[ AW ] Gorgeous Nightmare

Anger fueled him as he walked along the shattered ground, his shadow looming over everything he passed as he tried to locate the little raccoon that had been successful in vanishing on him. She would be met with a lesson once he found her; to not run off like this again especially in a new area such as this. He worried about her, wanting what was his back. It would all depend how much of a lecture she would receive based on how much she wanted to test his patience that was wearing thinner by the second, with each long stride he took. The scent of the little boisterous pixie potent in the air, she couldn’t have gotten far on those little legs of her, but she wasn’t dumb when it came to escaping his watchful gaze.

He also could catch wind of his mother, though he would deal with that later as he only gave a cold passing glance toward the coves that hid the thieves' guild, only being reminded of the rage he bit down for the other one. The scent of alcohol even stronger than the salty oceans that raged behind him.

He would pause as his foot would come to rest on a skull, looking to be bovine in features, nails scraping and chipping some of the dry bone right off, contemplating crushing it until he heard a few squeaks reverberate along the skull. A smirk nearly managed to touch his eyes but not lips then, as he exerted pressure onto one side of the cranium, hear pop after pop as cracks started to decorate the surface. “Not the skittering rodent I was seeking,” he growled. Suddenly a snap would be heard as one eye socket would shatter under his weight and in an instant the critter would try to escape, fleeing from the other side that had yet to break. Its attempt at freedom would be swiftly thwarted as he leaned down and snapped it in his jaws, lips peeled back as a little mouse hand scratched at the prison bars. A huff flared his nostrils before he snapped them down tighter, severing one of the little paws causing his ears to twitch when it screamed.

Ugh, it tasted foul as the sewer-like blood stained his tongue, spitting it to the ground. With little care, his paw would reach forward to smash it to the ground, not hard enough to kill it but just enough so it couldn’t escape as he allowed the pads to form around it. The creature made his sister look like a giant and yet he couldn’t help but compare it to her tiny stature as his gaze glowered down at it, wanting it to be well acquainted with the punishment he wished to exert on his mother but stopped himself from doing si. Destroying those just from disagreements wouldn't do but destroying this little mouse would be plenty amusing even if the pathetic rodent was unfit even as a meager snack.

You Will Listen

Art by Kumiho-Kami/Ashon | Table code by Zodiac

vettealya

When she wasn't with Rhychdir, she was prowling amongst the hidden happenings of those that buried themselves in the beach and hid in the caves of the tavern. She was simply listening, waiting, and watching. If any more rumors or alerts were to slither their way around from the beast that was the "Imperial Army" of this country, it was along the coast and within the walls of the bar that would spark attention. She had made a swift exit from the redwood, steering clear of any paths she might walk across any of the soon-to-be war mongers from the army that may have been in the area.

She hadn't quite made her way to the Drunken Seagull, but she wasn't necessarily in a hurry, either. She had awhile before Rhychdir would return to their small oasis in the redwood. Ivory paws slid into the obsidian sand that lay beneath each step, mismatched hues watched the the path infront of her as she meandered in the direction of the bar.

It wasn't until she heard the familiar chords that always made her heart melt, no matter the tone or matter behind the words. “Not the skittering rodent I was seeking," brows would raise for all but a second in her out-of-context curiosity. That didn't matter, no. Just seeing the face of her sweet, baby boy was always the only thing that mattered- just as much could be said for her smallest girl. And speaking of, she wasn't anywhere to be seen around her brother.

She carried herself to her son steadily, carefully, so as to not startle him should he lack attention in the moment. Kissers parted as she spoke softly upon clos9ng their proximity. Braith, my most precious beast, surely that rodent isn't of any satisfaction to you she would hum, a soft laugh was breathed as cool notes over came her usual tone, her more melodic and motherly chords were being played most.

Her mismatched hues peered around her behemoth of a son, then in every other direction that her eyes would reach- and there wouldn't be a single hair to tell her that Faeryn was close by. But she would let him explain that himself. And, perhaps placing him on Faeryn patrol was a bit overbearing and misplaced, but I'm the end, it was Braith who she trusted most to protect both himself and his smallest sister. Where is she this time? She's okay? And you're okay? she listened to herself morph into the hovering and over reacting mother, but due to recent events and circumstances, she felt she had every right to do so.

speaking

With his attention so fixated on the rodent, he hadn’t noticed the approaching steps of another until they were far too close for comfort, his skin pricking the moment he realized someone was dangerously close. Before he could even muster a reaction the soothing cords of a woman he knew well enough enchanted his ears, causing any hostility that rippled into his muscle or hairs that had twitched out of place to relax back down. The squealing from the prey had ceased then, his gaze swallowing it up as he noticed blood now adorned his talons and wooden furs, making his tongue click in mild annoyance as he withdrew his paw to see it torn asunder from likely the tension he just had. Her words did not quell that burning anger within but he let out a small snort nonetheless.

