Blackfeather Woods A Corpse in My Bed

Something had happened concerning his son, he was sure of it. The boy had been sticking close to his side for the past few days, not seeming to want to go off and explore. Though curious of what kind of trouble the boy had gotten himself into, Kove decided against confronting him and asking him about it. It couldn’t be troubling him too much if he didn’t seek consultation with the elder wolf, so for now the father let it go. Eventually, he knew it would blow over and the kid would be back out and doing whatever it is that he does. Exploring and learning, he assumed, perhaps even training—though with whom he’d train, he did not know. Either way, he let the situation go for now, and instead focused his attention elsewhere. When he’d noticed the child had fallen asleep, he made a silent getaway and headed for the borders. He loved his son, he really did, but his closeness over the past few days was unnatural. Well, unnatural going by Xan-standards.
 
Shaking his head, Kove forced the thoughts out of his mind. As he neared the border, he started trotting along it, rather than crossing it. He lingered just within the invisible lines, movements quiet as he worked to patrol the space. It’d felt like ages since he’d last done so, but he was ready to get back in the groove of things. Alexander had been settled in, as had the Inuit, leaving nothing to keep him from fulfilling his duties around the pack. Still, a number of thoughts invaded his mind as he patrolled, mainly consisting of his daughters. He wondered what they were up to, if they’d survived their mother’s foolishness. He didn’t believe the woman would ever let them die, but he had also never imagined she’d leave his side. Silently, he pushed a breath out between his teeth and steered his thoughts back in the direction of his current task. Putting his energy into patrolling was his best option at the moment, and so he brought himself to do exactly that. Atop his crown his ears stood erect, listening in for anything that was worth investigating. Meanwhile, his copper optics trailed out along the land, keeping tabs on anything that so much as twitched. Nothing was going to get by him, that was for sure. He continued forward just like that, focusing on the happenings outside of the borders.

As usual, she lifted herself once again from the frozen floor of the dark forest grounds. The past few days, she had stationed herself along the territory lines, just in case some loner or thief tried to make a move on their territory. Or maybe it was for her own enjoyment, she really couldn't tell these days. The medicine she was taking controlled her temper in such a way that her anger didn't control her. She controlled it, and drove it towards her own aspirations and not what laid inside. But she did slip, it always happened. Lucky enough for her, her new found control would be taken out on a life that didn't matter at all. Some would argue that every wolf had a purpose, regardless of their lack of skill. But she had come to know that it wasn't exactly true. Some life was useless, like her's had been before and she was not afraid to admit it. Then she had proven the Fates that she was worthy of this life, made herself stronger, avenged her honour and made herself worthy something. Some just couldn't, so what was the point of their existence?

Sighing, she shook her head of the thoughts circling her brain knowing fully they would soon turn murderous. Her journey to becoming a Warden was almost complete which made her camp at the borders even more useful. Even so, with new found responsibility put on her, it was her duty to take protective initiative. It was more than she could ask for and even though she never practiced religion, she found herself silently thanking whatever Gods were listening, for her good fortune. Yet as the weather turned sour, so did the times as she knew there would always be an end to their luck. Whatever was coming, she prayed that it would hold off for just a little bit longer.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes refocused as a scent hit her nose. Sighing with arrogance, her shoulder's slumped clearly not in the mood for his disturbance. The boy, Xan had had too much time with her and had uncovered more about her than anyone else ever had in such a short period of time. The fact scared her, almost wondering if she had a soft spot for the child. The idea put a bad taste in her mouth recalling the days when she actually enjoyed youth interaction. Now, she just had no patience. She had seen more of the boy than the father, curiously and their scents were so alike, she could hardly tell the difference and the ongoing wind certainly didn't help. Turning around to face the direction of the scent, she called out for the boy, silently hoping he would not try and scare her again. Or worse, succeed. "Xan? Don't bother trying to scare me again," She was careful to put extra warning in her tone.

Ooo, thanks for joining! :D Interested to have these two interact some more.

The male continued along on the route he’d made for himself, keen eyes carefully picking apart everything around him. It had taken a morsel of time and patience in order for him to release his skills of the rust that had built up over them, but luckily for him, everything currently seemed to be in working order. He was not going to be wasteful of what talents he possessed, nor would he neglect to carry out the duties that came with his trade. As he progressed with his task, however, something caught his attention. There was a slight trace of a familiar scent, though it was not the wind that brought it to his nose. Instead, it seemed to cling to the land itself, allowing the male to figure out just how long the woman had been staying there. To him, her time spent along the borders did not matter—not yet, at least. He had no relation to her, so wherever she wished to sleep was of no concern to him. He did praise her, silently, for her assumed dedication to watching out over the borders. Kove had met the onyx wolf only once so far, but could already tell she’d make an excellent Warden.
 
Despite the strong presence of the scent, his legs did not cease to carry him forward. It was his job just as much as it was hers, and two sets of eyes was almost always better than one. When a voice sounded a short distance ahead of him, though, he did stop in his tracks. Xan? Scare her? What the hell had the kid been up to since they’d entered the woods that had an adult directing such a sentence towards him? The thought of the young Inuit actually scaring someone much older than he had the father smiling and giving a slow shake of his head. “What did my son do to frighten you?” he questioned, having moved forward enough to reveal himself to the other wolf. He stopped a little ways off in front of her, a sliver of a smile present on his face. Deep down, he knew he probably shouldn’t be condoning such behavior from the boy, but really couldn’t help it. It was shocking to hear that the albino had pulled off the task of frightening not just any wolf, but a member of Blackfeather who was also older than himself. Alas, not a trace of that emotion showed through on the ghost’s face. The only thing he allowed to be visible was the slight upturn of the corners of his lips, as well as his presence as a whole.

Yeah defiantly :) On mobile, so please bare with me!

If she her coat hadn't been as dark as it was, she was sure a red tinge could be seen flooding her cheeks. The deep voice was certainly not the little boy she had pervously seen trying to fight with an adult fox despite the size difference. 

