Going Astray [Open/Sirius]

[Harpy]

The day of exploration had started just as any other had. The four pups were still slightly too young to be wandering off by themselves, and so they had been accompanied by their parents as they traversed the wilderness of Shyia. Xayar Forest was so beautiful, and filled with so many interesting new sights and smells! The birdsong that echoed through the canopy was enchanting, and she’d stared up in wonder at how huge the trees were compared to her. She was filled with endless questions, too, constantly asking her parents what kind of tree that was, what sort of animal that was, what the colour of that was called.

Then, a small animal had caught her attention. She watched animatedly as a small fox picked its way through the underbrush, its ears pricking with fear when it heard the coy-wolf family approaching. An instinct sparked within Harpy, and she wanted nothing more than to chase after the small creature as she did with her siblings. And so, ignoring her parents’ warnings, she sped after it, following it under deep roots and over moss-covered logs. Although still growing into her limbs, Harpy found that she was still considerably less clumsy than her older brothers, perhaps because she was so much smaller. As such, she had little difficulty keeping up with the fox – for a time at least.

Eventually she slowed, tired, and realising suddenly that her family were nowhere in sight. Not only that, but she’d managed to reach the edge of the forest, where it bordered the shore. Beneath her paws, the grass and dirt was littered with more and more tiny grains of sand, until the trees disappeared completely, and a huge golden beach stretched out before her, the surface of the sea shimmering in the distance. So distracted by its magnificence was Harpy that she almost forgot that she had lost her whole family, and she had no idea how to get back to the dens.

Torn between exploring the beautiful vista and turning back to find her family, Harpy stopped still for a few moments, before turning around to check if she could see any sign of her parents or siblings. There was nothing, so the small coy-wolf lifted her maw to the air and released a small, squeaky howl, followed by a couple of short bark-yips that she’d inherited from her coyote heritage. If they were close, they would hear her, and if not… Well, she’d figure that out if it came to that.

---

Word count: 418
Notes: Brimming with Harpy muse! I'm liquid-timing this so she's sliiightly older; old enough to be on her own for a short time (: Open to any Airila members.
Tags: Sirius / open!

[Sirius]

He snuck away, not easily but he did it. Waiting, straining to be patient which was no virtue of his until the moment he could slip away and wander this expanse land he was born into alone. Now that he had, the half breed pup wandered aimlessly, now that he was free to do as he wished he didn't quite know what to do now. Perhaps he should have brought Rowan along, he was always good at thinking up his already infamous plans for trouble and fun. 

Turning to double back and fetch his brother a unique squeaky howl that was punctuate switch a few yips at the end. Rounded ears pricked at the sound and listened for the origin as it faded. He wasn't trained to track yet, but he was almost certain he figured out where it had come from. Once again changing direction the earthy pup followed where he believed the sound to have come from. Running in his own fumbling way, the Coywolf pup went as fast as he could. 

"Hawpy?" He called out, his little voice squeaking out as bravely as he could, "Hawpy!" 

Looking everywhere, he searched for his older sister as he envisioned himself looking valiant and strong like Father as he trampled the ground with his tiny paws. 

But it maybe he had walked the wrong way, echoes easily could confuse a young one like himself..he was so certain he was right though. "Hawpy?" He called one more time before he would turn back and get someone who was better at this. Then a dark little speck formed on the horizon and doubt flew from his mind, that had to be her. Tripping closer to her, Sirius grinned, "Hello. I found you!!" A greeting like any other day instead of both of them being where they weren't really supposed to be.

Harpy

[Harpy]

Harpy’s enormous, satellite dish ears could have picked up her younger brother’s hollering from a mile away, immediately pricking up with she heard the familiar, lisp-influenced version of her name. She twisted in the direction of his shouts, peering through the dense foliage for some suggestion of her sibling. “Sirius!” she called, to give him some indication of her location, and soon enough the brown-dappled form of her brother appeared through the trees. She giggled at his words, still bemused by his speech impediment and inability to say her name right.

“It’s Harpy,” she corrected, through a further burst of giggles. “H-a-r-p—…um…—y!” There was nothing scathing about her words, she simply wanted to help him in her own, childish way. After she spoke, she bounded toward him confidently, nuzzling him affectionately, but briefly. “You sure did find me though! I thought I was gonna be alone out here ‘til mum ‘n’ dad found me…” The arrival of her brother made her feel a little better. She wasn’t scared of being alone during the day, but at night… If the sunset and she had to sleep alone, out in the forest, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. Luckily, that wasn’t the case now. She had her brother here to help her keep guard for monsters.

