Lone Star Mountain cause friend i’ll give you it all

backdated to january 1st
tags for reference and assuming some stuff (lmk if u want me to change anything <3)
@Lainie

Phillip had been relieved when @Zephyr led them away from the winding valley. The encounter with @Minnow had genuinely shaken him. It was all he could manage to think about and it seemed the only solution was to put some distance between them.

It had worked to some extent; the supposed past life faded into the back of his mind, Alarian became his only focus. That's what drove him to search this barren mountain. It was hard to traverse, seeing that it was raining and the sun had yet to come up, but if his friend was up here he'd see him easily.

It would be quick.


Thats what she told herself when she left the pack grounds before anyone else woke up. She had not slept with her father that night, for fear he would catch her sneaking off alone. She took to the mountains, seeking shelter under an overhanging rock when it began to rain so she stayed dry. After a while she saw someone out in the rain, trekking up the mountains. "Hey! It's dry here!" she shouted out without thinking her ears perked up as she moved out into the rain so he could see her better, tail wagging slowly.

He gasps sharply when the call reaches his ears. It was so sudden and unexpected, he almost fell on the slippery rocks. Luckily he was able to catch himself. He turned to towards the sound, and for a moment he could not see who had beckoned him. The only thing that gave her away was the purple light of the peaking sun.

Phillip shuffled over to her quickly. He was not only eager to get out of the rain, but for some company as well. Hi, he greeted quickly, flashed a smile, then retreated under the canopy.

Oops.

The boy got startled and slipped and Lainie cringed, huffing a sigh of relief as he regained his balance and came her way. He had a little owl perched on his shoulder hunched down and balancing precariously that stared at her as he entered. She scooted back returning the smile shyly "Hi" she studied him for a moment before looking away and settling down to watch the rain "Glad to know I'm not the only one weird enough to be out during this" she joked with a playful wag of her tail as she gave him a sideways glance.

crashes the party
staying vague abt some stuff

The rain makes it far too easy to lose his companions, though for several minutes Zephyr takes no notice. To him, however, it seems to be only the blink of an eye; a moment of distraction, and he is alone when he looks up again. Panic grips him, and he tracks the first scent he focuses on with a rapidly-growing sense of desperation. He doesn't even notice Lainie's scent mingling with it — not until it's too late.
Phillip — He doesn't realize he's running until he's forced to come to an abrupt halt, chest heaving with each breath. He's relieved for a split second — and then he notices the other wolf beside his friend. His heart drops, stomach clenching into a painfully tight fist, and when he speaks again his voice is as icy as the winter rain falling around them. Lainie. What are you doing here?

Weird? His cheeks flushed from embarrassment. Oh..Is—that's weird? Rain wasn't all too bad as long as it wasn't pouring. It could be quite nice at times! But.. maybe it was a little strange to climb up a mountain during a shower. It was to the girl apparently. He lowered his head sheepishly. I didn't kn-

He's cut short by a familiar voice but that tone, well, it was nothing he had ever heard. It was a lot more frigid then he was used to. You know eachother? Phillip glanced between the girl and Zephyr.

"My dad says that-" She paused noticing how he was cringing down and froze realizing how much of a worry wort she had become because of the constant sheltering of her dad. She went to nudge him playfully "It doesn't matter whether it is or isn't. It's fun right?" she went to give the boy a playful nudge and caught the glimpse of an approach of someone outside the little rocky shelter. 

"Phillip?"


 That voice. Lainie backed away and stiffened, her body shivering twice as much as she clenched her jaw watching her sister barge into their space. Her heart hammered inside her chest as suddenly the idea of getting sick from the icy rain was much more appealing than staying here with the coldness from her sister. Why was it like that? What had she ever done so horribly wrong to her sister? Showered her with affection? Tried to protect her? She flattened her ears "I wanted to get away for a bit Zephyr" her tone was meant to be distant, numb but instead it wobbled as she fought back the urge to just brush past the two of them and excuse herself. She hadn't seen her sister in...did she even know she was alive? Hadn't Zephyr been around UG? Her chest tightened and she sucked in a quick breath as she began to panic. The stress caused her muscles to begin to twitch, convulsions and spasms starting at her mid back and causing her to twitch and sway intermittently as Phillip spoke up distracting her. She turned and looked at him clearing her throat and smiling brightly, forcing herself to breath through the feeling of needing to run away. "Zephyr is my sister" She said as evenly as she could glancing at the girl to see the reaction to it being declared. They were sisters after all and she was growing tired of being the only one who showed any sort of open emotion about anything.

