[PRP] Rising Tide [ Distant Thunder/Distant Tidings ]

[Maxx]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... r_maxx.gif[/imgleft]Distant Thunder had been seeking this seafoam figure for so very long. He had high hopes when The Ache drove him to the swamp, closer than ever to the waters that promised that someone, but after so very long in the swamp, he was still lost.

It was twice now, that he had hopes. Two beautiful, intriguing seafoam does, one so tender, one so headstrong. He had felt warmth, affection, and so much hope. The young buck in the plains had expected a lightning moment, a notion that he would know, when it happened. The older buck had hoped he would come to find it was her, when he found her. The first time, he felt for her dearly, yet understood, after a while of hope, she was not from his dream. The second time, he understood she might be just like the sea's tides - here and gone, in a wave of passion. Still, it was not to be. He felt regret, guilt, and gratitude towards them. He had told them as much.

He felt shame.

He had hoped to go together, to the sea, with his own seafoam silhouette. Thunder had put off this precious landscape, but he thought perhaps it was time to see the sea for himself. After all, in the dream he was always chasing. Thunder, strong and hardy, would chase again.

His sturdy body pushed through the prickly bramble without care, and far stretches of land would never dissuade him, a kin of the plains. He ran, and ran, and at some point, he stopped, because he felt the sand at his hooves, and the stretching horizon of the sea beyond.

It looked so calm, it was almost wrong, considering the way he was panting and stamping towards the wide, quiet shore.

He had hoped, again, that something would happen -  but he was here, and it was quiet, and it was beautiful, and the beauty of it angered him.

He approached the sea, dipped his hooves in the salt water, pleasantly lapping, and bellowed at it for being so damnably calm.

[Jun]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... idings.png[/imgleft]"Grrrrr arf arf arf bark yelp rrrrargh arf!"

[imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... gs_jun.gif[/imgright]"Yes, Thunderings," Tidings sighed, setting up the fifth shallow shell in a row on the shore, "we are going to be stuck here for the rest of the day, and some more besides."

"Arf bark arf grrrrrr rrrrargh!!"

"No, Thunderings," he sighed, "we're not getting out of this no matter how much you complain. My gainful employment is the only thing keeping all those boar joints you love so much coming your way. You're eating me out of house and home, my boy."

(Although, he did quite unfairly neglect to mention his own fondness for the salted plums and sundried cherries – and the delectable little morsels of lightly fried salt-brined chicken bites, amazing what they could do with a little salt and fire, really – that his gainful employment also kept coming his way.)

"Grrrr arf bark."

The hound scrabbled a sulky round in the sand, and settled for snapping at his own tail in circles.

"That's the spirit," Tidings said.

At least Thunderings had gotten over the stage where he'd knock over every shell he set up – with a combination of dismayed, "No!"s and the judicious application of mongoose treats (which is to say, the mongeese were the treats, not treats for mongeese, although Rise & Shine had those also). It wouldn't be fair not to say the dog had come a long way. The first time he'd introduced him to Idle Gossip, he'd never been so incredibly relieved his magpie could fly. It was the only reason he still had two asshole pets (wherever Idle was right now, anyway) instead of one. Swamp knows Thunderings had tried to rectify that situation.

But, lately, Thunderings had reduced his attempts to rent his birdly-brother from limb to limb somewhat. Perhaps he was living up to his promise (Tidings', not Thunderings') of being a very good boy.

Or not.

"Thunderings!" Tidings screamed as the dog suddenly snarled and rocketed off down the long line of shore, "Thunderings, get back here! You know how those Tidewalkers feel about you eating all their fish!"

[Maxx]

He heard it.

Whatever it was.

His ears swivelled up, the faint sound of - his name? It floated along and vanished at the ends, and he called out, urgent, like a fool, because he only knew to call his own name.

"Thunder! It's Distant Thunder, I'm here!"

[Jun]

Certainly, there was an answering reply. It was:

"RRRAAAGHHHHGGGG BARK BARK BARK GRRRRR AAARGGGH!!!"

And then it chomped right down upon his ankle.

