creature so holy ⚘ return, open (Golden Eye)

[aesior]

AESIOR OPHELES

✯ — got spirits in my head and they won't go

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His paws were sore and they hurt, oh they hurt, but it was nothing compared to the breathlessness in his chest. He'd realized in his travels, alone had he fallen, that the stranger's words were in a way conveying his similar thoughts. His dark furred benefactor a friendly face in his mind, though known the friendliness for flirtiness now. He had been too distracted with his feelings and memories of the night spent beside arlo innocently in his nest. Though innocent had they been, these feelings were far from it, a violent churning mess in his stomach and heart.

His decision had been quick, departing while the stranger slept, earlier words and motions echoing in his mind. He knew then that these emotions of his were strong, and that he could not deny them. So, he was running, and running. He was desperate, needing to reach for his home, the home he'd found and made. The scent lines and territory were a blur, early his arrival, running through the night as the sun began its climb. By the time it would awaken the inhabitants, he was stumbling through into camp, pelt mussed by his journey, and lungs heaving. His gaze sought out three important pelts, one of autumnal hue amid feathers, one of cracked alabaster, and one of tempting shadow and light. "HOME." came the attempted mental announcement of his arrival, telepathic voice trembling with emotion. he was home, and there were three individuals he cared about. A son, a friend though the other may not consider him such, and someone who held his heart in his paws. He wanted to call out their names, his voice was too weak, he wanted to comfort them and see them. He wanted to be with them. He was grateful to see everyone but a certain degree was garnered from each of those three.

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✯ — MALE. THE GOLDEN EYE. MEDIUM DIFFICULTY. REF. LANGUAGE GUIDE. — ✯

#psychosocial.

[FRAGGLEROCK.]

Aesior. In the grand scheme of things, Fraggle knew that the other had not actually been gone for all that long. Yet still, it had seemed like ages. Days had felt like weeks, and a mere week felt like a year, at least in the boy's mind. Still, one could hardly blame him. Aesior was one of the two familial figures that Frag had latched onto during his stay within The Golden Eye, and both were pretty much the only familial figures in his life, as far as he could remember. To have the other leave, without much of a proper explanation... it had been devastating. The other had told them he had received bad news and needed to recover, but that was still incredibly vague. Too vague for the rabbit's heart to take, his mind racing with various things he could've done wrong, or things he should've done to keep Aesior around. Needless to say, the period of time without the other had been rough, and Fraggle still felt rather shaken up by it. Waiting as every day passed, wondering if the other ever really would return...

It seemed as though Aesior kept his promises, however. One moment, Fragglerock had been rather relaxed. The cool stone beneath his body was comfortable and the pelt draped over him kept him warm, lulling him into a light sleep. He was broken from it, however, when a familiar voice entered his mind, saying a word that filled the young rabbit with joy. Home. In an instant, Frag was on his feet, frantically hopping over to where Aesior stood, big blue eyes gleaming with tears of happiness. He wasted no time in flinging himself at the other's leg, trying to wrap his front paws around it in a hug. As he did so, his words came out in an excited and relieved rush, "Aesior, you're back! I'm so happy you're back! We all missed you so, so much... I even started learning sign language for when you got back! I'm still rusty, but... I'm working on it!" He grinned up at the other briefly, his chest full of mixed emotions. He was so happy the other had returned, but... he had to ask. After a moment, he spoke once more, voice lowered slightly, "Did... did you figure out what to do, about your bad news?" He desperately hoped that Aesior had. He wouldn't be able to take it if this was just a brief visit.

☆ — what of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt; max-width: 65%; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]Ravaged bed for that withered, darkened and swallowed as strings gently sung a sorrow laden hum, still the beat, grown languid. Walls torn away erected once more, hope gone, fleeing as the other had beneath the veil of night, act of a coward. Throat closed even as he struggled to swallow, moisture gone, forgotten when last he had consumed even a meagre morsel or drank of the creeks and rivers he found a fondness for. Better than that, than the petty demeaning epithets he may spit in his face, intent to do as he had done.

Aesior had been quiet and careful, wished no harm imparted by a departure deemed a necessity, though the exact cause only he bore. Spiteful and cruel the machinations buried, a wish to harm given to that undeserving. Home found for each unkind title in his chest, there resting, a searing heat ignited with each breath.

