|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:58 pm
Jove's growl intensified at seeing her reaction, his anger feeding off the fear he sensed from her. It was the first time someone had regarded him with something that even approached fright, and the ghost had not anticipated the power it gave him.
It was only Ren's motion that calmed him, the half hug telling him things were still okay. For all the tension in the air, it seemed like his big brother could still face the evil clone with enough confidence to placate the pup. Instead of growling, he simply leaned against Ren possessively as if saying "I adopted him. He's mine." But he didn't break his stare, those pale eyes continued to stay trained on the other gryphon.
At least not until he heard the slam of the door along with the other two, and felt Ren tighten up. Then his growl was back in full force as though it could drive away whatever unpleasantness had just entered though the front doors.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:35 pm
Ren had not ever seen Jove quite as angry as he was now. He was used to the boil being stubborn, yes, and he had seen Jove both irritated and frustrated, but never full out angry. Jove's upper lip was curled back in a furious snarl, his eyes narrowed, but he calmed a bit beneath Ren's arm. The growl subsided, though the sparks in his eyes did not, and it was clear he was still unhappy. However, Ren was grateful that he leaned back against him, trying to make sure nothing happened to the boil - although it seemed this time, it was the opposite. Jove was in front, trying to protect Ren, rather than Ren trying to protect Jove.
Medieval was looking suddenly uncomfortable, like she was not certain how the situation would play out. Their parents were fifteen minutes early, home too soon for Ren to make his hasty escape before they had even known he was at the house. Even now he could hear their footsteps on the wide, expansive staircase, make out the low murmur of voices. Ren's body stiffened almost automatically, his fingers gripping Jove's bare shoulder so tightly his knuckles were nearly white.
"...and the doctor says I'll be fine. Medieval? Medieval, are you home?"
Ren glanced, panic stricken, at his sister. She stared at him, biting her lower lip before the coldness was back, features glazing over in a harsh expression.
"Here, mother," she said. "Ren' s room."
His heart nearly stopped. There was a clatter of footsteps drawing nearer, and then -
"What are you doing in h...Renaissance."
His mother's voice, clear and high.
"...welcome home."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:54 pm
Clearly whatever was approaching was even worse than the evil clone, judging from the death hold Jove felt on his shoulder. He had never seen Ren panic before, not while he was awake at least, and that was enough to hold off any thoughts of running for cover or trying to find something to wear before the parents arrived upstairs. There was no way he was leaving his brother's side. Not for dignity, or pants, or anything!
Remembering how Ren had wanted him calm in front of his sister, the pup ceased his growling and similarly settled down, but the gryphon holding onto him would be able to feel the tension in his body. He was on the very edge of baring his teeth and defending his brother if it came to that.
What a place this must have been to grow up in... A place where Jove felt he had to defend Ren from his own family. His own real family. How could someone as wonderful as Ren come from a place that was so full of fear and disdain? He could remember back to the way his caretaker treated him, and in comparison this place made him want to kick something.
The pup stared up at the adults coldly, the viciousness he displayed earlier buried just below the surface. Thoughts of his caretaker had reminded him that he had to at least try to be civil. So instead of a wolf in boy's skin, they would just see a very grumpy, very naked little child standing quite possessively in front of their son.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:55 pm
It was one of the strangest situations Ren had ever been in. He quickly took stock of just what exactly was in the room at the current moment:
a.) His twin sister, wearing a very sullen expression and looking identical to Ren in every way, minus the freckles (and her hair was perhaps a shade lighter).
b.) His parents, Loki and Amantine; Loki looking cold and unfeeling, while Amantine sniffed down her nose with irritation.
c.) A naked boil who was clearly very angry and growling slightly.
and finally
d.) Ren himself, rooted to the spot and looking panicked.
At least, he was pretty sure he looked panicked, since he certainly felt panicked. He had wanted to leave before his parents arrived back home, leave before they had a chance to do anything, say anything.
"Renaissance," said his mother again, giving Jove a disdainful look once she had stopped staring at him with her mouth agape in horror. "I must admit, we were...not expecting you. And who might this be?"