“Where are they, anyway? One moment I was chasing this tiny orange wolf and the next… You were all gone!” she explained dramatically, her tail waving happily behind her. Harpy wondered suddenly if her parents would be angry at her for wandering off, although really it was their fault for leaving her! Would they punish her? What if they left her behind next time they went out? The thought was almost enough to dampen her spirits, but not quite.

“Well…We don’t have to go back right now, do we? Why don’t we explore the beach together?” she suggested, turning in the direction of the ocean. It was so pretty, and there was so much room to run around. Turning back around to her baby brother with a wicked grin, Harpy gave her brother only the briefest warning in order to improve her own chances of winning. “RACE YA TO THE OCEAN! 5-4-3-2-1 GO!” Harpy had set off running before she’d even got to the count of two, her tiny black and white frame darting across the slippery sand at full speed.

---

Word count: 398
Notes: haha oh man, she's gonna be even worse than Lia
Tags: Sirius / open

[Sirius]

Immensely pleased with himself for finding her Sirius painted on a crooked grin infused with puppy-ish pride. His sister seemed pleased to see him which always made things better, however she made him roll his eyes when she attempted to teach him how to say her name right. "I know your name." He insisted, although his speech impediment didn't bother him too much he did wish he could sound like everyone else. But obediently taking direction from his dark sister, he tried again, "Haw-py." He grinned although the word remained the same on his tongue, "H-a-'ahw'-p-y." 

When she mentioned mom and dad, he wondered how they would react once they did find them. Sirius who have wandered off again and probably would get in trouble, well both of them for that matter. But there was nothing for it now. No need to go rushing back for a scolding, at least that's how he figured it. They were out. Might as well stay out until the last possible moment. "They was back by the den when I saw them last. I didn't know you were gone until I heard that squeaky voice of yours." He laughed, always willing to tease his siblings. "Wait! What tiny owange wolf?" His little forehead crinkled in confusion. Was she talking about a pup like them? His head started to swivel to try and get a look at this mysterious creature his sister spoke of.

Then his attention was broken but a proposal to go out together, maybe the beach! "Yeah! We will be safer together." Puffing out his narrow chest, he lifted his head high,"I'll pwotect you." His heroic stance was broke but her announcement of a countdown and Poof! She was off running. "Hey!" He protested even as he launched his little body after her. 

The thundering paws of two youngsters seemed to be welcomed by the sandy terrain, although he had a hard time keeping his balance at times when he first touched the terrain which gave under his feet. But after a few moments he seemed to get the hang of things and raced alongside the hawk named girl. "Think the watew will still be weal cold?" He shouted as his eyes looked at the expansive blue waters.

Harpy
387
Adventure time!!

[Harpy]

Harpy giggled girlishly at his second incorrect attempt at pronouncing her name. She couldn’t understand why he couldn’t say ‘r’, it was so easy! But she didn’t miss the way he rolled her eyes at her, and the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt her brother’s feelings, so she let it go. “I’m sure you’ll get it eventually, Siri,” she told him, her voice warm and filled with affection for her baby brother – though he could hardly be called a baby at the rate he was growing. Already he was twice the size of her, having inherited his father’s size and his mother’s everything else. Harpy had been told that they were somewhat unique, being half coyote and half wolf, but so far Harpy had her siblings to compare herself to. They all had their mother’s large coyote ears, but Lyra seemed to take after their mother the most – both in appearance and size. Rowan looked a lot like father, and Sirius and Harpy were a perfect blend of the two.

Speaking of their parents, Harpy was surprised to hear that they had already returned to the dens without her. Maybe they thought that’s where she had wandered off to, but if so they would be sorely mistaken. It was just as well that her brother had found her. When Sirius referred to her voice as ‘squeaky’, her expression changed immediately, a frown burrowing into her brow. “My voice is not squeaky!” she protested, but in her anger her voice only rose further. There was no point arguing, so she just huffed and followed his change in conversation when he mentioned the small wolf.

