[Falcate]

ooc: please wait for Waka to post first with Haldred. it will be determined in that post whether or not they have crossed the Gemini borders.

So much had changed.

Falcate was once a brawny, hot-headed, angsty young boy. He was a royal brat, through and through. He’d stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and he believed he deserved everything. No one was better than he was, and no one could prove that wrong. He had a one-track mind, and the only opinion that ever mattered was his own, never taking a moment to consider anyone elses thoughts or feelings. At least, not until he met Vapor – but even that didn’t last forever.

One might say that for a while, something in his unorganized “plan” worked – for a while. When he was young, he manged to hold his own. He had many enemies, he was sure, but he managed to climb the ranks to a certain extent. He didn’t necessarily prove himself to many people, but he perhaps instilled a fear in others. He was able to work above the regular class of people in Saboro, he held a decently high rank and he was respected by his underlings – and even if they didn’t respect him, they had to listen to him. They had to obey him. They had to answer to him. He was their master, and they were his sheep.

But that didn’t last as long as Falcate would have hoped. He slipped, and in that minuscule moment, he lost it all. His fall from grace was anything but graceful. He lost everything. He was stripped of rank, of ego, of pride – everything that he had worked toward was taken away in a matter of fucking seconds. That’s all that it took, that’s all that it ever took.

And that’s just how Saboro worked. You drag your ass, you lose your privileges. They are not forgiving. They never have been, they never will be. Unless you found yourself in some fucking pact of some sort, you were not immune to the ferocity of Saboro’s monarchy and you would be burned. You would be torn apart, ripped to shreds, and left for dead.

Falcate found that out the hard way. And he would never forget – no matter how hard he tried.

He saw the lives of many come and go, tasted the blood of even more. Siblings included. They were all dead for all he knew, though he didn’t think about it much. He was never close with any of them, really. Serrate was the only one he saw make something of herself, and even she fell to the gnarled claws of the Saboran demons. Where she ended up was beyond the battered male, he hadn’t seen her for many moons… She had gone far away, and he hoped to God she was smart enough to never look back. Ever.

Falcate knew he would never look back. Even if he was stuck wandering the world aimlessly, using his daughter for eyes since he lost his own. Leaning on his offspring like a crippled old man, depending on her for every step, every meal, every taste of water. He was a write off and was completely useless to the world at this point. So, why did she stand by him? Why didn’t she leave, to live her own life, to fly as high as her wings allowed her?

He wanted, so badly, to set her free. To tell her, ‘Hallie, fly with the birds, you have so much potential, you need to fulfill it’. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t send her away. He couldn’t bring himself to be selfless for one fucking minute, for the betterment of his own blood. Did that make him a monster? Did that really make him any better than those bloodsucking gargoyles of Saboro?  

Falcate needed Haldred. He needed her more than he knew. More than she knew.

“Haldred,” the crippled male breathed. The pair was half-heartedly attempting to find a new home, somewhere new for both of them. Maybe Haldred could make a name for herself while still sticking with her sick old dad. He just wasn’t ready… To leave her…

Wasn’t ready… To die.

“Where are we?” His voice was rough, having not spoken for a while. This world was unfamiliar to him. He’d only left Saboro once before, and this did not smell anything like that expedition. This was new, and this was unknown. He wasn’t sure why he was asking Haldred – she wouldn’t know either. How could she know? Perhaps he was just asking to fill the silence… Not that they didn’t talk. They did talk, quite a bit. Haldred had learned plenty of Falcate’s past, of Saboro’s past. Of her mother. She’d learned probably more than what she wanted to hear, but Falcate had decided that at least one of the kids should know the truth.

He sighed heavily before stopping dead in his tracks. “Wait…” he murmured, what was left of his ears standing upright. His nose twitched as he sniffed extensively, trying to catch the scent that just passed through him.

What was that … Smell? Who …

Serrate.

“Hal, what’s up ahead of us?” The scent was faint still, but he could definitely smell it. Smell her. His sister. The lost ex-Saboran. She was here, or she had been not long ago. She was alive? Where were they? Every other scent was unfamiliar, but there were many smells.

He started forward again, with or without Haldred at his side, limping slightly as he always did, his nose high in the air, then low to the ground. He picked up his pace, dragging his nose through the skiff of snow on the ground. “Serrate…” He breathed, pausing and raising his head.

A strange feeling rose within him, a feeling he couldn’t understand. His heartbeat had quickened, and his nerves were tingling. The last time he would have seen his sister… Well, he couldn’t even recall when that was. It was probably when she was still Sabora, the crown still sitting neatly on her head. He had despised her, for doing the job he felt he so rightfully deserved to do. He was so confused about how she, of all people, could have been crowned as Sabora, knowing full well how pathetic she was as a child.

He hated her for so long, but was forced to respect her. It drove his anger even further, it fueled the burning flame within him, knowing that she could overpower him at any given time. He was better than her. He was always better than her.

But why didn’t he feel the anger now? What was it that he was feeling? Was it sorrow? Was it longing? Did he miss her? Did he need her now?

No… He had Haldred. Truthfully, he didn’t need anyone else.

He settled on curiosity. That was what he was feeling: a strong need to know where she ended up, what kind of state she was in. Perhaps she was worse off than he was. Perhaps she was on her way to dying, just like everyone else was. Just another fading soul, looking for its way out, joining their brothers and sisters, and Vapor, and Falcate’s other children, maybe.

