[html] http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... table7.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> WC: 458
Deuce Rhiannon was gone.
Coli had expected it, but it still hurt; the wise woman with her bi-coloured eyes had held a strong positive influence over her, filling the role of the mother she never had. She had never learned Deuce's full story, but she saw easily how her spirit had broken when Taliesin and little Willow left. It was only a matter of time before the Shaman followed after them, abandoning all connections to pack life - and indeed, she had been absent more and more around their empty house, until one day she simply did not return. Coli stared sadly at the small teacup she held in her hands. Deuce had been fond of brewing tea. She had left all of her herbs and supplies here; Coli would not disturb them, in the off chance that her surrogate mother returned, children in tow. But for now, it was far too quiet indoors.
The shy werewolf slipped outside onto the porch, melancholy gaze studying the tidy garden she had toiled at. Just the other day, she had been reunited with Anu here... the memory brought a small smile to her face, a light of hope shining through her present gloom. Not all was lost... there were still some who cared about her, although the numbers were dwindling. And the morose atmosphere had settled heavily over the whole pack, with recent goings-on; Cercelee's mate had been attacked, and another packmate had been killed. Murdered, right on their borders. It was a chilling reminder of their own mortality.
Lost in such dark thoughts, the lithe Optime padded down the steps to the grassy lawn, feeling the springiness of the leaves beneath her pawpads. Springtime was already making way for summer. Time was so... inexorable. Pitiless. It stopped for no one, no matter how much they wished for it to freeze in place. Had Jasper and Laurent ever found each other? Had Svara and Firefly found peace out on their own? Had Haven come to terms with his cruel heritage...? She had met so many new faces since coming here, but all of them were one-time encounters. Memories that time diluted, until she could no longer recall their faces. How were Catalyst, and Emwe, and Zana doing? For that matter... what was Haku up to? She had avoided thoughts of him for long enough - as a single father, was he treating his sons better than he had his daughter? And Auntie Mew, had she and Lubomir decided to have children? Her delicate claws smoothed the long hair of her mane, running through her fur in a reassuring gesture.
"Nobody needs you to worry about them," she whispered to herself, letting her long eyelashes flutter shut.
"Just worry about yourself."
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I hope she can run after him, he is extremely afraid of his father at the moment >_< 300+
Still upset about what had happened earlier in the morning, the boy was not completely at ease. There was less pure fear in his heart, but he was far from calm and at peace. His heart fluttered with uncertainty every time his violet eyes rose up together with his face above the tall grass to scan his surroundings. There was a garden not far away, but some of the flower thingies looked weird and green, and there was a house there and that could mean someone lived inside there. His daddy lived inside a house, but so did Alexey, so clearly not all that lived in houses were mean like his father, but they did not necessarily have to be nice either, so houses could be dangerous.
The boy ducked down back into the high grass and continued his quest of separating the flower with its beloved root. Alexey was very nice, a very very nice nice wolf and he wanted to give her pretty flowers to make her happy. She had had a stupid big man wolf for a while, but he was not there any longer and so Conor would be her man thing instead, because he was a boy and a boy was kind of the same thing as a man. He liked this fact, he wanted to be together with Alexey forever, and these flowers would make it happen because it would show her that he was a good boy that always would take care of her if she just took care of him first.
Then, there was a distant sound from the house. His face poked up above the grass again, and the flower followed with the root. His eyes widened instantly as he recognized the coloration. There was little time for closer inspection as panic filled him. The boy turned around and started fleeing, despite the fact that it brought him further out into the open and made him all too visible. His daddy had several cabins and his daddy was here and he was going to be mean! Horrible! His bum still ached after the horrible kick that had been served by the blue eyed Lilium that very morning.
