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 Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 4:55 pm
He had spent too long away from school... Away from his room, and his foxfires, and his brother. So when he was turned loose from the gymnasium, where many students from the exchange program were still recovering from the Insanity that had infected so many of them.
Trotting almost nervously down the path to the ghost dorms, it was almost like his first days at the school. He had felt anxious then too, skittish, running down the darkened staircase like something was going to leap out of the stone at any minute to grab his ankle.
He ran into his room and slammed the door behind him, and felt his nerves settle ever so slightly. Safe. He was safe here, right?
Everything was soft-looking in the dim light, his mushrooms were glowing in good health, his foxfires... were absent. Hadn't Ren been looking after them? Had they gotten out? Had they... Feeling the anxiety claw it's way back up his throat, the pup ran out of the dorm and down to the monster dorms where his brother's room was. It was late, quiet on campus... Would Ren be awake? Would he even be there? What if Jove was all alone?
His fluffy ears perked as he trotted down the hallway, slowing as he approached the familiar open door. The little ghost peeked into the darkness. He could see lots of round, fluffy shapes. In fact... a great deal more round fluffy shapes than he remembered. And a lump on the bed.
Creeping in amidst the little piles of foxfire fluffs, Jove quietly curled up on the bed next to the lump. His brother. Half-drowsy foxfires hopped up around him, both his own and Ren's foxfires, wagging their tails in a sleepy manner and resettling on the bed. They snuggled up to the lump and the little ghost.
And since Ren was sleeping, Jove inched closer. And then... hugged the lump.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:23 pm
In the past day and a half, the number of Ren's foxfires had increased exponentially in size.
If you started at how many foxfires Ren had (113 so far) and then added in how many he had sheparded from Jove's room to his (somewhere between twenty and thirty) and then added in all of the rest of the foxfires that seemed to appear every now and then, by the time Ren went to sleep that evening there was somewhere between 150 and 200 foxfires all crammed into his bedroom.
It was a good thing Ren's room was rather large. And very foxfire-friendly, what with the piles upon piles of pillows stacked here and there, a few throw blankets providing them with nice little places to curl up and sleep.
He didn't mind having so many; in fact, for Ren it made him feel just a smidgen less lonely and a tad bit more easy to bear not seeing Jove for so long. Ren had already seen LW; the shewolf had made her first stop back to his room, but now she was asleep in her own room (she needed the rest) and Ren had decided to let her be.
For now. Until tomorrow morning, at least, when he came to fetch her and then probably wouldn't let her out of sight for another five years.
His worry, however, did not lay in LW at the current moment, since he had already seen her, but in Jove. Ren had waited anxiously to see his little brother, but so far there had been no word, and he had grown increasingly more agitated until finally had gone to bed in the hopes that he would wake up and find Jove safe and sound in his room.
Fortunately for Ren, he did not have to wake that long.
Sound asleep, he did not hear the soft footsteps that padded into his room, nor did he hear the quiet little wags of the tails of the foxfires as they greeted their long-lost owner. There was a little thump - one of Ren's ears twitched - and then suddenly there was something on top of him.
He jerked automatically, his eyes flying open.
"What the - "
Pale blue hair caught his eye. Ren's gaze widened.
"Jove!"
Instantly he was awake, and Ren flung his arms around his little brother, squeezing him tightly in a big bear hug. He pulled back, holding Jove's face between his hands, eyes searching for any sort of injuries.
A million thoughts ran through his mind: You're back, are you okay, are you still breathing, did anything happen, are you still okay, did you break anything, are you hurt, did you do okay on the island -
Thus began the babble of admittedly ridiculous and overbearing questions in his head, but he said nothing. Instead, Ren abruptly clamped his lips together, his newly cut short hair blatantly obvious in the pale moonlight streaming from the window beside the bed, as well as the scruff he had let grow on his face.
He did not want to be that annoying big brother who was overprotective and obnoxious. Ren exhaled slowly, reigning in his emotions, and settled for leaning forward and giving Jove a peck on his forehead, smoothing his pale hair away from his face.
"...welcome back," he said, and offered the boil a small smile.
Then he hugged him again, just for good measure.
"I missed you."
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:48 pm
Jove had thought his brother was fast asleep. Fast and solid, for some reason. Perhaps it was his disorientation earlier, or the recollection of his first weeks at the academy. Back when he first met Ren, and the gryphon was an avid sleeper.