“I don’t know that it was a wolf… But it looked a lot like us. It was the same size as me, and it was orange and black and white, and it was very fast!” she explained. “I can ask mum and dad about it later. They’ll know.” Harpy was very firmly under the impression that their parents knew everything there was to know about the world.

She laughed wildly as she shot off in the direction of the ocean, her brother’s protests falling on deaf ears. “I’m gonna win!” she teased, sliding this way and that on the strange terrain. It was impossible to keep her balance on the sand, but she was undeterred. Her small size made her speedy, but her brother’s huge legs made his strides much bigger than her own.

"Think the watew will still be weal cold?"

Harpy had no idea how cold the water would be, but she knew it wouldn’t matter to her in the slightest. Either way, she was going to paddle in it, and splash her brother in the face. “There’s only one way to find out!” she called back, her tiny paws sinking into the beach with every bound. The small coy-wolf hybrid felt a rush of excitement at the race, her heart pounding heavily against her chest, adrenaline rushing through her blood. Throwing back her maw, she let out another high-pitched howl as though her enthusiasm was impossible to contain.

When they finally reached the shoreline, Harpy had not been paying attention to who got their first, all thoughts of winners and losers flying from her head when the icy cold water hit her chest. She squealed at the temperature, her entire body going rigid, but refusing to leave it in defeat. “Brrrr!” she said with a shiver, turning to her brother to gauge his reaction. “It’s f-f-freezing!”

---

Word count: 586
Notes: OF COURSE IT'S COLD SILLY CHILD
Tags: Sirius

[Sirius]

He simply grinned as her octave rose indignantly but didn't bait her any further on the matter. He knew they all were rather squeaky right now, how he wished he could have a powerful deep voice that shook the earth and commanded attention by one and all. But now his voice could just as easy sound like the sneeze of a mouse, not to mention father said one day his voice would change but not smoothly. There would be breaks and cracks in it as it shifted from puppy to wolf and back as he grew. Sounded awful but there was no avoiding it. All he could think of was how silly he would sound then along with his confounded lisp. Maybe if he tried really hard, he could make his tongue obey him.

An orange wolf? That sounded silly! Wolves couldn't be orange, could they? Of course his limited experience with wolves, namely his family, had made this idea fantastic and out-worldly. Maybe he would grow up into an orange wolf! He liked the sound of that. Of course nature didn't work like in that way, but the imagination of a pup was endless with possibilities. He looked at his own painted pelt with the browns, white and black all swirled together. He never thought much on whether he liked it but now it seemed to be entertaining to follow all the colors with his eyes as best he could.

Racing his sister was so far the highlight of the day. He barked several times in joy as they dashed here and there in puppy grace..or rather the lack thereof. The water was closer with every step and he surged forward after Harpy with glee. Icy chills shot up his legs and through his body as he crashed in merely a second after his sister. A squeal of dismay erupted from his throat and he ran back out as quickly as he could. Glancing back he saw Harpy stubbornly stay in its chilly grasp, most likely trying to prove she was tough. "Come out! You'll shwivel up in there!" He urged, walking along the edge of the water just far enough away to not touch it. He shivered and shook the water from his pelt as best he could but the efforts of trying to rid himself of excess water only made him trip and splash back into the ocean. Surrendering, he laughed at his own lack of coordination although the cold was piercing.

Harpy

[Harpy]

Although the cold water was almost unbearable, Harpy was determined to stay in the water, even as she shook uncontrollably. Her dark ears heard her brother splash in behind her, and as she turned she saw him fleeing from the water’s icy grip. She tried to laugh but her body refused, and her teeth just chattered together awkwardly instead.

“Come out! You'll shwivel up in there!”

Harpy shook her head fervently, still shuddering slightly but the water around her seemed to grow less and less cold. “It’s not so bad,” she replied, with chattering teeth. The longer she stayed, her small black legs rooted to the seabed, the more temperature the water grew. The waves pushed and pulled at her body, trying to force it this way and that, but she stood resolutely, defying the very ocean itself.

She watched as her brother tripped and fell into the water, his growing body uncoordinated and new to him. She seized the chance to dip her paw into the water as fast as she could, splashing her brother with the salty droplets and wading toward him simultaneously. But she hadn’t counted on water but so difficult to move through, so she, too, fell forward into slightly deeper water. Instinctively she pushed her paws out in front of her and found that it propelled her upwards, keeping her head out of the watery abyss. “Hey!” she said, scrambling back into shallower water, only to leap back into the sea and test out her technique again.

