OOC: This is open to anyone, just requesting the person to join, talk Lili out of leaving XD She's in such disarray and feeling helpless, perhaps a skill to teach?
It was all her fault... she felt like she had caused Crimson dreams some kind of turmoil... well not just SOME kind for she knew exactly what it was and she was worried, scared to death and unsure of what to do. On one hand she wanted to run. To leave Crimson dreams so Maska could follow her... but where would she go after that? There was no where else to go, even Naryu, who’d been her friend was not around, at least the last time the woman checked... the pack had up and vanished. Liliana was in the common room of the mansion and she’d heard about the attack on Crimson Dreams. They wanted something in here and she knew what it was... Nayati as he had taken his family with him. She’d cried for the pack that was now defending them and wished there was something the woman could do, but there wasn’t They didn’t have the horses like AniWaya and that was all the woman could do. She was useless.
The mother stared blankly at her pups who were in the middle of the floor playing. Saqui had her brother by the ear and her brother was pushing at her with all four of his legs, trying to get her away and nipping at her ears to grab one himself. It was a comical sight, though Liliana had no heart in smiling, though it lightened her mood a little. Her thoughts rested on getting out of Crimson Dreams and saving her family as well as the potential friends she could make here.
Parker's quiet, but maybe she can be helpful! She will speak if she really thinks it necessary. Otherwise someone more talkative could always hop in. Or if you'd prefer Parker not be here because she isn't talkative, let me know and I'll get the post deleted. :3
Her padded paws were quiet against the Mansion floor. She liked that about her feet. When she had been little, it had been so much harder to walk in a manner that was almost silent. Parker had reveled in he way her parents and other adults could walk so nimbly on their paws without making noise. Now she had learned the skill herself and it made her happy. Today she was headed outside to the natural sounds of birdsong, insects, and other animals going about their business. At least, that was her intention until she heard the noises of others inside the Crimson Dreams common room. Two puppies squeaking and scrambling against the floor. Puppies? She hadn't known anyone was expecting... ah, perhaps this was the lady who had come recently with puppies in tow. Parker knew vaguely of the circumstance, though she had not looked too far into it.
Despite their noisiness, Parker loved puppies. She hadn't seen many because she was only a year old, but the ones that she had seen were always adorable. So it was that the normally rather solitary girl smiled and decided to change her plans. Heading toward the noise, she spotted an older female wolf - presumably the mother - watching her two cubs at play. As was customary for the young Sadira, she raised a hand in greeting instead of speaking. Her tail waved generously and her lips curved into a wider smile to further display her good nature. Any resident wolf that had been around for some time knew that Parker wasn't one to speak at length. This stranger might not know that, but the young female's good intent would be visible anyway. Parker looked downward at the puppies with interest, hoping the mother didn't mind her presence. Marveling at their youth and innocence, so different from the way they would be as adults. Time changed Luperci, that was certain.
WC: 304 OOC: Don't mind atall, and yes another person can come in if they want no matter
Liliana had saw the quiet girl start to pass by the room but stop when she heard the puppies. She came in silently and Liliana could tell from the looks of her, she was a soft spoken woman. This was fine for the Utina woman, because she wasn’t in the mood to divulge too much information. Talking had become something rare for the wolfdog herself. She was just too scared to say anything now. After the beating she’d gotten, mostly because she told the creep guardian just how it was, she just couldn’t imagine getting hurt like that again. Feeling up her bandaged arm, where she’d tried protecting her face from the man who’d attacked her she reminded herself that it was best just to keep her mouth shut. She smiled at the bow and made her own greeting with her hands as the AniWayans did to greet others. The pups had stopped playing and were looking at the woman wide eyed. It was Kuruk who wiped his fear away and gave the woman a warning growl before heading to his mothers lap. The pup was as protective as her mate, and Liliana could see much in the multi colored pup. Saqui was the strange one, she was exciteable and social one minute the next she clung to Liliana as though something were ready to snatch her and eat her if she left her mother’s side.
“Liliana, Kuruk, Saqui.”
She offered at least, pointing first to herself then her son, and then her dauther. They were polite and said their hellos’ then figuring that since their mother didn’t scare her away that she was ok to play around. Saqui started with a tag war for her brother and they both zoomed around in the dim light of the fireplace.
Parker appreciated it when others understood her quiet nature. She was optimistic, endlessly happy... but that didn't mean that she wanted to chatter endlessly about every topic under the sun. So it was that Liliana received an appreciative, warm smile from the Sadira girl. It was nice to not have her peace and quiet shattered by senseless talking. Her amber gaze settled on the boy puppy as he dashed back to his mother, a little warning growl on a small muzzle. Parker flattened her own ears and lowered her head slightly, her tail wagging to indicate good intent toward him. Puppies were unpredictable sometimes. It was interesting the difference between him and his sister; she seemed much less concerned with the presence of a stranger in the room.
