Invisible Bonds [Remus]

[Saphira]

Water. It was something Saphira desperately loved. The sound, the feel, the look.. It was so calm and peaceful, but simultaneously so full of life. She could sit and stare into its depths for hours, or alternatively close her eyes and listen to a steady lapping movement. It never became old to her.

Just earlier that week she had been for a nice swim in the Oriens. Now she stood in front of a hot spring. This was a very different kind of water. It had its own feeling, its own set of charms, very distinct and yet not all so different from the cool water of Nyspoli’s Pool.

Saphira put her nose to the glass surface, the steam rising up flooding her face and seemingly smothering her, but she did not mind the feel. She was used to it. This was her home, and she had grown up around it. These springs were a part of her.

She pulled back to observe the perfect ripples it left as they spread out become less clear until they finally disappeared. Even though ripples were no longer observable, the water was no longer like glass. The evidence that it had recently been disturbed lay in the tiny, almost imperceptible, movements across the surface and the sound those movements made.

Carefully, Saphira dipped her paw into the warm water, testing the temperature, but something felt off. Her hair pricked and she drew her paw back up and glanced around. It felt as if she was not alone. Her nose twitched as she attempted to recognize the scent of her fellow pack member, but to no avail. She could not tell if the air here was simply too still or if the steam obscured the scent.

She sat down, her tail wagging in anticipation of another wolf walking into sight at some point. It was entirely possible, of course, that she was mistaken, but something told her someone was there.

“Hello?” she called out confidently and cheerfully, as always. “Who is there?”

Words: 338
Muse: Decent
Tags: Remus
Notes: beep beep boop. first posts are hard.

[Remus]

When Remus wasn't by his brother's side, the young brute almost always felt lost. Why was it that he never felt completely secure unless there was someone large, someone stronger taking care of him? It was in his blood, this need to be taken care of. He sought it out in his brother, and more recently he had started to wander when his brother was not close, aching for a fullness that couldn't be quenched while he was alone.

That's what brought him to hot springs. His wandering feet had carried him here on their own accord, but he had nowhere else to be, so here he sat. Alone as ever. Mere inches from his ebony paws, steam rose from the shimmering surface like miniature ghosts, and it collected on his nose, he sat so still by the water's edge. He didn't even move as the condensation dropped from the tip of his snout like rain. The surface of the springs was as still as he was, smooth as glass and reflective.

Snap.

Remus flicked a single audit behind him at the sudden noise. It wasn't loud, but there was definitely some sort of disturbance coming from behind him. Hesitating for just a moment, the black brute lifted his rump off the ground and skirted the edge of the springs until he was a safe distance from where he had sat. He disappeared just in time, for another wolf had stepped out into the open and was approaching the edge of the hot water with an unhurried gait.

For a split second, Remus thought his brother, Pharaoh had just walked up to the springs, but as the ivory stranger gave a brief survey of the area Remus saw the splash of gold-touched fur that adorned one side of this wolf's face. It was much larger than the slim outline of gold that Pharaoh had around his eye. And this wolf wasn't male. Her feminine scent had reached his hiding spot. It was all sweetness, with the overall lingering scent of Descai hanging over it like a cloud. I've seen that wolf before…

He watched with increasing interest as the young femme bent her nose towards the hot springs and lingered there above the surface. When she touched the smooth water, he winced. That probably hurt her nose, he thought as the water rippled out from where the white wolf had disturbed it. He stretched his next around a clump of foliage, sky-blue eyes wide as they tried to get a better look at this strange, lone wolf.

And he promptly stepped on a dry stick, crunching it beneath his paw with an unnecessary amount of noise. Mouse dung! The white femme looked to his direction, alert of the unwanted company. But instead of getting defensive and calling out, she simply tilted her head to one side and spoke in a normal, even cheerful tone. “Hello? Who is there?” Remus was unsure of what to do. He could slink back to the den, where his brothers were probably romping around, stirring up trouble without him. Or he could find out who this vaguely familiar wolf is.

Before he had even consciously made a decision, the young brute had straightened, and taken two large steps forward until he was completely in view from where the female stood. He watched her as he appeared, and if she was surprised, she hid it well. "Hello," he offered, his voice timid. Cursing himself, he cleared his throat and tried again, his voice stronger this time. "I'm Remus, who are you?"

