[html] Table by Jael
ooc: Set in Queen of Piety Cemetery
It had recently rained and drops still clung to the surfaces of the polished stones before her, each droplet shining as they were hit by wayward rays that shone through the rolling clouds above. This rain had been an odd one, Naniko had noticed...it had been almost completely sunny when the shower had started, something that she had not experienced in so far her three years. Maybe there was something different about Halifax. She had been walking toward the cemetery one moment, and the next minute it'd been raining. Odd.
She looked at one of the taller stones, a stone with a picture of an angel on it, and read the name. D'angelo. Her surname. It was a strange thought...that somewhere underneath her feet a human lay, a human who shared the same name as her. It had been a while since the humans had walked here, but they had left so many things behind for the wolves to use and experience. She walked to the other side of the stone, where its shadow stretched, and sat down in the shade that it had created.
She had chanced upon this place in her explorations, but death was no longer on her mind any more. Life was. The four-legged wolf stretched herself out in the shade on her back, belly to the air as she thought. Should she go back to her previous pack of Crimson Dreams? She wasn't really liked there...would that mean that her pups wouldn't recieve the same opportunities as other pups? They wouldn't be liked? She looked up to the clouds as a few more raindrops fell.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> It had been a while since Geneva had ventured from pack lands. She had recently visited neighboring packs, Crimson Dreams and Dahlia de Mai, but her responsibilities kept her primarily within Phoenix Valley borders. Since DaVinci's departure, she had redoubled her efforts around Phoenix Valley. She woke up before the sun came up and laid herself to rest several hours later than she normally would have. Times were changing, that much was evident.
Four-legged, the gray furred woman trekked without any sort of destination in mind. The borders had been quiet, and so she thought that she could slip away for a few hours' time and just let herself absorb all that had happened. Jefferson had said he loved her, perhaps not in so many words, but she could see the truth of the sentiment in the way his eyes would sometimes follow her, or in the way he would smile just so-slightly. That was a revelation that had rocked her world. But she was so grateful to have him, any part of him he was willing to share.
The lime-green eyed wolfess found herself in a cemetery, and it was an unusual place. But it had a sense of peace about it, even with the few rain drops that fell into her gaze. The woman moved herself through the rows of headstones until she saw a white figure she recognized instnatly. "Naniko," the woman greeted, approaching slowly, as not to startle the woman. She stopped just short of her. "Something on your mind?"
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[html] Table by Jael
ooc:
She had so much more to worry about than just herself now; she had to worry about them too. Naniko had been watching what she ate, making sure that she got enough and that she didn't go hungry for too long...and she'd decided to stop smoking the tobacco sticks just in case they would do something to the puppies. She did occasionally slip up and start one up, but she would catch herself and throw it back down just as quickly. They were just another addiction for her to fall into; she didn't need that one bit.
The ex-leader hadn't seen her old packmate in a long time, and almost didn't recognize her when she came into view. It could have been her upside-down position, though, that had done it. Immediately upon recognition a smile came onto the woman's face, and she flipped herself back over onto her stomach and rose to her four paws. "Geneva" She greeted in return. Laying on her back had made her slightly tired, and she said the next words while covering a slight yawn. "I...ahhh. Yes, I am. You've hit the nail on the head. I was thinking about the future. I haven't seen you in a while--how are things in the Valley?"
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> The gray wolfess decided to throw formalities to hell and a hand basket and took a position at he ex-Commander's side. She came to rest beside her, mirroring her position. The woman turned her face to watch the green-eyed wolfess speak. It had truly been a long time since she had seen Naniko. Although they had not spoken often, the woman had never been far from her thoughts.
Geneva spoke honestly. "Things have been difficult recently," she said. "DaVinci has left us, although we do not know why." The silvery hybrid had apparently been troubled for a number of weeks. The two had not spoken often, but she knew that he had been troubled. Hopefully, wherever he was at this point, he had found some peace.
