a sound of thunder
#1
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Skye frowned at the tall treehouses as they swayed in the wind. The weather had gotten a bit darker lately, as if something great and horrid was going to come soon. It made her a bit uneasy - although she did not entirely consciously know what was to come, her instincts could feel the grand storm coming on, and that it would be soon. The swaying ladders of the Terrace only solidified that uneasy queasiness in her belly.

She walked slowly around the Terrace, having been there for at least one hour. Her pups were with her, celebrating their almost one-month birthday; and as a result of it, they were more excitable than ever. They did not know what it meant, but they were excited and adventurous all the same, tackling each other at Skye's feet. She bent over and picked them up in her arms, hugging her pups close to her chest.

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#2
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Word Count → 000

Sorry for the wait and short post


Hotaru couldn't figure out what felt worse, her anger towards her brother for all of the things that he done and all of the ways that he had wronged her, or the fear that came with the sinking realization that he had joined her pack. D'Arte was HER pack, not his. She had finally found a place where she belonged, where she could thrive as a blind carver. Yet, Adrian had decided to haunt her life with his presence. He had followed her to Nova Scotia and had wormed his way into the pack. Adrian couldn't be trusted. D'Arte was in danger.


The blind female ignored the prickling in the back of her neck as she followed Skye's trail. Something was coming, but the blind female couldn't afford to time to figure out what her instincts were telling her. She needed to get to Skye as soon as possible. If Hotaru had a say in who entered the pack, she would have refused Adrian and drove him away from the boarder. If the Maven had a say in who stayed in the pack, her brother would have already been gone and his scent would have begun to dissipate. But Hotaru didn't have a say, she wasn't in the council. All she could do was warn Skye and recommend that Adrian be chased out. So, to the Leader she went.


When Hotaru finally arrived at the Terrace, the trail became too hot to follow. Skye's scent permeated the area, making it very difficult to pinpoint exactly where the small family was. The wind and loudly creaking swings didn't make things any easier on Hotaru as her ears flicked in confusion. Letting out a loud woof to announce her presence, the blind carver walked towards the treehouse. "Skye," she called. "Skye, I wish to speak to you about an important matter to requires your immediate attention."


Quote by: Maurice Freehill

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#3
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<3 no worries! take all the time you need Smile

It was strange - just a tingling feeling in the back of her neck and her spine that something huge was coming, something that would change the pack for the worse, at least for a little while. Something large, something dangerous.. but she could not pin what it was down in her mind, as it floated among a million other things inside her head, almost giving her a head ache. The wind blew, lifting Skye's hair and ruffling her pups' fur and tails.

She could scent someone nearby, someone familiar - Hotaru. Her scent was agitated, as though someone or something had gotten under her fur. Turning at the sound of her voice, Skye was surprised at how serious the woman sounded. Although she had never truly been the cheery type, it was rare to find her in such a state as this, so brusque and business-like. She cocked her head at the Maven, although she knew that the blind woman could not see.

"I am here, Hotaru," she said, walking closer to the woman as she did so. She seemed slightly confused, and Skye did not blame her - the creaking ladders and the whispering of the wind was assaulting Skye's own hearing, although the wind was beginning to die down some. She continued, on to more urgent things - "What matter is that?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice. Hotaru would not have come to her with such seriousness if it was not important, Skye knew; she hoped that nothing too bad had happened. The heavens knew that d'Arte did not need any more tragedies about.

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#4
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Word Count → 000

Sorry for the wait and short post


Hotaru could feel the wind, foreboding as it ruffled her fur and passed between her fingers. She could smell the imminent rain, and it brought about a feeling that was almost akin to terror. Every animal knew something was coming. There was no question about that. Instincts allowed them to recognize the unseen danger, but Hotaru's mind could not comprehend the lurking shadow. She knew it was there, but its size and form were unknown to her. Perhaps that is was made the sense of unease even more terrifying.


Skye's voice rang out like an angel's bell, calling to her and letting the blind female know that she wasn't the only one in her dark world. As usual, Skye was quick to catch onto Hotaru's serious tone. While the female was never the life of the party, it could sometimes be hard to tell when she was in a good mood and when others needed to pay attention. The next time the Leader spoke, her voice was much closer, alerting Hotaru to the wolf's gain in proximity. Hotaru almost balked, surprised that Skye had gotten so close without her knowing.


