Aurora Heights i know this world feels like an empty stage [s]

He hadn’t quite known what to expect from the other. It’d been more than just a smug look and one, pithy statement, that wasn’t at all braggadocious. She was honored, apparently, and he was interested as to just how the hell Nori had come to that conclusion. In fairness to her, though, it was probably one of the nicer things he’d said to her throughout their traveling stint. He didn’t give compliments like that often, either, which Nori - clever as she was, had probably figured out.

Thankfully, by some manner of grace, she seemed to willing to stop questioning him, albeit reluctantly so, when it came to his odd actions. All she did was label him as weird, and pout a little bit about his secrets, but there were no further questions. Nori did sound as if she were genuinely concerned about him being cold though, which, he already was. The mountain breeze had been a bit chilly, but pleasant before. Now though, he was in fact cold. But it was a sensation Jethro relished, for it took his mind off of other things.

He thought he heard her mutter something under her breath in the midst of that, too, but couldn’t quite make it out. He did hear her following him though, and cast a quick glance back, but maintained his otherwise quick pace. ”Made it through shit that was much worse on my own, before. I’ll be fine,” he muttered curtly, hoping to end the topic there. And he had. This shit was like a damned stroll through the woods compared to some of the torment he’d been subject to before. Although Nori was nice to have around and had proven herself one to keep her word to this point, there was nothing preventing that from changing. Some day, he was sure, she would no longer want him around, then this would end. And then he’d be on his own again.

If he could gain an alliance out of it, though, that would be enough. Perhaps, then, it would also be best not to stay for too long, and wear out his welcome. Assuming he was welcomed, anyway. That either of them were.

It didn’t take them too long to find the source of the scent, a discarded elk carcass just a short ways away from the stream, and down a little bit of a slope. The kill looked to be recent, and perhaps only slightly picked over. There was life up here, Nori mused, joining him as they looked over it. She placed a paw on its stomach, which had swollen up a little bit. Green eyes looked over the deceased creature’s torso, noting that there were no immediate and recent wounds. A wealth of scars of various sizes marred its hide, though, making it evident this creature had seen several years of life. Although it could’ve been from decomposing, the skin and fur around its face and neck looked ragged and droopy, telltale signs of aging

”Too old to go on, probably,” he spoke after a short delay, although he wasn’t too sure if Nori had been seeking an answer. Idly, he wondered how many years of life it’d seen. How many encounters with predators it’d survived, how many offspring it had sired, only to end up dying here, alone and forgotten. A symbol of fate at its finest, a destiny that would befall everyone, eventually.

The thoughts lingered for a moment longer, before he shook them away, and lowered his head to tear at the shoulder. Not as good as the deer, but it was free, and he was not picky.

Made it through shit that was much worse on my own, before. I'll be fine.

"But you're not alone now." Her reply was extemporaneous, and honestly she surprised herself a little bit. Still, she wasn't embarrassed by the statement. Truth be told, she rather liked having him around - she thought she'd made it pretty obvious, actually. Her brows knitted together and she picked up the pace, ignoring her paws and shoulder for a moment so that she could keep up with the boy. There was much more that she could've said, but she didn't really feel like she had to. Maybe just being here was enough.

Apparently the elk was old. It made sense, judging by the fact there were no evident injuries and no signs of a struggle. It was like it had just decided to lie down and die there, on top of the mountain. An ambitious place to choose to die - Nori could respect that. But there were no other elk around; it was by itself, old and alone and decaying on top of the mountain.

The thought made her a little sad.

She hummed in response, waiting for Jethro to take a bite before she leaned in to open its stomach. It wasn't too terribly decayed - still tasted fine, even if the meat was a little bit tough. The deer was a lot better, but Nori had never been picky either, so she definitely wasn't going to complain now.

It also wasn't as messy, this time. When she'd finished, Nori licked her lips and leaned back, stomach full and comfortable. The sun had fallen far past the horizon by that point, and stars splattered across the sky, glowing against the deep navy backdrop. It was a little bit chilly up on top of the mountain, with very little cover, and Nori took a moment to be grateful that it didn't seem as though it was going to rain.

But her companion was still very wet, which was worrying. If she was willing to admit it was cold, then what must he be feeling? Her eyes scanned him over, to check if he was trembling or not. It was hard to tell in the darkness.

