[ P ] grounded in reality

Trees of red glared bloody against the white of snow, the scene so odd and surreal Monarch felt like he was no longer in the real world but instead, a dream. His brow was set in a concerned, concentrated frown as he wandered slowly through the snow, casting his gaze in slow sweeps, ears flicking to listen to the muffled, chilly silence. The forest appeared almost dead during this quiet winter dusk, the last of the light filtering through bare branches while nothing moved, not even the air. It was eerie in a way that made skin crawl. He was distracted, trying to peer into shadows and alcoves, looking for things that weren't there. Ever since he'd met Ara, he had started to wonder about the Fae. His first reaction was to scoff that they existed at all, that anyone believed in them. Monarch had truly not given them any consideration when he first came here and heard whispers about them. Simply some strange things about the locals. But meeting her… seeing the belief and conviction in her face, it made him doubt the tiny, smallest bit. Sure, he’d never seen any evidence whatsoever, but he could believe, looking into these dark corners, that maybe there were things he didn’t know. He would need proof before he changed his mind, definitely. But still… his eyes were looking, curious. Ears flicked to catch a bit of sound, like paws through snow and his ice blue eyes catch something moving, a shadow? His frown deepens, but he doesn’t feel fear, necessarily… just caution and curiosity. He keeps the same pace but moves in that direction, sniffing the air, trying to figure out if it is someone or… something. "Hello?" he calls, voice loud and clear like crystal, through the crisp air.

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@Colburn

The changeling child saw the man wandering around near his lair with the reserved caution of someone expecting to see something. He decided to play with the man rather than steal from him. There were no obvious signs he had any food with him so Colburn decided that if he could not satisfy his hunger then he would relieve his boredom. He deliberately prowled in the darkness, letting the man catch sight of his silhouette moving through the shadows. He was quick enough to flee before the man could catch up to him and to hide himself.

Colburn burrowed into the snow, using the dried husks of old autumn leaves to cover him while he waited for his prey. Black eyes peered out from between the small gaps in his camouflage. When the man stepped within grasping distance Colburn lunged out of his nest and tried to wrap his forelegs around the man’s arm. Boo! he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, showing his pointy white teeth standing out in the black void of his features. Gleeful laughter would fill the air, delighted by his little prank and excited to see if he had indeed startled the man.

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Another shadow leapt between the red trees and Monarch’s head whipped around, ice-blue eyes narrowing. He hadn’t been sure he was actually seeing something and that the speculation of his thoughts was making him think something was there. All this talk of faeries clouding his judgment, and now here he was thinking it was crazy. But his nose sniffed the air, ears twitched to listen to the skitter of feet. No, this was someone. He lowered his skull and tried to follow, but the shadow was dark and small and quick and disappeared just as he laid eyes on it. Monarch let out a huff of breath, annoyance curving a frown on his brow as he paused, ears swiveling, listing to the soft rustle of trees, of wind, and straining to hear footsteps. And then all of a sudden, a burst of shadow left the snow and leaves and attacked his leg, wrapping around it, a cackle in the air. Monarch’s entire body jumped in surprise, his skin shivering until all hairs stood on end, a mixture of yelp and snarl leaving his throat as teeth bared instinctively. His tail lashed as he stared down at the little black blob, anger clouding over as his voice turned in a true growl, teeth glaring out of his mouth. But before it could entirely take over, he finally saw the dark eyes, the all-too-pleased smile, and the fact that this was indeed a wolf, if an odd one. And a… young one. Monarch drew his head back, still baring his teeth, as he stuck his leg out and shook it, trying to get the little thing off. "Get off of me," he grumbled, his voice low, dangerous, even as the anger ebbed a little. He growled again. "You shouldn’t scare strangers," he said ominously, staring icy daggers into the strange black eyes of the youth that attacked his leg and scared the shit out of him.

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@Colburn

The mischievous little changeling was shook quite easily from the man’s leg and rolled over onto his side. His gleeful laughter subsided into small breathy hehs of amusement. He was obviously pleased with himself and even when the man reacted angrily he merely ducked his head, guarding his face between his paws as he expected a whooping, his smile never leaving his lips. When an attack never came he lowered his paws, squinting at the icy blue eyes glaring down at him. You shouldn’t scare strangers. Being told not to only made him want to know why. It was fun, much too fun to pass up. There’s scary stuff livin’ here in the dark, he replied, obviously considering himself among the scary critters that lurked in the dark of the redwood.

What’re ya doin’ out late? Somethin’ bad? he questioned suspicious, wondering if the man was some kind of criminal. He was a solitary thief himself, living in isolation with only the redwood trees for company. He knew that there were dangerous sorts of wolves that wouldn’t hesitate in killing a kid like himself. If this man was that sort then Colburn would make like a rabbit with its tail on fire and run for his life.