Familiar the old paths he walked without need of chosen direction or end point, momentum enough guide, mind slipping away. There was nothing in the spin of thoughts, an empty murmur, listed needs of others as his own were left unattended. Better to allow it to creep forth, learn the lesson imparted even as something within rebelled against the notion, pushed back with futile intent. Never allowed, taken that chance as it only just began. Threads severed, broken beneath intrusion, gentle syllables without voice cracking, falling apart with the reverberation of freed emotion.

Direction changes, progress quickened, heart fluttering. Wrong this, hope a jagged blade that hovered above his head, still it encapsulated his mind, drove him to supposed origin. And there he was. Beneath the bright spill of golden light silver became the grey of low hanging fog, unkempt and weighed down, exhaustion evident in the manner he held himself. Real, too much so, if the manner Fraggle responded was anything to go off of. And it was, the child his in all ways but name, his joy a fragile slither of glass cutting through his brain, broken those ties, away falling in tatters.

Stone protested curled tips drag, head turned away, teeth exposed as jaw grew tight. How could he handle this. He could not, and thus he was silent, turning, wishing to leave even as he grew rooted, back all they have see. Minute the tremor, shoulders shivering though the temperature had been rising, evident emotion that caused this. He should despise the other for all he had done, hate himself for permitting his walls to crumble in a time so short simply for companionship had been given to him. There is so much he should do and thus he stood there, conflicted, treading the tightrope between anger and joy.

[CLEOPATRA THEMA.]

[aesior]

AESIOR OPHELES

✯ — got spirits in my head and they won't go

space

The sight of child caught his eyes, gray orbs shining with his own unshed tears, dark from his exhausting race. Laughter shook his shoulders, a silent mind that they couldn't hear expect for the wheezes of air leaving him, a happy expression on his face. He hadn't been ignored. That was more than he could have asked for. It was more than he deserved for responding in the way he had to his heart. He gratefully accepted the embrace of the younger male, peacefully breathing in his scent. Yes, he was truly home. Lifting his free paw, he would attempt to pet Fraggle's back and hug him in return, smiling warmly down at the child.

He was learning sign language for him? He couldn't help but smile even wider. He felt warm because of that, it made him feel better somehow. He was grateful that he was taking the step to communicating with those like himself. It was well appreciated by the mute. When asked if he figured out what to do about his bad news, he would nod softly. In his travels he'd picked up on scents he hadn't wished to ever smell in his life again. He could smell the other grims and it had put him on edge. He didn't fully know what to do about his feelings for Arlo, but he wasn't going to run from them, not anymore. He had duties here to more than just himself, and he had to protect everyone.

His gaze lifted as he caught Vincent's scent on the breeze, only able to see the white Tom's back turned to him. A soft smile grew upon his face. He'd learned one thing over the duration that he knew the other, and it was that he either couldn't or wouldn't show his emotions and inner feelings to those around him. He knew that he was probably upset in some fashion about what happened. He didn't know if the other considered him a friend or anywhere close to it, but he felt that way to the other. He couldn't speak, and he didn't know if his voice would reach the other, "Vincent", he would attempt. The voice was soft, careful but warm. It could be taken as recognition or for calling out to him. He didn't want to push the white tom with his back to him.

His gaze took in Cleopatra. He didn't remember seeing her when he'd left. That was fine. Nodding his head in neutral greeting, awkward at best. He returned his gaze to Fraggle before he turned to the Satchel he always wore. A smile was on his features as he pulled out a notebook. Within were pressed flowers and herbs with their names and uses beside them. He'd remembered the interest he'd seen in the other when it came to matters of healing. Pushing it to the child, he would sit up and look away, hoping he'd enjoy the knowledge. It seemed as good a time as any.

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✯ — MALE. THE GOLDEN EYE. MEDIUM DIFFICULTY. REF. LANGUAGE GUIDE. — ✯

#psychosocial.

[ARLO M.]

[align=center]

ARLO MAXIMUS

[div style="max-width: 600px; height: 24px; background: #b0a089; padding: 5px; line-height: 15px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; color: #943c3d;"][align=center] — [b]DRACONIC FELINE - GOLDEN EYE - VANGUARD - TAGS —

Home. That word had never felt so.. unbelieveable. Somewhere to call their own, somewhere you could relax with a loved one and just.. exist. No problems, just heavenly peace. And, somehow, it was so unachievable. So out of reach, for Arlo, it felt like a myth. A legend, something that was only written in storybooks and novels about other people's life. Never your own, and never enough to consider that it was.. real. Maybe, when other people around you started to concieve that thought, have children.. His head shook, lifting himself out of a deadly circle of thoughts.