"We should probably lay down soon," she reasoned - she had to admit that she was pretty tired, but she didn't know if she'd be able to sleep just yet. Her next offer would be hard to make, judging by how he'd reacted to touch before, and she'd been careful not to get too close to him since then. And Nori was not a cuddler, but Jet's fur was still wet, and she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable or get sick. The mental image of him curled up in a ball, shivering and trying to get warm made her chest ache in a way she wasn't familiar with. Still, she had to be careful about the way she phrased this. "I'm kinda cold." It wasn't a lie, but the visible shivers that ran up her frame afterward were definitely fake. "It's a lot different up here than it was in the forest. Would you mind if, uh..."

Her face burned a bit, anticipating a quick rejection and maybe even disgust from her companion. "Could you-...? Ugh, why is this so hard to say?" she muttered, frustrated with herself. Usually, she didn't have nearly this much trouble speaking. "I mean, I know touching makes you uncomfortable, so you don't have to, but it's cold up here and there's not a lot of cover and I think it'd be helpful if maybe, you know." She shrugged her left shoulder, unable to make eye contact. She was almost ashamed for even asking. "If you don't want to, just forget I asked. Or you could drown me in the creek now. Either way," she finished, fully ready to go and shove her face in the water.

He wasn’t alone, now, Nori spoke, absent her usual melodramatic tone. It sounded sincere, and there was nothing else spoken after that, which was good. The statement tugged at him, more deeply than he liked to admit, and the dark one was grateful to be able to disguise such a thing by busying himself with tearing at the elk carcass, although his efforts were half-hearted. Whether the other knew it or not, she had struck a particular chord.

Loneliness. Growing up, it had been both his best friend and worst enemy; a source of both comfort and agony. It was one of the few things, along with pain and coldness that’d been constant from the beginning. Always there, cruel, unforgiving - but after a time, the consistency of those sensations had grown comforting. It was all he knew how to seek, but, for perhaps the first time in a long time, Jethro was not so sure if it was what he wanted.

He tore again at the elk, although he did not rush to consume it. There was very little concern that anything else would arrive to try to threaten them, here. No reason to think it wouldn’t be here tomorrow morning if he wanted more. The sun had long since faded from the sky by the time he and Nori finished, taking with it the last remnants of warmth. The air was chilly, made worse by his damp coat.

It was far from intolerable, though. Jethro cast his gaze about, finding only the faintest of glows visible in the west. Everywhere else in the sky were many thousands of dots, stars, scattered across the sky. Each of them had sat back once done, and it was impossible not to let his gaze be drawn upwards after that. He didn’t know how long he’d sat there, staring, unflinching, when Nori spoke to him again.

He nodded, pointing his nose towards a small collection of boulders just short ways beyond them. Only the silhouettes of them were visible in the darkness, but they would provide shelter and a break from the wind. ”Looks like a good spot, there,” he suggested, rising to turn towards the area only moments after he’d spoken. He had just started to move off when Nori spoke again, prompting him to turn his head to look to her.

She was cold. A shiver racked her frame, as she stated that this place was a lot different than the forest, and began to inquire something, but paused. Even in the darkness, his eyes narrowed, as he was pretty sure he knew what was being implied. What he hadn’t expected though, was the degree of difficulty Nori had in putting forth a relatively simple request. She couldn’t even look at him. There was unease, agitation even, in her tone, which was usually full of humor and confidence. It was odd, and the dark one was not sure he liked it. But he remained conflicted, rooted in place, unable to decide between sticking with what he was familiar with, or risking something new.

Jethro sucked in a soft breath, trying to find some sort of response. Words were the easiest, at that moment, although he took several seconds to contemplate them. ”Where I’m from, Nori, touch has brought me nothin’ but pain and scars. I’ve spent more fucking nights cold, bleeding, and alone than I can count. I don’t need you, or anyone,” he murmured, though enmity mired the soft words clearly. There was so much Nori didn’t know about him, and if he was still slated to meet her family, it felt only fair to reveal a sliver of information about himself. Jethro averted his gaze, at that. The cold was there, a soothing antagonist. He didn’t need anyone. He was fairly certain that it was a concern for him that prompted the request, anyway. He’d seen the way she’d looked over him.

