SUNNY SKIES ABOVE — return

Chastiefol had no right, no right at all, to be back here again. Not after what he had done to the group. Abandoning them, abandoning Suga, just as he had left behind his beloved fairy forest all those years ago was in his own eyes, unforgivable. Disappearing acts of his made him appear much more like a failed party magician than the apparently powerful fairy king that he was supposed to be though, it was difficult for him to even attempt to live up to such a reputation when he found it much easier to avoid what he could not cope with. Running away and indulging in his own pathetic cowardice had always been what he resorted to, the boy being far too stubborn to accept aid from those that wanted to help him and instead getting himself into more trouble as consequence of this. To tell the truth, he really was no longer surprised by the fallout of his own behaviour, just disappointed in himself.

When he found out that his forest was gone, his birth place where he had grown up so happy and free and young and what had gone wrong?, it had been perhaps the most mortal of responses for him to break down. Not only could he never go home, not anymore, but he also had the weight on his shoulders that he had been the cause of the devastation. Dark beings wreaking havoc upon his lands, laying waste to all that stood in their way, had not cared whether there were innocent individuals in the way or not. All had been incapable of staining up to the prevalent evil and he had just left them to all suffer through it alone and although his younger sister had done her best to protect it all whilst carrying the responsibility that he had selfishly pushed upon her shoulders, it had not been enough. No one could have predicted it, the destruction of the fabled fairy forest, but that did not make him any less accountable for the ruination of his homeland. Perhaps it was too much for him to blame himself heavily for it all but it is difficult for him to not entertain the thought that things might have gone differently if he had acted differently. What if he had been there still, able to stand beside his people and vanquish the lands of the corrupt?

What if he had never left to try and save the minority that had departed from the forest because honestly, all that that had given him was the loss of it all. In the end, Chastiefol had been incapable of saving anyone and it still to that day hurt him. He had been forced to kill his best friend only to return to the charred remains of the region that he had sworn he would defend with his life he carried the blood of his people soaked deep into his fur, staining soft blue a disgusting muddy crimson, with his sister and best friend's blood dripping wet from his paws. No matter how much he washed, drowned, himself, not even the endless waters of the ocean could wash away his sins.

That had been before he had found the haven of the Solaris Kingdom, then Sunclan, where he believed it would be easy to lay low and forget about the crimes against his kind that he had committed. But that had not lasted for as long as he had wanted to. He had left it all behind once more because the feeling of safety and security that the group had initially given him had faded into minuscule nothingness. Caught up in the wake of his brutal torture, proud former sunguard had resorted to doing the one thing that he did best in his own typical fashion. Running from his problems, again, instead of staying strong. He did not deserve to be the king of anything, he did not deserve to be anyone's friend, he did not deserve forgiveness.

Yet here he was, prepared to beg for the mercy and acceptance of those that did not even know him like a naughty child plead for an early exemption from just punishment. Floating silently, his beloved spear hovering a few paces behind him though moving as steadily as he did, he can not help but think not only of what he is to do once stranger attempts to welcome him back into his own home but his mind also wanders back to his past. All that he had done, every last detail of it, still ate away at him, rotting adolescent mind near beyond repair. Little sense could be found in attempting to linger on the problems since much had changed since then in both the world surrounding and in himself but, at his core Chastiefol remained the same as always. Fiery, paranoid, and naive. Ultimate holy trio of clearly blessed traits. Never given the resolution that he had so desperately yearned for, it was no wonder that his mind remained in dark places in spite of his own better judgement.

Shaking his head slightly, clearing his thoughts in etch a sketch manner, he forced powdered blue eyes to focus on his surroundings. Drinking in the area with newfound curiosity, the boy came to a halt to hover on the spot, tail swishing to and fro as he surveyed the land with eyes turning rather watery. "Solaris Kingdom, huh?" Something wistful, a deep yet profound longing, resonates between the words. Simple words that contain enough personal meaning to make him feel as if he is about to explode with sentiment frothing at his lips and blood scalding hot with words left unspoken. Out of what one could only perceive to be nervous habit, Chastiefol found himself subconsciously reaching a paw out to urge his spear closer to him, drawing out a faint sigh of relief only once the weapon is directly at his side. After all, he had left in the first place due to not feeling safe. A fear such as that surely can not be erased with ease. There is one thing lingering on his mind however, other than all of the hardships and suffering casting storm clouds around him.

"I missed you."

//sorry that this got so long, i wanted to reestablish his past and whatnot since the last time i played him was 2017 honestly most of this isn't important unless you want to know more about him as a character and don't feel the need to match the muse at all!! the most important parts are really the last two paragraphs!!!

Perhaps it would have been better for him to not know what it was like to have a place called home sweet home. At least then, he would not be forced to deal with the painfully crushing feeling of regret any and all times that he attempted to reflect on all that he had done. At least then, he would not know that he had nowhere to return to that could truly bring him solace. To him, the Solaris Kingdom was the closest thing to a home that he had now and even then, it was barely such a thing anymore because he had lost everything that he had cared about in the place so that begged the question that was on even his own mind. Why was he back again? There would be no joyous cries to punctate his return like a baby bird fluttering with pride back to its nest after first flight from home, no softly smiling Suga to greet him. Pained huff is forced from him as he grits his teeth and pushes back any of the thoughts currently attempting to pester him, slow exhalation doing little to calm his already frayed nerves.