“We need to go there.” He nodded with his head, pointing in the direction of the scent. He could feel the temperatures dropping, he guessed it was close to dawn. “Serrate is there… I can smell her.” Maybe Haldred would understand, or maybe she’d be mad at him for wanting to seek out the fallen Queen. He wasn’t sure – he didn’t care. He wasn’t the Harrier any longer, but he was still the boss of his child.

He knew she would follow. He knew she would lead him.

And so he pushed forward, walking toward the smell, toward Serrate, and whatever else lay beyond them. He’d keep walking until someone stopped him, whether it be Haldred or Serrate, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t care.

This was the first glimpse of hope he’d felt in a long time.

A E S T H E T I C

[Haldred]

#cc3336
song inspo
I'm holding my breath with a baseball bat
Though I don't know what I'm waiting for
I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be

Did his heartache for them? It was hard to tell, his face always in that terrible frown, mauled to the point beyond recognition. They'd left them behind so so long ago, and Hallie was sure they were dead. She'd seen a glimpse of her mother through the ash and smog, attempting to escape like a wild beast, and they'd taken her from them. The female was sure that her brothers and sister were dead to this world.

She never allowed them to stay in one place for too long, the same paranoia that had gripped her father, had long since took hold of her. Whatever devils this outside world could loose upon them, they would never get her father. She'd die before that happened. Saboro would not take her last and only light.

A bubble of newfound hatred, a life of constantly being on the run, even when the world had forgotten about the fallen royal son and his offspring. Saboro didn't sing songs of death and wanting blood payment for transgressions that happened so so long ago. They were a mere flicker of a memory, a ghost of a time long past. When Kings ordered for carnage, and their underlings did so without hesitation. Not because survival demanded, but because you had to put on a show. Entertain them, they'll thank you for it.

Her lithe frame pressed against his bulky own, walking slowly as to make sure not to have him stumble. Teeth would find a familiar spot against his neck fur to gently tug him to a stop, Haldred knew, or had some idea of how much he hated this. How he wished for things to be different. At this age she would have long since left the nest and safety of her parents, she would have had a rank and children, but instead she'd be her father's protector, just as he had been when she was small. She'd never abandon him, not when he needed her so greatly.

Haldred, where are we? Came his rumbling, hoarse voice and she'd look to him, red eyes shown like rubies. Forests caked with snow and pine trees had given way to large open space and highlands. Where a small flurry had begun to set in and they'd stumbled toward a long rock formation in the near to far off distance. "It's very green here, and hilly. There's a long rock snake in the distance." She had seen enough of Saboro's humid rain forest to appreciate the change in scenery and climate.

They'd near the wall and she'd slow him to help him over it, behind it revealed the lush fields that danced peacefully with every bit of wind that blew against the grass. Nostrils flared and she'd smell the ocean. Hal, what’s up ahead of us?  "Pa, watch your step. I think we're close to the ocean." She blinked eyeing the open space. Though her father gave little heed and limped ahead of her, ears pinned back and she'd make a face at this, rushing to his side once more as to steady him. "Papa..." A soft reprimand, as if he were the child and she were the parent. Serrate… We need to go there. Serrate is there… I can smell her.

Came his grumbling voice and the daughter couldn't help, but feel bitterness and hatred toward her aunt. She had left her father behind, a runaway Queen that so selfishly sought to save herself and let the other rot. Her father had been loyal to her, he had helped her time and time again. THEY WERE FAMILY, and that meant NOTHING. A low growl escaped her as she grit her teeth together, the sound of her father's voice and how he ushered them both toward the scent, he seemed so hopeful, but Hal couldn't help but think. "She'll fuck you over again, and this time.. this time... it'll kill you." Though Falcate might have been too far ahead to hear against the howling of the wind.

Her feet were frozen, not just from the cold, but she found the resolve to press on and be by her father's side once more. You're the only one who can be there for him now, Hallie. There's no one left, against her stumbled a blind, broken man. Years of torment, and he was just now tasting freedom. She couldn't bring herself to take that from him. If they were walking into a lion's den, or chasing a ghost, they'd do it together. "Papa, let me- Slow down, lean on me, please. I'm right here."

If and when they drew the attention of someone, ruby eyes would catch their forms and she'd bristle, teeth gripping at her father's neck fur to stop him and then springing in front of him. "Get out of our fucking way, and leave us the fuck alone."

