The PP is perfect, silly goose! <3
Word Count → 539
Hati's eyes fluttered open in surprise, feeling the warmth of her hand enveloping his. He looked to her as she spoke, obediently letting her take his hand where she wanted. What she was promising... she wanted to look after them all, to be their matriarch. She was willfully trying to fill the role their mother had vacated. He wasn't sure how he felt about that; Amaranth was very different from Ayita, often turbulent and unpredictable with her mood swings and yet, in this moment she managed to show him the same patience and kindness their mother exuded every day of her life. It was almost like Ayita wasn't entirely gone... an echo, resonating in the offspring she left behind. He rapidly blinked back the mistiness in his vision, nodding mutely. He would not give up on life, even if he had no direction or purpose. He at least owed that much.
His fingertips felt warmth, as Amaranth moved them to her abdomen. She spoke of motherhood, and it dawned on him what she was alluding to. "Are you... are you and Niro expecting again?" he asked incredulously, staring at the hand she pressed against her white-furred stomach. He would be an uncle to another litter of pups...? The corner of his mouth tugged, a faint smile ghosting on his pale lips. That was wonderful news, if it was true; new life, to fill and repair the gaping hole their loss had left behind. Niro would be so uplifted. It was melancholy to realize this litter of the Catori family would never meet their grandmother, though, and Ayita had so loved children. Blue eyes met purple, as Hati quietly listened to his sibling continue speaking.
She mentioned a symbol, one that she and Liam were now wearing in their hide in honor of their family name. Hati had been lost in his own thoughts for too long, and he had not noticed the brand until now. When she released his hand, he peered curiously over her shoulder, pale eyes scanning the thick red fur of her husky pelt. There were ridges of hairless skin between her shoulder blades, the raised scar an angry shade of pink from the recent burn. It was an elegant symbol, but he could not help but wince; it looked so painful, not something he was brave enough to endure willingly. He swallowed nervously, turning guiltily back to face his relative. "I don't think... that's something I could do, erm, right now... I still have this to carry," he said softly, clutching the silver moon pendant around his throat. It was always so cold to the touch. He had not removed it once, nor did he plan to. Sentiment.
"Still, I... I might later," he added solemnly, intrigued by the idea. Catori meant spirit. It meant a lot to him to be invited to carry the symbol that went with the name -- to be seen as worthy of it. He always felt like a bit of an outsider in his family, quiet and submissive when his siblings were so brave and strong. Sometimes, often, it felt like he was overlooked or ignored. He wasn't important to any of them. Perhaps he was finally being noticed.
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