gather ye rosebuds while ye may

Leaving Celestial's lands for the last time was in an odd way a relief. It felt... somehow... like he was leaving behind the part of himself that had led him to join Regulus' pack, like he was comfortable once again in his own skin. Celestial had felt like his pelt was too tight, like who he was, was too confined. It felt... like an itch constantly there, reminding him of how he'd once lived, suggesting that he could do better if only he had the chance.

Now he'd taken that chance, grabbed onto the opportunity with all his strength. Now he had the chance to make up, in some small way, for the part he'd played in his brothers' murder. All those lives - he would not, of course, go so far as to say they were innocent lives, for they were after all men of honor, but the lives of comrades and mentors and proteges he had known and for the most part loved nonetheless - lost because of his mistake. Well, he had lived through that period of his life, he'd lost, and he'd learned from it. That experience shaped him, and he would not waste it.

He would not think of himself as Mask any longer, but rather reclaim the name that he had been given at birth. Perhaps he would, in times he needed to remain anonymous, give that name once again. But he was through hiding who he was behind a mask - he would live and die as Enrico, and he would face whatever might come of that decision. Even if it brought Basileus' jaws to his throat.

His pawsteps had brought him once again to the bow of the ship he'd been so fascinated with before. He'd decided that the benefits outweighed the potential for being trapped within it. Now here he was.

Ready.

The dark male paused for a moment to study the deck of the ship for signs of recent occupation in case he needed to remove anyone, but if someone had been using it as a base they were away from home at the moment. Perhaps he would need to reinforce his authority if they attempted to return, but not this second. Satisfied with his findings, he raised his muzzle and, in a low, smooth note, howled his claim on these lands, raising his standard and inviting those who would seek to better themselves under his guidance.