There's a hunger gripping my bones | return

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]A wildflower caught between the press of pages, grown brittle and worn, preserved beyond the fleeting moments of excepted life until to dust may they crumble. Well did she recall the dried petals, how they clung to skin and paper alike, bore upon their edges the sweetness of vanilla. Heady the aroma, though faded beneath that of tended flames added a smokey note to the enclosed atmosphere, her sorrow written upon those petals. Alike the simple message, shakey the curve of poorly printed words, running within black rivets as her tears fell.

I'm sorry I must leave, I bear no wish to harm you.

Bitter the laughter that had scraped along her throat. Had choice been present different the words she may express within a manner her voice proved incapable of forming, impersonal and cruel the notion of delivering her departure in the sweeping curl of ink. Yet nothing else proved a plausible avenue, blank the envelope she had slipped beneath the door with a shaking paw.

Alone had she arrived and thus her departure was conducted beneath the descending cloak of night bore upon the dark wings of somber thoughts. Within those quiet moments, with the creaking wood of the porch she perched upon with letter crinkled beneath her tightening grasp, she bore no intent to change her choice. Amusing may the thought be, now within moments suspended in the relative peace of a solitary journey, had not her heart grown heavy.

Those long months ago she had thought upon her decision and believed it bore a finality she may never turn back to, tempered by the vein hope the past may be left aside in favour for the future. Understood no such chance may be offered forth upon welcomed silver platter, a mere wishful dream. Childish in many ways, the quiet desire that had lodged within her chest and dragged cruel points through the aching heart contained within, the jagged pieces of her memories a puzzle that simply might not slot together.

Different the creature that strode forth upon short extremities of a soft silver hue from that which left with only the tear streaked letter to announce her departure to the one she had so tentatively deemed son. Dull even now the vision that skirted along a familiar terrain of moisture stricken earth and clustered growth of evergreen trees, yet new the spark located in those tepid depths. Missed this, if not what had been sought.

Brief the forward momentum of her slow steps, deep the draw of breath held in aching lungs seeking reprieve as she enjoyed the humid press of summer laced air. Poor the condition of her prior arrival, banded upon her skin the marks of a previous existence, caught within the throes of grief and supposed madness. Clear her mind as the outskirts of the village arose before her eyes, the part of the trees offering mere glimpses. Known the reception may be poor for her intrusion, expected upon the very edge of their marked land her presence. Yet wrong had felt such, notion disregarded with little care.

No closer did V dare to approach, however, satiated by what little she may see from her current placement. Of no matter the concealment of her position and thus she cared to make no effort, a slight thing standing out against the earthen hues about her, the minute tremor of her coiled tail all that may make apparent her worry.

[wormwood.]

It was a painful action, to try and remember the events that had followed V's leaving all of those months ago. Aurum had felt foolish back then, stupid enough to allow himself to grow attached to yet another person after being wronged so thoroughly by those who had once claimed to be his family. Although he and Poet had eventually made up – as much as they were ever going to, that is – he had never forgiven Judith, not even after her eventual death, and his father had died before he had ever truly gained closer. For all intents and purposes, he should've learned that family could be nothing but trouble for all of those involved. Yet still, the lion found himself growing horribly, helplessly attached to others. First had been Moth, and then so many others had followed, but aside from his beloved sister, none of them could have begun to hold a candle to V. After the lion had spent most of his life deprived of a proper mother and instead been given a cruel witch who considered him nothing more than a curse, V had seemed like an angel herself, in her kind nature and warm, private smiles. She had been more a mother to him than Judith ever had, even if they had only known each other for a few months. He had been willing to turn to her for everything, especially over his conflicted feelings over Red.

Then, she had been gone. Disappeared off into the night, just as quickly as she had come. Aurum could still remembering waking up in his – at the time – rather small home, stumbling over to the door and groggily snatching up the letter that had been slipped beneath it. At first, he had no worries, figuring that it was just a notice of a game, or some event that Feza had taken it upon herself to throw. However, his blue eyes had then fallen on the simple words tearfully curled onto the page, and he had felt his heart sink downward, a pain gripping him that had made him want to go to bed and never get up again. He wasn't sure how long he had spent just staring down at that paper, but he was fairly sure he could remember Roy approaching him, and the feeling of his son pressing comfortingly into his side as he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he had really been able to muster up the effort to cry, too worn down and drained simply from realizing that the one true mother he had ever had was gone. He wondered if he had done something wrong; if he had pushed away yet another parent figure who had come to think of him as nothing but a curse.

