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First I’d like to start with an apology, I am aware that I have been in and out of this site quite a lot over the years, often without warning, and I am very sorry for this, especially to those with whom I had unfinished threads. Every time I get to a good place in my life when I can spend time here and write I rejoin, and every time I do awful things happen, like my laptop exploding or my History lecturer deciding that 6 essays a week isn’t too much pressure for us and my Law teacher agreeing with him. I am rejoining with every intention of staying this time though, even if that means I am picking fiery shards of laptop out of my face later this week XD. Also apologies... I got a bit... rambly in this post XD
Character Name: Soran Aatte.
Character Birthdate: 19th August 2003.
Whether she is a regular wolf or a Luperci: Luperci.
Your e-mail: glass_and_black_roses@hotmail.com
A secondary form of contact: Msn is the same as my email  and
AIM: ladysoran
How did you hear about 'Souls: Oh I moved in years ago (October 2005), I leave but my addiction to this place keeps dragging me back.
push it inThe low hanging rain clouds were tinged with pink and gold as the sunlight began to touch them, the morning just beginning, the hardier birds that had not already migrated Southwards to warmer climates were beginning to sing, chirruping as they awoke. The gold and red leaves rustled in the breeze, some breaking free of the gnarled branches on which they rested, falling listlessly to the ground. Small animals were already awake, gathering nuts and berries and racing about through the yellowing grass, hiding their harvests in the moist soil, storing them away for the harsher winter months that were to come. One small squirrel was bounding through the lands, tail held aloft, its grey fur contrasting sharply with the green of the grass through which it was running, in its mouth it held a large hazel nut. Suddenly the small creature froze, its black eyes wide, staring in terror straight ahead of it.
push it inSoran pushed a low hanging tree branch out of her way, disturbing several small browned leaves as she did so, her long legs moved her through the lands quickly. The green eyed lady raised a long fingered hand to her hair, which was tumbling in curled locks across her face, brushing a stray lock of her ebony mane off of her face, pushing it over her shoulder so that it wasn't tickling her eyes. Her jade eyes were not really focusing as she padded through the forested area, pushing through the undergrowth quietly, ignoring the way that her hair caught on low tree branches and tall brambles, too focused on where she was going to pause and braid her hair to keep it out of the way. The heavy canvas bag that was slung across her shoulder bounced against her hip with every step that she took, it contained her world, some books and her flute. That was all that she carried around with her, not much different from when she had last walked in these lands, but now these things were her whole world, they were all that still connected her to these lands, to her family, and so she had kept them with her.
push it inThe ebony lady walked relentlessly, her eyes focused only on the area straight ahead of her, utilising her ability to make mental maps to return to the place where she had last seen her son, her dear red boy and sweet little Naniko, who was not so little anymore, she needed to be near her family now, she was lonely, she missed them. Soran was unsure how she would explain her sudden departure to them though, she couldn't explain, not without telling them what she had done, something that was so awful she had blocked it from her mind. But that night, the night she had decided to steal away from the lands for a while, the night she had walked back down into the lands that had once been her home, the lands that had once been Syemv, to see Phasma's grave, to see her other children's graves, she had remembered. The happenings of that fateful birth had come flooding back to her and she had found herself sobbing, unable to move from the graveside, her head bowed, her long fingers tearing at her fur, tangling in her mane, raking bloody lines into her arms.
push it inEven now she could not forget, the images of that night were burned into her mind. She knew now why she had so callously pushed her youngest pups onto Phasma, leaving them for her to find and care for, why she had left so soon after the birth, why she had fled the lands without as much as a goodbye or a backwards glance. She remembered, god she remembered. As she raced back towards the place she still called home the memory played, like an awful video stuck on repeat, an incessant loop of horror for the obsidian female. The pups had come unexpectedly, not even a fluttering or a hint before the birthing pains had set in, once again the birth was fast, far too quick for the ebony lady. Amadeo had been born first, he was beautiful, his fur a soft grey, longer than Soran’s, but he was small, far too small, and dead. Then Dhalia, mewling and crying as soon as she had appeared, her red fur making Soran think of Conri, making the dark lady smile as she stared down at her daughter, her healthy living daughter, so unlike Maeve, who had been so weak that she was unable to survive on her own for ten minutes. Khaden followed Dhalia, wriggling in the ebony lady’s arms as she picked him up to rest him with his sister. And then Rokus had been born, even the over-played memory of the red boy made Soran’s eyes fill with tears as she walked. He hadn’t looked like Conri, he was bigger built, more like Soran, but red, as red as his father had been, the dark lady looked down at him and did not see an individual wolf, as she did with the other pups, she did not see singularly herself or Hollow in him, she saw a blend, a perfect blend between mother and father, a true melding of the pair of them. And with that realisation she had seized the mewling, wriggling aberration’s head and snapped his small neck, resting him alongside his dead brother, before realising what she had done and fleeing from the house.
push it inAnd history had repeated itself, as soon as Soran had learned of what she had done she had fled from the lands where he other children lived, unable to bear what she had done. The dark lady did not remember much of what had happened after she remembered, having wandered into the old city, a charred shell of what it had been. She had lived there for months, never once being sober enough to even consider going home again. But, in the night she had suddenly awoken, the urge to go home to her family tugging her, forcing her from her sleep and to her feet. And so she walked, she had walked endlessly through the night, though her legs were weary and she couldn’t bear the constant loop of memories.
push it inSoon enough the tall lady found herself inside the Crimson Dreams lands, not yet knowing what they were called, her keen sense of smell told her that these lands no longer smelt the same, there was something missing, but still, this was the last place that she had seen Conri, surely he would be here somewhere? And so the ebony lady raised her head, the pair of silver hoops in her left ear glinting in the morning light, and howled, she called for Conri, for Nani, for anyone, anyone who would know where her children might be. Slowly the lady sunk to her knees, her head bowed, her long mane hiding her face from view, Soran clasped her hands together to stop them shaking from nerves. The green eyed lady was terrified of the reaction her presence here might have. Finally she raised her head, her green eyes scanning her surroundings at last, and she began to wait.
