Ouroboros Spine esto perpetua

Jesus, this was painful. Valiant almost wished he'd just sent Vaire to do this sort of dirty work. He was almost equally sure that Aiolos wished the same. But he'd wanted to gauge the man's unguarded opinion on the matter, and he wasn't sure he would've gotten that with Vaire by his side.

What he received wasn't a no. That was good enough for Valiant, who was bound and determined to marry her anyway. There wasn't another option, in his mind. But while they could make that decision on their own, it was Aiolos and Kukutux who would decide whether or not he was truly part of their family. This was what he was truly asking for. Not a blessing, exactly, but a chance.

He would ask Vaire about a bride price, he decided, but not until after their children were born and settled. As for the rest — Valiant was unsurprised that the man's chief concerns ran parallel with the moonwoman's.

"I've got time," he agreed, his tail swishing in satisfaction. He shouldn't be pleased to skate under a bar that was so obviously low, but Aiolos spoke of nothing that Valiant felt he couldn't achieve or measure up to. "And I've got no intention of leavin' — and I never left a wife before, if you were wondering. Never had one. But I know what it's like to get left behind. I'll die before I walk out on a family — and, not to be smug or anything, but I've done alright keepin' myself alive, so far."

He tried for humor, but he couldn't muster any amusement of his own. The joke fell flat, just as his jokes often did when Vaire wasn't around to laugh at them. He'd never been funny until he met her.

"I love her," he said, cringing, internally, at this uncouth show of emotion. "And I wanna do right by her, that's all. So if you think I ain't doin' right, I guess I hope you'll tell me. And if you've said all you mean to say about it, that's fine with me, too."

More than fine. He regretted bringing the beaver, he decided. Maybe he should've left it with Vaire.