It's like it's just for me.

Birthday RE: A shooting star flies overhead and you're left with the following prompt: An aurora arcs across the sky, more active than ever. It appears to ebb away before bursting back into existence, like a firework celebration just for Relic Lore.

It was a quiet night after a fresh snow fall leaving most of the tracks in the cove covered. Any sounds in the forest were muted by the powdery snow. The Crow's dark paws sunk in with each step she took along the path she'd chosen. That night she hadn't been able to sleep well whether it was the slight pain in her past injury or memories keeping her awake Oksana didn't know. She felt a draw toward the lake which is what led her to be out in the forest at that time of night.

For a moment she paused looking this way and that with the thought that she'd heard something. When she didn't hear it again her steps continued quiet through the snow until they brought her to the tree line that surrounded the lake. Careful paws took each step down on to the bank until she reached flatter ground. A cloud of breath rose before her eyes as she let out a breath at reaching her destination.

A few more steps brought her to the frozen waters edge. Her orange gaze looked up to the sky for the first time. There she saw the brightest light in the sky. She was old enough to know what it was so she sat back on her haunches to watch a smile across her face. However, almost as soon as it had appeared it was gone again but just when she thought the light show was over it came back more beautiful than before.

Having not been able to sleep for the last few nights since returning home with Kateri, this was the first night he didn't need to be alongside his daughter the whole night. Her mother had returned home and was clinging to the girl's side, dotting upon her with all the care and attention of any mother who had lost her offspring. Aleister couldn't be more relieved to have her back home, but now they needed to figure out how long her leg would take to heal which was an issue that scared the Vuesain.

Knowing his daughter was in safe paws with her mother by her side, the Vuesain was out wandering the territory aimlessly, hoping he would eventually tire. However, it would seem the night would drag on further before he would even get slightly tired. As his agouti form was walking along the treeline of shore, a dark form caught his bicolored gaze pulling them from the path before him. Pausing to look at who would possibly be visiting the lakeshore at this hour, the breeze gave him his answer.

Moving towards the dark woman, his gaze was pulled to the sky as the night seemed to celebrate something within the stars. It was brief then, so Aleister continued to Sana's side. As his dark muzzle bumped hers affectionately, the night sky lit up again, brighter this time. He couldn't help but wonder what the sky could be celebrating.

Oksana wasn't expecting anyone to be out there that night. She wouldn't deny that when the agouti man appeared at her side that she was happy about it. She looked at him after the bump he gave her muzzle. She brushed her against his in return. "I'm happy that Kateri is home safe," she said quietly, "I've been worried." She hadn't had a chance to express that to him since he'd returned home with his daughter. She'd been trying to give them time together now that he'd found her.

The light show continued above them in its beautiful dance across the sky. I brought a smile across the Crows maw. Maybe she'd been pulled to the lake that night to witness the dance. She couldn't help but think about the sad circumstances that had brought her back to the lore. How things had changed for her in the last year. She'd found Aleister and through him a place to call home. Even more she found a friend in him.

"I'm glad that I'm sharing this with you," she said looking over to meet his mismatched gaze a smile on her face. The lights dancing across the sky was something that she wouldn't want to share with a stranger. Especially when she was feeling nostalgic in the moment. She didn't want to question why it was happening as if doing that would diminish the beauty of it. She couldn't help but think it interesting that she was sharing it with him.

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Leaning into her touch for a moment before settling upon his haunches alongside her, his turned his mismatched gaze over to her as she spoke. A smile lifted his ebony lips, "I'm relieved we found her too and I can't thank you enough for helping with Stella." Without their mother around, it was tougher to juggle all of his duties, but making sure his children had care and protection would always be the first priority for the Vuesain patriarch. 

His smile appeared again as Sana remarked how she was happy to be sharing this sky celebration with him. The light show was truly beautiful, but it wasn't all he found to be captivating that night. "I'm just happy to be back in your presence," he admitted softly as his gaze returned to the sky. Aleister was realizing how right it felt with every moment he spent at the dark woman's side. "I have a question for you..." He stated as his eyes fell upon her again, his gaze lingering over her features.

You've come across an unattended nest full of eggs, do you like them scarmbled or fired? +5 Health

Oksana felt him lean into her touch which she gladly allowed before watching as he came to rest next to her. ,she'd been truly happy for both Aleister and Aquene to have their daughter back with them. He expressed his relief. When he thanked her she smiled. "I was glad to take care of her. Especially if it helped bring Kateri home sooner." Watching over Stella hadn't been any trouble at all and if he needed her to do it again she would. It was important for him to be able to focus on finding his daughter.

A bright smile was on her face when she turn her gaze from the sky to him when he expressed being happy to be back in her presence. "I'm glad to have you back here with me too." She had missed him the days he'd been away but he needed to find his daughter. She wouldn't have had it any other way. Her gaze turned back up the sky until he stated that he had a question for her. "You can ask me anything. What would you like to know?" She couldn't help but be curious about what he wanted to ask her.