It worked, and soon she could keep her head above water even when her paws weren’t touching the sand beneath the water. “I’m swimming! Siri, look!” she beamed proudly and tried to glance in his direction, but all her co-ordination seemed to be taken up by her paddling. Harpy’s young legs soon grew tired, though, and she was forced to return to the very edge of the shore. “Did you see that?” she asked her brother, unfathomably excited about her newfound skill.

---

Word count: 334
Notes: Well! Looks like my muse has officially died. RIP. I'm sorry this sucks so much
Tags: Sirius

[Sirius]

Sitting up from his oh so graceful face plant into the salty waters and sand, Sirius shook off the sticky stuff as best as he could from his face and pelt. Soon enough he heard Harpy squeak with joy as she paddles around in the icy waters. Watching carefully as his sister bobbed around in the water with a smile so big he pictured her face getting stuck like that. Just like he heard so many times when he made a funny face, someone always said his face would get stuck like that. But it never did no matter how long he tried to make it stay that way.

Soon enough she came bounding up to him, obviously proud. He smiled back, "Wow!! Good job!" He wondered what Rowan would do and concluded he would probably try to do the same thing. But Sirius lacked that serious competitive edge, he was proud of her for learning something new. While he was content to wait for warmer waters to try out his longer limbs at the task do learning how to swim. Barking his squeaky bark, Sirius stood up on his hind legs and made to pounce on his dark sister. What better way to show his excitement then wrestling? He didn't realize she came back due to tired limbs so of course he assumed she had the energy to play with him. 

Also he had a hard time remembering he was larger than his sisters, which came with endless reminders from his parents to watch himself so he didn't hurt someone. He never meant to hurt anyone, he was just an innocent pup with something to celebrate. "Ya gonna fweeze stiff now?" He teased now that she was out on semi-dry land. It would make for an easier tackle target but probably not as much fun since she wouldn't be able to squirm away and all. 

318
Harpy
puppy play time!!!

[Harpy]

With a thorough shake of her black and white pelt, Harpy dispelled most of the salty water from her coat, the droplets flying in the direction of her brother. If Sirius wasn’t finished playing in the sea, then neither was she, but the weight of the water she’d collected whilst swimming was a nuisance. They had a whole day ahead of them to explore and swim in the sea, until they’d have to return to the dens again. Harpy assumed they’d be punished, but it had only been an accident that she’d gotten lost… And besides, it made no difference what time they returned. Their parents would react the same way, and Harpy wanted more time to play before she had to go back to the stinky dens.

Sirius’s compliment about her newfound skill was unexpected, but welcome. “Thanks!” she beamed, her large black ears perking up with interest. She was so distracted by his kind words that she didn’t have time to prepare for his pounce, and she was knocked back into the shallow water with a soft “Oof!”. She rolled with the force of it, causing the damp sand to stick to the fur on her back. It took her a dazed moment to realise what had happened, but then she was back on her feet, launching herself in his direction and attempting to tackle him down to the floor. She was small, and tired out from her swim, but she always had energy to play. Even if she didn’t knock him over, she could at least get him back for his own actions.

When she’d landed back on all four paws, his joking question reached her ears.

“Naw,” she said. “It’s not that cold.” Even as she spoke, a sudden chill ran up and down her spine as a forceful breeze picked up and whipped through her dark fur. “Well…Maybe it is.” Harpy shrugged her petite shoulders, glancing at the tumultuous ocean. “It’s weird without mum and dad, and Lyra and Rowan,” she commented. "Do you think they'll come looking for us?" Today was the first time she’d been separated from them for so long, though she was glad to have Sirius with her at least.

---

Word count: 383
Notes: Why is my puppy muse all gone D:
Tags: Sirius  

[Sirius]

He could only laugh when she tackled him back, she was so little compared to him but she had a spunk that he just loved. He loved all of his siblings, even if Lyra got on his nerves quite a bit but that didn't dim his affection for her. Rowan was his bestest friend in the world, the instigator most of the time and Sirius was more than happy to follow his lead. Harpy was fun as well as competitive but most of the time that didn't bother him. 

