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 Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 9:08 pm
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At first, Cold Air hadn’t been sure what to think of Willows-Breath. She was unlike any other female he’d ever come across, let alone kin in general. He never saw her in the same place twice, and when their paths did cross during his wanderings, it was never for very long. He found himself deeply interested in her artistry and how she painted such intricate images on stones, and perhaps it was this interest that inevitably bloomed into something more. The next time he saw the mare, it was only to discover that she was expecting.
It was quite the surprise for the aloof buck - not because he regretted their intimate involvement, but rather due to the fact that he had never been particularly attached or anchored to anything emotionally. Now he would become a father and have offspring with his blood running through their veins, and yet…he could still feel nothing from it. This was a problem he sincerely hoped to correct, be it on his own or with the guidance of someone who could help him. And so he journeyed to nowhere in particular, searching for someone who might have had an answer.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 7:57 am
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There was a young feeling in his bones as he chuckled at a pair of lion cubs playing in a refreshing stream. Not for the first time, he realized there was something missing from his soul--caiman were not welcome in play and while he was welcome as a stag, a strangeness had begun to well up within him. A middle ground was needed and he knew what... Still, it eluded him. That rightness which would bring both his identities into peace. Ah but today was not time for melancholy thoughts.
It flared up, quite suddenly, the promise of a distraction. That familiar itch below his skin that brought his attention in the direction of a flash of light blue on the other side of the stream's edge. A smile twitched at his toothy mouth and he began to make his way over. There might have been a brief moment where he nudged the lion cubs into the water, chuckling at their soaked appearance as they tried to pounce his tail, but he was allowed. Play was very important in life.
Ahem but he was needed, "You seem to be in need of some help or advice," he called as he came to stand beside the buck. He smiled, kind, "Perhaps I might be of some assistance?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:48 pm
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Perhaps it was because he had spent time in Willows-Breath’s company and was used to the energy those of higher power exuded, but either way Cold Air had sensed the presence of another just before he revealed himself. The buck looked at the stag through pale eyes and then, after a moment of careful thought, replied to his query.
“I will soon become a father.” There was no need to sugarcoat or beat around the bush, which was why he was so blunt and straightforward. “However, I feel nothing from it. No attachment, no affection.” He was aware how callous and unfeeling he may have sounded, but it was the honest truth. “I do wish health and happiness for them, certainly. As most fathers would. But aside from that, there is little else."
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 8:03 pm
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"May I ask, why do you measure your emotions by others?" the question came, brows pulling downward in concern. "If the willow bends easily in the wind's breeze, does that mean so, too, should the oak? The caiman protects its children with all the ferocity of a lion, but you don't see caiman playing like lions. Does that mean its love is less?"
He let the questions hang, watching the buck's face. It seemed to him that Cold Air had spent a long time thinking himself different and yet he measured himself against the same sapling instead of another. There wasn't much reason, he had discovered as he grew, in using others as mirrors of what one's self should be. In fact he had yet to meet a kin where it had gone well.
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Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 6:54 am
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This, Cold Air quickly realized, was why he had sought out guidance in the first place. There were elements to the matter in which he had not ultimately considered; they were put into perspective so easily that he almost felt ashamed for not having thought of them himself. It had just made sense to him at the time, how he would feel nothing for his offspring, just as he’d felt nothing most of his life in regards to other kin.
“Then I must reevaluate myself,” he said, staring ahead into the Wise One’s glowing eyes. “And change my outlook as well.” He didn’t know what would happen once Willows-Breath gave birth, or how it would affect him (especially now) but, at the very least, he was learning an important lesson.
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 1:01 pm
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