Hanging Around
Professor
01-02-2022, 04:20 PM
Ricin keeps his head down and crimson eyes latched onto a very interesting spot between his paws. Truth is, the lighter pup saw the embarrassed look on his brother’s face when he had begged for the food. A knife of shame pierced the lighter pup’s heart and, when the tears had welled, Ricin’s humiliation had become a crushing weight. The tears slide free and Ricin’s head lowered further. Suddenly, he is fearful that Chade may abandon him for his weakness and the lighter blue boy’s throat squeezes painful shut for a moment. Ricin shoots a quick, tear-filled glance to his brother, trying to understand just how deeply his words have hurt the darker pup. Instead of anger, there is a flicker of a smile on his brother’s lips and Ricin sees Chade’s attempt to give him confidence. A smile appears the lighter pup’s face as he realizes how foolish his fears are. They had promised to stick together through everything and nothing will separate the brothers.
With his worry washed away, Ricin scrubs the tears from his eyes as the adult calls for the ravens to escort her daughter away. He watches as the purple pup leaves, wondering if she will ever like him. Then the purple adult talks about getting them food and Ricin almost laughs in giddy relief at the prospect of getting a decent meal. It isn’t Chade’s fault that the prey are fast and the boys are barely scrap by but Ricin is still eager at the thought of getting to fill his belly. Chade takes off and Ricin realizes just how hungry his brother has been. The lighter-hued pup is quick to follow after his brother, albeit he lags slightly further back from the adult wolf. As kind as she is acting, Ricin still remembers the painful smacks and words his own mother use to hurl at him.
When she cuts them each a portion of meat and places it before them, Ricin slowly steps up to his piece of meat. Drool pools in his mouth and his stomach cramps painfully at the need to scarf down the food. Casting a glance over toward Chade, the lighter boy watches as his brother starts to devour the meat. The darker pup explains why they usually eat so fast but Ricin just stares down at his piece. Nausea washes over him as he leans down to take a tentative nibble. It isn’t that he doesn’t appreciate the food, Ricin just hadn’t realized how hungry he really is. Maybe slipping Chade more of his portions of food is finally catching up with him. His brother needs the energy to hunt and Ricin had taken it upon himself to make sure Chade always ate more than him. Usually that meant causing a small distraction his brother would have to check out while Ricin slipped chunks of his food into Chade’s portion.
The small nibble of food causes his stomach to roll and the lighter pup opts to talk with the adult to take his mind off his stomach. He tells her about their life, about their father who loved them with all his heart. He told her about their mother and how she never wanted them or their siblings. He speaks of the fateful day when their father died and their mother had kicked them and their three siblings out into the world. Of the first night and how their oldest brother died from eating something poisonous and how their two sisters eventually passed. How their sister had fallen through the ice and could not make it back out and how their other sister was killed by a grizzly bear. However, Ricin does not share that it should have been him that died, that he had tripped and would have been eaten if not for Chade. It is the brothers’ secret shame but it has drawn them closer together.
The whole time he talks, the lighter pup reaches down to occasionally take small bites of food. When his stomach no longer rebels with each bite, the lighter pup takes larger and larger bites until he eventually finishes up his meal. The brothers talk with the adult for a long time, learning about her band and what Manea’s plans are for the future. She offers the boys a place in her band and they politely decline… for now. They do not tell her that they must ask the moon for its approval before they join her. She accepts their answer tells the pups where the band is heading. The brothers promise to see her again and, with a friendly farewell, the brothers slip back into the night, determined to find Manea and her band soon.
"Speech"
With his worry washed away, Ricin scrubs the tears from his eyes as the adult calls for the ravens to escort her daughter away. He watches as the purple pup leaves, wondering if she will ever like him. Then the purple adult talks about getting them food and Ricin almost laughs in giddy relief at the prospect of getting a decent meal. It isn’t Chade’s fault that the prey are fast and the boys are barely scrap by but Ricin is still eager at the thought of getting to fill his belly. Chade takes off and Ricin realizes just how hungry his brother has been. The lighter-hued pup is quick to follow after his brother, albeit he lags slightly further back from the adult wolf. As kind as she is acting, Ricin still remembers the painful smacks and words his own mother use to hurl at him.
When she cuts them each a portion of meat and places it before them, Ricin slowly steps up to his piece of meat. Drool pools in his mouth and his stomach cramps painfully at the need to scarf down the food. Casting a glance over toward Chade, the lighter boy watches as his brother starts to devour the meat. The darker pup explains why they usually eat so fast but Ricin just stares down at his piece. Nausea washes over him as he leans down to take a tentative nibble. It isn’t that he doesn’t appreciate the food, Ricin just hadn’t realized how hungry he really is. Maybe slipping Chade more of his portions of food is finally catching up with him. His brother needs the energy to hunt and Ricin had taken it upon himself to make sure Chade always ate more than him. Usually that meant causing a small distraction his brother would have to check out while Ricin slipped chunks of his food into Chade’s portion.
The small nibble of food causes his stomach to roll and the lighter pup opts to talk with the adult to take his mind off his stomach. He tells her about their life, about their father who loved them with all his heart. He told her about their mother and how she never wanted them or their siblings. He speaks of the fateful day when their father died and their mother had kicked them and their three siblings out into the world. Of the first night and how their oldest brother died from eating something poisonous and how their two sisters eventually passed. How their sister had fallen through the ice and could not make it back out and how their other sister was killed by a grizzly bear. However, Ricin does not share that it should have been him that died, that he had tripped and would have been eaten if not for Chade. It is the brothers’ secret shame but it has drawn them closer together.
The whole time he talks, the lighter pup reaches down to occasionally take small bites of food. When his stomach no longer rebels with each bite, the lighter pup takes larger and larger bites until he eventually finishes up his meal. The brothers talk with the adult for a long time, learning about her band and what Manea’s plans are for the future. She offers the boys a place in her band and they politely decline… for now. They do not tell her that they must ask the moon for its approval before they join her. She accepts their answer tells the pups where the band is heading. The brothers promise to see her again and, with a friendly farewell, the brothers slip back into the night, determined to find Manea and her band soon.