Loki's lip curled in disgust. "I didn't know you were into little bo - "
"He's my brother."
The word cut through the air like a knife, silencing everyone. Ren gripped Jove's shoulder tightly, wrapping his other arm protectively around the boil from behind. "He's my brother," Ren repeated, feeling his heart clambering noisily in his chest.
For once, his parents were looking shell-shocked. Finally, after a moment, his mother said "You don't have a brother, Renaissance. At least..." She paused briefly. "Not yet."
"I...adopted him," Ren blurted out, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them. "Not - not officially, but he's my little brother now, and - "
Loki was looking at his son with an expression of great dislike. "Clearly," he said slowly to his wife. "...Renaissance feels the need to live in a fantasy."
Ren's head hurt, the room spinning around him. His legs felt weak, his skin clammy, but he still didn't move, unwilling to let them know how they affected him. Beside their parents, Medieval shifted her weight from one foot to the other, as silent as the grave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:09 am
Jove already hated Ren's family. They ranged from snobbish to cruel, and the parents were even worse than the evil clone! It complicated the situation greatly. The little wisp was now sure he wasn't able to repair the situation, at best he could hope for was that it didn't bleed out too much. It angered him to see how his brother was being treated. And yes, it would take more than a trio of stupid gryphons to make Jove relinquish his hold on his adopted family.
When Ren's other arm wrapped around his chest, Jove leaned back, lending a comfortable pressure as if saying "I'm here, we're still together." He could feel the strength of Ren's fear, the waking equivalent to all those nightmares the boil had at night, and it didn't sit well with the pup. Home was supposed to be a place where you felt welcome and safe, not this...
"Pardon," he said, his accent adding a hint of culture to his contrasting appearance. Then he reached out and closed the door in all their faces. There.
He reached up to give Ren's arm a squeeze before darting across the room, rummaging through the duffle bag until he found a sweater, and pulled it on like a long nightshirt. This would do, he supposed. Trotting over to the desk he scrambled around until he found a pen and a blank sheet of paper, and spent a couple moments hastily writing things down before returning to open the door, and hand the paper to Ren's mother.
It read:
"Dear Adopted Family,
My name is Jove. I never had a real family of my own. At school Ren treated
me very well, and he is like a brother to me. I apologize for appearing before
you uninformed and in such a state, but it is important to me to take care of my
family, even if we share no bonds through blood. Thank you for accepting me
into your home.
Jove"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:32 pm
Ren had been standing frozen in place for several moments, swallowing back the bile that had risen in his throat. It was ironic how he could handle many forms of "terror," but his mother and father? Ironic, or rather, pathetic, that he cowered in front of them like a child.
Jove leaning back against him made Ren start; to be honest, he'd almost forgotten the boil was there, his thoughts twisted around in his mind. But the coldness of his little brother's body reassured him, and Ren hugged him from behind, though his eyes stayed on the people in the doorway. He was trembling, but he tried to steady himself - if not for him, for the boil for whom he was so attached to.
"Pardon."
Four pairs of eyes stared down at Jove, each with a different expression in them. Ren's were wide with surprise, whereas Medieval's was astonished - it was like she hadn't known Jove could speak. As for his parents, they were looking...well, like they always had. His mother's lips were pressed together in a thin line. Jove shifted in Ren's arms and squeezed his hand.
Then he darted across the room and slammed the door shut in his parents faces.
Ren nearly had a heart attack. As it was, he stared in abject horror at the closed door, his mouth gaping open like a fish out of water. It opened, as if he meant to say something, but nothing came out but a wordless gasp.
Jove had slammed the door. In his parent's faces. And now he was scribbling something on a piece of paper. Ren watched him, still frozen in place, as Jove stalked towards the door, flung it back open and thrust the paper out to Ren's mother, who took it like it was some dead thing, pinched between two fingers. She dragged it up to her face to read it, and both Loki and Medieval peered over her shoulder to read it.