She made her way towards the male, all her wits thrown out the window. It was bad enough that his kid son had somehow managed to scare her, but now what she had accidently admitted it, the realization crashed down on her. She held a certain lind of respect for Kove, the mark on his shoulder a complete sign of all she aspired to be. To her, the rank gap didn't matter, he had earned his place before and once all the true unloyal were rid of the pack, sure enough he would resume his place. She though of him as equal, and nothing could convince her otherwise. If it had been up to her, she would have bumped him to a better spot in the ranks. Alas, it was not her choice and she would support Burkes choices
despite the quarrel that seemed to cloud both their judgements. 

Clearing her throat from her loss of words, she managed to speak up. "Ah, well...erm.. yes" Her voice was completely without fault and strictly professional as she refused to display any sign of embarrassment in addition to the obvious sigh of her own stupidity. "He played the part quite well, telling me a tale of some flying eye that ... Well it was all very convincing" she miffed, anyone could tell she disapproved the idea entirely. "It just so happened that I had just recovered from loss of eyesight. Which clearly did not help the situation " Her tone almost sounded like she was scolding the father for his sons actions, despite the Fact he had only been playing around.

Sorry for the short post. x-x”

There was a glint of amusement hidden in the gaze of the Inuit, a perfect show of his feelings towards what he’d just learned. It was fascinating to learn that his son had spun a tale decent enough to frighten a wolf of the woods, even if he had been given some assistance with it. When the details of what the boy had done were made known, he could not refrain from chuckling. “A flying eye?” he repeated, settling his fiery gaze upon the face of the woman. “Did he mention the name ‘Issitoq’ during his story?” Unless the boy had somehow come up with something entirely on his own, Kove had a decent idea of what he might have gone on about. Given the elder had been the one to share with the child the knowledge of Issitoq, it was, partially, his fault such a fright had been given. Of course, he would not admit to that aloud, his experience with woman making the outcome of such a finding seem as if it could be nothing but negative. He’d been on the receiving end of the wraith of females more times than he cared to admit, and wasn’t about to put himself into that type of situation again anytime soon.

Kove’s interest piqued, slightly, when told of the experience had with blindness. He wondered, briefly, what had caused that, but decided it didn’t matter in the end. Nemesis’ sight had been returned, which was all that was truly of any concern. “I apologize on behalf of my son’s actions,” he voiced, offering a faint movement of his cranium. “It was unfair of him to do that when you’d recently recovered from losing your sight.” The man knew that, no matter the situation, it was doubtful Xan would ever apologize on his own, therefore the elder was the one needing to take care of it.

Short post sorry!

Recalling the tale Xan had so dramatically fed her, she nodded remembering something about the name of the creature. "Yes, that sounds about right" She frowned, even the name sounded fake with a capital F. Yet, she had to remember who was to blame. It was Xan's doing and not Kove. Even though better instruction and discipline could have been done better on the male's part, his son's actions were not his own. 

"It's fine, really" She shrugged, losing the whole demeanor of erratic blaming. "Not that I necessarily bought the whole thing, but he was convincing. He'll make a fine Chronicler one day". She wanted to advise Kove about counseling Xan more, teaching him what was and was not okay to before the boy tried pulling something on others who would hesitate to teach him a lesson. Burke, per say. 

But it wasn't her place to comment about their lives or his fatherly duties, for she had never experienced any kind of child care nor cared for herself. For all the knew, Kove was doing an excellent job.. by himself. That part worried her. All kids needed a mom, no matter how 'tough' they were. It was inevitable to desire a mother or even a mother figure. She could only hope Xan wouldn't go off the rails one day and do something that really mattered. Her, as her own example.

It's fine~

The confirmation of the creature’s name had him fending off a faint smirk, both amazed and displeased by the younger’s actions. It was impressive that he’d remembered the tales told to him, and even more so that he’d been able to warp them into something of his own. Of course, it still wasn’t good that he’d played such a trick upon Nemesis. He felt somewhat responsible, but not enough that he’d actually admit to having placed the ideas within the child’s mind. In the end, Xan had been the one who’d chosen to go on with the story, and that was something the single father had held no control over. So, rather than speaking up, he just gave a nod of his head to show he’d heard her answer, and acknowledged it.

“As long as you say it’s fine, then I guess it is,” he voiced, offering a shrug of his own shoulders as well. No use getting worked up over something that didn’t leave permanent scars—metaphorically speaking, that is. He smiled, slightly, at the next words shared, appreciating some positive words being directed towards the young albino. He was a wild child, that was undeniable, but at times it grew irritating hearing nothing but scorn and complaints in response to his son’s actions. “He certainly will,” Kove agreed, already able to see the day in which the Inuit would earn the trade. “If he did good enough to spook you, a wolf of Blackfeather, I’m sure he will be able to scare all others with words alone.” There was a joking tone in his voice, which had become more prominent at the mention of his frightening her. Even though there was more to the story of why she’d been spooked, he couldn’t help but lightly tease her over it now.

As his gaze found its way to her face once more, he noticed that it seemed as if she had something more to say. What it was, he didn’t know, but was mildly curious. “Anything on your mind?” he asked, leaving room for her to wave the question off if she wasn’t up to answering. They were pack mates, yes, but they didn’t know one another enough to be anything more—not friends, just acquaintances who happened to share the same home. It was because of that that he understood why she might not be eager to share her thoughts with him, but that didn’t keep him from at least asking.

She wanted to mumble something along the lines of, 'Well, he didn't scare me that bad' but she held her tongue. She was not accustomed to joke, nor teasing of any kind. Bit Kove was being light hearted, something that was sorely absent from the dark pack. Giving a melodic chuckle of her own, she couldn't help but to find it amusing as well. The fact that he had even gotten a reaction out of her was ironical. Instead, she was glad the male redirected the conversation to another topic. "Well, no" She said, her go-to answer. "Actually, yes" She added, after a few seconds. "I was just thinking how lucky Xan is to grow up here. I'm sure I would have turned out differently if I had Blackfeather during my childhood" She confessed, though the evidence to back it up lay much deeper than she was letting on. 