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Thankfully the little creature detached from his leg quite easily, rolling over onto the earth and away from Monarch. The laughter from it quieted somewhat but it was still huffing an amused breath into the still air around them, and Monarch’s lips curled with an admonishing growl, though it seemed to have no effect on the boy. He simply ducked his head, as if used to getting beaten. Already Monarch’s anger had subsided somewhat, and the obvious expectation of harm from the youth made it fizzle even more. His anger could get the best of him at times but he didn’t want to hurt someone without reason, and didn’t like how the boy before him seemed to be waiting for it. That feeling of discomfort kept him rooted to the spot, and the boy stopped cringing after a moment, realizing no pain would come. His smile was wide and amused regardless, but it did nothing to lessen Monarch’s deep, disapproving frown. Those brows raised a little as he said there is scary stuff in the forest and Monarch’s lips twitched a little but didn’t move from the snarl quiet yet. "Are you saying you’re one of these scary things?" Monarch asked, raising a brow. He looked around at the other shadows, everything feeling entirely less ominous now that this youth had jumped out and ripped through the atmosphere with his laughter. He returned his blue eyes onto the youth, as the boy seemed to remember himself and asked what Monarch was doing here in the forest, his tone suddenly suspicious. "I’m just wandering. Looking for things, I guess. Fae," he said, his voice getting quieter at the end, as the admission felt embarrassing but even so, he felt the need to be honest with this youth who seemed unafraid of danger. "A friend told me about them… not sure if I believe, though," he said, a rush of a sigh following his words. This was certainly just a wolf before him, even though it was small and unkempt and had strange eyes. "But you might want to be careful of startling others. I don’t know if they’ll leave you whole as I have," he said, his voice gruff and unfeeling, not the annoying admonishment of a parent but rather the indifferent statement of fact. Monarch looked around again, his frown returning. "Do you live here?"

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@Colburn

The scruffy little stray puffed his chest out when the man was sharp enough to catch on to the hint that he’d dropped. A smirk lined his dark lips, tiny hints of white teeth visible in the abyss of black. Scared you, didn' I? he pointed out, using it as evidence that he was indeed one of the scariest things that lurked in the woods. He didn’t know of anyone or anything else that lived here, except that one bear, but he hadn’t seen it in awhile. Maybe it had seen him and decided it was better off not hanging around a fae.

Surprise smoothed out the wrinkles of mischief in his dark visage when the man explained that he was seeking the fae. Colburn wondered if it was safe or not to reveal that he was a changeling and weighed his options. The man hadn’t murdered him yet and maybe he’d be less likely to murder a fae anyway. The risk of getting cursed might put him off. You found em, he answered, black eyes looking intently at the man. What’d you want? I don’ grant wishes, he asked, arching a dark brow. It was obvious he wasn’t joking around. He truly believed he was a fae and was taking the man’s words very seriously.

He didn’t go around telling everyone what he was. Some knew just by looking at him and seeing how different he was. His own parents had discarded him in these woods because they believed he was a changeling and it had sprouted seeds of belief in his mind that he was one. The warning passed through one ear and out the other. He knew the dangers he faced every day. He just didn't care enough to suppress his childish impulses. I live where I want, he answered vaguely, not giving the man even a clue of where he could be found. It was simply too dangerous.

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The little beast seemed quite proud of his achievement on this night, cackles giving away to a grin that glowed in the semi-darkness, his teeth so bright against the darkness of his everything else. He brought up the fact that Monarch had been scared as evidence, and Monarch grunted a little in response, admitting that while that might be true he certainly wans’t happy about it. His brow remained in a frown as he looked about again and back to the strange, dark little thing. "What other scary things live here?” he asked, his voice a bit more hushed, wondering if there was other things to worry about wandering upon them. Monarch seemed to have turned the tables slightly, noting the surprise on the dark face, as he mentioned the Fae. He wondered why the stranger was surprised… was this not a forest haunted by them? But he found out soon enough. ”You found em” he said. Monarch’s brow furrowed deeper, confused, as he blinked a couple of times. He glanced around again, seeing nothing living but themselves. He turned a ice-blue eye on the boy, suddenly feeling suspicious. The other was looking at him just as suspiciously, brows raised, asking what Monarch wanted. And that he didn’t grant… wishes? He couldn’t help the tilt his head held then suddenly, confusion over his face as his thoughts zipped around. Was this some kind of riddle? Or did the boy actually think he was a Fae? Monarch raised his brow now, as his lips curled slightly in bemusement. "Wait. You think you’re Fae?” he asked, the disbelief clear in his tone. Monarch looked him up and down again. Small, dark, with strange black eyes, but a wolf, definitely. He’d never ask Ara if wolves could be Fae, and hadn’t read that in her book, but it seemed intuitively wrong. All the Fae described were so strange and ethereal and hard to believe that they were real. Nothing like this boy. He asked where he lived, and again, a non-answer, though Monarch suspected he lived in the forest. He settled back onto his haunches, his blue gaze suspicious again. "How do I know you’re Fae? How will you prove it if you don’t grant wishes?” Monarch asked, somewhat serious but also somewhat playful. He felt like the boy was serious but also… he could be playing him. "You sure look like a wolf to me,” he said, a scoff in his voice as he looked away, dismissive.

