RUNNING FROM MY SHADOW — p, softvelvet

A voice reaches into his mind while he is alone, and Softvelvet is pulled free of the concentration that had been focused on weaving a pretty little gift basket for one of their precious allies. He pushes the unfinished product aside, rising silently with a flourish of his three tails behind his long-legged physique. The familiar lulling of a voice he's grown to enjoy hearing had called for him and, of course, he felt obliged to see what could be happening with Teacuptempest. As he exits the palace, he takes to the wide expanse that was the sky with a hard flap of his ash and golden banded wings.

It does not take him long to reach the Dawningcrown, who sits patiently upon his border, respectfully, appearance ever so pleasant. Softvelvet manages a smile as he lands gently just before her, his wings pulling to close at his sides. "As you can see," A small, tinkling laugh leaves parted, rose red lips, "I am most definitely home." Softvelvet settles himself just before the jaguar, his tails curling up at his ankle and his head inclining ever so slightly to the side. "How can I help you, hun?"

☆

Softvelvet hadn't really been expecting to give dream advice but, honestly, if it was troubling Teacuptempest then it had to be pretty significant, right? He would buckle down to listen in any case, because a dream could mean anything: death and all of that other bad shit a lot of people seemed to believe in nowadays. However, as Tea began to describe the dream she had, his brows furrowed. He was in it as well as Saturnblessings? And the people in the dream called her "your highness?" Odd. He remarks mentally but allows Teacuptempest to further explain herself, his fictive brows raising further as his friend transforms into some sort of creature resembling that of a kitsune.

Recognition flashes in his eyes and it seems for but a moment that Softvelvet is a fine mix of awe and disbelief. A shadow almost befalls his features, his eyes felt a little watery. God... he wasn't crying was he? Touching a paw to his face assures him that he wasn't and then he sighs quietly into the cool air. "My sister, Antheia... She was chosen to, ah... be a vessel for a goddess. I don't remember too much... I was so young, but your body it looks a lot like how she was supposed to be. There was something about it not going right though and I... I never saw Antheia again." He couldn't have been anymore than maybe six months old at that point and so much had happened between then and now it all just sort of... blurred together. The grief still sat deep within his chest but he tried not to show it too much, because that was what a Hamrik was. "I, well... Do you know of the one who spoke to you? Her name, anything else?" Maybe he ought to speak to Mica too. She was, ah, more well-versed in this sort of stuff than he was, the amazingly off-task, illiterate second oldest brother.

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Softvelvet had thought it was odd when Teacuptempest had suddenly went still. Very still, as if she simply turned into stone, save for the slight breathing that he could faintly hear in the quietness that often accompanied the bamboo forest. Everything happened so quickly, it was hard for his mind to process, but he believed it happened like this: streams of tears began rolling down his friend's cheeks and she began shapeshifting again, changing, changing, until she becomes just like him. A catsune.

It dawned on him in that moment that Teacuptempest was his missing sister. His long lost sister. His sister. Then the tears started rolling too, then, rolling down his cheeks in thick streams that dribbled all the way down to his chin. It stung his eyes, blurred his vision, and Softvelvet couldn't hold back his sobs like Teacup could. No, how could he? "Ultima... Yes, I... I remember her. Not really but... yes." Oh God, what a mess. What a mess. This was just a wonderful mess that he couldn't even fathom. He found himself inching forward, closer and closer until he got within range, and he would then attempt to envelope the girl in a tight hug. He wanted to never let her go, to never let her out of his sight out of fear that she would just... disappear again. "Antheia... I missed you so much." He would sob into her neck, the emotions of shock and overjoyed happiness shaking him to his very core. How would everyone else react? Waveform, Crushculture, Michaiah, Saturnblessings?

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