---

Count | 608
Tags | Saphira
Muse | Pretty Good
Notes | Here you go! Sorry this kind of sucks. I don't know why it was so hard for me to write.

[Saphira]

”Remus!” she squealed as the black male stepped out from behind the brush that was offering him cover and anonymity and gave his name. She jumped up to her feet and excitedly moved about in place, her feet lifting off the floor randomly, almost giving the impression was dancing in place, though she managed to make it appear graceful instead of awkward. “What are you doing here?”

The way she greeted him and spoke to him gave no impression to anyone who was not privy to their backstory that she did not, in fact, know this wolf incredibly well—or at all. She spoke to him as one would an old friend they were surprised and over-joyed to see again after a long time, and not one she had just met. But it fit with her view that strangers were simply friends she had not yet met.

She bounded over to him, ignoring how timid and shy he had appeared at first, as if it had not happened. She was confident she could make anyone feel comfortable. It was not hard to get others to let loose a little and have fun with her. They needed to, and she loved it. Her tail was now wagging, completely unrestrained and untamed with no effort on her part to tone down the excitement.

“I am Saphira,” she responded to his question, almost singing her words. “Daughter of Vorilye, alpha of Descai. Loyal member of Descai myself, obviously. Who are you?” she immediately returned. She knew his name, but that was not ‘who’ he was. She wanted more to work with than that and would not settle for less. It was both sad and interesting to her that most were content to stop with a name in response to the question “who are you?” It was so much deeper than that. It was far deeper than even Saphira’s answer, and she knew that, but there was no sense in wearing him out with a lot of words. At least not just yet. There were protocols to be followed—occasionally. One of these dictated that one must give the opportunity for others to be heard, as well, and she did her best to adhere to this one every now and then.

Words: 377
Muse: Goooood!
Tags: Remus
Notes: Don’t feel bad about the post! I liked it! And Saphira will have fun with him. he’s so cute. <3 I’m sorry the reply is short. Just struggling to find a direction. Saphira will probably be able to work with whatever he gives her, though.

[Remus]

Suddenly, the femme's entire face lit up with joy. "Remus!" She practically danced on her paws as she burst out with his name, and ran up to him as if to greet an old friend. "What are you doing here?" Remus was definitely startled, but he held his ground, though his black tail dipped slightly behind him. Was he suppose to know this wolf? She definitely looked familiar, but then again, he had seen all the wolves of his pack at one point or another. As she bounded gracefully around the edge of the hot springs and skidded to a stop before him, he was able to see her up close for the first time. And her beauty nearly rendered him speechless. Half of her face held the same coloration that had been given to two of his siblings―brilliant strands of golden fur, passed down to the lucky offspring of Descai. To Remus, such a coloration signified who were really important to the future of the pack. In comparison, his dark coat looked limp and dull against her dazzling white pelt. It was amazing how similar in coloration she was to his brother, Pharaoh. Even their eyes were nearly the same shade of blue. But wait... Remus looked closer and saw that this femme had two different orbs shining out from above her muzzle. One was a brilliant blue, as pure as a pool of cool water. The other was a bright yellow, and paralleled it's sibling in spirit. Her eyes practically twinkled as she smiled at him.

"I was looking for my brother, Romulus," he finally answered, his eyes wide and blinking like a deer caught being hunted. the ivory female, however, was completely as ease. Her tail wagged, unrestrained. Her smile seemed to have no boundary to its charm, and although he was startled, Remus felt comfortable, if but a little surprised at her friendliness. “I am Saphira, daughter of Vorilye, alpha of Descai. Loyal member of Descai myself, obviously. Who are you?" Her long-winded intro was just another surprising thing about her, and Remus struggled to find words that matched up with her. "I'm also one of Vorilye's bloodline," he said quickly. "My mother is Angel, Hunter of Descai. I have two brothers..." he trailed off, unsure of what else to include about himself. In truth, there wasn't really much defining him yet that didn't have to do with his siblings. He hadn't really done much exploring on his own yet, after all.

---

Count | 425
Tags | Saphira
Muse | Decent
Notes | Sorry that this post is crappy and doesn't give you much to go off of. I was trying to squeeze it in between classes.