“The toils of satisfaction have expired,” he sighed out, slowly turning his gaze to her with melting ice crystals as he took in her appearance, a slate version of himself in many ways. It made her almost perfect in his eyes for their furs to have such gorgeous similarities but palette wise she was a mirror image of Faeryn.

He’d rake his claws to chuck the critter to her feet, amazed there was still some breathing making its diaphragm tremor but it would not last long before that last beat of its heart would conclude its life. He desired for her to finish it off, to torment its last seconds but at the rate it was going, it would die before she had any chances. Silently he would move toward her till his muzzle childishly tucked under her chin if she did nothing to stop him.

Nothing would be said till he was urged to speak, drinking in her perfume like it had been forever since he had the chance to do so and he was greedy with how much he would take in for himself. Breathing in her very soul, had he had the ability to keep her trapped here with him for all eternity. “Rhychdir happened. She met us with contempt…I merely returned it. Ryn scuttled off between the heat of our clashing flames to seek you but it seems she is neither with you nor I,” he recited, taking a couple steps back with his ears drawn back, biting his tongue till tears would manage to brim his eyes from the pain to fabricate sorrow rather than anger.

You Will Listen

Art by Kumiho-Kami/Ashon | Table code by Zodiac

vettealya

The Bradshagh behemoth responded like any other should. Were this anyone else, she would seek a fast way to remedy the reaction of being startled or snuck up on, but assumed her own motherly aura to the boy would do all the remedying on its own. She would watch him finish his play with the rodent, a look of disappointment was washed across his face.

“The toils of satisfaction have expired,” a sigh from her boy's lips, and she continued to watch as he would toss his little toy in her direction. An ear flicked, looking at the blood that already shone in little glints of shimmers on his fur. How sweet of him. Surely he didn't actually expect her to touch it, it was already a mess and her white paws were going to stay white.

She was seated now, so when the boy worked his way over , she lifted her muzzle just so, giving him more room nuzzle into her. His musk was not of her bradshagh that lay with her at night, nor as seemingly exotic as his sister's perfume. Above all, it was refreshing and reassuring- he was here now, with her. And his sister should be too, her ears falling back just slightly as she began to bubble and boil over the thought of her not being here. But she was forced to simmer, if only for a brief moment when her boy spoke once again.

"Rhychdir happened. She met us with contempt…I merely returned it. Ryn scuttled off between the heat of our clashing flames to seek you but it seems she is neither with you nor I,”

Brows furrowed, her mismatched hues of fire and ice drove into his false visage of a building sadness. And you.. did what to stop her? Or were your pretty white fangs sunken into Rhychdir far too deep to follow after her? her face remained cool, and her chords were even colder. What did Rhychdir do? How long had Faeryn been on her own? With the threat of the army and whole war looming, she could only imagine the worst of her daughter being caught up and dragged to the barracks to do God's knows what, and forced to fight should the need arise.

Rhychdir should have.. her words were quiet
until they trailed off into silence and her breathing turned more rhythmic. she tensed her paws, her claws digging into the dirt beneath them. You've been by her side, all this time, no matter the circumstance. You've been perfect, Braith. she praised her boy, it was something that soothed her, oddly. She can't be far she was reassuring herself, really. The frustration of it all was eating at her, but no good would come from lashing out.

speaking

Her accepting his touch resulted in him burying his muzzle gently into her fur as it slid a touch further down so her neck was within his grasp, his ears drawing back along his head with a rare show of respect for her as his superior. She stayed, she kept their little makeshift family slightly tethered together and he did not question her love toward him. She was special even if she wasn’t his everything, she was one that could stitch a crack in his heart on days he was willing to show his dystopia that plagued his mind as much as she could be the spine he occasionally lacked. Not taking his gift was even left without a retort of it not being good enough for her, for he knew it wasn’t but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun playing with the dying creature as he might. In that regard, she lacked a nuance to entertainment but he could forgive her.

He could always forgive her as he took in her delicate perfumes, taking in that she was truly here as she did the same to him.

That bit of solace would depreciate as she answered his woe with nothing warm, making his fur tempt to bristle along his spine, upset she was etching away his facade. He should have known better than to think her gullible enough to manipulate to his fancy but it didn’t stop him from trying, wanting to keep both Mother Dearest and Faeryn as solely his toys to keep and no one else's. Petty as it was, he saw nothing wrong with such a “mine” style view.

