New places, new faces

Open to all Duskguard kids, set during Elysium's visit! @Tiberii @Dalmatia @Euphemia @Aurelia @Eileithyia @Archon

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He felt vaguely uncomfortable.

It seemed really, really, really important to Mama that he and the others remain on their best behavior, but Alder didn't exactly know what that meant. Given Violet's abrasive nature, Sreda's tastes for the macabre, and Dimitri's general anxiety coupled with religious outbursts, that really only left himself and Narcissa to leave any positive impressions.

Which meant, in reality, it was just Cissa left to carry the Callosums.

He felt awkward enough at home with family. Alder endured more teasing and sidelong glances than most pups his age over his coloring, being the odd one out - he didn't look like he belonged with them at all.

It probably seemed even more starkly contrasting to a nice, normal, very monochrome-hued family like the Duskguard clan.

Alder set off on his own with his thoughts. He liked wandering by himself, smelling fresh scents and looking for new, interesting places to explore - Frostfang Vale was an excellent opportunity for that, at least. He'd found himself sat next to a stream, now, dipping his paws into the frigid waters, idly tapping at interesting-looking pebbles that rolled along the bottom.

He wondered what it was like to have a dad. Tiberius was big and imposing, riddled with scars and possessing a voice like thunder, but he seemed... nice.

Fleetingly, he thought of a world where he had a father in Amaranth's place instead.

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^^It was funny, wasn’t it, that Duskguard and Elysium weren’t related but they looked like they coulda been. Olive and Valeska looked more like sisters than Valeska and her actual sister did, and the only differences in the actual children was that Valeska’s held more goldens, whereas his own sisters held more blacks.

Two different families, but had many similarities, including boys of opposing colors. Archon and Alder were the only ones that held any color to them and therefore stood out. Granted, yeah, Alder stood out more, but brown and red were on the same side of the color wheel.

In fact, it wasn’t until Alder and Co had come to visit them, that Archon was made aware of how different he looked from his family. So when he spotted Alder by himself, Archon couldn’t help himself, and quickly followed with a gentle hum about his lips.

He found the younger boy by the water, his front paws in, and Archon considered pushing him in for a brief moment. Instead, he sat nearby.

“Hiya. I’m Archon.”

^^
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Euphemia bounded after to find the red man. His color was like the morning, a brightness she never seen before and only by the inches of others eyes. There was some flowers that held color, but nothing like that before ; he was the sun itself. She didn't know what fire was and had nothing to compare to, only looked at him with such an adoration and the wanting to know more about this stranger. He was a child too! And from elsewhere! Why couldn't she go elsewhere too?

Though Archon found him first, and so the young shakti bounded next with a "hi! I'm Euphemia!"

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He half-fell in the water with a small splish!, Archon's sudden announcement catching him by surprise. Shaking the droplets from his forepaws and looking more than a little disgruntled, the boy turned to open his mouth accusingly, before realizing this was one of the Duskguard kids.

Well... sort of.

Archon didn't really look like any of the other Tiberius-Olive children, being a great deal older and darker and decidedly rustic in coloring, but perhaps it was because of this oddity that Alder decided he wasn't mad about the spook.

“Uh, hi, I'm Al-”

A smaller, sprightlier wolf pup bounded in behind the lad, every bit the picture of sparkly, well-meaning sociability. She was one of the twins - the less serious-looking twin, which he was grateful for. Aurelia looked... prickly.

“-der,” he finished awkwardly as the little she-wolf finished introducing herself. They seemed nice enough, even though they had a dad instead of two moms.

He wondered if that made any difference in how they were raised.

“So, um...” he searched for something interesting to say, realizing the pair had been watching him expectantly. “Your home is nice. It's kinda cold, though. Do you get deer too? And rabbits? Or do you have new animals here? I'm almost old enough to start hunting. It looks fun, but my Mama says it'll be hard for me not to stand out in the uh, shrubbery.”

He swallowed nervously, feeling like an idiot for rambling.

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^^Archon hadn’t meant to spook, and immediately winced when the younger boy fell into the water. The ice, cold water that he probably wasn’t used to. The bard smiled awkwardly, recalling the other Elysium boy he’d met near the water and wondered how he was fairing.

A sister came to join him; a less serious sister - the only real way for Archon to tell the difference between the two - and Archon smiled over at her. “Heya, sissie.” Archon greeted her with a nuzzle, turning back towards Alder with a wag of his tail.

This wasn’t his first time meeting other wolves from other packs, but it was the first time that he knew their pack had visitors. Did Elysium visit other packs? Was visiting other packs normal? He supposed he’d ask his Ma about it later.

