RUN AWAY FROM THE HUMDRUM / aurum

[MERGED]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana"]why had he returned? he felt nothing but fear here as he walked through the mud, hoping his wouldn’t be noticed if he just.. snuck into his brother’s home. wormwood had been kinder before he left, and he hoped that, maybe, he had stayed that way.

there was no stench of the pitt, but the old pride, the pride and fear. there was no doubt his brother wouldn’t be angry, that much is for sure, but with the new scars littered across his body, one going over his nose and more around his neck, preventing fur from growing there, he hoped that worm would see that something had happened. the scars were older, but not faded in anyway, and he had no doubt that worm would have new scars, too.

he hadn’t settled in anything soft, just sat low to the ground to show he wasn’t a threat, his head fully on the ground and staring anxiously at the door. he felt dizzy, but that was all around just a normal occurrence.

[wormwood.]

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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To say that Aurum had changed, and that he had gotten new scars, would be one hell of a fucking understatement. So much had changed since Poet had left that Aurum practically wasn't the same person anymore, name and all. He was kinder. He was a father. He was going to be an uncle, soon enough. Not to mention his new position as proxy. Most of it had been good changes, but his body carried the memories of the less than stellar changes. Like the giant starburst scar on his chest that could be seen through his mane when he turned just right, and the bandages that still sat over his right eye, where nothing but an empty hole remained. His entire body was littered with new minor scars, and he carried himself differently, his steps silent and deliberate. Wormwood was just a mere shadow of the past when compared to Aurum, and the lion had felt no remorse in abandoning that old persona, and all of the trauma that clung to it like a rain cloud over a parade.

It had been a calm day thus far, and Aurum had spent most of it just doing his usual duties, returning home to spend home to spend time with Roy and read. He was preparing to go on a walk, figuring he might as well tire himself out physically before he tried to force his body to rest. As he opened the door to his home, he turned and called back inside, tail flicking, "I'm going for a walk, Roy. I'll be back soon enough... be good and try to sleep, please." His voice was soft and parental, and full of affection. He then closed the door behind him, turning to leave his porch... when he froze. Immediately the stink of his old pride hit his nose, and he was baring his teeth instinctively, his wings spreading out and flames engulfing his mouth, spewing through the gaps in his teeth. His one good eye darted around to find the source of the scent, before he looked downward. When he saw Poet, he stood rigid on the porch for a moment, just... staring, flames still licking forth from his mouth. However, after a very long moment, the flames ceased, and his one crystal blue eye filled with hatred. His voice was emotionless and even as he spat, "Why are you here." All of the familial warmth and affection in Aurum's words when they were directed at Roy had been replaced, and now there was just cold indifference.

━ I'M GONNA WIN.┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━

[MERGED]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana"]of course he was angry. he had every right to be, but he hadn’t seen that look is.. a long time. something worm and judith had in common was their anger, the way their faces twisted. he’d forgotten about that, but he certainly didn’t remember flames. it seemed a lot had changed.

“the pride is.. gone. i woke up, and they were gone.” he said, ears pinning back as he slowly sat up. no sudden movements, he told himself. “they took me after.. after the whole think with judith.”

[wormwood.]

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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Aurum could feel anger like fire spreading throughout his chest, and faint little flames licked at the edges of his fur, flaring up before snuffing themselves out. Rhe larger lion moved down the front steps of his porch, not particularly wanting Roy to grow worried and emerge from the house. He wanted to yank Poet down, and throw the other off of his fucking territory. He resisted that urge, however, taking a shaky breath before he spoke, "And? Do you have some kind of point to coming here and telling me this, because I sure as hell don't see one. I don't give a fuck about the pride. I haven't in months. And I haven't exactly cared a whole lot about you either, since you killed our Mom and then took off." His voice raised a little bit at the end, cracking with anger before he forced himself to calm down. Don't make Roy get up. Don't make Roy get up.

━ I'M GONNA WIN┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━

[MERGED]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana"]and there it was. he didn’t regret it at all, but he did regret one part. leaving. he’d been scared, ran off, and now he just wanted to be somewhere safe again. “she would’ve killed you.“ he stated, not mentioning the part where he’d been threatened. he knew wormwood probably wouldn’t care about that. “and my choices were to just go with her like she wanted, or put an end to her. so i went with the choice that would keep her away from you.” he wasn’t going to raise his voice. not even if wormwood did. “and i wasn’t doing to risk it, either way. i might’ve lost you, but at least you’re alive. a little.. banged up, but alive.”