[Saphira]

She carefully observed the smaller, dark wolf in his hesitance. There was something about the way he looked her over that gave the impression he found her appearance disturbing. Saphira could not imagine what it was about her that was upsetting to him. They had not crossed paths before, but she tried to reign in her excited bubbliness if that would help. She was oddly observant for someone so expressive. She always seemed to be in touch with her surroundings and others.

I was looking for my brother, Romulus.

Ah, yes. Romulus and Remus. She had been aware of their birth. How had she not linked his name before. “Brother,” she smiled gently at him. “Half” had no meaning to her. They were siblings, regardless of their complete parentage. This was always how she had felt. Why divide amongst something so insignificant?

I’m also one of Vorilye’s bloodline. My mother is Angel, Hunter of Descai. I have two brothers…

The way he trailed off at the mention of his immediate siblings was curious, and Saphira tilted her head ever so slightly, making no attempt to hide the question and curiosity in her face as her eyes searched for his, wondering if he was the type of wolf too uncomfortable to hold eye contact.

“Do you like your brothers?” This seemed like a harmless enough question to her. She could also likely glean a lot of information from it, if he was willing to answer it, despite its at least slightly personal nature. But Saphira had never been one to shy away from the personal. She liked playful fun, for sure, but never at the expense of the individual. "Romulus and... who?" she tried to remember.

She knew it might take a while for her brother to open up to her. After all, why should he? He hardly knew her. But she was determined to at least be able to be good friends. Not only were they in the same pack, but they were of the same lineage. She could not settle for casual friendship.

Words: 344
Muse: Decent
Tags: Remus
Notes: nah, that’s plenty to work with. =) I always have decent muse when I start these and then after like 250 words I’m like “wow.. I don’t have anymore to say.” and I have to spend a while figuring it out. =P bear with me, please. =/

[Remus]

The cheerful femme gazed at him with her bold, dual-colored eyes. He was surprised yet again at the warmth in her voice as she muttered the word "brother." It left her maw a light as a feather, and drifted around him pleasantly. For the first time since meeting the white and gold wolf in from of him, a small smile curled up the edges of his muzzle. She was just so friendly. "Do you like your brothers?" she asked him carefully. "Romulus and... who?" Her face wrinkled cutely in concentration as she struggled to remember the name. Remus admired her honesty and answered her hastily. "Pharaoh," he said, and then continued, "I love my brothers. They are fierce and loyal to Descai. Plus... they protect me," the fondness was evident in his tone as he trailed off. His brothers were not easy playmates. Being the runt of the litter, Remus always found himself being knocked over or tackled. It was all playful, but even so, he wondered what it would be like to have a sister to talk to, someone who would sit quietly and have a conversation. Maybe Saphira could be that wolf, he thought suddenly. She was his half-sister after all. And she wasn't exactly quiet... just gentle. It was a nice, stark difference from life in the birthing den where he had spent the last six months living with Romulus and Pharaoh.

Suddenly, he was painfully aware that he hadn't asked her any questions about herself. She was so open and willing to speak about where she came from, that he had not bothered to inquire further. Hoping to change this, he asked, "So what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Maybe Saphira had tons of siblings that he didn't even know about and she was wasting her time being here, talking to him instead of playing with them. His self-doubt started to creep back into his bones as soon as he asked the question. He was always thinking less of himself. And worrying. Always worrying about something.

"What kinds of things do you do around here for fun?" he added, struggling to find something to say to the femme before him. He liked her, that was certain, but he was always so awkward in situations like this. With his siblings, he never needed to think about what he was going to say next or what they were going to do. They always took care of that for him, jumping about and deciding where they were going to explore. There was no need for Remus to ever make a suggestion of what they were going to do next.

---

Count | 450
Tags | Saphira
Muse | Decent
Notes | n/a

[Saphira]

The longer Saphira spent with the small black wolf, at least he was smaller than she was by a good bit, the more he seemed to relax. He was definitely more at ease than when she had first surprised him by calling him out from his hiding place. She could not help but feel slightly smug as the warmth of a new friendship spread through her veins. With perhaps a bit too much pride, she glowed with satisfaction and confidence in her ability to make friends of even the most unlikely wolves. Not that she thought gaining trust and friendship from Remus was to be taken for granted or that she did not particularly want to be friends with him. She definitely did want to get to know him better and extend her friendship. He intrigued her. Perhaps it was his quiet manner that stood in such stark contrast to her own bubbly, outgoing personality.

