1X1 with arvanien

[rubyrocketboots13]

Basil

~ Still sleeping, though she'll probably head back to Solodin after a little while~

Juniper

Being a Howler, shifting was obviously a natural thing to Juniper. He had never thought that it was unusual to see a person transform into some form of an animal. A Howler’s animal side was simply a part of who they were. Like most Howlers, Juniper was comfortable in either of his forms and he didn’t really favor one form over the other. Both had their advantages and disadvantages, though at the moment his hyena form was much more useful. In his Howler form, Juniper’s vision, hearing and sense of smell were obviously much sharper than a normal Quell or humans’- he wouldn’t have any trouble tracking down Celeste and Arion, even in the bustling underground city.

Juniper looked up at Kyran, his eyes sparkling amusedly. It was sweet to see how the nurse liked his fluffy little hyena form- most of the time Quell thought it was weird or were even afraid of him. Juniper looked like a small, fluffy puppy, but he did have a deadly bite and sharp claws. Though he would never attack anyone without a reason, some Quell were still a bit afraid of him. It was nice to have Quell like Celeste and Kyran who actually liked his shifting and weren't afraid of it.

The little hyena's tail wagged happily as he turned his attention back to finding Celeste's trail. His lifted his nose n the air, almost immediately catching her and Arion's scent. They went this way! Juniper dashed out of the room and through the hall (being sure that Kyran could keep up with him). His paws skidded on the slippery tile of the hospital, but he managed to make it to the hospital's entrance without accidentally bumping into any one. Since he couldn't push open the door, Juniper waited impatiently at the door ComeonComeonComeon! We gotta find Celeste! He thought as he pawed excitedly at the ground and gave a happy little bark. The idea of being with Celeste again made him practically glow with joy.


(( Do you want to bring back Endymion and Lyra? If not, that's fine with me lol I just don't know what to post for Basil and Hawthorne atm ^^;))

[arvanien]

Kyran

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Kyran's eyes sparkled with glee as he hurried after Juniper, dodging his coworkers and ripping his hospital mask off his face, exposing it for the first time. His white teeth shone happily against his warm brown skin as he pushed open one of the big double doors for Juniper, smiling adoringly down at him. The way the hyena barked and wagged his tail in such a cute manner made the nurse's heart melt.

Arion

Celeste

Arion made his way back to the couch carrying two bread bowls, his hands freshly bandaged. Celeste seemed more relaxed but still was thinking intently about finding Juniper. I wonder how I'll ever see him again. Chances are, I won't be able to for a while, She sighed inwardly, leaning on the arm of the couch as Arion sat down next to her. She accepted the bowl he offered her with a quiet smile. He'd made one of her favorites today, French onion soup with lots of gruyère cheese. "Thank you, Arion."

(Sure, that would be fun! It would be nice to do as we wait for the other characters to "catch up" lol)

[rubyrocketboots13]

Juniper

The little hyena’s tail was wagging so furiously with joy that his entire body seemed to shake a bit. As soon as Kyran had opened the doors for him, Juniper gave a bark in thanks and raced outside. Strange smells filled his nose, making him lose Celeste and Arion’s trail for a moment. He stuck his muzzle in the air, sniffing around. It took him only a moment to pick up their trail again. Juniper took off towards Celeste and Arion’s house, his heart swelling in his chest happily. He only skidded to a halt as he reached the cream-colored duplex. It smells strongly of them here- this must be the place! Juniper happily ran a circle around Kyran’s feet, giving a joyous bark. Impatiently, he waited for the nurse to knock on the door for him before he realized that he could do it himself. The young Howler shifted back into his human form before knocking. Part of him was slightly afraid that Arion would kick him out and forbid him from seeing Celeste, but Juniper didn’t care at this point. Nothing would stop him from being with his beloved Celeste.

Lyra

(Coolio ^^ Yeah! Lol I think it’ll be fun <3)

Lyra had been fitfully sleeping, unable to get much rest in the darkened healer's hut. As the mid-day sun rose in the sky, she finally gave up on trying to get any sleep. The alpha gave a soft sigh, looking out of the small window at the Howler village. From where she lay propped up on her cot, she could see Howlers going about their day and kids playing in the sand as if nothing had happened the night before. Lyra yearned to be outside with them, practicing with her glaive or going out to hunt with some of the warriors or literally anything but lay here. Part of her felt like a trapped animal as she lay in bed with her injured leg propped up. As Benjamin had mentioned the night before, the alpha loathed having to rest or sitting still for a long time. Besides, there were things that needed to be taken care of in the pack, like organizing the evening hunt.