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[html]  This is like...the only time I'm going to write this much. XD -fingers r dead- Welcome back, bby!! :]
He was so...quiet. That would be the right word. Naniko knew that Salem could make noise; he had a good set of lungs on him. When he had been born, he'd squeaked louder than all of the others when it had come to feeding time. Even louder than the very pushy Brooklyn. But now that he was growing up and learning how to talk, it seemed like he spoke less and less. She wasn't sure of the reasoning behind it, really. When she had been younger she'd had a speech impediment...or so the adults had said. Apparently she had pronounced her words in a strange, abnormal way. But from what Naniko knew, from what she had heard, he spoke just fine. Clearly, in fact. Naniko turned back to glance at him again. She was glad for this alone time with Salem, some time for them to be together while the three more energetic triplets went off by themselves or with Anu.
She walked in her four-legged form with the black shadow directly tailing her, the boy looking up at the sky or at the falling leaves every few moments. He was more of an observer, perhaps, one to sit and watch, and when he found something interesting he would nudge her and make her stop too, so that she would look at whatever it was and explain it to him. This time when she felt his nose and looked back he actually opened his mouth, though, his quiet jade eyes focused on her and his even voice filling up what had been previously silent air. "Muther...thur is someone thur."
She didn't see anything. The wolf had heard of imaginary friends before (Sirius had claimed to have an imaginary friend) but she didn't think that Salem would make something like that up. So she looked more carefully toward the area that Salem was looking toward.
And just as soon as she saw the figure she realized that there was something strange going on. It had its muzzle in the air, like it was about to...and then the howl came. From their viewpoint in the brush Naniko could see the figure very clearly, but she wasn't sure if she ought to believe it. What would Soran be doing back here? She had seen Khaden around...but she hadn't seen Soran in a while. The mother came and went. Maybe she knew something about her son's dissapearance, though. Was that why she had come? Naniko had many questions...but at the same time she didn't know what she should say to Soran when she did come out to greet her. Conri had...he'd done the most horrible thing to her. How could she tell his mother about the rape? Because she knew that it would lead to that. Soran would want to know where Conri was, and she would have to tell her.
And there was Anu to think about, too. Naniko thought that she knew Soran pretty well...but she couldn't guess how the female might react to the news of her new mate. And the fact that her new mate wasn't male. Her heart thudded uncomfortably in her chest and she sat still as the howl ended. Salem looked confused, staring up at Naniko then toward Soran, then back up at Naniko. It was almost ironic that Salem would be the one with her today; he was practically a mirror image of Soran herself, with his dark fur and green eyes. Naniko's father Roman looked exactly the same, though...so she couldn't be sure about whose side of the family he had inherited the looks from. The only difference between the adult and pup would be the small patch of white on Salem's back left foot, his lucky foot. "We goes to see?" The small boy asked.
This question seemed to break her out of her trance. She nodded to Salem, giving him a nudge of reassurance before making her way out of the brush. He followed quietly, still sticking right behind her, peering out at the stranger every few moments. When they got within speaking distance, Naniko cleared her throat. The last time, she had accepted Soran as a mother figure; she had even called her "Mother". But now Conri was gone...and everything was so upside down. She didn't know what would be appropriate."I...it's good to see you again"
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Lol... I was impressed by the thread length Though I know what you mean, when I wrote that loooong thread I was worried that my hands were going to fall off XD
push it inThe ebony lady was still trembling with nerves, her long fingers lacing and unlacing as she fidgeted, her slender shoulders twitching as she knelt, her green eyes still eyeing her surroundings. She considered shifting into her four legged form, there was less of her then, less to twitch and shake irrationally, no curled mane for her to run her fingers through, no desire to switch the position that she was seated in every few moments, no thumbs to twiddle. In an attempt to distract herself from the agonising waiting, unsure if Conri or even anyone would come to her, she allowed herself to play with her necklaces, one a plain silver pentagram, the other a mass of feathers and beads laced onto a thin strip of brown leather, a large piece of flint in the centre of it. Both of the necklaces were significant to her, the pentragram was from Deuce, the last lady she had been in love with, the beautiful pale goddess who had been a mother to Conri, and the flint, the flint usually brought a smile to her face, but not today, it was the very piece of flint that she had stood on all those years ago, the pain forcing her to shift into her bipedal form, but she did not like her two legged form today, there was much to much of it, and it was all so darn twitchy.