"I never had a mother figure, nor a pack to support me, they were heartless from my first breath" Her voice grew silent, still remembering vividly the traumatising experiences she had to endure throughout her innocence. "He must miss his mother" She absentmindedly commented but soon realised her mistake. "I'm sorry, I am out of line" She corrected herself. They were not close friends, nor the kind that would share such personal things. Privacy was something Blackfeather generally maintained, and her mentioning things that were not their business wasn't praised. 

Her head lowered, not wanting to seem deliberate. The last thing she needed was for him to get the wrong idea, and betray whatever trust they had. Some alliances were just too great to tarnish and from the get go, Kove was someone she didn't want on her bad side or her on his.

The male was surprised when she, too, chuckled, though he unconsciously refused to show it. He kept a smile settled into his features even after the short laughter had died away, appreciating that fact that he could speak so lightly with another Blackfeather wolf. It had seemed that most often had a single grouping of things on their minds: murder, deceit, and a lack of friendliness even towards their fellow pack members. While they were a dark pack filled with shadows and ghosts, treating another member so coldly was hardly acceptable. They were a family, even if some didn’t quite get along or know too much about the other, and families were able to share a few laughs here and there. Her response to his query had his belief of such increasing, for it seemed as if she was somewhat concerned for his son. It was not luck that had brought the young Inuit to the woods, but he could appreciate the sentiment of her words. “At first, I worried over how he would react to being here. The environment is much different from the place he was born into, and he’d never done too well with strangers,” the man admitted, briefly recalling all the thoughts that had swirled around in his head during the trip over. “I’m glad to see he’s settled in well, though.”

Kove’s smile faltered as she delved into her childhood, unable to understand what had possessed her family to act so despicably. It was normal for him to forget that not all families were as tightly knit as his own, that some hid pretty gnarly skeletons in their closets. Of course, at the mention of his son and the boy’s mother, his smile fell entirely. His lips pressed together into a thin line as he kept himself silent, eyes narrowing. When an apology was made, his expression was forced back into something appearing more neutral, before his maw parted to let out a sigh. “It’s fine,” he murmured, inwardly shaking it off as if nothing had happened. The wounds were still too fresh to be toyed with, and the last thing he wanted to do was pick at them until blood once again flowed freely. In the end, however, it seemed he simply couldn’t hold himself back from being harmed.

“I am certain he does, even if he’s reluctant to admit it,” the Inuit voiced, tone somewhat dull. “Xan is strong, he’s a fighter, but I know it can’t be easy on him. I know he has to be hurting, and it’s just a matter of time before that pain starts to destroy him.” Kove’s own parents had died, so he could sort of understand how his son was feeling. At the time, he had felt abandoned, like his parents had had a choice in whether they were to live or die. Being the wolf he was, he’d kept all the feelings bottled up inside, refusing to admit what he was feeling no matter how overwhelming it all become. Eventually, he’d managed to get everything off his chest, to accept and understand that his parents had been taken away from him for a reason—that it was out of their control. He hoped Alexander could find that very same peace someday, he just hoped his heart wouldn’t be shredded before that time arrived. Those thoughts brought forth an idea, though whether or not it would work couldn’t be determined right away.

The ghost’s fiery eyes met the chilled ones of his partner in conversation, his expression giving away that a serious topic was coming up. “You can’t replace his mother, I don’t think anyone ever could, that is something I know from personal experience,” he began, getting the facts out into the open awhile. “But… I would like to ask that you watch out for him. Mother or not, a female can still provide things that I cannot, things that I want my son to have as he grows up.” Perhaps it was a bit selfish of him to ask something like that of her, but he felt it was necessary. As far as he knew, there were no other women within the woods, and even if there were, he wasn’t so sure he could trust them with his child. “Someday, I may take another mate who could fill that place, but until that happens, if it ever does, I want to be sure that he’s not missing out on anything.” A woman could provide him with insight and other things that Kove would never be able to.

It wasn't a surprise when Kove asked her to look out for his son, it seemed she had been offically branded the Nanny title since there was nobody else to do the job. Honestly, she had no clue what they were thinking or what they hoped to come out of it. She was not the best role model or sociable of the pack, her caregiving skills were practically nonexistent and she tortured people in her spare time, for heaven's sake! Yet, she would not refuse the task, nor back down to any challenges that would arise. Xan was.. tolerable. To a certain point. She had no idea how to get through to him or give any sort of insight, her feelings hardly extended to others on that kind of emotional scale. Somehow, she would deal. She always did, no matter the circumstances. 

"Well, it's not like i'm a very good role model. Yet, I've been hired for my nonexistent nannying skills by Burke, there must be some hidden force of good left in me" She could only sigh in amusement at the ironic fact of while training to become an Assassin, she babysat in her free time. "I'd be happy to, it's not like he hasn't become attached to me already" She absentmindedly joked.  Nevertheless, she would have looked out for him anyways. The boy caused too much ruckus in her neighborhood for her not to notice.

 At some level, she could resonate with him. While the boy put on a brave face, perhaps there was a gap in his heart where is mother was absent. While she would never fill that gap, she would do her best to smooth it over and repair what was left before it frayed and tarned and turned into something unruly and hazardous. The absence of both parents emotionally had cause her to become something else, she could only wish Xan did not fall into the dark abyss of hatred. While it was something she would always carry with her, she would never wish it upon the boy. It was a vile thing and no soul should bear to have it.

It seemed Kove had a history of his own, the same as all who wandered to Blackfeather. Some part of her wanted to know, but she was not one to question the past. Some liked theirs hidden, as she did.

At the mention of a new mate, a new feeling tinged her heart, causing herself to inwardly grow greatly alarmed. She had never thought of a mate before, nor what it was like to have that kind of relationship. Sure, it was someone you could rely on, trust, care for blah blah blah. To her it seemed weak. But something felt different. Ignoring the strange feeling, she refocused her attention back to the subject. 
"Well, he is a fighter, maybe too much for his own good right now but he is strong; I can see that. He will be fine, I think " She said, remembering the time he had tried to pick a fight with an adult fox. "He is lucky to have you. After my conversation with him, I think he may just idolize you now" Recounting her words about how Kove was one of the greats, in her opinion. And of course it was true. To be apart of the Dark Brotherhood was a great honour that she strived to achieve, and perhaps one day Xan would too.