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

The day had been cold, but clear, and Ashe had decided to take a trip back towards the southern border, where the long grasses were now matted under snow.  She was craving mice, and while they were sometimes found among the ruins, there were bound to be more of them nestled among the drifts. Old habits died hard, sometimes.  The timid girl allowed herself to be distracted by this and that, meandering across the plains without any rush.  It wasn't like there was any burden on her, and Echo was off at work today.  Ashe didn't mind the solitude, and had come to discover that she rather liked having some alone time to meditate.  The mouse hunts, too, were a kind of meditation.  An exercise akin to yoga, that stretched and relaxed her. What she hadn't been expecting was to come across anyone on the plains during winter.  The blind male practically ran into her as she had her head buried after her quarry.  She pulled back, crunching on her prize when suddenly he was looming over her. She let out a squeak very much akin to her now forgotten quarry, and scrambled back towards the wall.  Which was suddenly VERY far away. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing if she could make a run for it when a female came snarling up alongside the male.   "Get out of our fucking way, and leave us the fuck alone." Oh, that was exactly what Ashe wanted to do. Anxiety was in full control, and she stammered as she shrank, her ears going back and her tail tucking between her legs. "Oh, my gosh... I'm so sorry... I..." She turned her gaze, completely prepared to run, but then Reason stopped Anxiety to remind Ashe that Gemini was now her home.  These wolves didn't smell like Gemini.  They weren't part of the pack.  A new shiver resurfaced with Anxiety's alarm.  Tresspassers.  What could she do?  She didn't know if Echo was on patrol around here, hadn't thought to ask him his schedule.  She didn't know the other guards, had actually met very few of the pack on an introductory basis.  She'd only been told about the queen.  She really didn't have the authority to deal with this.  But... there was no one else here... The male, she could outrun, she was pretty sure of it.  It was the snarling female that she would have to contend with.  She was big, like Echo was big.  She was easily over a foot taller than Ashe, and heavier besides.  She could probably outrun her.  Ashe had no choice.  She threw back her head and howled, calling for anyone who was patrolling the border. Or nearby. Or bigger than she was.  Someone who had the power to do something.  Then she stood, trembling uncontrollably, and put on her bravest face, doing her best to mimic what the guards used to do in her home pack. "Y-you are on Gemini land... Do you seek home or asylum?" She glanced quickly back and forth between the blind male and the angry female. Someone. Please. Hurry up.

[Frost]

GIVE ME A FEW I'D LIKE TO POST DELTOID IN HERE

[Deltoid]

A E S T H E T I C       A R T

A sleeping giant awakens.

It mattered not how long he had been slumbering, it mattered not where exactly he emerged. All that mattered was the smell in the air; the familiar scent that brought back visions of the deep green swamplands from which he was born. The thick mud and dirtied water that clung to his fur that was a sharp contrast to the firm grasslands that he now ran across. It reminded him of standing before a mighty ravine, a kingdom of red standing tall on the other side.

FAMILY.

The reddish colours in the distance set him off like a bull, an incoming stampede. But as he neared, it was the girl who made him falter, made him halt.

"Mo...ther?" He rumbled, too low for anyone but himself to hear.

No, this was not Halberd. This was not the legendary jungle Queen who ruled with an iron fist, surrounded by her legion of red tattoos. This was not the woman who would look at the man in front of her and realize he represented one of her failures. This was not the mother who had lost her son. He did not recognise the other woman, but he could not pinpoint an unfamilliar smell on her - she was of Gemini, and that was all that mattered.

"Get out of our fucking way, and leave us the fuck alone."

As the anxious girl stammered and tried to calm the situation, Deltoid moved in; a surprising authoritative figure. "BACK." Came the command to the replica of his mother. He stood in front of Ashe; standing tall and proud and clearly in a move to protect her from the youngster should she become violent. He gave Ashe only one glance, but it said everything it needed to: Don't worry.

Finally, that gaze settled on Sagaris. A thought struck him then; maybe destiny had taken him away from his family to save him from becoming...this.

Sagaris had expected Serrate, pinpointed her, searched wildly for her by stumbling into Gemini. What he found instead was a forgotten memory, one that he knew still lingered in the Straits.

"Brother."

Only this time, there wasn't a ravine separating them.

[Falcate]

Falcate couldn’t help but growl lightly at his daughter as she nagged at him to stay close, to lean on her, to be careful. It had been quite some time since he was mutilated by Marou and Zasha, but he was still not used to his reduced capabilities and the fact that his daughter was doting on him like he was a decrepit invalid. He appreciated her assistance, deep down. But in this moment, when his mind was so enveloped by flashes of his past, of when he was able to do anything and everything on his own, his immediate reaction was to resist his daughter’s help.

He inhaled deeply as she mentioned the ocean, and he had to agree that they must be close. He was so curious to know what these sights looked like, so eager to see them with his own eyes. He never would, and that was something he’d never grow accustomed to. All he’d ever seen, all his life, is trees and forest and swamp and moss. He wanted to see the ocean, he wanted to see what it was like where they were now. What did the ocean look like in the winter? What did an open field look like covered in snow? What did the rocky cliffs look like?

He just wanted to see it. Was that so much to ask?

The broken male ground his teeth together as Haldred voiced her opinion, telling him that they’d only be fucked over if they sought out Serrate. Told him it would kill him this time, too. He snorted lightly, his brow furrowed. “She’d never kill me, Hallie…” His heart skipped a beat as he thought on that for a moment. Would she? Would she fall in their mother’s footsteps and just kill him if he got in the way of her perfect plans? Would she erase the smudge he left on her perfect new life? Could she do it? Would she do it in front of her own niece?

Let her try.

Haldred reprimanded her father once again, asking him to please slow down, to let her help. But before the blind wolf could protest, a flurry of things happened, all at once, all of a sudden. “Get out of our fucking way, and leave us the fuck alone.” Haldred snarled, and a new scent flew in. A female, she smelled… afraid. Haldred had placed herself between Falcate and the stranger, her body thick against his frail bones. She was sturdy, like a brick wall between him and his predators.

Falcate had to admit, he would be afraid of his daughter, too, if he wasn’t the one who brought her into this world. She’d inherited the strong will of the Halberd bloodline, the sheer aggression and pure malice that was so prominent in the family. Hate. So much hate, hate, hate. He wanted her to be strong, to be tough, to hold her own. It was showing that she had learned from him, to protect the ones she loved, to protect herself. She knew what she was doing, and he trusted her, always. She had yet to lead him astray. She was such a smart, independent, girl. Like her mother.

