STRIKE THAT, REVERSE IT;;; stealing books

[trojan g.]

[align=center][div style="max-width: 425px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30px; opacity: 0.80; font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 10px; color: #00;"]Although the reasons for doing this was something that Sweeney had not been okay with at first, when she had been told where they were going, she decided that yes, this was something she wanted to do. Not caring for the knowledge that Gael would soon possess for his child, Sweeney instead cared about the ass beating that she had been planning ever since Atticus had told her about his brother coming to the Pitt in search of him, only to beat him up.

Sweeney didn't appreciate her best friend getting searched for and getting beat up. Of course, he could take care of himself to a point, but Sweeney wanted revenge for him, and she hoped that when the fray started - if it started - Atticus would join in.

Walking over to Tanglewood had been easy in the eyes of the child. Excited and filled with energy from the nap she had taken beforehand, walking out of the hot desert and into the cooler but muggy swamp had filled the child with anticipation, so when she looked behind her, the fox cub would stop for a moment, waiting for Atticus to come to her side. Even if it wasn't officially her being in the lead and having people follow, Sweeney would pretend it was in her own mind, and try to stay ahead of the group from within Tanglewood.

[Atticus Roux]

Coming into Tanglewood, Atticus felt his stomach drop. He hadn't been here in... a month? The thought was strange. It had been so long since he'd been home or seen his family as a whole, but would it ever be complete without his mother? Even so, while everything was still so familiar, he could point out the subtle changes to the territory during reconstruction and the personal touches new members provided. The realization was off-putting. Change. They had moved on away from Atticus. No one had went looking for him besides Ivan, but even that wasn't in goodwill. Had his leave been that much of a burden?

As the boy led the them through the swamp's thick underbrush, paws subconsciously directed him towards his home. The shambles of destruction remained in their place. Every piece of debris had been left alone, left to rot in the swamp's morning mist. Amber eyes watered at the sight. Had no one cared to clean? Had they wallowed over the crumbs of their home? For a moment, he remained in place, just taking the area all in. He wanted to stay, say hello to his family and cry on their shoulders, but would they even accept him? The failure. The disappointment. The one who left.

Not acknowledging his momentary pause, he barked out his command. "Let's go." The grey tabby trudged on past the house and further into the green forest. It wasn't long before their group reached the library with the original Tangler's help. They knew their directions: steal the books from Ivan and then leave. Unbeknownst to him, Sweeney had an other agenda.

[Ivan]

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IVAN
slav. "god is gracious"
---
a son
a brother

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ALYOSHA, MY DEAR, MY ONLY SON, I'M AFRAID OF IVAN —

A long time had passed since he visited The Pitt. Still, Ivan cannot forget his brother's pleading, bouncing around in his head without escape. No doubt guilt was eating away at him, pathetic pile of skin and bones as he was. Somedays he hated every single being on the planet with every ounce of his young essence, and then would suddenly shift to hating himself. He could not understand why he acted in this way. He truly was at a loss and scraping empty air.

Something that seemed so monumental to him was insignificant to all else. Leroy hadn't even mentioned Atticus' name in the last meeting, and Ivan, acting out of a guilty conscious, had spoken up when nobody else did. But he hadn't told anyone in Tanglewood what he'd done. The few times he did see his father now, he wanted to tell him, but immense self-loathing held him back. His father had already suffered enough.

The air shifted in the library. Ivan snapped to attention and immediately his eyes were drawn to the corner in which he had hallucinated a demon after his return from The Pitt. There was nothing there. His lip curled slightly over his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Static noises fizzled in his ears. "I know you're there," He thought. "Show yourself, coward."

To his immense shock, he noticed Atticus with Sweeney. Pittian scent assaulted his nose, but he stood stock still as if he was beside himself and that he couldn't believe what was happening. Most of his days were spent in the library now. After Selby taught him how to read, it was all Ivan cared to do. He was currently fascinated with poems and plays. Shakespeare's Hamlet, Schiller's The Robbers, and Pushkin's Belkin Tales were some of the copies not too far away from him now. Ivan raised his hackles in hatred, but did not say anything or raise any alarms, and he would torment himself over this mistake afterwards.

— I'M MORE AFRAID OF IVAN THAN THE OTHER ONE.

[gael]

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♛ GAEL Ó BROIN

Throughout the journey from desert to swamp, the vulpine had been quiet -- deep in thought.  While the desire to offer new books to his daughter fueled a portion of the faerie's motive, in truth, the vicar had not wanted Sweeny and Atticus to dive into enemy territory on their own.

Gael knew what it was to see a broken home.  Even when he remained far away from the land he came from, he remembered the deep pit in his gut -- the ice in his veins.  Consequently, he offered no comments, no reprehension, for the idea of this expedition, nor the way Atticus paused before the ruins.  The boy was terribly young for all this suffering to befall him.

The vulpine blinked as he regarded the inside of the library.  A brief thought of his cousin's daughter crossed his mind.  He knew little of Kiira, yet if she were like Raziel in any way, she'd likely spend some time within the confines of this building.  This late however, it appeared not so -- Gael would rather not deal with anyone giving away their trespass.

The satchel at his side was large enough for a few tomes, though the faerie stood by the entryway a moment longer -- hazel eyes glinting in the dark.  His ears perked sharply at the low sound of a growl. 

"Leanaí," his voice is soft in a gruff warning, to tell the children they were not alone.

"ISN'T IT LOVELY?" —-- gael ó broin / faerie / vicar / lamby

[trojan g.]

The demeanor in which Atticus carried himself through the swamp caused slight concern for Sweeney, though it would not be mentioned until she knew they were alone and back home, where tensions weren't as high. He seemed hesitant at some points, though seemed to swallow it down and continue forward - a good train in a Pittian and it made the Callahan child glad she'd chosen him as a friend. She'd creep carefully into the entrance of the library, ears pricked and eyes wide as she listened and watched, trying to make sure they wouldn't run into anyone, though she failed. The quick soft word from Gael caused Sweeney's ears to swivel, eyes moving forward as she noticed Ivan, standing there silent with his hackles raised.

He was making no sound, making no movement, and so she'd take her chance. Ignoring any words of protest from Gael that could arise from her actions, Sweeney swiftly moved forward, lunging, aiming to knock down the kitten before her a deep growl leaving her own throat - or as deep as a child's growl could make - eyes glinting with hatred. This is the one who hurt Atticus, who embarassed him at the border of the Pitt. His own sibling. Family was something Sweeney held high in her heirarchy of who was important, and family was the only ones she would never hurt. So how Ivan could do such a thing to his own brother disgusted her, and she'd show it with her actions, with his punishment.

If she managed to pin him successfully to the ground, Sweeney would then Aim to bite onto his shoulder and pull up, hard in an attempt to make bite marks and potentially dislocate the shoulder. She wasn't aiming to kill, she was aiming to maim.

SWEENEY CALLAHAN - THE PITT - EDUS - PENNED BY TIKKI