Dragoncrest Cliffs Angelfish
271 Posts
Ooc — Teo
Offline
#1
Private 
I know I just tagged you for one of these but it got nabbed and I would really love a thread with your amazing boy. <3 There is no rush, though. Whenever you have a moment!

Tucking his head against the cold, Swordfish climbed up the cliffs along a familiar path. The sun had set, and the coast was dark, save for the glitter of starlight from overhead. The young seafarer had ventured out in hopes that he might spend some time looking at them. He hoped too, that he might see @Stingray. It had been a while since he had spent some quality time with his brother. He had begun to worry for the golden boy.

Once he had found the end of the path, Swordfish settled onto his belly and looked out at the water. The dark of the sky seemed to bleed into the ocean. If they both moved the same, he would have thought the sky was a sea, too. The young wolf was content to stay there until the sun changed his mind. Head resting on his paws, he sighed into the wind.
Sun Mote Copse
Comrade
120 Posts
Ooc — Chelsie
Offline
#2
Ray spent his days wandering. He explored the territories surrounding Sapphique both to satisfy his curiosity and to fill the void left in him by Mercy's departure. His relationships in the pack suffered for it. While the juveniles of Sapphique nurtured friendships, Stingray nurtured independence.

That wasn't to say the boy wasn't terribly lonesome without any solid friends of his own. Out there, carving a path down the coast or wending his way awkwardly through the Tangle or struggling to reach the next highest ledge on Nova Peak before his legs gave out, he didn't have time to think about it. At home, he felt more alone than he ever did when he was on his own, helped none by the way the Jade looked down upon him whenever their paths chanced to cross.

It bothered him a little but he hid it well, and most of the time he didn't have to think about it. Most of the time it didn't bother him at all.

Whenever it did, he found himself at the edge of the cliffs where the sea and sky met and reminded him what a huge, wide world was out there. It made him think of Njord and how even he had come home, and how Mercy would, too, or if she didn't, it was probably because she had something more important to do. When his paws itched to follow in her footsteps, the moon glittering on the waves reminded him of his mom and his brother.

His place was here, even if he often wasn't.

Stingray was up there tonight, making his way toward a familiar silhouette he'd spotted from another outlook. When he came within earshot of Swordfish, he grinned and called, oi, I dare you to jump!
271 Posts
Ooc — Teo
Offline
#3
A familiar voice sounded with a wild dare. It could only be Stingray.

Swordfish turned his head toward his golden brother. His hooded gaze squinted, feigning an inability to see well. He bobbed his head, as though withered with age and weary to his core. The lean-limbed figure looked foolish. If it meant an opportunity to give his bright-eyed sibling a bit of grief, he would take it. Besides, Swordfish didn’t want to jump or think about jumping. Sounded like a hell of a time.

Who’s that I hear? he drawled in a tone he hoped would sound dramatic. My long lost brother returned from the beyond?

The red-tailed boy continued his phony old agedness until Stingray drew nearer. When Swordfish had a full view of the sunflower figure, his features slacked and returned to their blasé expression. There was a hint of a smirk on the edge of his lips. Red tail thumped warmly, pleased to see the other wolf.

When’d ya get so… handsome? Yer better lookin’ than me. Can’t have that. Ya gotta give me a chance, Ray.

Swordfish snickered at himself. His brother looked good. The lean gold-touched body was filled in with muscle and thick fur. There was a roundness to his features that made him seem jolly. Whatever he had been doing, it had treated him well.
Sun Mote Copse
Comrade
120 Posts
Ooc — Chelsie
Offline
#4
Stingray smirked and jogged the last few feet to his brother's side, plopping down on his rear with all the energy of a frat boy collapsing on a couch with beer in hand. The youthful energy of it stood in stark contrast to Swordfish's feigned senescence.

You must be mistaken, gramps, he ribbed with a playful flop of one ear, thumping his golden tail right along with his sibling's red one. My bro's only, like, a year old, although he does kinda act like an old dude... He reached good-naturedly for Swordfish's ear to show he didn't truly mean it.

He was taken aback by Swordfish's compliments. Of course, Stingray thought he was pretty handsome as well, but he had never once compared himself with his brother that way. To him, Swordfish was equally striking, a compelling mix of slate and cream that left no question about his parentage with the striking red tail that marked so many of the Sapphique wolves. He was thin where Ray was a little puffy, and if neither of them had a great deal of muscle on them, at least Swordfish actually looked fit.