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[html] http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... table7.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> WC: 300+
OoC: She can! With a little PP, if you don't mind... ^^;;
She heard a rustling in the wild grass nearby, as though something or someone were approaching her. Her hands dropped slowly to her sides as she let her eyes flutter open, sky-blue sweeping the field and finding nothing. Perhaps it was a rabbit, then, rooting about for food...? Coli had not eaten in some time - she often forgot to feed herself, when left to her own devices - but she did not feel in the mood to hunt. It was just one of those days, the ones that made her feel exhausted just being outside. Her mood swings had reached a new amplitude, soaring into real happiness when she found herself at Anu's side, and then plunging her to depression whenever she wasn't. Without Deuce to talk to, everything had-
-There, crashing through the grass in a panic! It wasn't a brown rabbit, but rather a brown puppy, emerging from the tall grass at full speed. Her ears perked up with sudden interest, lips parted with surprise. "W-wait!" she called, his frightened pace raising her own alarm bells. Was something, someone, chasing him? The thought did not cross her mind that he was running from her, and instinctively sprinted after him, her long mane streaming behind her. Running was one of the few things she was good at. A timid creature learned quickly that their safety depended solely on the speed with which they could flee from danger, and Coli had always been fastest on two legs. Her light footfalls springing deer-like through the field, she lowered her center of gravity, leaning in to swoop him from the ground, scooping the frightened child to her chest. "Who are we running from?" she asked breathlessly, her heart hammering from the unexpected rush. Should they hide? Was it the puppy-eater, or the crow-wolf? She did not even stop to consider who the little one was, what scent he carried on his delicate fur, how much he looked like Emwe. That she was probably scaring him more...
. . .
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Faster faster faster, get back to Alexey before daddy got him first. The taste of bile burned in his throat, yet went by unnoticed as he ran. A wild expression took place in his face as his father quickly caught up with him, and soon strong, yet surprisingly gentle hands grabbed him. A sqeal left his maw in surprise and fear, and he stared right up at his father’s colour, brilliant blue staring straight down at him. In the heat of the moment, he could not even recognize the adult as a woman. The little male had known there was a smaller version of daddy around, as he had seen her at the pack meeting, but there was little sense in the puppy as long as the far ran slick and thick through him like the worst of venoms. He wanted to kick, scream and perhaps even bite, but the boy found himself unmoving, completely paralyzed.
Lilac eyes stared blindly up at her face, his body still as if been dead for hours. The terror from earlier that morning was too fresh, and the boy was certain that now he was going to die for certain. He had felt like that a lot of times, but this time it was going to happen. It was because he had ran to Alexey and asked if he could live with her away from daddy and now daddy was so mad that he wanted to kill Conor! If the puppy had been able to, he would have closed his eyes as death approached, but he was not in a position to do anything. He could only await his fate, ears completely deaf to the adult wolf’s words.
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[html] http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... table7.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> WC: 300+
Coli slowed her pace, stumbling to a halt as the terrified child in her arms refused to speak. What was wrong now - had she misunderstood? He looked too horror-stricken to have been playing, but her sensitive ears did not catch the sounds of another crashing after them. Her chocolate-brown ears fell back apologetically against her silken mane, ready to accept the blame for whatever wrong she had unwittingly committed. "D-did I hurt you at all? I'm sorry if I spooked you, I was only... trying to... help," she murmured, breathless voice faltering as she finally looked at him, really looked. His wispy puppy fur was an earthy blend of brown laced with copper, glinting gold in the sun's light. His wide panic-stricken eyes were a cool shade of silver-washed-violet, shiny with fear. His multi-hued pelt reminded her of Emwe, who also had silver-mixed eyes... This had to be none other than her baby brother, Conor.
Since Emwe had seemed so happily oblivious to the turmoil in his family, Coli had blithely assumed that his littermate was the same, and her presence was not required or wanted. It seemed she had been bitterly mistaken. With their mother banished, the pair had been all alone with their father, subject to his unpredictable mood swings and inappropriate behavior. She had hoped, or at least wanted to think, that his new status as a leader would have some bearing on the way he treated his scions - especially now, that he finally had sons! But the memory of Haku's leering face, threatening them as he threatened her in the snowy vineyard, was indisputable. He had been telling the truth after all. He didn't care, not unless she was trying to kill them. And gazing now, meeting the sadness in her frozen sibling's stare... she knew she could never harm a hair on his body.
Swallowing nervously, Coli settled gently down to the ground, still holding him close to feel his fluttering heartbeat. If she set him down, surely he would take off again, and she would never get the chance to meet him. But he would feel less threatened when they were both concealed beneath the blades of the tall grass, close to the earth. "C-conor... don't be scared of me. Did Emwe mention meeting me? M-my name is Colibri..." . .
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I managed to overlook this thread. Sorry D: (300)
The adult holding him began to talk, and he could not do anything but stare in continuous horror, his mind attempting to catch up with what had just happened. It really was a woman wolf, because her voice was light and smooth like the sound of a silver bell. There were things he did not understand. Why did this wolf look and smell so much like his father? It was not that she smelled like his father, but her scent was similar, somehow related. Her eyes held that same intense blue as his horrible sire, but there were so much softness to find in her delicate colour. The boy finally remembered to catch his breath, the sound lonely in the silence. Had Emwe talked about this wolfess? There were memories of her from the pack meeting, but he had not thought about her later, because there was not much from that evening that was easy to recall. Horror overshadowed everything.