It is then, in that moment, that a voice cuts finely through the haze causing him to jump slightly. Nearly falling from where he hovers, the boy instinctively tenses up, reaching in a panicked motion towards his spear which raises along with his motions into a position that is poised to defend the surprised fae. Wide eyes of glistening ice come to rest upon the stranger that has spoken up to him and he quickly comes to the realisation that she had been greeting him, not going out of her way to express any ill intent or whatever he had presumed she was doing. "Ah, hey. Sorry. I was kinda in my own head there for a second." Sheepish smile blossoms across his face, features crinkling up into an amiable yet to some degree embarrassed little grin as he allows a timorous laugh to bubble up. Truth be told, he had not actually expected anyone to find their way over to him so swiftly thus assuming that he would have a bit more time to gather his thoughts and file away his emotions within his mind before he would need to deal with the matter at hand. Luck was not on his side however, clearly demonstrated in how he was caught so off guard by Teacuptempest's approach to him which he now comes to realise was a foolish reaction on his part.

She stands before him and he can not help but acknowledge how utterly bizarre this whole situation is in his eyes, how he feels just the same as he had all that time ago when he had first come to the borders of a region belonging to a group that he had called home before. Despite the fact that things are definitely different now, that nervous energy thrumming through his veins is entirely unmistakable to him. He feels just like a child again, apologetic with his head in the clouds. Of course, it's not all too surprising for him to feel such a way with all things considered since, in fairy terms, he is still technically very young though anyone who had known him before would be quick to argue against that. So much time had passed him by yet here was, appearing near completely untouched by the driving force of the passage of time. Maybe that is the reason why the whole thing seems more like a dizzying bout of déjà vu to him, the fact that he has failed to change with the shifting world. That was one of the main reasons why he had been so reluctant initially to get involved in the more mortal affairs of those around him because it was undeniable that he would, if left to his own devices, outlive them all. Everyone would leave him behind and such a prospective future terrified him yet here he was again, ready to accept such a thing if it mean being able to go home.

There is some irony to be found in amongst his fears because, is that not what he deserves? To watch everyone pass on and progress with their lives whilst he stays caught up, trapped, in his ways as some form of cosmic payback for all that he had done would be the ultimate punishment. Surely, such a thing would press down upon him even harder than his own sin. Swallowing back his thoughts, he cast cautious oceanic eyes onto second individual to approach and could not help but let his attention linger upon them. Something unfamiliarly familiar clung to her like a ghost and although he could not put his paw directly on the matter, he could not deny that it filled him with a strange sense of unease. Not an explosive bout of anxiety but instead as if he was supposed to be able to put two and two together yet incapable of conjuring up the correct response.

"Right, I used to live here before. I was a sunguard a while ago." Chastiefol explains simply, glancing between the duo as he presents his reasoning to both since they appeared to be interested. He doesn't see it fit to waste time on any specifics such as when he had been amongst the ranks of the group or who he had known, not wanting to bring up unnecessary turmoil for himself though he supposed that he would have still answered if quizzed on it. Rubbing at the back of his neck in a somewhat timid manner, the fairy king thought over his words for the few moments of quiet that he had allowed himself to have, uncertain of how to go about stating his enquiry without being too straightforward. "The name's Chastiefol and I was wondering if I could rejoin again and come back home. Uh, if that's alright."

Lack of hesitance can be found in the woman's words and it brings his worries to a startlingly abrupt standstill. The warmth of her smile, so reassuring and vibrant, feels akin to the dancing rays of sunlight against his skin and he does his best to not bask in it for too long, accepting it and moving on quickly to avoid making the situation an uncomfortable one with his own desperate gratitude. "Thank you, I really appreciate it." Needing to seek confirmation and approval in order to cross back into lands that had once been his home simply because he had gone away for a while feels rather bizarre to him but at the same time, he understands why. After all, he had at one point been on the other side of those borders, not in this specific place but in a more metaphorical manner, and knew that there were rules and regulations in place designed to keep the inhabitants of the group safe. Being well aware of this meant that he knew better than to complain either openly or internally, instead accepting the matter with a warm smile of his own, glad that he had not been refused entry.

Shifting his position into a more upright one, the boy hovers in space for a few moments before floating forwards to bridge the gap between himself and the lands that he was to call his home once more. No radical changes occur with the movement, no explosive fireworks or overwhelming rush of euphoria, but then again he is not sure what he had expected. Perhaps something a little more than enduring that same feeling of molten apathy though all he can do is hope that the change and shift in mood will be at the very least something gradual. He's tired of the same old emotions, boredom and loneliness swiftly becoming his enemy where they had once been trusted friends and companions. "It's definitely nice to meet you, Tea. Other than Chastiefol, you can call me any nicknames that you come up with if you like, I'm not fussy with that." Acknowledgement and explanation are spewed out quick in the wake of her own introduction once his attention returns back onto the woman from where focus had strayed elsewhere, curiosity flaring up like lit flame in his chest as she spoke of her rank within the group. So she was the current leader? He is hardly surprised, especially not when his own leader had been reigning monarch quite some time ago and instead rather pleased to discover that he had not needed to go far in order to find such an individual of significance.

"If I have any problems, you'll be the first to know." Amiable grin sparks like flint struck against stone as he speaks, perhaps even a tad envious of her skills when it came to dealing with others which had been an aspect of leadership that he had failed miserably at. Those around him had trusted him enough to defend them but never had they felt safe enough to confide in him and as he reflected on such a thing, it truly saddened him. Here and now where he was not of any signficance, it was not like he could go to anyone else with his issues hence why he found it incredibly relieving that she had extended such an offer unto him regardless of whether it was genuine or out of courtesy. Humming softly, he takes a moment to wonder whether there is anything that he can ask of her right off of the bat and it does not take too long for something important to come to mind, eyes lighting up once more as if light bulb question had gone off above his head. "Ah, right. Is there anything in particular that I need to know or am I free to go off and get my bearings a bit? I'd hate to get into trouble on my first day back without even realising."

//sorry, this is a super late reply!!