The woman shrugged, but then a soft smile touched her mouth. "I worked up the courage to tell Jefferson that I love him, and found that he returned my feelings." The woman had not confided this information with anyone else, but she trusted Naniko. It had been a secret, something that existed only between Jefferson and herself. The two had been too busy with pack business and other things to discuss what their revelation might have meant, and life went on, but the knowledge still warmed her. [/html]
[html] Table by Jael
ooc:
It was big news, that her brother had left the pack. The lightly colored female cocked her head so that she could look at Geneva more directly, concerned. Did she know why Davinci had left? She didn't know if she ought to worry or not. Davinci had always been a wanderer, leaving at the blink of an eye, even when they had been young. She had spent many days searching Clouded Tears for his small form, many nights scolding him for going so far away on his adventures. "As long as he's happy...then I guess it's for the best" She said.
The news about Jefferson surprised her--she had yet to meet the leader of that pack, though she'd always wanted to. Ember had told her that he was well enough, a slightly sarcastic fellow, but that she'd enjoyed the time that she had been in the valley. "That's fantastic, Geneva. I had somewhat of a similar experience...but not quite as serious. But...very serious, too. I guess I don't know how to describe him. He's a great guy all-around. Very caring, considerate, helpful...he's wonderful. He lives in Crimson Dreams. I left there...I don't know if you'd heard. I got into some trouble. But everything's getting back on track now. And..well, I'm pregnant. I know for sure now." She nodded.
"It just kind of happened, like those things do. But I'm sure that he'd make a really good father. He doesn't know about about them yet, but he will soon. I don't know if he'll want to be involved or not..but I hope that he will. After what Haven, Mati, Brooklyn, and Haven went through with their father, it'd be a nice change to have a good guy around." She didn't know about returning to Crimson Dreams, though. That was the problem. The woman looked at the ground, then back at the gray-furred wolf who lay beside her. "Our lives have changed so much over the last year, Gen."
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> Geneva listened as the tale unfolded. She kept her eyes on the woman, so glad just to see her once again. Although it seemed she had fallen from grace, she cared very much for the white-furred green-eyed wolfess. Naniko had made such an impact on her life. She had helped to turn her life around when she had hit rock bottom. She sensed that there was a sadness, a wistfulness inside of her despite the lightness of some of her words. The gray furred woman wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she decided it would be better to just listen to what the woman had to say. There was too much for them to catch up on to interrupt Naniko now.
The woman was pleasantly surprised when Naniko mentioned her pregnancy. It was such joyous news, and she could not keep herself from interjecting for a moment. "Nani, that is wonderful!" She smiled brightly at the woman. Naniko made beautiful children. She thought back to the first time she had met her pups, Haven and Mati. She hadn't been especially close to any of the children, except for Haven when he was young, but she knew that they had grown up to be strong. She made a mental note to check up on the pups - now adults - before too much time passed.
Naniko described the father of her unborn children vaguely. She had not kept very good tabs on Crimson Dreams, as she had been busy with matters in Phoenix Valley, so she did not know the identity of the man from Naniko's verbal clues. That did not matter to Geneva though. She was just glad that things were working out, as much as possible, for Naniko now. "If you ever need a safe place, come to Phoenix Valley," Geneva told her, her voice serious despite her smile. "You or your children, even if you only need temporary shelter and resources. My door will always be open to you."
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Now she was really interested in meeting Jefferson. Geneva was a kind-tempered wolf, and she wanted to see what kind of a male had caught the attention of her past packmate. She didn't really know why Geneva had left in the first place, to go over to Phoenix Valley...but maybe, like Naniko, she had her own reasons for leaving that no one really needed to know about. Naniko wasn't expecting to go back to Crimson Dreams, but when would the rest of the pack find out about that? She hadn't told anyone that she wasn't coming back at all, just that she wasn't comfortable with it yet. But it was probably better if she just didn't mess around, and made a decision. She would do so soon.