 I was sooo tempted to write that her explanation to feelings was sorcery, oml xD

Nem has sorcery and Kove has confusion xD What a pair

Having spent more time outside of Blackfeather than within it, the ghost was able to understand where she was coming from. Even to her, it seemed her lifestyle wasn’t exactly the greatest to be presented to children, especially when they were still impressionable. Kove, however, saw something else within her. He saw past the way she lived and straight to her personality, the characteristics that made her who she was. Though some traits could be considered toxic for a child, even by the Inuit’s standards, the good one’s outweighed the bad. He could tell already that asking her to watch Xan would be one of his better decisions in life, perhaps even landing itself a place on his ‘Top-5’ list. “Don’t think so little of your skills,” he commented, his voice making it clear that he knew there was more to her than what laid on the surface. His smile even widened a bit, but the look in his copper gaze remained serious. “Whether the world considers you ‘good’ or not doesn’t matter here. What matters is the strength you possess, even mentally, and your morals when it comes to the pack. I know you’re a loyal wolf, Nemesis, and that type of loyalty is something I want my son to learn.” The boy was faithful when it came to his immediate family, but the elder wished for that devotion to be extended to the pack as well. At the end of the day, they were family, too.

The Inuit quirked an undefined eyebrow at her following statement, instantly drawn in by her words. “Oh?” he began, grinning slightly. “You’re telling me Alexander, my son, has attached himself to you? From the way he acts, I never would have guessed he’d accepted anyone as a friend. You must be special.” As sad as it was, he never expected Xan to grow close to anyone. He’d always assumed the boy would keep himself from creating any real bonds, but it appeared as if an exception had been made for the very same woman he’d asked to watch out for the younger ghost. In that moment, he mentally labeled her a miracle worker, believing her to have accomplished the impossible—gaining the trust of his unruly child. “I think I’ll have to spend more time with you to understand what he sees,” Kove commented, a joking tone lingering on the edge of his voice. Inwardly, though, he found himself actually wanting to honour his words and meet with her more often. It was strange, something he couldn’t understand, but brushed off as being a normal occurrence. They were packmates, after all, so it made sense that he’d want to get to know her a bit better.

Kove nodded, agreeing with her words right away. There was no denying that the boy was a fighter, he’d displayed such behavior even before he could leave the whelping den. Still, that didn’t necessarily make for a good thing. He was uncontrolled and hectic in the way he lived, often acting rashly just to try and provoke a fight he had no business getting involved in. In all honesty, the pallid man feared for his son’s life at times, but he hoped that he would no longer have to. With Nemesis and the rest of the pack there, he felt more confident in his chances of seeing Xan reach his first year of life. “I hope he will be,” the elder commented, a sigh following his words. He loved his son, but there was no denying the fact that he was trouble. “With you around, I think his chances of ending up okay are better.” He hoped so, anyways. His judgement was rarely ever wrong, thereby allowing him to feel rather relaxed by the idea of the dark female playing a role in Alexander’s life.

“You talked to him about me?” Kove’s gaze found its way to hers as the words left his mouth, a trace of amusement lingering in their fiery depths. He wondered what they might’ve talked about, but didn’t take the time to ask. It might have been a private conversation for all he knew, and he didn’t want to be one of those parents that pried into every part of their child’s life. No, he would keep himself from acting as such and give the boy his space to from trust and whatnot on his own. “He’s lucky to have you around, too,” he then said, the words leaving his mouth with little thought to what type of response they might receive. “I know I said you can’t fill the space his mother left behind, but I think you might be able to at least lessen it.” The words were said unconsciously, his mind refraining him from piecing together the fact that multiple meanings could be derived from his choice of wording.

omggggg the feeeeellllss :3 I must have re-read that like 20 times oml

It was something, a smile. Whether it was a smile for the wrong reasons or the right, they always impacted on a much greater scale than she consciously thought. Unknowingly, Kove's faint smile was something different than to what she had woken up to each day. The dark, the cold, the emptiness. Even a small smile have hope for the future, that maybe things would be alright somewhere down the road. What she would never admit was that his unusually kind words made the blood rush to her cheeks, just a bit. While she refused to become soft there was a part of her that felt.. better. Shoving it to the back of her mind, she listened, hardly blinking at his words. Was he... flirting with her? The thought worried her. Did she.. flirt too? It was possible, by accident of course. The corners of her lips turned upward, a small smile reaching her face. She rarely smiled for the sake of it being unnecessary to her day to day survival. She had gone fine without the facial action until he went and made her all..mushy. 

She inwardly choked as he mentioned spending more time with her. Now this was getting weird. She had two choices; to evacuate the possible awkward situation like a loser but still have her ass from possible humiliation or play it cool, like she had any idea what was going on. "Well, something along the lines of that. Or I don't know what stalking through the woods and scaring classifies as," Her tone was amused yet her features remained neutral. Or as neutral as she could be at that point. "You just might" Her voice had softened, though was still reachable to the ear. 
 
"Yes, I got the feeling that perhaps he felt distant to you. Not that he feels that way anymore, but seeing as it was just after the move I thought some glorifying words to 'super dad' might help" ,She spoke, not considering the fact that perhaps it was a private conversation. Nevertheless, she was sure Xan was feeling more at home in Blackfeather than from the time the conversation took place. My god, i'm flirting, she came to the horrid conclusion. Now what could she say?. At that point she considered not speaking anything more than five words at a time to limit her ever flowing suggestive comments. Her eyes turned to the ground away from his gaze, for reasons too obvious to state. Yet, his next few words sent her into a wave of shock. Uncontrollable things floated in her mind, piecing together everything that he had said. To her somewhat relief, he didn't seem to be fazed by his words or conscious to anything he was saying but the ulterior message hit her like a brick. It took her a few seconds and a few short breaths to regain composure over.. whatever had just happened. "That's all I can hope" She said before her eyes widened at her own ulterior message. "Lessen the gap, I mean. So he won't be sad," She awkwardly corrected herself in better explanation. Yet, she could not take back the words that she had unconsciously said. All she could do was sit and ponder what it all meant.