At Ren's sudden explosion into movement, Jove tried to jerk back. It was an immediate response entirely out of his control, the past four days of fear and terror and whispers and voices in his head... He couldn't pull away fast enough, and his strangled YIP came out muffled. The pup was anxious all over again, even now that he was back home, with his brother.
He stared back, wide-eyed and startled-looking. Ren looked... different. Different... different... He was...
Jove inhaled abruptly, an expression of shock. His brother had been neglecting himself in his loneliness! His cooties had expanded! THEY WERE ALL OVER HIS FACE!
Squirming away from the hug, foxfires darted left and right out of his path as Jove got up and trotted to Ren's washroom. And then... Sounds of a bath running. Ren was gonna get rid of those cooties!
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:53 pm
He was trying to squirm away, a fact that made Ren both relieved and worried simultaneously. If he was trying to wriggle away, it had to mean that he was still stubborn and Joveish, didn't it? But at the same time, the yip that had been barked out was a little...different. Strained, almost, and Ren peered at his little brother, brows drawing together.
"Jove?" he asked, a slight frown on his face. The boil was wide-eyed and looked terrified, and Ren pulled back even more.
"Are you - "
And then Jove was darting away, disappearing into his bathroom. Ren stared blankly after him, trying to figure out just what had happened until he heard the water start to run.
Ren sighed. Then he swung his legs over the side of the bed and padded across the room towards the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his bare chest (he had taken to only wearing a pair of sweats to bed).
"And what," he asked. "are you doing, Freckles?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:21 pm
The moment Ren stepped into the washroom, Jove attacked his face with a wet cloth. The bath was still running, perhaps a bit too warm, but the pup had more important issues on his mind than his brother's comfort. Much more important! He had to get those cooties off.
And perhaps... a distraction from the fear?
He frowned, it wasn't just going to wash off. Of course not... Jove frowned, threw the cloth at Ren's chest and turned around to glare at the filling bathtub. He felt confused, and that made him irritable, disoriented, and even more bristly than usual. He should have been snuggling with Ren, like the foxfires that were curiously trickling into the washroom, but he was agitated for some reason.
With a huff he scooped up one of the little fluffs, one of his brother's, and began poking the dopey thing's nose.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:31 pm
And suddenly washcloth in his face.
"Acktheessppttthhppttt," said Ren, which was very clearly "Jove what are you even doing." He attempted to bat away his little brother's hand, prying Jove's wrist away, but then he felt a cold wetness on his chest as the boil threw the cloth at him, and flounced away, looking disgruntled.
Confused Ren was confused.
"Ah, Jove?" he said tentatively, leaning forward. His hand reached towards his little brother, but stopped short of his shoulder, drawing his fingers away.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 3:35 pm
Jove snorted, one simple expression that seemed to resound with nothing, I don't know, I'm fine, and don't talk to me, all at the same time. He set the foxfire back on it's feet. Then with a very pointed, grumpy look, he glared at Ren and pointed to the bathtub. Forget all those dumb questions. This was serious business.
Ren was going to get in the bath, and wash off all the dust and sleep and cooties that must have grown while Jove was not there to take care of him. Maybe he should throw in some of Ren's foxfires too, just for good measure.
It would be like one big load of gryphon laundry.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 4:03 pm
It was probably pretty obvious by now that Ren and Jove did not really need words to understand exactly what the other was thinking. After over a year of being "big brother" to the boil, Ren was quite aware of just how to read his little brother's facial expressions, gestures, and everything else.
Which was he just looked at him with a stubborn expression.
"You are not being truthful," said Ren suspiciously, but he sighed and made his way over towards the bathtub, peering into it.
Several moments later he was sitting neck-deep in the enormous tub, surrounded on all sides by bubbles, warm, foamy water, and a washcloth atop his head, courtesy of Jove.
"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong now?" asked Ren, with a pointed look as he draped his arms over the side of the tub, resting his head against his hand.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 4:12 pm
Jove just pushed the cloth down over his brother's face. Be quiet, don't ask so many questions. At that moment he envied the gryphon, and might have hopped in the bath himself if it wasn't for the cooties. It had been a long time since he had soaked and been warm, too long, and with all the crazy stuff that had happened since leaving Amityville, perhaps he deserved a nice bath himself.
He huffed and folded his arms on the edge of the tub, resting his chin on top. Then he idly picked up a foxfire that had been milling around and dropped it in the water with Ren.
