1/2/2025, 12:12 AM
Perhaps the only trait Alder shared with his mother Amaranth was a predisposition for sleeping in.
While Valeska rose with the sun, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to face the day with renewed vigor, this was not so for the Aktaion genes her mate had passed down. As dawn's early rays filtered in through the musty opening of his old den, he groaned and slapped a heavy paw over his eyes to block out the new day. He'd already had one hell of a week, and getting up to face whatever fresh set of problems the world had to throw at him didn't sound like something he was interested in.
The eerie coyote screech of his younger sister Amaya pierced through the merry bird-chirps that had permeated the air only seconds before, sending a jolt of adrenaline down his spine.
Gods, this was why he had left.
Try as he might to roll over and plug his ears, her shrill, inconsistent crowing sent a fresh surge of anxiety flowing through his veins each time that was impossible to ignore.
Alder gave up.
He emerged from the den thoroughly disgruntled, fur disheveled with heavy bags under his eyes that spoke of yet another restless night. He'd never really recovered from his midnight conversation with Amaranth - productive as it had been - and his body still yearned for rest, while his heart was weighted with the grim reality of Viscaria's passing.
Long legs traveled stiffly over well-worn paths from the den site down toward the lake, head hung low as he stalked dispassionately through the snow with an expression like a thundercloud - there was no way he could have anticipated an attack. He was tired, vulnerable, freshly-woken.
Weak.
Alder was struck square in the face with a plop of wet snow, and the noise he made was somewhere between a groan and a shout, fur bristling as he whirled around to face the threat. A snarl ripped reflexively from curled lips as he lowered himself to -
- the hell?
She dropped into a play-bow.
She was smiling.
Her tail was wagging.
It was - he looked up toward the sun - it was early morning, he had just woken up, he'd just buried his grandmother, he'd maybe at last settled a years-long rift between himself and Amaranth, he was sleep-deprived, and his grody-ass younger sister-slash-eldritch-horror had robbed him of what little reprieve he could have hoped for up to this point.
And now Solvi wanted to play.
A soft plat heralded the remainder of the girl's onslaught as it dripped from his cheek and landed in the snow below.
Alder didn't say another word.
He sighed and turned away as if to leave - but then, utilizing his superior size and the great span of his neck, Alder swept his head down toward the snow and sent a veritable avalanche arcing through the air straight toward her.
While Valeska rose with the sun, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to face the day with renewed vigor, this was not so for the Aktaion genes her mate had passed down. As dawn's early rays filtered in through the musty opening of his old den, he groaned and slapped a heavy paw over his eyes to block out the new day. He'd already had one hell of a week, and getting up to face whatever fresh set of problems the world had to throw at him didn't sound like something he was interested in.
The eerie coyote screech of his younger sister Amaya pierced through the merry bird-chirps that had permeated the air only seconds before, sending a jolt of adrenaline down his spine.
Gods, this was why he had left.
Try as he might to roll over and plug his ears, her shrill, inconsistent crowing sent a fresh surge of anxiety flowing through his veins each time that was impossible to ignore.
Alder gave up.
He emerged from the den thoroughly disgruntled, fur disheveled with heavy bags under his eyes that spoke of yet another restless night. He'd never really recovered from his midnight conversation with Amaranth - productive as it had been - and his body still yearned for rest, while his heart was weighted with the grim reality of Viscaria's passing.
Long legs traveled stiffly over well-worn paths from the den site down toward the lake, head hung low as he stalked dispassionately through the snow with an expression like a thundercloud - there was no way he could have anticipated an attack. He was tired, vulnerable, freshly-woken.
Weak.
Alder was struck square in the face with a plop of wet snow, and the noise he made was somewhere between a groan and a shout, fur bristling as he whirled around to face the threat. A snarl ripped reflexively from curled lips as he lowered himself to -
- the hell?
Solvi?he sputtered, half-melted snow still dribbling from his perplexed features.
What are you -
She dropped into a play-bow.
She was smiling.
Her tail was wagging.
It was - he looked up toward the sun - it was early morning, he had just woken up, he'd just buried his grandmother, he'd maybe at last settled a years-long rift between himself and Amaranth, he was sleep-deprived, and his grody-ass younger sister-slash-eldritch-horror had robbed him of what little reprieve he could have hoped for up to this point.
And now Solvi wanted to play.
A soft plat heralded the remainder of the girl's onslaught as it dripped from his cheek and landed in the snow below.
Alder didn't say another word.
He sighed and turned away as if to leave - but then, utilizing his superior size and the great span of his neck, Alder swept his head down toward the snow and sent a veritable avalanche arcing through the air straight toward her.
![[Image: UWkba3H.png]](https://i.imgur.com/UWkba3H.png)
- Alder is not actually Inuyasha, despite the evidence
