@Ensio I thought we could have a thread!!
Arlette had recently learned to fish, and had been enjoying learning a new skill. She didn't think she was very good at it yet, but with the advice from Arric she had managed to catch some fish. Today however, instead of spending time to learn more about her new skill she though she would seek out Ensio. He had been Sovereign's companion and she hardly knew anything about him. Not that she was judging him for it, but she would love to get to know him better.
She went to look for him if he was around. Maybe he was busy, and maybe she would run into someone else of the pack. But her goal today was at least to extend a friendly paw his way. Make him feel welcome. She remembered when she was young how it was like to not feel welcomed.
This morning, he took branched away from Sovereign for a little while. Though, he could not shake the nagging feeling of uneasiness of being away from her for too long. He set it aside and focused on the present. They had made a commitment to this place. To each other, to try their damnedst to make this work.
Trying to make good on his vow, he made his rounds. Slowly acclimating to the terrain of his new home. Hopeful while mapping it out bit by bit, that he would run into someone. As he was considering what to put on the menu, he managed to get himself a bit turned around. A common mistake for a newbie in a neighborhood they didn't quite know yet.
He hummed, turning to try and locate the direction of the river. He at least had that one reliable land mark to go by.
It didn't take her too long to run into him. Well, it technically wasn't running into him as she had been searching for him. Arlette greeted him with a wag of her tail. "Morning Ensio," she greeted. Arlette approached him with a friendly demeanor. She knew that settling into a new pack could be stressful, she hoped his experience wasn't like that. She had noticed that the male had been helping around a lot. Perhaps she should tell Arric that Ensio might be a good candidate to go hunting with.
"We haven't really spoken yet. And I thought perhaps we could get to know each other better. If you like that?," she offered. She wasn't someone who would turn around the bush. She knew she would like to get to know him, especially since Sovereign seemed to be fond of him.
He turned, and there she was. Arlette, the pale woman who sought him out. Like family to Sovereign. He was a little jealous that his friend had someone to refer to as family. For him, there was no one left. Maybe with Arlette, that could change.
"Good morning Arlette." He returned, with a matching wave of his tail and a faint smile. Consciously making an effort not to try and be too formal. He needed to learn to relax. The stern line of his brows raised, head tilting. "That is true. But I would enjoy that, yes."
Working through his awkwardness of how to approach the woman, he shuffled closer, tentatively. Cleary, his social skills needed some polishing up. "I can tell you and Sovereign go a ways back. Care to fill me in, even just a bit?" He asked, interested.
Arlette dipped her head politely to the male in response. It was good to see him. She was relieved that he wanted to get to know her as well. She didn't want to be pushy or force herself friendship-wise on him. She was therefore super glad that he also wanted to get to know her better. She could see he felt a little awkward. Arlette felt her heart soften at that. Probably also didn't have it easy, but that was just something she assumed.
"Of course," she offered. "I was really close with her mother. I once knew her as Nyra, but she later changed her name to Fury. We were the most unlikely friends. I was more soft-natured than Sov's mother. But we gelled well. I think it was my loyalty to the pack that helped to shape our bond. We went through a lot of shit together. But we always stuck together. Hence I became more of a sister to Fury than just a friend. She helped me through the loss of my mate and helped me with my children. So naturally I would care for her as my own," she explained.
"I left for a while after Sovereign's mother died. I couldn't cope. Hence I am so glad to see Sovereign again, and that she is glad to see me as well." She wouldn't lie that she felt a little guilty for leaving Sovereign but losing her chosen sister was another blow she wasn't able to take mentally. She hummed, glancing at him to see if he had any questions or remarks.
Comfortably, he settled onto his haunches, facing the ivory beauty. To show her that she had his total attention. As she began to speak, recounting details, beginning with Sovereign's mother, Ensio made a note to remember the specifics. He doubted he would have a hard time of it. He had a sharp memory.
At her voice, as she spoke of the friendship she had shared with Fury, the tips of his ears lowered slightly. Icy eyes quieter, softer. "You and Fury...you sound so much like Sov and I these days..." He rumbled lowly. "I think I recall meeting her mother, once. Our very first encounter, actually..."
Another detail had not escaped him, which he was quick to address, first by the soft crinkle of the skin around his eyes. "Your mate...how did you lose him?" He lowered his muzzle, solemnly. "Only if you don't mind speaking of it, that is. I am...not exactly a stranger to loss."
Arlette smiled to hear that. Sov really deserved a good friend like Ensio. Friends were for life, especially the good ones. Arlette dipped her head. "Probably a little intimidating meeting her?," she chuckled. "I know I was. I never thought that we would become such good friends. We were quite different."
Arlette perked up her head when he asked about her mate. "He went on a mission and never returned. I don't know if he is alive, but if he would be I assume he would return to me," she offered with a sigh. "In my mind I believe him as dead. It is easier. Now it has been such a long time, that it is okay. I moved on. If he he returns though, he has a lot of explaining to do," she huffed but then quickly smiled. Talking about Derg didn't hurt so much anymore. She could think about what good he brought her, and those were the happy memories she focussed on.
"More like a little startled." He offered. The slight laugh in the end of his voice hinted that he wasn't a male that got intimidated easily. "Granted, I was having a bad day that day..." He drifted off, grumbling slightly at the memory. It was still all so crystal clear. That one day when he met Sovereign for the first time, changing his life in a way he could not have predicted.
"I...I am sorry to hear that, of your mate. You seem to be coping well. But that's one other thing with Sov and I." His stern jaw tightened. "Abandonment. Loss, in one form or another. Broken promises. We're sick of it. It is why we came here. We've been through so much shit together, she and I. Thick and thin, but we were always there." He found himself rambling now, letting his heart peel open before a woman he didn't know.
"I promised her...I would remain the one constant in her life. No matter what."
Arlette smiled at that. She could imagine it already. She wished she would have been there. "We all have those, and I assume since you are still alive that you managed. She didn't kill you so that is a plus," Arlette chuckled. Before she might be horrified about that, but since living with the Saints her innocent had shed like her fur in spring.
"It is okay, and on the other hand, it is not. It has been a while now, so talking about it gets easier," she offered. "I like that. Sovereign need that," she nodded. And Ensio probably needed it too. Hence they stuck together. "Just be mindful that it doesn't turn into something sour or that is becomes something that shouldn't be," she offered some of her wisdom. "It can cause distrust if you don't communicate, or worse, that feeling of abandonment."
Arlette was glad that currently, that didn't seem the case, they seemed like they were a pair whether romantically or platonically. "I hope you find it in Swiftcurrent. I am really glad you two joined," Arlette hummed.