push it inAs the dark furred lady allowed herself this moment of memories, most notably her mind moving to an image of her former lover, in the old churchyard, the moon behind her head, lighting up her soft hair so it appeared that she had a halo around her head, her bright eyes alive with laughter. Soran felt a pang in her chest as she thought of the fae that she had once loved, and further ones when her mind rolled to memories of what Deuce had been present for, Conri's birth, her attempts at being a new mother, her second pregnancy, the ebony lady suddenly felt immensly guilty at the idea that Deuce knew her own children better than she did, her younger brood at least. This reverie was broken by a sudden familiar flash of white that Soran saw out of the side of her jade eye, her head turned slowly and her heart leapt. Naniko.
push it inSoran found a soft smile touching the corners of her dark lips as she watched the snowy fae approach, just seeing a familiar face was enough to have Soran overjoyed, little Nani was just perfect though, Soran had always seen the pale girl as a daughter, and if her blood pups hadn't come to greet her, then Nani was a fitting replacement, she was family after all. However the ebony lady found herself suddenly choked up, unable to speak as her pallid daughter approached, and this was because the dark lady's eyes had fallen upon the small furry bundle that was padding behind Naniko, so close it appeared it was attatched to her. It was impossible for the ebony lady to keep her eyes off of the small pup, he looked so like her, so much like Khaden... surely not? Surely the ebony lady had not missed a vital moment in her son's life? Then again there could be so many explanations for Naniko's sudden small shadow...after all the ebony lady had missed out on months of events, she could have missed so many pup-related incidents.
push it inThen Nani spoke and Soran smiled, she knew that voice, she suddenly felt at home. Finally the dark fae turned her head to the pallid girl.
“It's so good to see you too Nani, I have missed you so, I've missed you all. How are you?”The lady replied, her throat becoming unclogged and all of the words coming out in a rush. Her arm twitched slightly, she wanted to reach out and embrace the pale girl, almost as badly as she wanted to know who the small jade eyed pup beside Naniko was.
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[html]  ^_^ These next ones will be much shorter for me. I just got off work a little while ago and my brain is asleep.
She was kind of amazed that she was still living in this area at all after everything that had happened...but the way things had ended up, it had seemed to be the best choice for all involved. The pack hadn't seemed interested in moving, and she had wanted to keep the mansion. If not for her, for the puppies. She had enjoyed exploring it when they'd first come there...and for the most part, it was a safe environment for the little ones. The only exception was the stairs, but she figured that if they were old enough to climb all the way up them that they would be old enough to know how to get back down safely. And to be able to. And even if they couldn't, there was normally an adult running around who could give them a helping hand.
The pack was made up of a few older faces, wolves who she'd known from before the fire, and a few newer faces. It was a nice variety, and all of the packmembers got along well, to her knowledge. The last pack activity that they'd had, a hunt, had been successfull...and she hadn't heard about anything bad happening in the lands. So all was well.
When she stopped Salem nearly bumped into her, but he soon corrected himself, sitting next to Naniko. He looked at Soran consideringly for a few moments before becoming bored with her, changing his gaze to look up at the sky, then at the trees, then back at his mother. She was saying that she knew this stranger, he guessed. At least...she was saying that it was good to see the wolf that sat across from them. Salem had never seen a greeting done before, and he watched with interest, waiting for the big dark wolf to speak.
"We've all been doing well. There is actually a new pack living here, the Crimson Dreams pack--I formed it with a few friends of mine. Are you here for a visit?" She didn't know if she could mention Conri just yet. It seemed too soon. "You're welcome to come inside, if you'd like...maybe we could go for a walk. It would tire him out a little bit..." She motioned toward the pup, "which would be a blessing for later on, when nap time comes." In that moment she realized where she'd gone wrong, though. Salem and Soran didn't know each other, and she hadn't introduced them yet. "Salem, this is Soran Aatte. She's a very important wolf--your grandmother. You should always speak to her kindly, and with respect. And Soran, this is Salem. One of my children."
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That's fine hun ^_^ I am only in ramble mode because I have been away for so long XD. Was work bad then?
push it inSoran watched the pup, her jade gaze meeting his for the merest moment, it was unnerving looking into those eyes, he was how the dark furred lady expected Khaden would have looked, she imagined that through the childhood that she missed that he would have looked like that, his green eyes would have held the same curiosity, the same childlike innocence that had long faded from her own emerald eyes. She smiled weakly at him and was relieved when he broke the stare and began watching other things, so curious, just as Conri had been, always watchful of everything, insisting that he was told everything about everything that he came across... When he had been young he had been the most tiring thing in Soran's life, dual roles of mother and teacher had been hard on her, but he had always been the biggest reward in her life, more so than Khaden and Dhalia had been, her red son had kept her alive.
push it inThe lady's velvet ears swivelled forwards to catch Naniko's words, it was good to hear her soft voice again, good to see that she was healthy. Soran had missed her, she had missed all that she had known in these lands, Conri, Naniko, Deuce and even to some extent Lucifer, despite all of his hostility, he was still a part of Summer, and Soran would always secretly treasure him for that. Naniko's words brough the dark lady out of her thoughts, a new pack? What had happened to Twilight Vale? And if she had formed it with a friend what had happened to Conri? Surely he would not have abandoned the girl that Soran knew he had been so in love with? As she opened her mouth to voice these questions the pale female spoke again, suggesting that the pair go for a walk, Soran nodded slowly, a walk would be most pleasant, the pair could talk, catch up on old times, and from the small sable boy's expression, school a pup along the way.
push it inFrom the way that Naniko spoke about the pup, Soran was beginning to get suspicious, curious, the way Nani spoke, well it was the tone that Soran herself used when she spoke of Conri or Khaden, it was a motherly tone. Soon enough her suspicions were confirmed as Little Naniko, not so little anymore it appeared, introduced Salem to Soran. The black fae reeled slightly, she had a grandson, and not just one from the way that Naniko spoke, she had grandchildren. The ebony lady was overjoyed, delighted that her son and Naniko had children, though she felt immesnse guilt for missing all of these events, for not being there to help Naniko through her pregnancy, for not being there to help her at the birth, for not being there to help Conri quash his fears of being a father, not being there to meet her grandchildren before they were old enough to bound around after their mother, asking about the world.
push it inStill, the ebony grandmother was here now, and she was overjoyed that she had arrived in time to meet her son's little ones.