I love my brothers. They are fierce and loyal to Descai. Plus... they protect me.

Saphira could tell he was being sincere, but still there was something about how he spoke of them that pointed to more than just fondness. It was not bitter either, but.. painful almost? A kind of loneliness or sense of isolation that she could not understand was communicated in his far-off gaze.

So what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?

The words pulled her back to reality from her thoughts. She smiled at him, and, pulling her excitement from within her and allowing it to bubble over as she nodded enthusiastically. “I have four,” she replied surprisingly matter-of-factly. “I actually really don’t know what they’re up to…” Her brow furrowed and her eyes almost glazed over as her gaze moved towards some unrecognizable spot on the ground as if she were trying hard to remember something as she trailed off. Then with a sudden snap of her head back to Remus she let out a small laugh and said in her typical sing-song voice, “Oh well. I don’t suppose it much matters. I’ll run into them when I need to.” No use worrying about things she couldn’t change.

What kinds of things do you do around here for fun?

“FUN!” she burst out, as if having just remembered that there was such a thing and that she had been needlessly distracted from it. She immediately hopped up and almost “bowed,” her legs stretched out in front of her, her tail wagging in the air behind her, waiting for him to make the first move to start their play. It was like the previous conversation had not existed or had ceased to exist. It was no longer important. Maybe she could even interest him in the warm water at some point! There was so much to do and so much they could have fun with!

Words: 479
Muse: Waaayy better than Tuesday. Sorry I didn’t write you a reply then….
Tags: Remus
Notes: aaaand she back in her natural habitat/state of being. lol

[Remus]

Remus was surprised to fin himself at ease with Saphira. Granted, he had not had much experience with strangers and he was always fine around his siblings, but his initial instincts of weariness and nervous energy had completely evaporated. In a quiet sort of way he was enjoying himself and the femme’s company. She was definitely unique. Not only in appearance, though he kept finding his eyes trailing on the strands of gold fur that adorned one side of her face. Her personality was just so full of light. It was almost contagious. Different is not always bad, he thought to himself. He had experienced this first-hand with his brother, Pharaoh. The Descai prince had a very strange companion whom he just recently bonded with. A young white tiger cub was a creature that Remus would have never even laid eyes on if not for his brother. Strange indeed it was for any wolf to welcome a feline into their ranks, but there was no mistaking the friendship between the big cat and the white pup.

As Saphira spoke briefly of her own siblings, she trailed off. It was the first time Remus heard a seed of uncertainty in the she-wolf’s voice. As soon as it had surfaced, however, Saphira seemed to snap back to her old self. “Oh well. I don’t suppose it much matters. I’ll run into them when I need to.” She spoke cheerfully, audits standing tall atop her head. Then, he mentioned fun, and it seemed as if that single word had the power to burst whatever bubble of constraint Saphira possessed. She barked, all four paws practically leaving the ground. She immediately assumed the most recognizable position to all wolf pups; her rump waved in the air as she lowered her lower body into a deep bow. Her front paws reached from his as she stretched her upper body. She was practically begging for some sort of reaction from him.

He didn’t disappoint. Before she had even centered herself, Remus pounced, tousling her playfully. He was holding back, really, only having wrestled previously with his two brothers. For some reason, he thought the female pup to be more delicate. He cuffed one of her ears with a paw playfully, his tongue lolling freely from his open maw. Then, he sprang backwards. In two bounds, he had turned away from the white femme and bucked behind a tree.

”Catch me if you can! he barked over his shoulder.

---

Count | 419
Tags | Saphira
Muse | Decent
Notes | Sorry that this took two weeks!

[Saphira]

His immediate response to her wordless invitation to play took her slightly by surprise. Perhaps it was that she had not played this way in so long, having been over a year for a little while now and forced to grow up and manage for herself, or perhaps it was just that his quiet demeanor seemed almost incapable of the wildly enthusiastic response he had just given her almost instinctively without having had to think about it first.

