[Hodge (RP)]

Hodge shivered. And sneezed. It was the loudest sound that had ever escaped him.

The spotted dire trotted towards the border of Gemini, his red tattoos matching the late sunset that still emitted a kind of warmth despite its dying state. After spending some months alone, Hodge had decided he finally needed to do something for himself. He needed to find another home. Normally, such a realisation would come immediately after you leave your birth pack. You can no longer be with your family, so you try and join another, right? Except Hodge had never felt part of a family. Not even in Saboro. True, he had had his mother and Ratchet, his dinosaur. Except they had both vanished before he could even form a complex emotional system around them. Saboro, despite being an emotional complex system on its own, did not really encourage complex emotional systems.

In fact, the only emotions Hodge felt at that moment were self-pity and loneliness. The feelings of grief and guilt would come later, probably when he slept. It was just as well he had never expected to rule Saboro or else he would probably just feel a crippling disappointment. But he had never been born to rule, had he? No matter what his parents and teachers had said. 

While Gemini's land was beautiful and full of adventure and wonder, Hodge could only mope. Why was it so cold here? Why was it so quiet? The quiet was bad, bad things could hide in the quiet. He did not like quiet. He liked the rumble of the volcano, the knowledge that something - anything - was coming. The quiet was an unknown force that pounded on his ear drums with its... silence. Its nothingness. Hodge sneezed again, the sound echoing throughout the trees, startling himself. He whimpered, increasing his trot slightly. With the border in sight, the former Fledgling slowed to a halt, having enough sense (well, duh) to not cross the invisible line. His stomach growled, causing him to call out an "Hello??" before he realised that the growl had emitted from him. He was hungry. 

He liked being hungry. It meant that, for once, he could emit a growl without looking like he had swallowed a bug.

[Auri El]

AURI EL

The gray dire mix enjoyed nothing more than trekking Gemini's vast territory. He could happily run laps and investigate every nook and cranny of the place. Rather quickly, the pack began to feel more like home than Saboro ever had.

But as usual, the borders call to Auri El, the land outside always beckoning to him. There is so much left to explore. So much left to learn. Beyond Saboro, beyond Gemini. But the gray dire mix is far too fond of Gemini to just up and leave on a mere whim. And so he contents himself with meandering the borders, poking at random critters or saying hello to travelers.

He is no ranger, but that does not stop him from turning in the direction of a new scent — and there is a familiarity there, something familiar enough to cause caution in the typically boisterous male's approach.

"Hello??"

The voice is young, and accompanied by the sound of an obviously hungry stomach. The thought of a child, alone and hungry is more than enough reason for Auri El to abandon his initial caution, quickening his step without any lingering hesitation.

However, the sight that greets him causes the male to freeze in his tracks. He knows those chocolate colors — his mother had been painted in similar shades. And the blend of speckles, gold, and hauntingly sea foam. Most telling of all, the vivid scarlet painted upon the boy's cheeks. Was this one of Sol Katti's? He was undoubtably royal — why would a young fledgling be so far from Saboro? However, his hesitation does not hold back the kind smile that graces his features (though to any familiar with Auri El, they'd certainly see how brittle the expression was). "Hey kiddo." He chirped happily, wearing his friendly and lackadaisical demeanor effortlessly. "Are you lost? Where're your parents?"

What're you doing so far from Saboro

The possibility of the youth having taken the opportunity to escape like Auri El had does not escape him — Saboro certainly isn't kind to anyone regardless of status. But... Wine reds can't help but linger upon vivid seafoam green and feel a tug at his heart. He had never met any of his nieces or nephews, had never taken the time to or even truly considered it.

Perhaps now... If this youth was lost or running from Saboro... Maybe he could help.

[Hodge (RP)]

(ooc: i'm so sorry for this reply that is over two month's late! if you'd like anybody else to jump in and handle things, I'd totally understand. <33)

"Hey kiddo."

Everything about the wolf's approach was amplified by Hodge's fear. His smell, his towering height and, above all else, the volume of his voice. The simple, friendly 'hey kiddo' came out as a deafening screech, prompting Hodge to let out a sound that was a mixture of a whoop, laugh and a whine. A kind of moan. He backed away instinctively, long tail between his legs and he shook his head desperately. "I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY!" he cried, backing away until his back legs slipped on some mud and he fell backwards into a large puddle. Then, he began to sob, completely forgetting he was on what was potentially enemy territory. Let them kill him, he thought. He was nothing, he was nobody. He had no home, no pack, so what was the point? Who were you if you had nobody? Nobody to call your name or tell you that they loved you. "I want my mum," he managed to whimper. Oversized pup he was but a pup nonetheless.

"Are you lost? Where're your parents?"

"I don't know!" he managed to cry out. "My mother disappeared. She would never have left us but she vanished and all my brothers and sisters could do was argue over bones. Ratchet - my dinosaur - tried to protect me but they disappeared too. So I ran, I ran and ran. I'm not lost because I have no place to go. I have no place to be, mister."

