This is a Glass Parade
#1
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SoSuWriMo 402

A ghostly appearance had settled over the Marino matron. The shine of her ebony coat had disappeared, now looking more like dull coal. She had not been eating much, and had been sleeping even less. Her two healer daughters tried to convince her to focus a bit more on her own health, but how could she possibly do that? How could she even think of her own welfare when one of her babies was stuck in an unending sleep and another had fled the pack lands out of guilt into the cold and unforgiving winter? Even when Cambria had been recovering from her exposure to the ex-Commander's drugs Savina had not felt so wretched and lost. Two of her children needed help and she could not give it to either one of them. Her impotence stung at her conscience constantly, providing her no solace or moment of rest. Even when she did fall asleep from sheer exhaustion, when her body simply could not stay awake any longer, it was not a peaceful sleep. It was filled with horrible possibilities that tortured her mind and heart.


Savina sat in a chair by Artemis' bedside, watching her sleeping daughter with dulled emerald eyes. She had sent Cambria and Amata away to get some much needed sleep. There was really nothing they could do to help their little sister, and the Italian woman would not sleep anyway, so there was no need to keep them awake when she could watch over the comatose girl by herself. Gently she held her daughter's hand in both of hers, her slim fingers softly rubbing the silver fur. The familiar sting of tears reached her eyes and she did nothing to try and stop them from running down her face. The fur of her cheeks were now constantly stained with the salt tears, her body only able to stop them from coming when there was no moisture left for her eyes to expel. Softly, barely a whisper, the woman said, "I'm sorry." Savina did not really think this was her fault, or anyone else's, but it was impossible not to be sorry when her lively daughter was trapped in such an unnatural slumber. She wanted to see the life in Artemis' face again, to see the light in her eyes. Would she ever open those blue oculars again? Savina's bottom lip trembled, fearing that the answer may be no.

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#2
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300+


A tight, heavy mass had formed in the center of his chest, paralyzing him into a sullen mood that he could not seem to shake. Everything had suddenly spiraled downward and out of control, yet he was entirely helpless to make it right again. He disengaged, shying away from the pack. As he usually did when he wanted to avoid emotion, Kansas fled to books, but even they did not have the power to distract him, and he often read the same line over and over again without understanding it. The glimpses into a world without Artemis tormented him, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that she would come out of her comatose state and be her rambunctious self again.


Kansas draped the skinned, cooked rabbits over his arm and carefully opened the door to the bedroom. He peered inside to see if Savina had fallen asleep, as he hoped, but didn't expect. She sat beside their broken daughter, and his heart wrenched when he saw the dark fingers gently rubbing a small gray paw. "Hey," he whispered, as if volume could awaken the sleeping child. Kansas took a chair from the corner of the room and pulled it up beside the matron. The crisp rabbits added a fragrant scent to the cold, musty room. He lifted his arm to show them to her, forcing a smile. "I want you to eat, sweetheart," he spoke softly, gazing into the emeralds that had recently lost their sheen. She was still the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen, but her fur was rougher, her body more angular than it should be. He understood her suffering and could not force her to care for herself. All he could do was make it easier for her.


Kansas leaned toward Artemis' still form and kissed her forehead gently, comforted by the warmth beneath his lips. "How's the little girl?" he asked somberly as he sat back, turquoise eyes never leaving the child's face.


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#3
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Sorry for the wait lovey! 300+

The creak of the opening door distracted her gaze from the sight of her daughter and she saw her mate enter with cooked rabbits draped over his strong arm. The martyr in her rebelled against the hunger that filled her gut at the sight and smell of the food, but a smile did manage to tug at the corners of her mouth before slowly fading back into the expression of numb sorrow. It may not have seemed much, but it was the most her expression had changed in days and she knew that Kansas was the only one that could even make her feel a modicum better in this situation. "Ciao," she spoke equally softly. Even her voice had a rougher hue to it, not the same seamless tinkle of water but now a dried riverbed. The woman watched as her mate pulled up a chair and displayed the rabbits to her, asking her kindly to partake of them. Even though she wished to decline on moral grounds, her mouth watered at the smell and she did not wish for his loving efforts to be squandered. "I suppose I should have some." Gingerly she took one of the prepared things and picked away a slice of flesh to eat.


Savina watched as the father leaned over to kiss his daughter on the forehead and it brought the tears to her eyes again. Why could she not be sleeping beauty and be awakened by a loving kiss. True, it was not a kiss from a true love, but surely the kiss from a devoted and caring father had to have just as much power for a young girl. A shuddering breath was taken into her lungs as she momentarily closed her eyes. "No change," she responded hollowly. Watery emerald connected with stunning turquoise, her slim composure cracking. "What will we do Kansas? What can we do?" Even though she couldn't bring herself to say it, the meaning of her question was implied. What could they do for her that they hadn't already? And if nothing worked, what would they do without her?

