all the kings horses

@Tetsujin

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Genevieve had been full of dreams when she had been but a girl, even now she was just over the cusp of adulthood yet it rang true nonetheless. As a girl, her imagination had been vast and vibrant. Yet... for all that her brain could conjure, it hadn't prepared her for this. She wasn't even sure of what it even was yet it was her reality or so she supposed. Genevieve had tried to cause some physical pain to her being to determine whether she was in the dreamscape or whether it was real life; hearing that you couldn't get hurt in your dreams. The sting had been immense and upon her leg dribbled blood, staining the crisp whiteness of her fur.

So it was her reality yet she couldn't understand how.

The last she remembered was drawing her new Husband with her to seek her elusive best-friend after realising he had disappeared. It was unlike him to go off and not take her, or even tell her, for that matter, where he was off to. After waiting a day or two for him to return and the space remaining empty, Genevieve had made the declaration that she would go searching for him and his bride. Confident that her best-friend would not up and leave her for no good reason, she had left with her husband in tow.

She had been quite put out after learning of his disappearance. It was quite rude of him, really, and she was going to ensure that he knew that, too! Yet her husband was nowhere to be found, his scent completely gone and she stood in a world she had never seen, let alone remembering venturing to. Her own blood invaded her senses and she cast her dandelion yellow gaze down to her leg and from her mouth suffered a sigh. Nothing was quite going right, she thought in some brief amusement. It was typical, of course, that somehow it would go so wrong! Rosie bent down with her rump in the air and her injured leg stretched forward as she drew her tongue along the trail of blood, all the way up to the cut and in her mouth her tongue slithered. Almost immediately a fresh trail of blood welled at the wound-site and trailed back down, causing her to quirk her lips and roll her eyes.

"Must you?" she inquired to her body before she shook her head gently and stood back up, casting her vibrant gaze around as she tried to think of her next course of action. Not only was she out a best-friend and his bride, she was out her new husband. It wasn't something that necessarily phased her, given her independence and her ability to adapt but it was certainly off-putting. Though she held a backbone of iron, ever since her attack... Genevieve felt strange when she was alone.

Vulnerable, open. It was all well and good her mastering the art of poisons and cunning vengeance but it would do her no good against a direct attack. She rolled her shoulders and lifted her chin, casting her wayward thoughts from her mind. That would not happen here, it wouldn't - it couldn't. Walking forward, Genevieve decided on her master plan. Grow to know her surroundings, fine a place to sleep with the approaching sunset and in the morning... well, she would begin to find out just where she had ended up. ^^

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^^He was trying not to just limit her and hover. He knew that she'd been sheltered considerably, and while he wouldn't say he didn't get it - he had watched over Giselle and Blair a considerable amount after all - he didn't want her to feel like he was smothering her. So he'd set out on his own for a bit, staying in the grove they'd taken to, close enough he was only a call away. He was still investigating the thick floral blanket spread across the grounds, eager to find a certain type of color for Elowyn. He didn't need to woo her as they were already married but he thought it was a nice gesture...

But the evening was coming quickly, and he had to cut his frolic short and needed to make his way back to Elowyn. He paused just long enough to scratch his shoulder on a nearby tree, moving like spilled ink. He froze in his tracks as the metallic scent of blood hit him. It was clearly wolf blood, female - and then his nose started to twitch in earnest. It couldn't be. He let out a little yip almost like a puppy might - excited, tail thrashing behind him in a wide pattern. “Ginny?!” He called it out without a thought at all.

If - if this really was her scent, then maybe that meant that their family could be reunited. Maybe it would all happen and be what they needed. He couldn't smell Elowyn this close, but with all of the floral scents made it so hard for him to pick things out.^^

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Genevieve had not been moving for long before a name only one other called her was echoing through the air. Her paw hovered to take it's next step, freezing in the moment as her dandelion gaze quickly scanned the area. Whatever God may exist within this realm, they certainly must have been feeling kind, Genevieve thought. Through the scent of her own blood, Genevieve sought out the owner of the voice -- one she was certain that she knew, had known since she had been but a girl, but one had to make sure. "Tetsujin?" she called out, cautious but hopeful. Gently she planted her hovering paw to the ground, scanning for the dark knight.