edit: in light of phil's post, i'm gonna say zeph won't do any real damage even if he manages to bite lainie - noah, u have permission to pp him per my message if u want! <3

He hardly even hears Phillip. All his attention is focused on Lainie, whose scent trails he had done his absolute best to avoid during his stay in Uaine Gorsedd. Lainie, who'd gotten all the benefits of their father's presence in the aftermath of the tragedy and none of the horrors of being lost and alone in a world far bigger and crueler than herself. Lainie, who'd always been so obedient and sheltered and disgustingly perfect, even from the start. He hadn't wanted to see her because he'd known it would hurt — but he hadn't known it would feel like this. It isn't fair that she's here, he thinks, she's always been such a child. It should be Helios here, not her.
His gaze hardens into a glare as she responds, irritation flashing through him at the emotion in her words; it doesn't make sense to him. She's always been one of the favorites — it'd always been her and Polaris who'd been the good ones, the perfect daughters, everything he couldn't force himself to be. Why should she want to run away from that? But before he can ask, she continues, and something snaps within him at the word sister.
Shut up, He snaps, lurching forward abruptly as the word sears itself into his mind like some grotesque brand. Shut UP, I'M NOT A GIRL! The last words burst out in a shriek so piercing it leaves his ears ringing and his throat raw, but he doesn't notice. He's too busy lunging at his sister's face, teeth aimed at her muzzle in hopes of ensuring she can never open her stupid big mouth to call him a girl again.

He kept his dumbfounded gaze on the silver boy. Ever since he had offered his aid, Phillip had this attachment to him. A need for guidance, and that guidance was needed now. Zephyr would explain, he always did. But he said nothing, only stared ahead, straight through him and at the girl.

Phillip looked back at Lainie. For a split second he could see her twitch. She was a nice, beaming little thing just seconds before and now her voice shook. And it was all because of Zephyr, his friend. Sure he could be a bit scary at times, but nothing to shake in fear about. What had he done to her to warrant such a reaction? It was too late for smiles now, he was genuinely uncomfortable by the tension. Her statement didn't make things any better. Wait, he isn't-

Once again he was cut off by his friend, but the words were no longer cold and distant. They were loud, firey, frighting. The shriek has struck his skull and caused his brain to pulsate. Phillip lowered himself to the ground and whimpered, Zephyr please-

Something rushed passed him, a force so unexpected it caused him to loose balance. Phillip stumbled into the rain, Twig retreated from his shoulder. The boy hunched over himself, sputtered for a few moments, then turned back to the overhang. 

What he saw was horrifying. Zephyr was harming her (he couldn't be sure but it surely looked like it). He was attacking her, his own sister, family. Phillip couldn’t wrap his head around it. How was it that Zephyr wished to reunite with his brother, but lunged for Lainie with no mercy?

Minnow entered his thoughts for a moment. It was possible she was his kin in a past life. And whether that past life was real or not, he wished he could remember her so, so badly. If not for himself, for her. He didn't want to hurt her. And that was why Phillip was so horrified with the fact Zephyr had laid a paw on someone he knew was his family.

Please stop, he cried, Zephyr stop. Stop! Phillip could not stand idly by any longer. He rushed forward and attempted to grab onto the boy's tail.

There wasn't any time to react before Zephyr lunged at her, teeth barely hitting her cheek as she yelped with fear before he was tugged back. Shivering she processed the words...they rang in her mind over and over again. Not a girl? She shook her head "How would I know when you and Helios keep leaving us?" she muttered sitting down and lifting a paw to her cheek rubbing against it to check for blood which thankfully there was none. Slowly she backed away and pressed herself to the furthest point beneath the ledge that she could reach and glared silently at Zephyr "I'm sorry...I didn't know. So I have two brothers? That's pretty cool" the words came out short of the warmth she tried to force into them and she closed her maw frowning as her eyes welled with tears "I'm sorry...um..it was nice meeting you" she said to Phillip as she made to push past Zephyr and head out into the rain.

She can be stopped! If not, Im sorry she's such a flighty thing. I'd love another thread between her and Phillip in the future! And maybe one for the siblings ?