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@Colburn

As much as the man had seemed threatening before Colburn found himself enjoying his surly companion’s company. He was fun to play with. A cocky smirk framed his dark lips when he heard the man’s question. What other scary things live here? It was practically confirmation that Colburn was numbered amongst those scary things and a confession that the stranger did find him scary. A bear, but haven’ seen it for a bit, he informed him. While they weren’t half as terrifying as Colburn, bears were large and had big teeth, which counted as scary in the dark thief’s eyes. He’d had a few oh shit run-ins with the beast sometimes by accident sometimes not.

Wait. You think you’re Fae? The stranger’s skepticism was unexpected. He hadn’t met someone who’d challenged his faeness before. The man’s gaze scrutinized him, considering his claim before confronting him with more questions. How do I know you’re Fae? How will you prove it if you don’t grant wishes?

Want me to do magic ‘n shit? Colburn laughed at the idea of him attempting to do some fae hocus pocus. He’d never tried to use any fae powers before, but assumed granting wishes wasn’t one of them. I could curse ya. Might be fun, he suggested, lifting a dirty fore paw and wiggling his toes at Monarch. He’d wanted to try cursing someone since meeting the pale girl, but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself until now.

You sure look like a wolf to me. The stranger scoffed at him and looked away. His dismissiveness annoyed the little thief, smile faltering and forming into a grim line. Know what a changelin’ is? It’s a fae that switches babies with its own. They look wolf, but aren’, he explained, not once looking away from the stranger’s normal blue eyes with his alien black ones. If the man looked a little closer he would see that the boy had no visible pupils in the blackness of his eyes and see the grey flecks that were sprinkled like stars over the endless black voids.

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The dark little shadow was very pleased with himself. As much as Monarch wanted to wipe the toothy grin off the boy’s face, he had been got and he could not deny it, and so looked disgruntled and said nothing instead. He asked about the other beasts here, feeling wary, but unsure if the tyke new what real dangers were, if he considered himself primary scary thing in the forest. Monarch was surprised then, by the claim of a bear, his brows rising in surprise. A bear was definitely something to watch out for. "A bear can be scary indeed… perhaps it’s moved on,” Monarch mumbled, half to himself, as he glanced away from the darkling and into the forest, as if he could discern some information about the bear by doing so. But if the wild child who lived here hadn’t seen it, it likely wasn’t around. Still, he filed the information into the back of his skull, for future reference. The boy continued to tease him, his tone playful and a laugh following his words, asking if Monarch wanted to see magic. Monarch’s icy gaze was resolute however, and he did not laugh himself. "Yes actually, do some magic and shit,” Monarch replied, his own tone scoffing, his smile a bit of a cruel one. The youth waggled his paw at Monarch then, saying he could curse him too. Monarch’s smile disappeared as he shrugged. "Sure, curse me,” a dare, from a half-believer. He might be curious about the Fae but did not believe this youth was one. Finally, the boy’s grin as wiped away as Monarch expressed this, and he felt some small amount of satisfaction at succeeding in thwarting the attempts at fun. He explained what a changeling was and Monarch’s gaze was brought back to him, frown in full force again. He had not read of changelings in Ara’s book, but he found this hard to believe. As odd as this one looked, he hadn’t shown any other difference that made him stand out as something… else. He sighed, even as he looked at the bottomless pits of black that marked the boy’s eyes, his frown deepening somewhat, unsettled. He shook his head. ”Changeling or not, I’ll need more to believe you’re Fae,” he said, his voice serious now, no playing.

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@Colburn

Colburn's mood became less playful the more the stranger taunted him to prove his faeness. Menace gleamed in his endless black eyes when he was dared to perform. Truthfully he didn't know how to do magic, but he guessed that a simple touch would be enough to curse the man like he wanted. Fine. You asked for it, he warned him, not wanting to hear any complaints when it started to work. Colburn didn't know how they worked or how to undo them. It would be the man's problem since he wanted proof so badly. With a flourish he lifted a muddy paw and touched the stranger on his leg. There. I curse you, he spoke the magic words with a huff. He didn't feel anything leave his body when he did it, but magic was a mysterious force.

It would be all the proof the man needed once the effect started to take place. Whatever that was. Don' blame me when you start trippin' on your ass and gettin' stung by bees, he retorted, not knowing if any of those things would happen, but something unlucky was bound to happen to him now and it was his fault.

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