Re: Family Visit

Storm sat down on the rug before the hearth and smiled as Lucille took her first few bites. She might only be eating to save his feelings, but the winter storm eyed male didn’t mind the reason as long as she was getting some food in her. Storm took a bite of his cooking, closing his eyes as the warm food slipped down, mixing deliciously with the warmth of the fire. Despite the tension he could feel in Lucille, he felt his muscles ease under the onslaught of such incredible warmth and a deep sigh escaped him. When Lucille asked her question, Storm was happy to answer it, to try and take her mind off of her current horrible situation. He put the bowl down and looked thoughtful for a moment before he began.

Chores, never ending chores. Fixed roofs, nets and fences. I have made some new paste for swimming. I’ve been practising skating on the ice. It can be a bit thin on sister lake, but sister lake is good for it. I’ve been bored, it’s not fun not diving, and diving under the ice is beautiful, but you always have to have someone around to make sure that the ice doesn’t close.

Storm paused then as if he was thinking, or perhaps getting up the courage to say something else, it was sometimes difficult to tell.

”I-I want to s-start sailing again. I-I would like to try it on the sea again.”

Storm hadn’t really had a great deal to do with the sea since his brother had been killed all those years ago. Something had changed though, there was an itch he felt he needed to scratch. Perhaps he’d lived such a long time under the shadow of his abusive father that something in him saw this as a strike out against that.

Lucille looked over as Storm answered her, taking in his gestures and body language. She was not surprised that he had been keeping busy; from what she could tell, most of the pack was that way, and it wasn’t like the work ever ended. Buildings always needed repairs, even ones that had just had something repaired the day before. There was plenty that needed to happen to her own cabin but since the roof was relatively leak-free the rest weren’t things that Lucille was overly worried about at the moment. There were higher priority things for her to be doing and she figured she could rope one of her offspring into it at some point. It would be good for them to learn and practice.

Her eyes went to Storm’s face when he spoke out loud and she was surprised by his words. She also felt protectiveness well; sailing was dangerous on rivers and lakes, but on the ocean was a completely different level. She didn’t want Storm to do that, but she also knew this was selfish. Still, she would feel the same about any of her children wanting to do that; it was difficult not to, having arrived here herself via a shipwreck.

“Where did you want to sail to?” Lucille asked, managing to keep the apprehension out of her voice. Lucille knew that Storm was perceptive, though and thought that he probably saw right through the calm voice. Maybe he only wanted to make a short trip, say across the Bay of Fundy. That was still dangerous, though, even if some Luperci had sailed across it in the past.

Lucille was also afraid of what sailing might do to Storm. What if it brought back too many bad memories and he returned to her in the same condition Gus found him in? She would help him and love him, of course, but she didn’t want him to go through that again.

The winter storm eyed male caught Lucille’s stifled reaction of concern. Storm had spent a great deal of time listening and watching to folk in his life, and it had given him an ability to read body language that bordered on the telepathic. Everyone gave away signs, of course luperci were more aware of them than many, but speech had meant that the body language had become a far less used thing, at least not consciously.

Storm took another slurp of his stew, but inside he was annoyed at himself. He’d been so concerned at trying to take Lucille’s mind of Oscar and consumed with his own idea of sailing, that he’d not realised how worried it might make her.

Not far. It was only an idea.


He said, falling back on the gestures he was more familiar with and could control more easily. For something this delicate he didn’t think eh could trust his voice.

In truth Storm had been thinking about this for a while. He’d spent such a long time afraid and unable to speak because of the shadow of his father, but as much as he pushed at that fear, it never seemed to go away. He was hoping that by taking to the sea again he might finally shake it, regain his voice. Deciding to try and change the subject, Storm continued to a different subject.

From outside your roof doesn’t look too bad. If it would help I can climb up there tomorrow and see if there are any repairs needed. I’ve been looking at many other roofs, so it would not be a problem doing one more.

"Okay," Lucille said with a nod, intending it as a prompt for Storm to continue telling her about his idea. Instead he changed the subject, causing her to frown. Lucille would like the help with her roof; it surely needed some sort of repair somewhere. It always seemed to. And if hers didn't, the barn probably did or the stable, or any number of other pack structures, so Lucille appreciated Storm's offer.

She also knew what he was trying to do. That Storm had brought it up at all meant that it was important to him.

