Sticks and stones

Finding that no one was in the mood to play (something that seemed to happen a lot around him for some reason, which he just chalked up to bad timing), Alder decided to explore.

Stepping out from the safety of the den's confines while Valeska snored peacefully within its depths, he peered around cautiously, then flinched when he felt something wet hit him square on the nose. What in the world? He looked up and blinked, feeling more of them - but it didn't hurt. This must be rain, as he recalled Mother describing it, and it was just water that fell from the sky.

How strange.

Venturing out on silent paws, he crept through the tall grasses surrounding the dens, a flame-red figure that was easily spotted from any distance. He wanted to see more of the place they called home, and most particularly, what Mother had called 'the lake'.

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Violet too was growing more curious. Outside was lushed with greenery, the birds chirped away and the trees gently rustled by the scurrying of wildlife. It was very vibrant, but whenever the child came over they distanced themselves ; and admittingly at times she grew frustrated. She wanted to see them up closer, view their furs and maybe, they'd be good decoration for herself! Wouldn't she look lovely with a fur coat? The animals could tell she did not have good intentions, clearly.

Except upon her exploration, Violet saw her brother. His bright pelt was a sore-thumb to see, and always an eyesore. Anyone could see his ass in the distance, and was nearly impossible to ignore when he.. He looked like that.

She uttered, loudly, "ew," at him.

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Large, ungainly paws led Alder at last to the lake's shoreline, and he gasped audibly as he marveled at its sparkling brilliance. To him, a mere child, this was an ocean - a vast, endless expanse of blue, stretching far beyond anything he had ever seen before.

Carefully, he raised a forelimb to dip his toes into the cool liquid, quickly retracting it as errant droplets flung in an arc overhead. A wave of excitement overtook him, and he moved forward to submerge more of his paw when -

“Ew.”

The crimson child turned quickly, seeing his sister's disgusted frown even from this distance.

“H-hi Violet,” he replied awkwardly, glancing around to try and find the source of her distaste. “What's - what is it?”

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These children were going to be the death of him. Sure, they were his siblings (adopted) but still, they were... odd creatures. Especially the screamer that never seemed to shut up. Thankfully though, they seemed content messing with each other. So, he laid himself down not to far away, watching them closely. He was still curious watching them grow up and enjoyed watching them to pass the time. Not only that, but it helped Snow Mama out as well! He was being helpful!

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Violet was not a nice child, but was she a monster? The hatred that she felt for this fire-red sibling had stemmed from watching her golden mothers own discontent, and with her general dislike to everyone, it simply ramped up. However.. Lately Violet had started to dislike Dimitri above all else, a mama's boy, a tattletale, but at least Alder, stayed out of his way. Maybe just a bit, there was slight guilt in her heart at him. His stutter was annoying, but..

She stared at him. Thinking lightly.

"Do you like me?"

He wasn't like her siblings, he had a meek personality, and she deducted he wanted to be apart of it. Perhaps.. Just maybe..

She could use that.

She glared at the spotted child distance away, nudging closer to Alder so her words would be said in secret.

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The question had completely taken him by surprise.

A flurry of strange emotions assailed him then, and he paused for a moment, blinking almost stupidly as he tried to process the meaning of it. Did she think he hated her? Did she do something he should be worried about? Was this a test? Or was it a confession, leading to an invitation to finally play together like she did with Narcissa and Sreda?

Alder opened his mouth, and a jumble of words fell out like vomit.

“Of course I do - why wouldn't I - you're my sister, we're supposed to like each other - do you think I don't -” he babbled on, clearly malfunctioning. “I like you - you're great! Why'd you ask that?”

It was difficult to establish the fine line between a truth and a lie. Often the greatest lies are the ones we tell ourselves, and right now, Alder was doing his absolute damnedest to convince himself that Violet was, in fact, absolutely someone he wanted to be around more often.

A droopy ear swiveled back, hearing something rustling in the grass nearby - he spied the speckled coat of their accidental guardian, an eight month-old adolescent they had come to know as Akira. He often strayed near the other children, watching from afar, a look of deep concentration set in the firm squint of his eyes.

“Hi, Akira,” Alder called habitually. “Wanna play with us?”

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The boy watched them, stifling a small giggle as they bickered slightly, the screamer that he came to know as Violet whispering and moving closer to the boy. It was clear she didn't particularly like Akira. However, he wasn't expecting the other one, Alder, to ask him if he wanted to play with that. It was the first time that Akira was able to even consider playing with them, though he figured he may still have to be careful. 

"Sure! What do you wanna play?" He moved to stand up, shaking out his fur with a smile. Bounding towards them, he would skid to a half, flicking his tail behind him. He cocked his head to the side slightly as he watched the two of them, curious to see what they were going to do. After all, they were the ones that invited him, so he might as well wait to see what they had planned.