There was dead silence. Ren felt as if his legs were glued in place. His mother's expression had grown stony.
"Renaissance," she started to say angrily, advancing towards them, but something stopped her - an arm.
It belonged to Medieval.
"Mother," she said. "Let's go. Come on."
Ren stared at her. Since turning to the dark side, so to speak, his sister had never once stood up for him, never once done anything to help him out. The fact that she was now standing there, her arm outstretched to keep his mother from entering the room, was enormous.
There was another frosty silence while everyone stared at everyone else. Then, with a derisive snort, as if he were bored, Loki turned and disappeared down the hall, followed closely by his wife. Medieval stood there, looking down after them. She turned her head and looked at Ren, her gaze flickering over to Jove briefly before she too left, closing the door behind her.
Ren's legs gave away the instant it was shut, and he collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. Shaking with a cold sweat he slowly raised his head until his eyes met Jove's - and then he laughed. It was weak and trembling, but it was there, and Ren hung his head, shaking it.
"You...slammed the door in their faces," he said hoarsely. "I can't believe...you are insane."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:48 pm
Well, Jove had made his best introduction possible, given the situation at hand. Sure closing the door on them might not have been the best idea, but if he was getting changed, he didn't want them just watching him. It would be embarrassing...
But even with his letter of introduction, not one of them seemed willing to address him. Only Ren, in that harsh, no nonsense tone he was quickly assuming to be the norm in this house. So as they stared, he watched them back, carefully, so he could be ready to protect his brother on a moment's notice. Whether he was protecting him from physical or emotional harm, it all seemed the same to the pup. Especially here, where a stare could reduce his brother to a pile of jelly.
Jove couldn't help but snort back in the older male gryphon's direction, and then watch as the other two left, the door closing behind them. And his first reaction was to trot over, open the door, and peer out to watch them go. Just to make sure they were actually going. Although his ears perked up in a curious-like expression, the poofed tail and the way he stood on the balls of his feet as he leaned out the door were evidence of his own tension. All in all it just went to show what a bold, big personality the pup had developed during his time at school, at least for such a small dog.
Once he was sure they were really leaving, he ducked back inside and dropped to his knees next to Ren. Did... his brother not approve of his actions? He had no choice but to shut the door, he wanted to put on some clothes!
He could still sense the fear that clung to the gryphon, so he crawled over and sat right beside him, pressing himself up against Ren's side for comfort the way a bigger dog would lean on their human to reassure them. The expression in his eyes quietly asked if things were going to be okay.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:12 pm
He felt sort of like he was going into a sort of hysteria, the manic laughter escaping his lips as he sat there on the floor, arms wrapped around his waist. No matter how hard he tried to remain stoic and uncaring about his parents, the truth still remained that they were very nearly the only things left that could scare him.
His parents, and water. Ren shook his head weakly, refusing to lift it though he could feel Jove pressing against his side, cold against warm. What a pathetic combination. He was a monster; a gryphon, to be exact. Someone who attended Amityville High, and here he was, acting like a scared little child.
I'm weak, he thought and pushed back the sweat dampened hair away from his face. I'm weak and I'm pathetic and I can't even stand up to my own parents.
Except he needed to. What good would it do to sit in silence?
A sudden anger seared through Ren's veins and he got to his feet, still shaking. His hand reached down, grabbing Jove's wrist and pulling him to follow. Flinging open the door to his room, he made his way down the hallway to the top of the stairs. Down below, his parents and Medieval were standing in the elegant entrance hall; his mother was holding out his father's coat, as if to show him something on it.
"HEY!" Ren shouted, his voice echoing off of the marble walls. All three turned to stare at him.
"Renaissance," his mother began, in a tone of irritation. "What - "
"I may be your son," Ren went on, ignoring her. "But that does not mean that you are my parents, or that you are my family. Jove is my family."
He squeezed the boil's hand, lifting it as if to show his parents before dropping it again, letting go. One foot descended a stair, Ren slowly taking a step forward.
"LW is my family."