The unknown female stammered, her words quivering as they left her lips. Falcate was too distracted to focus on what she was trying to say to them, his mind in a completely different place as a new scent hit his nose like a smack in the face. Male, this time. Family.

“BACK.” Deltoid barked, commanding the duo. His voice was foreign, he hadn’t seen his brother in ages. He was gone for so long, and Falcate was never one for trying to seek out his siblings. He never really knew what exactly happened to him… What did happen? The thing with their family was that if you never asked, you were never told.

Deltoid greeted Falcate in a flat tone, and the battered male nosed Haldred to let her know he was fine. He wasn’t afraid. Perhaps he should be, but for whatever reason, he was feeling like perhaps their family might act like a family. Like maybe this wouldn’t end in bloodshed and tears.

“Deltoid,” He returned, stepping around Haldred, to stand beside her rather than behind her. “I didn’t expect to see you.” He grimaced. What a fun play on words; what a lovely pun. His nose twitched as he took in the smells of their surroundings, still smelling that lingering scent of their sister. “You’re with Serrate?” He asked, his voice low, a slight grumble behind his words. But he was calm. He wanted them to know that he was not here to start a fight. He realized that perhaps it might be hard to avoid, with their history screaming in the back of his mind. But this was not his intentions.

His tail flicked, brushing against Hal’s, and he hoped she was able to piece this together, that this was her uncle. Falcate had few words to share about his brother, since he didn’t know him well, but Haldred was known for shocking her father with how sharp her mind was. She absorbed much more of the information than he thought she would.

“You can relax, Haldred. We’re not here to start a fight.” His voice was low, for her ears only. He could feel how tense she was, could feel the blood boiling beneath her thick fur. She was wired just like the young Sagaris, ready to defend herself at any cost. He admired her for it, but he didn’t want her doing anything rash at this point in time. Not right now. Not today. They weren’t in danger.

“Where is she?” He’d ask, curiosity thick in his tone. He really did want to know where there sister was. And why was Deltoid here, too? Did that mean… “Is Derringer here?” Did all the last surviving siblings make a little pact to stick together, but didn’t bother to seek out their poor old brother?

It wouldn’t surprise him at this point. He’d heard of much worse. He knew they weren’t fond of him – why would they be? It wasn’t like he treated them fairly, or really cared for them in any way whatsoever. He still didn’t, if he was going to be honest with himself. But for some god forsaken reason, when he smelled Serrate’s scent, it drew him in. It was like a last thread of hope, a last chance at possibly living a normal life. A life that wasn’t full of hate and evil schemes. A life not driven by feral tendencies and bloodshed.

He was grasping at straws, he knew that. But what the fuck did he have to lose? He was a ball and chain to Haldred, Lord only knew she’d be happy to be rid of the burden.

A E S T H E T I C

[Absinthe]

color=#DBCFB4

There are familiar figures in the distance; familiar reds, like herrings (and that's what they are, Absinthe, that's what they are) and family (never forget, that's what they are). Every step taken in their direction is cautious, at first her blood had run cold and her heart dropped into the dirt, her eyes wide in absolute fear as she drew closer, but she could not stop herself.

The only one that didn't belong was a doe brown thing, fickle and frightened at the aggression of her bloodline, and all Absinthe could do was scowl. It was her default expression, after all. 'I'm so sorry-' it says, and the blood no longer feels chilled in her veins. 'Y-you are on Gemini land... Do you seek home or asylum?' and she feels it beginning to boil.

Since she'd come home, Absinthe hadn't remembered what hate felt like, but here she was, tasting that memory once again. It ran a thin line with what she knew of love. The docile nature, the innocence.. and in an adult, no less.. it caused a low, aggravated growl to emit from her scarred lips. "Leave," as if she had any authority, "If you can't hold yourself up against the wind, leave." it was a hard suggestion, and one she had no right to give, but she had no energy to protect someone so fragile. She makes a move for Ashe, a lunge, but no real desire to touch her, just scare her away. It's a promise, it's a warning, it's how she shows she really cares.

Deltoid stood before Ashe, to protect her from Haldred and Falcate, but it was likely that he never suspected someone from within Gemini's walls to be the one to bare their teeth and snap.

Tough love is the only love she has ever known. It's the only love she knows how to show, and although she is prickly and angry, it's not without reason. She sees the same reason for Haldred's cold words standing behind her; a marred face similar to her own, and so much like her mother's. Falcate had known the same love she had, and Haldred had seen it first hand. She could only assume, but there was a great confidence in that assumption.

Falcate carries on reassuring his daughter, and Absinthe can't help but want to clarify to the blue-eyed stranger that, if it wasn't obvious, this was a family matter, but her scarred uncle speaks again before she can begin. 'Is Derringer here?' he asks, and her head snaps to him, to his attention.

"Yes and no," she offers a knowing smile, squinting her left eye closed. "She's dead," the girl gulps down the words as her throat dries, but she does not change her expression. She looks smug, uncaring, and when she opens her blind eye she huffs. "It's for the best, really."

[Haldred]

#cc3336

She’d never kill me, Hallie… Leaving you behind, it was a death sentence of it's own, though she wouldn't look back to tell him that.

