[ P ] Popular Monster

Perth, while not my usual choice, was still a great hunting ground. The Fae Forest was generally where I roamed, but today I wanted - or needed - a change of scenery and scent alike. So when I entered Perth, I inhaled deeply, committing all the new smells to memory to internally describe this as the Perth Forest. The faintest, smallest of grins flashed along my lips quickly, before my expression returned to its usual drone-like appearance.

Large, wide paws took to the sod of the forest as my bearish figure lumbered slowly, quietly through the coniferous area. I hadn’t come to hunt this day, merely scout it out. So I took my time, sniffing this and that, taking mental notes of natural occurrences such as a downed log or rotting trees. A few rabbit dens were even spotted, but I didn’t approach them. Hunting was all about patience, and that I had worked on since my younger days.

I was briefly distracted by a rather familiar perfume dancing along the wind’s carry, the twist of an ebony ear to show for it. But I didn’t stop, my mind was too busy whirring about these personally uncharted hunting grounds.

For Nora

The last few weeks had been a whirlwind for Nora and so that was perhaps why she found herself all the way in Perth today; deciding to take a break from it all. She'd left the girls with Cory, not wanting to saddle Anteros with such responsibility so soon after just getting together. It was a big adjustment for everyone, especially the girls... and sometimes she wondered if she'd done the right thing by taking them back.

Surely they were better off with their mother, right?

Except... she didn't know how to be a mother. Nora's ears splayed atop her head as she sighed and walked through the forest surrounding the towns of Perth. It was then that a scent washed over her and she blinked. "Black?" she said aloud before changing direction and following her sisters scent. She found her in the thick of the forest, alone, and smiled. "Black!" she exclaimed. She hadn't seen her sister yet since returning and almost feared the worst but here she was, safe and sound. Oh... and she had so much to be filled in on if Caspian or Cory hadn't seen to it first.

"Where have you been? Are you alright?" she asked as she approached the darkest of the Seafarer siblings.

My mind was like an abyss which matched my coat. Flowing and dark, no signs of light, no signs of emotional charge. Just lost. A stirring did occur, the echoing of someone calling my name. The first time barely registered, the second caught my attention, and then when she asked where I had been and if I was alright, I stopped my aimless walk and observed Nora. She was smaller than myself, her coat a gorgeous navy hue, like the darkest twinge of night under the pale light of the moon. But the way she approached me didn’t seem to give way to her being upset with me. But, weren’t they all upset with me? My head raised and I regarded my smaller sister, then tried to smile. It didn’t work.
"Nora, I—"
I thought about her questions. I hadn’t exactly run away or hidden away, but I didn’t make myself known either. So, what were the answers? Truth be told, she was one of the last possible wolves I thought I would run into, so I was surprised and yet, unfazed.
"I’m alright. How are you? Are you okay?"
Seaglass eyes looked her over, but I didn’t see anything to worry about.

This was the part I wasn’t good at. This was why Caspian was so upset with me. My entire lack of ability to register, process, and reciprocate the appropriate emotion in correspondence with the time was infuriating. If only he knew how it felt to be on the other end. Not that being on his end was easy either.

I noticed in my whirring mind moment then that my eyes had lowered, so I relocated my eyes back on Nora. This time, the forced smile worked a little better than last, able to form a grin.

It would seem to take a moment for her sister to find her voice and with it, Nora smiled warmly, glad to hear that Black was at least alright. Her tail swayed behind her when asked how she was faring and she had to wonder... how much had Black heard about what had happened? It had been so long since she'd seen her darker sister that she'd begun to think she'd gone the way of their parents but now, seeing her here, she knew that was not true.

"I'm... better now." she said with a sigh. Drawing in a breath, she sat down and wrapped her tail around her small paws. "It's been a long time, how much have you heard from Caspian and Cory? Anything?" she asked curiously.

She didn't even know where to begin with her story or if Black had already heard it all so she didn't start just yet, she would wait until her sister told her what she already knew before boring her with the details.