[div style="margin-top: 30px; text-align: center; font-family: timesnewroman; font-size: 35px; color: white;"]pierce parker
☀ — and till the end you're my very best friend
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Three months. Three months, Pierce had waited, separated from the girl and man he loved oh so much, blindly promising himself it would all be okay. But there was no way to really know that, was there? All this time, and he hadn't seen even one sign that his family was coming, or that they were even okay. He'd been holding desperately onto the fact that he hadn't seen them at that one event where the spirits had visited Snowbound- onto the fact that they, hopefully, were not dead. Control was never something Pierce really wanted, but it wasn't until he lost it that he realized how helpless he felt without it. No matter where they were or what was happening them, there was nothing he could do to help them, and he hated it. Hated that they weren't together, that they were taking so long, that he had even done this in the first place. But what else could he have done? After what had happened to Hana, there was no way they could stay in that place anymore, and he'd done the only thing he could. Should he have brought them with him? God, how he'd wanted to, but he'd done what he'd had to, and then he'd had to wait.
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and throughout all of it, Pierce was surrounded by strangers, and while they had been nice, for the most part, it just wasn't the same. He'd had friends, a family, a clan to take care of, back home. There was nothing like that for him here, and some days, he only stuck around with the knowledge that if he left, he may never see his family again. As time passed, however, he'd warmed up to Snowbound. The people were kind here, and staying in the Typhoon, he'd even made some friends. He couldn't help but hope that he would get to see his little friend, Cronas, again even though he had already pretty much moved back to Snowbound full-time.
Despite working around the clan and doing his little fun activities, never a day went by that he didn't think of Clem and Rid, that he didn't walk down the Snowbound border in desperate hope that he'd spot their lovely, familiar faces, but he always walked home alone.
Until today.
Numb paws carried him down the icy border that belonged to this clan, this clan that still wasn't really his, his tired, honey optics scanning the area until they rested upon two figures in the distance. At first, he denied that it was even them, maintaining his steady pace on his way over and trying to ignore the pounding of his heart in his chest, the feeling of the yellow daisies that sprouted with each step brushing his legs. There were plenty of cats of their coloring that may be traveling to Snowbound together- there was no reason to get excited about something that he wasn't getting. As he neared and they came into view a bit better, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. A pair of rectangular glasses were perched upon the older feline's nose, long legs supporting a lithe frame, and behind him was a very little girl, a girl with what looked to be a green bow clipped into her fur.
Any rational thought was out the window when it registered as them. Clementine and Riddler, his family- it had been so long. The fact that they barely looked to have aged a day didn't even cross his mind as he stepped forth, a slight hesitance in his step even still, fearful that this may not be real, or that somehow, they would be taken away again. His stomach was tied in knots, but the closer he got, the faster his paws moved. Them being upset with him was not a possibility that even crossed his mind - he had done all he could, and all of it had been for them. The freckled tom didn't realize that he could have explained things far better, that a letter may not have been satisfactory enough for them - though he knew they never would have let him leave if he'd tried explaining it to them in person.
Pierce looked past Riddlersgame when he finally reached them, his gaze fixed solely on his daughter. So small, so good, far too pure for this ugly world. All the drawings and paintings in the world couldn't compare to the true beauty of his little girl, no matter how hard he tried to replicate it. How much his heart had ached to see her again, how much he had planned this all out, though finally setting eyes on her, he didn't know what to do. Where did he even begin?
"Clementine," the name slipped by his lips for the first time since he'd left, leaving an odd, bittersweet taste in his mouth. More wildflowers had sprouted at his paws, his nerves and excitement clearly the cause of the sudden growth. Large eyes welled with tears, but he still had no idea what he was doing. Was he to hug her? Thank Riddler? The father choked on words, paws shaking violently as he glanced over to Riddlersgame, the one who'd been there since the beginning. They'd been through so much, even if neither of them could remember it all very clearly, but he was at a loss for words. He didn't know what was appropriate to say and what was not, and after all this time, he didn't even know what he was supposed to do. "I'm sorry." For what? Everything. He hadn't done anything wrong not this time around, but he had before, and he knew he'd probably mess things up again. They had come so far, they looked so worn out- if he had stayed, and they had left together, would things be different? Would Hana have still helped him? Pierce raised a shaky paw to his face, wiping tears from his cheeks. Riddlersgame had seen him cry countless times, but he was pretty sure this was a first for Clem. He was a pretty pathetic excuse for a father, wasn't he?