Letting himself fall to his side, he snapped playfully at her ivory and ebony face as he went down in the cold wet sand, thoroughly mussing up his pelt but of course that didn't matter. Pups like him didn't care about such things. Fun and games were the name of the day.

Dark yellow eyes noted the shiver that gripped her and stood up to press himself against her. "I'll wawm you up." He said quietly, knowing full well he would get sand on her but hopefully she wouldn't care too much. "They wiww. Orw we could go back if you're wowwied?" He scanned the beach like they would pop up any moment, "They may be looking wight now." Of course the two of them would get scolded but the fact they were safe surely would lessen the severity, made sense to him anyway. 

"Do you think thewe really are tiger things that live in the watew? Deep in thewe?" He heard snippets of sharp toothed monsters in the water but only if a wolf went far from land, at least if he recalled properly. Curious as to what they looked like, Sirius stared at the water like he expected one to jump over the surface somewhere on the horizon. How would a tiger live the water anyway? Didn't they like air! Or was he thinking of something else now? So much he needed to learn and it seemed endless.

337
its ok me too!

[Harpy]

It was strange how different Sirius was on his own. Although he was never unkind, Harpy decided he was the closest to unkind as he got when he was with Rowan. Of course, she understood the two were best friends, and there was nothing wrong with causing a little trouble – Harpy herself enjoyed the odd prank or two – but she worried sometimes that the two were a bad influence on each other. Maybe it was the protective older sibling in her, but she didn’t want either of them to take their antics too far.

When he allowed himself to be taken down by her tackle, a grin split her face. Already twice her size, Sirius could best her on even his worst days, and yet he was willing to indulge her attempts. The two went down into the sand, the granules saturating their thick coats. She nipped gently at his ear, catching it between her teeth and tugging playfully before freeing it once again. Harpy was glad to spend some time with Sirius; their dynamic was different alone without having Lyra, Rowan, and their parents in the equation.

Harpy stood then, giving herself a quick shake to dislodge some of the sand that clung to her, but she needn’t have – a moment later her brother was covering her in the stuff all over again, though she couldn’t help but giggle at his intentions. “Thanks, Siri,” she said, as the warmth of his body seeped into hers, taking the edge off the cold. “You’re such a good brother.” Nuzzling into his fur, she savoured the heat that seemed to emanate from him, allowing the rest of his lisp-lilted words to wash over her.

“I’m not worried…” she said, “but it might start getting dark soon.” Amber eyes glanced at the horizon. The day was wearing on, and now it was late afternoon. “And they might not be able to find us in the dark. In truth, Harpy was a little worried, but it was hard to worry when her brother was beside her.

“Tiger things?” she inquired, her gaze scouring the glistening water. “I don’t know…” she said uncertainly. “How would they breathe in there?” She looked up at him curiously. “Who told you that? Maybe there’s other things in there, though – apart from fish.” Fish were the only thing she was certain lived in the water; she’d never thought to ask if anything else did.

---

Word count: 405
Notes: I can't even fathom how awful this is I'M SO SORRY, we can end this soon if you're happy to x)
Tags: Sirius

[Sirius]

Grinning like a fool at his sisters compliment, Sirius relished the praise as thoroughly as he could. He tried to be a good sibling and just now he was called such, mission successful! His tail blurred behind him in happiness as it whipped back and forth as fast as he could at the news. "You'wre a good sistwah." He offered in return sincerely, of course his best friend was Rowan but he loved all of his siblings. 

Nodding seriously at the dimming sun, the pup weighed the pros and cons of heading home before it got to dark. They may lose their way back if it got too late and they would certainly be in serious trouble if they were gone too long. Maybe never would be allowed to go out of the den ever again! The threat of an absolute imprisonment made the pup lean towards starting back home. "We can go back. Monsters don't come out in light." He had no idea what monsters would be out at night but Rowan said something once about dangers in the dark. Of course the fact that Rowan had not spent the night out of the den did not diminish his credibility to Sirius. 

"I don't wemembew whewe I heard about the watew tigers but that's a big place out thewe so something could be in it." Poking at the receding waters with his paws, he wondered if he would ever see one. And if he did, would he live to tell about it. Hopefully. "Maybe they hold their bweath weally long and just pop up sometimes." Made sense to him, but he did think about sticking his snout in the water and seeing if water was breathable. Dipping his head towards the water, he sniffed curiously and touched the soft leather of his nose to the cold liquid but the salty splash that met those ebony nostrils sent a burning sensation through his nose that made him sneeze several times. "Nope." He said a bit on the miserable side. 

