As Basilisk made his way home, he couldn't deny how unsettled he felt with the choices in front of him. He knew what he wanted, where his loyalties lay. But his father was right, it wasn't just about him anymore. It hadn't been for a while now. He had chosen Hazel, chosen Spider. Now those choices came with a cost.


He made his way directly to the tree hut, and did a sweep of the house. Empty, no prying ears in the vicinity. Good. He didn't want news of his father's return getting out, not yet. He made his way back to the exit of the treehouse and sat on the highest step. This house was his home, it was more familiar to him than the den he had been born to. He brushed aside those thoughts before they could overwhelm him. Momentum was the only thing that would keep him going. If he stopped, he wasn't sure what he would do. He raised his head and summoned Spider and Hazel with an urgent call.

Spider had been traipsing through the woods stalking a flock of starlings, but at Bas’ call they immediately abandon their hunt and veer back through the trees. they’re at the treehouse in a matter of minutes, appearing at Bas’ side with a concerned frown. the call sounded urgent, after all, and their stomach churns with anxiety. has something happened? is someone injured? “what’s up, Dad?” they prompt, trying to keep their voice light. maybe if they ignore it, it’ll go away - whatever it is.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

He'd been gone again, lately. Hazel knew why. She always knew why. Though she didn't necessarily want to pry into all the issues surrounding his father, Hazel also knew she'd have to pull the band aid off sooner or later. Judging by the fact that he was calling both her and Spider, at this time of day? With a dip of her muzzle to Warden and a promise that she'll make it up to him later, Hazel ends their lesson early.

Concern rings clear in her gaze, along with... something else. Measured reactions have never been Hazel's strong suit. Spider was already there and waiting, and it's for them that the red lady knows she needs to keep her shit together. "Are you okay?" That's the first thought in her head. He'd called specifically for Spider and Hazel-- if he needed Halo he would have asked. Still, she looks over Bas's face, his neck, his chest. Was he whole? He wasn't actively bleeding. That's a start.

"Speech"

Basilisk fought the urge to pace as he waited for his child and partner to appear. Spider appeared first, the young wolf looked up at him and asked what was wrong. He gave Spider a small smile. “I’ll explain in a minute” He said, he didn’t want to have to repeat himself. Hazel appeared next, asking if he was okay. He shot her a look over Spider’s head that said something along the lines of I’m not really sure and left it up to her to interpret it. The two knew each other well by now. “I found Azure.” He started, giving that a second to sink in before he continued on. “He plans on not returning to the Armada. I don’t… want to lose him again. But the three of us, we are a family. Something like this needs to be a joint decision. How would either of you feel about leaving the Armada?” "Hazel" & "Basilisk"

Spider draws strength from Hazel’s arrival, resting their gaze on her and trying to emulate her calm composure. it seems to work in the sense that when Bas reveals the purpose behind their meeting, Spider’s only visible reaction is a sharp intake of breath. Azure. Bas’ father. though they’ve never met the man, he’s been on their mind recently. why had he left the Armada? why hadn’t he taken Bas with him? and now, after all Bas’ searching…

he’s back.

their mind is buzzing with so many thoughts they also miss it when Bas keeps talking. almost. “l-leave?“ their stomach drops to the ground, a hollow feeling opening up inside them. the Armada is the only real home they’ve ever known. they have friends, and a treehouse, and a sense of stability so precious they wake up some nights terrified it’ll all be ripped away. and now…now the world is tilting on its axis, and Spider feels like they’re in a tailspin. “where…where would we go?” their head is swimming, suddenly overcome with dizziness. they’ve only just become a warrior! and what about Bas? isn’t he the heir? is he really willing to give up the life he’s built here for a father who’d left him?

…is Spider?