He had eventually recovered, as he always did. As he always had to, for the greater good of Tanglewood. It had been hard, hiding his pain from many and trying not to dwell on what he had lost, particularly when he found himself with a head full of swirling thoughts, desperate to get the opinion of a calm, and wise voice. He had made it through, however, and after a long while, Viera had become just another name on the long list of those that he had loved, and that he had lost. He had honestly thought she would never return, what with the finality of the sparse words within her farewell letter. It seemed as though he was wrong, although he wasn't sure how happy about that he truly was – his mind screeched at him that he was, he was so truly happy, because he had missed her so, although he blocked it out, stubbornly. Although her scent had not met his nose for quite a long time, he still recognized it as soon as he approached the border, his breath shuddering and his heart roaring in his ears as he came to a stop before her. On one hand, he knew he must've looked different. Older, with more scars and more grey fur, and the absence of one of his glittering blue eyes. On the other hand, he also knew that he looked stronger. He had been through so much, and he had come out the other side, although not so unscathed. The former proxy took a long breath inward, his voice soft and slightly pained when he finally spoke, "...You. You're home. V... I missed you..." He looked down for a moment, digging his long and dangerous claws into the earth, his eyes faintly burning with tears, "...I wasn't sure that you'd ever be back. Why did you go...?" So many thoughts fought violently in his head, all trying to make their way to the tip of his tongue, but ultimately, all that forced their way out were questions.

[glow=black,2,300]— ✘ —[/glow]

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]Family.

Ties crafted by the thin flow of blood upon which life had grown a futile dependency, flimsy lines of fraying tether that need only a too harsh touch to break. Few those who bore such title, though long the extended eternity her poorly mended heart had sung a fading melody. Had been posed the question of reasoning possibly the matter of worth may have arose in the hush of quiet breath, of who only guessed upon. Yet total her silence upon matters once deemed a trivial prying into places one is not permitted, expected the courtesy of retaining her privacy.

Almost amusing how time had come to cast such notion into a new light,  rethinking promotex based upon a single person. Or had it been two. Momentary her existence, caught in the tangible weight of present moments, fleeting a future she deemed a notion of naive dreaming.

The indraw of breath through the tight closure of her teeth startled her forth, cruel the jagged shock that laced the frayed edges of her nerves. Correct the notion of his change, how age and time had wrought upon the delicate skin of angelic cast into mortal flesh something distinctly unique. Poor the meeting of faded recollection, of how once he had been and thus was inscribed upon her mind. "Aurum…"

When did she begin to cry, barely of note the manner moisture gathered and fell, glimmering tracks drawn across silver cheeks. She should not have returned, allowed the spectre of her prior visitation to simply fade, unearned her placement among these people. It was not away she turned, however, minute the tremor to small paws that drew her forth. Only a few steps may she perform, once more halted as his voice arose in query.

Why had she left.

Easier to question why she may have come, to pick the mind of the devil and question why did he act upon such dark whim and desire. Many the times she had offered forth the question to herself, wondered over the intelligence behind her decision. She knew, of course she understood her reasoning to be set upon flimsy framework but it had been enough, apart did it fall as her tongue struggled to frame each word. On prevailed her silence and almost was V prepared to brush it aside, ignore it within favour of merely indulging within the reunion.

"Now it seems so silly." Hushed her voice as she approached with small, unsure steps, not wishing to cross any boundaries he may deem necessary. All too tempting was it, her halt leaving a small space between them, ground he must cross even as her heart ached to do so. "I had already lost my daughter, I did not wish to lose my sons as well."

Momentary her pause, head tilting back to search his gaze. Realisation had struck within the first moments, apparent the lack of secondary eye hued in the soft colouring of the morning sky, such did not halt the culmination of sorrow eating at her heart. "Your eye… I wanted to protect you, was so wrapped up in my delusions I thought my leaving would keep you safe. I know now I was wrong, things are different here." Bitter the laughter that rode upon the curl of her tongue, averted her gaze. "I do not wish to harm you, if my being here will do so I will leave, I simply wished to see you one more time."

[Luciferr]

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”family, hm, should stick together” another voice adds,

He berates himself because clearly this isn’t - this isn’t his drama to get stuck into when he’d stumbled across them - he didn’t even know Aurum yet and the other, V, was a stranger - but the hellfire coloured wolf can’t help but think of his own family and how tight knit they’d been,

And how, if he had the option, he’d wish for them to be here with him

He’d never get that now, gone as they were - dust and echoes in the stars,

Only his father remained in the Typhoon - a clan they thankfully were on good terms with.