He imagined that. He had to have imagined that word ringing in his head, so clear. The emotions he felt in his gut, upset and relief, those weren't his. Slowly, Arlo picked himself up from where he had been perching, halfway up Vanguard's Point, and slowly wandered out to the group welcoming Aesior back.

And something in him shattered. What was that, relief he was feeling? Utter content with the situation, that he was back? Why? He and Aesior didn't owe eachother anything. There wasn't.. was there something there? Arlo turned his head away, bitterly gritting his teeth and flattening his ears. It was selfish, to leave and then come back like that.. Arlo looked back forward, clearing his throat. Professionalism, Arlo. You've got appearances to keep up, Mr. Maximus. "Welcome back." He couldn't even keep his voice together, the tone cracking at it's seams.

"speech"

[FRAGGLEROCK.]

Aesior may have been worried about being ignored upon his arrival, but Fraggle couldn't even think of doing such a thing. He had missed the other terribly while they were gone, and even if it had hurt when they had left... he could sort of understand it, on some level. It was another thing where he wasn't quite sure why he could understand it, really. He just... he felt like he knew what it was like, feeling the need to run away from the place that you considered home in order to get some sense of clarity. It was another strange sense of deja vu he couldn't explain, but for now he found that he didn't need to explain it. All he needed to know was that Aesior had figured things out, and now he was here to stay. So, the boy felt no hesitation in hugging the feline with all the strength he could muster, a grin pulling at his muzzle as he felt Aesior's gentle pet against his back. It really was like a father returning to their child's side after being away for a long time – that was essentially what it was exactly, although Fragglerock still feared overstepping.

When he pulled away from the other, Fraggle found himself blinking curiously as a book was pushed in front of him. It looked sort of like the notebooks Aesior usually used for communicating, but he didn't see why the other would give him such a thing. So, he pulled the notebook closer, carefully opening it and running his paw over the pages. His blue gaze widened with delighted as soon as he saw what was inside, his attention thoroughly grabbed by the various pressed flowers, and herbs. He grinned up at Aesior after that, his small tail twitching with joy as he spoke, "Thank you, Aesior... I promise I'll put this to good use!" It would take a while before the boy could really amass anything resembling proper "medical knowledge," but he didn't really mind. He was willing to put the time in, especially if it meant that he would eventually be able to help The Golden Eye as a whole. Not only that, but it would give him the chance to work alongside Aesior, and hopefully take a bit of the weight off of his shoulders. Was Fragglerock sure he wanted to dedicate his entire life to medicine? Not really, but that was okay. Having medical knowledge, regardless of if you were a proper medic or not, was never a bad thing.

Frag's attention was finally broken away from the book, however, by the approach of Arlo. While he had known Arlo wasn't a very overly expressive man, he still found himself a bit shocked by the other's reaction. Just a welcome back? Nothing more than that? Fraggle admittedly didn't know the full scope of the situation between Aesior and Arlo, but he knew that they cared about each other. And he especially knew that the vanguard deserved someone who cared about him like Aesior would. Just a simple welcome back wasn't enough to communicate that... it wasn't enough to mend things. With that, the boy sat up and bounced over to where Arlo was, trying to place his small paws against the vanguard's back and attempting to push him in Aesior's direction. As he did so, he spoke in a firm and determined tone, "Arlo! You should go and give him a hug too!" The way that the rabbit was dealing with this was immature, but what could one expect? He was only a few months old, barely in the age range to finally become a proper pebbleclaw – it was natural that he still acted in a childish way.

☆ — what of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?

[aesior]

AESIOR OPHELES

✯ — got spirits in my head and they won't go

space

Relief and contentment. His body shivered at that - he wasn't feeling that. Where was it coming from? Who felt that? Well, he was relieved and he felt content. Gaze searching for the one that hadn't shown up - one of the faces that he needed to see to make sense of all of this. Biting his lip as he gazed around, worry, concern and uncertainty rocked through him. Where was Arlo? Was he alright? Why was he looking for him? He needed to set this thing straight before it continued to torment him in the echoed of his mind.