Ahead, she saw him, in all his black and silver glory, his rump shaking with the force of his tail. Genevieve let out a chiming laugh as she surged forward, ignoring the slicing pain in her leg as she carried herself towards her best-friend. Some may think the word so childish, for only wee babes had best friends but for Genevieve, it rang true. He was like an extension of her, a part of her soul and her home. "You fool!" she crowed as she drew closer to him, unable to slow -- perhaps her choice, we'd never know -- as she barreled into him with every force that she could in her lean body. Whether or not he would find a way to stop before she collided with him, that would be decided, but either way, Genevieve's laughter rang out easily and softly on the wind. ^^

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^^Her voice rang out to confirm what his nose had found and if he'd had the strength his tail might had lifted him off the ground with how fast it was twirling behind him. He was quick to make his way to her, moving through the thicket with a confident sort of gait until he saw the redhead barreling towards him. He knew what she was going to do. He didn't need to think or reconsider, he braced himself in time for impact as she launched into him full force. Thankfully his bulk kept them mostly upright, but it didn't stop him from nuzzling against her and tugging at her fur - catching a bit of her scruff, even her cheek, and then her ear. Just like a puppy might.

He didn't know - he might never see his littermates again after all, and Ginny was as close as he'd get. “Me??” He said incredulously. “You fool!” He grinned at her once they'd parted and he got a good luck at her, frowning at the wound on her leg. “What did you do?” Then the thought hit him - where was Roderick? What had the man let happen to her? “Where's Rod?” He asked curiously. There was no way that one would go without the other. He hadn't known Roderick that long, but he'd gotten the distinct impression that the man was like-minded in that he wouldn't willingly let his bride come to harm.^^

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He was used to her antics. Of course he was, he knew her better than perhaps anyone and he knew to brace himself in time for her attack. Their bodies only slightly stumbled as they collided, Tet managing to keep them standing from his quick thinking and upon her he graced multiple different actions and Genevieve was quick to return them. She tugged on his ear with a nip, moving to deliver an excited lick to just below his eye on his cheek bone -- her usual spot for affection. "Not a chance!" Genevieve crowed in amusement, wrinkling her nose at him returning her sentiments and calling her the fool. He's the one that vanished and she was the fool?! Please!

The man stepped back and Genevieve smiled warmly and vibrantly at him before she noted the frown that tugged at his brows and lips, her grin turning sheepish at his question. "I was quite confused, as you can imagine, how I was once one place and then, another! Do you remember when we were told as wee babes that in your dream you cannot be hurt?" she hedged, tilting her head as she wondered if he would get where she was coming from. She'd need to clean the bleeding wound at some point, but more important things were afoot! At his question of her husband, Genevieve's ears wilted only slightly, "I am not sure. When I have noticed you vanished -- thank you for that, by the way -- and there was no sign of you returning, I declared that I would set out and find you!" She huffed at him, leaning forward to nip at his nose, scolding him.

"I was with him, of course and then suddenly... I was here," or that's what she thought, anyway. It was all a bit... uncertain in her mind. She could remember properly on setting out after Tet and his bride but between then and now... it was all quite foggy. "Say, did the same happen to you, Tet?" Gen inquired as she sniffed at him, settling into the mother-hen mode she always harnessed, making sure that unlike her, no blood nor wounds coated his body. Alongside his own scent, she could smell Elowyn and instantly, she breathed a sigh of relief to know that they had not been split up like she and her husband. ^^

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^^His laughed was loud and free, boisterous in a way he hadn't been in days. It wasn't that @Elowyn wasn't good company. Mostly, he'd felt on edge at the sheer unknown. New lands, new bride, no pack, no friends, no family. It would be enough to make anyone uncomfortable. For Tetsujin it had been enough to keep him colder and guarded. With Genevieve here it gave him a bit of hope. When she began to explain herself his head tilted a bit, a look that could be called unimpressed on his face. “Really, Gin?” He huffed at her. Biting herself! She went on and even nipped his nose!

The dark male rubbed his nose with one leg, rolling his eyes before she came to the conclusion that was more accurate. “Yeah we fell asleep next to this pretty lake. The moon was so bright in it, it was damn near glowing! Then when we woke up we were in this nasty cavern, all these mushrooms and just...musty in there.” It was somewhat relieving and then at the same time, just as alarming. If more people had suffered then what was to stop it happening from Blair, or even his mother? And then Roderick wasn't with her? He scowled for a moment, looking quizzical.