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

The look on Basilisk's face was worth a thousand words. Hazel barely held back the slow-suffering sigh that threatened to bubble up. Physically intact but-- oh. Her composure breaks. Snaps. Shatters into a thousand pieces, and at the very thought they go with him? He couldn't be serious. After everything they'd been through, after everything they'd done to secure the success of the Armada. After she'd finally, finally put herself within striking distance of every plan they'd ever made, every goal she'd ever had? After all of that he wanted to go off and follow his father? His father who, from where Hazel stood, had caused nothing other than grief. "You can't be fucking serious," the words are quiet, they're tense. Hazel's gaze lands squarely on Bas's. There's hurt here. She knows how he feels about Azure. If someone doesn't pull off the rose colored glasses now, Hazel doesn't know if anyone will ever have the heart to. There's hurt in her voice when she speaks, and despite trying to chase the quiver from her tone, she's not all-together successful. "You want to walk out on everything we've worked our whole lives for-- for him?" Her voice cracks over the words. Emotion rising in her system, raw, metallic. "For your father, who didn't lose a night's sleep when Makara went missing? And then Morgawr? Your father who took Calypso away one day and then we never saw her again?" Hazel doesn't mean to weaponize the names of Bas's sisters, but Hazel can still see them. She can see Makara by her side, chasing away trespassers in the Plains. She can hear Calypso's voice in the tall grass, she can hear Morgawr growling at her while they train. "Your father, who made you feel like shit for eating more than the rest, even though of course you need to, fuck, you're three times some of their height." Hazel's volume quiets now, the hurt in her tone ringing clear. The fact that he'd even considered it? It's enough to make her want to throw up, it's enough to hurt her feelings. On top of that, Seer needed to know that Az was back, and that he wasn't planning to return. "You've been trained from the time we were kids to take the Armada over some day. Sirius is an old man now, the flood could have just as easily taken him too." She's saying the quiet part out loud, but she doesn't care. Sirius had raised and trained them both closely, hell, he's the closest thing she's ever had to a good dad. Hazel is a part of his legacy as much as any blood. To leave him, especially now? Even the idea feels like a betrayal. The old man wouldn't be at their helm forever, and with his chosen heir unwilling to return... well, here they were. Hazel falls silent now, though her gaze is still emotional. She's still emotional. Her sides ache. "Hazel" & "Basilisk"

He felt himself tense. Taught as a bow string as he looked wordlessly at Hazel. Her words were a bitter thing. Perhaps too bitter for him to swallow. His eyes followed her animated speech, his expression set in grim lines. When she spoke his sisters name, each one hit like a blow. Flinch, flinch. Jerking outright at the final name. At the sibling he had been closest to, who had been almost his twin. She bared the secrets he had been denying, shoving them between them so he couldn't ignore them. Couldn't pretend. His father took, and used only what children were of use to him. The rest he discarded. Basilisk had worked very hard all his life to be useful to his father. 


Hazel wasn't done yet. She tossed his insecurities out next, and he glanced at Spider. Ashamed their kid was hearing this. Basilisk wasn't the only one losing his rosy glasses. Spider idolised him. Had idolised him. Surely no longer after today. “Spider…” he said, his voice breaking as he glanced at the kid, and then away again. Unable to meet their eyes. He settled on looking at Hazel once again, but it was clear he was struggling to look directly at her. His insides hurt, something was crawling up his stomach. He didn't know how to process his feelings. That wasn't something he'd ever been good at. It was true, what Hazel said about Sirius. Their Warlord was likely in his last year of life. “He's so angry at Sirius. If I walk away…” he knew exactly where his father's anger would fall next. “You're asking me to give up my own father.”

it’s like all their worst nightmares come together to torment them at once, coalescing into one great horror show in which they’re helpless to do anything but sit back and watch. and it’s made all the worse because this is Bas, Bas who has always been there for them, played games with them and trained them and given them gifts. oh stars, the gifts. it’s like the dagger at their side has gained a sudden awful weight, and in their frazzled mind they almost imagine the Fatalis name carved into its steel hissing against their skin, rejecting them. Fatalis. a family name given to them as evidence of their belonging, as a symbol of their place here. in their darkest hours it’d felt like a band of armour around their heart, guarding them against the worst of their insecurities. but now as they stand in this clearing and gaze from one distraught face to the other, they suddenly feel just how tenuous the bonds between them are, as delicate as cobweb - and apparently as easy to brush away. they stare at Bas as Hazel speaks, urges him to say something, anything that will fix what his words are breaking. something in their chest is splintering into a million pieces, and it feels so damningly familiar that for one terrible moment they look into Bas’ eyes and see only Her detached gaze staring back at them. no, no, he’s nothing like Her, he’s not leaving them, he’s just…just…

but he is, isn’t he? he’s leaving them.