"speech"
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and throughout all of it, Pierce was surrounded by strangers, and while they had been nice, for the most part, it just wasn't the same. He'd had friends, a family, a clan to take care of, back home. There was nothing like that for him here, and some days, he only stuck around with the knowledge that if he left, he may never see his family again. As time passed, however, he'd warmed up to Snowbound. The people were kind here, and staying in the Typhoon, he'd even made some friends. He couldn't help but hope that he would get to see his little friend, Cronas, again even though he had already pretty much moved back to Snowbound full-time.
Despite working around the clan and doing his little fun activities, never a day went by that he didn't think of Clem and Rid, that he didn't walk down the Snowbound border in desperate hope that he'd spot their lovely, familiar faces, but he always walked home alone.
Until today.
Numb paws carried him down the icy border that belonged to this clan, this clan that still wasn't really his, his tired, honey optics scanning the area until they rested upon two figures in the distance. At first, he denied that it was even them, maintaining his steady pace on his way over and trying to ignore the pounding of his heart in his chest, the feeling of the yellow daisies that sprouted with each step brushing his legs. There were plenty of cats of their coloring that may be traveling to Snowbound together- there was no reason to get excited about something that he wasn't getting. As he neared and they came into view a bit better, he felt his breath hitch in his throat. A pair of rectangular glasses were perched upon the older feline's nose, long legs supporting a lithe frame, and behind him was a very little girl, a girl with what looked to be a green bow clipped into her fur.
Any rational thought was out the window when it registered as them. Clementine and Riddler, his family- it had been so long. The fact that they barely looked to have aged a day didn't even cross his mind as he stepped forth, a slight hesitance in his step even still, fearful that this may not be real, or that somehow, they would be taken away again. His stomach was tied in knots, but the closer he got, the faster his paws moved. Them being upset with him was not a possibility that even crossed his mind - he had done all he could, and all of it had been for them. The freckled tom didn't realize that he could have explained things far better, that a letter may not have been satisfactory enough for them - though he knew they never would have let him leave if he'd tried explaining it to them in person.
Pierce looked past Riddlersgame when he finally reached them, his gaze fixed solely on his daughter. So small, so good, far too pure for this ugly world. All the drawings and paintings in the world couldn't compare to the true beauty of his little girl, no matter how hard he tried to replicate it. How much his heart had ached to see her again, how much he had planned this all out, though finally setting eyes on her, he didn't know what to do. Where did he even begin?
"Clementine," the name slipped by his lips for the first time since he'd left, leaving an odd, bittersweet taste in his mouth. More wildflowers had sprouted at his paws, his nerves and excitement clearly the cause of the sudden growth. Large eyes welled with tears, but he still had no idea what he was doing. Was he to hug her? Thank Riddler? The father choked on words, paws shaking violently as he glanced over to Riddlersgame, the one who'd been there since the beginning. They'd been through so much, even if neither of them could remember it all very clearly, but he was at a loss for words. He didn't know what was appropriate to say and what was not, and after all this time, he didn't even know what he was supposed to do. "I'm sorry." For what? Everything. He hadn't done anything wrong not this time around, but he had before, and he knew he'd probably mess things up again. They had come so far, they looked so worn out- if he had stayed, and they had left together, would things be different? Would Hana have still helped him? Pierce raised a shaky paw to his face, wiping tears from his cheeks. Riddlersgame had seen him cry countless times, but he was pretty sure this was a first for Clem. He was a pretty pathetic excuse for a father, wasn't he?
"speech"
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