[ P ] Thoughts on a Grey Day

O

nce upon a time, the city had been alive, bustling with crowds and bursting with vibrant colors. But with the passage of time, the inevitable had happened: the place had changed, now only a shadow of its former glory. Mulling about were bored wolves, all Mainlanders, as the old place was restricted. The youth did not stop to consider whether this practice was odd or wrong. It simply was what it was, and who was he to question it? He had grown up near here and had visited many times with his father in his younger days. The young soldier belonged here.


Now, at a year old, Cian was old enough to wander the cobblestone streets alone. The fiery pelt of the lad stood out in sharp contrast from the dingey, dull colors of the decaying city, beneath an equally gray sky that radiated little joy. It looked like it might snow at any moment, as the last of winter’s clutch still seized the landscape, carried on frigid winds.


Even still, Cian found what enjoyment he could in this old place, contemplating the many lives who had stepped along the same stones in years past, wolves now long dead. He thought of their sorrows and their happiness, the memories each had kept before succumbing to time, as well. But the ancient walls still stood, no matter how many generations walked by them. Most gave little attention to their surroundings, but Cian had always been curious. And so, lost to his imagination, the yearling walked in a slow pace, thinking and wondering and dreaming.


@Aurora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Dream big and dare to fail

It had taken some time but she had managed to lose what amounted to her maid and tutor as she had shuffled nervously up the stairs toward what would be her temporary salvation, knowing the place to be far less traveled than the main city roads that were trampled for the markets and marched around by the guards and soldiers alike. She would only glance back down toward the city, taking in a breath before she’d slip away from sight to go and find somewhere even more lucrative for her hideout.

Carefully she would politely pass around the limited number of patrons till she’d find a little stow away in the center of the square, the fountain that looked to be crumbling with age. Glancing around, she migrates toward it like a moth to a flame, her steps just a little shaken from having just gotten over a cold that had ruined her chance at an outing to Ayr a little while back to learn about a heritage that was often swept under a rug from her. She hid under the lip of the fountain after climbing inside, allowing her back to sink against the cold stone to support her weight, she could hear the stone cracking. Her head dropped downward and her eyes closed as she let out a weary sigh. The cold upon her back felt nice as it tickled a shiver along her spine, grounding her in place.

Nobility. The King. The court. That was all the Patriarch seemed to care about, keeping the metaphorical crown upon his head polished, the one she was to serve perhaps more than the appointed King himself. She sure knew others within the Helvig household did, their loyalties certainly debatable despite most being Royalists. Was there really any difference? Forcing a smile every moment of every day was tiring and pretending to be the perfect little thing, she needed a break and she wouldn’t have one till her mother returned from her work day. She could only hope this dark and uncouth weather might send her home sooner.

Her train of thought would come to a close as she heard footsteps, dark tipped ears folding and heterochromic eyes flicking full of light yet made her almost look like a ghost with how near white most of her iris was. Slowly she’d lift up some of her wait, creeping along the edge so only her eyes and up would be visible above the fountain. There she would see him, a boy of flame that made the drab area so much more lively, causing her head to tilt. A Highlander? Her little mauve tipped nose would wiggle, only taking in the scent of the castle and its regular occupants. He didn’t seem real as he seemed to move in slow motion, what little light there was making his fur look like it was glowing. She wanted to touch his fur to see if it was hot but knew that would be inappropriate behavior. Taking in a breath, she went to drop back down into her hiding spot, causing some snow to knock off the ledge of the fountain down toward the stranger.

code by claerie

H

is wandering pace had slowed to a crawl before Cian was standing still, looking up at a huge old wall with elaborate decorations that had mostly been worn and erased by time and the elements. But if he looked close enough, he could just make out shapes… They were undefined, but he was certain he could see some sort of art depicted there. It was beautiful, really...

The boy’s focus was fixed upon these secret details, and among the clamoring smells of the area, he failed to pick out the feminine scent belonging to a young she-wolf who had already taken notice of Cian’s bright fur -- a legacy of his mother’s Highlander heritage, though he had been raised in the Mainlands.

Despite all of his training to be ever vigilant and watchful of his surroundings, he failed to notice the girl with the unusual eyes peering at him from her secret spot. The youth only became aware of her (and not directly) when he suddenly and unexpectedly found himself the only victim of a sudden dumping of snow -- not enough to cover his entire form, but certainly enough to startle him.

