He felt no need to run away from the scene he had just left. Narimé had sat there and stared after him, as if she were completely shocked by his response. What could she expect from him? Anything less would not have done. Even though Yuka was the youngest of the three siblings, it was obvious in their glares of hatred sent his way. There was no way that the youngest boy could ever come to despise his siblings, no matter what he did and was slightly shocked by their reaction to what he had said to his mother. Never had he seen a look so filled with hate thrown his way, and it was why he realized that he didn’t feel as if he belonged with this family. He was not one of them…he had never been one of them. A child scorned by his siblings and ignored by his father. The only reason he was truly staying was because of Inali. She was his peace and he knew that he had nothing to worry about when she was around. She soothed his being and let his soul soar. It was why he went to look for her now, his amber eyes, with teal flecks near the pupil, wide with longing; longing for the comfort that he was absolutely sure that his friend could give him. Slightly frustrated, he let out a sharp bark before running towards the frozen over lake in their home, his bigger figure looking at his reflection in the ice. His handsome russet face in comparison to his gray body stared back at him, a look of complete sadness over his usual emotionless face. There was no joy to be found in the boy’s face as he stared at the reflection of himself. Why was he still here even? He didn’t care for Minka very much, but respected her as he would an alpha, but there were no friendly feelings towards her, not after the fish incident. Shaking his head and letting out a soft snort, he slide his paw over his reflection in the water, letting his now distorted reflection reflect exactly what he was feeling. He was a distortion in his family; none of them cared for him like he wanted them to. Was it because he was different? He never understood, he just wanted them to accept him. |
She had been doing her usual stuff that she had taken up to ever since winter set in--marking the borders. It was really the only time she found peace nowadays. It was where she only had to not think, just do. She didn't have to worry about the pups, or Nari's return, or how they would all fare through the winter. All she had to do was mark. And mark she did. By a stream of urine, or pawing up a nearby tree.
She had been up since the sun had awoken for the day, and she had been out on the borders. She had taken a couple breaks here and there to break the ice of the lake in the pack territory to have a drink. But other than that, she was back on the job. It was at one of these particular breaks that she found herself heading to the frozen lake, and was meant with a surprise. Yuka was there, and she couldn't help but once again marvel at his size. He was past her head now, it was crazy.
As her silent paws headed his way, her heart tugged painfully. She knew something was wrong with her boy, and she'd figure it out one way or another. She hoped that she was not the only one that felt the closeness of their relationship.
A low whine was heard as she reached his backside. Her muzzle nuzzled his neck as she spoke in the gentle, warm tone that was Inali's own. "What's wrong Big Guy? What has happened to make you look so distressed, my sweet?" She was looking him in the eye now, her ice blue orbs connecting with his amber eyes. She hadn't noticed the tiny teal flecks they held until now. Even though her tone was warm, it was filled with firm determination. he would tell her what was bothering him. She couldn't help if he did not give her anything to go by. A comforting embrace could only go so far.
The Thorben child did not know how much time had passed while looking at his distorted reflection, but when he heard the soft whine, he quickly removed his paw from where it was a placed it back on the snowy ground beneath him. His Angel had arrived. Inali slide by his side and placed a comforting nuzzle onto the back of his neck, his jaws clamping together to refrain from gasping at the slight shock that her touch had given him. Looking up into her ice blue eyes, he listened to what she spoke. He knew that he couldn’t ask the question that he was wondering about. Why don’t they love me? he wanted to ask her, but he kept in mind her hesitant answer the last time he had asked a similar question and he knew that she didn’t know. But now…now he did. He tried to meet her gaze just as steadily and succeeded. He didn’t know how to tell her though and her caring eyes brought back thoughts from their last conversation. The sadness in his eyes reflected how bad he was feeling right now. They could be threatening but hold the love of the world in them, but right now, it was probably the most emotion he had ever let portray in his eyes. Swallowing his emotion, he finally let his jaws part, the words coming out softly, <b style="color:#2cb79f">”My siblings, they don’t love me. The three of us spoke with Narimé…and in their eyes I saw the purest form of hatred.” His amber eyes now turned to her again, almost pleading, but he knew that she could not do anything to stop them from feeling that way towards him. Taking another deep breath he spoke, <b style="color:#2cb79f">”I feel like I don’t belong here, Inali…like I never have belonged here.” Maybe this was something that she could comfort him about. He hung his head over his shoulder, his larger form making it much easier than it had been before. |
The feels in this thread..smh <3
Inali slowly sat onto her haunches, thinking of what to say to his words. His feelings matched what she felt as an adolescent, but in a way, completely different as well. She truly didn't know how to make sense of the jumbled thoughts in her head, but she would try to help him any way she could. He was old enough to understand.