It warmed him in a way he’d never experienced before, that a stranger would be more concerned over his well-being than the one that’d birthed him. ”But.. I.. uh. I think I want to. Not be cold, or alone.” The words were nary a whisper, just barely audible above the sound of the winds. But he was certain. As sure of it as he could be, anyway. At that, the dark one inclined his head, silently inquiring if the other would follow. If Nori really was cold, too, and he could help, well. He supposed that he should. It wasn’t just about him, he supposed.

There was a while where neither of them said anything - just ate and enjoyed the night. Meanwhile, Nori was experiencing a crisis of some sort - she hadn't decided which kind, but it definitely involved fear and insecurity and maybe some kind of emotions that she didn't know what to do with. She was definitely not good with feelings and being genuine and what she was about to request definitely involved feelings. So she hated it.

Fortunately for the both of them, there were a few boulders nearby that would offer some kind of shelter. Maybe not ideal, but certainly better than them freezing out in the open. Nori wasn't really used to the higher altitude and northern weather, being from the coast down south, so this felt cold to her. Winter was definitely going to be worse - she didn't know how she was going to deal with it.

Finally, she got the words out, and she waited for Jethro's response in silence. There were several ways that this could go - he could be highly offended and angry and could snap at her, or he could ignore her and pretend she hadn't said anything so she could maybe pretend this never happened, or he could actually drown her in the creek and end her suffering. What had she expected him to say, really? "Yes, please, Nori, cuddle me and make sure I'm not too cold tonight! Oh, how I love to be cuddled!"

How could she have thought this was a good idea? Jethro was the wolf equivalent of a porcupine - there was no way he was going to be up for this.

And then he was talking, which was a definite improvement to just about every single situation she'd imagined. His words weren't shocking - she'd actually expected that he had been hurt a lot in his past; he had plenty of scars, wanted to be alone, and responded poorly to touch, so it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Still, it made her feel a little sick to her stomach, thinking that someone could do that to another person. She'd gotten off pretty lucky with her own childhood.

She waited for him to finish speaking entirely, not wanting to interject. The last bit was almost shocking, and it took her a few seconds to really absorb what he'd said. And sure, it wasn't exactly a "Hey, let's cuddle," but it definitely was an invitation, and Nori couldn't help but feel a little warm inside. She started forward when he motioned for her to, trailing after him to the boulders.

"And I don't need you." It probably wasn't the best thing to say in response, but it was what kept bouncing around in her head. "I need food and water and air and stuff, but I want to have you around, and that's better." Nori looked back over at the boy, tentatively making eye contact. "This isn't really something I'm used to, either. So..." She shrugged her shoulders again with a sheepish smile. "I don't know if your paws are still bleeding or not - I can't do much about that, - but you don't have to be cold and alone right now."

Nori sighed through her nose and looked over at the boulders again before she padded over and flopped down against one of them. "I'm not exactly used to any of this either. None of my family members were very cuddly - I can’t remember the last time I slept beside someone, but I’ll do my best," she assured, trying to stave off the embarrassment by adding a bit more levity to her tone. "I think the creek was a bad idea. It's too chilly." She was pretty sure Jet had figured out she wasn't really all that cold - she was a little chilly, and she was kind of looking forward to the shared body heat, but she definitely wasn't freezing to death.

(This post was last modified: May 29, 2021, 05:38 AM by Nori.)

It was almost futile to deny the sense of intrigue he had about all of this. Very rarely, in the seasons he’d spent with them, had anyone shown any kind of interest in him or his wellbeing. There had been one other, the herbalist apprentice, that’d aided him in secret a few times when he’d been younger, but that had stopped by the time he’d reached half a year.

In the space of days, though, Nori had shown more interest in him than anyone had before. Whatever.. this was, it went beyond the simple, straightforward partnership that it had started as. He wasn’t just someone to be used for whatever benefit he had to offer, no. Nori didn’t need him either, she stated, and he believed that was true. It would be foolish, he thought, to need someone as they needed food or water or air. Jethro wasn’t even sure that could be possible. hey seemed to agree on that.

But she wanted him around, too. And at that, she moved to follow him towards the collection of jagged stones that would provide shelter for the night. The dark one, as hesitant as he’d been to admit it, wanted the same. ”I want.. that, too.” He agreed softly, risking a glance towards the other. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his face as their eyes met.

Was it alright to want someone like this? Was it.. better? It felt better.

