Cerulean Cape she don’t got a lot to say but there’s something about her

she had little speech, or so he gathered from her whispered words. that was fine. language was more than speech: it was the way you carried yourself, the way you looked at a person, the history you had between each other. seelie had rescued him from the jaws of death; no matter what the language barrier was between them, the gap would always be bridged by the fact that he owed his life to this woman.

that was all that mattered, to him.

his skin felt warm as she touched him, and he resisted the urge to look away, suddenly bashful. he smiled as she repeated his words, giving her best approximation of the name he had given her. "chikni raat," he said again, his tongue strolling along every syllable, as graceful as her dance on the beach. "it means sleek night. for your pelt," adi explained, pressing his muzzle for a brief instant to her shoulder before retreating.

his chest felt tight for a moment, both with happiness and with guilt. joy at finding her again. . .and regret at not staying. he had made his choice, had swam the narrow channel to the mainland, and had found his mate. but this woman was making him feel the same sorts of things that dawn did, and, well. . .was this betrayal? were guilty thoughts guilty actions? or would it have to become reality, before he was damned?

he shook off the accusing monologue in his mind, instead focusing on the night, the celebration. "you have a big, wonderful family," aditya remarked, grinning. "it's something i always wanted, growing up. and--well, i guess we're related now!" he hadn't known catori was related to coelacanth, and the revelation had filled him with such pleasure he could burst.