Ma was busy. Dad was allegedly somewhere around the north, but Erik didn't really give that much thought. He was going to pretend that the man simply didn't exist. Erik was his mother's son. That was all that mattered. Dads? Who needed dads. Erik didn't. His shoulders hunched against the idea of it, actually. Head hanging a bit lower than usual, subconsciously covering the crystals that grew from his neck. If they didn't know he was a freak, then they didn't know he was a freak. Safety in anonymity. Safety in being on his own, out here.
On his own only because ma was busy. Fuji was busy. The youngest Archer litter hanging around the Armada, in a holding pattern while Sedna did her work. Something about mom being important. That made sense. Of course she was important. It would also be ridiculous of Erik to assume that there wasn't a bird somewhere up there, keeping an eye on him. No, there would be no crimes today. No funny business. Couldn't stress ma out when she was already doing stressful work.
So the pup wanders the market, eyeing the stalls. Trying to stay focused on himself, centered on himself, despite the dull roar of the markets. How could it be so loud, how could it be so crowded? So many bodies in one place. Overwhelmed already, Erik slunk toward the edges of the crowds. It would be on the fringes he could find a spot to sit and watch the crowds go by. Everyone was doing their last minute preparations for winter today, it seemed. Hell, this might be one of the few nice days left until spring in the north.
