((Super Liquid timing here))

Torin's head was abuzz with the news he'd just gotten. He was a live wire, aflame with both excitement and fear. It coursed through him with a vengeance, sometimes one threatening to overtake the other. He was awash in doubts, and despite his best efforts, the specter of his niece was lurking in the back of his mind, driving those doubts even more. Still, his normally mask-like face was broken by a purely euphoric smile. He'd left Derecho to rest in the den, their den. He felt like he was overflowing with energy and he needed to run them out. So he'd decided to run the pack border a patrol in name only. He was rounding the edge of the valley when he picked up the scent of his father. Torin slowed, rocking on his toes still as he felt the energy still coursing through him. He debated for a moment, more than anything else right now he wanted to be allowed to confide in his father. Even with their strained relationship, he hoped that maybe that bridge could be slowly rebuilt and he knew locking his father out of his life wasn't going to solve that. So he adjusted his course to track his father down, his pace picking up and despite himself his tail wagging lightly and the smile returning to his face. "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

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Another day, another border patrol. Things remained the same day in and day out, except the only thing new about it...was that he was now blind in his left eye. Without a healer to tend to his wounds after the ambush with the cougar, he expected as much. And he had come to accept it. It did take some getting used to though, but with nearly two seasons under his belt with the injury, it wasn't as hard as he thought. He still had his other eye...though as age crept up on him, who knew how long that would last. He still mostly kept to himself, even avoiding Kairi as often as he could. He knew it didn't help anything, but lately...he just felt like he wanted to be alone most of the time. The pain of Faite's abandonment still hurt his heart, and he didn't know if that would ever heal. Still, he didn't have long to think about it before Torin's scent wafted towards him. He was hesitant about crossing paths with him, but he couldn't avoid them all forever. With a quiet sigh, he continued his path until his son's familiar form appeared, and he didn't stop until they were closer to one another. He noticed Torin's demeanor was more upbeat and very much unlike his own, which led him to wonder what was going on. Having kept to himself most of the time, he had forgotten about the girl Torin spent a lot of time with. He was curious, and couldn't help the puzzled look on his face. "You seem to be in a good mood today." His voice lacked unkindness, instead adopting a neutral tone. "Talk"

It wouldn't take too long for the form of his father to appear on tbe horizon and as it did Torin found himself filled with doubt. What if his father didn't care? What if he wanted nothing to do with his children? Some part of him was furiously yelling that of that was the case then that would be Zell's loss, his children would be fantastic! But another part of him couldn't help but imagine tiny forms with faces he couldn't even yet imagine rolling on the ground with his father, giggling and smiling and Torin realized in that moment all he wanted was for his kids to know and love their grandfather. They'd likely never know Faite and he couldn't stand the idea of Zell also being absent in their lives either. Still he couldn't help the thrill of excitement that ran through him as he closed the gap. He was too enthused to notice the way his father's one eye didn't seem to focus on him quite right and he'd seen the scar before so for the moment Zell's diminished eyesight went unnoticed. Zell spoke and Torin tried and failed to suppress his grin. "I have news." He began, his excitement clear in his tone. "I haven't told anyone else yet, so you're going to be the first to know... aside from myself... oh and Derecho... obviously." Gods he was rambling! He'd never rambled quite like this before. Torin took a deep breath managing to calm his nervous energy and when he looked back up at Zell his gaze was steady and intent. "You're going to be a grandfather." He let the information settle there for a moment, allowing it to sink in. "Derecho told me just a bit ago... she's pregnant." His face split into a grin again as he remembered the moment she'd shared the news. "Please uh... don't tell anyone yet." "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

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His good eye narrowed slightly as he noticed Torin seemed to...smile? Or at least, it looked like he was trying to hide a smile but ultimately failed to succeed. He couldn't be sure. It had been a long time since he'd seen Torin smile, and he himself hadn't smiled in a long time, either. "I have news." A brow rose as he remained quiet, waiting patiently for his son to tell him. He could tell that whatever this news was, excited him. And he had to admit, this was all too unusual for him after all the crap that had been going on between them for so long. "I haven't told anyone else yet, so you're going to be the first to know... aside from myself... oh and Derecho... obviously." Odd... "Hm?" He wasn't sure what to say quite yet. He wanted Torin to come out and say whatever he wanted to say, so he stuck with that single 'hm' to avoid accidentally saying something that might be offensive. Not that he was going to try to say anything offensive, he just didn't want to spoil the mood. He knew that Derecho was Frostbite's niece...but since he'd practically made himself a hermit and kept to himself, he didn't think to put two and two together. What amused him, however, was that Torin was rambling. It was completely throwing him off, because he never did that. Despite their strained relationship, Torin often reminded him of himself when he was younger. "You're going to be a grandfather." At last. Torin had spilled the beans. In the silence that followed, Zell stood there unmoving, shocked. He showed no sign of excitement or anything, just...stood there. His mind was taking a minute to process the news, and when he was asked not to tell anyone yet, he managed to pull out of his stunned silence. He nodded. Who was he going to tell anyway? His other kids and the pack would find out eventually, and he didn't exactly have any friends anywhere. So it was safe to say that information wouldn't leave him anytime soon. Still in some sort of shock from the news, he wasn't totally sure what to say. He didn't want Torin to think he wasn't excited or happy for him, because he was. "Congratulations, son. I'm happy for you. And..." He took a deep breath, gaze turning away for a moment as he tried to think about what he wanted to say. He was never really good with words, or how to express much of anything that wasn't anger or indifference. But he wanted his son to know how he felt. Without warning, he moved closer to his son and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm proud of you, Torin. I always have been." He knew he didn't say it enough. If at all. And he hoped he wasn't too late in trying to mend what had been been broken. "Talk"