Hehe... Kove is so confused, meanwhile I am beyond amused (￣ω￣;)

It was amusing, to say the least, hearing how she described the actions of his son. It was strange, even to the elder, but he'd since learned to just accept the way Xan acted and processed things. It made him his own person, after all, and the Inuit wouldn't take that individuality away from him—even if he apparently had the tendency to stalk women in the woods. That had been news to him, in all honesty, but he didn't doubt it. His "clone" had never been a fan of new faces, and to feel as if he was actually warming up to someone might be a terrifying thing for him to experience. Keeping his distance and stalking was, perhaps, his way of coping with whatever sense of security he was beginning to develop. Again, Kove found the notion to be an odd one, but not at all surprising. The only thing he found to be surprising was the light tone the shadow had taken on, as well as her agreement towards his previous statement. It made his heart stop for a moment, skipping a single beat before falling back into a steady rhythm once more. That feeling, too, caught him off guard. Was he falling ill? He poked his tongue out and ran it across his lips, uncertain of what it was that he'd just felt. "Alright," he said, drawing the word out unintentionally. "I'll start putting time aside to seek you out." The man's voice was void of any and all humourous tones, the fact that he was being completely serious something unable to be missed or ignored.

On the topic of his son, the Apaata man listened closely to each word spoken. He, too, had noticed the initial distance between himself and his son directly after their move, but never would he have guessed that the boy would go out and speak to someone he didn't know about something so personal. It was not concerning, but viewed as an interesting development. Again, he found himself growing amazed by the obsidian woman, certain that she truly was a miracle worker. There was something about her that drew him towards her, and he presumed his son had felt, and continued to feel, that very same sensation—but to a lesser degree, of course. "Thank you," Kove said then, the statement leaving his mouth without any prior warning. "For speaking with him, and not chasing him off when he looks for you. I'm sure his presence isn't always wanted, but I appreciate you allowing him to talk to you." With so many unfamiliar faces in Blackfeather, he didn't yet know who all he could trust around his son. Nemesis, however, was a special case. Alexander had chosen her, and the elder Inuit could not hep but feel... grateful, of all things, that he had. The feeling confused him greatly, like a puzzle that was missing the key pieces necessary for completion. He wanted to view the full picture, but simply couldn't. Not yet, anyways. Not until he found those missing pieces and figured out what it all meant.

When Nemesis averted her gaze, he felt a pang within his chest. Again, he worried over whether or not he was falling ill, having never experienced such feelings before. Even with Scarlett, his heart had never ached until she'd left him, taking his daughters along with her. Even then, the feeling was different from what he currently felt. Perhaps it was because of that, his lack of true love toward the albino woman, that left him ignorant to the intentions of his own heart. Without knowing he'd done so, the man had already chosen for himself a she-wolf he'd wished to spend his time with, though to draw up such a conclusion was not yet among his capabilities. "I don't know why, but hearing you say that makes me glad," he murmured, referring to her hope of lessening the gap in Xan's heart. Of course, he understood that he was appreciative of the fact due to Alexander being his son and the ghost wishing the best for his heir, but there was another feeling presented without a known cause. He could not place a label upon the sensation, or even begin to fathom what it meant for him, but he knew that he didn't dislike it. It was comforting and enjoyable, filling him with the need to be in Nemesis' presence as often as possible.

How odd it was, to develop feelings for someone he hardly knew, especially without noticing it was happening. Some might call it "true love", though that was a concept Kove viewed as existing only within fairy tales. He could not even begin to consider that it might be real, nor that he was becoming a victim of its unbreakable curse.

Fade soon?

As soon as it came it left, her frenzy of panicked emotions. Even though her friendly tone ceased, her eyes still held that wild sense of happiness which would prove most stubborn to leave. Inside, she was still a mess, though a mild mess at that. Kove was calm too, it seemed though she couldn't tell what was going on inside. She would adopt the same nature, to make it look like she was alright. When the Inuit had obliged to seeking out her presence, her eyes had widened, just a bit. It wasn't a serious remark but it's answer seemingly was. Strange. Nothing could tie ends in her mind to as what exactly was going on. It had to be otherworldly forces out to get her. The Issitoq! It seemed the only rash conclusion. Yet, she felt that something else was at work, that perhaps.. maybe, she was.. No. She wouldn't deny that she liked the man's company, yet nothing would evolve. Or that's what she tried to tell herself.

"Your welcome. In a way he reminds me of a not so distant version of myself, it would be a crime to push him away though he say's he needs no comfort," Her words came from whatever part of her soul that could feel the pain of someone else. Xan could claim all he wanted that he was fine, yet she knew the difference. The only difference between them was that she had nobody, and he had a whole pack. And someone to love him. Love was something she didn't expect to come for her, so she simply didn't acknowledge it's presence. Whether it be right in front of her, she wouldn't choose to believe it. Only a soft murmur did reach her heart strings, made her feel something else.

Did Kove feel something too? Now it had to be a disease. Yet, inside she felt.. happy. It was an odd feeling for such a hate torn soul, to feel wanted. She had made another soul feel glad, something she had never imagined doing. Making other happy was not in her rule book nor in her list of intentions but somehow it made her glad that she had done it. And she wanted to again, and again until she was completely happy herself. She had a new reason for roaming the borders, whether she realised it or not. She was looking for something else. Someone else. While she inwardly fought to deny it, it was the one thing she would not win. She only smiled, her soft smile. No words met her mouth for she had nothing else to think of. She just looked, looked at him while wondering what exactly he was doing to her and if her even knew that he was doing it. 

