Secret Falls blame the deniers

For Vili - March 28th, 2024. Soph's scent begins to change.

pain is what you desire

bang bang shots fired

Shit. It was the one solid thought that ran through her head as she sat at the edge of the falls, having slunk off to it early in the morning when she realized that her scents had changed and her body changed with it. It was clear, at least to her now, that she was with child… she was not certain if Vili was aware, or how he’d react… but what she knew was that she would be bringing life into the world, expected to care with them. She wasn’t entirely certain what that would look like for her, or what it meant other than pain and then raising puppies. Would they be like her?

What names would they have? Would she simply let them chose their own? These were questions that were suddenly at the forefront of her mind as she stared at the edge of the pool that was stuck in a constant state of flux, of rippling, from the falling of the falls nearby. She wondered, in this moment, what her mother might say… or her father. The pang echoed slightly in her chest but nothing was more overwhelming to her in that moment than the noise of the falls crashing in the background.

She took a deep breath in, exhaling softly as she shifted a paw, letting it sink under the surface, batting at the water lightly solely for the sensation and the cooling and calm embrace it provided against the pads of her paw. What was done, was done... now all that mattered was what the hell was she to do now? She supposed she had at least a little time for that too. Perhaps she’d find a pack that could take her in? She wasn’t certain she wanted that either… even if they would take her in, she wasn’t certain she wanted to live restrained by the rules of another.

There was now much for the girl to ponder.

(// Tasha

Vili opened his eyes to find the woman gone. Her scent was still thick, so she couldn't have gotten far, but there was something else. Something different. He had to blink a few times, allow his mind a few seconds to boot up as he contemplated the third scent. Had someone else been here? He began to rise, confusion buzzing around his brain.

Realization crept slowly across his skin like ice on a window. His breathing slowed, his tail fell. He stumbled. Shit. He really hadn't thought that it would take. He'd even hoped that it wouldn't, but there was no mistaking that smell. She must have known, and that's why she wasn't here.

He had a decision to make. This didn't have to be hard for him. He could walk away right now, disappear.

Vili was surprised to find himself moving, surprised to find himself walking in the direction the stranger had gone. He found her, paw in the water, at the edge of the falls. He did not move once he laid eyes on her, did not speak because he didn't know what to say. He just stood there, waiting.

pain is what you desire

bang bang shots fired

She wouldn’t have blamed him if he turned and run… perhaps she had even allowed it to be a possibility by slipping away from the den rather than pursuing it further. She was giving him the opportunity to run. He’d at least stuck around long enough to see if it had taken… what he did from there was… well, inconsequential to her she supposed. Momma’s baby daddy’s maybe. She’d heard it said a few times, ever observant and always listening to what others would say. She knew it to be true.

And yet, she caught his scent on the wind… not faintly, but growing with each step. She was distinctly aware of his presence next to her and yet she did not move a muscle, instead staring at the water, trying to tackle the inevitability of life that had overcome her… the idea that she’d be responsible for raising an actual child. It was a few long moments before her eyes would turn, pale green focusing on him, undeniable emotions lingering in them… a mix of fear and uncertainty and panic in her eyes. Was she really cut out for this? Were either of them?

And why was he still there when he had the opportunity to simply turn and run? He could have, and she would not have blamed him if he had done so… and yet there he sat, next to her.

(// Tasha

Sophrosnia is currently travelling with Lillia and is closely tailed by Vili

The woman's fear, her uncertainty, and panic was met with his own. Vili's silver gaze danced over the tawny wolf, from her eyes, to her stomach and back, as though the swell of her sides might already be evidenced there. He didn't even know her name. She didn't know his, yet there were.. they had.. he couldn't even bring himself to think it.

Vili's ears fell in spite of his protest as he took a step toward her. Really, he ought to leave, but his body wasn't responding correctly. This wasn't his problem. He'd had his fun, so why was he still there? He'd had several opportunities to turn tail and run. Several. His mother would be so disappointed. The cubs growing in there, they served no purpose. They did not elevate or cement his status. And the girl, he didn't even know if she had a family name, let alone a title.

He closed the distance, though he couldn't say why. Perhaps the closeness would bring some clarity to this mess. And if the stranger would allow it, Vili would press his nose quickly to her cheek, an offer of comfort that he had no right to give.

(This post was last modified: Apr 13, 2024, 04:15 AM by Vili.)

pain is what you desire

bang bang shots fired

Her gaze turned back to him, focused on him though there was something distant in her. He continued to move towards her, to trace around her, lingering in her shadow simply remaining as silent as she had. She seemed to have that effect on others. Her lack of speaking inspired a lack of speaking in others… and perhaps that was for the best. There was a comfort in the silence that lingered between them. There was emotion, and feeling, and meaning in the silence, even now between them with all the uncertainty that it brought.

