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The young leader has settled in the well used yard outside the crowded house he and many more called home. The sound of life seemed never to settle, though as evening matured there would fall a temporary peace over Wolfville. Life had turned hectic despite summer’s silent promise of longer, lazier days. The amount of orphans was worrying, because none of them were his own. Some way or the other, though, most of them were kin, and regardless Conor could never abandon a child. He had friends to support and help with the responsibility, and things had eased up once Bris had joined the little family, though more children had arrived with her. It was a life well worth living, and though it was not perfect, Conor was happy. He hoped the rest of them were as well.
Fingers brushed the soft, darkened area under his lavender eyes. Early, though obvious signs of exhaustion, were starting to make their appearance. He did not have as much energy as he believed he once had, but he could not think of anything that could ease on the work load. Sleep was rarely an issue, though he seldom seemed to get the proper energy refill. Perhaps it was the added pressure of leadership and maturity. Did this prove him to be weak? He cringed from the thought, as he wanted to take care of his pack and his own as well as possible. He had found outdated pills designed to solve issues like these, but he knew a path of use could be treacherous and was not about to risk anything for some extra energy. The thoughts were pushed away firmly and the male closed his eyes, seated form weary as his mind.
Table by Veronica
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Summer's warmth permeated everything. Bris had managed to find several useful pieces of jewelry in her outing earlier in the day, and that fact had placed her in quite the good mood as she'd arrived back home. As she always did, the white optime placed her satchel with its precious jeweled contents on the little rundown dresser in the bedroom she'd chosen to be her own. A cool night-kissed breeze drifted through her glassless window, and the girl took a moment to breathe in the summery air. It was a sweet smell, and the corners of her lips tugged into a smile as it brought with it the well-known scent of Dahlia's young alpha. Peering out the window, she noticed Conor in the yard, soaking up the summer night as much as Bris wished to. Nothing about his body language stated that he wished for solitude, so the yearling made her way out of the house to join him.
"The nights are the best part of summer, in my opinion. Care for some company, oh esteemed leader?" The teasing was lighthearted and warm as the words left her mouth. Conor had become a dear friend in the recent months as much as a most respected alpha, and Bris had never spent an uncomfortable minute with the male. To be honest, she found herself sneaking glances at him when they were around each other, only to flit her gaze away when he turned, lest he find out. His pressence had begun to send butterflies fluttering in her stomach ever since their day in the greenhouse, but Bris had become somewhat adept at forcing them down and masking her developing crush with cool calm. She highly doubted Conor could ever feel similar toward her, so she would rather hide her thoughts away and avoid making him uncomfortable. The last thing Bris wanted was to lose the connection they'd so far developed.
The white Stormbringer smiled warmly as she found a comfortable spot beside him, but not too close. She pulled up her knees to her chest in a comfortable position, folding her arms around them and resting her chin on her legs. She sighed softly as her mismatched eyes pointed upward toward the sky, it's darkening depths beginning to reveal the infinite stars as the last dying rays of the sun faded on the western horizon. "You know, I don't think there's anything quite as beautiful as the stars. They've always fascinated me. Wouldn't you agree?"
Table by Vero!
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Lilac eyes were just about to close and carry him away into a blurry version of consciousness when a soft voice sounded behind him, quiet and tranquil enough to spare him for an unpleasant jolt in surprise. A gently curved line traced his shut lips, the peaceful smile that seemed to stretch across his face whenever he entered a social scene. It did not necessarily mean that it was not sincere. Her presence was not invasive as one of the children’s would have been at this hour. He yearned for unconsciousness, but it was nothing new, and retiring early did not help any. He turned his face slowly and caught a glimpse of her approaching form. Enough time went to reveal that there would be no proper reply to the gentle soul’s words, but his face was warm and he had caught the soft tones of humour. Had he not wished for her company, she would have seen this in his body language, and currently there was no decline present.