"I don't think i've ever make anyone glad before" She spoke, her voice not formed into it's usual tone of structure but more a whimsical melody that could only be heard to those who sought to find the better in her, whoever that was. Yet, deep down she knew she could hardly get over the male that quickly. No, it would take time for the feelings to ebb away, yet the mystery she could not begin to find the answer to; would she be better after the feelings left? Kove seemed to bring out the better side to her soul, whether she realised it or not.

Sounds good to me~ then we can start more threads and make these two even more confused, haha

The male grew curious of what her life had been like prior to joining Blackfeather, but refrained from questioning her on it. Her statement caused his mind to wonder, however that did not give him the right to delve into her personal affairs. Many enjoyed leaving their pasts, well, in the past. That seemed to be the case, especially, when it came to the wolves of the shadows. There was always something that had driven their lives to be the way they were—actually, it was more like it was a common thing, rather than a definite. Kove did not have anything in his past that would have made someone suspect he'd be living the life he currently was. Though his parents had passed away early on, he had still grown up surrounded by family. Everyone had cared for one another and defended each other with their lives when it was necessary. To abandon family in their time of need was looked upon as the worst of crimes and, depending on the severity of the case, it could even be punishable by death. He suspected Nemesis had not grown up in such a way, and though he wanted to know for sure, he still did not ask. Oddly enough, he was also bombarded by the sudden urge to hold her close, to comfort her and assure her everything would always be fine as long as they remained within the woods. The feeling to do so was quickly shaken away, however, and he forced himself to move onto something else.

"He's never been one to seek out comfort, even when he was far younger and it was expected," the Inuit informed her, recalling how distant the boy had been. Never had he been eager to curl up with his sisters or mother, nor had he sought the warmth of a hug when he was ill. He'd always kept to himself, keeping everyone else at an arm's length. It'd been concerning, but unable to be helped. Again, Kove found his mind wandering back to the dark female, interested to learn if she might be the same way. No matter how much he wanted to, though, he held himself back from moving closer to her, not wishing to overstep any boundaries. They were pack mates, not lovers, he had no reason to be so interested in her. His heart no longer beat for anyone, so why was he feeling so... attracted to the woman? It didn't make any sense, none at all.

When she spoke again, the statement hit him hard, leaving him feeling conflicted. He was upset that she felt that way, that never once had she been able to brighten the day of another. On the other hand, however, he was somewhat glad she had not succeeded in making someone else—another male, perhaps—happy. Both feelings bothered him greatly, for neither had a reason to be there. It was okay to feel something towards a pack mate, normal even, but he felt his own emotions to be acting in a far too extreme manner. "Now you have," he returned, doing his best to swallow down whatever was growing within him. "You've made me very glad." That was it. There was no other answer to it. Kove was sick; he must have fallen ill with the change of the seasons, and it was causing him to act strange. Yeah, that had to be the cause behind why he felt so weird, as well as why he found himself flirting with a woman he had no business in pursuing. He could not provide her the love she needed, for he had none to give, so why did something in the back of his mind tell him otherwise? It was all very confusing, though one thing was certain—he would have to seek out Cicero and see if he possessed any signs of a sickness, for there was no other explanation to support his behavior.

She exhaled suddenly, not realising she had been holding her breath after the remark about her past. It wasn't noticeable, yet it made all the difference to her. Rarely did she share anything about what her life was like before to anyone, not on purpose at least. But in that moment, she hadn't cared. She could trust Kove, even if she didn't entirely accept the concept of it. One day, she would tell him everything, but as of then she was not at any liberty to share knowingly. It just didn't work like that in her head. No matter what she tried to suppress, some things managed to sneak past her barrier of restrain around Kove, confusing her greatly. I had to be otherworldly forces.

A hesitant paw stepped forward just a bit closer to the male, as if her body was working against her in their own will of emotional mass destruction. As soon as the action was completed, she felt awkward yet oddly calm. They were nothing.. not lovers or anything of the kind yet she could not help the way she acted. All she could hope was that he didn't think her desperate or weird or- or interested. Yet again did her feelings war against what she wanted to believe. Maybe she was... attracted to him. The idea seemed to calm the raging thoughts flooding her mind. Was it even possible for her to do so? Did she have that ability, to love? She had never been shown it, so how was she supposed to do it? What even was love..? Was it an action or an emotion and what purpose did it serve? The small, centimeter long action had caused her emotional confusion greater than she had ever felt before.

Her action was quickly covered up by her words, explaining her choice of proximity. "We all need something, whether we realise it or not. That one thing that will make us completely and utterly happy, and Xan believes himself resilient to it even if he doesn't know it. One day he will know and he will change. Comfort may just be his weakness, and that's why he avoids it," Her wise mind spoke, her words unknowingly deeper in meaning than she knew. Perhaps it had a double meaning, one that her mind simply did not draw connections to. Yet her own words struck deep in her. What did she need? Nothing of true value came up. All she saw was Kove in front of her, her eyes meeting his by accident in some sort of knowing yet silent gaze. Kove was Xan's father, and traits did not simply rub off after the new generation. There was a bit of Kove in Xan and vice versa. They were more alike that some would see, but she seen clearly. Though it didn't occur to her that maybe her words held another meaning, only that she spoke what her currently flighty heart told her.

He had witnessed her let out a breath, and had continued to observe her because of it. For some, any bit of their past was hard to speak of, and each individual reacted towards it differently. It caught him off guard, slightly, when she moved closer. It was hardly a change in the distance between them, yet it made a huge difference. His stomach churned and his chest ached, officially confirming his belief that he was, without a doubt, ill in some fashion. While those two things could be explained by a type of sickness, the need he felt to get even closer to her was something he could not find a reasoning for. Perhaps he was becoming delusional. It was far too early for dementia to set it, but... he wondered if that was the cause nevertheless. Why else would he seek the closeness to a woman he hardly knew? What would drive him to possess the desire to reach out and touch her? It made no sense, none at all, but for some reason that did not push him to get away from such feelings. Instead, without thinking, he reached out and touched his nose to her cheek, before pulling back and giving a gentle shake of his head. "Sorry," he murmured, unable to comprehend what had led him to do such a thing. Despite that, however, he could not deny that doing so had calmed his mind, even if the touch had been small and fleeting.

