River Lullaby - Unsolved Mytheries
It's too short for me to make it a fic, personally, so it gets to go here!!
Truffle sat on the forest floor, tail lashing over the muddy leaves as he held his hair in his hands, tugging lightly. Tears rolled down his face, confusion burying his mind further into the pit of despair he'd fallen into. He rasped, choking back sobs as he tried to regain his breathing- he counted, he held it, he did everything he could think of.
None of it worked.
The goat-boy yanked at his hair, a whimper escaping his lips as he dragged one of his wrists over his nose, clearing it of the snot and mucus that had begun to drip. It all mixed into the same boiling-hot mush once it hit the ground, causing eruption after eruption in his mind. His tail lashed once more before curling tightly around himself, whining softly before letting out a wail, shutting his eyes tight as the tears rushed out faster than before.
Wrong, wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. That's all it was, repeating and repeating in his mind, and Truffle hated it. Hated how all the feelings he'd kept bundled up came crashing over, flooding past the walls and boundaries, destroying the carefully linked bridges and fire escapes.
For a moment all he could do was cry. It was all just too much. That moment lasted longer than he'd dare admit to anyone.
All the goat-boy truly wanted in this moment was his mom. The one person who had promised to take care of him, who had done well in doing so, who had loved him. She wasn't here- no, they'd been separated well ago. He still tried every day to find her, even if in secret.- But he did have one thing she'd left him, even if it was only small.
Nothing more than a blurred memory that, in that instant, seemed all too clear in his mind.
"Hush now, my baby. Be still love, don't cry." Truffle mumbled the song, the faint whispered singing muffled behind the continues cries and rasps of his sore throat. It hurt, it hurt so much. But it was good, safe, warm. He inhaled shakily, forcing his trembling hands to release his hair.
Truffle didn't pay any mind to the shaking of his hands as he wrapped them around himself, cries turning to soft sniffles in the wooded forest, tail curled around him on the muddy floor. He hummed for a moment that same familiar tune, shutting his eyes as he hiccupped.
"Sleep like you're rocked by the stream. Sleep and remember, my lullaby-" He choked back another sob, hands clutching tightly at his sides for a brief moment before letting go. He was well aware of how shaky he was, it was too hard to be ignorant of it. Safety, warmth.
"And I'll be with you when you dream." The goat-boy crumpled forward, further into himself, tears coming back silently. He choked on air for a moment, trying to calm himself. The song helped, it helped. It made him feel as if his mother was back, wrapping her arms around him, rocking him lightly as she sang.
Truffle missed her, he missed her so much.
He hummed the song on repeat, sniffling quietly as the tears continued to silently fall. He couldn't get his voice to work anymore, not trusting it to finish the song that truly did mean the world to him.
He could've been sitting out there, curled in on himself, crumpled on the forest floor, for hours, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. All of it was just a blur of unbridled emotional agony for him, the only thing standing out being what brought him comfort.
Truffle's ears twitched, a quiet snap far in the distance dragging his attention aside. He didn't want to look, he'd rather stay on the forest floor, wallowing away in the few memories he still held of his mother. In his tears.
The world never had been kind to him, he supposed as he watched Jayus stumble out of the bushes. He looked a mess, a small tug of concern pulled at the goats heart before he turned to face the muddy ground once more. His friend may look a mess, but he surely looked worse.
"…Ruffles?" Jayus spoke quietly, his feet softly wisping across the ground as he fell to sit beside Truffle.
Truffle shifted slightly, willing the tears to stop flowing as he ran his wrists over his eyes and nose over and over again. He couldn't cry, not in front of his friend. His only friend. Only real friend. His fluffed ears tilted down, pointed to the muddy ground as he looked to the side, away from the witchling.
He could hear how his friend breathed; staggered for a second before even. Hitched, then smooth. The pattern of it was nice, in a way. Not as much as the song had been, nothing could ever be as meaningful as the song, but it was still comforting in a way.
His ears twitched as Jayus moved, not a word being spoken nor warned before a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, lightly dusting it.
"You don't want to talk about it." Jayus hummed the words out quietly, hand staying firm but gentle on the goat-boys shoulder. Truffle turned his head just slightly, his downturned eyes glancing up briefly to his friend. The witchling looked down to his eyes, just for a moment, before pulling him into a hug- one that would have been far too easy to escape for it to be normal.
Truffle froze in the hug, sniffling softly as his mind tried to catch up with the moment. It was all too fuzzy, to distorted, to painful to be made sense of. So he let go.
The goat-boy fell into the witchlings arms without protest, sobs coming back full force as he clung to the younger.
Not a word was said, not even when the two went back to the cabin just to fall asleep on the couch, cuddled beside each other in a comforting hold.
@sootysoots @drawmanations
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I forgot to post this here!!!
It was my friends birthday, so I drew her this piece
And thanks to Tumblr I can give a bit of the layout and what I was seeing!
@sariphantom Donapatra was so much fun and I hope I did him justice for you!
In this world I pictured my OC as the temple priestess who occasionally does interact with the brothers. She brings life to the plants and grants them the words of the gods, sends off prayers and engages the people of their kingdom in celebrations, songs and dances.
Donapatra, being semi aquatic, enjoys the water and enjoys plants. When he isn't in his mystic lab, he is found perusing the Royal gardens where she is normally found if she's not in the temple.
She loves to tease, and loves making flower crowns.
"My prince you should learn to breathe and have some fun every now and then."
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It wasn't a great day for a hunt, but since the tribe's numbers had swelled with the arrival of the priests from Tawy, well, it had become necessary. The sky was overcast, and the wind was working against them. Still, the women needed to hunt, and hunt they would until they found enough food to bring back. In the distance, something moved. Kharatje raised her spear and gestured for her women to stop.
"Is that a horse? Camel? Something like that? Are we getting more visitors?" Kharatje said.
"Neh, it is wandering. That camel is not being driven," Jaran said.
"Camels out here do not wander. Perhaps someone is in grave danger," Kharatje said. "Come, we will see what is going on."
-
The camel was indeed wandering. More concerningly, its two young riders were either asleep or unconscious; they were slumped against each other, with cat perhced on the neck of the camel, yowling softly.
Kharatje took the reins. "They are children. Who leaves children out here on their own?"
"Eja, I do not know, but they look Tameri. Perhaps the priests will know them. Maybe they got lost along the way," Jarah said.
Kharatje considered them. "Perhaps, perhaps. Come, let's take them back to the cave. Let's pray they are still alive."
-
Cub was lying in cool water. At least, that's what it felt like. His head was throbbing as consciousness slowly returned. There were voices whispering to him but he couldn't make out the words. He felt- someone was holding his hand. And then, words he could definitely understand. It was a soft voice, but one that was full of compassion, of understanding.
"Where in Tawy did you flee from?"
"I-I don't remember." Cub breathed. "Scar took me one night. We fled into the desert. I think it's been a year but, well. Time is different out here."
"Are you brothers then?"
"Best friends. He's kept me safe this whole time," Cub said.
"Well, it seems the gods are interested in keeping you alive if They have brought you to us. We also fled Tawy. We will take care of you now."
Cub opened his eyes. A priest was sitting beside him. They seemed to be in some kind of cave. "Well, Bast said She would protect us. Scar still lives too, right? He's okay? And Jellie? I can't bear to lose any more people," Cub said.
'They live, they are resting like you. We will continue to watch over you all until you recover."
Cub didn't quite know what more to say. He closed his eyes again as a cold cloth was pressed onto his head. Gods, that felt so nice. He was safe, he was alive, and so was Scar. After what they'd been through, well. That was enough for now.
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