Step.
"Gabrian is my family."
Another step.
"Alessa is my family."
A few more steps. Then he was walking across the foyer towards his parents, feeling more calm and confident than he had in months, years.
"But you," Ren said quietly, and stopped walking, a foot away from the three people. "You are not my family. Not then. Not now. Not ever."
His wings extended; there was a gust of air and whooshing noise, and Ren propelled himself backwards, back up the stairs, back to where Jove was standing. He took Jove's hand in his again, and then tugged his little brother back to his old room without looking back.
Where he proceeded to collapse again as soon as the door was closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:42 pm
Jove startled as Ren grabbed him, and he found himself tugged to his feet and out the door. Had he done something wrong? Was his comforting not working, or did his brother not want him there? The pup let out a hint of a whimper, wondering if he had overstepped his bounds. He gave a worried little tug on his wrist, but Ren held it in a firm grip.
He stumbled down the hall after his brother, and then watched with wide eyes while Ren proclaimed their relationship so loudly the echoes hurt his ears. It was dumbfounding for the little pup.
The ghostling should have recognized the effort, he had to, on occasion, go through his own transformation from a frightened, trembling child to a student with enough strength of character to stand up for what he thought was right. He was not always so brave himself, only really finding that strength when he had to use it on someone else's behalf. And wasn't that what Ren had done, just found what brought out his own inner strength?
When Ren returned to his side and began pulling him back the way he came, he glanced over his shoulder at the other gryphons, tail tucked against the back of his legs. How would they take this change of pace?
Once the bedroom door was once again safely between them and Ren's family, the pup let out a little whine and refused to let go of his brother's hand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:13 pm
Ren sat there on the floor of his old bedroom, waiting. He had expected roars of anger from his parents, strings of curse words, the snap of a whip...
Except...
Nothing .There was nothing at all, except the sound of his own breathing, which was coming out ragged and uneven, strangely loud in the silence of the house. He could not hear any footsteps, nor any voices.
Strange. So very strange and quiet .Why was that? Could his parents really not be coming after him? It seemed so very...uncharacteristic of them. Any other day they would be pounding up the stairs and banging on his door, demanding he leave the sanctuary of his room so that they could "talk" to him.
Except this time there was simply...nothing at all.
Did I...actually get through to them..?
Ren's thoughts were a blur; he heard a small noise beside him and realized Jove was whining, his wide blue eyes wide with worry and anxiousness. A crooked smile touched Ren's lips and he leaned over, pecking Jove's forehead in a brotherly manner.
"It's all right," he said, and for the first time in a very long time he actually sort of believed it. "I'm fine now. Really. It's, ah...done, I believe."
There was a pause as Ren sighed, eyes flickering towards the closed door. "I'm sorry I had to get you involved, Jove," he added quietly, feeling embarrassed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:06 am
Had an explosion come, Jove would not have hesitated to put himself in the middle. That was what he was there for. Today he would be the one to protect his brother, not the other way around.
Ren seemed to be waiting for something, full of tension for a couple minutes before Jove was able to get his attention. Then there was a smile. For one the pup didn't flinch away from the kiss, and before his brother could finish the pointless apology he had leaned over and wrapped his arms around Ren's neck in a hug. He made a little murmuring noise and buried his face against his brother's neck possessively. Nobody was going to tell him he wasn't Ren's brother. Nobody.
After a minute he had settled down, and became acutely aware of the breeze against his bare legs and bottom every time his tail moved. He had to find some clothes.
Without leaving Ren's side, he stretched out for the duffle bag and pulled it over, to begin rummaging and making a mess as he searched for something he could wear. Why did Ren have to be such a giant? Sure the sweater was nice, but there was probably not a pair of pants in the whole room that wouldn't slide right off him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:22 pm
Skinny arms, as cold as ice, wrapped suddenly around his neck and Ren started, the temperature feeling stark against his own skin. Jove was hugging him tightly, his pale face buried into the place where Ren's shoulder slid into his neck. He hadn't said anything, of course, but the gesture was quite enough on its own. After a moment's hesitation, Ren's own arms lifted and he wound them around Jove's thin body, hugging his little brother back. The fact that Jove was still here made him relax, the tenseness in his shoulders lifting some.