He did not cry out aloud, despite the stunning cold surprise, but his body jerked into awareness, muscles tightening as he looked around. He shook his scarlet-kissed pelt free of the slush, an eyebrow quirked questioningly as he looked around. His fiery eyes turned upward toward the sky, which remained dreary, but there was no snow falling now.

Thankfully, none of the strangers present saw what had happened… Not that it really mattered. He was not likely to see these faces again, anyway. And he was just another face in the crowd to them. But now his curiosity had been piqued, and the youth began to do a bit of exploring. It was not long before he had discovered the stranger responsible for his snow bath. He blinked at the sight of the girl his own age, dressed in hues of the ocean coast. ”Uh, hello.”


@Aurora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Dream big and dare to fail

The young one had grown tense as she tried to blend into the stone and shadows, feeling very much like a thief that had just failed to steal something but was still being hunted for trying. Of course, it wasn’t the case but her heart had grown to burst in her throat as she shrunk further and further down, not even trying to move from where she was but rather use her tiny stature to her advantage as she heard the shuffling of what she assumed was the stranger looking for the culprit. Maybe they weren’t and her mind was just being fanciful, making up a story that was just raising her ever growing anxiety by the second as she closed her eyes in that childish thought that if one could not see them they cannot see you; even if she was well aware that didn’t actually work. Going even so far as to hold her breath. After a few seconds, she’d opened one eye, her cheeks puffed just a little as she continued to not breath, glancing around. She would calm down, letting out a long breath as she felt that they weren't coming for her after all since they didn’t find her yet.

All in her head.

Her ears perked up and she was nearly scared right out of her skin as she heard the tapping of talons on stone not far away from her, way too close, a voice quickly following with it. It was gruff, more masculine than she had expected but still harbored a childish tone that gave away youth. Turning her head toward the notes, her gaze would grow owlish but she would not allow her modesty to fully falter as she did not trip over herself to get away or hide elsewhere, instead she remained there frozen in place staring into sunstone, feeling her heart pounding more and more against her ribs in spastic flutters that seemed to lack any cadance. She’d try to remove the rigidity first from her body, cracking out of the hardened clay that she felt had encased her in those ticking seconds of an idle trance. A smile etching onto her lips, so soft and delicate as her nose gave a tiny wiggle from nervousness, ears folding along the top of her head timidly.

He appeared her age all the more when up close though he was much larger than her as she had to look upward to see his face, something she was used to but she thought maybe a younger wolf wouldn’t tower over her so readily. “G-g-guten tag,” she started before instantly feeling herself flush, used to speaking mostly to family who more commonly used German over the common tongue. “Pleasure… I-I-I mean,” she stammered softly, becoming more and more panicked as she felt like that sounded even more awkward. “Salutations?”

In that moment she felt herself dying inside from social failure.

code by claerie

T

here was a delicate smile tracing the lips of the female yearling, but there was something in her demeanor that seemed… off. And while Cian was no expert in wolfkind and their varied behaviors, he sensed something was amiss. The nameless girl had mesmerizing pale blue eyes and a pretty, youthful face, but she stood still as a statue. He cleared his throat, the awkwardness in the air palpable, a heavy feeling in his chest. From everything Cian could observe, it was not exactly a pleasure for the girl to make his acquaintance, and he felt a wave of strange guilt wash through him.


The stranger first addressed Cian in a foreign tongue, one wholly unfamiliar to the youth, who uttered a soft, confused sound. She attempted another greeting, but still, she appeared to struggle. The girl seemed downright fearful of Cian. While he was adept at keeping his emotions from his facade, mostly, a look of uncertaintly soon clouded his fiery features. Unconsciously, the youth took several steps backward, away from the stranger. ”I-I did not mean to alarm you, M-miss,” he stammered in return, as his nervous stutter threatened to overwhelm his own ability to communicate. Was he already so fearsome, even without being an official army soldier? The thought brought him no pleasure and no pride, and he felt embarrassed.


”I just -- I w-was just --” No, this would never do, and as he struggled, his nose wrinkled in distaste of himself. ”I-I thought that I heard -- uh…” His brain was in utter upheaval, and he could feel the flesh beneath his fiery coat burn with self-consciousness. He was half tempted, himself, to turn tail and run off, but he forced himself to be polite. ”Well, anyway.” He offered a half smile sheepishly. ”I am Cian. Are you -- are you okay? Are you lost?”