She settled beside him, drawing her knees up against her white chest and he watched her as she watched the sky. Her words drew his gaze upwards along with hers though, and as she spoke of her affection of the stars, he could not help but agree. He could foolishly discuss that though, as once there had been nothing more beautiful than Alexey, and before that nothing better than Catalyst’s china doll face with eyes of liquid sapphire. The past was not a place clever to dwell upon, and so he didn’t. ”I do,” he answered her quietly, wondering about distant galaxies and thinking how sad it was that many of the twinkling dots they saw already had died. He grinned slightly at the pessimistic direction his thoughts were taking. Perhaps it was true that he sat too often with his nose deeply buried in books.
Well aware that he quite possibly was about to ruin the magic of the moment, the yearling spoke. ”It takes years for their light to reach the earth, and some of these stars are probably already dead and gone,” yet they would still be remembered by those gazing up at the brilliant lights against the impenetrable black. A fascinating occurrence that could hint that death was not final, at least not for stars. ”Yet here they are, still alive in our sky,” he said, smiling dreamily as his lavender gaze returned to her snow kissed face.
Table by Veronica
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Bris' eyes didn't leave the stars as Conor's soft voice agreed with her. Her heart threatened to flutter up out of her chest, but she determinedly forced it back down. The night wind ruffled her soft whilte fur as the silence lingered between the pair, a silence of comfort and ease rather than awkwardness. Time itself seemed to hang in the air as they sat, transfixed by the beauty of the heavens.
As the male's voice once again lilted to Bris' ears, she broke her stare above and turned to look at him. Conor's lavender eyes twinkled in the starlight, and her smile became a little wistful as she listened. As his words registered with the logical part of the woman's mind, however, a thirst for knowledge overtook the dreamy feel of the moment. The spaher's two-toned eyes widened a bit as she soaked in what he'd said. "Already gone? I'd never thought of that. I knew enough to know the basics of what they are, but I'd never even wondered about that part of it." Overtaken for a moment by wonder, Bris unfolded her arms and leaned back, stretching her arms behind her and her legs out before her. The slave earring that never left her right ear twinkled a bit as she shifted. "I guess some things really do go on after death..." A moment of silence followed the trailing off of her words, her thoughts focusing briefly on her sister Kol. The older Stormbringer's body was dead and gone, but her light, like that of the deceased stars that lit the evening sky, lived on in the memories she'd left behind. It was a comforting, welcome thought.
Realizing she'd let her attention drift off, Bris smiled a bit shyly as she glanced back at her leader. To her surprise, he'd been watching her as her thoughts had wandered, and her cheeks burned beneath her white fur with the invisible blush. Her mismatched eyes glanced away quickly as she caught her breath, then returned to the young male's face with more composure. She was making a fool of herself, and she knew it. As she thought of trying to change the subject to something less dreamy, something about Conor's face caught her gaze. His eyes were as bright as always, but his eyelids seemed a bit heavy. Come to think of it, his entire posture was sagging more than usual, and Bris' brow furrowed a bit in concern. All shyness left her demeanor as she focused on Dahlia's young leader. "Conor, are you ok? You look exhausted. Is something wrong?" Bris shifted her weight to her side as she asked, drawing in to get a little bit of a closer look at him. She knew he'd been under a great deal of stress, taking on the leadership of Dahlia at so young an age, not to mention the horrendous childhood and past few months he'd had. Maybe it was finally beginning to take a toll on him. Maybe there was something Bris could do to help him.
Table by Vero!
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”I believe they do.” Energy could never die, though it changed shape and purpose. How could their short lives and all the things they had learned and done just vanquish when the body died? Conor was not a firm believer of religion, but he could not accept a final death where everything ended. Perhaps eternal darkness was what to look forward to, but he thought of those who willingly ended their lives; seeking an escape from the only life they had been granted. Everyone needed something to believe in; something more that could bring courage and meaning into their existence. Conor too thought of Kol at this moment, though he would not bring up the life and death of the Stormbringer while the remaining half sibling sat here with dry eyes.
Had their gaze connected in such a way in one of the former stages of his short life, Conor would have drowned in the glittering orbs of the female next to him, drowning in the soft, warm tide pouring into his soul. He responded to the world around him as well as he always had, but he had found new, necessary ways to deal with his life and the lives around him. Darkness continued to fall around them, but her face was lit by the soft expression on her lips and the pure soul beyond the bi-hued orbs. Concern could be read in them now, and he could feel his fur rise slightly as a fine train of goose bumps travelled up his spine. He could sense her lean closer, though his gaze travelled away from her and climbed the star lit sky as if the scene hadn’t changed.