“Hello Salem, it's nice to meet you, how are you today?”Soran said, finding her voice at last, a smile still turning up the corners of her dark mouth. Finally the ebony fae turned to the pale female before her, her daughter, even more so now that she had been the mother of her grandchildren.
"He is one of your children? How many are there? And how old are they?" She asked, now filled with curiosity, wondering how many grandchildren she had to lavish love upon, love that had been deserved by her own pups, especially Khaden and Dhalia, perhaps these young ones could be her redemption.
"A walk would be delightful by the way, I want to know everything about what has been happening Nani, my grandchildren, the new pack, everything." The dark fae added, shifting her canvas bag further up her shoulder, musing with the idea of leaving it here and changing into her four legged form, as to make it easier to walk beside Nani and young Salem.
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[html] Not too bad. I ended up staying two hours late, though. D:
So much had happened in the time that Soran was gone...but Naniko felt like she'd just seen the wolk yesterday. As they walked her mood lightened a little. Soran wouldn't be mad with her--she would understand. At least, that's what she was hoping. Whatever Soran's reaction was to all of the news, Naniko would try her best to take it in stride. She couldn't let things get to her like she had in the past. She had to be more positive. Right now she was so caught up in trying to decide what to say that she probably wasn't being a very good host.
Salem hadn't been around too many wolves other than his mothers and other members of the pack, and he looked toward Naniko for reassurance. "Muther..what does I tells her?" He asked. "You tell her how you're feeling...how your day has been going." Naniko replied, using a hushed sort of tone. The pups were still young. Social skills would come with time. Dark Salem looked back to Soran. "I is cold today. Is...cold outside" None of the children had seen the heat of summertime yet, so all that they knew about was the low temperatures of winter.
As they started to walk Salem stuck close to Naniko's side like a dark burr, on the side away from Soran, at first. He didn't know how he was supposed to act around Grandmother Soran, if he could run around and look at things or if he should stay close to Naniko, so he decided that he would do both. The adults began their conversation and he started up the bath in front of them, running into bushes and rolling around in the dirt in a few different places.
The white wolf watched him out of the corner of her eye as she looked up at Soran, starting to answer a few of the questions that she had asked. "There were six, but two didn't make it. They were Tatiana D'angelo and Silas Aatte. The other four seem very healthy, though. They're about two and a half months. They're all up and running around here somewhere...if you come by the cave early in the morning or later in the afternoon you might be able to see more of them. That's when they're all normally there. Either that or in the mansion" No wolf liked staying outside in the cold for too long, and she expected that, through the winter, the mansion would become a popular hangout.
"Crimson Dreams is...amazing. We have a good life here. I am the leader, and my friend Savina is my right-hand-man. Or...woman, I suppose. Conri left, and the pack seemed scattered...so we reformed." That was all that she really had to say about it. "That's pretty much it. It's been touch and go. But everything's been going pretty well, with numbers and pups and everything. How about you? How've you been doing? Did you see anyone else while you were gone?"
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Sorry for the wait and sorry it's so long!!! And ergh! Why have they been so cruel to you? Making you stay for two extra hours?
push it inSoran chuckled slightly at her grandson's reply. It was true, there was most certainly a chilled breeze ruffling through the ebony lady's fur as she sat talking to her daughter and grandson, not enough to make her shiver, though she supposed that a smaller creature such as Salem would feel the cold more than herself or Naniko.
"Yes it is cold today, though don't worry, after winter spring will come around and it will be much warmer" The jade eyed female replied, smiling down at the small boy, he was indeed so like Conri, eager to stick close to his mother and always wanting to know where she was before he ran off to play. The ebony lady shifted her bag higher up onto her hip, the heavy weight of the books making her shoulder ache, her sitting angle awkward for the load she carried. She turned back to add something else to her sentence, to say something to the small boy, to find some way to connect with him, having already decided that she wanted a better relationship with her grandchildren in their early lives than she had had with Khaden and Dhalia... and to some extent Conri, she wanted to know them. But as she lowered her gaze to where he had been, she discovered that he had gone, her head turned, finally catching sight of the boy playing.
push it inSoran watched the small bundle that was Salem as he bounded about, despite her current frame of mind, the current images that plagued her with guilt and remorse, she couldn't help but smile when she saw the small pup playing and racing about. He was so like Conri, so like the pups of Syemv that she had looked after, so full of life, just like Khaden and Dhalia must have been, she wondered if they would have been as full of questions and curiosity as their brother had been, her mind rolled back to Rokus, wondering whether he would have played with his siblings, learnt to hunt, to read, to write. The smile faded from her face again and she tore her eyes away from the playing pup, turning her attention back to Naniko, hoping that the pale girl would have something to say, something to take her mind off of the small red child that she had killed, simply for looking like a perfect mix of mother and father.
push it inThe lady cocked her head to one side slightly as Nani spoke, her ears pricked forwards, the silver hoops glinting in the early morning light as the fae listened. She nodded as nani spoke about the pups, yes that was expected, it often happened that a pup or two would die before they had even had a chance to live, she knew the feeling well... the lady may have had three living children, but she had buried double that number. The lady felt rather touched that Nani and Conri had used her last name for one of their children, even if he had been born dead, especially as her red son did not even bear her name.
