keep in mind — mason

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

It wasn’t time to see his adoptive kid, wanderin’ with Keane and Kavan to keep his son company, he felt a little better—leaving his kid at the paws of upwalkers hadn’t been idle, sure as hell not with that damn molly takin’ up space. His fur prickled with unease, scarred muzzle crinkling in a low guttural growl, mangled ears pinned against a smokey helm. He hadn’t been there when the wretched cat sunk her claws in his son’s fur, trapping him against her flank with a mischievous, knowing grin. A sight that would have sent the battered warrior sneering, but until then, Duskpool was willin’ to play nice.

He made a mistake with Yukio, blood-splattered, and the awful-sounding grind of bone snapping never left his mind. How could it? He’d been there just as Kyungmin wrapped his jaws around a cream neck, just as he’d been there to wrap his jaws around Shadowfire’s neck. He grunted, muscles pulling taunt at the harboring thoughts. Damnit. He’d been gettin’ better at directing his thoughts elsewhere, but today didn’t seem to be goin’ well for the battered warrior.

He sighed heavily, aching joints blistering from the chilly breeze ruffling through wooly fur, burning hues sliding past snow-covered foliage near the unclaimed border when the rustle of undergrowth snapped his attention elsewhere, muscles coiling like that of a winding snake, preparing to strike when a familiar black coat appeared, followed by fiery blue hues. “The hell are ya doin’ out here, kid?” He barked, forcing himself to relax, paws surging toward the other with careful grace, scarred muzzle crinkling as burning hues skimmed over his son’s fur for wounds. “Ain’t time for our meet up.” He rumbled, brow raising.

Mason wouldn’t do something so recklessly to cross the border, not when he drilled it into his head to avoid it as best he could give their recent spike in rogue activity. Somethin’ happened. His mind skidded to a stop, muscles pulled taunt, wrinkled muzzle peeling back at the beginning of a snarl. “What happened?”

@MASON ​

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thought speech​

 

[MASON]

you save everyone but who saves you ?
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

The bulky loner had thought little when crossing the border, paws making quick haste to find his father when he caught sight of a familiar smokey pelt weathered with scars. With a constricting chest, Mason hadn’t thought of what he’d do once Chi gave him the news—happy and terrified all at once, the scarred loner wasn’t sure if he was even ready to become a parent, no less with Chi, manipulative and cruel, she threatened the lives of unborn kits, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. She knew. She knew damn well it’d keep him on a leash, one he willingly let wrap around his neck, a poor choice, but one he wouldn’t back down on, not with kits, not with anyone.

His breath shuddered, paws stumbling to a halt, staring at his father, but not hearing what he was saying until the first signs of a snarl snapped him to attention. He stiffened, chest shuddering with a shaky inhale, helm snapping in a jerky shake, denying it. Everything was fine. He grinned something bittersweet. Was it? Was everything fine? Not really. He sighed, pressing a paw against his throbbing helm, cursing silently. “Nothin’ out of the norm pops.” He grumbled, low and guttural, mangled ears swerving with the slow crinkle of fiery hues.

“Chi—” He paused, scowling. “She’s pregnant.” He muttered, voice wavering. “She’s pregnant.” He repeated like a broken record, biting back a crazed laugh, shoulders quivering with the pressure to release some of the building tension. “Damnit. I screwed up, pops. She—” His voice tapered off, tongue feeling dry within his mouth. “I screwed up.” He laughed breathlessly, helm dipping forward, ears angled flat against his helm in burning shame.

He knew better. He did. He wasn’t a broken doll anymore, but staring at a past he sure as hell wanted to forget was a great slap to the face. Nothing more than a trophy to show off, something pretty others could ogle, but now he was tired as much as he had been then. Maybe it was all an illusion, thinking he was better, only to wind right back where he started. Nothing more than a puppet.