He was down on the ground now, his legs trying to keep his balance. He was free to run away now, but his gaze only stayed on the woman. She was pretty despite the fact that she looked like daddy. Colibri. Colibri was not Haku and man was not woman and dad was not non-dad. This had to be someone else. The little boy was sure of this. His heart still hummed in an unnatural speed, but he did not feel that mind numbing fear anymore. Conor was slowly calming down. Maybe Emwe did mention her, now when his brain was better able to make sense again. Truth be told, Emwe said a lot of things that Conor did not really listen to.
”You scared I becauses you looks like Daddy.” the boy said silently, his eyes faltering and seeking the ground.
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[html] http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... table7.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> Oh my! It's okay, they're used to being overlooked. 
WC: 300+
There was a moment of silence. The breeze swished through the tall stalks of grass, swaying them around the two. Coli waited patiently for the shy boy to speak, anxiously biting her lip. Perhaps Emwe had not mentioned her after all. Maybe Haku had warned his boys to stay away from her, because she would poison their minds against him - but she doubted he cared enough to even mention her existence. It was easier for both of them to pretend they didn't know each other, rather than suffer through another confrontation. Avoidance was a healthy tactic, right? But it still tugged painfully at her heart, knowing that her father honestly didn't give a shit whether she was alive or not. She couldn't expect any less, after he had left her for dead, but not all of her could hate him, not even after that. It was impossible. She could only pray now that he didn't hurt his young sons the same way - or that he hadn't already.
Conor spoke the simple truth, as children often did, but the innocent words still hurt. She had been lucky enough lately to have surrounded herself with wolves unfamiliar with her dad, wolves that might consider her pretty on her own without realizing that she was just a watered-down copy of someone else. That false confidence could not possibly last for long, and it had just crumbled down. The werewolf drew her knees close to her chest, hugging her arms around them in a protective huddle. "I'm sorry," she whispered sincerely, and she was.
Conor's guilty gaze was directed towards the ground - but she did not see it, because hers was averted as well. There was a strange juxtaposition between them, and unlike with Emwe or Willow, it was plain to see that she was his sister. It could not last forever, though, the odd similarities - because Conor had a strong-willed mother, and a loving caretaker, and the support of a loving pack. He would grow out of his sadness. Coli was still trying to. "It's because... he's my dad, too." It had been harder to admit with Emwe. Somehow it was okay to reveal to Conor, though... They could be afraid together. . .
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Aww, dont say that!! (300)
She was slimmer and more girly pretty like, but he wondered why she looked so much like daddy. He was slightly afraid that she would have other similarities of his father too, but she did not seem cruel. The large woman on two legs had been nice to him, despite having scared him. Her voice was soft and held no danger that the child’s dark ears could detect at least. She said that she was sorry for looking like his father, and the boy could actually believe that. He doubted it was her fault that she had happened to look almost exactly like his father. Appearances, the boy had come to understand, could not be changed no matter how much one might wish it to change. Conor liked white wolves. Catalyst had been very cute and white, and he too wanted to be white and cute. Still, his fur was darker, and seemed to slowly darken into something darker than both of his parents. He did not understand. Did dark mean bad wolf and white mean good wolf? Colours did not necessarily decide how nice or bad a person would be, right?
The next words made no sense, so the child had to reply her words several times. That could not be true, because if she had been daddy’s child then she would have been just as small as Emwe and Conor, but she was very large like an adult and looked very much like an adult. ”You’re lying, you are old and big and I are not and I and Emwe has he as our daddy.” the boy said, believing he was right about this. The brown child did not know about his many half siblings around in these lands. He failed to realize that this was his oldest half sister, and that his was only one of many litters that his father had created. Conor knew nothing, he just knew that his daddy was bad, and he did not like bad wolves that looked like his dad, and this woman was lying. He did not like liars.
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[html] http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... table7.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> =P
WC: 300+
Coli drooped a little at his stubborn rejection, ears falling against her hair as her troubled eyes searched his face. Was he angry at her already? Sure, she acted like the complete opposite of her fearless turbulent sire, but if she was going to lie, surely she could have chosen a more flattering alibi. Conor's mother Firefly was the same age as Coli, give or take; perhaps it was a hard concept for a young child to grasp... What was the easiest way to explain the truth? "He... was my daddy first. When I was little like you. Then I got big and he left, and... then he was your daddy. We have different mommies." That made them half-siblings, but to her it was not a large distinction. Having grown up without a mother and with such a strong resemblance to her father, it made her feel like she had just the one parent, and any other children he had were all her brothers and sisters. They were all in the same boat.