He sniffed, pawing at his long tail that was tucked between his legs as he considered the stranger. "I'm sorry for crying," he whispered. "They always said, in Saboro, that crying and excuses would only make you weak. I used to have a stutter. My voice would shake. Sometimes, my siblings would take the piss. Make fun of me. Ratchet never did. I stopped eventually but now? Every last bit of me shakes. I'm sick of being afraid. I'm tired."

Noticing the kind look on this stranger's face, Hodge offered him a grudging smile of his own. He hardly ever smiled. The skill was forgotten to him. Thus, his smile looked like a kind of grimace. An expression of pain and misery. Recognising that he was failing hard at appearing friendly - yet another thing he was crap at - Hodge averted his eyes to the scenery around him. "It's nice here," he complimented. "Quiet. Where am I exactly, sir?" he asked then.

He had always been taught that there were no nice things in or outside of Saboro. To discover a land that was not overshadowed by fire and ash was an overwhelming experience. And yet he wanted more.

[Auri El]

AURI EL

The child flinched away from him with the low whine of a wounded animal. Auri El couldn't help but jerk his own head back in surprise and uncertainty -- for this was not a display he expected from a Saboran royal. Perhaps an act? But the thought was entertained for only a heartbeat as the child slipped pathetically into the mud, his desperate wails of apology. This certainly looked far too real to be an act, and the ex-Saboran instantly pitied the boy.

Saboro either broke its youth or twisted them into cruel monsters to keep the cycle going -- there was rarely a middle ground, and it seemed this spotted youth was a product of the former.

I want my mum,

The gray male lowers himself to the muddy earth at that, peering at the boy in attempts to make eye contact. He said nothing as the boy began his tale. Auri El did well to keep his expression calm and passive,

I don't know! My mother disappeared. She would never have left us but she vanished and all my brothers and sisters could do was argue over bones. Ratchet - my dinosaur - tried to protect me but they disappeared too. So I ran, I ran and ran. I'm not lost because I have no place to go. I have no place to be, mister. I'm sorry for crying, They always said, in Saboro, that crying and excuses would only make you weak. I used to have a stutter. My voice would shake. Sometimes, my siblings would take the piss. Make fun of me. Ratchet never did. I stopped eventually but now? Every last bit of me shakes. I'm sick of being afraid. I'm tired.

"Don't apologize for crying, my boy." The dire mix murmured after a moment, inching forward to give Hodge a comforting nuzzle to the crown of his head. "Saboro was wrong about many things. They hid from the world in that jungle, their brutality was just a guise to hide just how afraid of the outside they were." He thinks of Sol Katti, her seafoam eyes so similar to this cowering child. She had been vicious in her rule, but Auri El had and always would be the girl's big brother. He could always see the fear and paranoia in that vivid gaze. "It's a big world out here, it's only natural to be afraid at first. But there are many wonderful things, I promise you."

It's nice here, Quiet. Where am I exactly, sir?

"It is nice, isn't it?" Auri El agrees happily, slowly lifting himself from the muddy earth to stand and stretch. "It's called Gemini, there are many strange critters and plants here that you'd never find in that jungle. It's a wonderful place, my boy." Auri El casts the child another bright smile, and gestures for him to stand from the mud. "This is a good place to be, if you choose to stay." He doesn't quite offer, but instead leaves it open ended. It's important to learn to choose, for Saboro had rarely granted such luxuries, even to those of royal blood. "Ah!" Auri El exclaims suddenly before casting the spotted youth a guilty glance, hoping he didn't startle the boy too much. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Auri El. What's your name? I can't exactly go around calling you boy forever."

[Hodge (RP)]

"Don't apologize for crying, my boy."

Still, Hodge tried not to sniff pathetically, rubbing at his face with his paws as he rose to his feet. Curiosity had taken over his fear somewhat and his nose was twitching furiously as he considered the other wolf, the tail tucked between his legs giving away a glimmer of distrust. Although Auri El's voice was soothing and laidback, Hodge was still apprehensive from his time in Saboro and the trek that had brought him to these new, unfamiliar lands. The lands matched the man who had come to meet him: still and full of serenity. A far cry from the self-destructive world of his birth pack.

"Saboro was wrong about many things. They hid from the world in that jungle, their brutality was just a guise to hide just how afraid of the outside they were."

"Who are you to say that? How can you say that?" Hodge snapped suddenly, his grief bordering on anger as he quickly talked over Auri El before he could respond. "There's a good reason to be scared of the outside! To be scared in general. It keeps you alive! The outside took my mother! Of course it's bad!"

So, why had Oriana given herself to the world outside the pack, then? Why leave the one place where she felt at home for a place as unpredictable and unkind as the outside? The thought of his mother made Hodge whimper once more, his anger demeanour fading away in an instant. Although he had left Saboro, he had left because.. Well, there was nobody else there for him anymore. Ratchet was gone, Mother was gone, so was Father. Sincate was running the show and, although his sibling had never done anything to hurt him, he had not liked what he had seen in their eyes when they had made their claim for power on the night of the meeting. There was no kindness in those eyes, no humanity. Just greed. Hodge had needed somebody to take care of him - he always would - and he would find no such figure in Sincate. 

