this freedom tastes like ashes

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Displaced, again.

Selwyn's eyes had never been a soft blue. A kind blue. The blue of a summer sky. They had always been glacial and as he stared out to the setting sun, they reflected the fractured ice that was felt in his chest. It didn't matter, not really, that he found himself somewhere else once more. What did he have that ensured he was kept in one place? Elkshire was long since gone, some, dead — his mother included — and she had joined a fair few siblings.

The failure pummelled his chest. She had given him a task, and not long after, his first sibling had died. Under his watch. He had been tasked with watching over his siblings and he couldn't even —

Fuck you, he thought sharply. Fuck you, fuck fuck fuck you. 

Fuck the world that had never been kind. Never been fair. He was a sworn sword, a Prince Knight, without anything to pin to his chest in pride. What good was he, a born Prince who had always leaned more towards being a Knight, when he had nothing to believe in anymore? No one to believe in? It was better that way, he supposed, as who the fuck would even compare?

Who could convince him anything else was worth it? Selwyn watched the sunset, the colours in the sky dancing with warmth and beauty, but his eyes remained cold.

In the back of his mind, though, he couldn't help but whisper of its beauty.

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Nagito had not wandered far from where their King @Ælfrǣd resided. Loyalty was still a farce for the former kitsune, gluing themself to this fascinating wolf for no reason aside from their own gain. And perhaps a smidgeon of actual interest - he had fed them, accepted them when they doubted many others in his place would. So, even if they had no plans in the long run, the silver creature supposed he deserved at least their help in establishing himself.

A debt owed.

That was all. 

That was what they kept telling themself, anyway.

It was easier to deny the affection with some distance between them.

But how could they be of assistance to him without making bold moves here and there? The sting of betrayal still felt like a blade in their chest, death creeping in like a cold front. This form now was more fragile than their last, a whisper away from their next life, and approaching a wolf was not a wise decision. However, it seemed this place housed more intelligent canines than they were accustomed to, and perhaps this one would greet them with words over fangs.

"Lovely, isn't it?" they inquired as they approached the male, a wide berth given, circling him with interested eyes of ash. This place was strikingly beautiful, in spite of its many pitfalls, and Nagito had begun to appreciate it over time.

Was this man new in these lands? From the distance they were at, they could not scent him. There was no telling if he had woken here recently or lived here all of his life.

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Disturbed. Of course he would be, and by something that had Selwyn's mind venturing to the past. A double whammy if there ever were one. A creature, but that pale coat, the very thing that he had been warned away from. That they all had been. The pale fur would have been frowned upon by Celnes, by Elkshire's customs.

Selwyn glanced down from the sunset and towards the approaching creature, words upon their tongue that had Selwyn wishing only silence had kept him company. His teachings almost always won out, and despite the way with particular teachings he should turn away from the pale of coat, Selwyn stayed true to himself, and dipped his head in greeting.

"Indeed, ser," Selwyn replied back evenly, no smile gracing his features as he returned his attention back to the sunset. "May I help you, ser?" The Deorwine asked, an ear twitching to listen. If they needed aid, then Selwyn was likely to give it if only out of feeling of duty, but if they needed more — Selwyn wasn't so sure he had anything to give.

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Polite, wasn't he? Nagito had been gifted with another wolf that greeted them in a way that did not involve teeth against their throat. Still, the words felt like an arm holding them at a distance, and there was no hint of friendliness upon the wolf's face. Nothing to show that they were welcome, but no outright rejection, either. 

"Only if you are willing to provide company," the kitsune said in turn, turning their attention from the man to the sky. "I can't think of anything else off the top of my head." 

A conversation would do them both no harm, the fox figured. 

Would it?

Ashen eyes flickered back to the wolf, head tilting curiously. "If you take no offense to sharing company with a fox, that is," they said, testing the waters. Because the man had not told them to leave immediately, but that did not mean he would be amenable to their continued presence. 

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