The introductions were noted: Liliana, Kuruk, Saqui. The names were aptly chosen. As soon as Parker saw them, she could tell how well they fit with the personalities of the two pups. Both were spunky, active little things. She waved her fingers as they greeted her, then spoke with an accented voice she rarely used. "Parker." the girl replied, her eyes settling on the mother. Her good intentions were clear and her name was stated... she sat down in a crosslegged position to watch the puppies a bit more. Already they were back to their antics, all nerves forgotten since the Sadira had not made a move against them. The silence seemed... incorrect, though, right now. Much as she enjoyed her quiet, it seemed like it would be bad manners to not at least make very mild conversation. After all, she had been the one to interrupt the family's playtime. "Are you all new to the pack?" she inquired, carefully selecting and saying the words. Making sure she didn't slip habitually into Italian.
Liliana said in response to Parker, her head turning to the pups. It was a good distraction from everyday happenings. They could make an angry crowd forget how angry they were just for a few brief moments of watching the pups, though it wouldn’t just be her pups that did this. Many of the puppies in AniWaya had distracted her from the everyday norms. Her thoughts on one thing or another. Her own children made her proud to have done everything she did or she wouldn’t have these two particular puppies here and now. Looking back at Parker she’d hoped the silence would go on for a little longer but it seemed Parker was trying to be polite and the dark woman sighed.
“I....I don’t really know. My mate brought me and my sister in law here. Things in our tribe... is well... it’s not safe for the pups...”
She looked at Parker for only a moment, but had to look down shame faced. She knew that being here had brought on the raid that came days past. She didn’t know what the raid was about, but she knew it had something to do with her the pups Nayati and Sunki. Would Crimson dreams forgive her for bringing such a hateful bunch of wolves here to tear down their homes?
Parker had continued watching the puppies play, her amber eyes locked on the innocence of it all. They were blissfully unaware of what was happening. The pups wouldn't really remember these moments when they were older, except as stories that were told by their parents or packmates. If she had been aware that Liliana didn't mind the silence, Parker would have been pleased to keep it. As it was, she had accidentally intruded on information she didn't mean to pry from the other female. Information that was clearly delicate and hard to speak about. The Utina woman looked down in shame after she had finished speaking. Silently, Parker walked closer to the other adult, attempting to loop her arm around the other female's shoulder in a sign of solidarity and support for her and her family.
The girl would lean in to nudge her companion's face, too, trying to lift Liliana's gaze. There was no reason to be ashamed. Perhaps she had heard about the Utinas somewhere, a little snippet of information here and there that now made sense. The AniWaya wolves that had come with anger and hatred on their faces. Come to bring something back. They had taken some Crimson Dreams members, but that was not the fault of the Utinas. It was the AniWayans who were in the wrong here. "Safe here." she said, firmly but gently. The pack would protect them. The Raid had shown that they would not abandon those who had sought shelter at their door. If they had cared nothing for the Utinas, then the family would have been shoved out to be taken. Though others had been captured, Crimson Dreams would not willingly let anyone be harmed or forcefully taken from their pack grounds. Kuruk and Saqui could continue to play in peace here.
Saqui had Kuruk pinned down and she was pulling his ear, but not too hard as he was not yelping, but the boy was trying to gnaw as his sisters leg to get her off, and Liliana felt the love in her heart grow to be able to watch her two pups playing. Looking back at Parker, who had only two words, comforting and disturbing at the same time...
“I know it’s safe, but at what cost? I heard about the fight, that the AniWayans came her.... I know it had to do with us, I feel horrible that I....
She started breathing hard trying to not cry, trying to stay strong in front of Parker and her children. This was an emotional time, but she wouldn’t be a crybaby. She closed her eyes, putting her thoughts back into place and continued.
“I can’t contribute, I’ve nothing to offer your protection... The only thing I’m good at is animals.... and you all take such wonderful care of yours...”
Yes the woman felt so useless. Without her rank or her chores, she had so much to think about that it hurt her head just trying not to think. She looked back at her puppies. Kuruk was finally free, this time having his sister’s tail in her mouth while his own was wagging happily over her face. Saqui was trying to grab at it, growling playfully, though it was too high to reach as he was standing up and she was laying.
In that moment, Parker wished that she was a wordsmith. The hurt in the other female was clear and she wanted to wipe that away. Yet as much as the empathetic female desired to wipe away that sadness, she knew that she didn't even know the right words to say. When she wanted to be, the Sadira girl was incredibly articulate. Yet the problem here was almost a language barrier. Where her word was mostly soundless and she found comfort in gestures or internally, this female was clearly battling with something more than that. Something where she would need to have more than just a hug to clear it away. What Parker had already said seemed to have mixed results and it broke her heart that she couldn't help Liliana see that she was not a hindrance to Crimson Dreams. Despite the raid - which she herself had painfully experienced - there was no blame placed on the Utina family.
Her hand reached out to touch the other female, to silently lend comfort to the mother. Parker could tell that the other female was holding back tears. This was something that she had never understood, personally. Tears were - like so many other gestures and physical responses - just a natural part of life. Yet so many saw them as weak and didn't want to allow them to break through. She was more in tune with herself and with her emotions than most, though. At least she often thought so. Everyone else was too busy filling their heads up with words that they never truly understood the calm, peaceful center that existed within them all... well, maybe not all of them. The hateful AniWayans that had invaded their land certainly didn't seem to have peaceful centers.