343 
Harpy 
yeah that's fine with me

[Harpy]

A short, flattered giggle bubbled up from the pup’s throat as her brother complimented her in kind, calling her a good sister with his signature lisp. Bumping her shoulder against him, she shared a radiant smile with him. He was so easy-going and kind, and if he hadn’t found her she’d probably be panicking right now. Instead, she felt relaxed and unperturbed about finding the dens and receiving whatever punishment their parents did or didn’t decide to give them. In Harpy’s naïve puppy eyes, it had been worth it for the bonds she and Sirius had strengthened.

Harpy nodded sagely at his words. It was true that monsters only came out at night, so it followed logically for them to return while it was still light. Feeling relieved that he wasn’t going to tease her for being childish or afraid, she left out a small, almost inaudible sigh. “Okay,” she agreed. “Home it is!” Either way, Harpy was content to be in his company. Perhaps if she’d gone astray with Lyra or Rowan, the afternoon would have turned out differently. But as it was she was content and calm.

“I wonder how Rowan and Lyra are doing without us,” she mused. Harpy had never paid much attention to how they interacted, and whether or not they got on. Normally Lyra would spend her time either with Harpy or by herself, and Rowan would do the same with Sirius. The change in dynamic was refreshing for her, and hopefully Sirius, too, but she didn’t know if the same would be said for their siblings. “I hope they aren’t mad that we went without them…” A small frown appeared on her forehead at the thought of upsetting either of them, even though it wasn’t her fault that she’d gotten lost.

Sensitive ears twitched nimbly atop her skull as he spoke once more, his movements drawing her gaze to the water that lapped at the damp sand beneath them. Was it really possible to hold your breath for that long? Harpy wasn’t convinced, and a few moments later he proved himself wrong by attempting it. She startled slightly when he began sneezing, thinking something awful had happened, but soon the affliction subsided. Harpy was half tempted to laugh, and a small smile tugged at her lips, but seeing how miserable he looked squashed any amusement she felt. “Aw, c’mon,” she said, attempting to cheer him up. “At least thanks to you we know that there’s no scary tigers lurking in the water!”

A chill ocean breezed picked up then, the wind running its icy fingers through Harpy’s coat and making her shudder. The damp fur began to chill her, too, and suddenly happiness that the beach had brought her turned misery. Going home and curling up in a warm den seemed like a much better idea. With another gentle nudge at his shoulder, Harpy set about rallying him to set off. “Let’s go home, baby brother. They’ll be wondering where we are.”

---

Word count: 518
Notes: ~
Tags: Sirius

[Sirius]

This little adventure certainly made him feel closer to Harpy and he was rather glad to have come looking for her even if that meant they would be scolded for disappearing. He even offered a crooked grin after his sneezing stopped and she offered a friendly response instead of making fun of him for trying to breathe water. He wondered if it would have been the same had Rowan been the one to try it out. Bbt that didn't matter, he wasn't here neither was Lyra. Purely one on one time with his big sister. Well, older anyway, it didn't seem he could be classed as a 'little brother' anymore. 

"If they arwe upset, maybe we can make them happy by sneaking out again with all of us if we can. Maybe Lywa wouldn't want to go but we can ask her." Why did all of his siblings have to have an 'R' in their name? Even his father had that confounded letter but Sirius got away with not saying it because he simply called him 'Dad'. Hopefully, he would master it...one day.

A nudge broke his concentration and soon it was forgotten completely, he was just a pup having fun with his sister. Heading home did sound nice though, it had been a big day with lots of exploring. He wanted to just flop onto Rowan and fall asleep in the sweet family bundle like they always did. There had been times before when he wondered if he would one day not be able to snuggle with all of them forever. Big thoughts for such a young male. He was always one to ask 'What if’ and that was part of why he had so many mood swings, at lea the was told he did. Sirius thought it was just normal. 

The questions of the future would have to wait though. Now was the time that mattered, he had to remember that. His family mattered. 

Leaping to his feet after Harpy, he smiled and wagged his tail. This was the good life.

Harpy
347
Sorry it's an awful closer