The female  before them trembled an apology, her body shaking like a leaf in a windstorm, and Haldred couldn't help but wrinkle her muzzle at it. She hadn't even DONE anything yet, and she got that kind of response out of someone? This one had a fragile, weak spine then. She was of no concern or danger to them, that's just how it went with weak wolves. Eyes would narrow and she'd snort, knowing full well that if this little girl was in Saboro they'd kill her and eater her. Save her the torment of life and cull her.

With one last look at the female she'd straighten and roll her eyes, Hallie turned then to look back to her father, bumping him with her shoulder gently. "This one's got a fish bone for a spine. She's not worth the- It had been a whisper, low enough so that only her father could hear until, the brown female threw back her head and howled.

Howling meant only one thing, calling for reinforcements, a deep growl built within the older female's throat, spinning around like a mad dog as she bared her teeth at the young girl. "What the FUCK do you think YOU'RE doing? Who the FUCK did you just call?" Her fur prickled and spittle dripped in strands from her mouth. "And here I was, not gonna fuck with you, but you just had to go and fuck with us. Spines like your's are easy to break, takes just one crunch." She clicked her teeth to accentuate the threat, or perhaps now it was a promise.

She'd move to spring forward and lunge. Y-you are on Gemini land... Do you seek home or asylum? There was no time for talking anymore, nothing Ashe had said mattered to her in the slightest. She'd angered her with that howl, put her father in danger, that's just something you don't do. "You fucked up, kiddo." But as she neared the girl, ripping up earth in her wake, teeth flashing and ready to tear into something small and weak. A flash of deep brown was before her and she'd halt.

A towering male stood before them, and internally you could see the expression upon Haldred's face turn from 'Fuck Yeah, this is easy' to 'Fuck No, you absolute asshole'. BACK. He barked loudly to her, and she'd felt her skin boil underneath her fur. "Suck my dick you big, dumb FUCK." She barked back, the pupils of her eyes mere pinpricks, tilting her head so that she could see Ashe behind the large male. "You fucking little coward, you piece of fucking shit. I'm gonna fucking kill you."

Don't hold back, just go. Even if her new opponent was twice her size, her father's safety was at stake, and she couldn't help but think... what karma this was. Let's go chase Serrate's smell! No, she'll kill you. Nah, she won't kill me. Instantly they were in a situation now that could result in both of their deaths. COOL, FANTASTIC.

The large male looked to her father then, and she took it as him picking out the first easy target, instead of a brother looking upon another brother. A deep growl escaped her and she'd ready herself to lunge at him. Brother. Came the giant's voice and she'd feel her claws dig into the frozen soil. You can relax, Haldred. We’re not here to start a fight. Deltoid, I didn’t expect to see you. You’re with Serrate? Her father's hoarse voice spoke out against the wind and snow, she'd flash a glaring gaze to her father. He was family, a brother lost long ago in a swamp. She'd heard and remembered the story. So... this was him? She'd look back to her uncle then and make a face, ruby eyes catching sight of Ashe and her fur prickled again. Little twerp.

Another arrived to the scene as well, fucking GREAT, and Hallie felt that familiar burning anger. This one was another female, her face a scarred up mess, and one of her eyes glossed over and pale.  But what surprised Haldred was that Absinthe's words were directed to Ashe and not her or her father. Where is she? Is Derringer here? Came her father's voice. Yes and no, she's dead, it's for the best, really. She'd raise a brow to her cousin. "Who the fuck are you?" She'd ask Absinthe plainly, lips curling into a gruesome sneer.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

"What the FUCK do you think YOU'RE doing? Who the FUCK did you just call?  And here I was, not gonna fuck with you, but you just had to go and fuck with us. Spines like your's are easy to break, takes just one crunch." She had known it probably wouldn't be a good reaction, but it was something that had to be done. As Gemini was now her home, it was her duty, her obligation, to follow border protocol. Ashe trembled, her ears going back against her head.  She wanted to explain that she wasn't authorized to let them in, that she was rankless and worthless and it was only by accident that she was even there.  She reverently wished Echo would arrive, but she wasn't picky.  Any border guard would do at this point.  She didn't dare to look behind her to see if anyone was coming.  Didn't dare take her eyes from the snarling demoness before her. "I-I...."  She stammered, trying to explain.  But her words failed her. Yes, Ashe's spine was easy to break. You fucked up, kiddo. Oh, yes, she had.The female lunged, and Ashe's brave face crumbled. She squeaked and leapt away, twisting like she was avoiding a crocodile as it lunged from the water. She wasn't very big, but she had a nimbleness that was surprising.  Before Haldred could grab a hold of her, a form stepped in front of her, shielding her from the impending onslaught. "BACK." Ashe wasn't sure if the order was meant for her or not, but she hastened to obey.  The new male smelled of Gemini, and she was more than happy to let him take over the situation. She backed up and hid behind his bearlike haunch, peering out from behind him as he addressed the trespassers. "Suck my dick you big, dumb FUCK. You fucking little coward, you piece of fucking shit. I'm gonna fucking kill you." Blue eyes went wide, and Ashe was resembling a rabbit more than a wolf at the moment.  The female was unhinged, crazed, wild.  Ashe cringed at the verbal threats, fully believing that it would have been reality if the male hadn't come to her.  A real damsel in distress, she was. "Brother." "Deltoid, I didn’t expect to see you. You’re with Serrate? Where is she? Is Derringer here?" "Leave, If you can't hold yourself up against the wind, leave." A new figure came upon the scene, and addressed Ashe from the Gemini side of the confrontation.  She turned to see who was speaking, only to be lunged at from a different direction. She flew once more into the air, seeming like a fish caught in a net. It was a rough landing on her rump as her legs slipped on the snow and she fell.  She curled in on herself, tail tucked and ears plastered to her head.  The female towered over her, and Ashe's heart pounded so hard she was sure it would burst.  She couldn't breathe, and her vision began to tunnel in on the snarling sandy face.  Then everything went dark as she fainted. Border patrol was definitely not for Ashe.