"You are not useless. These children, they need you. They are your duty, now, and you give us the joy of their presence. Of your presence, too. AniWaya has broken peace of their own accord. Not your fault." she felt that the words were not enough, but her hand remained on Liliana's arm for as long as the Utina female would allow it. A silent sign that she supported Liliana and her family.
Liliana Utina Some pretty lyric goes here trallala
She let Parker touch her, it was comforting, though she was still a stranger to Liliana she still felt a slight relief come off her shoulders, and she was ble to hold herself better anad not have to worry about crying. She nodded as she looked at the pups. They were the world to her and Nayati was everything else. Without them she didn't know what she would do. She nodded, though not sure she was convinced herself.
“I don't think it is enough to warrant me being in your pack. It is something, but I have to DO something. I just hate sitting around. I've always worked no matter where I am, now I'm idle. I don't know what to do really...”
She said, it was mostly the sitting thing that got to her, that and she wasn't paying the pack back like she wanted to, how would she ever do so, especially when their own were caught and taken back to AniWaya? She knew she owed them her life mostly because that's what would be taken away if she were to go back now. So she felt she couldn't really repay them but the best way to feel better about it was try. She just didn't know what to do because she was only animal trainer, and she had some experience in fields gathering winter supplies, but she wasn't the best at it because she had just started last year.
Parker knew that there were some times that wolves just couldn't be comforted. For whatever reason, there were periods of time where you just had to feel until the emotions went away. It was possible that this was one of those times for Liliana. The aspiring mediator and peacekeeper didn't want the older female to decide that running away was an option, though, or that she was blamed for what had happened. Neither was true; Crimson Dreams had stood up for her and defended her because it was what was right and they would not back down from that. If she ran away, it would actually make all of their efforts in vain. The loss of Anu would mean nothing if the wolves they were protecting were gone. Then they would have fought for no reason and lost blood for their wards to merely go back out into danger.
It was clear, though, that Liliana felt she needed to do more than just watch her children. Parker could understand that. Idle hands could often be disheartening to wolves so accustomed to working. She twitched her ears and thought of what useful tasks might be available for Liliana to assist with. That way the other female wouldn't feel quite so much like she was freeloading off of the Crimson Dreams pack and their generosity. "Is enough... if you want more, though, I am sure others could use help. Horses can always use more hands. We care for them, but always they want for more attention." she said with a little smile. Although she herself was not a proficient rider or a particularly equine-oriented wolf, she knew they liked having wolves visit them. "If you need, I can watch the children sometimes... you and your mate can go out, spend time." because she was sure that connection was important to keep strong, too. Besides, the children wouldn't even be a hassle; Parker would enjoy having them around.
Liliana was disheartened, but it wasn't Parkers' fault, she just felt that sense of foreboding. She couldn't get out of her head, that there was something more to all of this, and why she had to be mixed in the middle of it was beyond her. She just had a feeling that Maska did not like her from the start, and from her experience with other wolves, she knew why. Parker's suggestion was great, though...
“I would love to, but seeing as most are personal and I do not know where most are kept.”
She said truthfully. She was used to all the horses living in one spot, but she had a feeling that the horses here didn't, that they had accomidations all over the packlands, which would be hard for her to get around with two children, let alone by herself. She smiled at Parker and nodded at her suggestion.
“You've all done so much for me, I couldn't ask another favor like that. Me and Nayati are able to spend time together. I do not have fear for our mateship.”
Once she wouldn't even had said those words, back when she was so confused and unhappy, and didn't know what Nayati had felt for her. She'd found out from a wrongly placed kiss and things escalated from there. She loved Nayati so much, and showed it when she could and Nayati showed her his love in his way as well, she was content in that subject for now.
Liliana seemed concerned about helping with the horses. Parker could understand why; some wolves did not like their possessions touched by other wolves that they didn't know. Her ears flicked thoughtfully, thinking about who she knew that owned some of the equines in Crimson Dreams. Surely there were those within the pack that wouldn't mind someone helping them. Especially if they saw the poor AniWaya woman and the disheartening sadness that existed within her. The Sadira girl wanted to bring out the happiness that was deep down. She knew it was there, but Liliana seemed afraid to let it shine through. Here was a new mother who was morose. That just would not work. "Ask some, they surely will appreciate the help. Especially now, when other things start to take precedence." like the war looming on the horizon. Not that she wanted to remind the Utina female of that fact, but it made sense. It was a good way for the AniWayan to help.
The girl hadn't meant to imply that Nayati and Liliana were not on good terms. She apologetically waved her ears, hoping that it hadn't seemed that she was indicating the Utinas needed time together or their relationship would shatter. "Offer stands. If you have need, I will watch them happily. They seem a pawful." she said with a look at the tousling cubs. In time, they would grow to be stronger and bigger. Someday, they would perhaps even become leaders like her mother. Who was to say what kind of potential lay in the young? Much was yet to be determined in the upcoming months. They had much to learn and learning from more than their parents would be good as well. "Perhaps, also... you could teach about horses? There are those who do not know much about them, they could do well to know more." a bit of an afterthought on the matter of being useful to the pack. This suggestion might be easier.