Finally having enough of laying around, Lyra pushed herself up with her palms against the hard metal bars of the cot and very carefully shifted her feet to the ground. Even before she put pressure on her injured leg, the alpha grimaced and let out a string of curses. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t make it very far if she attempted to walk to her hut like this- she wasn’t even sure if she could stand at the moment. Lyra glanced around the healer’s hut for something that she could use as a sort of crutch. There was one of Gilly’s spears propped up agaisnt the wall. “I guess that’ll have to do…” Lyra muttered. Rather undignifiedly, she stretched as far as she could and reached over for it, but she still couldn’t reach it. “D*mn it” She cursed frustratedly.

[arvanien]

Arion

Celeste

Kyran

Kyran sprinted after Juniper, unexpectedly finding it very difficult to keep up with one small, fluffy, and very excited hyena puppy. He stumbled to a stop next to Juniper, panting, his pale blue hospital garb rumpled and slightly dirtied. Despite all that, the nurse looked like he was having the of his life. He looked up at Arion's and Celeste's modestly elegant duplex, beaming excitedly. "Whoa..." Kyran had come from a poorer family; he rarely went to or saw the finer neighborhood in Solodin. All these fine houses were quite a sight to him. He stood nervously by Juniper as the latter knocked, not really thrilled to see Arion again. Please, let this is the wrong half of the duplex, he found himself praying.

Celeste ate her lunch slowly, always liking to savor Arion's excellent cooking. She always loved the way he made bread bowls. The French onion soup warmed up her insides like it always did, but today it couldn't dispel the cold worry she had for Juniper. I absolutely have to get to him as soon as possible! But how? Arion wouldn't let me go out so soon after being hospitalized. And if he did, he'd want to accompany me like the precious darling he is. Celeste broke off a small piece of the bread bowl and nibbled on it absentmindedly. It's okay. I'll find a way, or Juniper will. The thought reassured her slightly, as she reached over to squeeze Arion's hand. "This tastes even better than usual," she smiled, trying to lift his spirits. Celeste was only rewarded with a silent nod from him and a gentle squeeze back. Not even a word. My god...his behavior is exactly like when he escaped from the Howler torture camp. What if he relapses and his mental health spirals back down again? she thought fearfully, tightening her grip on his hand. That was god-awful. It can't happen again.

Arion rested his head back, his eyes fixed bleakly on the ceiling. He was already envisioning going to the training center tonight or the next morning. Or he could just use his basement, which was just fine anyway. Perhaps then he could forget his remorse. He found himself picturing the weapons - swords of every kind, every type of knife, daggers of all sizes, polearms and glaives, axes, maces, spears, throwing stars, quarterstaffs, even some firearms... ...why am I thinking about this now?

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. Right now, the last thing Arion wanted was a visitor. Celeste looked up, startled, but Arion got up before she could. He took a quick peek out of the blinders, indignation coming to a boil within him as he saw that troublesome little puppy and his friend. Can't they just leave us alone for ____'s sake? Arion clenched his jaw angrily and swung open the door. "What do you want?" He snapped. Kyran involuntarily took a step back, startled.

Endymion

The dark haired Howler sat in his mother's treehouse, bent over the carcass of his prey. He'd shed his sturdy black trench coat; underneath he wore dark grey canvas pants and a simple navy blue shirt. He was busy skinning an animal he had just hunted - some sort of horned mammal that wasn't unlike a deer. He had decided to hunt earlier than he usually did. Endymion was just about done, so he left the neatly skinned carcass bereft of its head or feet for his mother to roast. He was sure she would do justice to it. Jumping nimbly to the ground, he decided to visit Lyra to see how she was doing because he was finished with his work. But then he hesitated. She wouldn't like it if he came in while she was trying to get some rest, would she? Endymion thought for a second, then walked to the healer's hut, quickly glancing in. She's awake. "Alpha? May I come in?" He called.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Juniper

Juniper waited anxiously for someone to open the door to the duplex. He was almost positive that this was the right one or at least they had been here recently. Quell houses still baffled him just a bit- he didn't understand why they needed such large homes. Surely, they couldn't use every room in their houses at once? Juniper was perfectly happy living in his quaint little hut or sometimes he would even just sleep on a nice patch of grass under the stars. Perhaps it was his Howler heritage, but he much preferred living in his hut compared to the Quell and human's fancy boxes. Though, Juniper had to admit that their houses were beautiful even if he didn't fancy living in one. He really liked Arion and Celeste's lovely duplex, though admiring their home was the last thing on his mind; finding Celeste was his first priority.

