Sanguine Cove we don't have control

Backdated to 1/10, for @Aleister only.

After her run in with @Kajika, Woya wasn't exactly in the best mood. Thankfully, she had something to move on to, and that was finally getting a quality moment with her cousin. Given everything that had happened to his daughter, she had opted not to ask for his time until now, giving plenty space for the girl's parents to care for and reconnect with her. There were things to discuss, however, and the visit couldn't last forever. Hopefully, he had time to spare.

She followed his scent into the forest, and when she thought she could hear him just ahead, she called out, "Al?"

Pulling himself away from the infirmary, the Vuesain decided it was best to patrol the borders at least once before going back to check on Kateri then the rest of his children. At this point, he could easily be labeled as a helicopter parent, but Aleister could not help it with the pang of terror still ringing within his veins at the thought of Kateri's disappearance. He just hoped he could keep the rest of them safe this winter, so moving on to do his duties would help with that aspect he thought.

As he moved through the forest, his ears caught the sound of someone behind him, but quickly Woya called out his name. Turning to face his alabaster cousin, a smile lifted his ebony lips. "Woya," he drawled happily as he moved to close the distance between them. "I'm happy you are here, even though it was not in the best circumstances," he admitted lightly.

 

"Same," she answered, as he greeted her without reservation. It certainly didn't seem she was stepping on his time. Her tail wagged and she gave a smile more relaxed than she had since the previous night with @Moonshadow. Just knowing she was in the company of family, an adult member of family who could fully understand what she was going through, tremendously helped.

"I'm so glad you found her. I was hoping to get to meet some li'l cousins," even if it meant you had to rob the cradle to get them she would have joked if she'd known him well enough, but she couldn't yet assume Aleister understood her that well and certainly couldn't afford offending the shit out of him if it turned out he didn't. Instead, she decided to start with clearing up that little pondering.

"Aquene's not your mate, though, correct?"

For a brief moment she anticipated him answering uh, no, not correct and her having to tell him that @Aquene was definitely cheating on him with @Nash. Were all four kids hers, or was another woman here a mother too? She wanted to know, not so she could judge, but simply to find out what her cousin had been up to and to understand him and his situation better.

"Me too," he commented with a soft smile, knowing full well that if they hadn't found her, he could still be out looking for her at this point. "Well you have plenty to choose from," Aleister replied with a chuckle as he settled upon his haunches. The Vuesain would never regret a single life he helped bring into this world, but he knew how it could look to others looking in.

So, he wasn't surprised by his cousin's next question, knowing the woman enough to realize she would quickly get to the point when she wanted to. "No, she is not." Their relationship never fruited any affection for each other in that way, only in that of a friend and co-parent. He would always protect her as a mother of one of his children, but he held affections for another and she to another as well. "Her and I met unexpectedly and we had Kateri together. We have always been friends since then," Aleister put it plainly. Perhaps that would clear up any confusion.

"I reunited with Kip who I had grown fond of before we fled the Lore and we had Leo, Lynx and Stella together. Our relationship had been complicated to say the least, and now she has been gone for months now." Aleister wasn't sure he would ever find out if Kip meant to leave or was lost to them, but he couldn't keep living in the past.

Oh good, she couldn't help but think with relief when Aleister answered. She could read between the lines of what he said, and definitely would have teased him this time if the explanation didn't end with something so sad. Her ears fell back, a frown now clearly defined on her muzzle.

"Gone? Gone how?" she asked, hoping that he knew. Regardless, her absence was really... shitty. What kid wanted to grow up without their mom of all wolves?

His cousin asked how Kip was gone and it prompted the thoughts that had been brewing inside the Vuesain, but he never wanted to voice them in case they were true. Aleister especially wasn't sure if he was ready for his children to know his theory.

"For what I know of Kip, she was always a wanderer like me and had come and gone from the Lore. Which meant she knew her way back to the Lore," he started, his gaze looking to his cousin then as he continued. "She has been gone for months, since November and there has been no signs of her since the storm. I'm afraid she is either dead or isn't returning on purpose." Both theories extremely possible and horrible to have their children wonder about. There was nothing that Aleister wouldn't give to get his children their mother back, but was he to do when she was nowhere to be found?

Nothing Aleister had to say was in the least bit reassuring, though she understood it stung infinitely more to admit and experience than to hear. Woya looked away for a brief moment, unnerved as she knew now was a time to comfort her cousin but also was more acutely aware than anyone her own inadequacies in such a role.

"I'm sorry," she decided on, uncharacteristically tentative with her words, "that's so shitty."

At least he wasn't entirely alone, she supposed was the silver lining. Aquene was there with only one pup of her own, giving the rest of the children a mother figure to still go to if needed. It was certainly better than nothing at all... but gods, that not knowing. It could be more unfair than the absence itself, at times.

"Here I thought I'd be the downer," Woya elected to tease, hoping to lift the conversation a bit after dragging it down so unintentionally far.

"yeah..." The whole situation was truly shitty, for him who know was responsible for raising and protecting three children on his own as well as lead a pack, but it was worse for the three cubs that no longer had their mother around to care for them like mothers in their special way. Aleister feared he wouldn't be enough for them in the end, as every pup deserved to have their mother raising them and teaching them. Being his first year with children this was new territory and nothing he was that talented in, but all he could was his best for them and hope they turn out okay.

A chuckle fell feom his lips at her words. "Pretty sure I may have you beat this time, but maybe next year you can have a turn," he replied with a smirk.

(This post was last modified: Apr 14, 2022, 01:12 AM by Aleister.)

Woya snorted softly at the tease and playfully rolled her eyes, dismissing the suggestion with acute obliviousness to just how true the words would come to ring. At present, she had no plans of getting herself and the other Chasm wolves anymore tangled and dejected than they already were. The lithe woman hoped their luck would be taking an upturn soon.

"I'll just have ta keep checkin' on ya, keep ya in line," she jested with a smirk.

"I'd like to bring the kids up, let 'em meet their cousins, maybe even be close to 'em... They need their family."

So did she.