Phillip's voice finally registers in the moment before his teeth connect with his sister's cheek, and he falters. His front teeth rake through the fur and fall away harmlessly even before he feels his friend's grip on his tail, tears filling his eyes as he cringes away. He allows himself to be pulled back, and his limbs turn to jelly. I'm a monster, he realizes, seeing Lainie's expression and remembering the horror in Phillip's voice. He hears Maman's scream again, again, again —
Lainie's voice cuts through it all, and a quiet sob slips from him; he's too ashamed already to bother hating himself for the obvious show of weakness. He doesn't know why he'd attacked her anymore, why he'd felt it so necessary in that moment. Her only crime was being alive and well and not twisted in all the ways he is; the thought still stings, but she's his sister, maybe the only sibling he has left — and, seeing the hurt in her eyes, he suddenly realizes that he loves her. He opens his mouth to speak — to apologize, to explain that he's broken and he didn't mean it, to ask if she could ever love him again — but then she's leaving, and panic grips him.
Lainie — He's on his feet quickly, voice halting and choked by the sob that cuts him off. Don't leave me. He tries to get the words out as he follows her blindly into the rain, but his throat tightens painfully, and that only intensifies his panic. Don't leave, don't, please don't. Lainie. It hurts to speak, but he has to do it, he has to make her stay. It's a stupid sentiment, another sign of weakness, but he can't help it; some part of him still wants his family's love more than anything, even if he can never truly believe he has it. Another sob tears itself from his throat, and he realizes then that his desire for love will always make him weak.

The flame in Zephyr is snuffed out even before he grabs onto his tail and pulls him away. Why? Well, only his friend could truly know. Phillip was only left with assumptions. Regret, it to be that. Why else would he call after her, run after her?

He just wasn't feeling right, Phillip thought as he slowly trailed after him. Zephyr was kind, even if he didn't show it all the time. He wasn't that viscous wolf he had just witnessed. It was a mistake. He didn't mean it.

Zephyr? Phillip called softly. His stomach twisted in knots when he hears a cry muffled by rainfall. I-it's alright. He came closer to his side and leaned forward to rest his head upon his neck (if he'd let him that is). It was a natural response and the only way he thought he could console his friend. Let's- let's just go now.

gonna post one more time to write her out and then y'all are good! This was a beautiful thread tysm <3

The rain was cold and it shocked her system, sending her body into a frenzy that had her stumbling. Lainie heard him call out behind her and choked back a sob  "I dont know why you hate me and I... I don't care anymore!" the last word ccame out in a raw, choked scream as she regained her footing and began to go down the mountain as fast as she could, tears blending in with rainwater that soaked through her fur. All she could think of was that he had come out after her and she had screamed hateful things and how somehow she felt both better and so much worse at the same time. 

She leaves. Of course she leaves. He'd been stupid to hope for anything else, he realizes, hardly registering Phillip's words past the rain and Lainie's yelling and his own too-fast breathing. The touch, however, draws a reaction from him. He closes his eyes, leaning slightly into the touch. It's not alright, His voice is tremulous as he responds to barely-remembered words, too full of grief and regret to hold the bite it would usually have. I ruined it — I ruin everything. He buries his muzzle in Phillip's fur, holding his breath and pretending for a moment that it's Helios by his side. It doesn't really work, but it's worth a try.

He flinches when the parting words cuts through the drumming rain. All he could wonder is why. Why was this hatred so great to the point he'd attack his own sister? Those were questions for another time; Lainie was gone an d Zephyr was hurting. He needed comfort now.

He leaned forward a bit more as the silver buried into his fur. Nothing is ruined, he replied softly, You can always make things right again. You can go after her, talk things out. I'm sure she'll understand. A farfetched solution, but it wasn't impossible.  Just give it time.

gotta reference smth that hasnt happened yet in the minnow thread since its been delayed, sorry! zeph is talking about @The Wayfarer

He doesn't respond for several moments. He can't see how Phillip's idea would work, not now, but he doesn't want to shoot it down either. It's easier to pretend it might, and take what little comfort he can find in that. He hardly notices the rain soaking them both until a shiver runs down his spine and pulls him from his haze. Then he realizes he doesn't know where their other companion is, and suddenly all else is forgotten. We need to — find Firestorm.

Firestorm? There is confusion and worry in his voice; he couldn't be sure if his advice had gotten through or not. On top of that, he had no idea who Zephyr was referring to at first. He took a moment to go over the faces he remembered until..

Oh, I remember! Um, yes we should. He was eager to leave the mountain and forget about what just happened for the time being. He shouldn't be too far right?

archivinggg <3

He prepares to explain further when Phillip seems confused, but the other boy quickly remembers who he's talking about. He pulls away, straightening a little, and pauses uncertainly for a moment. Then he reaches to touch his nose briefly to Phillip's cheek, shyness coloring the movement.
Thank you, He says softly, hoping he doesn't need to explain why he's thanking Phillip. Regardless, he doesn't wait to find out. I think he's this way. He continues, leading his friend away and promptly putting the whole situation with Lainie out of his mind.