Words touched his ears, seemingly soft and deep in meaning. He agreed with what she said entirely, however it presented the question of what he needed. "I hope he can someday find that comfort he needs," Kove voiced, trying to lure his mind back towards his son, rather than his own selfish thoughts. "I want him to have a good life, to find someone he can seek comfort in and not be afraid to do so..." The Inuit, too, sought that for himself. The only difference where he was concerned being that he'd believed himself to had already found it, and then lost it soon after. Little did he know that what he was currently feeling, the calm that overtook his mind when so close to Nemesis, was the comfort one should truly seek. Not forced emotions driven by the want to settle down, but something that had developed all on it's own—something that had been destined, written out for him the second he was born. I want the same thing, he thought, though his tongue would not allow for the words to be spoken. They remained within his head, eating away at whatever barriers he had put up, and trying to find the source of his sudden change.

Blurred seconds turned into slow motion as reality slipped away from her. The soft, warm action from Kove sent her into shock like no other. "I— I— uh," Her thoughts found no structure and her tough was lame in her mouth. All rational, composted thoughts had been completely and utterly flown out the window along with all her sense of pride and formality. What was this feeling that she felt? It was so... warm. And she liked it. But it wouldn't be that easy. She refused to let herself fall for some guy that had the guts to kiss her or something. Eventually, she would harden up and not be so permitting, for she was not just another girl one could simply win over. Yet, she stood frozen for a little while before regaining composure and rational thoughts.


"That's what everybody wants, isn't it," She finally spoke, realising that she had a voice again. "To love and be loved, to live while you can," She didn't know what she was really saying, the words just slipped from her mouth unlike the male that stood in front of her. Still, the shock had not completely faded. A hesitant step forward closed even more space, though this time she was conscious of her action. While the topic was strained towards Xan, it really wasn't about him. Her head moved to connect with him, a eversoft nudge of comfort. On it's own accord, her head tilted to the side, softly burrowing herself into the ivory cloud of his fur. In that moment, she didn't want to leave, not for a while. Nope, everything had gone out the window again. Almost instant, she felt tired, that Kove's body head and soft fur would make a nice blanket one day. If she had been that tired, she probably would have fallen asleep right there, on his shoulder, drool and all. 


She didn't break away, and she didn't apologize, she just didn't care the outcome of the events taking place. No doubt, she next day she would wake and realise in horror of what she had done, break her walls just a little bit. Then on, she would proceed to ignore his presence for a few days all at the same time yelling at herself to stop being a hermit and a wimp. Then, she would go to default, and not pursue him at all, wanting him to fight for her, ultimately. But right then, she had no care. No care at all. Finally, she convinced herself that her current gesture was to console him, though the unsaid words begged to differ. Pulling away, she turned on her heels, the reality of her actions coming back to bite her. Half of her wanted Kove to follow her, pursue her and not give up but the other half just wanted him to leave her alone. She knew what he felt, what he wanted and she could not give. She was not compatible for romance and love and all that stuff. She just simply couldn't be what he wanted, and that was that. Her figure haunched off, yet her pace was slow as if she was drawing out the departure entirely.Though, her ears shifted it's position, searching for any sign that he would follow.

someone get me a defibrillator.. i think my heart just stopped..

The ghost had expected to be reprimanded for his direct actions. There were few who would tolerate such motions, and he hadn't expected Nemesis to be someone who would let him get away with it. However, she'd surprised him. He found her reaction... cute? No, that couldn't be it. He could not hold any fondness for her, he was unable to do so. It was the curse his family carried, after all. They fell in love only once in each of their lifetimes, and that was it. Of course, if someone's lover were to suddenly pass away, many would take on another, but the affections felt towards them would not be the same as the first. In his mind, he was certain Scarlett had been the love of his life, the only one who would ever hold his heart. In spite of those thoughts, however, something stirred in his chest when he looked upon the woman before him. Something pulled him towards her and, for a moment, he'd considered the possibility that the albino hadn't been his true love. In all honesty, he should have realized it far sooner than he had, for the lack of yearning to be in her presence was evidence enough. He did not miss Scarlett, he was not capable of missing her, for she was not the one he'd been meant to hold emotions towards. She was not the one he was meant to live his life beside, to create a family with. He wasn't yet certain, consciously, of who truly filled that position, but he knew it not to be the mother of his children.

When she had finally been able to find her voice, another span of wise words left her mouth. Again, he could not help but agree with them, though it seemed this time that was all he could do. His own tongue could not form anything more to say, and he thought it to be the end of their encounter. Kove didn't want for her to leave, though. He'd wanted for her to stay, to simply remain at his side even if only for a few moments longer. It'd confused him as to why he'd desired such closeness to her, for his mind had yet to piece together all that was happening around, and within, him. To even consider that he felt feelings towards her was out of the question entirely. The simple fact that they hardly knew one another was reason enough to keep him away from thinking such things. With all he'd witnessed, however, he really shouldn't have thought that way over such a small detail. In the past, he'd witnessed others fall in love a mere second after meeting for the first time. In some cases, one just knew who they were meant to stand beside and protect from the very beginning, but for some reason he didn't want to believe such was possible for him. The wolf who could read emotions so well, could catch even the slightest of micro expressions from a mile away, didn't want to accept his own feelings. When the distance between them became nonexistent, though, he couldn't help but think that he might be forced to face what he was feeling right then and there.

