Broken Boulder And I will still be here stargazing.
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Ooc — Hela
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#1
All Welcome 
Night time was when Kavik was usually most active. He had found a spot where the sky was completely unobscured, and that was where he chose to sit in the soft grass and tilt his head up to look at the stars. He was always awestruck at how beautiful the sky was at night; the luminescent shine of the stars and moon contrasting pleasantly with the sky's dark blue hue.

This particular night brought with it a comfort he had not felt recently; the comfort of being in a pack. As self-reliant as he was, he still felt a strong need to belong to a pack. His reticent nature frequently lead others to believe he did not gain anything from social interactions, but that was not usually the case. He was a man of few words, but he still enjoyed the company of others; he still felt loneliness during his time between packs when his interactions with others were scarce. Now, He hoped that he could form new relationships with the wolves who were his new packmates. He was briefly reminded of his tour with Alarian earlier and how friendly the wolf seemed. Surely the rest of the pack would be as welcoming, right? 

Kavik continued to enjoy the cool, clear night as his thoughts drifted from one thing to another, content in his solitude for now.
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Ghost in the woods
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It seemed she hadn't completely recovered from her bout of insanity. Even now, healed and patched up as she was, at peace, or mostly so. 

Some nights, things still kept her awake. 

One particular night, the pallid girl didn't even retire to her den. When evening came, and twilight with its brushstrokes of color in the sky, the ghost trotted - or rather, limped - into the blackening forest.

Liri patrolled, slowly round and round the territory(they were supposed to have an open border but Liri couldn't help checking up on it territorially)until late as the stars began to rise. 

With the fireflies dancing overhead, blinking green in the dark like tiny stars come to earth, Liri padded into the heart of the territory.

In a small clearing, not far from the rocky field with the Boulder, Liri paused. 

She could not have seen him, dark as he was and well hidden in the grass. But the trilling of the crickets sounded almost like sweet music and it stopped her.

The moonlight fell, unencumbered by clouds in the clear sky, lighting her ivory coat into molten silver and making her a creature of the night. 

She was very visible, poised as she was beneath the moon, picking her way through grass and wild flowers almost as tall as she. 

When the tiny girl finally found herself face to face with the newest inhabitant of the Sanctuary, she was at eye level with him as he reclined in the grass. 

Liri froze, her quiet joy at the beauty of the night fading in the face of crippling shyness.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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#3
He had been sitting there for a little while letting his mind drift, not really committing to any one thought. Her scent, pine and wildflowers, hit him before the sounds of her approach reached his ears. 

When he turned, his emerald gaze fell on a small, scarred, she-wolf. What was with these Bracken wolves? The two he had met so far were riddled with scars. The scars did not divert his attention from her beauty, though. Her pale fur offered a striking polarity to his black coat, and he may have stared at her a little longer than was appropriate.

Realizing he had not said anything yet, he finally offered her a quick bow of his head and said, "Hello." His deep green gaze continued to watch her as he waited to see if she would return the greeting with one of her own. 
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#4
Her shock wears off and Liri finds her discreetly eyeing him curiously. 

The ebony of his coat is misleading at first glance but he's easily the largest wolf Liri's ever met; he dwarfs the tiny girl. He's bigger even than Aaron or Samuel; something about him reminds her of them. Her heart, a sweet but confused thing that has only been recently rediscovered, warms to him. 

His voice is a rumble, like thunder, welcoming, as is the spring gaze that falls on her. At the first glance of it, it had shaken her and the northron withheld a shiver of fear. 

But his gaze isn't the poisonous one she was recalling. 

Realizing that she's still very much in his space, Liri hurriedly takes a step back. Her head ducks bashfully, confused. 

She feels something for Horosk, something that had always existed but had never been confronted.

How is it then that she can feel a stirring in her chest under this male's gaze? 

"Hi," Liri whispers, unable to find her voice despite her tail wagging with a steady thumping against the ground.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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#5
The small beauty did in fact offer a greeting of her own, and he realized only when he felt the relief, that he been eager for her response. Her single word was but a whisper, and he worried it was because his stature was somewhat intimidating. In order to offer her some reassurance, he slowly slid down onto his sternum in an attempt to appear smaller and non-threatening before asking, "Out enjoying the evening, as well?" He thought maybe he should break the eye contact to make her more comfortable but was unable to tear his gaze from her chocolate one.

She seemed timid, and he found himself growing angry at the thought that someone had harmed her enough to leave scars. He had a natural need to protect, especially those who were less likely to be able to protect themselves. Not that he thought her weak, but more that she appeared to have been in a situation where an ally may have been needed and was not there to offer her safekeeping.
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He reclined slowly, leaving Liri feelingly oddly taller for once. Strangely enough, it puts her at ease. And at the same time, on edge in the best way possible. 

There is a trembling, violently, of her entire being. She is acutely aware of herself and this man who is new to her and yet so familiar. She trembles with anticipation, sensing something new in herself and something beyond her, yet to come. 

Her heart pounds in reaction to his proximity and she gulps in response at the sudden recognition of her feminity. 

She casts her eyes down, intensely shy in his presence and the realization of feeling alive under his eyes. 

It takes a moment for his words to reach her blood-rushed ears. "Yes. The stars are dancing," her muzzle involuntarily points to the heavens at the winking stars. It's an odd statement but not out of the norm for the strange girl.

