The cripplingly shy yearling took the first opportunity to drift away from the gathered crowd- they were here to celebrate him and his siblings, but he wished they could have just sent some gifts instead. There were so many of them, and he was so used to meandering unbothered through the broad territories of the Armada. Sometimes he would run into a friend or family member, or he would be friendly with a packmate. This was a whole new arena, and he wasn't the biggest fan. It didn't show, nor did he make a point of expressing his discomfort. It was telegraphed in the hunch of his massive shoulders, and the slight furrow of his brow, but he smiled and laughed whenever it was warranted. It was no one else's fault he was awkward and uncomfortable in a crowd. Pale toes stretched into the dark sand as he settled at the edge of the surf, heedless of the waves that lapped against his flanks and soaked into his fur from wrist to belly. As he laid down in the surf, warm sand pressed against his very full tummy. That grouse had disappeared almost immediately between all of the siblings, and he had helped himself to more than enough of the snacks afterwards. As the tide started to roll in, and the moon climbed ever higher in the sky, he could feel the water creeping higher and higher against his outstretched forelimbs. Maybe some little minnows would start nibbling at his paws, if he sat still enough. Moonlight glinting off the sodden fur of his dun coloured flanks and ivory horns, the quiet Fatalis boy heaved a great sigh. Once they all started leaving the beach, he would have to go track down his littermates. Give them gifts. Express his love in the best way he could, before everyone turned in for the night. Maybe he could pull his sire aside for a few moments, tell him that he loved him too. Mercury eyes flicked subconsciously down to the paired bands around his wrists, taken from the familiar cheetah pelt that his mother wore all the time. Thoughtful, meaningful. More than he could ever have asked from the man who had been hit so hard by her death. He lifted one foreleg to watch the gemstone glint and shine in the dim, cool light of the night. His tail thumped lightly against the wet sand a few times. Content to listen to the murmur of voices behind him, festivities he would rejoin eventually, he rolled his hips to stretch his long hind legs out to one side. Between his forepaws, he started to absently pile up the ebon sands into a great heap. When was the last time he'd built a sand castle for himself?

As much as Bramble wanted to believe she was similar to her siblings, she had to admit she was not. They were all more reserved and pensive where she was boisterous and outgoing. Their parents had insisted nothing was wrong with her demeanor, but she couldn’t help but be self-conscious of her demeanor. Her anxious feelings dug into her belly so much that she had to excuse herself from the group of yearlings. Bramble wished to stay and chatter with them, but she needed a break first. Leaving the group with a gentle nudge toward her siblings, she turned to face the beach. Her cat claws extended slightly as she flexed her toes and rolled her shoulders. Being able to stretch her muscles felt nice as she was growing into her large form. Unlike her mother, she would soon be a similar height to her father and tower over most females and even some males. In a sense, Bramble thought that was funny but also made her overly aware of just how much space she took up. Unsure how she should be feeling at the moment, she approached the waves that ebbed along the shore. The tide slowly brought it in as frothy from stained her tan paws. A sincere clarity washed over as the chilly water rushed over her ankles. Content to stand there as the moon traveled across the sky, she soon heard the scraping of sand along the ground. Turning her chin to place teal eyes upon her uncle, Bramble smiled. Would it make more sense to say cousin since they were the same age? “Stratum,” Bramble’s voice is a cheery hum as she makes her way to him. “Can I keep you company?” She asks politely before plopping herself down on the other side of her sand mound. Stretching her own long legs out, she flexes her toes once more and enjoys the relief from standing. Bramble Carpathius

He absently swung his heavy skull up and to one side when he heard his name spoken aloud, and spotted one of his nieces- cousins? He really wasn't sure how to address the other yearling-adjacent members of his family. He flashed a small, lopsided smile at her. "Oh, yeah." he drawled quietly, bobbing his head- more to himself than to her. As she settled down to his side, he mindlessly tracked the movement of her limbs to mirror his own lazy sprawl. "Thanks for coming all the way up here," he said, pleasantries falling from his maw reflexively after an evening of being polite and friendly with his family. "are you enjoying the party?" he asked next, mercurial gaze flicking up to her delicate features to see how she responded. The yearling's broad paws worked away at the growing mound of dark sand, shaping into a rounded hill. With one of his toes he carved a winding path down one side, from top to bottom, for its imaginary inhabitants to traverse towards the sea. A small furrow of concentration formed between his ivory marked brows, as he resumed the gradual accumulation of sand on the unmarked side of his little castle. "Feels like a thousand years since we were pretty much littermates, huh?" he chuffed softly, though the little grin he wore didn't reach his eyes. He'd spoken before he could really consider what he was talking about, and then he regretted it entirely. They'd been practically siblings because his mom was dying. Best not to think about that, it was supposed to be a happy night. Downcast gaze caught on the upturned edge of a mussel shell sticking out of the sand, and he scooped it up in a broad paw to wedge upright into the crown of his soon-to-be masterpiece.

