Under the Stars

Orin Takekuro · 08-30-2012, 04:33 PM

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Night time, evening of August 29th. Starts out in their family's home but they'll wander off. Smile

Word Count :: 300+

The mother had done all she could to keep her sadness over the loss of the two pups from affecting her last surviving daughter’s life, but as connected as mother and daughter always were there was little doubt that Svetlana, in some small way, knew how upset Orin had been over the past month and some days since Misha and Vladmir’s demise. Yet, in the ashes of tragedy, family would always overcome. It had taken a chance meeting with the trickster baroness of Cour des Miracles to make her realize it, but she was not as alone as she always thought. But, in some way, she had left Svetlana alone to stumble through her puppyhood unguided. Oh, of course she had been there still, doing all the things a mother did for their child, but there was a piece of her heart missing. It needed to be stitched back up, and given to the most deserving thing in her life right now.

“Svetlana?” Orin called into the house softly. Orin and Mars had been out all day and left Svetlana in the trusted care of the dog-woman, Krystalle. When Orin returned to the house, she returned on all fours in her Lupus form. When she knew she needed to spend quality time with her daughter, she would always shift into a wolf, for the young one could not transform yet and they could play together better this way.

A smile spanned her muzzle as her ears perked up, and amber eyes peered around the dark house, listening for little paws, looking for the little snowy white angel. Though the windows, moonlight’s silvery tendrils touched down on spots of the flooring, lighting up patches of the woodwork. Orin moved forward, paws treading softly on the ground, but nails clicking as she went. Her tail was held high and wagged every now and then, excited to spend the evening with her little girl. But where was she at?

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude

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Svetlana Takekuro · 08-30-2012, 06:54 PM

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The daughter of Orin & Mars had been busy entertaining herself with daydreams of the siblings that once existed in a time before speech would allow her communicate with them. There had been times she brought them up to their mother, but it usually went unanswered and only ended in tears for them both; Orin with sadness and Svetlana because she felt as if she'd hurt her mothers feelings. The two beings started to feel as if they were nothing more than a figment of her imagination, a mirage that she had begun to wonder if she had created herself to cure the loneliness of being an only puppy. No..that couldn't be right either. It wouldn't explain what had happened with the other, both dark and light at the same time, the one that Orin referred to as her father. She rested her head on her paws as she continued to think.

He seemed caring enough, at least since he had done what she had witnessed. She laid on her pillow next to Orins bed, in she & Mars' bedroom, her little mind piecing together what had happened several weeks ago but what had still remained unspoken about before her mothers voice broke the silence. Svets head popped up from her paws, her head tilting to the side before she picked herself up from the cottony pillow.

Had it been Krystalle she had heard? No, it had a different tone. A loving tone, one that she recognized only in her own mother. The puppy picked her pace up as she crossed the doors threshold, spotting the familiar silhouette of Orin near the entrance of the house. Svet grinned widely as she barreled clumsily down the hall in her still somewhat unstable puppy gait. "Mama!", she chirped, meeting her mother with an affectionate bump of the head against hers. The puppy's heart couldn't be any happier at the sight of Orin, she longed for her when she wasn't around.

Orin Takekuro · 08-31-2012, 01:06 PM

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Feel free to PP them walking/arriving at the Fairy Lights. Also, for your reference, here is a small snippet about what the Fairy Lights territory is like: Click Here Word Count :: 300+

Her heart soared when she heard the familiar patter of four clumsy paws skittering out of the bedroom and down the hall. Her tail went into hyper drive, lashing the air wildly as her daughter ran over to her. They bumped their heads together and Orin gave her a hundred loving licks to the head and neck and muzzle. “Hi baby, I missed you today. Sorry I was gone for so long; your daddy and I started a special project.” She nuzzled her daughter and then stepped back, peering down into those ice blue eyes that so looked like her father’s.