[Deltoid]

A E S T H E T I C       A R T

"Suck my dick you big, dumb FUCK.

His lips curled in a look of pure disgust for the foul-mouthed youth, and with no hesitation whatsoever, he lifted a paw up and smacked the girl across the face. "Stop." He grumbled, steeling himself for an inevitable backlash - it never came though, as his brother spoke up:

“Deltoid, I didn’t expect to see you.”

The behemoth tilted his head to the side slightly at his brothers words, his expression blank as he stated: "You are blind." It wasn't meant to be a joke (does Deltoid really look like the type?), but he found himself staring at the complete mess of scars that ruined Sagaris' face.

“You’re with Serrate?”

He only grunted in response, turning his head away to look back into Gemini. Would Serrate turn up? He had not seen his sister in months, perhaps even years, but he was well aware of the horde of children that appeared over time. Too many, in his opinion, it wouldn't surprise him if some went missing. Then again, what did he know? He was just a lonely man who lived in the woods.

"Leave, If you can't hold yourself up against the wind, leave."

Deltoid would never suspect anyone of the pack to try to attack or intimidate one of their own, so he had no clue what Absinthe had actually done (the uncle had instead focused his attention on slapping his niece), but when the woman crumpled and fainted behind him, he would turn and stare down in confusion. With absolutely no delicate touch, he'd lift a paw up and smack the side of Ashe's face a few times.

He let out a thoughtful hum at her lack of response.

“Where is she? Is Derringer here?”

"Yes and no, She's dead,"

Deltoid turns his head to the woman with a frown, his mouth opening but quickly closing; a loss for words. Trying to process the information of what, when, why, how - he almost missed the next statement.

"It's for the best, really."

"My sister is dead?" There was something low and dangerous about his tone. Deltoid did not know what Derringer had done, but she was still his family. She still had some importance to him; she and Serrate and Sagaris represented something that he never had before. Something that was taken from him and he had stumbled across once again by chance. To have any of those pieces slip out of his grasp filled him with some indescribable emotion that he had not felt before.

One thing was for certain; it wasn't a good feeling.

[Falcate]

Haldred whispered in her father’s ear, laughing about the flimsy wolf that had tried to stand up to the pair with stammering words and a quaking voice. But the small shared joke was cut short as the spineless girl let out a shrill howl, which absolutely set Haldred off. Flying off the handle immediately, she screamed at the girl. She swore at her, threatened her. Falcate didn’t bother to try calming her down – there was really nothing he could say that would cool that temper on her. She was too much like her father.

That fleeting sensation of hopefulness seemed to dissipate quite quickly. It didn’t seem to last very long, but the fact that he had felt it at all was progress in itself. Never had the battered male felt any sort of positive emotion toward his siblings, but for once he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could follow this trail, let his gut lead the way, and simply hope for the best.

Hope. A word that was never in his vocabulary.

Now, there was simply a heated family reunion playing out before them. They were just missing a few siblings and a heartless mother.

Another voice had entered, a scent that Falcate did not immediately recognize, but the smell hinted toward Derringer. “Leave,” said the voice, and Falcate bristled slightly. He was ready to speak back to the voice, to tell her she didn’t get to choose where Falcate and Haldred landed. But it soon became evident that this new voice was not speaking to the outsiders, and it seemed as though she was barking at her own peer. A small commotion sounded, and Falcate tried to follow the scene, but it was hard to place what exactly was going on.

There wasn’t many times that Falcate wished he could see, but the thought did cross his mind now and then. This definitely made the top of that list, however. There were far too many things that were going unspoken, so many things that were happening in silence. He tried to listen hard, but his chewed up ears stunted his hearing more than he’d have liked to admit. It was bad enough that he was unable to see, but the lack of adequate hearing was really the cherry on top.

Did someone get smacked? There was no telling what the hell was playing out before him, and it was beginning to frustrate him.

Then Deltoid spoke, and it was a deep, monotonous, and motionless tone. Pointing out the fact that Falcate was, in fact, blind, only made the male grimace slightly. Maybe it was a bit of a bitter smile. It was hard to tell with half of his lip missing.

The female voice which Falcate did not recognize answered his questions in regards to Derringer’s whereabouts. Her response was simply, “Yes and no.” For a moment, Falcate had questions. But she soon answered them.

“She’s dead.” And there was a sense of pride in that tone. Smug, perhaps a little raw on the edges. She clearly did not feel remorse.

The scarred male was silent. She commented on how it’s for the better, and Falcate couldn’t decide on whether or not he agreed. He couldn’t exactly say he was surprised to hear that Derringer was dead, but it seemed as though Deltoid was sure caught off guard.

He turned her question around, wanting to confirm the fact, and Falcate could hear a dark tone to his brother’s voice. Was it a threat? Did he really not know? Falcate sucked in a breath, shaking his head lightly.