The little thing, this time one of his own, merely looked surprised for a second before paddling around in circles, and then attempting to climb onto Ren's head.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 4:16 pm
"What is it with you and sticking washcloths in my face?" Ren complained, after a bit of sputtering and bubbles. He wiped a wet hand over his nose, rubbing at his eyes, and then peered owlishly at Jove, tilting his head. "And you're supposed to be - what are you doing."
And then foxfire. Ren sighed.
"Jove, you're avoiding the situation," he said, as though he did not have a confused foxfire now sitting heavily atop of his head and looking somewhat like a drowned rat - all except for its head, which was still fluffy and big, so the end result was rather amusing.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:44 pm
Jove dropped another foxfire into the tub. This one looked slightly more alarmed, but it also paddled around until it came to rest on the gryphon's shoulder. Then it began licking Ren's face.
The little ghost thought this was mildly amusing.
But Ren was still insisting. Jove huffed again, and plucked the sopping wet foxfires off his brother. He hugged them both. It was fun in the bath, wasn't it? Too bad Ren was still being insistent and annoying.
As if challenging the negativity of his brother's latest observation, he stood up and trotted out of the room, gently kicking the door closed behind him. Ren would get rid of his cooties, and in the meantime, Jove could snuggle on his bed. With the two wet foxfires.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:41 pm
There was a splash and then a second foxfire was flopped against his shoulder, licking wetly at his cheek. Ren reached up a hand, idly patting its wet fur, but his eyes were still on Jove.
- who was looking more than a little stubborn as he grabbed the foxfires back, disappearing out of the bathroom and shutting the door.
Wait. Where was he going?
"Er, Jove," said Ren, glancing down at the bubbly warm bathwater surrounding him. With a sigh, he quickly and obediently washed, dragged himself from the tub, dried himself off with a towel, threw on a pair of sweatpants, and looped the towel around his neck as he quickly left the bathroom, not bothering to shave off the scruff on his chin.
Where he found Jove. On his bed. With two sopping foxfires.
"Jooooveeeee," said Ren, in an exasperated voice, and put his face in his hands, shaking his head. "What are you doing, silly little brother of mine?"
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:57 pm
When Ren got out of the bathroom, Jove was already flopped on his stomach on the bed. One wet foxfire on his brother's pillow, the other bouncing around the foot of the bed, chasing his feet. He took one look at Ren, specifically the boil's chin, and huffed.
So Ren wasn't going to do anything about those cooties?
Well, Jove had a thing or two to say about that. Wet foxfire one, and wet foxfire two. He pulled them both under the covers with him, and curled up into a little ball. Like the little ball of discomfort in his stomach. When he closed his eyes he could smell the jungle, and the dry sand of the desert... And the acrid ashes and blood... And if he kept them closed too long, would he lose himself in it again? They said he was no longer infected with the Insanity, but... was he really? Or was this just lingering trauma from that terrible day?
Maybe this was all it came down to, grumping at Ren was so close to 'normal'... He wanted things to be normal.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 8:06 pm
He was getting the blankets wet with those foxfires.
Ren sighed. Jove was beneath the covers now, curled into a ball, dripping onto the sheets, and it was obvious that he was not as okay as he was trying to pretend. He may have not said much, but Ren knew Jove too well to just let things go that easily.
Silently he padded over to the bed and pulled up the covers, slipping beneath them without a word. One of his arms went around Jove from behind, squashing his little brother close in a big hug, Ren nosing into Jove's hair, ears flat against his damp hair.
"...that bad, huh."
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 8:21 pm
Before he could stop himself, Jove let out the tiniest little whimper and wiggled so he could wrap his arms around Ren's neck in a tight hug. Perhaps even a bit too tight. He pressed his face against his brother's neck for a good minute, just trying to push the little whines and cries down so deep they wouldn't ever come out. If only Ren had seen it all, the beauty and the sights and smells, the wisdom and knowledge of the clans...
Perhaps it had been their sheer superiority, or the power of the heirs returning time and time again so unscathed from their fights with the hunters, but Jove had come to believe the horsemen were some sort of invincible demigods. And seeing the hunters plans lay waste to their homeland, so many lives all in one blow... How did mere students stand a chance?
The pup glanced up at Ren, and couldn't keep the hopeless look hidden. Even the sight of his brother's short hair was enough to make his eyes water, and he loosened the hug only so he could touch the wet ends gently, almost afraid, like they would hurt. Didn't getting your hair cut hurt? And Ren had such long, braidable hair before the trip...
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