“I heard you were a good girl today. I bet you’re tired of being stuck at home though,
she turned and trotted toward the door. It had started to shut behind her when she first came in, but there was enough of a crack for Orin to fit her muzzle into, and with a flick of her head the door swung wide, opening up to the night. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes flashing in the moonlight.

“Do you want to go see the Fairy Lights?” She smiled, and then trotted out onto the porch, expecting to be passed up by a white flash any minute. The Fairy Lights was a place in the Court of Miracles that felt like it was right out of a fairy tale. The night was clear and warm, and they would be able to see the stars beautifully from the field of wildflowers. Orin hoped to tell her the story of the fairies, and on a night like this the little lightning bugs that looked oh so much like little fae spirits would be gaily buzzing about the field in full glow.

The night was bright, hardly a cloud in the sky. Orin’s golden eyes turned to the inky sky speckled with bright stars, and then to the moon. It was big and full in the sky, the second full moon this month. Why were there two this month? She didn’t know, and she didn’t understand about the rotation of the moon and earth. To her, maybe it was a sign. Maybe it was someone, or some spirit, telling her that everything would be ok.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude

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Svetlana Takekuro · 08-31-2012, 02:46 PM

Svetlana giggled through the kisses her mother lovingly adorned her with upon meeting. She smiled up at her mother as she listened to her words, ears quirking best they could as they wrinkled the skin between them slightly. "I missed you too. What kinda project?", the curious pup interrogated with a slight grin as her mother backed to make eye contact with her. Her tail had slowed its waving motion slightly as she listened again.

The pup watched her mother part, making the correct assumption of Svetlana being tired of keeping inside all day. She followed her slowly, wondering what her mother had on her mind. As she approached Orin and stood at her side, she peered quizzically up at Orin, "The fairy lights?", she repeated, her eyes then turning to the dark abyss outside their door, trees delicately covered with moonlight. It speckled through the overhead canopy onto the floor in some places. To say it was intriguing to a puppy was an understatement.

She looked back up at Orin and nodded her head slightly in a, still unsure, 'yes'. The two made their way through the beautiful night time scenery of the forest, Svet followed her mother closely, as the darkness still housed many fears for a young pup as herself. It seemed to become brighter as they approached their final destination, Svetlanas eyes widened at the sight before her, maw parting in somewhat disbelief at what she was seeing. To her, it seemed the stars were taking a break from their hold in the sky and buzzing freely around, which was quite the sight to see for the first time. Her tail began it's usual wiggle, hocks rocking back and forth as it did so, showing her happiness.

Svetlana broke the silence as she watched in wonderment the fireflies, "Mama, how'd the stars get down?", she asked, deeply fascinated by what she saw.

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Orin Takekuro · 08-31-2012, 03:22 PM

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Word Count :: 300+

Her gait was carefully chosen as they walked down the beaten path, steps adjusted to keep pace with her daughter so the little girl would not get too worn out. Luckily, the Fairy Lights was not far from their home, placed near Lunenburg, and it was not long until the glow of the flowery field was seen before them. “Yes, the Fairy Lights, it’s a magical place here in the Court,” she told her daughter, leaving it at that and letting her imagination run wild with the mystery of what they would soon find.

Eyes cast ahead, the moonlight poured down over the field, lighting up the colorful array of wildflowers that bloomed. With all the flora the place was fragrant, the most appeasing scent was probably that coming from the night blooming lilies. This place was a pretty, yet relatively normal field during the day. But at night it was pure wonder.

She looked down at her daughter in time to watch her azure eyes light up, drinking in the vision of the field. This made the mother snicker softly, the wide smile never leaving her face. As she had hoped, the fireflies floated lazily about, sometimes coming low enough to kiss a blessed flower before taking flight again. They had Svetlana enraptured. “They are not stars, my darling. They are fireflies.”