Soon eyes came upon the Vanguard, his heart squeezing in his chest and his breath catching tightly in his throat. Arlo. It gave him relief to see him, a sudden sense of crushing relief and happiness sweeping over his senses. Gaze holding to that form as it came to greet him, ears perked up and biting at his tongue in eagerness. He'd figured himself out, and he was trying to accept the strangeness within his chest. If anything, his gaze was firmly stuck to him, he was ready to figure this out fully. Then Arlo's head turned and his ears flattened as he welcomed him back. Hesitancy exploded within his chest, a sense of fear picking up. He could understand why he wouldn't be happy to see him. His gaze turned to his paws, his own ears pressed back the slightest.

He sat down, struggling with the unexplainable feeling of refusal and defeat in his chest. Rubbing a paw on his forearm awkwardly as he chased away those negative feelings. He was home, the rest could come later. He nodded towards Arlo with his signature warm smile. Surprise and happiness filled him from Fraggle's reaction to his gift. The other had liked it. His eyes would widen as Fraggle tried to encourage Arlo to approach him, jumping to his paws in shock, "Frag- Fraggle it's okay! He doesn't need to hug me. He's the Vanguard, he did enough to welcome me back." he would attempt to speak to the youth. Not that he wouldn't mind the chance to try to fix the things he made wrong.

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✯ — MALE. THE GOLDEN EYE. MEDIUM DIFFICULTY. REF. LANGUAGE GUIDE. — ✯

#psychosocial.

[ARLO M.]

[align=center]

ARLO MAXIMUS

[div style="max-width: 600px; height: 24px; background: #9ADBD2; padding: 5px; line-height: 15px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; color: #39888C;"][align=center] — [b]DRACONIC FELINE - GOLDEN EYE - VANGUARD - TAGS —

Arlo's ears twitched, picking his head up and looking back towards Aesior. It was a complicated feeling, but the ones that were invading his own, pushing the others aside.. His head shook wildly as he tried to fight those feelings. He was worried, but.. why did it feel so intense? Like someone else was inside of his heart, burying and digging themselves deeper with each breath. His teeth grit, and he felt gentle anger bubble in his chest. It was annoying to feel this way, to have his train of thought switched and switched again.

However, Fraggle's small paws on his back made him snap out of it. His head turned, gentle being scooted forward- not far- but he was moved. Arlo blinked. Something like surprise found it's way to his throat, and he swallowed, before looking towards Aesior. "Uh.. right. Um." He padded forward, ignoring what felt like judgement already seeping from Cleopatra, and stood in front of Aesior. Embarrassment flushed over him. "Welcome back.. Aesior. I- we. Missed you."

Arlo grit his teeth, his red eyes adverting away from Aesior's own. He wasn't angry, now, no, he was really trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. Why did he feel this way standing this close?

"speech"

[aesior]

AESIOR OPHELES

✯ — got spirits in my head and they won't go

space

His gaze had averted itself to his paws, feeling every part a scolded child, his chest aching without a way to describe it. His heart felt heavy yet so light, a mix of anxiety and worry pressing down on him. Legs trembling in the slightest, defending against the urge to run again. He didn't do great in situations like this, he hated confrontation of any sort with those he considered family and friends. His ears swiveled back, blinking at the feelings he couldn't place the origins of. He knew that they weren't his, and that's about all he could say about it.

His gaze flicked up as Arlo came to stand before him while speaking, his ears perking up and forward, listening to his words. Ah, it was awkward for him, wasn't it? He put on his regular soft smile, flicking an ear gently. He had missed everyone too, though he regretted the way he'd left. He'd overreacted. Taking a deep quiet breath and releasing it, widening his smile. His chest felt strange, the way it had when he'd awoken beside Arlo so long ago. He couldn't run this time, instead, sinking his claws into the ground as he kept himself where he was. This was fine, he was fine. After all, there was no assurance that these strange and scary feeling should be reciprocated by the one that caused them inside of him, gray eyes trying to catch Arlo's. It was good to be back, but he needed to clear the air between them. They needed to talk, so he could lay things out clearly behind why he'd up and run off.

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✯ — MALE. THE GOLDEN EYE. MEDIUM DIFFICULTY. REF. LANGUAGE GUIDE. — ✯

#psychosocial.