With a click of hesitation and minute submission, he would slowly raise his head out from under her chin to look away from her. “I did try to follow the little raccoon, but she’s gotten better and better at evasion recently, when she truly doesn’t want to be found. She was crying. It doesn’t help that we don't know this land, Mommy. All of this is new to me. Please forgive me,” slowly his head would turn back to her with a gentle plea in his icy gaze for her good graces rather than the rage he felt was boiling under that calm exterior, her being the last beast he wanted to lash at him.

His face would hang low for her to easily reach should she desire to, his tail swaying as he was praised. He knew he was perfect, but it always felt nice to hear it from another’s mouth, reaffirming his ego was in the right place. “Hopefully so, maybe Ryn will come to your voice but…” he breathed, pausing for a moment before asking the one thing that had been waging war in his head since the draft was mentioned. “Why is she one of them, the very ones she told us to be leery of? Do you really trust her?” he whispered, though a snarl couldn’t help but peel his lips back at the thought of his Other Mother, instead of focusing on Faeryn this second.

You Will Listen

Art by Kumiho-Kami/Ashon | Table code by Zodiac

vettealya

She melted into his quaint little display, forever grateful the boy chose, and continued to choose her to be his mother. He could have left, could have taken Faeryn and ran and made on with life without her. But instead, he was always showing up, always a physical reassurance for her. Her melting ceased to be as he pulled his head from her.

“I did try to follow the little raccoon, but she’s gotten better and better at evasion recently, when she truly doesn’t want to be found. She was crying. It doesn’t help that we don't know this land, Mommy. All of this is new to me. Please forgive me,” she gave a soft chuckle at his raccoon comment. If Faeryn were here, though, she was stifle said chuckle and warn Braith not to hurt her precious little selfish feelings. Her face turned upside down, however, when he said she was crying. And the territory was still unknown to the both of them. Crying.. poor girl was probably hysterical, and got herself all turned around.. perhaps if it were anyone else she wouldn't feel so.. sorry for the girl, but while others grew out of their puppy naive-ness, faeryn never quite did. She could easily be coaxed, or fool herself into thinking she could manage such a vast land all on her own. Her mismatched hues followed the land around them, her head swiveling every which way slowly. “Hopefully so, maybe Ryn will come to your voice but…” Gods, I hope she does.. she continued watching around her. Her attention snapped back, however, when braith continued to speak. “Why is she one of them, the very ones she told us to be leery of? Do you really trust her?" Fire and ice seemed to rage for all but a second, before their brightness burned out. She's trying to find a way out, it isn't as simple as running away. I trust her to make the right decision- the one that keeps herself alive, and us as well. that's what she wanted to believe, but even Vettealya realized the dangers of simply up and leaving a machine as big as an army on the brink of a war.

speaking

The bit of laughter made his head tilt, feeling like it had been some time since he had heard anyone laugh as of late, not with so much animosity in recent days and he wasn’t sure if he preferred an atmosphere full of strifeful silence, yelling, or vibrant with laughter. Perhaps he should have liked the sound of her laughter, but it grated on his ears, never much liking that repetitive sound but he did nothing to silence her, not that he needed to as the comment right after had any merriment stripped from her. It was such a turn that his eyes even widened a touch, not expecting such a sharp change in emotion just from words alone but he supposed he couldn’t blame her. There was no denying she had maternal instincts, to hear her child wasn’t all daisies probably crushed her very heart. He couldn’t say he related, he was more angry than sad at the outcome, yet tickled pink by the fact his other mother had proven his point.

He would refrain from telling her anything else about the tale in expectation she would pick it apart and turn it onto him as the bad guy, he rather keep the narrative where he was the one completely in the right. Not that he doubted his placement in all this, but he also knew others might flip his words to whatever sounded better to them. Faeryn was one of those prime examples, trying to twist everything to a brighter light instead of accepting his word as facts.

Ears would flick then pull back when there was a quick defense to the other’s actions and he let out a disgusted snort, looking rather agitated. “The same way she already did so well,” there was a faint note of sarcasm and anger, but he wouldn’t let it rupture any further, not wanting to start a fight with her. “Ryn is my bigger priority right now, not if that woman is truly doing what’s best for us. Farewell, for now. I'll see you again before the moon has a chance to show its full face,” he would leave it at that, turning on his heels to go to the next spot he was told they could find the woman before him. The Redwood was his next destination, it seemed this place was a dead lead. It was a matter of finding wherever that was, he only had a general direction of where to go but maybe it would be plenty easy to spot once he got there.


{Braith Exits Unless Stopped}

You Will Listen

Art by Kumiho-Kami/Ashon | Table code by Zodiac