Much in his life had been wrong up until the disposal of his father, and he could only shake his head slowly to such a question. Never had there been less wrong about it. ”I’m fine, Bris,” he replied in the usual soft tones. He was at a slight loss of what to say, because he was unable to locate a concrete reason for the exhaustion leaking into his system—a bit more every day. He slept, he ate, and he ran. Yet, dark marks formed under his eyes and the need to retire together with the sun became more persistent. ”I think I just need a few nights of good sleep,” he said quietly, aiming only to lighten her worry. Sleep could not help him, but it would be wrong to have her worry for him when there was little to be done.
Table by Veronica
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There was a reluctance in Conor as he turned his attention to the stars again before responding to Bris' concern. Her brow was still furrowed in worry, but she relaxed a bit as the male's gentle voice washed over her like honey. A tiny shiver of something suddenly ran up her spine as her name slipped past his lips, but the white woman covered her girlish emotions well for the time being. The spaher chewed her lip a bit until the rest of the words left Conor's mouth. Somewhat satisfied by his explanation for the moment, Bris settled back into a more relaxed position again.
Come to think of it, a couple of things made a little sense with Conor's words. Bris' chosen second-story bedroom in their shared house was under that of Conor, seeing as how his quarters composed the entirety of the attic. For the past couple of weeks, Bris could hear movement in the darkest hours of the night coming from Conor's room, but never enough to wake her from sleep. The woman had just assumed he was changing positions or something similar. But now, with how tired he was beginning to seem, could it be that he was losing sleep for some reason? If so, why?
As she mulled things over in her mind, Bris once again turned her eyes to the glittering stars. They were captivating, and there was always something so very peaceful about their steady, dependable light. Bris knew very little about astronomy, but she knew that the paths of the stars were constant and were something that could be and had been mapped in the past. It was a comforting constant in a world full of chance and change. "With everything that's happened, I can understand why you wouldn't be sleeping all that wonderfully. Oh! Isn't there some sort of herb that can help with that? I remember reading something about tea, about there being different types for different things. Maybe someone knows something about that? It could be worth looking into. What about Colibri? She's good with herbs, right?" As the idea had come to her, Bris' attention had once again fallen to Conor. She could be grasping at straws for all she truly knew (herbs and things of that nature were definitely not her strong point, though she had a certain curiosity for things), but she wanted to help somehow, if at all possible. If she couldn't help, then at least she hoped to be pleasant company in the cozy house they shared.
Table by Vero!
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She seemed to agree with him, and for that he was grateful. The woman that cared so for her friends should not have to worry about things that could not be changed. Everything had an explanation, and he was certain that this was only a phase, bound to get better. The young leader underestimated the ripples in the still water—could not anticipate the quiet ripple’s ability to spread and eventually awaken the dark flaw resting dormant in his blood. He had been born with a curse, the same curse that he always worried he possessed, yet believed he had overcome.
His gaze remained on the woman as she spoke. When she finished, he nodded, going along with the flow for now. ”That’s a very good idea you’ve got there.” To try herbal fusions was not at all a bad idea regardless if they were off track. Something had to cause the exhaustion, and if some of the nature’s glorious medicine could assist with that, he would be forever grateful. ”I’m sure I could go to Crimson Dreams and ask her,” and at the same time learn some new tricks in the book. If there was something he enjoyed, it was acquiring new knowledge of methods to help others in various ways. Body or soul, he wanted to be able to heal them.
He did not want the topic to linger though, and so he made a light attempt to derail her. ” What about yourself? How does it feel to be the substitute parent for Drey’s children?” The Stormbringer female seemed generally happy with her life, and he hoped it was the truth he saw in her face whenever she smiled. Her happiness was important to him. If she was troubles, he would push away his own, personal problems with ease to attempt to solve hers.