[wormwood.]

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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It doesn't matter that Poet was being so frustratingly calm. In fact, if anything, that calmness only made Aurum's anger worse. Because here was his brother, the one who had abandoned him, standing in front of his house trying to chat and explain himself like they were still fucking chummy. He stared at Poet for a long moment, his entire body wanting to tremble with the emotions that were running through his mind. Finally, he spoke dryly, his one eye locked with Poet's gaze, "I had to find her body, you know. I was looking for you. I thought things were going well. I didn't like her being around, but at least you were safe. But you know what I got to find instead? I got to walk in and find my Mother's dead body. I got to see the fucking bloodbath that had been made out of Judith. She was never a good mother, at least not to me. But that didn't mean I wanted to find her dead fucking body, Poet![i]" The trembling was even worse as he said the last part, and he felt so fucking worn down already. He continued, digging his claws deep into the ground below him, "And you know what I found? You [i]know what I found? A note. A fucking note, with no more than a simple goodbye, and no fucking explanation! If you killed her to protect me, then why did you fucking leave instead of not being a coward?" There were tears in his eyes now, hot and angry, and his wings were drooping at his sides. He looked... tired. So, dreadfully tired.

━ I'M GONNA WIN┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━

[MERGED]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana"]poet fell completely silent staring at wormwood as he spoke, and as much as he wanted to get closer and comfort him, he knew better. he shouldn’t touch him when he’s angry, definitely shouldn’t move or speak either. not until he was finished. “because i was a coward. i’d never killed anyone before, and i was scared of what they’d do to me. i thought they’d either kill me or throw me out so i.. i left before the others could get the chance.” he explained. he did feel guilty, but he’d been in such a panic afterwards that all he could d was say goodbye and then run. “i thought i was a monster. because who does something like that to their mother?” he asked, his head lowering. “i’m not.. im not going to ask for forgiveness and i wouldn’t expect you too in a million years, i just.. i came to ask for a second chance.”

[wormwood.]

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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"A second chance. You want... a second chance." Aurum said, his voice low and ragged as he looked at the other, his body still trembling. He was so fucking tired, and this was all so goddamn weird and unexpected and he had just wanted to go on a fucking walk. His throat was closing, and he could feel the burn of tears in his eyes, his body wanting to collapse in on itself. He rumbled after a long moment, tears slipping down his face and his voice shaking, "Why... why should I give you a second chance? So you can what, leave again?" His throat was raw, and a huge part of his brain had alarm bells going off, telling him to just fucking kill Poet and get it over with. However, he couldn't, and he knew he couldn't. He had never been able to hurt Poet, even when he wanted so desperately yo be able to.

━ I'M GONNA WIN┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━

[MERGED]

[align=center][div style="text-align:justify;width:55%;font-family:verdana"]”i want to be a better brother, worm!” he said, trying to keep his own voice steady. he’d learned emotional control at a very, very young age, so even the tiniest shake was a bit odd. for poet, at least. he really did want to be better, to do better, but he couldn’t exactly do that if he had no one to do better for, and it’s not like he could do better for their father or their grandfather. one was dead, the other didn't even know what happened. “and there’s.. more things i need to tell you but i shouldn’t yet. it’ll only make you more.. flames, i think.. it’s nothing bad, i promise but.. it might upset you more.”

[wormwood.]

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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Aurum wanted to cling onto his anger. He wanted so, so badly to be able to continue to be angry, and tell Poetking to go fuck himself. However, he knew that he couldn't. Because Poet was talking as emotionally as he ever really did, and Aurum could barely breathe thanks to the not quite sobs leaving him, and he knew well that he was going to break. He couldn't help it. He was so angry, but it had also been so long since he had seen Poet, and he had missed the other so badly, even when he hadn't been willing to admit it. After a couple more gasping breaths that made his lungs ache, Aurum finally spoke again, his one remaining eye focused on the ground beneath him, "I don't want to trust you. I don't want to trust you because I know it's not going to end in anything but pain and hurt again. Hell, you're still hiding things from me. But I can't, and I hate it. I can't just turn you away and tell you to get the fuck off my porch, and I'm so mad that I can't." He vented weakly, his legs wanting to give out as he continued, "I'll give you a second chance. I know that I shouldn't, but... I will."

━ I'M GONNA WIN┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━