Bramble’s own face tilts toward the flaxen shaded boy as the pleasantries drip from his mouth. A huff leaves her nostrils as she turns to stare out at the ocean. “You need not be so polite,” she replies as a coy smile plays on her lips. “I act as if I have no brains and am overly friendly when in public, but I’m a tad smarter than most believe me to be,” the youngster says in further response to his thanks to her travels all the way up here. “Truth be told, I’ve been itching to leave the pack lands,” her nose would wrinkle then as she remembers the chastising she had received after the bear encounter. Her own toes flex into the sand as they make rivulets. Barely seen as the darkness of night covers the sky, Bramble finally looks back over to Stratum. His mention of them being littermates so long ago causes a sigh to leave her. Ah, yes, granny Zee… the own lump in her throat caused her to withhold the words she wished to say. Even if she hadn’t been her own mother, Bramble could only guess how agonizing it had been to lose her so young. “At times I wish we had been able to live together until we reached a year,” she pauses then as she lifted a large paw to drag a cat-like claw through the packed sand. “I feel as if I don’t connect with my siblings as I should,” Bramble admits quietly as her lower lip draws into her mouth and she clamps down. Suddenly regretting her words she shakes her head. “I’m sorry! It’s your party. I don’t want to be a downer” Her vocals reach a higher pitch as she continues to drag her claws through the sand. “Are you having a good time?” The tawny and teal girl asks to try and change the subject. Bramble Carpathius

Right off the bat, Bramble was quick to chastise him for being formal. That she wasn't an idiot, despite how she might act in gatherings. He grunted softly, eyes widening for just a moment before he stuck his tongue out at her in response. Once they were both comfortably settled, she admitted that she was excited to get away from the pack lands. He hummed softly, nodding his head a little in understanding. He and his siblings had been given plenty of room to roam in the surrounding landscape, but always with a chaperone of some sort. Usually one of their father's companions. It was a strange sensation, always being watched, but he suspected being cooped up in the castle grounds for an entire year was somehow worse. At least he could venture off on his own and have new experiences, even if they were shared by unseen eyes. A few moments of thoughtful silence, the pair working on their own little portion of the growing sand castle. The tawny fae spoke up, admitting that she missed the time they'd spent together. Lamenting the connections (or lack thereof) between herself and her siblings. Followed up, in typical fashion for their lineage, by a quick apology. He shook his head quickly, flashing her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it," he told her, and reached out with one forepaw to bump it against her toes- a chastise of his own. Bramble asked if he was enjoying the party, and he shrugged a little. "It's nice to see everyone again, but.. I would prefer if I weren't seeing them all at once. We have a huge family, and it's kind of overwhelming. Even if I love them all, it's hard to handle them all being so, uh, crowded together." he admitted with a sheepish smile, glancing her way. It was nice to share a quiet moment with his niece-cousin-whatever. They hadn't seen one another in a while, and their last meeting had been under.. shitty circumstances. Traumatized children weren't all that fun. Patting the dark sand under his paw, he tried to pack it in a little more tightly to the rest of the structure. "I can't make things less awkward between you and your siblings, but if you want.. I can take you exploring around the Armada? There's plenty of weird shit around here, and I'm sure our parents won't care if we wander off for a few hours tomorrow." ivory tipped tail thumped lightly against the sand, pleased with himself for extending the olive branch to the young fae he hadn't seen in so long. If he had the power to instigate a prison break of sorts once the sun came up tomorrow, why not do it?

Though Bramble enjoyed to chatter, she also happened to be a good listener. Intent, purposeful, and caring, Bramble wanted everyone to know that she was interested in whatever it was they had to say. Even if she had not a single clue as to what they were talking about, she would listen. This time was the case as she understood exactly what Stratum was talking about. Her chin would nod slowly in agreement. That much was true. Outwardly, she was bubbly, social, and could be the life of the party. Yet, her brain was always running in overtime so she often got overwhelmed and would babble to try and calm herself down. It was an… odd sort of coping mechanism but one that seemed to work out for her. “Our family doesn’t exactly know what personal space means,” Bramble spoke with humor in her voice as she let out a soft laugh. Continuing to drag her sharp cat-like claw through the dark and damp sand, she almost let out a sigh until she felt Stratum’s equally large paw bump against her’s. Glancing back up at him as her own tail thumped against the packed sand, she nodded more vigorously this time. “Awe yeah, that sounds great!” Her lips widened her smile as she picked up her paw and bumped his back. “I haven’t had much of a chance to explore. Dad got us here just in time for the party so we didn’t exactly get to relax before today,” she exaggerates a sigh as she leans over and plops her head down against the grainy earth. Above them, stars twinkled silently as clouds passed overhead. It sure was beautiful up here - even if it were a tad chilly. “Do you have a favorite place?” Bramble asks as her teal eyes trail from the sky to her uncle-cousin-whateveritisthatheis with curiosity sparkling in her own gaze. She really did try to make everyone feel special. Bramble Carpathius

He enjoyed seeing how his cousin perked up (his decision in the moment was to start calling her his cousin, it would make things easier to pick one title) at the mention of a chance to explore the regions around the pack. He grinned at her, and dropped his attention quickly back to the structure that was rapidly growing in intricacy as they worked. He could make out a few little windows in the low light, a grand archway.. and he was working away at a little turret of some sort on the side. Were they unconsciously recreating Amron's Castle? Perhaps. Hard to say for certain until it was finished. Even as she flopped over onto her flank to stare up at the sky, lamenting the strenuous travel that brought the rest of the family to the party this evening, he kept working away at it. He liked to keep his paws busy, it kept his mind from straying too far in one direction or the other. Bramble asked if he had any favourite spots in the area, and he hummed thoughtfully. "A few of the caves around the Col are really neat, but you live in a castle already- hard to top that." he admitted with a chuckle, following her gaze up towards the clear night sky. "How do you feel about the cold? There are a few really breathtaking lookout points further north, towards the coast, but if you're already chilly around here then you might not like it." he had seen plenty of crazy spots in and around the northern reaches, and there were so many unique features that he couldn't easily pick one. However, if the frozen tundra was off the table then he could narrow down his choices.