Dead Empress Backwater my friends say i should act my age

Snagged RE: You venture too close to some nesting swans.

what i really need now is a double shot of crown

The season was nearly upon them and Vayko felt this itch about him that he hadn’t before, as if things were simply affecting him more than they had before. Scents were starting to change and he couldn’t explain the weird feelings he had a result… he didn’t like it. He would really like it if it stopped. He was patrolling the borders, though pacing was likely the better word for it. Patrolling implied that he was really paying attention to his surroundings, but pacing implied that he was lost in his head because he most certainly was. He couldn’t explain the way that the alabaster healer was clinging to his mind like the diseases she treated.

As long as he didn’t say that to her, and imply she was like a disease… well, then he would probably be fine. He wanted to talk to Viorel about it, get some advice because he had yet to replace his advisor, but he could not bring himself to open himself up to any possible teasing or ridicule and he was not sure his cousin would take him seriously. Besides, he was going to be more than busy with his main squeeze, wasn’t he? He hadn’t realized he’d ventured close to a swan couple until their screeches were filling his ears and he was cursing loudly. Fucking hell.

“Shit.” They nipped and bit at him with their wings flapping and he was finding himself quickly retreating in the process. He really did not have time for another beaked creature to cripple him.

Eros was close by, enough so to hear the birds begin their raucous honking and hissing. Immediately he was on his paws and after the sound, hackles bristled and tail high. Stupid prey animals, always thinking they could pick on his family. He ran onto the scene, fur standing to make him as large as possible while his bared teeth clacked loudly. He gave them plenty of warning, and they still thought they were the ones in the right.

"Fish off!" he barked moments before barreling into them. They tried to beat against him with their wings and gouge him with their beaks, but he was familiar with taking on large birds at this point. Ignoring the bruises swiftly forming, he tore at their flesh and sent them running, too injured to even fly. Take that.

what i really need now is a double shot of crown

Had Vayko developed some sort of fowl-based PTSD? It was quite possible, after the various run-ins that he’d had with other aspects of nature… but it did not matter because his young and rambunctious nephew did not have the scarring events of bringing a plague upon the pack to deter him from going after the creatures, chasing them off and maiming them in the process so they could not even fly. He thankfully left relatively unscathed.

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, offering his young nephew a toothy grin. “Thank you, Eros… that was some quick action on your part.” The praise fell from his lips softly. He had been trying to make up for the lack of praise he received from his own father by peppering it on his nieces and nephews when he found them deserving of it.

Eros gave a low growl and bared his fangs as the birds fled, unaffected by their sad cries over what they'd just lost. They were just dumb animals, they were about to attack his uncle, and they were trying to do just the same to him. He didn't feel bad at all. Vayko's words caused his head to twist like an owl's, so that he might beam at him over a plump, tawny shoulder.

"S'no problem," he answered almost smugly, turning to come to the other Valle's front so they could talk.

"Don't know why they're always comin' here anyways. It's occupied, obviously."

His age showed in his tone, smarmy and quick.

(This post was last modified: May 30, 2022, 06:53 PM by Eros.)

He seemed proud of himself for having frightened off the creatures that had been disturbing Vayko total. There was a smugness but Vayko did not comment on that either. It was within his own prerogative. “You’re turning into quite the guardian, Eros.” There was a glimmer of pride in his tone but it didn’t quite carry to his eyes, almost eerily reminiscent of his own father, displaying affection in the same way: completely superficial.

He snorted softly and raised a brow at his nephew. “Well, it’s because they don’t recognize borders like you and I.” He explained, using it as a learning opportunity. “Us marking our borders signals to other wolves and creatures like foxes… but birds are a different story. They don’t smell borders because they just fly over them.” He understood more. “And if they didn’t come here, what would we eat? We would have to venture far for food… we should be grateful they are still so oblivious to our markings, even if they can be quite aggressive at times.”

Vayko Valle

You’re turning into quite the guardian, Eros.

The praise made him glow, tail wagging heartily at his back. It was what he wanted to be, a protector for the pack and those he cherished. It was why he had wanted to learn from his mothers about medicine as well, ensuring that he was able to take care of the others in more ways than just one.

Well, Vay then continued, but Eros' attention did not remain rapt for long. His uncle strove to explain the waterfowl's stupidity, but the child didn't much care for their reasons. Whatever instinct told them, he'd chased them off personally enough times by now that they should have learned and then told all their fluffy geese kids too.

"Deer taste better anyways," was his youthfully dismissive answer, nose starting to wander along the mud at his paws for hints to something, anything interesting. Maybe he'd work on building more caches today...

Time was still of the essence with the younger generation. Vayko himself had done much growth in his yearling year and he had hopes for what the next generation of Valles could achieve. His dismissive answer brought a soft snort from his features. It was the ignorance of youth… something Vayko knew well. “No arguments there.” He offered, finding birds to be far too gamy for his tastes.

He watched his nephew looked at the mud on his paws. “Why don’t you come with me. I was about to patrol along the borders.” He offered, hoping maybe he could provide at least a little guidance. Wasn’t that what leaders were supposed to do? Guide their pack and lead it. Surely that meant mentoring the youth as well.

Vayko Valle

Rather than insist Eros understood him, the older wolf appeared to easily let the topic slip out of reach. Perhaps when the young Valle were an adult himself he would be more inclined to mind such musings, but for now his elder only garnered his attention once again when he changed gears and offered something of great interest.

Perking visibly with interest, Eros turned his shining eyes back onto Vayko.

"That would be awesome!" he answered with a grin, tail wagging once more. He loved when the adults let him tag along with their jobs, especially the ones that felt most important and potentially risky.