. It was tempting, so only for a pace or two did he slow up.

After that flicker of a hesitation, he kept going--bolstered by his sister's familiar company helping serve to ground his wandering head. He moved lighter, looking for better. Are you going somewhere? he asked with a lingering glance her way. Maybe she had a plan that he just happened to be in the middle of, or maybe he was the plan in part?
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the bonecracker
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She was happy he welcomed her company, and she moved companionably alongside him. She shook her head at his inquiry. Nowhere in particular. I wanted to stretch my legs... and, I thought I might seek a herd of moose. I have been wanting one for the past week like never before, and maybe a big game hunt with the pack would be a good thing. It would be easier to track with your help, she idly thought, and suggested, looking to him to see if he might agree. Hydra enjoyed Jarilo and his levelheadedness; it grounded her, here and now, when the past few days had her feeling somewhat adrift. Her anger toward her father had dwindled, at the least. He had not done them wrong yet, and if she were to give in to doubt she would seek to challenge his decision. Why should she do that when he had always been trustworthy and honest? 

But she had not forgotten his disrespect. The remainder of her anger was reserved for that, and if he forgot she would be sure to help him recall in an exercise that would surely jog his memory. That stung, and though he had listened to her, he owed Dirge a respectful audience without any negative words to be said, no, thought

She was getting ahead of herself. But she was very much so present, listening to Jarilo. Spending some quality time together would be nice, and ideally clear both of their heads from unpleasant lingering thoughts.
I'll find that you'll find that I'm lethal
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Nowhere in particular.

Him too, honestly, so all too eagerly he nodded his head along despite the somber undertones to his expression. There was a deeply-rooted worry underneath everything when times felt so shifting around him. But he definitely could not disagree. Yeah.. yeah I can help, Jarilo chirruped as he now had something better to focus on, and now one as potentially promising as a hunt. I haven't had fresh moose in a while, he wagged his tail happily to the thought. If it could bring them all together, then that was another bonus. Now with Revui back alongside Arcturus, and Dirge another very solid hunter too, Jarilo was pretty confident that they could take on a moose and eat merrily that night.

I guess I was trying to stretch my legs too. It's been.. I don't know. Restless, and I keep having weird dreams lately, and I guess I hope dad gets back soon so he can hunt moose with us too.. he said, dropping a lot of thoughts down about what troubled him all at once but there it all was in a messy pile to get past finally--maybe so Hydra would know what she was working with here, or just to get it off his chest to someone who may halfway understand where he was coming from. Now, as if that was good enough relief to really settle with, he sniffed at the winds on the hunt for anything resembling moose tracks.

He gladly told her a little more, but more importantly, it was her company he appreciated. Together they set to the task and Jarilo went happily deeper into the evening..
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