Dead. Derringer was … Dead.

Haldred chimed in at last, asking the million dollar question: “Who the fuck are you?” Falcate was also curious to know who this bitch of a wolf was, curious to know how she knew so much about Derringer’s death, and why she manhandled one of her own. Perhaps she held a certain rank around these parts. Perhaps she was somehow above Deltoid and the one who lacks a spine. Surely, she’d bless them with that knowledge soon enough. She was clearly a very prideful creature.

Allowing his thoughts to collect for a moment, he finally opened his mouth again. “Wait … Who killed her?” He asked, assuming fully that there was no way she’d die of her own accord. There was no way she wouldn’t go down without a fight. Someone had to be responsible. Derringer was a God damn forced to be reckoned with – his ear could attest to that. He was unsure on how he felt about learning of yet another deceased sibling, unsure if he was shocked, upset, or maybe he was even relieved?

Honestly, he was more surprised at how long she’d lasted. There was a few occasions that he was almost certain Halberd would have killed her herself. The Red Bone was not known for her loving motherly tendencies, and it wouldn’t be the first time she murdered one of her own. Though, if Derringer had managed to escape the wrathful paw of their mother, then perhaps she was capable of escaping much darker fates.

However, it was evident that she could not run from Death forever. None of them could.

It seemed as though Serrate must have respected her enough, or perhaps even loved her enough, to have kept her around. That is, if Serrate was even here – it was a question he had yet to hear an answer on. Perhaps Serrate was dead as well, maybe someone had wiped them both out. Were there targets on their backs right now? “And Serrate? Who else is here?” His voice was honestly curious, anxious even. He wanted to know what it was exactly that he had blindly lead his daughter and himself into.

He knew she didn’t want to be here. Her biting words were not the first give away – she didn’t want them to follow this trail from the beginning. This was all Falcate’s idea, and he was hoping he didn’t drag her into the ultimate shit storm. He knew she only cared for his well-being. The girl would throw herself into the mouth of a bear for him. Haldred’s love for her father was unconditional by textbook definition. He didn’t deserve it, and he didn’t deserve all the selflessness she offered him.

Bear with me, Hallie.

A E S T H E T I C

[Falcate]

nudges this gently

[shortyhooz]

Hey guys can we skip some people so we can keep this going? I’d really like to get Sagaris and Haldred in some other RPs.

[waka]

i'm fine with that

[EhwazAzi]

Does that make it my turn?

[shortyhooz]

I think Waka’s!

[Haldred]

#cc3336

Expression became completely unreadable once Deltoid's paw met her face, but the emotions she went through in the span of five seconds were like tectonic shifts. Jaws lashing out to scream at him, but she saw the wobbling of her father instead and growled lowly.

Blistering red gaze fell back onto the brown little twerp and she felt her fur prickling up once more at the idea of snapping the other's neck in two. Fuck. But then she fainted, for a second Haldred gawked in confusion, but then sighed in intense irritation though the female also managed an unimpressed scoff. Whatta fucking wimp, her skin boiled. To think that thing fucked all this up for them.

"Shoulda ripped her throat out, useless, spineless fuckwit." She said lowly as she stood by her father, and he began asking questions. Wasn't that the first big no no? She shot him a warning gaze that he'd never be able to see, but he'd feel the tensing in her muscles. Asking questions is what gets you in fucked situations, don't ask just do. She had learned that a long time ago, but clearly dad was living on a prayer that Serrate was family and that she wouldn't possibly FUCK HIM OVER AGAIN. "Dad.." Came her final warning.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

For a moment, she had escaped the terror and slipped into blissful silence.  Then something struck her, once, twice.  It took another moment for her to rouse, but when she did, she was groggy and incoherent.  Her first waking breath was sharp, her eyes popping open.  Deltoid's attention was taken from her, more interested in the news that had been brought to him.  Ashe hadn't really been present for the details, and had no idea what was gong on.  She looked wildly around, but it seemed that everyone was more distracted with each other than her.  Now would be a good chance to escape. The female who yelled at her wasn't watching. ... But the crazy red woman was.  Ashe caught sight of Haldred's face, and pressed her large ears back against her skull. Escape didn't seem like a likely option.  But staying seemed intrusive.  Clearly this was some sort of private matter, nothing that an outsider like Ashe needed to be involved in.  But how was she supposed to leave?  If she tried, the Red Woman would probably scream about her trying to bring someone else.  But the crazy Gemini lady had told her to leave.  What was she supposed to do?!  Ashe slowly contracted, curling onto her side and remaining in a submissive posture.  When she'd managed to roll back onto her belly, she kept her head down between her paws, her tail tucked.  Big, doe eyes flitted from face to face, trying to discern her best option.  Really, there wasn't one. "May I be excused?" She squeaked.

[Deltoid]

A E S T H E T I C       A R T
Deltoid's Background Music

Ironically enough, the conversation seemed to die once the bombshell was dropped upon the brothers. The woman who had shown up to boast of Derringer's death seemed to have little else to say, and the man felt a twitch of anger that he had not felt before in his simple life. He stares down at Absinthe, stares through her, as he contemplates lashing out at her until she told him everything. Tear away at the soft flesh until he was satisfied enough that he could move on from the news of his sisters death.

It was what their bloodline was best at, wasn't it? Mindless destruction, senseless slaughter, it was what they thrived in and what they sought after.

For some reason, he hears his mother's voice in his mind, repeating what she had said to him the first time she had seen her long lost son.