Fenris shifted on his feet - almost bracing to simply walk away should his words ignite onflict, but the wolf felt far older than he looked in that moment - he’d seen too many families, his own included, shatter and break before the tides of conflict without, within and in war, he’d like to think that bridges were not always as burnt as they appeared.

[wormwood.]

It was almost like being stabbed, the sharp intake of breath that Viera took upon seeing him once again. Truly, Aurum wasn't sure whether it was from the sheer surprise of actually seeing him once again, or seeing him in his current state. He could only hope that it was the former, as he didn't wish to cause pain for anybody else through the scars that littered his body. He already knew how much it had hurt Moth when she had to treat his injuries, and how every day around him had been a grim reminder to Beck of the sins of his past. He didn't wish to put V in such a position as well, having wanted nothing but happiness for his mother since the day he had met her. Although back then she had not yet earned the title of mother within his mind, he could still tell her to be a kind person, and he had cared for her as he cared for all other tanglers. Unconditionally, and without limits, for they were all truly family within his mind. V had gone beyond that relatively simple connection, however. She had gotten through his rough exterior, made sharp and weary from years of receiving nothing but abuse from those he had once called family, and she had managed to become just that very thing. Even if he yearned to hate her – he didn't, oh no, he didn't – he knew he never would've even been able to.

Her explanation did seem silly, and it left a sort of faint, bitter taste in his mouth. Part of him wanted to yell, or cry, or do something just to express how much he had missed her, and how many emotions were roaring through his mind. However, he knew that nothing would truly be able to come close to expressing it all. So, he simply pushed forward, crossing the distance between them and pulling the older woman into his chest, her relatively small body clutched against the thick fluff of his mane. His voice was soft and choked up as he spoke, his one blue eye gleaming as it focused on the ground beneath them, "I appreciate the sentiment, however misguided. I'm... I'm glad. That you wanted to protect me. But like you said... no one can protect me except myself. And losing you... losing you wouldn't have been worth going the entire rest of my life without so much as a paper cut on the pad of my paw. You... you're my mother." He wasn't exaggerating when he spoke, having demonstrated time and time again that he was willing to give up life and limb for his family. He knew that was exactly what Viera had wanted him not to do, but he saw it as his decision, not hers to run from.

The male was going to speak again, his muzzle wearily cracking open, but then he heard a voice. Fenris. He didn't mind the other's intrusion, not really. After all, he and V were interacting publicly, and it wasn't as if he was being unkind. He found himself nodding along when he heard the hound, voice hoarse as he muttered to V, "He's right, you know. Family sticks together, through thick and thin. Through everything." He gently pressed his nose to the top of his mother's head, closing his eyes briefly. After a long moment of silence, he continued, "I don't want you to leave. You being here would never harm me, V. It would only make me stronger..." He could only hope she would truly hear his request, as he wasn't sure he could go through losing her, not again.

[glow=black,2,300]— ✘ —[/glow]

[COSMIIX]

[glow=white,1,400]BUT DO YOU FEEL LIKE A YOUNG GOD? YOU KNOW THE TWO OF US ARE JUST YOUNG GODS!｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

Family.

Amunet only had a few remnants of family left even if she didn't know where her children were, she had a feeling that they were there somewhere and hopefully, they were all safe and happier wherever they be. But if it had her decision to stay or leave with them, she would've stayed to enjoy and cherish whatever moments she got to spend with them. Her mind thinking of her children; Nayru, Hati, and Kunta. She began to wonder where they were now though the thought alone was enough to sadden her so, she tried to think of lighter subjects or think of something that was going well such as this reunion of son and mother. It strummed her heart string for a moment before she would approach the small group as she would brush up against Fenris knowing of his own family, it was a shamed that she would never meet her husband's siblings but she had gotten the chance to meet his father on some occasion.

Fortunately for Fenris, he could remember his family whilst Amunet had fuzzy memories whenever she tried remembering her parents and her siblings. She tried not to think too much on it at the time so Victory would draw in a soft breath deciding to add in her own coin of opinion to the conversation "Family is by far, the greatest treasure anyone can have..." Gold, jewels, and relics worth a fortune were nothing compared to family in her eyes and they never would be. "Welcome back home... My name is Amunet," She would finish with a slow nod of her head. [glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]