"It's a big world out here, it's only natural to be afraid at first. But there are many wonderful things, I promise you."

The spotted wolf snorted in disbelief, kicking absently at the mud at his paws like a sulking child. It was not that Hodge was a mean, ill-tempered young man. It would take weeks - months, even - to undo the brainwashing that he had been subjected to. For any regular member of Saboro, it was an intense process that could result in death if resisted. For a Fledgling, it was not just a process that had to be undertaken after a life of free will: it was their life. Their destiny. It was only through dumb luck that the greed and cunning that inhabited his other siblings had skipped him, rendering him unfit for the crown. Perhaps in a Saboro long gone, Hodge would have been culled for his weakness. In Oriana's Saboro, he had been showered with understanding and curiosity. Although his upbringing had been intense, he had been loved. Would he ever feel such love again? 

"It's called Gemini, there are many strange critters and plants here that you'd never find in that jungle. It's a wonderful place, my boy. This is a good place to be, if you choose to stay." 

"Really?" the Fledgling stood up as he had been instructed. "I guess.... I guess I... I could give it a shot? I'm really sorry for snapping before. I have left Saboro but I'll always miss the family I had there. They're the only good thing I can remember right now. Maybe I can make more good memories. Maybe."

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Auri El. What's your name? I can't exactly go around calling you boy forever." 

"Oh, sure. You've given me your name, it wouldn't be proper for me to deny you mine," Hodge chuckled nervously, a sound that felt foreign in his throat. "I go by Hodge. It's... Nice to meet you, Auri El. And Gemini."

He indicated the packlands once more, still spellbound by its beauty and peacefulness. He hoped the pack members would match it. Despite the longing he still felt for his family, Hodge was quite done with the chaotic, brutal regime he had once inhabited.

[Auri El]

@RJ.
((aaahh I'm so sorry this took 5 millions years!! School royally whooped my ass.))

AURI EL

The uncertainty and fear emanating from the youth snapped suddenly – the wire drawn too taut. But even in the sudden harshness of the boy’s tone was not comparable to the typical Saboran ferocity. Even in anger the boy appeared soft. Grief hung heavier over his shoulders than the rage, and Auri El took relief in it. This was no bloodthirsty Saboran prince. Whoever this boy was, he did not inherit Sol Katti’s reactive cruelty – for if he had Auri El was certain he’d be bleeding from quick viper strikes by now.

“Who are you to say that? How can you say that? There’s a good reason to be scared of the outside! To be scared in general. It keeps you alive! The outside took my mother! Of course it’s bad!”

The gray dire mix remains still throughout the extend of the boy’s outburst, only giving a slight twitch of his ears at the mention of the outside taking the boy’s mother. He isn’t sure how he feels about the thought – was the mother this runaway prince spoke of Sol Katti? Or some other relative? Was the dappled Sabora missing or dead? Sol Katti had only been “sister” in hazy and brief childhood memories. The next time Auri El had seen her, the strange sister of his memories had grown into a tyrant queen. “I know Saboro.” He finally settles on after a moment, the admission tasting strange upon his tongue. Auri El hadn’t named his previous home to anyone in Gemini. He hadn’t even acknowledged his royal lineage while exploring Gemini’s beautiful lands and meeting the people. He would be content to spend the rest of his days in this comfortable anonymity.

But if this boy was family –

“I was raised there. My father’s name was Tyrfing and my mother was Romula. I had siblings too. Sanguine, Maesa, Niflheim, Hieronymous, Sica… And Sol Katti. She – Katti – had bright green eyes, just like yours.” Wine reds look for recognition upon the boy’s face, wondering if Katti was truly the mother he spoke of… Or if Katti was even Sabora anymore. “I miss Saboro and them sometimes… But out here, it’s worth it.”

Auri El continued to watch the spotted youth with patience and sympathy, a small smile pulling at his lips as the boy stood despite his earlier pouting. Curiosity seemed to capture the boy’s attention as easily as it did Auri El’s.

“Really? I guess… I guess I… I could give it a shot? I’m really sorry for snapping before. I have left Saboro but I’ll always miss the family I had there. They’re the only good thing I can remember right now. Maybe I can make more good memories. Maybe.”

“It’s alright, my boy. No harm done.” Auri El murmured comfortingly. “It’s natural to grieve your family, I will never forget mine. But family… It’s what you make of it. You’ll have a family again if you choose it. You can and you will make good memories, I promise you.” The boy, Hodge, introduces himself and Auri El nods, committing it to memory. Hodge. “A good name.” The dire mix hums pleasantly with a nod, before turning and gesturing for the youth to follow. “Come now, let’s get you settled and find some food for you.”

[Arkana]

(( hi this can be deleted but i just want to say i love these two characters. HODGE, my son. ;o; ))