"You took long enough, you useless idiot."

He snaps back to reality then; unaware that he had been staring at Absinthe like he was a starved mutt who had just seen a full meal for the first time in weeks. With his pupils shrinking to pinpricks, he turns his head away from her to look at someone, anyone else. Unfortunately, it lands on his other niece - She-Who-Looks-Like-Mother - and he can recall the furious stare that Halberd had given him across that ravine.

He wonders, as the remains of his scattered family try to regroup, if a woman as powerful as her could just die quietly in the shadows.

He wonders, once again, what his purpose in this place really was.

He had told Serrate once that he did not want to be alone, and she had promised to protect him (though, they both knew, he did not need it). It had been so long since he had seen his sister, but he knew she was writing her own place in history. The history of their family was a hefty book with many chapters - but he realises now that he was written out of the story long ago, when he was taken as a pup. Deltoid was Halberd's brood, but he was an outcast that did not belong here.

(It took you long enough, useless idiot)

"Your family." Came the answer to Falcate's question that he didn't even realise he had listened to. "You will find peace here." A pause then, to look back at his sister's creation behind him. "Tell Serrate...that I am sorry." He sighed, turning and walking past his brother and towards the endless wilds. "I never belonged here."

And with that, Deltoid shut his family history behind him, and opened another chapter to his story:

A New Beginning.

[Falcate]

The tension had remained thick throughout this entire interaction – you could practically bite through it with your own teeth. Anxiety seemed to be rising within Falcate, and he was growing irritable with the lack of answers he was receiving from anyone. The unidentified female who spoke of Derringer’s expiration had gone silent – or maybe she left – and Falcate was beginning to feel as though his questions might never be answered.

Haldred growled at – he assumed – the one who had sent out the howl, and Falcate did his best to ignore that sideshow. He wasn’t quite sure why that girl was here, or what use she had to this whole scenario, but he also didn’t fucking care. Her howl proved to be less than useful, and she wasn’t contributing much.

His daughter’s muscles tightened next to him as he asked his questions and she let out another unnecessary warning. Falcate growled lowly in response, feeling the anxiety build up in his chest, and what remained of his lips pulled back over his teeth. His own warning, to Haldred. He knew what he was doing, and he needed answers to these questions. As much as he appreciated her, the constant nagging during such a tense situation was pushing him into old habits, and he was growing tired of her watchfulness.

He could fucking manage.

A long silence ensued, engulfing them all at once. Birds chirped lowly in the distance, the grass shivered beneath their feet. What was going to happen? What would Deltoid say? Was he just as shaken by news of Derringer’s death as Falcate seemed to be? Who did that leave left alive? Just the two of them? No one had said a God damned word about Serrate, and he felt that asking again would bring him no good.

The empty air hung around them for much longer than Falcate was comfortable with, and the anger was beginning to rise in him – something that used to be so prevalent within him that now took energy to burn. “Fucking say something.” He urged with a growl, words strained as his heart began beating faster. Give me something to work with.

“Your family,” Deltoid answered. Family? So there was more of them here – the Red Bone lineage did extend its roots through another land. “You will find peace here.” Deltoid told them, his voice sounding so far away.

There was a pause then, before Deltoid spoke again, but it didn’t seem like he was speaking to Falcate and Haldred. “Tell Serrate that I am sorry. I never belonged here.”

Falcate felt his hulking brother walk past him. He was not going back into his supposed home, but rather crossing the line to enter the unknown behind Falcate and his daughter – the very place they had just come from.

The blind man turned his head as though following his brother with his eyes, but of course saw nothing. “Deltoid,” he called out, hopefully before the man had gone too far. The brother who Falcate never seemed to get the timing right with. Never seemed to get a chance to know who he was. He was always gone, and Falcate never had the time. And now they were crossing paths for the first time in what felt like forever, and Deltoid was going to leave again.

Something tugged at the broken wolf, something was telling him that this wasn’t right. But he never knew when to listen to those voices in his head. He never knew when the emotions were right, when he was thinking the right things. He felt like he should say something, but he just didn’t know what to say. The words never came easily to the ex-Harrier, and they wouldn’t start now. He opened his maw, but nothing came out. Closing it again, he lowered his head.

Thank you. The words run loudly in his mind, but never got passed his clenched teeth. Sentiments weren’t easy for the broken man, and he assumed they weren’t easy for Deltoid, either. After all, they both came from the same cold, dead family, where there were no please’s and thank you’s, or I’m sorry’s and I love you’s. There was nothing of that sense in their family, and there wasn’t about to be now.

Just as soon as he had said hello to his brother, they were once again saying good bye. And maybe this time they wouldn’t meet again until the afterlife, when they were both just ivory bones in the dirt.

A long sigh escape his maw, and he turned his head back forward, unsure of what he was facing. Their new home, for now, he supposed.

Deltoid had given them his blessing before making his own exit, so that must mean that Haldred and Falcate could press onward. He didn’t speak for a long moment, but he suddenly recalled that Deltoid said Serrate was here. She was still alive, and so that made three of them.

“You heard him,” he grumbled to Haldred, “Serrate is here.” With or without Haldred, he stepped forward, and would walk past both Absinthe and Asche if either of them were still there, and he’d start his next little journey to find the ghost of his sister.

A E S T H E T I C

ooc: this can be considered done unless Waka wants to post with Haldred one more time