Looking at him, she opened her maw. "You have such a beautiful soul, honey. I don't know what you believe in, or are starting to believe in, but I believe in the Fates. They know every aspect of what your life will be, depending on your decisions. Your choices. And the truth is, Yuka, you may be right." Blinking back tears, the woman continued. "You might not belong here. Your different then your brother and sister. Always have been. But it's a good different. I see it in the way you love the nature around you, and treat it with so much..respect and love. Don't get me wrong, Titan and Malia are wonderful children, and will grow up to be remarkable. But you..you're going to be a good man."
Looking down at the ground, she pawed at the snow briefly before locking gazes with his own once again. "You have a choice, hon. Everyone does. When you come of age in a couple months, or even a full grown adult when you reach two, you have a choice. The choice to either stay..," the women trailed off then, her voice a little choked up. Clearing her throat, she continued. "Or leave. You can leave to find that place where you truly feel you belong. As for me, this is the place where I truly belong--Whisper Caverns. I know I will stay here until the day I die, if the Fates wish it."
"I'm afraid that I haven't helped you much, love. I don't have the words. Even of what I just said, I don't even know if it helped you in the least. Probably not," she ended muttering with a soft chuckle. "My advice is to wait and see. I had to stick it out until I was a Yearling. I just couldn't take it anymore. My father hated me, my brothers hated me, hell, the whole damn pack hated me! Except my mother--a very Angel. Gosh, I miss her. But this isn't about me. It's about you. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more." Reaching, she placed her muzzle gently at the crook of his neck that connected to his shoulder. After a couple of moments, Inali pulled away, licking his muzzle lovingly. Staring at the frozen lake, she pawed at it softly, waiting for him to give her some type of response.
The young boy had always valued silence. It was what made the nature around him more clear and what allowed him to focus on the actual sounds around him. But whenever he would hear Inali speak, he knew that he didn’t mind her voice. She was one with nature to him and if he wanted to, he would hear Inali speak to him all day. Ever the attentive, smart boy he was, Yuka listened to every word she had to say, taking into account her own beliefs instead of his. Blinking down at her, his ears pricked forward. Most of what she said was information that he already knew about. It wouldn’t be a surprise to him if he ended up leaving the pack to do something else, but he also knew he could never leave Inali on her own. In this pack, from what he had seen, everyone was so judgmental, unlike Inali. He looked up to her so much and he couldn’t help but feel disgusted with leaving her on her own if they were to act as they were. He truly felt as if he were a distortion compared to his siblings, a freak of nature…the very nature he had come to adore and love. Words stuck in Yuka’s head long after Inali had gone silent, and before he could control himself, he found himself blurting out the words quickly, <b style="color:#2cb79f">”You are my Angel…” He truly did adore the older woman but he wouldn’t go as far as saying he had a crush on her, but he did harbor some kinds of feelings for her. He appreciated her embrace and remained in it for as long as she would allow. The child part in him had to ask the question, just to see if she would give him the answer that he was desperately clinging onto, <b style="color:#2cb79f">”If I departed, would you come with me?” He needed to know this, because her answer, it would determine if he would leave or not in the future. She was all he had right now and he would be damned if he ever let her go. |
Yuka was silent, but Inali didn't worry. She knew he liked silence. It allowed him time to think, so she waited patiently. She had heard his compliment, but only responded with a smile his way. She didn't believe she was an Angel, far from it actually. But, she guessed all the crap that her brothers had drilled into her, made it hard to accept compliments or nice things people said about her. It would be something she would have to fix.