"I'm glad you think so--I'm excited about them, too. I do hope that my other children are all right with them, but it's their choice if they're not. They have to learn how the world is, and that they won't have their mother around them forever. It would be kind of sad if they did...if I had to always be there for every litter, until adulthood."She shook her head. The offer of a safe place to live was one that she took to heart, and she turned her head to look at the other female. "Thank you, Geneva. They act like they want me back, but at the same time I still feel like I'm being accused of something every time I look into Anu's eyes. It doesn't feel right and I really don't think it's safe. I don't want to be bossed around by my past subordinate, either...to have her over me. I would like to start over, to start fresh. Maybe Phoenix Valley is the place for that. I've only been there a few times, though..can you describe it for me more?"
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> The gray wolfess was happy that Naniko would accept her invitation. The white wolfess would always have an open invitation into Geneva's home, wherever she happened to call home. The great white whale was an essential, important part of Geneva's history. Naniko had changed the course of her life forever, even if only indirectly. She had set into motion the next stages of her life, and she could never articulate her thanks well enough. There was too much to say and not enough words to express it.
It had been quite some time since she had spoken to or seen any of Naniko's first litter. Her memories of Naniko's children were of them as puppies. They must have grown so much by now, and shed the trappings of youth. She could only imagine how tall Haven was at this time. He probably easily towered over her. But she wouldn't know for a while. She would not ask Naniko right now. For now, she wanted to focus on the present, and the future.
"Phoenix Valley is peaceful," Geneva said. That was the first word that came to mind. "We're near the shore, and we have meadows and a small forest. There are cabins and cottages where my packmates live, and so it is a little different than in Crimson Dreams. We don't have a super structure like the Mansion. And we also keep livestock for milk and meat during the winter."
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It was nice, relieving even, to be around someone who she got along with and who she knew trusted her and was her friend. She felt the same way about Urma and maybe even Kaena now, the coyote and her having had a very long conversation about the old ways...about their families and pups. Things had been done in the past, with Inferni and the wolves, but neither the coyote nor wolf were thinking about those things now. Being out of Crimson Dreams and away from her family had taken a toll on the wolf, but at the same time she had gotten some valuable insight into the ways of others and had remembered things about herself that she hadn't thought about in a long time. Wolves she hadn't thought about in a while.
"It sounds like the perfect place. I need a little peace, after everything that has happened lately. That Jefferson guy, the leader. You said that you'd told him you love him? What happened with that?" She asked. She was keen to know about this male, as well, to gain a little insight into the wolves of Phoenix Valley.
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I made your image for your Nani pretty and it turned out great! I will post it tonight or tomorrow, whenever I get home to my laptop!
She was relieved to hear that Naniko would accept her invitation. Even if Naniko only decided to stay with her wihile the pups were young, it did Geneva good to hear it. Although she was certain that Naniko would be able to defend and provide for herself under normal circumstances, she was still painfully aware of how hard life could be for a lone pregnant wolf. She had been in that exact same situation less than a year ago.
When Nani asked about Jefferson, she felt herself become a little shy. She turned her face away for a moment and smiled shyly before she spoke. "He's hard to read sometimes. It is obvious that his life has been difficult. But he takes his responsbility so seriously, and he's very dependable. If he told me to follow him through hell, I would do so without blinking an eye." Even when Geneva had not been sure of her heart concerning Jefferson, she had still trusted him that much. "That is the same way I felt about you," Geneva added, thinking of how secure Naniko had made her feel when she had been part of Crimson Dreams.
"When I told him I loved him, I could see how conflicted he was," Geneva said, recalling that handful of breaths when she had laid everything on the line with him and had been so nervous. "He believed he wasn't worthy of love, but he is. And he told me he feels the same." She did not know if she sounded foolsih, but that was the best way she could think to describethe Patriarch's reaction.