Taking a deep breath, Hotaru began to speak again. Her voice remained unflinching and steady, but a tone of seriousness coated her words and drove her body language. "I would like to speak to you about my brother, Adrian. While I do not wish to question your judgement on allowing him into the pack, I just wanted to give you some valuable information. I know my brother can be charming, but he is not who he appears to be. He is dangerous and I do not trust him." Hotaru deliberately left out details, she didn't want to speak about her family or their deaths. Hotaru despised thinking about it and almost never spoke of them. When someone asked, she would always be as vague as possible.


Quote by: Maurice Freehill

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#5
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Skye flattened her ears when the woman spoke of her brother. Skye had sensed that there was a tenseness around the two, but she had not assumed that the issue had been so grave as to not trust her brother, and to mark him as dangerous. The man's image shifted in Skye's mind - she had spoken to him only earlier today, let him hold Ares. She would not make a snap judgment, but Hotaru's opinion was held very highly in Skye's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Skye pressed, but only lightly - if Hotaru wished to give no more information than that, then the leader would not push the issue. "How is he dangerous?" Skye was confident that she would be able to keep a close eye on the young man during his stay in the pack, something that she had not been able to do with Argul or with Liam. She would not make the same mistake, she knew - not this time. This time, she had information, a warning, and she would not forgo it or ignore it, especially not from the Maven she trusted so much.

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#6
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Word Count → 000

ooc


Hotaru could feel her body stiffen and her hands shook slightly as she spoke. Even if she wasn't reciting the events that had befallen her, the memory was fresh in her mind. She could see her father, her family, and brother. The fear and confusion in her memory was bright and vivid, the shocked silence had been maddening. The color red was the last thing she had seen, and it had scarred her heart. Just thinking about that time made her want to run away and with the added weight of her recent grief, it took everything the blind female had to remain in her stoic state. But that was Hotaru, falling apart on the inside with nothing more than her outward facade to keep her upright.


Skye pressed Hotaru for details, but her tone was light. She wouldn't force out such a difficult subject. Hotaru inhaled, keeping her emotions in check and as far away from the conversation as possible. Like a dam that held back a flood, she persevered. "I do not wish to go into details at this time, and for that I ask your forgiveness. However, I will state that he is the reason why I am blind and he has killed before. I'm not going to pretend that I understand his decisions, nor will I defend them. Adrian claims to have his reasons, but I am not rational enough to make non-biased judgments when it comes to him and his past crimes. I wish that I could tell you more but... it is a sore subject and I hope that you understand."


Off all the things, she did not desire to be vague on such a critical issue, especially not with Skye. But the turbulent feelings inside her threatened to give way and Hotaru did not want to risk letting them loose. The grey female knew all too well how she could get and with some unknown danger approaching it was not the time for her to drown in sorrow.


Quote by: Maurice Freehill

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#7
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Skye's bewilderment soon gave way to shock as Hotaru described that her brother was the reason for her going blind, and that he had killed before as well. The light-hearted, friendly man who had held her children just the day before, causing his sister to go blind - she could hardly think of it, although she did not doubt whatsoever that what Hotaru said was true. She trusted Hotaru completely - and would keep an eye on Adrian.

Her lip lifted, disgusted at what her brother had done to her. "I am so sorry, Hotaru," she said, slightly anger - although not at the blind female - in her tone. "I promise, I will keep him in my sight, or in others' sights." She would not outwardly treat him differently, nor tell him what Hotaru had told her - but she would ensure that he was watched, by either her own members, or even members of Cavalieri if need be. He would not be alone for some time yet.

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#8
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Word Count → 000

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It was only by some miracle that Hotaru was able to keep her voice from shaking or becoming heated with anger. There was a massive lump that had appeared in her throat and the grief of her loss lapped at the walls of her brain as it tried to erode her control. Aiden and Aysun were gone, her family was gone, her eyesight would never return. Now her brother had chosen to haunt her boarders and reappear in her life like an unwelcome memory. If it weren't for the fact that Hotaru had an unfortunate amount of practice controlling her facial expressions and emotions, the blind female would be unable to speak by the weight of her emotions. Despite all of her efforts though, Hotaru couldn't keep her body from clenching and her hands from shaking as she spoke.


Skye's reaction was to be expected, although Hotaru couldn't help but feel disappointed that the Leader didn't denounce Adrian outright and swear to send him packing. Even so, there was clear anger in her voice. Hotaru bowed her head respectfully. "That is all I ask for Skye. Thank you for hearing my thoughts. I shall leave you and your pups to enjoy the day before the storm hits." Disappointment crept seeped into her thoughts as she turned away. Why hadn't Skye said she would force him out? Why did Adrian get to stay? Why did he even come back?

Quote by: Maurice Freehill

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