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#4
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kansas cries a lot. XD crybaby. 300+



Artemis' face was so still, void of the captivating expression it always used to hold. All he wished in that moment was for her eyes to break open and reveal the soft blue, perhaps with a mischievous smile blooming on the fragile young features. Tears stung at his eyes, and he had to look at the wall for a moment until the feeling subsided. But when he glanced at his mate to see if she had decided to eat, the sight of her picking meekly at the food with moisture welling in the beautiful emeralds was too much, and the boy could not hold back any longer. He was completely still, made no sound as tears began to flow gently down the sides of his maw, but his hand reached to his mate's slender back, fingertips stroking her fur.



She responded as he had expected. Their child had not improved, but nor had her condition worsened. He tried to scrounge some hope from that, but all he seemed able to feel was despair. His mate's worried questions tightened the invisible grip around his chest, for he had nothing to say that would promise the ending that they were both desperate for. With his free hand he wiped the last of his tears from the corners of his eyes and sniffed. "We just... have to wait," he told Savina, his tone feigning a lightness that, despite the effort, could not have been too convincing. A better man would have held himself together, perhaps even becoming a source of strength for his love, but Kansas was not strong enough himself.



His gaze once again strayed to his daughter's face, and for a quiet moment he imagined the happiness they would both feel if she awoke. The conjured feeling somehow brought a little warmth back into his heart. "She... she could wake up any time," he spoke with a genuine smile to the raven beauty. At least he had that to give her, if he could not manage to hide from her how much he was struggling. "We can't expect the worst... you know?" he spoke, slowly nuzzling her cheek. Though they could not escape worry and fear, they could not burden themselves with the pain of dread. All they could do was what they were doing now. Give her their hearts, and their time."I think she can feel our love." He was not afraid to say what many would consider nonsense, because deep inside he believed that their daughter was touched by their love.
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#5
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Psh, Savi would probably be upset if he -wasn't- crying XD 500+

It did not surprise her when the tears sprung from her mate's eyes as well, and she did not think an iota less of him for it. Some women may have wanted their man to be a stoic pillar of strength in times like these, but Savina could only think: how could they? Kansas was no less Artemis' parent than she was. Surely his pain had to be as great as her own. It was their little girl that was lost to the world and what parent would not mourn that? What parent would not cry for their child? There was nothing weak about tears. Savina would not have wanted Kansas to hold them back, especially not for her sake. The woman didn't want her mate to be some unmovable stone, she wanted someone she could feel this with. They could lean on each other and there was no need for either of them to try and hide what they were feeling. It was natural. It was real. Not feeling it would be the thing that was wrong.


She felt his fingers on her back and she leaned closer to him, wanting so badly to share his warmth and feel his touch. It was the only thing that brought her any kind of solace in these trying times. The only thing that could dull her ever-buzzing thoughts of both Artemis and Denali to just a gentle hum. Kansas' words might not have been as hopeful as he had tried to make them sound, but they were true. Savina could too easily fall into the trap of thinking of only the worst possible outcomes, dreading them like an inevitable end. That was the same pitfall that she had unwittingly stumbled into in this situation. She feared she would never see Artemis awake again, and never see Denali again period. There was no knowing though, they had no way to see the future. All the could do, the best thing they could do, was just to wait.


When her love spoke next though, there was a genuine warmth to his tone and Savina looked to him wanting to feel that same shimmer of light. He was smiling at her, and it was as if the sun had just come out from behind the iron curtain of clouds that had descended over her life. The Marino woman tried to smile back at him, but it was a weak one at best. Instead, she leaned even closer and wrapped her arms around his chest in an embrace. Her eyes closed peacefully as he nuzzled the side of her face and the tears dried in her thin fur. "I know...it just seems that is the place my mind goes by default. I wish it didn't." It was not something to be envied, and not something she desired. When Kansas gave voice to his beliefs, she looked up at him and then to their daughter, one dark hand resting on his creamy chest. "Maybe she can," she mused. It was a wonderful thought. "I hope she can." Her spirits brightened at the notion. The mother reached down to touch her daughter's hand. "We love you so much Missa, and we'll be waiting right here until you wake back up." Savina looked back up to her mate, a real, stronger smile painted on her features.

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#6
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<3 300+



Crying to release his pain left him feeling a little stronger afterward, and he had learned long ago that sharing his tears with Savina was never as embarrassing as he always initially felt. What made their relationship so special to him was that they could share their emotions, whatever they were, rather than keep them hidden. It was especially important this time, for it involved their child. He was glad that Savina saw it too and therefore never thought less of him for shedding tears before her. Despite knowing this, Kansas was surprised that he actually felt more hopeful after crying with his mate. It had let him break past an inner barrier so he could look ahead again.



The pale man looked into his mate's haunting eyes and saw the light return, a swell of happiness warming his core. It was difficult to see the beautiful wolfess in such intense pain. He could not have explained how it felt to see the one he loved so broken, and when she smiled weakly he could not help but beam back at her. If she could feel hope for even a moment (the dread would come and go), he was satisfied.