Geneva breathed in for a moment, and the smile faded from her face. If Naniko decided to make Phoenix Valley her home, there were things that she needed to tell her. She could not continue with a clear mind or heart until she told Naniko. "I need to tell you why I left Crimson Dreams," she said before she continued. She had never spoken of this to anyone else before. "When I came to you in November, I was heart-broken. I had lost everything...and then I met Anu, and it was like I had suddenly been brought back to life." Geneva breathed in. "I fell in love with her so quickly, that I did not fully understand what that meant until it was almost too late. Please know that I never acted on these emotions, and that I never would have betrayed you. Either of you." She swallowed. "But I had to leave before I destroyed everything, your mateship, your family. I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted you to be happy, both of you. I thought that leaving would have been the best thing - for me, for Anu, for your family. Know that my loyalty was always to the pack, to you, and Anu. I just wanted things to work out."
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She had been a good leader before everything had happened, before her sudden downfall. It was good to hear it coming from someone outside of the pack. She didn't know how much of Crimson Dreams was still willing to make amends with her or what...but it was Savina and Anu that really mattered, the ones who would have been accepting her into the pack. She couldn't face either of them, and that meant that she couldn't come back. She believed that they would never apologize to her for what had happened, believing everything to be fully and completely Naniko's fault.
She was glad to hear that Geneva had found the same sort of feeling with Jefferson, that she could follow him like that. "Everyone is worthy of love" She commented, nodding her head. Everyone deserved that opportunity, to love and be loved in return. She'd thought that she'd had that kind of relationship with Conri, back in their prime.
The silver wolf's next words were long and very complicated, and Naniko frowned slightly as she listened. It would take a lot of thought for her to make complete sense of what exactly had gone on...but that all was in the past now. After everything that Anu had said to her about letting Conri see his own children, and then this was happening behind her back the whole entire time. A lot of things made more sense now. "She was distant...she was distancing herself from me because of a decision I made. It's not your fault..and when we were together in the beginning those times were wonderful. She was wonderful. She changed....and I changed. We all changed. I'm glad that you can say these things to me with honesty, not knowing my reaction to them. It is a brave thing, the thing that a leader would do, I think. You'll make a good leader, Geneva. I look forward to the day when we will run alongside each other as packmates once again."
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I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep.
I'm in too far, I'm in too deep.
But you, I can't believe you're gone.
You were the first; you'll be the last.
Geneva's breath was confined tightly in her chest and she watched Naniko's face. She would not let her gaze drop to the floor in shame. She would reveal the story in its entirety with the honesty the other woman deserved. She had always respected Naniko. And although she had been subversive, she was not ashamed of the way she had felt for Anu now. She had been helpless against feeling for the woman, and she had restrained herself for as long as she possibly could have under the circumstances. It had been a terrifying thing, to live on the edge of everything she wanted. But she hadn't wanted to fall without a safety net at the time. Loving Anu had unlocked a part of Geneva that she had buried deep within herself. When she had arrived in Nova Scotia, she had lost everything she had ever loved. She had wanted to bury that part of her so deep that she would never recover it. At that time, if that meant she would have lived the rest of her life in shadow, she would have gladly accepted that. The pain that had driven her to the brink had been too much for her to bear. Naniko spoke, and the world began to turn again. She breathed again, although she did not make an audible sigh of relief. She wanted to be part of Naniko's life; Naniko was such a large part of her own life and history now. She was an important part of the bigger picture. She smiled faintly. "I look forward to that day too, and I hope it will be soon. But no matter what you decide, let's keep in contact." Either way, she would worry about Nani's health.
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She understood loss, and the strength that it took to move on time and time again. Change was something that was never-ending, something that, if a wolf didn't buck up and get used to it, could be suffocating. This change in her lifestyle would be good for her...to get away from being a leader and really focus on what she wanted out of her life. She would bring books with her to Phoenix Valley, and get back into the things she had once loved...healing, speaking with and befriending the animals. There would be all-new animals in the Valley.
It would be a peaceful place, a wonderful life. "Yes...I'll try to send messages to you with my birdie. I've got a little bird that I'm helping, who lives back with me in the shop that I stay at. His family and friends can carry little messages on paper in their claws. I'll tell you if anything happens" She got up, then, turning toward the shop. "I'm going to try and find something to eat, then head home....but I'll see you soon"
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