pyrighteous | [OOC] Folkmore IC Inbox

[Maybe beaming just a touch more because of the mention of Casey-]

You certainly can! Some family is found, that's the family that you get to choose. I can not speak for blood relations, but I believe there is something very special in two people agreeing that they care and love one another enough to choose to become kin.

- But Casey is different. He is not like a son to me, he is my son.

I ... I didn't think of it that way. Belos ...

[ Well. He doesn't have to finish for THAT answer to be obvious. Of course Belos had been terrible about it. Hunter had been both a blood relative AND adopted, and he'd gotten the worst of both worlds. ]

I'm glad Casey is. He seems like he's lost a lot.

[gently, reassuringly]

Family can be anyone. You can make your own family here, Hunter. Whomever you choose.

[Forgive them, but Rue is just going to reach over and tap a talon playfully against the end of his nose.]

I do not see him as lost. Casey may not know where his path will end up, just the same as any of us, but I have seen him face that unknown with such strength of heart and fearless courage. The world he came from was a very cruel place, but instead of treating the world cruelly in kind, he shares his unwavering kindness with all of us instead. Nothing could be braver than that.

[ Hunter pinks a bit at the nose tap. ]

N-no, I mean more like - he’s lost a lot of people. I think he knows where he’s going pretty well, yeah.

[ As much as any of them do. ]

I’m glad he’s found - uh - [ don’t say REPLACEMENTS, ] - new people in his life.

[Bless him for not saying replacements.]

He has lost so many, especially for his age. It is wildly unfair. But he perseveres and the best that we can do is to continue to support him as we have been.

I am glad that he has found a wonderful friend in you, Hunter. It soothes so many of my worries that the two of you have one another in the city.

[ Hunter ducks his head at that, suddenly shy. ]

Me too. I didn’t think I’d ever say that about a human, but …

[It tugs at their heart that Hunter still feels the need to say such a thing, but it must run so deep.]

Have you met my Peter?

Oh - yeah. He seemed kind of weird? Not bad though.

… Is he your son too?

[oh no. it's terrible indecorous, but rue snorts out a laugh. that assessment is just so fucking funny]

Forgive me. I love that boy very dearly, but I suppose that weird is an appropriate assessment. And Peter is very much like a son to me. [and spoken just a touch softer, with some lingering emotion,] I would love for him to be my son someday.

[ LOOK. Look. Sorry Peter. They just have to hang out more.

he would comment on that, but Rue’s second, quieter statement catches his attention. ]

Can’t you choose him? Like you said?

[oh noooooooooo

Rue's expression doesn't soften into sadness, they would never push these emotions of theirs onto Hunter to deal with, but there's perhaps a hint of wistfulness reflected in their big eyes.]

Yes, of course. And I have chosen him. [And would choose him again, always.] But I do not know if he feels the same way about me. We are family either way, that is well agreed upon, but I fear the more time that passes since I asked, he is less certain of my being his parent. [Quickly added in,] And that is fine! I am joyful and so very lucky to be in his life in any capacity.

Oh.

[ Right, of course. The choosing goes both ways, doesn’t it? Even Belos had been interested in seeking Hunter’s enthusiasm, if not his love. Sometimes stuff be complicated.

He bites his lip for a moment, thinking through that. Hearing the wistfulness? Instinctively wanting to help with that. ]

W-well I hope he knows how lucky he is! Anyone would be happy to have you as a parent. I sure would be.

[Well, have a little glance and smile at that, Hunter.]

You would?

Of course! You’ve - you’ve been incredibly kind to me. And you promised to protect me from Belos, and teach me how to sew, and …

[ He looks around at their cozy tableau, with the hot cocoa and blanket and the feathery cuddling. This seems more like the family he’d imagined in his quieter moments, when he’d allowed himself to get close to feeling sad about having only Belos as a family member. ]

This feels more like family than my uncle ever did.

[It breaks their heart to hear it, to know Hunter has been left without a true family for so long, to grow up thinking what his uncle did was enough when in reality it was only crumbs.

Rue pulls away from Hunter, but only so that they can offer him their paws instead, palms up.]

Give me your hands.

[ Hunter blinks at that. He has no idea where they're going with this? But he does indeed offer his hands after a moment. There's a number of small scars on his hands from scratches, cuts, etc. ]

I - uh - all right. There you go.

You and I are new friends, Hunter, and I am greatly enjoying getting to know you.

[a gentle, encouraging squeeze over his hands, feathery and soft.]

And I would like for that to continue, to spend time together, you and I, as just the two of us, other times with Casey, and also in a group with the rest of the family.

I do not know what the future holds for us in this world, but I promise that as long as you should allow me, I am happy to be your friend and confidant. And if one day, you think you would be joyful to call me your parent, then I would equally elated to call you mine as well.

Now, it is an open offer to take if you ever feel ready for it. Do not fret or stress, I have enough boys having crises over my asking. [A gentle tease, Rue's heart-shaped face all warm looking down on him.] Just when you are ready. This is quite new, we are still learning about one another.

[ An open offer to be adopted. That's what he's hearing, right? Hunter - well - he probably would have had a crisis if Rue hadn't specifically told him that they have enough of them. But the INSTANT they say that, he's determined to get a GOOD GRADE in NOT HAVING A CRISIS!! For once! He can do it!

Anyway he gulps in a deep breath and looks like he might cry instead. Happy tears! Just a little overwhelmed, as a treat. ]

I - that's - [ It's too new. It's absolutely too new. But that's not the point is it? It's not the point for Hunter either. ] I ... like the idea of it. Having it as an option at all. I mean.

[ He sounds a bit awed to consider it. He's gone from having just Belos in his life to having friends, and now ... just the thought of HAVING a family brightens his heart in ways he can't quite verbalize. Is it possible to ache for something retroactively? He didn't know how badly he wanted a family - ANY family that wasn't Belos - until this exact moment. ]

[Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but if Hunter ever feels like he's ready to accept an old owlbear as a replacement parent, the offer will be open to him.

Rue squeezes his hands encouragingly, before releasing him to slip their wing over his shoulder again, settling back into the couch to catch up after missing those last few moments of the movie.

Whatever comes at them next, Hunter won't ever have to face it alone.]

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