After a few moments, they both moved away, and Jove settled comfortably beside him. Ren laid a hand atop his head, ruffling his fluffy hair, which dropped when the boil leaned away a bit, dragging the duffle bag from the bed and yanking it towards him. Slightly bemused as to what exactly he was looking for, Ren tugged it towards him, glancing down at Jove.
"Oh," he said. "Pants? Is that what you need?"
It was true that he didn't have any that would fit Jove in the bag, but Ren pushed himself to his feet, stepping around Jove towards the closet. He pulled open the doors and disappeared into the spacious area for a moment. The sounds of rummaging around and thinks moving came wafting out, and after a bit Ren emerged again, holding a pair of black shorts made out of some sort of courderoy.
"Here," he said, handing them to the puppy with a slight smile as he knelt back beside him. "These used to be mine, a long time ago. Mother hasn't cleaned out the closet since I stored all of my old clothes there, and I think these might work...they still might be a bit big, though."
There was a knock at the door. Instinctively Ren put an arm out in front of Jove, as if to block him from whoever was behind it. "What?" he said loudly, heart hammering.
A click and the door swung open; it was Medieval, holding a plate full of what appeared to be sandwiches. "Here," she said, holding them out. "I figured you'd be hungry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:47 pm
Shorts! And possibly even his size! He took the clothing happily, and was about to pull it on when there was a knock on the door behind him.
Immediately the pup began to bristle again, tail fluffing and ears flattening back, sensing the change in Ren's mood and what that meant. Whatever it was behind the door was a threat. And Jove didn't know if he had to fight off three grown up gryphons to keep his brother safe, but he was prepared to do whatever he needed to.
So he was surprised when Ren put an arm in front of him, so he had to peer around his brother's wing to see who was at the door. And he was even more surprised to see the evil clone with... sandwiches. His fluffy ears perked, confusion taking over where the defensiveness. Sandwiches?
He pressed close to his brother, shorts momentarily forgotten as he watched the 'intruder'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:04 pm
Ren gave Medieval a look that implied he was highly suspicious of her behavior, feeling Jove press firmly against his side.
"...what do you want?" he asked her coldly, ignoring the plate of sandwiches she had set in front of them. "You've never once given a damn about my well-being, and now suddenly you're acting all lovey dovey and friendly? What's up with that?"
His sister didn't speak for a moment, her eyes straying to the pale haired boil beside her brother. It was clear she did not fully understand their connection, but there seemed to be something else in her pale eyes that Ren could not quite read; something...different. It was strange, and he felt the anger slowly ebb out of him.
"Go away, Med," he said warily. "I'm tired."
She stood, moving to stand next to the door without a word. Just as she was about to leave, however, Medieval turned back around, looking back at them.
"Because I don't want to see our little sibling have to go through what you had," she said calmly, then disappeared out the door.
Ren was utterly flummoxed, his mind working to comprehend what in Jack's name had just happened. His mouth hung agape, his wings flapping gently against his back, as if trying to work out for themselves what she had just said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:17 pm
Jove listened very closely to the conversation, his eyes trained on the ghoul for any sign of sudden movements. But she seemed less... disdainful. Jove's ears perked back up at her parting comment, just before she left. What did she mean? Jove knew Ren was going to have a little sibling, a real little sibling who wasn't just family in name, but about it not going through what the gryphon did...
But before he could ask about it, one of Ren's fluttering feathers brushed against his bare leg and darted away with a little, ticklish yip. He skittered under the bed, glowing eyes darted between Ren's feet and the base of the door, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. It was hard to stay alert when his brother did that!
He tried to focus back on the matter at hand. Another little sibling, who couldn't go through what Ren did. Whatever that was. A little sister for Ren, or... a real brother. Why did that thought give his stomach a weird feeling?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