“I don't have any answers - but yeah, Wyn's here, and she's okay. We've been just....looking for some place that we can stay that might be more secure. We're not giving up on the whole parental wishes - Windmere, I think it'll be good, but it's different if we're entirely alone.” Tetsujin didn't like that idea really. Not when there was no one else. How intimidating had it been when the Sentinels had first been formed? Ideas of how they'd established themselves seemed overwhelming when it was just the two of them. “We'll look together, yeah?” He didn't expect her to say no, I'm going alone but still. His silvery eyes were hopeful as they were cast upon her face.
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He was unimpressed with her methods, his face and exclamation said it all. "Well! How else was I to make sure, Tet?" She questioned, indignant. Honestly! She had held very little options for figuring out what had happened to her and even her resolution hadn't offered many answers at all aside from just one. Even then, it hadn't given her answers of the how and why, had it? She had arrived here alone, thank you very much, she had to do something!

She could not help but glance at him, her lips tilting in amusement as he spoke of where they had woken. "Musty!" she mused, "not quite the standards you are used to, Princess," Genevieve cooed as she bumped her nose to his, brushing her chin alongside his muzzle before she pulled back. The red and white wolf was certainly relieved to hear that their time had not held danger nor torment; it was relatively mundane. As mundane as something could be given the nature of the situation, anyway.

The man scowled, clearly not entirely happy at the whole ordeal. Despite Genevieve not looking as gloom as he did, she had to admit that she wasn't entirely delighted that her life had been uprooted. She blamed him, really, because of course she had to come after him! And then end up in the same strange land as he. At least they were not back together, she thought, there was always a silver lining! Her ears swivelled forward when he divulged that he and Elowyn were looking to continue on the wishes of their parents; remaining together and creating Windmere. She wasn't entirely surprised yet not entirely expecting it, either. 

Genevieve smiled softly at his question, his ghostly gaze hopeful that she would not decline in any manner. "Why, of course!" She stated, stepping to him and drawing her head beneath his neck, "you'll not get rid of me so easily," Gin reassured him with a playful tilt to her voice. "Until the end of line," she promised. He was her best-friend, her brother -- she'd not leave him now. Genevieve could only hope the others would follow, finding them as she had done. ^^

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How else? He had to laugh - it wasn't out of malice at all. “I mean, you could just check around, couldn't you? Try things you can only manage in dreams.” For a lot of wolves it might have seemed like a common thing to just try and make sure that they were awake but to actually bite themselves? That was too much. Drawing blood wasn't good. It opened you up to illnesses and wounds could make it harder to travel. Tetsujin had traveled too much on his own and thought that way too much.

“I know! And how could I keep my new bride there anyways? M'not sure how she feels about me. Not great I don't think.” Not yet. Maybe she'd liked - maybe even loved someone else. Maybe she just couldn't stand him overall....it was hard to figure out. It was all too new. “I know I wasn't....expecting marriage and all that but...” He shrugged, letting out a low sigh. “I thought I'd be better at it?” His voice was more hushed then, not wanting to just....broadcast it but at the same time, it wasn't like he couldn't just pretend he didn't think it. “But I know that we're both gonna try. Just because we're here and we don't know what's happened, we're not just......giving up and wandering apart.” Being alone in some strange land seemed far worse.

It was relieving that she would stay with them. It seemed the most natural thing to do - even without the idea of a pack behind them, he'd keep Genevieve safe. She was like his sister. He smiled when she assured him, leaning in to press his forehead against hers for a moment. “Good.” He murmured it against her fur before he pulled back, taking another good look at her leg to make sure that she wasn't hurt too badly. “C'mon. Lets go back to @Elowyn I think she might be happy to hear that it didn't happen to just us.”
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Elowyn had been looking for herbs and other plants in this area, other than all the lavender. It had been quite overwhelming. There were other plants too, some she didn’t know, others that were familiar. Then she heard the voices, it sounded like Anteon! She went to check. She trotted closer when she noticed that he was with a female. She lowered herself. Her step always quiet, luckily. When she glanced at them she saw the red female lick under Anteon’s eye, on his cheek. She froze at the sight.