She guessed her daughter would just come back with ‘what are fireflies’ so she continued, “Some people say they’re just bugs, but obviously they’re not.” She turned to look out before them again. Prancing forward, Orin trotted out into the center of the field; the flowers and reeds came up to her belly, at least, some even taller. Eventually her paces slowed and she looked up at the glowing dots that surrounded them. “They’re the only thing of their kind, bugs don’t simply just glow. It’s silly to call them just bugs. They’re descendants of the fairies. You sister Titania loved fairies, she used to talk to them, she probably still does. And Juliet,” she glanced around the field. “She loves flowers. I hope one day they will both visit us so we can all come here together.”

Turning away from the sight of the fireflies, and the milky way’s luminance beyond them, she looked to her daughte’s face again.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude

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Svetlana Takekuro · 08-31-2012, 05:04 PM

The glittering lights of the fireflies reflected back into Svetlanas eyes as she watched them glide around the field without a care in the world. Her maw held a smile that couldn't be helped at the sight. Svets ear quirked in Orins direction as she listened to her reply pertaining to the fireflies. Before the babe could repeat what she'd heard, Orin continued with her explaining. While her eyes followed the twinkling creatures hanging in the sky, she listened.

Svetlana followed her mother, still somewhat insecure about the surroundings and their 'newness'. There was no telling what were in the grasses, but the fireflies eventually allured her enough to overtake fear, like a siren to a sailor. She watched Orin for a short period as she spoke before looking back into the dark sky again, trying to follow the bugs as they went between lit and unlit. They disappeared from sight, seemingly while their glow was off, it was as if they were invisible.

Her arctic white ears stood just as tall as they could when Orin mentioned 'sisters', this took her somewhat by surprised. No doubt the last time they'd visited, Svet was either too young to remember, or not yet born. She had no memory of either and the name didn't match that of the other. She looked down for a moment, meeting her mothers gaze as she looked back up, "Titania? Juliet?", she questioned, her mind registering those two names as to not forget them. She wanted so bad to bring up her sister, the one she knew about, or thought she did. But she was at odds with herself, she knew what happened the last time..yes? No? No..not now. She decided to continue on the subject of these other two, "Do I know them?", her face still puzzled. She sat down, listening, though, they weren't honestly what she wanted to know about.

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Orin Takekuro · 09-04-2012, 04:37 PM

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Word Count :: 300+

Smiling, she nodded to Svetlana. “Yes, your sisters. You haven’t met them yet, they’re both grown women now, strange enough as it is to say, and they live in their own packs. They both have white coats much like our own, but Titania has some silver and red here and there, and Juliet is cream with a few red splashes. They got the red from their father,” she looked away, gazing out over the field, though not in sadness but in fond memory. “They have a different daddy than you, but I’m their mommy. Titania lives in the north, in a pack called New Dawn. And Juliet, she lives south, in Casa di Cavalieri. When you’re old enough I’ll take you to see them.”

She looked back down at her daughter. There was more she could tell her, so much more, but it would be a great leap of faith in expecting Svetlana to understand. The young girl couldn’t understand all of it, not just yet, but she deserved to know. She would work it all out and understand as she grew older.

There was also something else, something her daughter had tried to talk to her about before but the wound was too fresh for her heart to handle it. But it was about time she started treating her daughter as more than just a puppy. Of course, she was a puppy, but that was only for now, and she would do nothing for her by teaching her to ignore issues.

“There was a brother, too,” she added slowly, gently. “Not Vladmir, but another, who was born when Juliet and Titania were born. I named him Demetrius. He was hurt, when he was just a tiny tiny baby. He died.”

Somehow, she managed to speak about the child without tears in her eyes. Her sadness over Demetrius had mended, but she would always miss her first born son. She knew he was okay, though, for his spirit used to visit her and Shawchert when they lived together in Cercatori d’Arte.

She stopped there, letting Svetlana have time to process the story, and form any questions she might have. Even if those thoughts led her to asking about Vladmir and Misha.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude

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Svetlana Takekuro · 09-04-2012, 09:21 PM

Orins answer seemed to satisfy the pup as far as curiosity about her older sisters went, a firefly took her attention temporarily, at least until her mothers voice broke silence once more. Svetlana, unlike she usually did, kept quiet and didn't repeat what was said. Her crystal blue eyes watched those of her mothers as she looked down at her. "Do they know about me?", she asked, the pup seemingly wise beyond her years and an insatiable curiosity to boot.