"Storm, you want to sail, so you should sail," she told him in a kind but firm voice. "I'll always worry about you. It's my job. But that shouldn't stop you from doing what you want to do." She never wanted to limit him or any of her children with her worries; it was what mothers did, at least in her experience. Sometimes they worried over nothing, and sometimes their children wanted to go off on an adventure.

"I'll help you decide on your course if you want me to." She had a little knowledge of where Luperci sailed from her trip over some years ago. "Otherwise you could go to the depot in Portland and then go from there. I'm sure you'd be able to find work on a ship." Even if she didn't like the idea because it was so dangerous, Lucille would help him however she could because it was what he wanted to do.

Storm rarely fidgeted, he knew how every little movement gave away some information to someone, and so he nearly always sat still, but not now. His fingers gently tapped against his thigh as he thought how to answer Lucille, someone he loved and respected more than nearly anyone else in the world. Still all of his reasons were still jumbled and the ones that were clear to him were embarrassing. Of course he knew he shouldn’t be ashamed of them, but he was and speaking them out loud as it were, made it worse. Finally his arms began to move again.

My earliest memory is of being on a boat at sea. The smell of salt and the rocking of the ship. It is a hard life, but it was where I began.

That was the easy part, but now he had to explain the thoughts he’d been keeping to himself.

I was thinking…I still find it hard to talk. I’m an adult, a grown Luperci and yet forcing words out is still hard. I keep asking myself why that is, and I am beginning to lose hope that I’ll ever be normal. I thought that perhaps, if I tried sailing again, just allow all those fears to bubble up, perhaps….

His hands stopped and he shrugged, sighing, his gestures clear, that he thought it all ridiculous and felt embarrassing even saying it. He wasn’t sure of another solution though.

All I ever wanted since I got here was to be normal. I usually can forget about it, but just sometimes….

He tiled his head upwards, as though pulling himself together, realising that he wasn’t here to expound on his schemes and plans, he was here to help Lucille.

WC: 334

Lucille could appreciate wanting the familiar, and knowing that while she and the rest of Krokar were familiar and represented home, so, too, could a ship or even the idea of a ship. She thought it was similar for her and Italy where her family still resided. Lucille wondered about them, about how they were doing, and sometimes dreamed of her childhood, being in the run-down stone house they called home. Despite wanting to be here, living the life she had now, Lucille still sometimes missed her home and her family. It was especially difficult when she dwelled on the fact that she would never see them again. This was something she tried not to do too often.

The Captain wished she could do more to help Storm with his speech. All she could give him was support when he did choose to speak with sound, and acceptance when he didn't. While she was not bothered either way, she could see why being different would be tough for him. She'd had to explain many times to her biological children when they were young, why Storm didn't talk the same way everyone else did. While Lucille hoped that none of them ever asked him directly, she knew it was possible that they had, and it only made him feel worse about it.

"Sometimes it's tough," Lucille agreed. As much as she wanted to protect him, it wouldn't really be helpful for her to march around admonishing everyone who made any sort of comment about him. "Returning to what your life was like before might be helpful," Lucille agreed. "Of course I would miss you being here, but if that's what you want to do, I think you should do it." The sheepdog hated the thought of him leaving, but she wouldn't hold onto him too tightly. "Even if you can't explain why you feel that way, the fact that you feel it at all is important."

The winter storm eyed Cormier sat quietly, and not just because he’d lost his voice again, but because he wasn’t sure what to say after hearing Lucille speak. He was well aware that she’d miss him, hell he’d definitely miss her and all of Krokar, but knowing they’d be here, knowing that he could come back, it gave him strength and the idea slowly continued to form in his head. It was an idea though and there was no rush, tonight the two of them could enjoy one another’s company and the closeness and the fire. They could eat and talk, finally though Storm began to speak again.

I don’t mind the questions. he said, once again appearing to read Lucille’s mind.


What is hard is the look. he took a deep breath and schooled his features into a perfect mask of pity, with just a hint of awkwardness.

Sometimes though, I’ve had the folk that find it disgusting to speak to me. Never in Krokar, but it is why I don’t often leave the pack lands. I’m not a pup anymore, my past shouldn’t be a big black cloud I’m afraid to touch.

Again his gestures ceased, but it was clear by his expression that for a moment, he wasn’t sitting beside Lucille, he was reliving something. Whatever it was though, it only lasted a moment and when he returned from that journey he smiled and waved his hand.

It’s a little deep for a warm night with good food. You have anything sweet in the house?

He said raising his eyebrows impishly.