Sanguine Cove After Laughter

@Leo sibling thread, @Lynx feel free to hop in if you wish!

Stella had spent the previous night failing to get any sleep. She found herself waking from fitful dreams to check if everyone was still present and accounted for, more than once. Well, not everyone. Most importantly to the girl, Kip had not come back home yet. The familiar, comforting scent was growing more faint in the den day by day, and the girl had found herself lingering in it in the place where Kip used to sleep, trying to fight the growing sense of anxiety in her chest. It was not until the wee hours before dawn that at last exhaustion had won out.

When Stella woke late into mid-morning to find that her brothers actually had already risen and gone, she got to her feet with a frown and set out after them in a tense, hurried pace, pausing only to breathe in Kip's fading scent once more before setting off. So @Lynx and @Leo and everyone had let her sleep in and gotten started with their days, no big deal. It was probably nothing but, well... well, she didn't want to be alone. That was it, really. She missed Kip and wanted to be with her family, because she knew they would understand, and feel the same sense of absence.

Stella walked with a sort of tense, tired purpose, devoid of her usual happy exuberance. Her tail was low and her gaze scanned the landscape almost compulsively for signs of familiar life. This new mood of anxiety was a strange garb on the normally carefree, confident girl, and it followed her like a cloud, darkening the sun.

(This post was last modified: Nov 05, 2021, 02:39 AM by Stella.)

Of course he had noticed. Though he enjoyed exploring on his own during the day, Leo would always return to the den alongside his siblings each night, to enjoy the quiet comfort of sleeping together. Secretly, it was the introverted boy’s favorite time of the day, snuggling down with his family, sometimes sharing a few words of the day’s exploits, but often just enjoying each other’s company in silence. But when Kip didn’t come back it all changed, their huddle feeling cold and lonely, no matter how tightly they snuggled up.   And even more than that, the oldest brother had noticed the effect their mother’s disappearance had on his siblings. Despite his reclusive tendencies, Leo was always very aware of how everyone else was feeling, especially his sister. So as Stella tossed and turned throughout the night, he noticed, and it pained him not to be able to soothe her, all he could do was cuddle in closer, hugging her tightly.   When dawn eventually broke, Leo awoke from a brief slumber to find his sister finally still at his side. Sighing with relief, he carefully shuffled back a little, searching for a better sleeping position. But rather than find rest of his own, he felt an unwelcome pressure needing to be released. Repressing a groan, the boy continued his shuffle, careful not to disturb Stella, until he could exit the den and hurry off on his errand.   It had been his plan to return straight after, but he felt too awake and didn’t wanna risk disturbing his sister, so instead he made a trip to the nearest cache to dig up a snack and bring back. In the end he’d gone through several before finally finding a nice haunch that he might share with his siblings and dragging it back took longer than he’d expected. So really it was no surprise that everyone was up by the time he finally caught sight of the den and the pale form heading off in the opposite direction. Instantly dropping his prey, Leo raised his head and barked to catch his sister’s attention, a hopeful expression on his face as he waited for her to, hopefully, return and share his morning meal. Thoughts ”Speech”

Lakela @DA

(This post was last modified: Nov 09, 2021, 12:50 AM by Leo.)

The scents around the den were muddled, and Stella couldn't see anyone nearby. For a moment she shuffled her paws in the dust with trepidation, before setting off toward one of the more well-worn trails out of the area. She was just about to slip into the underbrush when a voice from the other direction her brought her up short, her ears snapping up in recognition.

Leo! The girl spun and hurried with a renewed, relieved energy toward her brother. Circling, she greeted him with tired but genuinely cheered swaying of her tail and a bump of the shoulder as she slumped to sit beside him. To her, Leo was a quiet constant, a presence that she had always assumed would always be there right alongside she and Lynx, together forming an unbreakable trio. But they were growing, spending more time independently, and then everything had been thrown into horrible confusion lately. Nothing seemed to have the same surety and solidity it once had, and Stel let out a relieved sigh as she let herself lean on her big brother for a quiet moment.

He had been dragging a haunch of venison back, it would seem, and as she settled beside him she couldn't hide the growls from her own stomach. "Eyes bigger than your stomach?" she teased him gently, trying to mask her own anxious state even as she offered - asked without asking, really - to join him for breakfast. After the long night, a bit of sunlight was starting to shine down onto the cove, and she was glad to share the morning's rituals with him.

He watched with perked ears as she paused, tail swaying nervously behind him as he waited to see her reaction. The hint of a relieved smile curved his lips as she turned back, tail wagging a little faster, seeing the speed of her step.   Stella was his light, always so energetic and joyful, her teasing never meanspirited or violent, unlike Lynx. Of course, Leo loved his brother too, but it was an entirely different relationship. The oldest brother would do everything in his power to protect that smile on his sister’s face, seeing it gone made his chest ache.   As she came to his side, her turned down his eyes but continued to smile at her touch, leaning gently back into her as she rested against him, returning the silent support. Leo was no good with words, getting flustered way too easily, but he always enjoyed sharing time with his family, as long as they did most of the talking.   Still, Stella’s comment earned a genuine chuckle, two colored eyes flicking up to meet hers as he answered: “Well, I was hopin’ you’d join me.” His voice was low, words spoken slowly and with care, but there was audible warmth in them, just like the hint of teasing could be heard when he added: “I bet you’re hungry.” Eyes and ears flicking pointedly to her stomach. Thoughts ”Speech”

Lakela @DA

Stella found it easier to get along with Leo around, easier to get lost in the moment instead of lost in her thoughts. "Of course,"  she nodded adding "You bet right, thanks." Her answer did double-duty, needing no further invitation to begin digging in to the meal he had brought.

They shared a comfortable, familiar moment of quiet as they ate. It was moment of reassurance and normalcy she had been craving, as much as any meal. Stella could feel the cracks along the edges of her brave face, sense the shadows at the sunlight's edges around them, but it was good to be here together. She hoped she could help Leo bear a little of the weight of it all, as he was helping her.

After a moment, she raised her head, licking her jaws clean, and gave her brother a long look. "How are you, you know, lately?" She asked, her voice more subdued than before. The question left so much else unsaid, but it was a start, the best she could manage.

A rare, full smile parted the boy’s lips at his sister’s response, his tail tapping lightly against the snow. He watched her eat for a moment before joining in himself, the two of them making quick work of the haunch. As always, Leo enjoyed the silence, simply being near his loved ones was enough to lift his spirits, Stella’s presence at his side helping to ease the ache in his heart.   But soon enough, the food was gone, and there were no more excuses for not talking. Still, Leo waited, somewhat stubbornly, for his sister to open – frankly he had no idea what to say. Still, the question was to be expected, though that didn’t make it any easier to answer, and the introverted boy forced himself to meet Stella’s eyes. “Sad…” He started, honestly, taking another moment to try and gather his thoughts before continuing: “Confused.” Dark brows wrinkled, two-colored gaze drifting to the bones at their feet; “How can she just… Be gone? Disappear like that without…” He cut himself off, biting down on his lip as if he needed to physically keep the words from escaping. As though, if he didn’t say it out loud, it wouldn’t be true; Without saying anything… Thoughts ”Speech”

Lakela @DA