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Description

haha, sure hope nothing bad happens! amirite guys. also justice BUFF ARC is coming. he will be so powerful

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PLEASE NOTE: The side pieces of the art have nothing to do with the story, just the main "pondering" bust does! The other two are just for prompt completion!

(completed prompts for luxury hair, feature forger, colored nose, and hybrid wings)

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WORD COUNT: 1442

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Justice is twirling his shovel around, practicing with a training dummy in the Adventurer's Guild, when he hears the news.

News of folk staying to fight in Deadman's Cove, which was completely destroyed during the Wyld Hunt. He had been far too preoccupied with making up for lost time with his sibling, Radon, as well as general Gravekeeper duties, and was too exhausted mentally to go on the Wyld Hunt this year. Thus, he was with the rest of the folk when finding out of the sad fate of Deadman's Cove.

While he wasn't part of the Hunt, he feels a pang of guilt every time he thinks about the druids and their destroyed colony, thinking back to his interactions with Icarus in the moondropped inn. He hadn't particularly considered Icarus at all, really, finding the rogue's blight to be the most interesting aspect of him. He had no idea. He knew it was irrational to blame himself, since even the other, far more experienced Gravekeepers had been fooled by the folk, but he couldn't help but…

…Anyways. He was trying to train up and prepare himself to go on the supply run to Deadman's Cove, in order to aid his comrades in their defense, and he got so lost in his training that he completely missed his chance. He felt a bit foolish for it, wondering how he had managed to lose track of the time, but his error gave him time to pause and really think about what he was doing.

Justice… wanted to help. He really wanted to help the druids out, more than anything. He cared little for his own life when it came to dealing with predators and protecting others. But as much as he wanted to help, he realized that he completely neglected considering the responsibility of protecting the folk here, at Grimsby Grove. There were so many brave folk going to Deadman's Cove already, it made him hesitate.

What if the folk going now aren't enough? What if his decision to go on the next supply run (or to not go) was the tipping point between the preservation of a new druid colony and a complete extinction?

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself with that thought, though it was a humorless laugh. Azalhai, he was getting egotistical. Obviously it wouldn't come down to him, he's not even remotely the most experienced fighter the Grove can offer.

…Well, it probably wouldn't come down to him. The butterfly effect is a little scary to think about.

But other than that, he has to consider his sibling, his dear, precious Radon. They're the only family he has left, and he's pretty sure he's the only folk (outside of their friend Mildew and the Den Mamas, they're all great) that truly has their back and checks in on them. He knows they feel lonely, and he's seen them talk to themself a concerning number of times. Above all the folk in Grimsby Grove, he fears leaving them behind.

What would happen to them, without him there to make sure no one messes with them for their blight? He knows it's not their fault that they lash out, even when fed. But how many other folk would understand that? He knows that there are some individuals that would rather lock Radon up in a cage than deal with their outbursts, and he won't abide by that.

Ah, well… Speaking of Radon, he hasn't actually seen them in a while. He decides that it couldn't hurt to check on them, since he has a feeling that their state will be the deciding factor on whether or not he goes to the Cove.

Justice gets up from the loveseat in his room where he had been considering all of this, stretching his limbs to get feeling back in them, and heads out without a second's delay.

He finds Radon on the floor in their room, seeming a bit more chipper than usual. They snap their head up at him as he opens the door (unsurprising, they've been jumpy ever since they got infected) and immediately grin, waving with one of their front paws. "BRO!"

"Hey, sunshine! I see you're in a good mood today." Justice smiles softly at the kit. He can't help but see them as they were around two years ago, so small, even though now they're nearly as tall as he is thanks to their gigantism (and twice as loud, too… but that's nothing new, really.) He sits down beside them and looks down curiously at what they're doing, tilting his head at the drawing they're making of them and some building. "What's this you're working on? Doesn't look like the Den…"

Radon nods at him vigorously. "I'M DRAWING SCHOOL! I'M GONNA GET ALL BETTER SOON. I'M REAL HAPPY ABOUT IT. I WAS GONNA TELL YOU BUT I DON'T LIKE LEAVING THE DEN…" Their ears droop a little, but pop back up as they stare at Justice, waiting for his opinion. Justice pauses, squinting slightly at Radon and then at the picture. He… well, he should be excited right? He should be ecstatic that his sibling is gonna get better, but…

Well, to be frank, he has a really bad feeling about this. It feels… convenient. Too convenient, and not in the way that most of the Grimsby Grove public aid is. He doesn't let his suspicion show, though, not wanting to upset Radon. "Oh, really? They know how to cure your blight..? I didn't know about this."

The kit shakes their head. "NOOO, THEY CAN'T DO THAT. I WISH…" They seem a bit sad about that. "BUT IT'S OKAY- THEY'RE GONNA TEACH ME TO NOT BE SO HUNGRY AND BITEY ALL THE TIME! I HEARD SOME OF THE OTHER BLIGHTED KITS TALKING ABOUT IT. THEIR PARENTS ARE SENDING THEM."