Staring at the other as he was, he very nearly ran face-first into a rock. Jet planted his limbs into the ground at the last possible moment, rocking forward so that one shoulder rested against it. He found it still retained just a little bit of heat, after having been exposed to the sunlight all day. Tiredly, he rested against it.

His company claimed that there wasn’t much she could do for bleeding paws, to which he shrugged slightly. That was the last thing he cared about, at the moment. Nori also stated this wasn’t something she was accustomed to, either. None of her family members had been very cuddly, it seemed - which was surprising, but she promised to do her best.

”Even your worst is better than the nothin’ I’ve always had,” he offered quietly, in what he hoped was an assuring fashion. Concerns about how good the cuddling was paled in comparison to the unfamiliar sense of warmth building inside, at the thought of being wanted. That odd sensation seemed to override the coldness of the wind tugging at his damp fur, on its own.

Really, though, how difficult could it be? One Nori had flopped against one and appeared to have settled there, Jet relinquished his spot against the warm rocks to tentatively approach, his strides morphing into something between a walk and a crawl. Upon reaching the other, the dark one circled about so that they’d both be facing the same direction, before lowering himself to the ground beside her. After a moment of hesitation, he let himself lean into Nori lightly, feeling his body from his shoulders down come into contact with hers. The sensation of someone else’s fur mingling with his own in such a way was odd, but nice. Warmth enveloped that side of him, and with the shelter of the stones breaking the wind, his exposed side was not quite so cold, either.

”Yeah.. the creek, it was too cold. And stupid.” He agreed, hearkening back to her earlier sentiments.

”You’re.. uh, warm, though. Thank you, Nori. This is.. maybe, the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thought you should know that.” He was genuinely appreciative. He knew he could’ve made it through the night on his own, but he didn’t have to. And Jet had discovered that he didn’t want to, either.

Seeing him almost run into a boulder was pretty hilarious, and at any other time, Nori might have teased him relentlessly for it. But she didn't want to ruin whatever... this was by embarrassing him, so she refrained. Still, it was hard to keep a small smirk from her maw, which she tried to hide by turning her head a bit. She gave herself a little pat on the back for managing not to laugh.

It was... beyond nice, to hear that someone wanted her around, as well. That was also something she'd struggled with since she was very young - it hadn't been her parents, really, who made her feel that way, until her mother had suggested she go out to find family that she'd never even met before. It had most likely been to get her away from the judgment of her grandparents, but the insistence on the subject had sort of hurt, and eventually Nori had just agreed and badgered her father into letting her go.

But now, of course, she had to worry about her family meeting her for the first time and potentially hating her guts, so there was that. And she felt bad about feeling so insecure and afraid that she was going to be turned away when there was a boy who'd literally been beaten by his family right beside her - it made her own problems pale in comparison.

"Don't speak too soon," she stated, in response to his comment about her worst. It would be pretty embarrassing for the both of them if they just ended up being uncomfortable the entire time - they were both pretty gangly yearlings, after all, so they could just end up in a pile of knobby knees and elbows.

His slow approach was endearing, and Nori laid still, letting him come to her at his own pace. Her heart was beating at an alarmingly quick pace, but she ignored it for the time being, putting on her best poker face as she waited for him. He felt warm against her side, even if he was still kind of damp from the creek, which she still had yet to properly tease him over.

"Well, I didn't really mean for us to stick our entire bodies in it," she amended with a grin, scooting just a hair closer and resting her chin on her forepaws.

The gratitude was both unexpected and unnecessary - Nori shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at him, a smile playing on her maw. "Really, I'm being the selfish one here. I'm cold, remember?" she asked, faking another shiver and stifling a chuckle. "But even if I were being nice - which is up for debate, - you know... I know you were teasing earlier, but you said I was enough." It probably seemed insignificant to him, but it had been really meaningful to her. "And nobody's ever told me that before. So, if I were hypothetically doing this because you're cold and wet even though I'm dry, then we've both done nice things tonight. You don't have to thank me." She sighed through her nose and let herself relax, glancing back up at the sky. The darker it got, the more stars came out, like little fireflies suspended in the air.

Plus, in spite of the dampness of his fur, Jet felt pretty warm. This was surprisingly comfortable, she thought, and briefly she wasn't concerned whether or not her family would like her when they met.