It being the nightmare hound with jaws of steel and behavioural problems, whose owner now came screaming down the beach.

"THUNDERINGS! THUNDERINGS, GET BACK HERE WE CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH THE TIDEWALKERS THEY'LL SKIN US ALIVE AND I'M NOT READY TO DIE!"

[Maxx]

"GREAT MOTHERFATHER IS THIS YOUR - "

- and he looked up to see the bounding figure, a figure that he recognised instantly, the beautiful arc of back and nimble limbs, a swift and graceful gait, except in the opposite direction of his dream: towards him. Also, screaming. Yet, no less charming. It struck him like lightning, as his Thundering heralded. He could almost ignore the gnawing hound on his ankle in this very moment.

He gawped, half-heartedly shaking said ankle in a vague effort to throw the hound off.

[Jun]

There he was.

Just as he dreamt.

All these years.

Stood in the waves, larger than life, blond mane blowing in the breeze.

Just as he dreamt him.

Save for the little detail of his terror dog attached to his ankle, but never mind that.

"It's you," he whispered, even though he should really be trying to deattach his terror dog.

[Maxx]

"What?"

He asked tenderly but loudly, just loud enough to be heard over the waves and the growling dog, for he so desired to hear what sweet speech slipped from such beautiful lips.

"I'm afraid I can't hear you, the dog," he waved it with the limb, "but I...I felt it.

"Is it you? It is you, isn't it?"

Motherfather knew he had hoped that the figure would stop, and all he had to do was come to the sea for that.

[Jun]

"It's you," he said again - he took a step, then another, then tumbled his hooves into the waves, tripping about him, closer, "it's you - it must be. And if it's you, then - it must be me. It's me. If you're you, I'm me."

He stopped, right before him, basking in the splendour of this sun.

"I dreamt of you," he said, with, for the first time, contentment.

Then, with perhaps the barest hint of vanity, "Did you dream of me?"

[Maxx]

He looked down, at the keen face, so fine, the slope of muzzle so delicate to the soft lay of ears, sleek and beautiful.

"For so long," he sighed, too content, "cheeky creature."

"You've been running from me, you should know," and he reached down to touch noses, making sure this was real.

[Jun]

Comfortingly solid, and promisingly strong. He was over the moon.

"Is that how it was for you?" he laughed, "I've been running alright - all over the Swamp and then some, to find you! You were supposed to be here, you know. Right here, where you are. I ran straight here from the desert, as soon as I could, but - ah, there was only the waves. But still I came, again and again. And here you are now!"

[Maxx]

With that, his face contorted - regret came upon his face and remained. It was guilt.

"I was hoping to come here with you," head lowered, but he couldn't turn his eyes away, "after I had found you.

"I thought - once I'd come to the Swamp, from the plains, it would be all right. I would find you first, then we would come to the sea, and have a family. What a fool I've been, keeping myself away from our home.

...I'm sorry to have left you lonely."

His cheek pressed against her forehead, soft, firm and tender.

[Jun]

"A fool indeed!" he lightly scolded, even as he pushed into that cheek, "and I have been ever so lonely! But I've kept myself busy. I've travelled all over. I've been gainfully employed. I've had some lovely children."

[Maxx]

"You really have been running everywhere," an astonished reply, impressed even, "just like water. So it is you; of course you would have lovely children. I too, have had lovely children, I would like to think."

He lifted his head, and slid against her, neck to neck.

"Now we will have children of our own, and what lovely children they will be."

Everything had fallen into place, so quickly. Of course he should have sought the sea.

[Jun]

Now we will have children of our own -

Good thing they were neck to neck, because that was when the smile froze on his face. That was when he had a sinking feeling - well, more like a horrible realisation…

"From the plains, you came, you said?" his voice was light and questioning.

[Maxx]

"Oh yes," he gave one final rub and drew back with a big smile, "I came with the Ache, after I had helped who I could back in the plains after the Flood. It was a tumultuous time, I was young then - swamp life has been less challenging, but it has never been quite right without you."

He prattled on with some joy, "and you, the desert! Ah, how the Motherfather has kept us apart, dreaming of each other in a place we had never seen."