Torin wasn't sure what he expected from his father's reactions, but the silence that met him felt about on par with what he knew of his father. The problem was that Torin couldn't tell what it was that the silence meant, if his father was just taking the time to process the news or if he was unimpressed. He seemed to hear him at least, nodding at his request that his father not share the news yet. Torin felt like he was on edge, waiting intently for something anything his father might say his expression turning to an intent stare. Finally, Zell spoke and as he did Torin found his smile returning. Then, well then Zell did something Torin wasn't expecting. For a moment Torin's body went rigid, his surprise and the strain of their relationship swooping in to take him over. But then as the words his father said reached him and the comfort of his father's embrace washed over him he released the tension, melting into his father's hug. As the meaning of Zell's words hit Torin he suddenly found the high emotions he'd been carrying were shifting, all the fear of being a failure, of being a disappointment flooded out of him, his body shaking as he fought to stop the tears he could feel building. An impulse hit him and he found himself speaking before he could even stop to think about it. "I think I want them to take the Valentine name." There was no flattery in his voice, it was an honest statement and he realized that he was speaking truth as he said it. He didn't give that much time to sink in before he laughed, his emotions still riding high and now that the excitement and all the resentment had left him all that was left was the fear of the future. "I'm so worried I'm going to fuck it up, that I won't be good enough or ready." He paused and pulled back enough to search out his father's gaze. "Does it ever get less scary?" "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

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This was unusual for him to say the least. He didn't ever really show how he felt. He had hidden away the emotions that mattered for so long, that he often forgot to tell his children that he loved them. That was obvious in the way he felt Torin go rigid, and then allowed himself to fall into him. Zell sighed a breath of relief. He had been unsure of this action not knowing whether or not Torin would have welcomed it, or allowed it at all. He wished he had done this sooner...but the pain and hurt and confusion of everything in his life had left him feeling like he had no choice but to keep himself behind a steel wall. The only time he had shown how he felt and trusted someone was when Faite had told him she was pregnant. He had loved his children dearly after they were born...and it was when she left that those walls came back up and he had locked his children out. He hadn't meant to...but it had happened, and it led to him being too harsh, acting like he didn't care as much as he should, and likely from his childrens point of view, like they would never be enough. But there were enough. He just didn't know how to let that wall of his fall to tell them that. "I think I want them to take the Valentine name." Surprise took him over again, but he didn't let go of his child right away. After all the times he'd been an asshole, Torin wanted to give his name to his kids? He swallowed back the lump that had started to form in his throat as he hugged his boy tighter, "I'm so worried I'm going to fuck it up, that I won't be good enough or ready." Torin pulled back, and Zell did the same as he carefully and calmly looked at him. Honest fears. He had thought that himself at one point... "Does it ever get less scary?" He took a deep, calming breath as he carefully considered his sons words. "No." Some could say it did, but even now...he still felt scared for them. He feared every passing day that nothing bad would happen to them. That they'd live on well past his days and that he didn't have to watch them suffer or die. "Even now that you're all full grown adults, I still worry for you all. I'm still afraid. But as a parent, we'll always fear for our children and we'll always worry. And we'll always love them, too." He offered an easy smile, one that was genuine and didn't feel...wrong. "You know, I had those same fears before you were born. I felt scared that I wouldn't be good enough. That I would mess things up. In a way...I did mess things up and I have been feeling like I wasn't good enough." Gaze turned to the ground for a moment as he debated telling him why. He deserved to know...he deserved an explanation. Why he had practically cut himself off. "After your mother left...I didn't know what to make of it. She was the only person I had let myself get close to after my family died. When she left, it hurt. I felt betrayed. I was angry...I didn't know how to handle it. And it's because of the way I let myself feel, letting her abandonment consume me, that I pushed it onto you and Kairi and locked you out." He lifted his head to look at him again, "I never meant to do that. And I'm sorry...just know that even though I acted like an asshole, I've been proud of you and Kairi for how far you've come. I'm not a perfect father, but I'll always be here to support you for as long as I can." He felt himself starting to get a little shaky. Saying all of that...well...needless to say it was a lot for him. But he wanted Torin to know. He didn't want to keep him in the dark anymore. "Talk"