She lost her balance as he pounced onto her and rolled over, quickly trying to regain her footing and shake the dust out of her fur. Her heart thudded along with their paws in excitement as she immediately returned the gesture, somewhat gently landing on his back with her front paws before she rolled off and was answered with a paw to her ear.

Suddenly, Remus disappeared, and Saphira took a few moments to orient herself as the taunting sound of Catch me if you can! seemed to come from every direction. It only took her a moment, however, to see his tail dart behind a tree before his ears and blue eyes were visible on the other side of the tree, watching her.

Saphira barked, ran towards the tree for several feet before abruptly coming to a halt and darting back away from him for a bit. She stopped and turned to look for Remus, daring him to follow her with her bright eyes, open maw, and wagging tail. After half a second, she turned her back to him again and took off, her ears flattening against her head as she raced forward with no idea where she was headed, away from the hot springs. They could always return later, but right now a chase felt like the most fun thing she could imagine.

Her paws simultaneously seemed to barely touch the ground as she ran and also seemed to be thudding against the ever harder growing terrain as it became less moist the further she was from between the springs. Suddenly she jerked around and readied herself to wrestle Remus, whom she assumed was following close behind.

Words: 357

Muse: Good!

Tags: Remus

Notes: Oh don’t worry!! The last Saphira reply I just got out had been waiting for over 3 weeks… and I just made you wait 2 weeks, too. lol

[Remus]

In moments, the two wolves—though they had just met each other—were rolling on the ground. He was so happy to see her romp back with him that his tail wagged uncontrollably and his tongue lolled from his mouth. When he fell back into the trees, he knew she would follow. But again, she surprised him. She didn’t just follow, but tore ahead. She looked over her ivory shoulder at him, so only the gold side of her face could be seen. The fur practically shone like sunshine, bi-colored eyes twinkling with mischief as she beckoned for him to follow her through the trees. A moment later she was gone as she darted between two trees.

Remus only hesitated for a second before he chased after her. Her white tail whipped like a banner as her paws carried her faster and faster through the trees, but Remus wasn’t about to get left behind. He stayed right on her heels, weaving between tree trucks with ease. This is so different than playing with my brothers, the black brute thought as his breath burst from his lungs in short, staccato gasps. All they are interested in is pinning me down until I can’t move. What’s the fun in that? This is real fun. The feeling of wind in my fur and my heart pounding in the pads of my paws. He relished the feeling, and was sorry when Saphira can to a halt in front of him and turned.

They were face-to-face, noses only inches apart. Usually quiet and reserved, Remus felt Saphira bringing out his more spontaneous side. He gave a laugh, so pure and unexpected that it startled him and his icy blue eyes grew wide.

---

Count | 312
Tags | Saphira
Muse | Good
Notes | Weeee

[Saphira]

Saphira was having an unspeakable amount of fun. It had been too long since she had played as a pup. Most wolves, it seemed, gave up on the simple pleasures of life as they grew older, trading them for a façade of maturity and seriousness. But Saphira had never seen the harm in allowing the pup in herself free expression once in the while.

She laughed as she ran ahead with Remus tearing after her, enjoying the feeling of the wind on her face. And when she stopped and Remus almost ran into her and laughed, she laughed along with him. It was a hearty, heart-felt laughter that seemed to warm her entire being. Her eyes searched Remus’ looking for the shy wolf she had first met, but he was nowhere to be found. At least not right now.

“Remus,” Saphira addressed him, panting heavily and trying to regain her breath, now noticing the pain in her side from running and laughing, “I like you.” She didn’t have much else to say, but she did not need to say anything else. She had made another friend, met another wolf and been able to pull him out of himself a bit. She did not know how this encounter would affect him after they parted ways. Hopefully he would remember it and be able to embrace himself and find confidence within himself regardless of his relationship with his brothers.

“You’re a lot of fun and I’m glad we met.” She smiled genuinely at him. It had just felt right to offer him some compliments. She was not sure how he would take them, but she had said what she felt. And almost as if her brain instantly switched back, her paw darted up and swatted at his face before she bounded off giggling, waiting for him to come after her and pounce her. It would be a fun day.



Words: 317
Muse: good!
Tags: Remus
Notes: Feel free to reply again or leave it here. =)