Bas says their name, and it pulls them abruptly back to reality. they almost don’t want to look at him again, so terrified of what they’ll find there. “you…you don’t need him,” they whisper, and they hate how childish it sounds. how naive. “he…he left you, and it made you sad, but you have us now. you have us.” isn’t that enough for him? but no, they think to themselves, why settle for fake family when you can have real family? blood family? the thought sits like a stone on their lungs, crushing every breath. “why would you want a father who forces you to choose?” they demand, and they’re startled by the bitterness in their voice. they’ve never raised their voice at Bas, never been angry with him. he’s always seemed near god-like in their eyes, benevolent and protective, kind and doting. the perfect father. but now as they look at him, they see only a man, and it terrifies them.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

He flinches. Cringes. Reacts in a way that she doesn't like. This isn't how Hazel wants to view him, wants to see him, but she needs him to see. It's for his own good but fuck-- it's for the good of their family too. She admits that she hasn't been the most attentive mom, but she's tried her best to at least provide an example. Example of what? Example that your bloodline is irrelevant to your value. Or something like that. Hazel doesn't have time to weigh those thoughts in with her own, though she grapples with a justification for hurting Bas with her words. "You are so much more than what he's always tried to make you." The words are gentle. She's loved him for a long time. Her oldest friend. She's been there through it all, and he's been here through it all. To think, they're three. They're three and have already lived more life than most. Hell, Spider beside her, a yearling and... more. Hazel reaches out to wrap a protective arm around the child, if they'll let her. Perhaps it's Spider's words that draw the most heartbreak of them all. It bubbles up in Hazel's chest, and she tries to prevent it from taking over. Tries to steel herself. If nothing else she'd keep it together for now. Had to put on a brave face, though her heart was breaking. "How was him leaving not him giving you up?" The words are ragged, frayed at the edges. Hazel knew what that looked like. She could see the similarities. "Blood is a pretty weak argument when it comes to fathers, anyway." Her tone takes on an edge of bitterness. The words are harsh, but it's all she can do to keep from sobbing. At once, it feels like her world is on fire. "He's angry at Sirius-- sure. Not to suggest Sirius is without criticism, but--" Her voice cracked. Take a breath. Keep going. Try not to cry. Try desperately not to cry. "Sirius who took me in, Sirius who trained me. Sirius who helped Halo raise me. You're asking me to leave the Warlord, who's dedicated the last three years of his fucking life to making sure that we can take care of his legacy, for what?" She's borderline shaking, now. Maybe this wasn't the fight to have in front of their child, but Hazel can't contain herself. "It's not about who leaves. It's about who stays." Hurt blooming and growing inside her chest, taking her over. And then the rejection of it all washes over her, too. Of course she'd be overly sensitive to it. The fact the thought had even crossed his mind... Hazel is trying to keep the dam from breaking. "I can't believe you'd think about leaving," her tone has dropped, volume too. Her head spinning. It doesn't matter that the rejection hasn't come yet, scabs have been ripped from old wounds. Hazel hurts. "Hazel" & "Basilisk"

He let his eyes move back to Spider, watching the desperation in the yearling's eyes. Basilisk still struggled with the knowledge that he was an adult, that he was the responsible one, the one in charge. A childish part of him looked at Spider and thought how the yearling was desperate and upset at the idea of losing their new father, without thinking about how they were asking Basilisk to give up his own. He didn’t speak, he couldn’t yet. Too many emotions were washing through him, and he hated feeling emotional. Hated the loss of control that came with them.

He let out a frustrated breath, hating how Hazel sounded. She, who knew him so well. He had come to them to have a discussion as a family, and it seemed that doing so had painted a target on his back. “I’m asking you to make a decision with me, because I came to you as family. I opened this floor to discuss the idea, and you’ve both made your feelings abundantly clear. I didn’t come here to get attacked.” He growled, standing up. Forgetting for a moment just how much he towered over these two wolves in front of him. He was done playing the victim, with letting Hazel’s words land like little wounds in his flesh. “And you’ve instead taken it as a chance to air your grievances. Were done, find me when you feel you can have an actual pros and cons discussion, not an attack.” he snapped, turning his back on the two wolves. As if he could erase with that gesture the clear evidence of how much her words had hurt him. How he had come to them to tell them of his fathers return, to ask advice and have a discussion, and all they could do was see it as a chance to attack him. To hate him for the meet crime of asking.


"Speech"