The sky was calm and blue above them, innocent clouds scudding in the wind. The warm breeze spoke of summer on its way, rustling buds that would soon pop and spring flowers that would soon go to seed. Nestled in the grass that tickled her chin and swayed above her slim shoulders, Colibri slowly reached out her hand, pawpads up. She would not touch the boy again without his permission, because it had been a frightening breach of protocol and shaken them both. But she wanted him to believe her, because it was the truth, and she had never been good at lying. "I'm afraid of him too," she admitted softly, letting her hand touch the ground before them. She had different reasons, but they weren't all that different. If Conor understood, he might be the only one that did.
. .
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(300)
When the woman spoke again and said that Haku had been her daddy first, the child thought about going against her. For a moment he almost forgot that his father scared the shit out of him, because he wanted to defend his right to have his own daddy. However, he did the wise move to wait a bit with the planned interruption. So, Daddy was super old and she had been a baby when he had been adult? So she was like a very much older sister with another mother. Conor wondered where her mommy was now, who it was. Why did she not have the same mommy as Conor? It was very confusing, but perhaps she did not lie. She looked an awful lot like the demonic Lilium of Dahlia. He still found her very odd, but- he liked her. Her voice was so soft and fragile, he always felt in love with it. Perhaps daddy had been mean to her too.
Just as he had thought that thought, she revealed that very thing. The boy felt his hackles slowly rise as his ears took in her honest words. He did not really like to talk about his life with his father. He was afraid to get caught and get beaten a lot for being a bad boy going around telling. He huffed, forcing his lilac eyes down to gaze on her hand. She was an adult though. The boy had believed that adults felt no fear, but perhaps this was wrong. Just thinking about this made the worry cling to his chest. It was uncomfortable. He did not want to be scared anymore. The boy made a choice and moved closer to the woman, walking over her hand in order to come closer to her warm and soft body. ”Daddy is hurts I and saying bad things.” the child suddenly revealed, feeling hurt filling his body with sadness. A whimper came from the little ball of fur. He wished Daddy did not exist.
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[html] http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... table7.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> Thought this would be an okay ending? :/ Sorry for having to cut it short. I really liked this one, too.
WC: 400+
Conor did not question her again, and it seemed that unlike Emwe, he had chosen to believe her. His silver-washed-amethyst gaze seemed distant as he pondered the facts, and then discomfort as he compared their stories. Finally his small voice admitted what she had dreaded all along, sympathy swelling irresistibly within her breast. He was so young, would he ever recover? Would Haku Soul ever stop? Hot frustrated tears rushed to her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall, not wanting to upset the youth further.
How much of it had been a self-fulfilling prophecy? How many of Haku's packmates and relatives openly suspected him of abuse, when in the beginning there had been none? If she hadn't returned, it might not have been as bad for the boys. How many accusations and admonishments had their sire shouldered before something in him needed a release, and what better way to lash out than to prove them all right? Coli felt sick, remembering intimately how her father snapped sometimes. She did not fully understand the machinations of his fragmented mind, but she remembered well enough how he worked; aloof and cold for as long as he could pretend, and then without warning, the angry violent side would take control. That was how she remembered it. That was what had convinced her to make Cercelee leave them, but she had naively believed that it would be alright for her to stay behind. Even now it was hard to explain why.
There was nothing much she could say to the boy, her brother, but share his secret. An icy fire burned inside of her, twisting her gut, making her palms clammy. She wanted to protect him so badly. She was an adult now. She was supposed to look after those younger than her. But Haku made her feel as small and helpless as Conor, and without any closure from him, she could not advance past her own abuse. A soft whine caught in her throat as well, curling her fluffy tail around the gentle pup as he pressed against her. She felt guilty for scaring him earlier, guilty that she could not take his pain away. She could merely offer him this, a temporary reprieve. Sanctuary. And he could learn not to be like her - because once fear ruled over other emotions, it was hard to take back the reins, regardless of age or experience. He would need to muster up his own courage if he did not want to grow up into a pitiable creature like his sister. He could learn from her mistakes. That was the best she had to offer.
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