WC: 579
Coli was still sniffling, trying to paw away the wetness on her cheeks and compose herself. The feeling that time was rushing past her began to ebb away, as though something was anchoring her in the present now, pulling her back from the bleak future and its unknowns. Lilin was stroking her mane, entwining her fingers through the long hair, and Coli rather liked it and wondered if she was supposed to reciprocate in some way. She had never felt closer to her sister than she did in this moment, knowing they were on the same path and neither of them had planned for it. "Of course I won't tell, don't worry," she murmured, oddly proud that she was privy to such a big secret. "I don't know if I want to tell anyone about mine, ever," she admitted flatly, wondering how her packmates would react. She didn't want to think about it, and instead let her eyes flutter shut, raising her fingers to brush lightly against Lilin's wrist. They could just stay here, hidden away in the house, free from judgment and responsibility.
Lilin slipped away from her then, voicing some of her own hidden concerns. It was her turn to be reassured. Coli paused thoughtfully, recalling something relevant for once. "You know, Conor and Emwe, our half-brothers from Dahlia de Mai... They were both honorable, and healthy, and their parents were cousins. Our father and Firefly Sadira were mates for a time... although they were both horrid to each other so it didn't last long," she added sourly, crinkling her nose. Firefly had bullied her the first day she arrived on their borders, when Coli followed her father and Cercelee's trail to the flower pack. She didn't miss her short-tempered relative one bit, and had been rather pleased when the Sadira woman was finally outcast. She never really wondered what happened to Firefly after that, assuming she just went off to spread her unpleasantness elsewhere. "If those two managed to create someone as pure of heart as Conor, I wouldn't worry about you and Saul at all. They'll be fine..."
The Virdings were young, but responsible and virtuous; Coli didn't doubt that they would be excellent parents to whomever their children became. She hoped that her information would be of some comfort; it actually made her feel a little better about her own litter's questionable genetics, hoping they too would rise above their corrupted stock. Perhaps it was just luck. Thinking so much on her father made her shiver, and she rubbed her forearms, a chill chasing down her spine. Madness did run in the Soul line, and what made Haku so terrifying was the unpredictability of it all; he was not always a madman, it was a gradual descent into his wicked acts of brutality. Lilin and Colibri were both giving him grandchildren now, and no one could tell if they too might sink to his depths someday.
She was saved from her thoughts by Lilin's abrupt declaration, as the younger female swept gracefully from the room. Coli whined, padding after her in distress. "I, I don't need to spend the n-night, it's okay! Wh-what will Saul say? I have m-my own place...!" She frowned stubbornly at the bedroom, huffing under her breath. She hated being an imposition, the burden they all had to carry, but the thought of going back to her dark, empty house alone was certainly unappealing. One night wouldn't be so bad.