Something that had started as a simple nudge for comforting purposes bloomed into so much more. He'd remained motionless, like a statue, as she'd pressed deeper into his fur and then remained there. For a moment, he'd held his breath, not wanting to disturb her. Automatically, he'd forced himself to think he was reading too much into the gesture, but the thumping of his heart would not settle for such absurd excuses. Hesitantly, his head drifted forward before coming to a rest atop her own, his eyes closing as he'd savoured her touch. It'd seemed as if she was only there for a second, however, before she'd pulled away. He knew they'd remained there longer, in the back of his mind, but the gesture had affected him so heavily that time had sped up. The feeling he'd longed for since he was old enough to understand the concept of love had settled into his chest—into his heart—yet he still didn't want to think such an event had occurred. Despite that, he could not deny what he was feeling. He just couldn't push his own emotions to the side, he couldn't force himself to respond any differently towards her. It was in that moment that he realized he wanted to grow closer to her, to truly figure out if what he was feeling was real or not. Believing that his chance to do so would be taken away upon her apparent departure had him feeling lost, for he still did not wish for her to go. For a second, he simply stood in place and observed her movements, before noticing how slow they truly were. Without thinking, his legs started moving in her direction, and before he knew it he was following her. He was pursuing that who he believed himself to want and need, and would not give up until his mind was settled.

we really should end this soon so we can make more threads lol...

A smile crept onto her face as the sound of paw steps hesitantly followed her. In the short few seconds he took time to decide if he would follow, she felt alone. His presence gone had left her cold once again, and deep down, she hated it. Silently, she had searched for an indication he was following until it was there, and her heartbeat settled. He cared, something that had not been shown to he on that level before. While she would not simply fall into his metaphorical arms, she had liked the feeling of falling into him. He had fallen into her as well in a silent gesture of comfort, yet it meant so much more. The feeling of him embracing her as well confirmed her suspicion, she liked him. Now, she would not hide it, because she felt the same way too. However a voice at the back of her mind reminded her of who she was. She could not love, nor offer that kind of compassion. In truth, he would be better off without her. Find a nice, lovable mate for she was just not worth his time. It was not self esteem problems but what she had been told as she grew up. She was not made to be a partner in life, and Kove simply didn't deserve to be tied to her. He had settled for someone outside of the dark woods, someone lighter and kinder than her. Surely he couldn't want her, she carried nothing but anger and darkness wherever she went.

While she wasn't aware of her mutterings, her pace did not speed up, in fact walking slower than she had before. She wanted Kove to walk beside her, for at least a while before they parted for the moment. No words reached her mouth, and she found herself silently wishing that Kove would be the first to break the silence. Would he even admit that tensional feelings had formed between them? No doubt in his own mind he was denying everything too and in a way, it was better that way. Either way, she simply could not bring herself to speak as she continued to walk silently through the dark forest. Finally, she silence was unbearable. She tried to open her mouth, before snapping it shut again for nothing came to mind, again. "Kove—" but she stopped, shaking her head before she could begin. It was as if she was fighting with herself to confess how she felt, but she simply could not let herself do it. Maybe one day she would, but that day was not that moment. It wouldn't be for a while.

Had to argue with myself for about... many minutes, but hERE BE MY FINAL POST, I SWEAR !!!
You can go ahead and wrap it up, then we can start something more recent when you have time~

His actions were not frowned upon. His presence had been welcomed, as far as he could tell, which he'd genuinely appreciated. There was a pull he felt, a type of longing, and it led him directly to her. She was different from how Scarlett had been, almost entirely so, but he couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards her. It, too, was different from how he'd felt towards the albino. It was strong, deep—something real. There was still a part of him that refused to admit it, refused to accept it. It was hard to come to such a realization, to discover that the woman who'd birthed his children was not the one he was supposed to love. She was not his, she never had been, no matter the words they might have shared in the past. While it remained difficult for him to outright admit what he was currently feeling, he knew it to be right. It wasn't wrong nor was it forced. What he felt was meant to be there, something he'd unconsciously been seeking for years, but only then had he finally found it. Past experiences held him back from acting upon it right away, but there was no way he'd let her slip by him in life. His decision to follow her had been proof enough of that, both to her and even himself.

When she'd slowed, he'd taken the opportunity to close the distance between them and fell into a steady pace at her side. Tension was in the air and making it hard to breathe, drying his throat and leaving his mind fumbling over what he could say. Silence surrounded them, the lack of sound becoming deafening, before it was broken by her voice. He threw her a glance, waiting for her to continue, but nothing else followed. Hesitantly, he cleared his throat, but then remained quiet for a second longer right after. "You know..." the Inuit began, succeeding in locating his voice. "I get this feeling when I'm near you, something pleasant yet troubling at the same time." Kove knew what it was but, still, refused to say it aloud. "I don't know where it'll go or what will happen because of it, but I do know that I want to explore it further with you in the days to come." He gave her a sidelong look, searching for her reaction. "But for now, I'd like to just enjoy your company on a walk, if you'll allow it." He would continue to walk whether she remained at his side or not, but he hoped so desperately that she would stay. Blackfeather was dark and the wolves within it just the same, but it was home. It was what he knew, what he enjoyed, and he'd found someone similar within it. Though he knew not where his budding feelings would take him, he wasn't about to give up on them.

As she walked, her ears tentatively listened for any sign he would speak up. The tension had grown astronomically within the last twenty minutes of their awkward conversation. Though, Kove's own opinions had lessened the unusual feelings passing rapidly between them. But it was a good kind of lessening, the kind that bring calm to her restless soul. It was too real for her to embrace, yet exciting at the same time. She admittedly was intrigued to as where they would go, how this strange encounter would affect their distant lives. To think that had she not walked that way, the current events probably never would have happened made her uneasy. The fact that it made her feel that way was another clue to where her feelings laid. 

Her heart rate increased as his words unfolded, bringing joy that he was even acknowledging the obvious feelings that floated between them. The fact that he was even asking to walk beside her proved yet another thing about him. He was unlike many of the males she had come to know during her lifetime. She found herself lucky to be surrounded by his polite company as opposed to the dominating one other men carried. She could not help but to silently agree to his confession, for she felt the same way. "Why not?" She returned, not at any liberty to say no. She wasn't that mean. A smile played on her lips as her feet bounded forward, looking back only to signal for him to follow. She didn't want to walk, she wanted to feel the cool air rushing through her fur as he ran beside her, infinitely.