Lifting her face from the idle drawings she began to draw in the snow with her paw, her mind went blank as he questioned her. Would she ever leave with him? It truly was a hard decision, even though she had sworn her loyalty to Whisper Caverns. She loved Yuka very much, and it would be hard to see him depart.
Thinking of what to say, she looked back down at the snow, and wiped away the drawings with a swipe of her paw. After a few moments in silence, Inali thought she had an answer. Lifting her head to look into his amber gaze, she opened her maw. "My loyalty is to Whisper Caverns," she stated firmly, as if to say no. But then a bright twinkle appeared in her blue eyes, making them seem to sparkle. "But..," she trailed off. "I could always tell Ash that I need to go off on a scouting trip, so in a way, I could accompany you, and do my duty as well." Inali's sudden happy mood, sombered. "But..I'll always have to come back Yuka. You need to know that." She had a question in her mind, but would wait to ask him about it as soon as he gave her a reply to her words.
The young boy's eyes watched her, his every observant eyes, glancing down at her paws that were drawing small pictures into the snow. Blinking, he made sure he was seeing such a thing correctly and was greeted with the same sight. Was she nervous around him? With that question in mind, Yuka moved his face sightly so that it was completely plunged into the shadows so that she could not see the insecurity laying behind his golden teal eyes. His ears flicked forward as her voice caressed his ears, eyes growing darker as she spoke to him. So she did not care for him the way she had expressed once, though the young Thorben would not be surprised due to how everyone else seemed to be repelled by the near thought of him...but in other places...perhaps then he would be able to prosper.
Her next words caught him off guard though, and his eyes slid towards her, even though they were still concealed within the safety of the shadows as he listened to her. For a few moments he was confused and his eyes met the glassy form of the lake, as if asking it to give him the words to respond to her. He knew that his decision had been made, he would not be leaving Whisper Caverns anytime soon. Years would pass and he would still be here until she left him. He would stand by her side and protect her, as she was his angel, he would be hers. Looking back towards her, he let out a soft sigh, recalling the words she spoke. Ash, their new alpha....Yuka knew he would have to learn more about him, and perhaps he would ask his Angel what she thought of him, but right now she needed some response to the words that she had uttered to him. His eyes were once again focused and serious as he moved half of his face into the light so that she could see him better as he responded, "I understand. Are you happy here?" He did need to know this, because if she was then he would never broach the subject of him leaving again. His voice was deeper now, moving down to the voice that would soon transfer into a deeper once when he would be a yearling.
Oh gosh, you'll have me addicted to Phantom of the Opera soon. Very beautiful <3
Another one?
OC: She watched with patient eyes as he turned from her, his face to the shadows. She wondered what was going on in his mind at the moment, but she knew better than to ask. He would tell her in due time if he so desired. Waiting for him to speak, she looked to the lake, and then back to him as he responded, giving him her ultimate attention.
Was she happy here? Really happy? It wasn't a simple yes or no. She had grown much since her Yearling days, learning that life wasn't just black and white. Many things fell into the category of happy where she was concerned. There were plenty of things to not be happy about, that was for sure. Sloane had abandoned them, the harshness of this winter, the idea of her dear Tokino leaving in the spring. But on the other paw, there were things to be happy about. She was surrounded by family and new friends, felt their love in her very paws as she traveled through pack lands, and best of all, Yuka. Her russet Knight. The thought made Inali grin softly, and moving her gaze from the lake, she connected her blue orbs with his amber-teal ones.
<p>"The answer, my sweet, is yes. This is my home, the home I never had growing up. But I must admit. If I allow myself to be selfish, I don't think I can imagine a home without you in it..even though I really have everything I need. It's just the simple truth, selfishly speaking." Shrugging her dainty shoulders, her maw opened again. "I'm going to give you a scenario, my Knight. Forget about me, forget about everything. Now, tell me what you want most in the world. Your dreams, your aspirations. Take me out of the situation, and just tell me." Her voice had lowered to a whisper by the time she finished speaking. Inali moved closer, their furs barely brushing against eachother. Sitting back onto her haunches, she waited for his answer in the comfortable silence.