Dead Empress Backwater little bird, little bird fly through my window

Backdated to 4/30, Following Ally's join. For @Ally only.

Eros was quiet until they arrived at the communal densite, the ground tamped from years of bustling activity. Safely, together, as they should have weeks ago. When he turned to face Ally, the emotion playing across his features was complex. More than anything, he was worried. They'd gotten her here before, and now... now he was practocally looking at a yearling. In a year, it would be her right to disappear completely, to take every risk that crossed her path.

There was no way to truly keep her safe, and that was heartbreaking. In its own way, for himself. Primarily? The pain was felt on behalf of his brother.

"Ally, do you have any idea how much danger you have been in this whole time?"

His tone was not flexible, but it also wasn't yet scolding. Eros was truly asking, as well as warning.

(This post was last modified: Dec 29, 2024, 04:11 AM by Eros. Edit Reason: fixing wiped prefix )

the night comes down like heaven

Still feeling thoroughly scolded by her uncle's tone upon her arrival, Ally walked quietly a step behind him as they moved further into the territory. She hated that her dad's scent wasn't here, and suddenly it felt so small, so strange. She'd thought of this place as home, because dad said it was, but it was still vastly unknown to her. Home was where her dad was.

Finally Uncle Eros spoke to her and she flinched slightly. "I've been with someone most of the time," she said, a little defensively. "I found a pack up north, Paradise Falls, for the winter, and then Aunt Magg and Uncle Galen took me back to the Cove with them." It wasn't as though she'd attempted that journey by herself again. She'd thought her dad would be angry with her for it, but her concerns about that were nothing compared to the reality of how upset her uncle appeared to be with her. Her head hung lower. "I didn't mean to," she said softly, trying not to cry.

YOU DON'T WANNA HURT ME, BUT SEE HOW DEEP THE BULLET LIES

It was clear that she was taking his displeasure seriously, but her words seemed to be meant to downplay what her uncle claimed. Eros frowned. "That's not-," 'what I meant,' he'd wanted to say on impulse, but cut himself off as soon as his thoughts caught up. It didn't matter, because it hadn't been any less true all the other times she'd ended up missing. His eyes had closed for a touch longer than a blink, and when they opened there was a deep gravity within them, dependent on her understanding. "I am so glad you have not been alone this entire time," and that was true even if she'd mostly been surrounded by strangers, "but it only takes a moment, Ally, for something to go terribly wrong. For us to lose you completely. Forever." For her to be killed, but he didn't want to say it. "You have to stay here, at least until we find your dad. If you want to go then, you can, but you can't just go on your own. I can't let anything happen to you." There was something almost pleading in his voice, and Eros realized he'd never felt a desperation so deep as simply trying to keep a child safe. He would do his best to talk it through as much as she wanted, but the decision of her needing to stay put was final. If she didn't understand today, maybe eventually she would... (Fade out.)

UNAWARE, I'M TEARING YOU ASUNDER, THUNDER IN OUR HEARTS

(This post was last modified: Dec 29, 2024, 04:10 AM by Eros.)