As Arion swung open the door, Juniper flinched slightly, but held his ground. His expression flickered with disappointment to see that Celeste hadn't been the one to open the door. Though, he wasn't sure why he had expected her to. Juniper squared his shoulders, looking up at Arion with barely a trace of fear. " I want to- no.. I need to see Celeste" He said firmly, but not threateningly, " Please, I have to see your sister. I'll wait here forever if I have to." Part of him wanted to look around Arion to see if Celeste was home, but Juniper didn't dare break eye contact with Arion. He was slightly afraid that Arion was going to attack him from the look on his face.

Lyra

Hearing Endymion's voice, she immediately stopped trying to reach for Gilly’s spear. Lyra obviously didn’t want to be caught in the slightly ungainly position she was in at the moment. “Just a minute” The alpha called, righting herself quickly. As she did, she accidentally moved her injured leg a bit, feeling a sharp stab of pain run from her ankle to her thigh. Lyra let out a curse under her breath but composed herself quickly. “You can come in, Endymion” She called, hoping that he hadn't heard her cursing. Still, the alpha couldn't help but smile a bit as Endymion walked in. Though most other Howlers in the pack weren't exactly friendly to him, Lyra quite enjoyed his company. At the very least, it was far better to talk with him than lay in the healer's hut alone and stare blankly at the ceiling for hours on end.

[arvanien]

Arion

Celeste

Arion took in the sight in front of him: Juniper, who desperately needed to see Celeste, and Kyran, who looked Scared but Willing™. Disdain was clear in every line of his face. He glanced back at Celeste, who had put down her lunch and stood up, clutching the arm of the couch for support. "Juniper!" She called, her eyes full of hope. She was not as weak as before, but still felt very unstable. Her face quickly grew as white as a sheet.

"Only for a few minutes, got it?" He said finally, giving Juniper a look that can only be described as hatefully distrustful. Arion stepped out of their way and rushed to Celeste's side, wrapping his arms around her and helping her sit down again. She probably shouldn't be moving around yet, though Juniper had come all the way from the hospital to see her. "Take it easy. Juniper's come to see you." He said, with an enthusiasm he clearly did not feel. It alternately warmed and wounded him to see how quickly her face lit up. Arion slung his sword off his back and tossed it under the coffee table, where it still poked out a little due to its length.

Endymion

He waited respectfully until Lyra gave him permission to come in, wondering what she would be doing. Endymion entered, stooping slightly to get under the doorframe. "How are you feeling?" He asked, returning her smile. She did seem to be doing better visibly, but Benjamin was the determiner of that.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Juniper

“Celeste!” Juniper exclaimed happily as he heard her call his name. He looked past Arion, his face lighting up with joy as he spotted Celeste standing by the couch. Even in her white hospital gown, he thought that she was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. Juniper noticed how weak she was, but he was thankful that she seemed to be doing a lot better than the night before. He wanted to rush over to Celeste and gently take her into his arms, but he had a feeling Arion would kick him out before he even made a move.

The Howler boy was stunned to hear Arion say that he could stay for a few minutes. “Thank you!” He said joyously, his heart feeling as if it would beat right out of his chest. Juniper walked in the house, having only eyes for Celeste. Everything else seemed to fade into the background, even Arion’s hateful glare at him. “Hi, Celeste” He said fondly, his purple eyes sparkling with delight. Juniper didn’t even know what to say, he was so happy just to see his beloved Celeste again. Very gently, he took her hands in his as he beamed at her. “Do you feel okay, bunny?” He asked, his tone caring but not belittling. Juniper nearly sat on the couch beside her but thought better of himself. He was pretty sure Arion and Celeste didn’t want him to dirty their lovely furniture. After all, his clothes were still covered in dried blood- a lot of which wasn’t even his- and dirt from the fight with Lyra. Truthfully, he looked pretty beat-up after everything that had happened; he was covered in bruises, his clothes were torn and dirtied, and he still wasn't wearing any shoes. With his disheveled appearance he partly understood why Arion didn't want him to hang around Celeste. Juniper knew he probably didn’t belong in a fancy Quell house like this, but he desperately wanted to be with Celeste. The thought of being with her seemed to drown out any other thoughts he had. Juniper couldn't stand to be apart from her- he knew that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He could never love anyone the way he devotedly loved Celeste. Without a doubt, it would eventually kill him not to be with her.