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"If you like me, you'll do what I say, right?" He was quite innocent, a similarity that reminded of Dimitri but.. Less annoying. He wasn't a mama's boy, because the golden mother disliked him, for whatever reason. She too had detested him but eh, it grew rather neutral now. She had a new enemy really, someone else to focus on, but in the end because of that, it didn't give thoughts. Why did she dislike him? Ever since they were young, Violet couldn't really remember a moment where she did. A weird coldness given.

She looked at Akira, up and down at this.. Spotted boy, "What are you?" Violet asked rudely. A child, but who the hell was he? Brother? Family? Cousin? Didn't look like them, so she automatically didn't like him.

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Akira was quite a bit older than the rest of them, being nearly ten months old. He wasn't sure what they could play without him having the advantage in both size and experience, but even if thought it might be unfairly skewed, he was still more than happy to have an extra playmate.

“I was thinking we go to to the waterfall - Mama — Valeska said there's one tucked into the side of the mountains somewhere,” he suggested, looking northward across the lake with a faraway expression. “She also said there's little flapping monsters inside - she's never seen it herself, but Mother — Amaranth went once and said it was scary.”

He really, really wanted to go...

But of course Violet had to ruin it.

She spoke up then, her voice high and pitchy and unpleasant. “"If you like me, you'll do what I say, right?"” He groaned inwardly, not knowing where this path was going, but certainly not liking it.

“Um... yes?” Alder ventured carefully with narrowed eyes. What was she up to?

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The boy was just happy to have siblings to play with, not really caring that they weren't blood related. It wasn't until the small screamer spoke up that he would lose the smile on his face, narrowing his eyes at her question. "I'm a wolf dummy. I'm also your older brother, you should show me some respect." He would puff out his cheeks and lift his head up, attempting to look important and regal.

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She scrunched her face at him, "uhmmm, you're kinda ugly, so no thanks," at the whole 'respect me I'm your brother.' Violet gave an obvious disdain look up and down, he didn't look like any of them, didn't even have the same coloring as Harper. Wolves with spots were something she had never seen before as well, and thus glancing at him, within her child-mind she kept thinking there was no way that he was a wolf.

Violet leaned into Alder, whispering into his ears, "when we are at the waterfall, I want you to push him in." If he loved her, and said he would listen, he would do this for her, right?

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Alder was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

This was the worst possible scenario.

There was no way he could get out of this without pissing one of them off, and he chafed inwardly, his expression taking on one of distress as Violet hissed her horrible machinations into his ear.

“Uh, one second, Akira -” he interjected, holding up a paw and leaning in toward his sister.

“Why? Why do I have to push him in? Why can't you push him in, it's your idea!” he whispered back frantically, panic lacing his tone. “What do I get out of it except both our mothers yelling at me? They'll know it came from you too!”

He shot a quick, not-very-reassuring smile back toward their older 'brother', ears flat against his head in a criminal display of guilt.

This wasn't fair at all.

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The boy pouted slightly, hearing his so called 'sister's words. This was why he hated her. She was always so rude and mean for no reason. He was just trying to play with his siblings and look where it got him. With no other words, he would start to walk away, feeling like he didn't really belong. He was rather oblivious to their scheming as he wandered a few feet away, wondering to himself if he should just leave.

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Violet didn't care to that brothers feelings, because ugly wolves don't have a leg to stand on. At least, that's what she thought ; thats why at least she somewhat listened to her parents, and some of her siblings. Although she also thought Aunt Harper was rather ugly, and of course, did not listen to her either. Her beauty standards at the moment equaled to pale wolves, finding darker the colors that they were, the less beauty that it was.

"You said you liked me right?" she smiled rather devilishly, "if you don't do this you aren't my brother," she also threatened, giving a huff of a snort. If he did like her he would do this for her, or otherwise wasn't a true sibling.

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He wondered how Violet had managed to sour so completely in the womb. Their childhood wasn't even bad - honestly, one of the worst parts of it was already standing right in front of him hissing through a serpentine smile - and yet she managed to swat away every chance at happiness. Alder couldn't fathom being so naturally unhappy with everything, but he was swiftly making his way ever closer there every time she opened her mouth.

“I don't like you,” he started, frowning visibly. “I love you - you're my sister, and I don't think I gotta do this to Akira to play with him.”

He huffed.

“Besides, I'm gonna be your brother anyway 'cause we live together.”

Alder peered at her more closely, inspecting her face for any sort of reasoning skills.

“I say if you don't push him, you're a wimp because you won't be able to survive the consequences.”

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