With a rumbling sigh, the black-furred tom schooled his expression, cracking a cheeky grin despite the odd display, helm rising to stare at Duskpool. His shoulders peeled back—a facade, one he perfected all these moons. Call him a coward, Mason didn’t care. “I need your help.” ​

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thought speech​

 

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

A rumble rattled his chest, ears flat against his helm in an open sneer, not at his kid, never at his kids, but at the foul creature that had managed to wrap her claws around his son, adoptive or not, Duskpool didn’t take kindly to someone threatening his family. Hell. He turned Kyungmin into a bloody pulp, teeth tearing into pliable flesh, the loud squelch when his claws tore into fur, but nothing would stop him from protecting them, even if he had to be careful. He made a promise, and he was gonna damn well keep it, at least, try because life sure enjoyed throwing ‘em curveballs any chance it got.

Pregnant. His voice echoed, hallow-sounding, something that should be happy only left cool dread settling in his stomach. It didn’t go to say he wasn’t happy. He was. He was happy, but it should have been with someone he cherished, not someone manipulative and selfish, only catering to her needs and no one else. He had the misfortune of meeting her during their travels, moons after he lost his last tether to life.

Nothing had mattered at that point, lifeless and monochrome, Duskpool forgot for a long time what it was like to live. He’d been nothin’ more than a walking corpse when Yuhwa and Mason came into his life, not long before he swore an oath, tucking them under his arms, not long before he vowed to protect them, to give them a stable figure even if he’d been breaking because that was what they needed, what had been denied for too long. Duskpool was determined to fill that gaping hole a parent should have filled, a good parent.

“Ya didn’t screw up kid. It ain’t something ya can control.” He rumbled, timbre low, soothing, rasped approaching the other with heavy-lidded hues. He breathed, tilting his helm, staring at the canopy of pines with a blank expression. “That there molly is a real manipulative fox, she knew what she was doin’ and she played her moves right. It ain’t mean yer a screw-up.” He added, raspy sounding.

His gaze narrowed, burning molten watching Mason pull back, face contorting into an expression he knew all too well. Damnit, kid. “I’ll help ya however I can kid, but never think ya gotta be stronger when yer not, kid, not with me. Never with me. I ain’t some stranger, I know ya better than ya think, kiddo. It ain’t gonna make ya a coward, nor will it make ya any less of an adult, ya hear?” His tone was unwavering, stern, low sounding against the quiet thrum of the forest, nothing but two off-rhythmed breaths.

“She ain’t far along is she?” He rumbled, receiving a slow nod, silence stretching over them. “She ain’t all there in the head. It ain’t safe for ya or the kits, but ya gotta be sure, okay, kiddo? This ain’t something ya can hesitate on.” He began, tone severe, deadpan, but his stare burning. “They’ll be safe in SkyClan. She won’t be able to touch ‘em there, not by herself. Only if ya agree to this, kid. It ain’t gonna be easy.” He finished.

Silence fell over them, thick with tension when Mason finally, slowly nodded his helm, expression conflicted, but unwavering determination. Duskpool breathed, thorns digging further into the pliable muscle that thumped in his chest. He nodded, expression falling blank, reaching to rasp a tongue over his son’s ear in a soothing gesture, so similar to what he’d done to Shiori when he’d been a small fry, barely more than a moon old. “I’ll see about lookin’ for a queen that’ll nurse ‘em when she gets closer to kittening.” This was the most he’d spoken, tongue dried, mind troubled, Duskpool sighed, breathing out through an open maw. “I’m here for ya, kiddo, ya know that right? I ain’t going anywhere, but kid—” He sighed. “Look out for yerself, alright? Keane and Kavan will help ya when I can’t. They’re good kids, stubborn and infuriating, but they have a real good head on their shoulders.”

With that, the two split off in different directions, Duskpool in search of prey as he plotted out their next course of action ( preferably before he met up with his son again ) and Mason wandering back to Kavan and Keane’s awaiting forms closer to the upwalker nests. Got yerself in a real pickle, didn’t ya kid? Duskpool thought with a tired sigh, calloused paw pads sinking into the snow-covered ground. ​

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thought speech​