québécois

[her_imperial_radiance]

The Golden Coven stays in Québec for one year.

When Harley is eight and a half, they start packing.

Zeus is inconsolable.

Comments

[pythbox]

But the impact of landing on the other side overwhelms Harley's grip on Zeus, and he goes flying over the wolf's shoulder, directly into a tree. Several things break, and only one of them is a branch.

Harley yells.

[alicornucopia]

[Harley! Harley Harley Harley are you okay call the princess tell her to fix you Harley Harley,] whines Zeus, digging his claws into the earth to arrest his movement and doubling back. [Or I can, I'll do it, PRINCESS - did that do it - how does it work -]

[pythbox]

Harley yells some more.

He's a bit beyond coherent requests for wishes, but he does manage, [Elsiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!]

[her_imperial_radiance]

[What's the matter?]

[alicornucopia]

Zeus sits hard on the ground, tail between his legs, and howls.

[pythbox]

[I hit a tree and Zeus is sad!]

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth tries a healing pentagon. [Did that do it?] she asks.

[pythbox]

Harley stops yelling.

[Kinda sorta,] he says, and aloud (somewhat shakily), "I'm fine! Elsie fixed me!"

[her_imperial_radiance]

She spends another. She doesn't bother admonishing him to be careful.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus makes another whining noise and noses at him. [Are you sure? All better, honest? You could've died! I shouldn't've jumped it.]

[pythbox]

"I'm fine," he promises, hugging Zeus around the neck and kissing his wolfy nose. "And no I couldn't, I'm immortal! It was fun."

[alicornucopia]

Zeus flops onto the ground. [But you could've died if you weren't immortal!]

[pythbox]

"But I am immortal," he says, "and I didn't die anyway, I just broke some bones, Elsie fixed me up fine, it was fun, I'm fine, it's fine!"

[alicornucopia]

Zeus can make some very impressively whiny noises in wolf form.

[pythbox]

Harley gives him scritches. It just seems like the thing to do.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus lays his massive head down on the ground and accepts scritches, making dismayed whuffly sounds.

[pythbox]

"Awwwwwwww," says Harley. "I'm sorry you got scared."

[alicornucopia]

[How was it fun?]

[pythbox]

"I liked the jumping over the river part! And I've never been hurt that bad before, it was really - itself. I think I wanna do it again," he says consideringly. "But not with you if you're gonna get scared." Snuggle-hug!

[alicornucopia]

[You wanna do it again?] asks Zeus incredulously.

[pythbox]

Harley giggles. "Yeah."

[alicornucopia]

[You are a weirdo. I know I'd heal with or without magic if I got beat up like that and I still don't wanna try it.]

[pythbox]

"I am a weirdo!" he agrees happily.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus whuffs out wolf-warm air in Harley's direction.

After a moment, he unfloofs and he's just himself, maybe a little taller already, lounging naked on the forest floor.

[pythbox]

Harley giggles.

"Aww, no more floof," he says. "Can I still hug you?"