“You've kept the mansion? How marvellous, I have always thought it was a good idea to have a large area that was protected from the wind and rain for everyone to stay in. I will most definately come by and see them... what are the other's names? Are they all boys like Salem?” Soran asked, unable to contain her enthusiasm about meeting her son's pups, she had never been accepted by her family when she had been a pup and now she hoped to have a whole new branch of family that she could love and be a part of.
push it inAs Naniko spoke again the ebony lady's black ears flattened against her skull and a soft whine of distress escaped her lips, Conri had left? Surely he would not, especially if he was leaving the lady he was so in love with behind bearing his pups? What had happened, why had he gone? Where was he? She worried silently to herself as Naniko continued to speak, once she had finished it took Soran a moment to realise that there was now silence between them and to formulate replies to the questions she had been asked.
"I have been... surviving I guess you could say, I left because I had to, I did a terrible thing Naniko, and I needed time alone to help myself get over that, I did not go far, I just went down to the old lands, I wanted to visit Phasma's grave, and the pups. I am coping now, and I wanted to come home." She replied, her ears still flat against her skull, her eyes threatening to water as she spoke of the terrible thing she had done. For a moment she sat in silence, before her worries could no longer be contained.
"Oh why did Conri leave Nani? Is he alright? Do you know where he is? How could he leave you alone with his pups? What happened?" She spoke out in a sudden flurry of questions, before gently stroking the pale fae's cheek with a long-fingered hand. "Are you alright Nani?" She added, her eyes filled with concern for the wellbeing of both her son and the pale girl before her, who she had come to see as a daughter.
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[html] Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July are the worst for us at the bakery. Everyone wants buns! I have to write my sociology paper, but I figured I would answer this so that we could get it moving and stuff  <33 And they're still walking, right? xD
"I think that...we've all done some pretty horrible things, at some point in our lives. I have. Conri did. I believe that as long as you realize that what you did was wrong and that you do feel guilt over it, that you can move past it. Feeling guilt is a good thing--it means you know what you did was wrong...and if you know that it's wrong, then you must know what the right thing to do is. You have to make those mistakes to realize the kind of wolf you want to be. And how to become that wolf." Soran had said that she'd done something terrible, but Naniko didn't care about that. She had drank alcohol and slept with Kansas and Lucifer--that had been her one terrible thing. She didn't want to share it with the mother, not yet anyway. For the longest time she had felt that Conri had been right by beating and raping her, that it had been a punishment that she had deserved...but she didn't feel that way anymore. Conri had left her to begin with; had he expected that she wouldn't find someone else during that time? She hadn't formed a relationship with anyone, that much was true, but she'd developed strange feelings for Kansas...and Lucifer had been there for her the entire time that Conri had been gone. "The other three are triplets--all of them were born at once, in one sac. Two girls and another boy. Salem and Brooklyn, the girl who looks a lot like me, were named after old human cities that I read about in history books and they share my last name. Haven is named after this place, these packlands. The mansion is called "Haven Mansion", named that by Conri. Haven has your last name--he's copper colored, like Conri, but looks more like me in his build. And the last girl is Mati. Conri had said that he really liked that name, Mati...so I did name her that. Mati Church."They were nearing the mansion now. Her throat felt a little dry from all the talking, and when Soran asked more about Conri it tightened up. The truth would come out sooner or later, she supposed, and if Soran was planning on staying for any amount of time she might as well know everything. "I don't know where he is any more--I haven't seen him since before the pups were born. He got angry with a pack member and beat them...and then beat and raped another. He fled the lands himself, and I haven't seen him since." She looked straight ahead, to the mansion. "If he did come back...Savina and I would chase him back out. He's not allowed here." Naniko started up the front steps, Salem on her heels. He took them a little slower, climbing up each one. When they got inside she turned back to Soran, motioning toward the couch. She could take a rest--she wasn't sure how the mother would react to all of the news. "It's a lot to take in all at once. But I thought that if you planned on sticking around, that you should know that... well,
I have someone else now. And she's the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me."
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Eeeep! I'm sorry for the wait on this, yesterday evening was insanely busy, we have one week until we go on stage to do our pantomime and it turns out the kids have thrown all their costumes everywhere and want to change the dances... I haven't even had time to learn my own lines yet! XD Ahhh I see... when did you start working in the bakery hun? And what's the sociology paper on? Also yes, they are still walking, I think :S Sorry... I rambled lol. lol.