Table by Veronica
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OOC: I love them. =X
A wave of warmth washed over Bris as Conor agreed with her suggestion. Even if it was something tiny, she felt like she'd helped somehow. Her face pulled into a gentle smile as she turned her attention back to the sky with the silence that once again draped over the pair. Bris had been amazed at the comfort that she so often found in that silence between her and her alpha, ever since that first day in the greenhouse. It had never felt awkward or tense with Conor, and it led to a feeling that they'd known each other longer than they really had. Whatever the reason for the ease between them, Bris was always glad of it.
After a time, the Dahlian male touched upon a completely unrelated topic. Content to let the conversation go where Conor wanted it to, Bris found herself smiling and laughing softly at his question. "To say I never pictured myself caring for kids at this point in my life would be an understatement. But you know what? I can honestly say I'm happy. Spirits only know where my brother is, but I know he wouldn't have run off and abandoned the pups if he knew he had them. It's a lot of work, but I don't mind it. I really don't. There are good days and bad days, but that's the same with anything." Bris' voice grew a bit softer as she went on. "I just want to give them the childhood that I never felt I had. I want them to enjoy being puppies, to not worry about why anyone is looking at them the wrong way, or biting their tongues for fear that they'll say something to offend the adults who already hate them."
Bris couldn't say she'd had a terrible childhood. She'd had a warm place to sleep, plenty of food, protection from anything outside the pack, and a half-brother and half-sister who adored her. But even now the eyes of the other adults in the Stormbringer clan followed her. Their looks had stung her childhood heart with fear, hate, and disgust. It had taken a long time to uncover the truth behind those judgemental stares, and Bris had emptied her stomach at the sickness that truth had made her feel. Her littermates had shared in her Dawnrunner stigma, but they at least looked like her mother's side on the outside. Bris' glaring white coat broadcast her bad blood to the entire clan, and there'd been no way she could escape it.
Drey's children bore the same stigma as Bris did, but here in Dahlia, that hardly mattered. Here, amongst what had become a family of ragtag wanderers and lost souls, the children could grow up as they should. Along with Nayru and the other youngsters, Drey's brood could lead a happy childhood, the childhood Bris had been denied. Bris chewed her lip absently as she thought harder on Conor's inquiry, daring to talk a little more about everything she normally kept inside. The comfort she seemed to feel around the young alpha always seemed to loosen her tongue a bit. "You know, I never thought I would ever find somewhere I felt I belonged. I loved my family, I still do, but they could just never get past what I was. I was always an outcast, always trying to prove my father's blood didn't matter, but it always did in the end. I don't hate them for it, I just wish it had been different." She was quiet for a moment, just staring at the black claws that contrast so well with her alabaster feet. "Here, in Dahlia, it is different. I finally feel, I dunno, like a part of something. It feels like home."
The wind stirred a bit as the corners of Bris' lips pulled into a comfortable smile. She didn't even care if it seemed like she was babbling by now; it felt good to say those words, and it felt right to say them to Conor. After all, he was the one who cared for Dahlia as his family, the one who'd invited Bris to live in what was for all intents and purposes his house. She could have found a different house amongst the countless ones that still stood in the dilapidated human towns. Any of those could have provided a place for her to raise her brother's children perfectly well. But Conor had opened his own house to them all, and it was that generosity and care that made him who he was. Bris would never be able to find the right words to thank him for everything he'd done for her so far. He'd earned her respect, her gratitude, and perhaps a spark of something else. She couldn't deny that she felt a connection to the young Soul male that she'd never felt with anyone, but Bris was reluctant to risk that growing friendship between them by ever bringing it up. She wished there were some way to discover if Conor might feel the same, without destroying the newborn bond with the words of her curiosity. For now her questions would go unspoken. She was unwilling to take the risk.
Table by Vero!
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Bris had not asked for this responsibility. Conor had not either back when Mew died and her children remained. Alexey had been the one making the choices, and the current Alpha male did his best to follow her brilliant example even if she was no longer here to guide him. He had not asked for any of this that he had been given, but he knew it would be wrong to not consider his current life to be blessed. He was in a position where he could make a difference. He could form these lands as they had formed him. He was too young for this position and the responsibility, but as he continued to grow more comfortable with this life, he understood that he would not have it any other way. The beginning of his leadership had been nothing short of horrible, but they supported him. It would be no difficult task to force him down if enough members willed him off the throne, but no. They seemed to appreciate and acknowledge what he did. It was strange to be treated with such respect.