“We have a deer,” Archon said, but he hadn’t meant we as the pack, but we as a family - viewing Elysium as an extension of his family. “His name’s Hawking. He’s actually related to Elysium, in some way. Said he had brothers and sisters, and some cousins. Are you his sibling, or his cousin?” Archon smiled softly, tilting his head.

“Aside from that, we’ve got two tigers. My uncle Kuhn,” or was it step-dad? “and a young one named Arcane. If your Ma allows, you could come up here for hunting lessons, or I could go down there? I also stand out, so you wouldn’t be alone in that retrospect.”

^^
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Euphemia gave Archon a silly grin while accepting the nuzzle before looking back at Alder. A sparkling of eyes upon gazing him, he seemed a bit.. Timid! Like Dalmatia, she thought. Reminded her greatly like the sister but they were a male — she didn't have any brothers that were from the same litter, they had Archon who was older and more responsible. She gave him a quick glance that resulted into sticking her tongue out, because he had to be responsible then to properly play and let them get away with stuff. 

"Hey! Why are you so pretty?" Every question? Ignored. Euphemia wanted to know why he looked dazzling, a striking color that actually had her scoot closer to him in a very uncomfortable distance. She would dare say they would touch noses if she could get any closer. Every moment Alder and Archon talked she just somewhat scooted herself closer.. And closer, "hey! Your eyes are like mine too!"

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Archon was very informative, he found. The boy listened intently, eyes growing wide with curiosity as he was told about the deer they were apparently - related to. His ears twitched, sitting down in the frosted grass with a strange expression, remembering vaguely how his Aunt Harper had mentioned a Hawking as well.

So his older cousin was a deer?

“I'm uh, a cousin,” Alder said, faltering a little as the words jumbled in his brain. He supposed it shouldn't have been too weird, being young and impressionable and the fact that Hawking had been mentioned before, but the surreal reality of someone else bringing it up hit home.

He was related to a deer.

He liked deer.

Deer was delicious.

Blinking away the thought as best he could, the crimson pup nodded along to Archon's further offerings of information describing the two - two whole tigers they housed within their ranks. Alder could faintly recall glimpsing this Kuhn-tiger from a distance, fear prickling down his spine as he realized just how big he was compared to a wolf; cats were just made... different. The way they moved in utter silence, slinking past without being seen nor heard, muscles rippling heavily beneath their short fur with canines longer than his own paw...

But he had been fiery-red, just like Alder, and he couldn't mask the fascination he felt.

“Yeah! I'd love to, that sounds awesome,” he replied, perking up visibly at the suggestion. “Mama says I can start coming along on hunts soon, so I'd like the practice.”

Suddenly, he flinched.

How long had Euphemia been there?!

Somehow the girl had managed to wedge herself in right underneath his face - Alder was tall even for his age, being easily a head or more over her - and he had only noticed when he felt the faint tickling of her nose brushing against his chin-fur.

He looked down, eyes crossing with the effort.

"Я - ты сказал, что я красивая?" — I'm - you said I'm pretty? the boy stammered in Mama's preferred language, turning red beneath his already-crimson pelt.

This was new.

“Well gosh, thanks, I -” Euphemia burst out again, interrupting him (probably for the best since he didn't know what the hell to say anyway) with a compliment over his eyes.

“Yours are nice too,” he finally managed, stumbling backwards just a bit. “Sorry, I'm not uh - used to this - my sister says I'm ugly like, all the time, so -”

Alder realized he was talking too much.

“Um. So. You're a... twin? I saw you have a sibling what looks just like you. How's that feel?”

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^^Archon supposed their Ma’s would also love the idea of them spending more time together. The idea of pack relations, and their children makin’ friends with each other, an’ what not. “You can always watch me hunt until you’re ready, or I’m sure our Ma’s won’t mind if I supervise your hunts, or something.. ” Archon offered with the wag of his tail.

And then his sister went and called him pretty, which he totally was, and Alder spoke things that were not English. His head tilted. He had never heard another language being spoken before and wondered if it was a Zombie summons.

Though, Alder didn’t know Archon was a Hunter, and had no reasons to summon a Zombie, at least, not yet.

“Woah, w-what was that? ” He loved watching Alder become truly red, though, smirking as the two were falling in love.

So that’s what that looked like.

It was going nicely, until Alder spoke of his sister. “Maybe she doesn’t know the meaning of the word,.. ” Archon grunted, trying to ignore the big brother feeling in his throat; the feeling of wanting to take Alder from Elysium forever.

His ears lowered. His hackles rose. He was so used to being a big brother to his sisters, that he felt protective over the little flame, too.

He said nothing for now, though, not wanting to interrupt his sister on her thought of being a twin, because he was curious, too.

What did that feel like?