Lyra

Lyra felt a strange tug in her chest as Endymion smiled back at her. She loved seeing his real smile instead of his usual cold smirk. Ach! I’ve got to stop thinking things like this. It isn’t right! I can’t keep doing this. She thought, without so much as blushing. Lyra very rarely let her expression show what she was truly feeling. Glancing at the fresh bandages around her leg, she said, “I feel alright,” The alpha said, though this was partially a lie. Truthfully, she felt miserable, but it wasn’t exactly the pain of her leg and her lingering fever. Lyra just didn’t feel like sharing what was bothering her. “Brother Benjamin said that I could go to my hut if I felt up to it.” Another lie. But, she honestly doubted that Endymion would call her out on it. Besides, Lyra was an excellent lair because her expressions never quite gave away what she was thinking about.

[arvanien]

Arion

Celeste

Kyran

"Don't mention it." Arion turned away from Juniper and gently helped Celeste back down on the couch. He was just about to sit down next to her like the protective brother he was, but decided to make her happy by simply letting her be. He stood up and drifted over to Kyran, who was staring in admiration at literally everything in the house.

The dark-skinned Quell turned to Arion, giving a small smile. "Thanks for letting us in. We really appreciate it. I...I have to go back to work now, though." Kyran knew he could be fired for leaving the hospital while on his shift without permission. And as he had to support his struggling family, the young nurse couldn't afford to lose his job. Now that Juniper had accomplished his goal, Kyran wistfully wondered if his new friend would ever care to see him again. Was he being too clingy? Kyran didn't have a lot of friends, and Juniper had been nicer to him than almost everyone else he'd ever met. I'm probably being too clingy.

Arion just nodded wordlessly and walked him out. He seemed much less antagonistic towards Kyran now. "Have a good afternoon." The Quell boy waved cheerfully and raced back to the hospital, his curly hair flying after him.

Celeste beamed happily at Juniper, clasping his hands warmly. "Yes, I feel much better now." There was still an nasty ache in her stomach whenever she coughed, but she was sure it would go away. "Purple magic always works wonders. How about you, darling?" She reached up and brushed some of Juniper's soft, tousled hair out of his face. He might be dusty, beat-up, and disheveled, but all Celeste could see was the bright and cheerful young Howler whom she met at the library. "How did you find our house? I'm so glad you came!" She quickly motioned him to sit down next to her, seeing his discomfort at being in an exquisite Quell home. Celeste hoped his feeling of being out-of-place would wear off; she had felt the same way upon entering the Howler village. At least while he's here, I will make sure that he won't get hurt.

Endymion

"It's wonderful to see you improving." Endymion knew Benjamin was right about Lyra being slightly too self-confident, but really, it was none of his business. He wasn't going to play nursemaid to her. "At this rate, you'll be going about as usual in no time." One thing that the Howler pack absolutely thrived on was Lyra's leadership, and it was a well-known fact. "Maybe you'd like me to leave the door open?" He suggested, already feeling how close the air was in the hut.

[rubyrocketboots13]

Juniper

Juniper looked up as Kyran said that he had to do back to work. Part of him wished that the nurse could stay, but he understood if he had to leave. He was grateful for all of Kyran’s help and his kindness- he hoped that they could see each other again sometime. It was nice to be making friends in Solodin; Juniper had always thought that Quell were too prideful and narrow-minded to want to be friends with Howlers. But, Celeste and Kyran had changed his mind about how he viewed Quell. Maybe Quell and Howlers aren’t as different as we like to believe? He thought with a smile. “See you, Kyran! And Thanks for everything!” Juniper called cheerfully.

After Kyran raced off, the Howler boy turned his full attention back to Celeste. Juniper’s eyes sparkled madly with a fondness that he only had for her. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better, honey bunny” Juniper smiled softly as she brushed his hair from his face. He always loved the gentle, caring way she played with his hair. It never failed to make him feel warm and fuzzy inside. “Mmhm! Your healer Quells’ magic is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it before.” He agreed with a nod, “And I’m perfectly fine, darling.” Juniper smiled fondly at Celeste, giving her hand a gentle, affectionate squeeze, “But I feel even better now that I’m with you.”.

Juniper sat down on the couch as Celeste motioned for him to sit. He grinned at her crookedly, “It’s a Howler’s secret how I found it!” He teased good-naturedly, his eyes glittering mischievously. “But I’m glad I found you too! I was worried when I woke up and you weren’t there” Juniper admitted. He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “I love you so much, bunny” He whispered, just so that she would hear. He wanted to tell Celeste how much he loved her every single chance he got, but even then, Juniper was sure that he’d never be able to fully explain how much she meant to him.

