five AM on the bathroom floor from the night before

Artorias was greatly pleased that Grim would at least consider his offer. Even if his brother didn't take him up on it, he wanted the other Carpathian to know he had an out if he needed it, a lifeline he could tug on and Art would be there to help him. Art had always been protective of his loved ones, a trait that had only grown stronger as he aged. These moments were the ones he cherished, the interludes of naturalness with his family that they never had as pups. Somehow, that made them all the more special now. Artorias had a rekindled respect and love for his family, and even though they'd had their differences as children, he found he enjoyed Grimshaw's company as an adult very much. "Now don't get me wrong, we're not constantly under attack, but at the very least, I'd see you in the Vanguard. Responsible for our frontlines, keeping the Knights trained and on their toes, heading security for the pack and our diplomats." He didn't know how much of that would appeal to Grimshaw, but one thing he could promise him was that his brother would not be running meager patrols all the time.

Grimshaw then began to explain how he had developed these feelings for Malachai. It was a touching and emotional story, one that Artorias could understand well. Grim had suffered a terrible trauma and nearly lost his life during the Long Night. Artorias himself had wound up blinded and mad, afraid of the dark—a fear he was still working on shaking, hence all the sconces and candles lit around the castle. Art listened patiently while Grim spilled his heart forth, giving a subtle nod of understanding once his brother's words abruptly cut off. He wanted to comfort him somehow. Maybe if he shared his experience during the Long Night... But Grim cut him short before he could, grinning and showing off all those razor sharp teeth again as he requested they move on from the sappy shit and have a spar. Artorias grinned back, shooting his own pearly smile back at his brother. "Y'know, I don't think we've ever sparred. We need to fix that." There would be time to share his experiences with the horrific night later, just so Grim would know he wasn't alone.

Artorias rose to his paws, albeit wobbling some as he did, and gave his coat a tousle, stretching out his taut muscles to prepare for a fight. He'd never seen Grim's style of combat before, so he had no idea what to expect, but he was eager and excited to get to tussle with the bulkier dire brute. "Hang on, gotta make this fair," Artorias said, snatching up the wine bottle and downing another long drink before tossing the now empty bottle aside. If Grim was fighting drunk, he was going to make damn sure he was catching up to him! With that warm, pleasant buzz spreading throughout his body and making him feel loose and limber, the Aegis was ready to go!

"Not up here though." Artorias slowly stumbled his way down the couple of steps to the grassy gardens, swaying gently with every step he took, his paws weaving about on the soft grasses and trampling a few flowers in the process. "Down here. I don't wanna hurt you if I throw you around." He shot a grin back up at Grim from over his shoulder, beckoning him down with a flick of his head. He took his position and turned to face off with Grim whenever his brother had chosen his ready spot, rolling his shoulders and squaring off his paws while he assumed his battle stance. "Ready to show me what the Armada taught you, hotshot?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"