Justice furrows his eyebrows for a moment. "Oh, I think I see… So they're going to give you techniques to manage your blight's symptoms, I suppose? They must be paired up with some of the Promethean Society, then. I haven't heard of it myself." He hesitates. He doesn't want to risk upsetting his sibling, but…

"Radon… are you sure about the school? I mean- you'll be an adult soon enough, and there's a far less… experimental way to get better then, not to mention more permanent." He watches Radon carefully, seeing the way they huff up at him and cross their arms. Whoops.

"EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING! WHAT IF I CAN GET BETTER NOW, WITH THE OTHER KITS? I WON'T BE CURED, BUT… AT LEAST I WON'T HURT ANYONE ANYMORE."

Justice frowns. "Sunshine… Come on, you know that's not your fau-"

Radon's nose scrunches up, and they look increasingly upset. "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DON'T BLAME ME! I'M STILL DOING IT, AND EVERY DAY SUCKS BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS I'M A FREAK AND NONE OF THE KITS BUT MILDEW WILL TALK TO ME AND I DON'T EVEN WANNA LEAVE MY ROOM BECAUSE EVERYTHING GOES WRONG WHEN I DO! I HATE LIVING LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW I DO. THIS IS THE MOST MYSELF I'VE FELT IN MONTHS, JUSTICE. PLEASE… PLEASE LET ME TRY. I'LL TELL YOU IF IT DOESN'T HELP. PLEASE…"

The older folk watches in slight horror as Radon starts crying as they rant, and he quickly wraps the kit in a tight hug, patting their back as they whine. "Oh, Radon… Look, I… Okay. I understand. I know you're just trying to help. I can't imagine what you're going through… And I'm glad that you're feeling better right now, I really am. I want you to be okay, you know? I… I'm just, worried. I don't want you to get taken advantage of."

He sighs, pulling back and looking his sibling in the eyes. "...Okay. You can go. But if anything goes wrong, if they're hurting you at all, you come and tell me immediately. Okay?" Radon nods shakily in response, and Justice sighs in relief (and exhaustion).

..Well, looks like his decision is made, then. He can't possibly go to the Cove when there's a situation like this. What if something does go wrong and he's not even in the Grove to help? As much as he likes Mildew, he can't risk them getting roped into it instead. They're just a kit.

As he soothes Radon back into being calm, and they start rambling excitedly about how much they're looking forward to making a bunch of new friends at their new school, all he can hope for is that everything turns out okay.

Please, please turn out okay. Radon doesn't deserve any more suffering.

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11/985 Acorns
Tracker

Description

haha, sure hope nothing bad happens! amirite guys. also justice BUFF ARC is coming. he will be so powerful

--------------------------------------------------

PLEASE NOTE: The side pieces of the art have nothing to do with the story, just the main "pondering" bust does! The other two are just for prompt completion!

(completed prompts for luxury hair, feature forger, colored nose, and hybrid wings)

--------------------------------------------------

WORD COUNT: 1442

---

Justice is twirling his shovel around, practicing with a training dummy in the Adventurer's Guild, when he hears the news.

News of folk staying to fight in Deadman's Cove, which was completely destroyed during the Wyld Hunt. He had been far too preoccupied with making up for lost time with his sibling, Radon, as well as general Gravekeeper duties, and was too exhausted mentally to go on the Wyld Hunt this year. Thus, he was with the rest of the folk when finding out of the sad fate of Deadman's Cove.

While he wasn't part of the Hunt, he feels a pang of guilt every time he thinks about the druids and their destroyed colony, thinking back to his interactions with Icarus in the moondropped inn. He hadn't particularly considered Icarus at all, really, finding the rogue's blight to be the most interesting aspect of him. He had no idea. He knew it was irrational to blame himself, since even the other, far more experienced Gravekeepers had been fooled by the folk, but he couldn't help but…

…Anyways. He was trying to train up and prepare himself to go on the supply run to Deadman's Cove, in order to aid his comrades in their defense, and he got so lost in his training that he completely missed his chance. He felt a bit foolish for it, wondering how he had managed to lose track of the time, but his error gave him time to pause and really think about what he was doing.

Justice… wanted to help. He really wanted to help the druids out, more than anything. He cared little for his own life when it came to dealing with predators and protecting others. But as much as he wanted to help, he realized that he completely neglected considering the responsibility of protecting the folk here, at Grimsby Grove. There were so many brave folk going to Deadman's Cove already, it made him hesitate.

What if the folk going now aren't enough? What if his decision to go on the next supply run (or to not go) was the tipping point between the preservation of a new druid colony and a complete extinction?

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself with that thought, though it was a humorless laugh. Azalhai, he was getting egotistical. Obviously it wouldn't come down to him, he's not even remotely the most experienced fighter the Grove can offer.

…Well, it probably wouldn't come down to him. The butterfly effect is a little scary to think about.

But other than that, he has to consider his sibling, his dear, precious Radon. They're the only family he has left, and he's pretty sure he's the only folk (outside of their friend Mildew and the Den Mamas, they're all great) that truly has their back and checks in on them. He knows they feel lonely, and he's seen them talk to themself a concerning number of times. Above all the folk in Grimsby Grove, he fears leaving them behind.