Lyra

“Thank you,” Lyra nodded, mustering up a wane smile, “And I hope that you’re right about that. I can’t wait to get out of here.” After all, she was the Alpha of the pack; it wouldn’t run smoothly if she were incapacitated. A weak leader makes for a weak pack. Lyra always strived to be the best leader for the Howler pack that she could be, which was partly why she pushed herself too hard sometimes.

Lyra gave a nod, glancing at the door, “Yes please, it’s rather warm today." Truthfully, she wasn't sure that was because of the mid-summer heat and the stuffy hut or just her, but she was burning up. Her waist length blond hair had been plastered to her forehead with sweat. Perhaps it was frivolous, but Lyra wished that she could go swimming in the nearby stream. She could almost feel the cool water on her warm, tanned skin. No to mention, it would feel heavenly to wash herself up a bit- she still had a bit of dirt smeared on her face from the fight. But, Lyra knew she’d never make it there alone, at least not like this. “Brother Endymion… are you very busy?” Lyra asked, “I know this is a strange request, but could you help me to the stream near camp? It’s not terribly far…” Part of her regretted asking, but she told herself that their wasn’t any harm in it.

[arvanien]

Arion

Celeste

Arion walked back to the kitchen and gingerly examined the knife buried in the smashed cupboard door. Oh, ---- it. After retrieving the knife, he ripped the destroyed cupboard door off its hinges and threw it away. It didn't seem like he could get over his old habit of destroying nearby things when he got frustrated. It had plagued him ever since he was around seven.

He glanced at the two lovers on the couch, the sight both sweet and heartbreaking to him. Arion knew Celeste was still very young, but she was quite mature for her age. That, coupled with his careful analysis of Juniper, prompted him to leave them alone for now.

Kyran smiled and waved at Juniper before taking off at a frantic pace, clearly afraid that he'd be fired. Celeste smiled as well. "Kyran's such a cinnamon roll. How did he even leave the hospital in the first place?" She mused, as it was forbidden for nurses to leave work on a whim. "I'm glad they got to us in time. In addition to the next life, we now have this one to spend together!" Celeste laughed softly and leaned her head on Juniper's shoulder after making sure it was the good one. She wrapped her free arm around his neck, looking down contentedly at their fingers laced together. Nothing had changed since that pleasant evening in the Howler village when Juniper was pointing out each dish to her. "It's so good to see you doing better. I don't want you to ever get hurt because of me again, darling." She said earnestly, knowing that both of them could have been killed easily. If Arion hadn't realized that she had failed to make her afternoon trip to The Teakeeper, they most likely would both be playing harps right now. But the important thing was that they were both alive and together.

Celeste playfully slapped Juniper's arm, beaming. It already pleased her enough that he had somehow managed to find their home. "How? Did you serve as a spy during the war?" She returned good-naturedly. Celeste gave him a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "I promise you, you'll never wake up again without knowing where I am. If Arion takes me away, he must take you too." She nodded in all seriousness. Celeste blushed softly as Juniper kissed her; it was such a blissful sensation. "I love you too, Juniper. You're the most kind and adorable guy I've ever met, and I want you forever." Tilting her head up, she kissed him back gently on his jawline. Celeste was sure that she loved everything about him. Up to the point where they'd been attacked yesterday, she had experienced how wonderfully warm and lively he was. Then she had seen how fiercely loyal he was, ready to defend her against his own alpha, in the pack with which he'd lived his whole life. It was such a breathtaking act of devotion, Celeste knew she could never love another the way she loved Juniper.

Endymion

"You can still lead effectively if you are wounded. Of course, I'm not generalizing." Endymion's smile didn't falter, but it was genuine - for the first time in a while. Lyra had probably never been this hurt before in a while, but he knew with confidence the whole pack would still be loyal to her even in her temporarily weakened state. He left the door open, the fresh air from outside dispelling the slightly stuffy atmosphere within. A healer's hut shouldn't be this ill-ventilated, should it?

"Of course," he acceded, kneeling next to her. Endymion knew it would be the next for Lyra if he carried her. After all, she was easy to carry and was still wounded. But knowing Lyra, she probably wouldn't want him to just pick her up on the spot (last night had been an exception). "How do you want to go?" He asked, bluntly honest as usual.