^^
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"My sisters and I sometimes hunt! Though, alone.. With mice!" Her tail wagged lightly as she said so, though had yet to actually do a proper hunt much less join the adults. There was a few times the youngs were able to kill a mouse, but it was a rarity to successfully prowl and nab. They were all within playing to mimic the adults in their ways, but she was very much looking forward to the day they would be brought out! Every day she was growing more impatient, because she really wanted to see what was outside the vale.. "hey, I want to join too!" and she would pout at Archon. Have to take her as well!

Though she would turn to Alder, tilting her head in confusion "why do they think you are ugly? They're probably just teasing!" She couldn't imagine anyone actually insulting their siblings. Her own littermates got along quite well that they often were together and going on adventures together ; it was difficult to grasp that not all families were of that similar harmony and actually would fully insult, with true intent. So surely it was just a jest or something, though a mean one! Euphemia couldn't imagine calling anyone ugly, especially her sisters ; one in particular would end up crying. She didn't want to hurt her family.

"Nothing much! It's was fun when no one could tell us apart though. Only our eyes are different. But I love my sister!" It felt like a bond only they shared. To cater to similar looks, it was something that neither the parents or the other siblings would be able to understand. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but it was like a half that she could not imagine being without.

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He regarded Archon with a curious eye, wondering what tumultuous thoughts stirred within that great, dark head. Although not yet an adult, he was by no means a child either, and even if Alder happened to be quite sizable for his age, he still had to look up at the adolescent.

The young wolf seemed very protective too, and got a rather vicious glint in his eyes after Alder spoke of his sister's less than favorable reaction.

The boy shrugged. It was deserved. Violet was mean and if she got wrecked one day, it was her own fault.

“It would be wicked if you could give me some pointers,” he said with some enthusiasm, envisioning what a master hunter he would one day become (with practice). Archon was old enough to have a pretty good head start on such things, and would no doubt be able to impart tons of useful tips and tricks.

At the sound of his Mama's mother tongue, however, Archon recoiled, looking flustered.

“Oh, it - that was Russian. Mama's native language. She said it was important for us kids to learn it, because it's our hair-it-edge. Heritage,” he amended bashfully, shooting a glance toward Euphemia lest she think him ignorant.

She didn't seem to mind or even notice it, mercifully. The little sprite bounced up and told of how she and her sister hunted mice already - he wondered at their success rate, because those little things were quick - and he liked that they were already practicing their skills. Truth be told, they weren't too far behind the Elysium children in age now either, and it wouldn't be long before perhaps they could all embark on a group hunt together.

"Why do they think you are ugly? They're probably just teasing!"

Alder felt his ears flatten reflexively, tail slinking in between his legs. Wherever it stemmed from - maliciousness, awkward humor, or teasing - he didn't like any of it.

Teasing, especially, was quickly becoming one of his least-favored words, symbolizing feelings of discomfort and unworthiness, carefully tucked behind the universal security blanket called a 'joke'.

“It's... not... it's the way she says it,” he replied quietly, wishing dearly to change the subject. Thankfully Euphemia was quick to leap to the next topic, overjoyed to be able to discuss the merits of Twinned Living.

He looked on in wonderment, curious how it was possible for a wolf - or any creature - to be duplicated so perfectly that they were impossible to tell apart. How did that happen? Was it a mistake, an accidental recreation of a being already formed in the womb, or was there a more scientific reasoning behind it?

“I can't imagine what that's like,” Alder said, perking up visibly. It would be nice to blend in, he thought - even if it was only with one other person. “Um... you also have a dad, too, I noticed. Is that... also different?”

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^^It had never occurred to Archon that he would, one day, form friendships with other wolves, or other creatures outside of Hawking. Yet, here he was, forming a-something with Alder, as he offered to teach him to hunt, or in the very least, to supervise his hunts — despite that he didn’t really know anything about hunting.

His sister chimed in, and Archon grinned; of course she wanted to join! But he wasn’t sure how his folks would feel about it. “So long as we just watch from a safe distance, and so long as we aren’t hunting boars.” Archon added in the last bit with a lowered gaze.

“That’s something really mean to say, even if they were just teasing.. ” Archon grumbled lowly, though he would grin as his sister announced her love for her twin.

“I’d love to give you some pointers, though I’m not much of a hunter myself,” and especially not after what happened with the boars. His hackles lifted briefly for a moment as he thought about them.

“Russian’s cool. Hawking knows it, but I don’t think he practices often. ” Archon smiled softly, wondering if his folks knew other languages. Though he would tilt his head, thinking about Tiberius for a few moments.

For a long time, he had only ever had Olive. He was still getting used to Tiberius. His eyes lingered on his sister. She knew them as equals, and while it might have been obvious that he wasn’t one of them, Archon didn’t really want to bring it to attention that he wasn’t blood related.

^^
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