push it inSoran listened as Naniko spoke, stooping slightly as she walked in order to listen to the pale female that walked beside her. Her bag bumped uncomfortably against her hip as she walked, the heavy books causing the canvas satchel to swing erratically against her with each step that she took. Her brow furrowed and her dark ears flattened against her skull as she listened to her nearly-daughter speak, it was true that all wolves had a bad side, everyone had things that they regretted, but Conri... the ebony wolfess knew that he had killed Hollow but she didn't know that he had told Naniko, then again he had loved her and she supposed that he would have told her his one indiscretion. The obsidian fae mused over the way that Conri had ended up like her, killing his father as she had hers, both had been accidents, the pair had never intended to kill their fathers, but it had happened, and they both had had good reason to. Soran's father Thanatos, he had been cruel, he had killed her mother when she was tiny and her adopted mother not too long after that, he had been like a plague to her, following her wherever she went, trying to destroy her and everything she touched, their final fight had ended in his death, Soran still remembered the way the giant male had sunk to his knees after the rock had crushed his ribs. And Conri... well he had been angry, he had witnessed the aftermath of Hollow's brutal actions towards Soran, he had seen her battered and bruised form after the rape, he had seen the way her fingers stuck out at odd angles, he had been furious, though his push had never been intended to throw Hollow through a window.
push it inSoran was suddenly glad that Conri had taken after her and not his father, there were worse things you could do than kill the fathers that mother and son had had, they had both deserved it, it didn't make it right, but the cats had been accidents and things that had happened in the heat of the moment, crimes of passion. He could have been so worse if he had taken after Hollow, the ebony lady could not imagine the wild eyes of the red psycopath staring out at her from her son's face, unlike Dhalia, she could not imagine him doing what his father had done, raping and murdering, kidnapping and brutalising, that wasn't her boy at all and she was proud of him for that.
push it inSoran nodded slowly as Nani spoke again, so she had two granddaughters and two grandsons? That was marvellous, she would greatly enjoy having them around, she already knew how to interact with male pups, having raised one, but girls were a mystery to her, she had never really had to cope with Dhalia, it would be a wonderful challenge finding out how to deal with the troubles of a growing girl pup. And they all had such interesting names, the pale mother had chosen them well, Salem and Brooklyn, yes she remembered those names from books she herself had read, one had been a bustling metropolis and the other had been a small town, famous for it's wicth hunts. She wondered if Brooklyn behaved as the city she was named after once had, she wondered if she was a busy creature, never able to sit down. She supposed that she would find out soon enough. And Mati and Haven, both fine names, the ebony lady smiled again as Naniko spoke about their surnames, the ebony fae was glad that her son had used his middle name for Mati, thinking back she doubted she would have given him the name either had she had the chance, she wouldn't have forced him to have any ties to the cruel rapist that was his father.
"I am sorry that I wasn't there for the birth Naniko, I wish I could have been there to help you." The fae said, watching Salem with a soft smile as he raced about.
push it in And then Naniko dropped the bombshell that she had been containing. At first it did not seem so bad, it was awful that Conri had left before the pups had been born, it was cruel of him to leave Naniko in such a state and force her to go through all of this alone. But the aging lady could not criticise anyone for leaving, she herself had fled the lands far too many times now, leaving small pups behind her, it was cruel and selfish, but she understood that sometimes it seemed to be the only option. But then the story continued... her boy had... raped someone? Surely not? Not after his reaction to Hollow's attack on Soran herself? Not after seeing the drinking, crying, broken wreck she had been afterwards? Not after seeing all the hurt it had caused... He couldn't have, the lady had been a mess after the rape and Conri had seen it all, after seeing that how had he managed to force himself upon another?
push it inThe world was spinning and bile rose in Soran's throat, she felt sick, disgusted by her own son, how could he? He had seen the pain that a rape caused, he had been there for the aftermath of one, he had killed Hollow because the red male had raped Soran, admittedly it had been an accident but it had instilled such a rage in him that he had changed his form, it had fuelled him to confront his father, something which he would not have dared do before. He couldn't have, not her Conri, not her sweet red boy, he couldn't hurt anyone, he hadn't even managed to hurt Stygian who had tortured him, even when he knew he would have been killed by his deranged half brother, from what he had said he had never once hurt him or fought back. Her mind flashed back to the small face of her son as a pup, his innocent green eyes wide as he asked about everything they came across, playing around her legs as she walked, bouncing around, so sweet and young. And now... now he had done a terrible thing, he had been banished from his former home, he had been banished from the lands where his pups lived, pups he had never even seen.
push it inThe lady followed Naniko on unsteady legs, she trembled as she walked up the stairs, wiping at her maw nervously, feeling nauseous, and dizzy with this revelation. She staggered up the stairs and through the house and allowed herself to fall into the chair that Naniko offered to her. Her daughter had someone else it seemed, another fae from the way that she spoke, that didn't shock the dark fae, it pailed in comparison to the idea that her son was a rapist, that he had left her. The tall fae supposed that it was expected that Naniko would find someone else, it would be cruel to expect that she would remain alone once Conri had left, Soran had moved on from her first love, though her heart still ached for the pale lady.
"I didn't expect you to stay alone forever Naniko, especially as you have pups, raising them is a two wolf job after all, I found it was much easier to look after Conri once I had Deuce as my mate. What is her name? In case I see her around the lands, I still consider you a daughter Naniko, I want to make sure she's good enough for you." Soran replied, her voice shaky, she was still in shock. She doubted that she would ever consider anyone as good for her as Conri was, but what he had done was awful, she was his mother, she had the compulsive need to love him, Naniko wasn't bound by that. And when she had pups to look after, she suspected that Naniko felt that she needed someone to love her. Then it hit the lady... the pups... they weren't... Conri hadn't... they weren't a result of... Her thoughts were fragmented and panicked, the sudden idea in her mind was panicking her, making her feel even more sick than before. Soran couldn't contain the question any longer.
"Nani, the pups... Conri... it wasn't you he attacked was it?" She asked, shaking even more than she had been, she hoped that wasn't the case, though she supposed if it had been a crime of passion against a loved one it would not be as bad as finding a random pack member to rape... but still... either way it was an evil thing to do.
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[html] I got my paper done ^^ It was on race, sex/gender, and sexual identity. And I've worked at the bakery for two years This one will be short--so we can get you all settled in and stuff here sooner!
Naniko sat down on a nearby couch, folding her legs up beside her. She wasn't worried about having Soran there, about her being in the lands at all any more. She should have known better, should have realized that nothing bad was going to happen. Naniko was the leader here, but she still held onto a few insecurities when it came to Conri and his mother. She knew that not everyone would like her throughout her life, but Soran was one who she definitely wanted to stay in close contact with--she was her family. So her saying anything at all about what had happened was a big step. "I had my mother there--and Deuce came, too. They both left their pack to come and help me when it came. And a lot of the other pack members were there. Everything went really well, actually." This had been the second time that Naniko had given birth, her first a misscarriage during the second month of the pregnancy, but that fact was something that she didn't want to mention either. Salem went off into another portion of the house, leaving the two alone in the living room. It was probably better that way; she didn't want him to know that it was his father that they were talking about. "Her name is Anu. She's around a lot--I bet you'll run into her soon. If you're planning on staying for a while, anyway. You're always welcomed to stay whenever you'd like. Or...were you looking for something more permanent?"There was a small pause of silence, and she watched Soran carefully. Naniko had already been pregnant when Conri had done it...so the answer was no. She didn't want to talk about it any more than she had to, to give the basic information on why Conri was gone, so she chose that option. "These pups are not a result of a rape." She answered finally.
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Gah! Here's you trying to hurry this thread along and here's me being totally unhelpful by being majorly slow with replies XD Sorry. Oh that sounds really interesting, the gender and sexual identity. The most interesting thing I've done this week is learn how being intoxicated can be a defence for certain crimes...
push it inThe ebony lady tucked her legs up around her as she sat in the old chair, pressing her knees together and curling her legs around her to one side. The worry was evident on the grandmother's face as she stared at Naniko, wrestling with the idea that her eldest son may have raped his former mate, that he may have created life through such a hateful act. Once again Soran's hands began to tremble, with an annoyed growl that came from the back of her throat she laced her fingers togeher, gripping her hands together tightly, trying to stop the shaking. She couldn't bear the idea that Conri had hurt anyone, but the idea that it had been Nani made it even worse, the pale female was a daughter to Soran, the ebony fae had considered her so for a long while, even when seeing her as a small pup with her cast when she was out playing with Conri, the scarred female had wished for a daughter just like her, she had never gotten one, but Naniko, despite not being blood related, was close enough for Soran.
push it inA sigh of relief escaped the dark fae's lips as Naniko began to speak, the dark lady was so glad that she had not bene alone when she had given birth, the ebony lady herself had been terrified with her first litter and she hadn't been alone, the idea of having to go through all that with no support, it was unbearable. And at Deuce's name the fae's heart skipped a beat, an image of her pale lady swam in her mind, seeing her just as she had the last time she had ever seen her, on her knees, soaked with rain, her mane flat and limp, her fur sodden, beautiful, perfect and totally Soran's. It made her unspeakably happy to know that Deuce was alive and doing well... with another pack it seemed, unable to stop herself the lady suddenly blurted.
“I am so glad that you had friends and family around you Naniko, I am glad that there were people to help you and to greet the little ones. You say that Deuce came down from her pack to see you, she must consider you a good friend then, where is she living now?” The fae asked, feining being casual, but knowing that a tremor of excitement had flickered across her voice, distorting it for a moment as she spoke Deuce's name.
push it inSoran listened once again as Naniko spoke of her mate. It was expected that she would find someone else, after all the wolf was not a solitary creature, and Soran was glad that her almost-daughter had found someone that she truley cared about, she knew it, just hearing the way she spoke about her, she knew, and that was fine, as long as the pale girl was happy then the obsidian lady would accept it, whatever choices she made, so long as her grandchildren were safe and happy as well.
push it inAnd then Naniko asked the lady the one question she had been debating in her head as she had walked along beside the pale fae, that she had been wondering about since she had discovered that Conri was no longer here. The tall fae paused, watching the fae with her steady jade gaze, considering the options. One option was to leave and to scour the lands searching for Conri, but there was no guarentee that she'd find him around any time soon... and there was no guarentee that he'd want her with him, or have a place to stay, and the dark pelted female had no idea how she would react when she saw him again, the idea of him raping anyone still made her feel nauseous, she couldn't be sure that she'd want to stay with him, that she'd be able to look him in the eye knowing what he'd done.
push it inA great weight was lifted from the dark fae's shoulders as Naniko stated that the pups were not the result of a rape, this was a great joy to the lady, she knew how hard it was to look at children that had been spawned in an act of violence and hate, it was awful, and the idea that it was hard to love your own children was even worse. Though she knew, she knew from the way that Naniko had replied that it had been her that Conri had raped, it had to have been, else she would have answered differently, insisiting that Conri had not raped her, she knew that the lady would try to protect her from the horrid truth about her son, but she doubted that the fae would lie to her, and the fact that she had avoided the issue of Conri attacking her proved that she had indeed been his victim in the dark fae's head. Though the jade eyed lady decided that she would not bring it up as Naniko clearly did not want to speak about it. And so she simply gave her pale near-daughter a long hard look, and then nodded slowly, hoping that Nani would take this as understanding.
push it inBut as for the issue of her staying, there was now no doubt in the ebony lady's mind, there were four pups here that were her blood, her family, she owed it to her other pups to prove that she could cope with children in her life, she owed it to these small pups to be there for them when they needed her. She owed it to little Naniko to be here for her, helping her with the children and hopefully in some way making up for the horrific actions of her son. She wanted a home again, true she would not find Conri here, but she'd have somewhere to come home to after a fruitless day of searching for her red son.