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Another smile graced his ebony lips at her words. Knowing that he had someone here to help with his children that didn't mind to, really helped him focus on what he needed to.  Everyone in the Cove have been great at keeping an eye on the children, but he felt it was a responsivity he shouldn't have to place on anyone else head other than his. Not that anyone else in the pack wouldn't help with them, but Oksana seemed to understand and didn't have him feel guilty for giving her pup sitting duty while they could be doing other pack duties that they were needed for.

His heart did strange things at her response to his admittance, and he could help but feel the swell of happiness that she would want him around her even if he sometimes brought the storm clouds overhead. But there was something he really wanted to know after all her steady support for him. Aleister's has had a rough road when it came to confiding in someone as a companion with them abandoning him shortly after. It was something that has kept him holding her at arm's length because he was honestly scared to be left alone again after opening himself up to someone. But no matter how far he tries to hold her away, she had already borrowed deep into his soul whether he wanted to admit it openly. So, the Vuesain simply wanted to know, "What do you need in this life, Sana." His gaze met hers then as he searched her face. Whatever her answer was, he would do everything in his power to achieve that for her because she deserved to get what she wanted in this life after caring for so many before herself.

 

(This post was last modified: Jan 19, 2022, 03:11 AM by Aleister.)

It wasn't a surprise when he tied her he had a question for her. Whatever he asked she was more than happy to answer but she wasn't expecting the question that slipped from his lips. She wasn't sure how to answer since she'd never really given it a whole lot of thought. Before she came to the cove it was always what she needed at that moment. Always working to survive. Now it was different, she didn't spend a lot of time focusing on herself.

After he asked she looked up at the sky in thought for a few moments. She was smiling when she turned her gaze back to him. "I want to be happy in my life," she finally answered, "I need a place to belong where I can do the most good and others around me who care about me." All of these things she felt she'd found but she had learned in her life that things can change very quickly."I want someone special in my life who accepts me for me bum leg and all," she laughed a little after that, "But most importantly one day I'd like a family of my very own with a mate who loves me and our children so they won't have to grow up and go through life without him."[/b That was what she wanted. {B}"I think I've found my place to belong and others who care about me. I even think I've found someone special and that's all thanks to you Aleister," she added reaching to kiss his cheek. Without him she's not sure she would be where she was.

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The agouti man listened; his attention given fully to the dark cloaked woman as she began to answer his question. After everything she has done for him and plenty others, Aleister wanted to know what she wanted in this life and wondered if her desired life meant she might be in his life for a while. Or if she meant to leave once the spring fall fell.

He smiled at her laughter as he digested her words, committing her desires to memory. Aleister listened to her most important desire and wasn't sure what he thought of all of it. For her to have someone special, a mate who would love her and give her children while doting upon them all. The heartache and the sharp pang of jealousy shot through him when thinking of a man that wasn't him being that for her. But, if he was what made her happy, the Vuesain would shallow and bury all those feelings and brave a happy face for her. Because that's what a good friend would do, be happy for her happiness. And when she continued to tell him she had found everything she wanted because of him, even a special someone, he felt the stabbing heartache again. Though he masked it with a smile, because that's what he was supposed to be, happy for her.

His smile only faltered when she reached over to place a kiss upon his cheek with which he fluttered his lashes closed for a moment to savor her touch. Clearing the suffocating lump within his throat, he turned his ocean and sunshine gaze over to his Sana. "I'm so happy for you," he answered quietly with a soft smile upon his maw. Lifting his gaze up to the bright sky as the darkness around him seemed to shallow him, he couldn't keep the thoughts away. "I should go check up on Kateri," he murmured as he kept his gaze up within the stars, they were one of the only things that could keep his focus when the demons came.

Oksana remembered when she was a pup how she wanted to be the best at everything. She wanted her mother to be proud of the accomplishments she'd made in her life. It was funny how living the life she had that it had changed her so much. Sure she still wanted to be good at things like hunting, tracking, and protecting her pack. When Aleister asked his question of her she realized just how much things had changed for her. How different the things she wanted out of life were. It was becoming more clear to her that a lot of what she wanted she'd already found.

She had always been appreciative of Aleister for giving her a home. She realized now that he'd given her so much more than that. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere instead of constantly drifting and she'd found friends in Siyet and Chan. She knew that she'd make more friends in time. The most important thing that he'd given her was his friendship, he was the one who'd accepted her from the beginning. Even with her leg he'd asked her to come to the cove. She couldn't think of another leader who would do that not knowing if she could help the pack.

The kiss to his cheek was a new showing of affection between them. It was the best way she thought to show him just how grateful she was for him to be in her life. She smiled when he told her that he was happy for her. "Thank you. You're a big part of what makes me happy and I'm so glad that I found you," she told him still smiling, "Now that I have you in my life I can't imagine you not being there." She took her own advice and told him how she truly felt about him. She couldn't deny him the truth and she couldn't keep going on like this when her feelings for him grew stronger everyday.

She nodded when he said he needed to check on Kateri, "You're a good father Aleister. I'll see you tomorrow?"

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