Don’t speak too soon, Nori cautioned, which he supposed was a valid point. What if she drooled on him in her sleep, or if he did that to her? There were any number of odd things that could happen, he supposed. Every time he thought or spoke something in optimism, things usually tended to go in the absolute worst possible direction. Jethro was not much of one for hope or enthusiasm, although he had to admit that things had been looking up, lately. Both in the literal sense, and figuratively. The dark one was fully prepared for something to go horrendously wrong in the near future, to amend for the run of good luck he’d been having.

”Yeah, fair enough,” he murmured in agreement. So far, at least, though. This wasn’t too bad. He was fed, a little wet, but warm, and safe.

As it were though, his companion just couldn’t let previous events rest without throwing a little jab in there. She did move ever so slightly closer, though, increasing the level of contact between them. He huffed out a soft sigh, although at that moment - far too late, a different sort of excuse came to mind. ”I know. I was just.. uh. Well, what I really thought.. was, maybe I should try to clean myself off, for when we meet your family. In keepin’ my word, all that.”

It was not necessarily a lie, even if it hadn’t been his intention at the time, he didn’t have to reveal that. He hadn’t been particularly concerned about cleanliness this whole time, so perhaps he would be believable that he had become considerate about it, now. He hoped he looked a little better, too. Jethro did genuinely want to make a favorable impression, so it seemed a far more believable excuse to put that whole incident beyond them. ”Guess I’ll have to get the rest of me tomorrow, then,” he murmured with a note of humor. Although, he was not looking forward to that.

Jethro rested his head upon one of his front limbs, mirroring that of his companion. He’d turned his eyes away from her, but had an ear flicked in her direction, and considered her words. He felt another quiver go through Nori’s body as she declared her coldness, which he was pretty sure was faked. Unless she was actually cold because of his damp fur, now. He smiled a little to himself and leaned over just a little more, figuring that action would reveal which.

She revealed something that sounded deeply personal next, though. It was enough of a surprise that it prompted him to twist his head back around to look at Nori as much as he was able, without moving away from her side. It was impossible to keep the look of dismay from formulating across his face. Perhaps things weren’t as clear-cut with her, either, as he’d believed them to be. His statement and her actions had both constituted kindness, which Nori seemed to suggest canceled each other out. He didn’t have to thank her.

”I suppose we have, then,” the dark one concurred with a nod, letting his head drop back to rest on one leg, although he kept it turned towards the other, now. ”You are enough, though. I meant that. I’m glad I met you.” For far more than just the practical reasons at this point. The part of him that would’ve ordinarily been there, chastising him for letting himself get so close to someone else, was silent. He was glad about that.

”Your family..  what were they, or are they, like?” He questioned tentatively, suddenly much more intrigued by that than he had been. ”You.. don’t have to answer, if you don’t want to.” It was a deeply personal topic, he surmised. It certainly was for him, and a part of Jethro did not expect an answer, but he was curious. And, he supposed, if he got anything, that would aid him in preparing for an eventual meeting.  

(This post was last modified: May 30, 2021, 03:50 AM by Jethro.)

It would've been easier to believe him if that was what he used as his excuse in the first place, but the changing of his story only served to fuel the skepticism in Nori - it didn't bother her, and she figured he was embarrassed enough about it without her preying on his hesitation to explain himself. The new excuse was a lot more endearing, though.

"Maybe I'll do the same, tomorrow," she reasoned, fully willing to let the subject drop after that. "I want to look my best, too. It's always a best to make a good impression." God, she'd probably annoy him so badly the morning before they actually went to the borders - if there were even borders to go to. She'd be obsessively grooming, making sure every single piece of fur was laid flat in preparation for introducing herself to her family. That was highly important to her.

Jethro leaned closer to her, and Nori figured he could probably tell her excuse of being cold was a lie. A quiet sigh escaped her nose and she squinted at the smile on his maw. Was he testing her? The thought caused her face to heat up and she squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she'd most likely been caught. Embarrassing. "Fine - I'm not that cold. Shut up," she scolded halfheartedly, even if he hadn't verbally said anything.

The burning in her face only continued - burned hotter, even, - when he reiterated his previous statement. Every instinct in her body was urging her to tease and be dramatic and overcompensate, all defense mechanisms against the weird emotions she was experiencing. Part of her was a little pissed at herself; could she not be genuine for just a few minutes without wanting to hide?

