Beating heart of stone

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting from the reunion with Aranea, but perhaps he had at least wanted something more enthusiastic to the surprise. She seemed happy enough to see their children, but distracted and distant when it came to himself. The father in him was just happy that the three children he had brought were given time to see their mother and that was enough to silence any uncomfortable tension he felt as they got acquainted with the castle and shared a meal with Aranea after their long trip here. He remained quiet for the most part, only letting a smile and his calm presence shine through around their children and any of the other pack members they might happen to meet as they took their tour and got settled.

However, the fact that one scent in particular clung to her fur above the collective scents of The Hallows hadn't escaped him and it was a fact that he was careful to keep in the very back of his mind throughout the day so that he wouldn't dwell on it too much and ruin what was intended to be a pleasant day. It wasn't until after the children were tucked away in the spare room for the night with their door closed and he was similarly closed away in Aranea's room that he felt like he could finally address the unexpected tension and evidence that was plain as day in front of him. Allegro found a place to sit toward the middle of the room, the pale glow of moonlight coming through the window giving them plenty of light to see by in the space.

There were so many things he wanted to say, none of them sounding entirely pleasant as he practiced them in his own head. "I missed you," he finally admitted after a long pause of heavy silence. He fully expected to not receive that same feeling in return, but it was one of the only things he could think to say that didn't feel cutting and accusatory. Though he wondered to himself if there was any reason to pull punches or be kind. He couldn't even bring himself to look her in the eye, instead looking toward the ground between them. "Just... Just tell me who it is. At least tell me his name." Who stole you from us?

Walk | "Talk" | think