Svets ears folded against her head at mention of her brother, she hadn't expected her mom to mention any other than Vladmir, what Orin said took her by genuine surprise. She sat up straight, mulling the information she'd been given about her immediate family. Two sisters living. No brothers. And a mention of that name..Vladmir. She had no doubt that was the same name of her sibling, the one whom was killed. But the girl? Her name escaped her, or did she even know? If she had, it was forgotten. But at least that one name gave her something concrete to hold on to. They couldn't have just been a mere state of imagination, then. They had to be real if she knew about them too.

The pup was ready to take her chances, or at least think good and hard about it. She looked to the ground, mustering up the courage to approach the subject, no matter what it lead to. Both ears plucked up as she looked up at her mom, though her head hung still, beneath her shoulders. "Vladmir..that was my brother, I mean..my brother that was same as me.", she asked, though having trouble finding the words to describe exactly what she meant. "I mean..it was me an' him an' a girl?", she asked, trying to figure out if the two were tangible and not a figment of imagination. She made eye contact, but never budged from her hunched stature.

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Orin Takekuro · 09-05-2012, 11:41 AM

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“Yes, they know about you,” she nodded thoughtfully. “But since they are both part of their own packs they haven’t had the time to visit us yet, either. They have duties to attend to, but they will visit when they can. Just like we will visit them as soon as we can. I sent word when I knew I was going to have you, and then after you were born.”

The change in her daughter’s demeanor was not lost on her, and her brows pursed in worry when she saw the curious girl’s head droop and her ears tilt back. She wondered if she was thinking about the others, about Vladmir and Misha. She hadn’t wanted to spoil the mood of the evening, but now was as good a time as any to dare walk this heartbreaking path. Orin didn’t have to speculate long about the vein of her daughter’s thoughts, because soon the little girl revealed what troubled her.

Her ears angled back to mirror her daughter, and her haunches lowered so she was sitting amongst the vibrant grasses, close to her hunched child. There was a beat of silence, and then she spoke softly and gently to Svetlana. “Vladmir was your brother,” she confirmed with a nod. “And Misha was your sister. They were your blood through and through, grown from your father in my body. You were one litter, and you three were absolutely glorious. You still are. Even though we can’t see Vlad and Misha anymore, they are still with us too, just as my son Demetrius is.”

She lowered herself to lay on her stomach so she was closer to Svet’s level, no longer hulking over her despite being as dainty as Orin was. “It was unfair that they had to die, and I will miss them forever, and I am sure you miss them too. It can’t be easy having your littermates just disappear like that, huh?” She nudged Svetlana gently with the tip of her nose. The poor girl had gone from living in a large family to being an only child, not an easy thing for creatures like themselves who are so naturally dependant upon their pack. Of course, Svetlana still had her parents and the Court, but losing your playmates and those close to you of the same age couldn’t have been an easy change for the child. Even now, Orin had little clue of what was going through her head, thoughts that she had just made up her siblings and the uncertainty of wondering if they had ever been real to begin with.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude

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Svetlana Takekuro · 09-05-2012, 05:17 PM

The devastating news that she was afraid was true was finally acknowledged. It was true that what she thought had happened but had since blocked it from her mind really was real. Svet stared at the ground, struggling to come to terms with what her father had done. If anything, she remembered that best. The beastly look in his eyes, formidable, threatening snarl on his lips. It petrified her, even now, just to think about it. She wondered if Orin knew that Mars was responsible for her blood brother and sisters death, the only pack mates and true right down to the genes family she had. But why? Why would he kill his own puppies? And why, if she knew, would Orin protect him like she had? So many answered questions ran through the pups head, it was almost too much to handle.