@Aurora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Dream big and dare to fail

Her ears flicked a little more forward as she watched him with budding curiosity from his less intimidating reaction toward her, taking in his figure beyond the size in far more detail. It almost caused the hobble to become empty as she stared at him, her head tilting just a little as she was mesmerized by his flame kissed body, finding it even more magical than she had from a distance. It was almost as if every shade of fire was in his brilliant coat as it glistened from the remaining specks of snow that clung to the very tips of her fur. Was that why he followed her? That caused her ears to fall back down, not out of fear this time but guilt in realizing what she might have done. That idea to see if he was as hot as he looked reaccumulated like wildfire, feeling that urge to reach up toward him.

Her gaze would be redirected to his face once she noticed he was about to speak, watching each little ruffle and wrinkle that might appear though she would not meet his eyes. Her gaze would be cast down submissively, at least, until he actually spoke. The sputtering, much like her own, sent a wash of surprise over her. For a second she thought he was making fun of her, making her on the brink of being offended but such a feeling did not last long by the end of his sentence. She suddenly shook her head a couple times causing her fur to fluff up around her face before her lashes shrouded her eyes as they dipped down to her paws before bouncing back up to him sheepishly. “I-I… just didn’t think you noticed m-me. And well you’re th-the first other pup I’ve met that’s not kin. I should be a-apologizing to you!” she started, following after his steps backward. It wasn’t everyday she pursued another, on any other given day, she might have seen it as a way to run off and avoid discomfort.

Today was different. This stranger wasn’t a stuffy noble, he sure didn’t smell like one. He smelled like nature but still the Mainlands nonetheless, in fact he didn’t smell all that foreign at all. Plus he had to be a native in order to find this place, so perfectly hidden away from those less adapted to the turrets.

Slowly she moved toward him, each step more dainty but dedicated than the last as she wouldn’t stop till she was almost nose to nose with him or he started to move further away. To stay close meant she didn't have to raise her voice and maybe, just maybe she could find out if he was the sun.

“Aurora,” she chirped shortly after he gave his own alias. “I’m A-Aurora. Ummm. Ss-s-so sorry Mister C-Cian for dusting you in snow. Please accept my apology and kn-know it’s f-from deep within my heart,” she said softly, eyes batting just a little. At the mention of being lost, she’d look away from him and shook her head, staring toward the staircase that led back out of the square, hardly visible from where they were. “No, I’m h-h-hiding,” she whispered as she turned her head back to look up at him. It was apparent she wasn’t doing a good job when even a random lad could find her with ease.

code by claerie

H

e bristled, though said nothing, at the suggestion that he was a mere pup, for little babies did not get to leave their families to join the king’s army, did they not? But her apologetic nature and submissive attitude kept him from commenting. Her continued timidity, or what he construed to be shyness, anyway, seemed to give the boy a bit more of his bravery back, but he did not raise his head to look bigger and more powerful, instead lowering his shoulders so that his posture was less imposing (he hoped). ”You don’t have to be sorry for anything, Miss, truly.” He smiled, hoping that it would demonstrate just how mature and non-puppish he really was. He did not stop to consider why this was such an important point to make, but his facade was measured and even as he tried to forget his stuttering, stumbling introduction.


However, his courage threatened to fail Cian as the girl inched closer, soft and feminine in every way -- this whole unrelated female business was a relatively new concept. Of course, he was well aware that there were plenty of females running about the lands, but his social circle had been particularly small, and, like the unknown girl’s, was notably small. And he was, after all, an adolescent now, though he did not have the insight to recognize that this could be the reason why he felt so unseasonably warm now. He made no attempt to move away, instead freezing up, fiery eyes darting about nervously.


”Aurora,” he repeated thoughtfully. It was a beautiful name, though he did not say so aloud out of sudden shyness in their close proximity. ”I have heard of the Aurora Borealis, but I’ve never had the pleasure to see it for myself. But in the Highlands…” His voice trailed off, and he quickly corrected himself. ”I’ve never actually been there, though, I-I’m, uh, from the Mainlands, too. I mean, I assume -- I assume you’re from here, too, Miss -- er, Aurora?” He added: ”And, please, you haven’t done anything wrong, and you have no reason to apologize,”


But it was Aurora’s final comment that caught Cian’s attention, and his ears flicked forward. ”Hiding?” A frown tugged at his lips as he looked around this again with more focus, as though an attacker was now suddenly lurking around the corner. ”From what?”


Could this be the boy’s first foray into the world of heroism?




