[Location for Home Turf: Souls Sand Cove]

Crux usually avoided the cove, the last time he'd been here had been the celebration for their first year. But he should probably at least try and get over his avoidance of the beach right? It was a pack land after all and if he became a healer then he'd need to be able to get anywhere, you couldn't ever assume something would happen in a convenient place. Easier said than done. He stood at the edge of the solid ground before it started to become covered with the sharp and slippery rock shards that made up the sand of the cove. Crux closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, focusing on the gentle weight against his chest and the newer but still comforting feeling of the cuff on his foreleg. They helped to keep him centred, to remind him of happier times. He opened his eyes and took a tentative step out onto the sand.

Then another, another and- Well his paws seemed to deny him then, his back leg sliding painfully out to the side and Crux grunted, gritting his teeth in pain as he slowly dragged it back under his hips. It was so hard to feel stable on his paws when he couldn't be quite as quick as others, quite as controlled as others. He silently cursed Riya who had told him this was something he needed to do by himself and not rely on her. Honestly he'd rather not have to try and do this at all, but well... He knew he didn't get to just coast by, not him, never him. Crux sighed and kept slowly, agonizingly slowly, pushing himself forwards, having to stop frequently to readjust his stance and more than once having to catch himself before he fell... Which he thankfully hadn't done yet.

"Speech"

Art by TheStarvingRaven

Why was Lioness dragging her back to the Cove again. She could stand the territory at night, when her mask could be up and she could see what was around her. But during the day, she found her sensors were confused by the shifting sand, and the scent of salt was so strong it was hard to figure out what was around her.

But Lioness had a mind of her own, and her seeing-eyed cat was what she relied on when the sun was up. “Alright, alright!” She said as Lioness huffed and murred at her. What was the rush, anyway?

Lioness jumped right as she reached Crux. landing first on his back, and then leaping over his head and landing nimbly on the sandy floor. Leaving Kite - oblivious - to find her brother with her nose first. She reached a paw out, and patted her brothers back. “Crux?” she asked, not entirely sure of herself.


"Kite"

Crux was very focused, trying to see if there was any value in trying to shove his paws down past the top layer of the sand but it only made him even slower, something he hadn't even thought possible. He was so focused that his sister managed to sneak up on him, a feat all in itself. It wasn't Kite that he noticed first though, no it was the sudden weight of something jumping onto his back. He gave a surprised sort of grunt as he scrambled to adjust to the sudden addition of weight but he'd over compensated and it was immediately punished when only a moment later the weight jumped over his head and he watched a small set of paws soar past his head. He landed on his rump with a soft thump.

"Hey Kite." He said in response to her question, feeling her nose at his back he shot a quick glare at the cat before he turned his attention to his sister, well at least mentally he didn't want to make any sudden movements both because he wasn't sure he could but because he didn't want to startle his sister either, the last thing either needed was for them to risk falling, again in his case. "What can I do for you?" It was a playful question, he slowly began to turn himself so he could more easily see his sister though he remained seated, reaching out a fore paw to let her know he was still right in front of her as his back slid away from her, gently resting it on a shoulder.

"Speech"

Art by TheStarvingRaven

In response to his glare, Lioness gave a self-satisfied smile, and got busy cleaning herself. Leaving Kite to fend for herself on Crux’s other side. The wolf had finished patting Crux, satisfied that she knew exactly who was in front of her now. She both felt and sensed Crux moving around him. She couldn’t see him right now, but she could imagine what it looked like. His dark toned boy moving awkwardly around his crutch, and resettling. She raised a paw and placed it over his.

“I thought Lioness was leading me somewhere, I thought we were going fishing.” The last word was said with an audible glare, since she couldn’t actually see the cat right now. She sighed, and shook her head. “But I’m here now, I guess. What were you doing?” She hadn’t exactly intended to walk into him. Usually her seeing-eye-cat was actually a great guide.


"Kite"

The cat was a brat! But Crux's attention was mostly focused on his sister, her paw lifting to cover his own and despite himself he smiled at that. He was often off in his own world and wrapped up in his own worries and anxieties but there was something between himself and Kite that he wouldn't ever share with the rest of his family. An understanding about how they navigated the world, inherently differently from everyone else. He chuckled as his sister sent an audible barb at Lioness.

"Well you were heading in the right direction at least." Not that he thought she couldn't tell that from the feeling of the beach under her paws. As for the answer to her question? Crux couldn't help the feeling of embarrassment that caused heat to creep up his face. He knew he shouldn't feel that way, especially not when talking with Kite but it was harder to control an automatic response. "I uh- I was practising walking on the beach." He knew that both of them struggled with this, for different reasons but a shared experience all the same. "Can't say it was working. Probably should call it a day anyways." He'd rather spend some time with his sister anyways, he'd been getting frustrated and that was only likely to make him less careful and would lead to more falls.

"Speech"

Art by TheStarvingRaven