She made eye contact again when Orin came down to her level, lying beside her. Svet swallowed..hard. Such news wasn't easy to take in, especially when you've already been through so much at such a young age. It made her feel a little better knowing that those two, Vladmir and Misha, weren't abstract, those early memories were something she would now cherish forever. The questions hanging over her would soon enough be revealed. Svet nuzzled her mom when she gently touched her with her nose. "Yeah..", she answered almost silently. This wasn't easy..for either of them.

"What happened?", she asked, half-way prodding the subject without giving anything away just yet. She loved her father..and she wasn't sure she wanted to mess that up. But what if it happened again? What if the rage that had appeared in his eyes happened again when Orin oh so often trusted their, or her, father to look after her. What if next time, she couldn't evade the situation?

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Orin Takekuro · 09-07-2012, 12:29 PM

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Word Count :: 300+

And inevitably, Svetlana asked the question that Orin could not answer. What happened? Orin herself was not entirely sure. She didn’t know who had done it or why, because she, too, had been injured in the fight. The monster had thrown her into something and she knocked her head, putting her out cold with no memory of the excursion. All she could remember was waking up that morning, going to the kitchen… and then waking up in bed, at home, head screaming with pain and with only one child left.

She shook her head slowly, “I… I’m sorry, I’m not really sure.” She said, casting her eyes away, gazing far off at nothingness. “I was hurt in the fight, I can’t remember what happened or who did it. All I know is that I’m thankful for your father… if he hadn’t come back and fought off the monster, then I doubt any of us would have survived.” She reached out a paw and draped it over Svetlana, pulling her close to her chest and nuzzling her.

“I don’t want to scare you, but you need to know – you already know in some way – that there is evil in this world. In the pack we are safe. The Court, our brethren, they keep us safe. But when we’re beyond the borders, or when someone breaks into them, then bad things can happen. They don’t always, but they can.

“There is a family out there… a family of very bad people. They are called the Rhiannons. A few of them lived in my old pack with me when I lived in Cercatori d’Arte. They do… bad things. They hurt people. Some of them act pure but I know their blood is tainted. You can’t always know who someone is deep inside, but trust your instincts. Always listen to your gut and you’ll be okay. You have strong wolf’s blood, and a little extra,” she grinned and winked, for whilst Orin was full wolf, Mars had a little mix in him. “If you heed the warnings of your heart it will always guide you down the right path. Don’t ever trust anyone that gives you a bad feeling.”

Orin had no idea that, in some veiled way, she was telling her daughter not to trust her own father.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Dude

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Svetlana Takekuro · 09-07-2012, 02:16 PM

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Svet listened closely, though Orins answer was exactly what she was afraid of. Svetlana hated the fact that she was left knowing what happened, well aware of what Mars had done, and in it alone. The other two witness' hadn't survived the bloody assault. She had no one else to relate to or even confide in. The pup clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes closed as Orin brought her closer in for a nuzzle, the pain she felt was like none other, but she didn't dare share what was troubling her. She was able to keep evidence of crying from her face. For now.

She continued to listen and not speak as her mother went on, making her fully aware that evil indeed exists, though it seemed that Orin felt safe within the borders of CdM and with her pack. Had it not been answered earlier already, Svetlana would have known then and there that she [Orin] knew nothing of Mars' attack on his own flesh and blood. In fact, he was made out to be a hero? The whole thing was baffling to her. And with this information, she'd keep what she knew to herself but be wary of time alone with her own father. The puppy of white pawed at her own nose, eyes meeting those of Orins once more, "Anybody?", she asked. As if she needed convincing not to trust her father.

The young girl wondered for a moment, about her older sisters she had learned about just a moment ago. If the world out side of the pack was evil, what about those two? They didn't live here, were they in danger? Had they fallen in love and found themselves a new safe haven with their mates? She wanted to know more about the two living siblings she had, even if they couldn't answer any questions about Mars. "What about Titania and Juliet? Are they safe where they live?", she asked, watching another firefly dance nearby.

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