[PRP] Distant Shore [ Distant Tidings/Distant Thunder ]

[Jun]

"Can we please just leave already?" Tidings called, a little way beyond the brush, "his weird brother will come back any second and I really don't intend on making it two-versus-two, trust me, it would not go well."

[Maxx]

"Run, you idiot!" Thunder growled, trying to keep the buck down with a hoof.

[Jun]

"I'M RUNNING," he screamed, running.

[Maxx]

When he was sure Tidings was far enough, he called off the dog, and sent it after its true owner, hoof still heavy.

He looked down, and shook his head.

"You remind me of myself, as a young buck," he griped, "but you're turning out terribly. Reconsider your life's decisions."

With that, he followed the dog's trail, hooves like distant thunder.

[Maxx]

"Yes, that will definitely make me reconsider my life's decisions!" Down called pettily and sarcastically from the ground, rolling over to lick his wounds.

[Jun]

He was running, alright, pretty much as fast as he could. It had, of course, occurred to him that, if he could run fast enough, he could yet run for his life.

It wasn't long before it also occurred to him that it was quite foolish to try to outrun a Kiokote.

[Maxx]

"Tidings!"
Indeed, he had caught up, breathing heavily - the most important chase of his life, and he had kept quite a good pace, eyes wild.

"Anything to tell me, before I say my piece?"

[Jun]

Well. A fine thing this was, to be made to grovel before losing his head. But he supposed - oh, Swamp, surely he did, he'd been through this, again and then some, for the whole past day - he owed him an apology.

"I'm…" he said, dragging out the words, because they were really quite difficult to say, "sorry. I suppose. One would assume."

It was hard, okay.

[Maxx]

"You little twerp," he said, head high and somewhat disdainful, not betraying the faint stirrings in his heart, "I'll pound you into the ground."

[Jun]

"Oh, alright," he cried, planting his butt onto the ground - what did he care? he couldn't run, anymore, "I'm sorry! I lied to you. Well, I didn't lie. I hid the truth. I deceived you. I'd have told you sometime - but I should've told you from the start. We couldn't have gotten anywhere far, if I didn't tell you. I didn't want to - I'd thought you'd leave. But I knew - I must have - you'd leave, anyway. I should have told you straight out, and spared us the trouble. Now here we are, and you're going to snap my neck, and we'll have nothing to show for it."

[Maxx]

He listened, carefully, concentratedly, until he was sure he had ended his spiel, and felt much more at ease.

Thunder lowered himself, resting on his knees and peering at Tidings.

"I'm glad you had that in you, I can't say I truly expected it."

He smiled with some relief.

"Now, it is my turn. I...am sorry, also," indeed, it was difficult, "to have had such expectations upon you, my soulmate, whom I'd never met, and never known. I would rather you not have deceived me, no, but ultimately, it shouldn't have mattered."

He sat back.

"What the Swamp deigns to give me, I will take. Now that the Swamp has given me my mate, I will take you in your entirety. Now, promise me you won't lie to me, ever again.

".....about anything so important."

It was almost wry, but it certainly was accepting.

[Jun]

He opened his mouth. And shut it. And opened it again, and half-shut it, and opened and shut it and opened it again, throughout the speech he hadn't seem coming at all.

"Well…" he said, when it'd all sunken in, and he'd thought it through, and through once more, "...about anything so important. Perhaps."

He sprung to his hooves before Thunder could call him on that, and leaned forward, pleasingly, curiously, a quiver of nervous excitement coursing through his bones.

"I suppose that means you're not going to kill me?"

[Maxx]

"No, but don't try me."

He laughed, and it rang.

"Come, we can walk. Let me see what you really are."

END