He closed the distance, his nose gently pressing to her cheek which caused a soft shudder to echo down her spine… and then, there was a slight lean. A slight pressure against his side, her eyes closing as she breathed in slowly, and then exhaled slowly. Slowly, her neck would tilt further, until her skull rested along his shoulder, his towering appearance making her seem so small in comparison.

Her heart raced, and she considered the question of whether or not she should run… or what even she should do. Would she even get far? She was fast, but his stride remained longer with his size that she wondered not only if he would chase her… but how far she’d get before he successfully caught up to her… or perhaps she could outrun him… outrun him and just keep running?

(// Tasha

Sophrosnia is currently travelling with Lillia and is closely tailed by Vili

He couldn't help but think, even as he had reached out to her, that this was wrong. Vili still had an entire life to live and not a single plan he had made involved him being saddled with children. He didn't want them, had never even considered them, yet he had been just as proactive in creating them.

The woman accepted Vili's offer, leaning into his side and resting her head against his shoulder. He wondered if that gesture meant as much to her as it had to him, if it eased the anxious burn in the pit of her stomach. He had a way out, had several ways out, but she was stuck either way. Mistakes had been made, there was no denying it, but perhaps they need not make any more. He could be a dad, a good one as his own father had been to him. He reached down to plant a kiss to the top of her head.  The Archer was certain he could be a good partner, a good coparent.

Vili interrupted his own thoughts, shoving them to the side as realization hit. She was some kind of witch. How else had she been able to command him so easily? Why else would he have been thinking such soft thoughts? "Who are you?" A woman, a witch, he did not care. The man just wanted to know.

.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

She felt a sense of comfort in the silence of their embrace… of the support he offered n that moment despite not knowing much about her other than the fact that she carried his child. She had questions of her own… like why he decided to stay, and of course if he had any family, what his plans were now… what hopes and dreams had they mutually destroyed for each other? They were impossible questions to avoid… questions she did not wish to avoid and yet she did not know how to communicate them to him.

If she were entirely honest, there was much that she did not know given her current state. She did not know what her own future looked like. She did not know how to be a mother. Her own had run off just after she was born and while she’d had a wonderful adoptive mother, she knew little about the physical realities of giving birth to one’s own flesh and blood as a result.

He turned his head to her and she felt a softness in her eyes that was quite rare. Who was she? She supposed that was a question he probably should have asked before he got himself into his predicament. She’d hesitate before reaching her nose out to run along his neck and up towards his maw, hoping the motion could communicate with him what she had known all along: she could not tell him even if she wanted to. Despite it being selective, she did not often experience a free will over when she chose to speak, even now. It felt like a crushing weight pushed upon her chest.

But she felt a comfort in that. She felt a comfort in the reality that she could rely on that weight, even when she could rely on nothing else. She danced around codependency with it as a constant and grueling companion.

Sophrosnia is currently travelling with Lillia and is closely tailed by Vili

He felt anger at first, at her refusal to answer. He was angry that she didn't feel the need to speak, didn't deign him important enough, and that she'd worked her witchcraft on him somehow. The anger was short-lived, however, as she moved forward to run her nose along his neck, and though he did not understand her condition fully or what kept her words at bay, he did understand that there were no words coming, possibly ever.

Vili placed a kiss to her ear, letting her know that he accepted the terms. Perhaps she was still a witch, or maybe she'd been cursed by one, but either way, the Archer was going to have to learn a new way of communicating, or at least of understanding communication.

"Okay." It was okay. It would have to be, for there was no other choice. Not now, maybe not ever. But no longer would he fault her for it.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

Perhaps one day, if their union proved to be more than simply a tryst carried through the life of a child, she’d be able to find the weight lifted… perhaps one day she’d overcome the affliction if not with everyone than with him so he might at least know her name. It had been far too long since she’d heard her name aloud. Would she even recognize it? It would be so foreign to her… a strange melody.

Okay.

She wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, but being a woman of few words herself, she felt as though it would have to be sufficient. She could hardly judge others for a lack of detail when she was a paradox of all such things herself. She kept her head leaned against him, that fear lingering in her chest, adding to the weight, causing her heart to beat rapidly in her chest.

She didn’t understand everything, not fully, but she knew she had no other choice now. They would have to figure it out, or worse she would have to figure it out. There was still plenty of time for him to disappear into the night if he so chose, and she couldn’t say she’d blame him for it. This wasn’t part of their silent arrangement, their one-night deal.

Sophrosnia is currently travelling with Lillia and is closely tailed by Vili

The stranger leaned into him, leaned on him. It was a terrifying thought to be relied upon, but she had no choice. Vili was the one with all the choices, a fact that he recognized well. Perhaps that is the reason he continued to flicker in and out of her presence, drawn like a moth to a flame but still aware that coming too close may result in being burnt.

Mother would still think him a fool, and father.. well, Vili couldn't be sure what he'd think. The man had always been more difficult for him to read.

The Archer sighed, hoping that with it he might shed some of the weight that bore down on his frame. It was unsuccessful, of course, but as he leaned in to her touch.. well... that seemed to help more than he thought it would.