Kansas encircled her small figure in his arms and held her tightly. It's hard not to, he spoke knowingly, brushing her hair with his fingers. He experienced just what she had described of herself. The Sadira watched her with a lingering grin when she spoke to their daughter, and gently held her precious face in his fingertips when she looked back at him with a true smile on her face. I think that will mean a lot to her. Perhaps Artemis had felt her mother's words somewhere in the depths of her consciousness, and he imagined that her body was at peace to heal if she had. It pleased him too that speaking to the smoky little girl seemed to have lifted Savina's spirits. Hearing his mate's words had done the same for him.



Kansas brushed his nose against the sable woman's muzzle. I love you. he said, his arms returning to hold her close.
His turquoise eyes lit on the child's sleeping form, unblinking and thoughtful as he watched her. We gotta take her for something fun, when she's up.

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#7
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<333 300+

Savina didn't think of herself as a pessimistic soul, but when things turned dark, so did her mind. It was even more so when it involved her family, and especially her children. The lives that she and Kansas had brought into the world meant everything to her and she would do anything for them. The mother would sell her own soul to save her children. So when there was nothing she could do for them she felt as useless as any creature on the Earth could. She could not even do as much as Cambria and Amata did, for her knowledge of medicine was rudimentary at best. The Marino woman sighed as her mate hugged her close and lovingly stroked her hair. She tried, with that sigh, to expel most of the fear and dread that had filled her up. Hope was what they both needed, and Savina needed to regain a firm hold on that. She couldn't do so without him.


The thought that being here with Artemis, and speaking to her were helping their daughter even in some small way was just the idea that she needed to grasp onto. Maybe if she could hear them, she could follow their voices back to the waking world. Maybe their love could bring her back to them. That hope seemed to blossom in her chest like a long dormant flower and warmth spread from it down to her toes and fingertips. Kansas' words also acted as a soothing balm to the heartsick mother. "I hope so." This time, there was true hope in her voice, devoid of that bottomless sorrow that had inhabited her accented tones earlier.


As his nose rubbed against her muzzle, coral tongue reached out to lick softly at his pale fur. "I love you too." So much that she would never be able to actually put it into words. The love she had for him was larger than any language. Savina wrapped her own arms back around his strong form, the embrace staving off the demons of their own minds. "Maybe we could spend the day at the beach. We could take a picnic and you could bring one of your books to read aloud. Just the three of us." She could picture the scene in her mind, sun shining brightly, casting diamonds upon the surface of the sea. Artemis frolicking upon the sand after a good meal. It needed to become a reality and not just a fantasy in her head.

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#8
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wrap up soon? 300+



Kansas too felt utterly helpless, for he had not even the slightest skill in medicine. He wished there existed some miracle elixir that would awaken Artemis, but not even Amata and Cambria could hope to procure something like that. The gray child's sickness was the strangest and most frightening thing that the young father had ever witnessed, for there was no immediate cure. There was nothing to be done that would reverse it — she was frozen in time, caught behind a surreal barrier that could not be broken by any external force. All Kansas could hope was that the love radiating from her parents, her family, might cause a slight stir within her that would slowly ripple to the edges of her consciousness, and awaken her.



When the obsidian wolfess spoke, her tone had risen in its pitch of hope. As her breathing strengthened, he too found it increasingly easier to breath for himself. Holding her close, feeling her soft pink tongue rasp against his skin had a powerful effect on him. He felt his faith bound impenetrably with hers, simply because of the loving touch.



Savina began to paint a scene in his mind that caused his eyelids to flutter and close. He could see the jeweled surface of the rich blue sea, smell the food of the picnic, hear their laughter. All the while he banished the dark thoughts that were creeping just below the surface, the possibility that their dream would not come true buzzing like a hornet in the distance; but if he kept the picture vibrant in his mind's eye, the darkness had less power. Kansas opened his eyes and smiled. I can't wait, he said, gently squeezing her tightly and releasing her. Its going to be a good day. Kansas looked into his daughter's face, this time without hesitancy, and for that moment he believed she would smile again.


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#9
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Sure Smile 300+

In times like this, Savina closed herself off, feeling it to be better to shoulder the emotional burdens on her own than to share them with those she loved. It was the protector in her that did this, but it was at best a foolish practice. There was nothing she could do to take the sorrow out of this situation for anyone; they all shared it. Bottling all her feelings up was helping no one, and it was certainly hurting her. She got so wrapped up in herself though that she could not see the error of her ways until someone came and showed it to her. Savina could not have finally opened herself up without her love's help and by the same token taken back up the light of hope. Without him she likely would have followed that dark road until things became even worse, but he had become her lantern in these bleak times as he always was.


It was a wonderful picture that filled both their minds and for a second it almost seemed real. Perhaps, for that brief moment, it was. She could smell the salt of the sea and see how the sun reflected off of Artemis' bright blue eyes, that familiar smile on the girl's pretty face. The woman felt her mate squeeze her tight and she smiled unhindered. "It will be a wonderful a day." Right now she was not thinking of the complications that could and would arise upon the awakening of their daughter. The fact that she would be weak, confused. How they would have to tell her that Denali had run away and they had not seen or heard from him since. At the moment those worries were kept at bay with all the others. All there was was that warm picture of their day at the beach, and the mother held it close to her heart, tenderly like a fragile bird.

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