Guiless
He needed a short break. Ivalice wasn't what he expected it to be, and there wasn't much he could do about that. It wasn't his fault he tended to create negativity around him - not to mention distrust from past events. Though he didn't leave the territory without letting Avalon know where he was going. He would also be taking Charm with him - since she had wished to perhaps collect some herbs with her father. He couldn't stay long considering Avalon was injured but he had made sure they were stocked up on herbs. Either way, it was an opportunity for Charm to meet her aunt time for Vereux to clear his head.
He nuzzled his tiny daughter along, it would seem as the others grew, even okami - Charm would be the smallest. Enlil was small as well but charm was looking like she'd only be as tall as Amalia herself! Plus Charm looked a lot like her mother as well, he smiled lightly. Probably the only good things that came out of him were his kids. The healer sighed - he couldn't let depression take hold of himself again. As he raised his head he stayed at the borders and called for Athena, being mindful of where Fiori was. |
Of course when she heard her dad howl, Charm wanted to try it. Furrowing her eyes she raised her head into a puppy howl. Of course it wasn't much but it was fun. As she stopped and grinned at her dad, her tail wiggling back and forth. Wasn't he proud of her!
Athena's head lifted from her paws and her brows raised with surprise at the familiar sound of her brother's voice. She hadn't seen him since the festival near his own pack and she couldn't think of a reason for him to be here now. Either way, she was quick to get to her paws and give her fur a shake. There was no reason to keep him waiting after all. She glanced back at her den briefly, but went on toward the border after another beat of hesitation. She considered bringing someone else from the family with her, but she didn't want to keep Vereux waiting while she looked for one of them. Her den wasn't too terribly far from the border luckily. As she got closer she caught the tail end of what sounded like a much smaller wolf's howl and she grew even more curious. Sure enough, she spotted her brother with what seemed to be a young girl standing next to him. Was this one of his youngest children then? She approached them with a friendly smile, her tail wagging gently behind her. "Hey there, Ver," she greeted him, stopping a couple of feet from the pair. Now that she had gotten closer she could easily see from the girl's looks that this was one of Avalon and Vereux's daughters. She gave the girl a smile as well, asking, "And who are you, beautiful?" She loved pups, no matter if they were from her brother's new mate or not. There was just something about pups that made her happier than anything else. |
Vereux wouldn't have minded if Athena took long. He was just, out of it. To say in the least, if he was away from his problems he could take a moment to think. After all, he was worried about a lot of things at the moment. A flick of his tail as he smiled at Athena when she greeted him and Charm. The male shifted on his paws as he drew in a breath. “Hi Athena. I'm sorry I showed up without notice... just needed a break.” his green eye looked down. Oh who was he kidding, he was upset. Upset over the fact he couldn't do much right. Though his attention turned to Charm.
“This is Charm one of your nieces. There's also Okami and Enlil.” he stated in a small introduction. He was glad these children were blind for the most part to the negativity. It would only be a matter of time until they noticed of course. Vereux felt his heart constricted, when Avalon was in trouble - where would he be. After all, what if it was because of him that she was having so much trouble? At least... that's what he assumed for all he knew Avalon could have been fine. |
"Hello pretty lady! I'm Charm Ancora. My daddy is Vereux and my mommy is Avalon. I live in Ivalice with my brother and sister." the small thing puffed out her chest. She wouldn't be a fighter, but she still wanted to make herself look tough. How was that for an introduction anyway, she certainly hoped Athena was impressed.
Her two-toned gaze was on Vereux as he apologized for his sudden appearance and she waved it away with a little shake of her head. "It's perfectly fine. No need to worry about that." It did make her wonder what was going on that would make him want a break, but she didn't ask. Especially not in front of his daughter. Speaking of, a grin split her lips as she watched the girl nip at her father for introducing her when she could do so herself. Athena focused her gaze back on Charm as she reintroduced herself as well as describing her parents and where she lived. Athena laughed lightly, her tail wagging behind her again. "Well, it's certainly nice to meet you, Charm! What a lovely name you have. I'm Athena, I'm one of your dad's sisters. So I guess that makes me your aunt, huh?" This was what she missed most about having younger pups around. They just brightened her day everywhere she went. Jayne and Diana certainly weren't very old just yet, but it wasn't the same. |
When Vereux looked at Athena, he couldn't lie when he thought that she just had the luck of the draw. She was beautiful and while he was certain her life had it's strife. He was a bit envious of the happiness she could achieve. His own he supposed, was doomed to this feeling of uselessness and being left to try and make sure his family was alright. He was glad he had came though, watching Charm like that after he promised they'd go herb hunting. He could hold onto the threads that way and make sure they wouldn't cut.
“Right Charm I forgot you're a big girl.” he said as he nudged her in the side lightly. He smiled and looked to Athena. “I promised Charm to go herb hunting and to meet you so there's another reason. Charm wants to be a healer.” Vereux would sit down, he was getting tired to easily as of late. It scared him, headaches and muscles tensing up at times. Yet he kept all this a secret. |
"Did you know, that you're really pretty?" Charm spoke to athena. Making it seem like it was the most important thing she could have ever had said. It was true after all, all girls were pretty! That's how it was supposed to be.