His thoughts were quick to take flight and lure him away, but Bris’ gentle tones brought him back. He did not know Bris’ brother very well, and facts were that it was not him he wanted to talk about. No, Conor wanted to talk about Bris, wanted to explore the gentle soul hiding behind those beautiful and unique eyes. He had impressed him many times already. He regretted that he had not taken time to know her better in the past when they were younger and still considered children. He believed that she could have been that friend he had so sorely needed, even back then. He could relate to her story. They had grown up in different worlds, but while the details differed, they had both had a cruel childhood. Cinnamon hued ears turned to rest against his golden skull as she spoke. He thought about the words she spoke. He did not know enough about the Stormbringer clan to fully understand what had made her so different and alien to the rest of her kin.
He did not ask, but she spoke again, words quiet and soft on her pale lips. His gaze shifted to linger on fresh snow as she gave him a fragment of her own story. She had a new home and family now, but he could see that her childhood still remained with her. She was still sad, but it was not her fault. He never understood why a child had to be punished for its parents’ sins. It was not right. He realized that he already adored her. There was nothing he could say to change things, but he could try. She deserved to know that she was appreciated here. This was where she belonged now and that this would never change. ”I’m glad,” he replied, risking hurting her for a moment because this was something he wanted to say. ”If your life had been different, you wouldn’t have come here to us.” He did not know how to form the words, but he had to try. ”Dahlia wouldn’t have been the same without you.” His words were honest; she mattered.
”I wouldn’t have been the same without you,” He felt a piece of his old self crawl back into his core. For a moment he felt shy, but he forced his gaze to remain on her pale face. They could not change their pasts. They could learn from mistakes made by others and move on with more wisdom than those before them. He could not comprehend the thought of kind, gentle Bris Stormbringer being an outcast. While some no doubt would see her blood as polluted because of the Dawnrunner blood, the soul within was undeniably pure. A hand rose to touch the woman’s back. It was meant to be a reassuring gesture, but he didn’t know. He recognized the emotion swirling within, but he would not take advantage of her in any way. He couldn’t ruin what they had just now. He only wanted her to know that he supported and believed in her.
Table by Veronica
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OOC: *squees and 'splodes*
Time stopped as the unbelievable words left Conor's lips. At first, Bris was curious, and a little confused. Then as he went on, the reason he was glad of her hardships was made clearer, and the white woman felt her cheeks grow hot in a hidden blush as her soft smile brightened even more. Her eyes, until now focused on Conor's face and his violet gaze, fell in a sudden show of shyness. She'd never really been very good at taking compliments, and though they always made her feel immensely happy, there was an awkwardness that went along with it.
Before Bris was able to muster the words for a grateful reply, she was stopped in her tracks by her leader's next comment. "I wouldn't have been the same without you." Those words brought forth an entirely different reaction than the ones before. Bris was too surprised to feel the same shyness, and she suddenly felt her heart fluttering wildly in her chest. Her eyes had gone instantly back to Conor's with his soft, honey-sweet voice, searching them for any hint that he didn't mean them as they were spoken. Yet there was no sign of that. Conor's lilac eyes glimmered with truth and sincerity, and Bris had to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Did he really mean his words to sound the way they did?
It took her a moment to find the words to respond. When she finally did, her voice was soft, a little shaky and unsure at first, calming a bit as she felt Conor's warm touch on her back. Instinctively, she leaned back against it, lending a physical manisfestation of the trust she'd developed in Conor. "Conor...I don't really know what to say. It means the world to me to hear that I actually matter to Dahlia...and to you. I'm glad too. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing now, because anything that could have been different might have meant never knowing you. And I wouldn't risk that for anything in the world."