Instantly she just wanted to run away. She didn’t want to look or find out what this was. She swallowed thickly. So what he had said had been… a lie? Had he been in love with this female? They looked really friendly, like they knew each other. She had been running into others from their world. Maybe she was also from their world? An old friend? Elowyn wasn’t sure if she liked Anteon’s attention to somewhere else. Then again, she hadn’t felt worthy of him, and perhaps this was then for the better.

However, it also troubled her. She was somewhat depended on him. She had a reputation, and couldn’t just run away from him. She wouldn’t know how to find her way home, how to really feed herself. She could hunt but she was very out of practice. Her mind was taking her far from the scene for a moment. Her eyes brought her back, when the female just nuzzled under his chin. Elowyn felt a lump in her throat. She turned on her heels and rushed away without making a sound. Her mind going in overdrive. Maybe he had decided she wasn’t worthy when he ran into this old friend of his. Hadn’t he said something about a best friend??

Elowyn didn’t know what to do with herself. In her panic she almost wanted to cry, but that Anteon would notice she was sure. She had run back to the place where they had settled down for the nights. She felt upset and didn’t know what to focus on. She tried to calm herself down. Maybe she was overreacting…. But no, she clearly saw the affection. She didn’t know what to do when mates would… stray. Her ears caught incoming voices. Oh no. The girl’s ears fell against her skull. Anteon’s voice. He sounded so happy, and she just wanted to cry. Had she already failed?
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She sniffed in faux annoyance, lifting her paw in an act of offense, "given the circumstances, I think I acted accordingly!" Genevieve grinned cheekily at him, brandishing her tail to the sky with one wag, then two, then a flick as it curled around her haunches. My, he was already filled with attitude and it had been all of five minutes! Oh, how she had missed their play. Still, in hindsight, she could see how her actions had been thought of... strangely. 

The Rose offered a gentle laugh as she leaned to nudge his chin with her nose, "about you? come now, Tet! Everyone thinks greatly of you, if you recall my difficult father," she sung, arching a brow as she wondered just how accurate he was of @Elowyn's thoughts of him. Surely they could not be terrible? He was rather annoying, she thought wickedly, but Genevieve knew he would treat his wife with respect and affection.

"It will work out, Tetsujin. One is never prepared for marriage in reality! It is different than being taught about it in words," she reasoned to him softly, giving him a tsk! when he spoke of being better at it. "The fact that you are worrying about it shows the kind of man you are," The Rose murmured to him, offering him a warm smile as she suffered back a sigh. It was not something that she could do for him or fix -- no matter how much she wished to but she had the confidence in the pair to become something great.

She breathed softly as their foreheads touched, the feeling of being home surrounding her as she settled back into the comfort of the man she thought of as her brother and her saviour all in one. His presence always brought her comfort and the Rose was so terribly happy to be renited with him. Genevieve had been so wrapped up in Tetsujin that she had not seen the wisp of anothers presence, only pulling back once the female had taken her leave. Genevieve nodded with a soft smile, "it is good to know that one is not alone," she murmured, intending to care for her leg once they had settled.
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smol ending if you wanted to close it here!
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^^Completely unaware that Elowyn was watching them Tetsujin just grinned at her behavior. “He could be wrong too, you know.” Tetsujin rumbled after she'd pulled back, the little bump to his chin making him settle a bit. She was one of the few that he would let see him completely raw and open. She knew it too - like with his siblings, she had been with him for long enough that it was hard to think of himself without her. “But I always liked the challenge....I never know when to quit.” He'd never been one to give up, after all, and it was enough to make him want to push through.

“Come on then, come meet Elowyn.” The sooner they started moving, the better he felt, because of the possible women these were two of the most important in his life. His mother and his sisters wouldn't reasonably be there, after all, so there was less hope that he'd see any of them. It meant that he'd lean on Genevieve more, and with any luck, maybe he could find that sort of bond with Elowyn too. Gently he touched her temple to help guide her back towards where he had left Elowyn.

With both of them there, he would feel equal measures of relief and pressure. It meant there was more on his shoulders; doing the jobs where Roderick should have been there and capable. He could only imagine the panic that probably had overcome the other male and the worry that would eat at him. If his wife had suddenly been gone, he knew it would have concerned him. Even if she didn't like him. Even if she couldn't stand him. “This way, Lady of Roses.” It was a familiar tease but still it felt good at least getting one piece of his life back. It was enough to start to settle him.^^

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