What would happen to them, without him there to make sure no one messes with them for their blight? He knows it's not their fault that they lash out, even when fed. But how many other folk would understand that? He knows that there are some individuals that would rather lock Radon up in a cage than deal with their outbursts, and he won't abide by that.

Ah, well… Speaking of Radon, he hasn't actually seen them in a while. He decides that it couldn't hurt to check on them, since he has a feeling that their state will be the deciding factor on whether or not he goes to the Cove.

Justice gets up from the loveseat in his room where he had been considering all of this, stretching his limbs to get feeling back in them, and heads out without a second's delay.

He finds Radon on the floor in their room, seeming a bit more chipper than usual. They snap their head up at him as he opens the door (unsurprising, they've been jumpy ever since they got infected) and immediately grin, waving with one of their front paws. "BRO!"

"Hey, sunshine! I see you're in a good mood today." Justice smiles softly at the kit. He can't help but see them as they were around two years ago, so small, even though now they're nearly as tall as he is thanks to their gigantism (and twice as loud, too… but that's nothing new, really.) He sits down beside them and looks down curiously at what they're doing, tilting his head at the drawing they're making of them and some building. "What's this you're working on? Doesn't look like the Den…"

Radon nods at him vigorously. "I'M DRAWING SCHOOL! I'M GONNA GET ALL BETTER SOON. I'M REAL HAPPY ABOUT IT. I WAS GONNA TELL YOU BUT I DON'T LIKE LEAVING THE DEN…" Their ears droop a little, but pop back up as they stare at Justice, waiting for his opinion. Justice pauses, squinting slightly at Radon and then at the picture. He… well, he should be excited right? He should be ecstatic that his sibling is gonna get better, but…

Well, to be frank, he has a really bad feeling about this. It feels… convenient. Too convenient, and not in the way that most of the Grimsby Grove public aid is. He doesn't let his suspicion show, though, not wanting to upset Radon. "Oh, really? They know how to cure your blight..? I didn't know about this."

The kit shakes their head. "NOOO, THEY CAN'T DO THAT. I WISH…" They seem a bit sad about that. "BUT IT'S OKAY- THEY'RE GONNA TEACH ME TO NOT BE SO HUNGRY AND BITEY ALL THE TIME! I HEARD SOME OF THE OTHER BLIGHTED KITS TALKING ABOUT IT. THEIR PARENTS ARE SENDING THEM."

Justice furrows his eyebrows for a moment. "Oh, I think I see… So they're going to give you techniques to manage your blight's symptoms, I suppose? They must be paired up with some of the Promethean Society, then. I haven't heard of it myself." He hesitates. He doesn't want to risk upsetting his sibling, but…

"Radon… are you sure about the school? I mean- you'll be an adult soon enough, and there's a far less… experimental way to get better then, not to mention more permanent." He watches Radon carefully, seeing the way they huff up at him and cross their arms. Whoops.

"EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING! WHAT IF I CAN GET BETTER NOW, WITH THE OTHER KITS? I WON'T BE CURED, BUT… AT LEAST I WON'T HURT ANYONE ANYMORE."

Justice frowns. "Sunshine… Come on, you know that's not your fau-"

Radon's nose scrunches up, and they look increasingly upset. "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DON'T BLAME ME! I'M STILL DOING IT, AND EVERY DAY SUCKS BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS I'M A FREAK AND NONE OF THE KITS BUT MILDEW WILL TALK TO ME AND I DON'T EVEN WANNA LEAVE MY ROOM BECAUSE EVERYTHING GOES WRONG WHEN I DO! I HATE LIVING LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW I DO. THIS IS THE MOST MYSELF I'VE FELT IN MONTHS, JUSTICE. PLEASE… PLEASE LET ME TRY. I'LL TELL YOU IF IT DOESN'T HELP. PLEASE…"

The older folk watches in slight horror as Radon starts crying as they rant, and he quickly wraps the kit in a tight hug, patting their back as they whine. "Oh, Radon… Look, I… Okay. I understand. I know you're just trying to help. I can't imagine what you're going through… And I'm glad that you're feeling better right now, I really am. I want you to be okay, you know? I… I'm just, worried. I don't want you to get taken advantage of."

He sighs, pulling back and looking his sibling in the eyes. "...Okay. You can go. But if anything goes wrong, if they're hurting you at all, you come and tell me immediately. Okay?" Radon nods shakily in response, and Justice sighs in relief (and exhaustion).

..Well, looks like his decision is made, then. He can't possibly go to the Cove when there's a situation like this. What if something does go wrong and he's not even in the Grove to help? As much as he likes Mildew, he can't risk them getting roped into it instead. They're just a kit.

As he soothes Radon back into being calm, and they start rambling excitedly about how much they're looking forward to making a bunch of new friends at their new school, all he can hope for is that everything turns out okay.

Please, please turn out okay. Radon doesn't deserve any more suffering.

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11/985 Acorns
Tracker