Her sincerity lent a steadiness to her words as she'd gone on. Yet now having said them, she wondered if she shouldn't have. There was no denying what she'd begun to feel for the tawny Soul male over her time in Dahlia, and Conor's words had given her feelings a sudden flare like a log to a growing fire. She hadn't dared to hope that Conor might feel something toward her too, something more than a simple closeness between packmates, but the weight of his single statement gave her hope. Maybe she hadn't been hoping too hard when she'd sworn she'd caught his eyes lingering just a little longer on her whenever they'd passed. All of her thoughts of denial twisted in her head with the newfound hope that there was more between the two of them than Bris had ever thought she'd be lucky enough to share. Her heart screamed at her to tell him more, and at the same time to stop talking and do something. Yet that tiny little voice of fear held her back: the nagging, nasty little voice that still said she was dreaming, that it was impossible for him to want her, to need her, to love her.
Table by Vero!
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He wondered about his own words, feeling his heart press rhythmically against the inner walls of his chest. He felt slightly lost at the sudden change of pace inside of him. Alexey’s departure had brought back grief into his life, and perhaps he had missed out on other emotions while the remorse burned along the surface of his mind. Months had passed and it did not hurt so much any longer. Other souls had moved into his life and become close to him. It was important not to linger in the past when there was a presence that had to be lived. He believed he had managed to do that, but perhaps parts of him had not followed. Her weight leaned lightly against his palm. He could not keep the soft smile away from his features as she spoke.
There was an unexpected urge within him to take this a step further, but he was instantly repulsed by the unwitty idea. He greatly appreciated this woman’s company. He remembered too well how he had ruined the stable relationship between himself and Alexey Koios. They had attempted to mend what he had destroyed, but it had been hard, perhaps impossible. Nothing had ever been the same after he found the wicked courage to kiss the latte hued woman. Conor did not want to ruin another friendship. Of course, this was not the same, but he could not interpret the soft emotion present in her eyes for what it was. He continued to know nothing of love. All he knew was that it had eventually scared away someone that always had been there for him.
He inhaled deeply, suppressing a quiet sigh as he exhaled moments after. He got up, ruining to silent moment. Perhaps this ruined things, but he was convinced worse things could happen if he remained. ”It’s late,” he mumbled; his inner conflicts invisible in his tranquil voice. ”I’ll see you in the morning.” With a last appreciating glance upon her fair face, he turned and walked into the quiet building where the future of the pack lay dreaming.
Table by Veronica
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OOC: I loved this thread so much. XDDD
She knew it had been too much to ask for things to go the way her heart wanted, especially so quickly. It seemed, however, that at least the words the two wolves had shared had made neither of them uncomfortable with one another. Even though the silence that had lasted forever between them after Bris' words was tense and tingling with an unnamed emotion, the yearling still couldn't call it uncomfortable. The light in Conor's warm eyes seemed to reflect that he felt the same way, too.
Then suddenly the moment was broken. Something flickered in Conor's eyes, though Bris wasn't quite sure what it was, and he broke the silent tension between them. The sigh that slipped from his lips seemed to say that he was as disappointed in the moment's needed end as Bris was. As he got up, Bris' disappointment fell away, replaced simply by a feeling of gratefulness at having spent the time with the male at all. Conor was the closest friend the Stormbringer could name among Dahlia de Mai, and no matter what else happened, she couldn't see that ever changing, and his company would always be cherished by her. As the male spoke, ending the evening together, Bris offered him a warm, genuine smile and a soft nod of agreement and understanding. "Goodnight Conor. Try and sleep well. And...thanks."
The soft smile never left her face as she watched him retreat to the house. She could hope for something more, like any woman her age, but at the same time she couldn't say she wasn't content with the way things were right at that moment. She had a family, and a home, and someone she was coming to believe she could tell anything to without judgement. Dahlia de Mai was becoming everything that Bris Stormbringer had ever found herself longing for. Sighing softly, she decided to remain outside for a little while longer, her mismatched eyes focused on the heavens as she lowered herself to her back, her arms folded as a pillow behind her head. A warm feeling washed over her as she stared at that glittering sky, and the image of Kol's loving smile flickered across her mind. Bris had no doubts that her dark sister would be overjoyed at the life Bris had found within Dahlia. After all, Bris certainly was.
Table by Vero!
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