Athena's gaze went to whoever was speaking, drifting from Charm to Vereux and back again. Oh how night and day these two were. She knew pups could be a little extra enthusiastic about stuff anyway and she knew Vereux wasn't in the best of spirits generally, but it just seemed so much more pronounced next to Charm. Her brows lifted with surprise and she smiled down at the young girl when she pawed at her and invited her along on her herb hunting trip. She was about to decline, but she paused for a moment and reconsidered. "Only if it's alright with your dad," she replied, glancing at Vereux. She'd love to spend some time with her niece while she was here, but she didn't want to tread on Vereux's toes if this was some kind of adventure he had been wanting to do with Charm. After all, she wasn't a healer and didn't know the first thing about herbs. Vereux did so it made sense that they would do that together. Charm's compliment pulled her eyes back to the girl and she smiled, chuckling softly. "Well, that's very sweet of you to say, darling. Thank you." |
Charm already was a little bit lift of his spirits. Even as she offered for Athena to join them. This came as no surprise, besides there might have been something he needed to share with her. Avalon already knew - but he knew it was something that would way on her mind for some time. Charm wouldn't understand until she was older so he decided to keep it from his kids until they were old enough. “It's alright with me.” he smiled as he nudged Charm. “Why don't you go a few leaps ahead and start looking for some mint.” in which the little girl nodded and started to bound away from the territory. Though making sure to stay in their sights.
“There's something really important I have to tell you Athena.” Vereux would gesture his head for a walk to follow Charm if she wanted. “I've already told Avalon, now's just a matter of letting others know.” well only certain wolves at least. He could already feel his limbs aching as well. He'd all but not let that known though. As he walked with a soft sigh. |
ooc: we can skip charm
Athena smiled when Vereux agreed that she could join them and watched Charm as she bounded ahead to follow her father's recommendation. She wished she had half the energy that pups had sometimes. She started slowly padding along beside Vereux as they started following Charm while she started her search, but his words had her distracted from the pup and her adventures. She already didn't like the tone he had and dread settled in her stomach. She tried hard not to jump to conclusions or assume the worst, but she was sure that he wouldn't be talking about this so carefully if it wasn't some kind of bad news. "What is it?" she asked uncertainly, her two-toned gaze lingering on him while she waited with dread for the news. Maybe she was wrong, maybe it wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be, but anything that he had already told Avalon and had made a point of sending Charm away for made her worry. |
Maybe this was why he was so depressed, he wasn't sure. Her voice made his ears flicked as he looked over at Charm. He was sure as his kids grew older they'd notice how it was. Even try to take care of him, the thought made him laugh. He took out a sigh. “I'm not going to beat around the bush.” he told her. “I'm dying of sickness.” dying being the key word there. As Vereux shifted slightly as they walked.
“I give myself a year maybe two if I figure out how to treat myself. But I've been getting constant headache's, my limbs ache. My lungs too.” Vereux looked at Athena with his good eye. Of course there was a hint of fear, a hint of whatever it was that he was feeling in there. “I know it because of the plague. I think it shot my immune system. To this point even.” he looked over at Charm. |
It seemed her dread had been well placed after all. He told her his news and she stopped in her tracks for a moment, but she quickly remembered that Charm was nearby and she didn't want to alarm the pup. She forced herself to keep moving, her paws faltering for a moment until she was able to calm herself down enough to keep from breaking down. She barely heard everything else he said, all of it sounding like echos in her ears. The plague. She would never get that memory out of her head of finding Vereux and trying to go to him but not being able to because she had the pack to look after. Seeing him like that, barely hearing Liberty as she shouted at her to stay away from him... She realized that they were just walking in silence now and that she had gotten completely lost in her own thoughts. "Vereux..." What could she really say? What was there to say at that kind of news? "Why don't you come talk to Amalia? Maybe she can help find you some kind of herb that would help. Or maybe one of the other packs has a more experienced healer. I know Amalia and Leo have some family in Celestial, maybe they would help." She was digging for any kind of other possibility and she knew it. Her ears flicked back and she sighed, glancing down at her forepaws and watched them move over the ground. "I feel like I wasted so much time now... holding some stupid grudge and keeping myself from making amends with you." |
Of course Athena would try to come up with a solution of some sort. Vereux would shake his head a bit. “I can take care of myself despite the situation. If worse comes to worse Charm and Okami are learning to be healers. I would never wish to burden anyone with my condition and I've already put Amalia through hell.” it wasn't as if he didn't appreciate the help. It's just he didn't think he deserved any of it. After all he wouldn't deny that he had been a fool.
“I should have made more of an effort to better myself. The whole reason I got into the situation is because I was taken as a slave. I've made plenty of mistakes since then Athena - maybe it's the gods seeking retribution against me.” Vereux took in a deep breath. He flicked his tail and smiled a little towards Athena. “I have children and a mate to worry about more than myself anyway.” |