I'm glad I met you.

And fuck, he was being so brave. It wouldn't be fair for her to retreat back into her stupid, selfish, fake little shell. "I'm glad I met you, too," she said, stunned momentarily by how true the statement was. It didn't even feel weird to say, now that she'd said it. In all honesty, she was a little surprised by how the heat had subsided in her face; apparently she wasn't even embarrassed about it. She wanted to ask what she was good enough for - in her experience, she was either too little or too much. Either she was lazy and underperforming, or she overdid it and hurt herself. She was too quiet and sullen, or too melodramatic and loud. She was too large to be a Koizumi daughter, having grown taller than both of her parents, but she was also too weak to make up for that. No matter what, she'd always either overdone it or underperformed, so she'd always craved that validation, to just be enough.

Part of her was still worried she'd disappoint Jet, too, in the future. But there was no point in thinking about that, now, she figured. "That means a lot to me," she finished lamely, offering him a small smile and slowly relaxing against his frame.

The next question was much more surprising, but she really didn't mind answering it. "Well, I don't know much about the ones we're going to see. Apparently my mom hasn't seen them in years," she explained, flicking an ear at him and looking up at the stars again. "The Koizumis - my dad's side, - are... strict, I guess? They've got a lot of dumb traditions that I never understood. My grandparents live with us, and they're real big sticklers for that stuff. The three of us... do not get along." She let out an awkward chuckle, recalling their constant judgmental stares and barbed words - not getting along was a major understatement, but she'd leave it at that for now. "My dad - Akio - tries to be better, but he's kind of distant. He wasn't a big fan of this trip of mine, but my mom, her name's Staryn, she wanted me to go." She frowned a little and raised a brow. "Not really sure why. I think she kind of regrets settling down so young, or maybe she just wanted some peace and quiet? She's a little hard to read, sometimes. But she cares, in her own way. My grandparents don't like her at all, because she's loud and strong willed and wanted me to carry her last name, too. My dad's parents are major dicks about that kind of stuff. It's all a little dysfunctional."

She shrugged her shoulders with a small sigh, glossing over several of the more dicey details. "But these are all their problems, now, and they weren't that bad. Don't know if I'll ever go back, though." Or if they would want me to, goes unsaid. "I've heard the Eastfall side is nicer. At least, that's what mom said. Less expectations and less strict and all that." She offered him a grin, dropping her chin back down on her foreleg. "I never asked - do you have a last name?" she asked, then. He'd already expressed distaste for his family, and she figured he'd talk about them if he wanted to, but she didn't want him to feel like he had to.

This time around, Nori seemed to buy into the reasoning he had provided for soaking himself in the creek, something Jethro found himself enormously grateful for. Maybe she would even do the same tomorrow, she spoke, echoing a sentiment to look her best as well. ”We can both be cold together tomorrow, then,” he uttered with a hint of playfulness, quite glad to have that subject behind them. ”But y’don’t have to worry too much about lookin’ bad, I think,” he added, just in case. Meeting with her family was a serious subject, and perhaps some attempt at reassurance was warranted.

He’d never have imagined he’d give a shit about trying to comfort or reassure anyone, just a few days ago. But here they were. It was impossible to make sense of what he felt, except that it felt oddly good and pleasing. And for some reason, he cared, too. Was this what friendship was like?

His company admitted she wasn’t actually that cold almost as soon as he’d shifted closer to her, and told him to shut up - despite the fact that he hadn’t said anything. The statement prompted a low rumble of laughter. ”But I am.. and you’re.. warm,” he uttered between low laughs. His heart raced, and with it, the dark one dared to lean just a little closer. He could feel more than just fur, then. He could almost feel Nori breathing. For some reason, that was comforting.

It was, even more so, to hear that the other genuinely appreciated him, too. And that this meant a lot to her. ”It does to me, too.” Nobody had ever said such a thing before, and he’d never thought it about anyone else. It was impossible to comprehend even now. How easily he could’ve passed by Nori in that forest, never having been any the wiser. Although those events had been less than a week ago, it already felt ancient. Even if this were to end in another week, these were memories and feelings that he.. hoped he’d cherish for a long while.