@Aurora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Dream big and dare to fail

She watched him getting uncomfortable the moment she seemed to speak, instantly making her all the more self conscious but it seemed to be a certain word that brought the most out of him, that light fluffing of his pelt. Pup. It seemed like such a strange thing to cause such a stir in another, then again she would rather be seen as a child than as an adult when it came to certain things. Others might be far quicker to take the route of growing up, gaining responsibilities but in most cases it also meant gaining freedom; that wasn’t a luxury she could obtain. Her responsibilities started from the moment she was born, expected to behave a certain way and grow into a specific being, both of which she felt like she was failing at greatly but the lessons would only get more crippling once she became a true yearling but for now she rather take advantage of being a child a little bit longer before any freedom she did have left vanished entirely.

She did relax as he seemed to relax, however, matching his smile with her own and this time it wasn’t just out of courtesy, unable to help smiling when someone else did especially when they seemed rather sweet. Miss, the term felt rather weird to her ears from an absolute stranger but she couldn’t say she didn’t like it, feeling more equal while also not feeling any disrespect or condescending tones. It was rather charming, really, causing an awkward giggle. She’d glance down with a sheepish sway of her shoulders and tail before nodding then glancing back up at him. “Then same to you, n-no apologizing,” she said softly, a promise.

As she moved closer with big doe eyes, she was only slightly surprised he didn’t create space again, though due to him not moving back like she anticipated, she nearly bumped noses with him had he been a bit smaller. He was rather big, having to tilt her head up to look at his face, taking notice of his sudden increased stiffness as he lingered in place. She was certain she could simply blow on him in that second and he'd simply tip over like a sheet of paper did to the wind. Her ears would dance forward before folding back as he said her name aloud, bringing her to for once look into his bright eyes, unlike their bodies, were not entirely different but his felt so much more intense in a heated way. It seemed she had gotten him in a tizzy as he started to speak then quickly backtracked in correcting himself, explaining himself. It was cute seeing someone so big continue to act so small, taking away a lot of her prior nervousness around him and in turn made her feel a little safe.

“That’s what I was named a-after. Mutter says my eyes look like them, though I've never seen them myself e-either. Sometimes she calls me Aura if you’d prefer that?” she offered a bit more serenely. “And yes. Yes I’m from the Mainlands. Born in this town ac-actually and have residence here,” she addressed with a few more little giggles mixed in, having a hard time keeping her composure but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. A nice change from being so tense all the time.

As he looked around at her last comment with vigilance, she slowly moved slightly to the side so she could pass him but then would turn back around and move till she was tucked against his side, hidden from the view of the alley. Looking between him and her surroundings, she couldn’t help but see him a bit more differently now. “A bean-nighe,” finding such a fae the perfect depiction of one of the maids, not that she knew all that much about Highlander fae but there were a few that others liked telling tales of even if they found such ideas preposterous. “Y-y-y-you wanna be my knight?” she asked, an idea popping into her head depending on his answer.

code by claerie

I

n some ways, it seemed, Cian and Aurora were not so different after all. The boy had been groomed since birth to fit his father’s expectations. There was no room for dissent or for arguing. It was simply the way things were in his family. Freedom only referred to that which was important to the kingdom: for the king to be free to do as he wishes. For his followers to be free to do just that, follow. Freedom beyond the confines of his appointed role was still yet a foreign concept to the youth. “Then same to you, n-no apologizing.” At this, the boy smiled broadly, nodding firmly in agreement. ”It’s a deal. No apologizing.”


She was close enough to touch now, and Cian looked… well, pretty nervous. The girl went on to explain how she got her name, and what her mother sometimes referred to her as. Cian repeated, ”Aura.” He tested the nickname aloud, a grin appearing as he decided he rather liked the sound of that. Aura shared that she was born right there, in this town. ”I was born, uh -- well, not here. Sorr--” But he caught himself before the whole word escaped, and he laughed sheepishly at himself.


Aura was intentional in her movements, using Cian’s much larger form to obscure her own. Cian thought this to be rather strange, but he did not ask, instead observing her reactions. Was she hiding from someone, or something…? But it was not in his place to ask, so the youth stood taller, protective, though he knew not what Aura required protection from.


”Y-y-y-you wanna be my knight?” Cian’s mouth fell open in obvious surprise at this request. It was unexpected, in the way that one never can guess how their dreams would come true in unexpected ways. That was all he had ever wanted, was it not? To help others, to be strong and brave… His mouth shut again quickly, and he nodded in agreement. ”Yeah -- er, yes. I can be your knight.” His chest puffed up and he stood at his true height, which was remarkably tall for someone his age. ”If that’s, um, really what you want, of course.” A shy smile appeared as he waited.




@Aurora

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck