DaVinci had left Phoenix Valley for the day, the not so small form of Zana tucked away in the carrier while the bottles and supplies were in a pack over his shoulder. The male who once had hated the luperci form with such a dark passion sure was getting use to it now. He'd moved far across the lands while Zana was sleeping but as he drew closer and closer to the edge of Dahlia de Mai's lands it seemed that she was over and done with her nap and the small annoyance wanted her claim on the world.
Stopping for a moment DaVinci sighed and opened the top to the cover that was keeping her warm. He continued traping through the snow towards Whisper beach, staying just outside of Dahlia de Mai's lands while keeping an eye out for Firefly. He hadn't seem the girl in a long time and he doubted that she knew of what had happened to their mother, somewhere deep inside the thought passed across him mind that she probably didn't care either but he didn't pursue that. He just felt that he should pass the information along incase she did want to see the woman. While Iskata had been healing well physically it seemed that she'd been broken inside by the changes she'd been handed so forcefully.
DaVinci didn't blame his mother, while he thought he might be able to deal with losing an eye or losing the use of a leg.. but using everything at once and becoming a shell of who you were. He knew he probably would have taken the simple way out and have ended it all.. if it hadn't been for Ryan atleast, he knew he would have. Shaking his head at the dark dreary thoughts that roamed his mind he paused again to throw the cover back over Zana's head, who thought that her small puppy grumbles would get her out of the carrier. DaVinci was determined not to let her lose until he either found Firefly or until they'd returned back to the packlands. She might no look like much by the small fry could hobble and wiggle quite fast. She might not beable to run and romp yet but he knew they were all doomed when she figured it all out.
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Meep, I haven’t saved the imaged to my own photobucket yet!
Cercelee found his scent near her borders as she made her way towards the beach. Still, more than ever, she found herself drawn to the beach, and now that Dahlia de Mai had taken in part of Whisper Beach she found a certain strip of the sandy shore to be her own little paradise. However the beach had yet to yield what it was she sought so often, something she couldn’t name or explain but that she thought she would find it on the beach. Even though what she pursued still eluded her, Cercelee found that to sit on the shore and look out at Oyvind island was quite a good use of time. If Cercelee let herself, or no one came looking for her, she could stare out at the island for hours.
However on this day, as the snow was falling from the skies more and more and coating her shore in a blanket of white, the Rosea caught a scent that caused a rifle of annoyance to run through her. This time she recognized it, and Cercelee was happy to realize it had been some time she the scent had been caught on the winds. DaVinci. Moving in the direction of the scent it was not long before she came upon the coyote like creature. Clearing her throat, Cercelee called out, taking note of the bundle the male carried and the noises that came from the bundle. “DaVinci? Is that yours?” DaVinci, a father? The thought made her smirk, remember the jealous child that had vied for Laruku’s affection, but he had the equipment and making a child was no great effort.
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DaVinci had not thought of what would happen if another packmate was off and travelling the lands as well. He had been too busy with trying to settle Zana once more to notice that his travels were carrying him right into the clutches of a Dahlia de Mai wolf, and not just any wolf, their leader and his cousin. The voice that greeted him, making his head snap up quickly made him frown. Cercelee stood before him and as it registered what she'd just asked he shook his head and smirked back. "This one, no. This one belongs to your dear Auntie.." he said as he stepped closer. "Wanna see what she'd been up to lately?" He knew he shouldn't joke such at the moment, especially when it concerned his mother and her current condition.. but something about Cercelee being there seemed to drag out the bastard that lay under the skin.
Flicking his bangs back from his head he decided to give her the honest truth, knowing it would probably be a worse shock than the suggestion she'd taunted him with. "Mine are in Phoenix Valley.. watching over mother." Atleast he had left them watching over their grandmother, he didn't know if they actually were still there. Skylar was more likely to still be with the silver and gold woman but Tyrone had probably already stalked off to find something more manly to tend to. They were kids and he knew ISkata didn't need a guardian.. so it would be alright in the end.. or so he believed.
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Cercelee eyed the child. “Not particularly.” Iskata and her had never been close, and although Iskata had proclaimed that because they were family she would care about her niece, Cercelee gave little thought to her aunt. Nor was Cercelee fond of children. If she came across them, especially those in need, she gave what help she could, but she did not care for the children of others, who had no need of Cercelee, so she merely ignored the bundle that DaVinci clung to.
“So you did procreate after all?” Cercelee didn’t envision DaVinci as a loving father, but then again she only knew one side of the male. DaVinci had always been slightly hostile towards her, ever since they were both young and vying for Laruku’s affections. However she spoke neutrally, not really intending to insult or provoke the male, though she did have that effect, but merely saying what came to mind, as she didn’t really know what to say to her cousin. “Did your children inherit that mug of yours?”
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DaVinci shook his head sadly at his cousin and her seeming dislike of the child she'd yet even seen. "But Cercee.. she really wants to meet you!" he said mockingly as he pulled the flap back on the satchel to expose the bright grey lilac eyes that were so excited to escape the darkness of the case. Her tail thumped heavily against the side of the case as she yapped annoyingly at the new face before her, her short little legs still to small to reach her body over the ledge. Her narrow muzzle tipped over the edge as she smiled at the woman. Too soon for the child DaVi's paw seemed to settle atop her head as she babbled in annoyance at her half brother as he laughed. "You can't blame the child for who her mother is now can you? Or is it just kids, do they make you nervous?" He really didn't care what her reason was for not wanting to know the child, the fact that she didn't want to was enough.
His eyes stared at her as though she had said the stupidest thing in the world at the notion of him having child, he raised a brow as he asked. "What's wrong, you haven't managed to get the gest of how it's all done?" He grinned slightly as he added. "It does take two you know.. so I guess you do have an excuse.." It seemed that the two of them still had their little sparring matches to see who deserved more. Mocking and playing with the truths was nothing new to Davinci but he couldn't help shaking his head at the off color remark she had left him with. "Co'mon Cercee, that hurt. You should meet them.." He eyed her a moment before shaking his head. "On second thought.. no, you'd probably try and corrupt them against me.." He doubted she'd even want anything to do with his kids but there was always the chance that they would take a liking to the ivory relative and that wouldn't do.. or atleast it would make it harder on him atleast.
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Cercelee rolled her eyes at the babbling child and turned back to DaVinci. “Oh, it’s not that they make me nervous, I just don’t find a use for them. Especially Sadira children, there’s so many crawling around, you’d think Iskata would have stopped while she was ahead. ” Cercelee’s eyes settled briefly on the child again. No, it wasn’t her fault that she had been born into the Sadira family, but Cercelee did not have to give her any sympathy just because of her age. The pups of Dahlia de Mai would use up all of Cercelee patience and understanding and caring for children, she didn’t want to spare any for children she might only see just once in their whole lives.
Cercelee mustered up a half smile at DaVinci’s remark on her love life, and shrugged, as if to say “it doesn’t matter.” “Oh, thankfully I’ve been blessed enough to avoid that. The reproduction part of it, that is.” There were no tiny Cercelees running around, and Cer wasn’t sure what she would do if there were. Take care of them and raise them was the obvious answer, but Cer felt like too much of a child herself to even imagine it.
Cercelee chuckled at the next suggestion, finding that despite the annoyance she felt at DaVinci’s presence, she enjoyed their bickering matches to some extent. “Come now, DaVinci, we both know I’m not the one here who is corrupt. If anyone knows how to corrupt a pup… well it’s not me.” Cer stared innocently at the hybrid. “What are you doing here anyway? Come here to check up on Firefly, who by the way, profited greatly from your influence.” Cer smirked, knowing she shouldn’t comment on Firefly’s shortcomings but not being able to target what she knew was a soft spot, the relationship between brother and sister.
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He shook his head at the ivory female with the dappled paws as he covered the tiny annoyance back up to keep her out of the cold. "No use for them? Seriously, have you ever tried loving someone?" He didn't even stop to realize how pathedic he was starting to sound as he rambled on. "Undying love.. faithful to the end.. and trust beyond belief..." He grinned as he admitted. "Of course that all ends when they start to grow up I guess.." He knew that he'd been none of that, but he had never had a normal childhood either. Grinning at her at the offcolor comment on his mother he shook his head. "Now there's nothing wrong with our family.. unless you count your sour attitude." he said as he stretched his arms up over his head and yawned.
When she'd come back to being nice, atleast somewhat nice he smirked and brushed some snow off his pelt as he shot back. "I'm sure you've excelled without the final end production. I guess they realized the truth about you in the end since here you are all alone now?" She'd been a little icy bitch when she was younger and he doubted that she'd changed much now. He didn't have to deal with her on a daily basis and he hadn't spoken with his sibling for a while so he couldn't be for certain but the guess was a good one, who would want to stay with a cold hearted bitch.
DaVinci knew his sweet yet annoying bantering methods weren't always the best but it seemed they worked well enough with his family. They all tended to like one another just enough but not so much that a hug and a cuddle was in need when they met. Infact, if Cercelee ever came bounding towards him calling his name out happily he'd know something was wrong. He frowned slightly at the comment that Cercelee had made but quickly cast it off as he tried to shush the woman. "They'll never know my deep dark secrets. Besides, the past is.. behind us now." Well, the deep past was, his kids were part of his past and they weren't behind him.. He tried to shaking the thoughts from his mind as Cercelee turned the topic away from the old banter, well, not entirely, but enough.
His manner suddenly changed as the truth of it all came to light, having forgotten the reason he was here since it hadn't been Firefly that had found him at the border. "No.. not exactly. I was here to see Firefly.. but not to check up on her.." He shook his head as he disagreed with the words that Cercelee commented on. "I can't be blamed for who she is.. Don't try thatone on me, what's she done now?" He sighed and waved his hand off to the side as he shook his head. "Nevermind.. " He didn't know if he should be telling it to Cercelee who obviously had no love for his mother but if Firefly wasn't to appear this day then someone had to tell her. "Mother was in an accident. She's lost her sight.. she's just not who she once was anymore." He didn't want to admit that the woman had lost all fate in the world but that's what it was coming down to and he knew it. What she would do next he was afraid..
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Cercelee laughed, very few ever thought her attitude sour, she could count them on her paw: Haku, DaVinci, Iskata at times, Firefly too. They all had one thing in common, being Sadiras. It was their vision that was skewed, not her personality. “I don’t need to create little clones of myself to find love, nor do I need the Sadria stamp of approval on my personality.” Her tail swished behind her, her eyes sweeping the child again. Was it narcissistic to want to create tiny beings that came from one’s self? Carrying half your genetics, inheriting your traits both physical and personality wise? Cercelee thought so.
Her tongue clicked, eyes studied DaVinci. He could comment on her being alone, but he too had no mate. No loyal partner to have raised his children, grandchildren with. The alabaster female did not have to comment on that, her dark eyes told him. He was the same as her, they were both alone. Sure he had children, Cercelee did not count them. They could love you, be your friend, but could never fill the void that nature told them was empty, the slot that was labeled “soul mate”. Flings and one night stands and lovers came easy, real love was harder to find, harder yet to keep.
Letting the words flow over her, Cercelee begun to wonder when the male would take his bundle and leave. She cared not for his dark past or if DaVinci knew Firefly’s wellbeing or no, as far as she was concerned DaVinci didn’t have any real business here, and she was about to say so when he spoke of Iskata. The words were a surprise, but it only elicited Cercelee to raise her brows at the male. Cercelee was sympathetic to DaVinci and Firefly, and she would tell the girl if she saw her, but the incident did not directly effect her. “I’m sorry to hear that, I’ll tell Firefly unless you wish to tell her yourself. What happened exactly?” Cercelee wanted to know, if only to stay on top of the other pack’s news, but she wasn’t sure if DaVinci would indulge her.
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DaVinci just shrugged. He didn't hate Cercelee nor did he have anything really against her. Their little bickers had started long before he even had any clue of their bloodlines and now it was more a joke of what he found between the ivory coated woman and himself. He grinned at her words and just admitted. "I never wanted children.. I never knew I had them til they were nearly half grown.." He flicked his stormy orbs off towards the distant lands as he chuckled. "I don't think the Sadira approval exists anymore.." He knew it was cruel but he figured that the whole Sadira line had really died out with his mother and her father and the whole bloody lot of them. "Are we really Sadiras' anymore?" he asked.
There had been a whole long list of Sadiras but though he let himself be listed among them he knew as well that he was something more and he was nothing at all. He was still striving to make his own world and though he had to revert back to being under the wings of his mother he now knew that he was something more than a name. He smiled at the woman who just watched him. She thought she knew everything there was to know by looking in his eyes and listening to his taunts and teases. She knew nothing of the world he lived in, the line divided between the world of his lover and the unjustice that was where they were born and lived. His sad eyes just watched her a moment before he flicked his eyes away.
He was more than surprise when she asked about Iskata but he figured that she was the leader of the pack and that Iskata at one point had lead as well. He just shook his head and said softly. "I'm not for certain.. she says it was all an accident.. and yet she was attacked by a bear. I'm not for certain but I've never known a bear to accidently maul someone." His words were bitter but it was more the fact that his mother's story never added up no matter how he tried to place it. He figured one day it might make sense, or perhaps she'd enlighten him to the truths she'd misplaced so far but until then he was left with the half way point. Gazing back to Cercelee all the playful banter was missing as they moved onto the real world. "She removed herself from leading the pack.. Jefferson has stepped up..and lent a hand where needed." He really didn't know how in the world to explain how much had recently changed in their pack. Everything had smoothly rolled along but he still noticed all the differences and they still made him uneasy.. with just the knowledge of what once had been and what was here now.
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There was no comment for his honesty, he hadn’t wanted children either. Why then did they exist? Caught up in a moment of passion? Cercelee had dodged that bullet the one time she had let a male enter her, but it had been an accident, the whole night. Cercelee couldn’t imagine what she would of done if she had been pregnant. It was unthinkable to her to have to raise a family without the other parent, without unconditional love on both sides. If she ever found that– unconditional love– maybe her views on procreation would change. Snapping up her head at his voice, she shrugged. “I never was a Sadira.” It was that simple.
A bear? Had Iskata gone searching for trouble? It wasn’t that uncommon, Cercelee knew many who welcomed pain into their lives. What of the puppies? Where had they come from? Cercelee did not remember Iskata having a mate, where they wanted or accidents as well? It didn’t matter, not really. “Lucky for you guys, to have Jefferson. He seemed like a good guy when I met him, he had a lot of respect for Iskata.” Who would step up if she was struck down? Cercelee knew the answer, Haku and Firefly would take over and for that reason Cer wasn’t going to let anything happen to herself. “Is there anything I can do to help?” The answer was probably no, they had enough in Phoenix Valley to take care of the pack and their knocked down leader, but it never hurt to offer a hand.
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He knew how touchy the Sadira in denial was about that name. He smiled as she made the comment before he just shook his head and made the off the cuff comment as he turned away from the sapphire eyed lady. "Can't deny what's in your blood..." His stormy orbs changed back to look at the girl as he grinned wolfishly. "..but it's only a name, right?" he said teasingly, knowing he'd probably taken it all too far this time. Neither of them really helpd the name, though while he looked nothing like any of the others Cercelee was a clone of a ghost.
He was quiet after the taunting outburst as he sat there thinking on the issues of his own pack. He almost didn't hear what she'd said until she mentioned Jefferson. He decided for once to be nice and not mention the fact that that good guy was another of the Sadira clan. He smiled weakly at the comment she'd had of Jefferson's attachment to his mother, "Yeah, She seemed to have that effect on the whole pack.. once." He shook his head and muttered. "Not anymore though.." He'd watched his mother sink into a dark bitter world where there was nothing there for her and everyone was out to get her. He couldn't really understand what she was going through but what she was right now was too much of a reminder of the world she'd once fallen into long ago when he was just a child.
He scowled at the thought as Cercelee asked if there was anything to do. He lowered his gaze as he just sighed. "No, The pack will survive.. I don't know what will save mother this time.." he said bitterly. She'd had Phoenix once and when he'd broken her heart she'd turned to the pack.. now it was like she was waiting on the next angel in disguise but he wasn't for certain there was one this time.
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Cercelee ignored the comment about her blood, knowing DaVinci was holding out bait but that she would refuse to bite. The Sadira blood was there, but so was Nasphrite blood and that of her mother’s and maternal grandparents. It was only the Sadira name which overshadowed the others, not the genetics. Her mother too had been an ivory lady, eyes of the sky… but no one would listen to that. They only saw Ceres and the other Sadiras when they saw Cer. None of them had known Lyla.
Shrugging, Cercelee looked out to the shore. She had offered her help and there wasn’t much else to say now. Cercelee knew she really had nothing to offer Iskata anyway, but the words had come from her lips all the same. With the rejected offer hanging in the air, Cercelee turned back to DaVinci, not quite knowing what to do with the creature before her now. “Is there anything else you want here?” All the conversation and bickering had fled from her.
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There was no fight left in either of them though he still tried to bait her. Even after it was all said and done DaVinci would always try and get the last word in, it was just his way, ruffle their feathers one last time before making the exit. He studied the woman before him silently as she seemed to take well to the rejected offer. He didn't know, maybe Iskata wanted to be visited, maybe she wanted her friends and family around, even though who didn't seem to want anything to do with her.. but he wasn't Iskata so he didn't know... but Jefferson and he tried so hard to keep the visitors at bay, were they doing the right thing. He wasn't sure but who was there to ask..
When Cercelee asked him if there was anything left between the two of them he recognized the dismissal and nodded to the woman for a brief second before sighing and admitting. "No, I should get Zana home before the others start to wonder.." he knew it was a lame excuse but it was true. He knew that Jefferson would probably get onto him for having the small child out so long and he knew that Skylar and Tyrone would be jonesing to get to play with the little girl again and get her started and overexcite her once more. He smiled slightly at Cercelee as he suggested lightly. "Maybe.. you could visit.. Once you get past the fact of who she is.. she was never really a bad person" Every mistake she'd ever made always seemed to be traced back to that Sadira line, that blood and ways of her pride. She was the daughter of an alpha, once a princess in that pack.. and now she was just tired and worn out. Maybe she just needed to hear a voice or two to get her back out into the world. She might be blind and she might be crippled but her world wasn't over yet.. and he hoped she'd realize that soon.
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