"Naniko... I am glad that the pups are not a result of a rape, having pups that were conceived in such hatred, it is difficult to cope with trust me, they are hard to even look at sometimes. I want to help you though, I want to be here for my grandchildren and you... I want to meet the pack members that you govern, and I want to meet your lady. Naniko, may I stay here, permanently? I think I need my family." Soran replied, bowing her head ever so slightly as she admitted that she needed to be around her family. The truth was that the lady was lonely, she needed the wolves that she loved in her life.
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[html] Do you wanna close this one up and have another one real soon? :] Welcome back!
Naniko was very glad that Soran was back. She had some new friends, a few new family members, but everything about Soran spoke of the past, of old ties to wolves that she still held fond memories of. In a way, Deuce would have been a second mother to Naniko if Soran had stayed with her, through Conri. And the fact that Naniko had been raised partially alongside the pale fem's daughter Dierdre, too. She hadn't thought about Dierdre in a while, though, or about the two nephews, Sirius and Apollo, that she and Deuce had raised together before Deuce had left.
"I saw her recently, when Iskata gave birth--she lives in Phoenix Valley, to the southeast of us...along the coast. You may go through parts of the city if you travel there, depending on what direction you're coming from. But if you follow the coast, you'll hit it eventually" Crimson Dreams was right smack dab in the middle, but Deuce's pack would be easy enough to find.
She was very excited to know that Soran was requesting to stay; of course she would welcome her back into the pack. No matter where the dark wolf went, there would always be a home waiting for her here, where her family was. "I want you to. To stay here with us. There aren't as many of us from back before the fire--I know a lot of newer wolves now...and I missed all of you. Any time I get to see someone from before, much less a family member, I feel really happy. I do love my life here...but I miss my life back then, too." She paused for a moment. "But...in any case, I would love to have you here. We have a ton of rooms open here in the mansion, and there's a large herd going through the lands"
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Eek! I thought I'd replied to this already! Sorry hun Last post methinks? And then yes, we shall have another thread very soon Am assuming that I am allowed to start new threads with people now if that's ok?
push it inSoran was already feeling a huge amount of gratiutude towards Naniko. She had allowed her to see her grandson after she had abandoned her own children countless times, after she had waltzed in and out of Naniko's life, upsetting her world by upsetting those around her, the ebony fae's children, the dark lady doubted that Conri, Khaden or Dhalia would have been a barrel of laughs to be around once Soran had abandoned them once again, after already upsetting their lives by returning without so much as a warning for the red and black pups. Soran was so grateful to Naniko for letting her meet one of her grandchildren after all she had done, she was also thrilled that the pale fae hadn't turned her away or even chased her from the lands after seeing her there at the borders, especially after all Conri had done to her.
push it inBut another wave of happiness washed over the lady as Naniko gave her easy directions to Phoenix Valley, Deuce's pack, she was glad that Nani was readily giving these directions, it showed at least that she trusted the dark fae not to go down there and then leave again, hurting people once again. She was also glad to know that her former lover was safe and well, as was Iskata, she barely knew the fae, she was a vague blurred memory in the scarred lady's mind, but she remembered the name from before the fire and so she was glad that one of the older wolves had survived.
push it inThen Naniko spoke again, the lady's ears swivelled forwards to listen to her, slightly nervous of her response, although the girl had asked if Soarn was staying she had never mentioned living within the pack totally, perhaps that had not been what she had meant, perhaps she was just hoping that the lady would stick around in some capacity this time and was checking. But it seemed that she was more than happy to open her home to the aging mother-figure. The ebony lady was delighted, she had a home once again, a home close to her family, to the old faces she knew and then many new faces, faces that belonged to wolves of her blood, wolves that had not even been born the last time she had left the lands. She couldn't stifle the joyful whine that escaped her dark lips as she looked at Nani, her jade eyes glittering slightly, excited and grateful at the same time, her green eyes watering slightly, indescribably happy that someone still wanted her around.
"Nani, oh Nani thank you, I wont let you down I swear, I shall find myself a room and settle in, perhaps I can start working on the library I attempted to start last time I was here. And of course I'll hunt. Oh Nani thankyou." She babbled suddenly, before leaping to her feet and throwing her long arms around the white girl who she considered to be her daughter, without hesitation she planted a soft kiss atop Naniko's head, between the girl's pale ears.
"I missed you too Naniko, all of you, more than I can describe."She added, her voice a hoarse whisper as a tear of joy trickled down her cheek, releasing her new Alphess from her grasp suddenly, not through feeling awkward, but because the tears of happiness at being accepted home by one of those that she desperately sought approval and love from were spilling over the lower lids of her eyes and she didn't want to get her new leader's pristine fur soggy.
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