That's poppycock! said Stingray. You're plenty handsome! Besides, there's no point walkin' the walk if you can't talk the talk, and a little bird told me you've been spending time with Suzu lately. He arched a boyish brow and asked, she your girlfriend?
271 Posts
Ooc — Teo
Offline
#5
Ray’s words were met with a good-natured sneer. The golden boy had always had a good sense of humor about him. Even when they had been pups, Swordfish thought that Stingray’s mind was leagues beyond his own. They were like the sun and moon, in ways – complimentary of each other, despite their differences.

When the sunset boy went on to talk about Suzu, there was surprise on the red-tailed boy’s face. He knew that his brother had gotten along well with most of their pack mates. It was shocking that Ray had managed to find out how Fish had been spending his time. Until that moment, Swordfish hadn’t really considered that he’d occupied his free moments with the young girl. When he thought on it, he felt his heartbeat quicken.

Oh… shucks, was his initial response. The young wolf could feel his cheeks grow warm. Girlfriend?

She uh- she helped make a trap fer the fish. We caught some already. Gonna make it better. I’ll show ya.

Swordfish wondered what Ray had been doing with his time.

I dunno ‘bout girlfriend, though. The smile he offered suggested that he wasn’t opposed to being asked such questions. While his mind churned, he held the gaze of his sibling before offering a nudge. Tell me whatcha been doin. Feel like yer out there savin’ the world and I don’t even know ‘bout it.
Sun Mote Copse
Comrade
120 Posts
Ooc — Chelsie
Offline
#6
Stingray smirked. Making traps for fish. How apt. She's good at trapping Fish, is she? he teased with a boyish giggle. Teasing aside, he was quite curious to see this trap they had made. Stingray wasn't smart enough to think of things like that. He was content with trying — and typically failing — to grab the slippery buggers with his teeth.

You should ask her, he said with a brisk nod. I bet she'd say yes. She'll be like, oooh, Swordy, I didn't t'ink dat you'd ever ask! He batted his eyelashes. His brother was a good sport. Others might shove him off the cliff for such teasing. Well, Swordfish still might, at that.

Not much, bro. Definitely not saving the world. Thinking back on his trips outside the territory, Stingray remembered something. Ah, I found some weird stuff in The Tangle. It was a bunch of rocks or something, but colourful, and they looked like they were there on purpose. But I never saw nothin' else. D'you think it could be a witch's curse mark or something?
271 Posts
Ooc — Teo
Offline
#7
Tch.

Swordfish couldn’t help but smirk at the joke. He didn’t much like being called a fish. His family had been the only ones he wouldn’t correct. Quennell had called him Sword a few times. That was fine. He didn’t know what a sword was. He’d hunted plenty of fish, though. There was something slimy about being compared to them.

Pushing aside talks of girls, Swordfish’s ears perked at the mention of his brother’s findings in the tangle. Colorful rocks that seemed to have been left for a reason. The redtailed boy’s tail flipped with interest.

Hey that’s a cool find. Could be a witch’s mark. Didn’t disturb it, did ya?

Swordfish drew his head back and looked from the corner of his eyes at his golden-furred brother.

Gotta show me. Maybe we can see if it’s meant fer something.
Sun Mote Copse
Comrade
120 Posts
Ooc — Chelsie
Offline
#8
Nah, said Ray, leaning back until the joints in his arms gave a satisfying pop. Then he uncoiled the rest of his muscles and dropped down to his belly, letting his front paws dangle over the cliff's edge. He chanced a look down at the ocean, then snapped his eyes back up. The height was dizzying.

I don't want no witch's curse, he said. Da told me there was a witch living on that grungy little beach next to us. Did you know that? She stole kids and made them do her evil bidding. Stingray couldn't suppress a little shudder as he shared it, but hoped Swordfish would mistake it for a chill from the sea wind. I bet it's hers!

They bantered back and forth a little longer, occasionally speculating on the nature of the witch's objects, before making a tentative plan to spend some time in The Tangle searching for meaning. The boys would never see these plans fulfilled — their lives were about to be turned completely upside down, and this would be the last joyful and peaceful moment the brothers would have for many moons.