The dark one let himself fall quiet as Nori did in fact start to reveal more about her family. She did not know much about the ones they were going to meet, but apparently, they were relatives of her mother. Aunts and uncles, or cousins, perhaps? Her dad’s side, though, sounded like pricks. He’d never been much of one for traditions and rules, and it did not seem that Nori had been, either. Such things seemed to have been points of conflict for the family in the past. Even Nori’s mother had been a bit detached, an intriguing bit of information that Jethro pondered.

He’d had his suspicions, but to hear it confirmed still surprised him. Things hadn’t been all that great for his present company, either. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and tried to imagine himself growing up in a situation like that. It was.. a change of pace, to think about someone else’s experiences, and to not focus so heavily on his own. It sounded a lot like what he’d had, minus.. a few key details. Like the absence of a father and the physical abuse portions.

He snorted at the way Nori labeled her grandparents. ”Sure as hell sounds like it,” he murmured in agreement. He could’ve gone for something a little more compassionate sounding, he supposed, but it did not seem as if Nori was seeking pity for what she’d been through, which he respected. The Eastfall side of her family, which were the ones they were on the way to meet now, were apparently a lot nicer. ”It's worthwhile, to see what they’re like, then. If it doesn’t go well, we move on.” He offered. Jethro liked fewer expectations and less strict, and it seemed his companion wanted that too. He reopened his eyes a moment thereafter, in time to witness a smile. He reflected the expression briefly, at least until a question about his heritage came up.

Where he might’ve been hesitant to discuss that before, though, such feelings were gone. The loathing for them remained, but up here - on this mountain, all of that seemed so far away. ”No. To them, I was.. never meant to be anythin’ more than a slave. Cause of that, I was not worthy of inheriting one of those damn surnames. Only those of importance or good blood, or whatever, earned them. Not me, obviously.” He huffed a bit resentfully, although not for having been left out of that. If for some reason they had provided him a surname, he’d have stopped using it by now. For the longest of times, it’d been just Jethro, and that was how it would likely remain throughout the remainder of his existence.

Well, now she had to do it, didn't she? Nori huffed a bit, wondering just how dirty her fur was - it could probably stand a washing, if she were being honest. She groomed obsessively most days anyway, but water rinsed off dust and scents and would work a lot better than just her muzzle and tongue. Her face warmed again at the praise and she shot him a quick grin. "Well, neither do you, but it never hurts to put in a little effort," she assured. Really, it wasn't her appearance that stressed her out, but it did help to hear that it wasn't an issue from an outside source.

And then, at her admission, he was laughing at her. The audacity.

"You're laughing at me!" she complained, pointing out the obvious, and shot him a glare that was put in place to hide the grin that threatened to form on her own maw. "Asshole! I was being nice and now I'm being bullied." She flopped dramatically against him, playful and a little more forceful. "I'll smoosh you in your sleep. Then you'll be sorry," the girl proclaimed, even if she had no intention of doing so. She might drool on him though, and stuck her tongue out at the boy, feigning offense.

Still, the dramatics that she'd mustered up faded quickly, and she was back to relaxing against him. If she were being totally honest with herself, she could get used to the warmth. A small smile formed on her lips at his admission, and she hummed in response, tail swishing back and forth a few times behind her. A wagging tail was not very common amongst the Koizumis - excessive outward bearing of emotion was discouraged, so usually Nori's expressiveness was well controlled. But she did feel happy, here and now, and she didn't feel like veiling it. That was just exhausting.

He seemed to agree with her assessment of her grandparents, and she huffed out a laugh. "Right? I feel like if they just relaxed a little, they'd be a lot happier." She was absolutely not seeking pity; if she had received it, she probably would've been offended. Sure, there were some awful things that had happened, but she was just fine now - if not a little bit fucked up about it. But she was certainly working on it.

If it doesn't go well, we move on.

The we in that sentence brought another grin to Nori's expression, and she nodded her head, letting her eyes fall shut. That sounded much better than the I she was used to worrying about. Made things seem a lot less scary.

That smile turned into a scowl as he explained his lack of a surname. His family - if they could even be called that - were horrible. Nori couldn't even fathom how someone could treat a kid like that. "If you ever wanted one, you could make it up," she suggested, trying to keep her fur from bristling in anger. "Theirs wouldn't be worth it anyway. You're better than that." She offered him nudge and smile, arching a brow. "I could try and help you think of one, if you wanted."