"I'm Liri," she remembers suddenly, "hi," she replies with a sweet smile.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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Kavik grew concerned when the she-wolf began to tremble in front of him. He had not wanted to scare her. He heard her gulp and saw her avert her eyes, and when he was about to offer soothing words to staunch her apparent fear, she answered his question and alleviated his anxieties.

He gave her small, one-sided smile and tilted his head. "Yes. They are," he agreed. He thought that was a poetic way to describe how the stars twinkled in the sky.

When she offered him her name, he realized he had not yet introduced himself. Not uncommon for the quiet man. She smiled at him, and he was glad to see it. He thought she should always smile. with a slow nod of his head, he offered her his own name. "I'm Kavik." He raised an eyebrow and gave her another one-sided smile before asking, "Would you like to sit with me a while?" With his question, he slowly sat back up and inclined his head towards the area directly next to him, indicating she could sit there if she wanted to.
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She's embarrassed briefly, she must look a wreck to him.

She's not used to such strong emotions, she had been in love - was still in love with Horosk - but never had she felt quite so intensely about someone. 

Liri was very confused about what this meant. Did this mean she only thought she was in love with Horosk because of what happened between them? Was she in love with them both? Would her feelings for Horosk fade?

She has no idea and decides to just keep her mouth shut about feelings until she figures everything out. 

She nods silently when she hears his name, still focused on her whirling thoughts, as if in approval. 

Kavik's question, however; definitely catches her attention. 

Slowly, she approaches his side and settles beside him. She stretches her bad leg comfortably and turns her eyes back to the stars.

Again, the memory of the old ones stories about the land of the stars comes back to her. Again, the longing to be there with her children hits her. 

But perhaps it will not be so bad down here after all. She casts a glance at the giant beside her.

And she feels hope.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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#9
He watched her walk to sit next to him, again unable to keep his gaze from her. When she looked up at the sky and remained silent, he was hit with the strong desire to know what she was thinking. Why? He wondered. He definitely felt drawn to Liri. The draw was like nothing he had felt prior. 

Unable to hold inside his question any longer, he quietly asked, "What are you thinking about?" It may have been a personal question to ask someone he had just met, but he didn't care. He was usually content with silence, but something about her made him crave to know more. He waited for the moment his question would resonate with her; the moment that her eyes would once again meet his.
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She smiles at his question - soft and unsure. But something in her smile is wistful, as if to keep something at bay. 

Liri turns woodland eyes on him, almost black in the moonlight. She can see that somehow this question is important to this strangely gentle giant. 

She quells the urge to hide her secrets again. She tells him the truth. 

"The old ones, they told us stories when I was a child. They taught us things, life and death and the meanings," she began, albeit shakily.

"They told us that when we leave this world we become part of the stars. When I look to them, I am reminded of those who have left," her gaze returns to the stars again, and there is pain in her voice.

"I like to think that perhaps my children, my babies, found my family. Perhaps they wait for me. I will see them again and so I try not to be sad," Liri explains, gazing forlornly at the stars. 

Her star babies, she imagines them in some happier place perhaps accompanied by their grandparents and Liri's silent, sweet sister. 

But perhaps for the first time, the stars don't feel so very far away. If there are many more moments like this one, she might not mind the wait.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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She smiled at his question, but it was different from before; it made him want to comfort her. He was momentarily distracted from that need when she turned her striking eyes to his and begn to tell him about wolves she called 'the old ones.' Elders, maybe? He wasn't sure, but it was unimportant, because she went on to explain that the stars remind her of ones she had lost. He saw sadness in her eyes and heard pain in her voice before she turned back to the sky. 

Instantly, he knew he would do anything to keep from hearing that sound in her voice again; as impractical as that may be. 

When she finally revealed that she had not only lost family members, but children, and still tried to keep from being sad, he could no longer hold himself back. He closed the small distance between them to touch his forehead to her cheek. And even though his chest was filled with intense sadness for her, the only thing he could manage to say was, "I'm so sorry." 

He silently cursed his innate inability to express complex emotions.
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#12
It's different from Horosk's touch. Horosk's is safe, a warmth like molten liquid slowly coursing in her veins like lava. It's familiar and unknown and forbidden. 

Kavik presses his temple to her cheek and it's the first time she's wanted more. 

Kavik's touch is striking, it lights her afire, burns her beautifully. It's new and exhilarating and intense. 

"I will see them again," she smiles against the crook of his neck, feeling it to be true. 

The scarred girl relishes his embrace for a heartbeat longer, rubbing her crown against the underside of his throat affectionately. Instinctively, she's rubbed her scent on him though she doesn't realize it. In the moment, it just feels right. 

She pulls away, regrettably, to curl herself on the ground amidst Kavik's scent and the wildflowers. 

"I think I'll sleep here tonight, enjoy the night air," she glances up at him. It's an invitation, though a shy one. 

The song of toads and crickets rise in the air and the fire flies wink amongst the stars. The breeze blows in, smelling of summer and Liri feels a change in the air.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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#13
Her positive outlook was inspiring. He admired her strength. 

She accepted his affection and responded by rubbing her head in his neck. He could have stayed like this, well, forever. How did she have this affect on him? That she was beautiful and strong was only part of it; there was something else there that he maybe wasn't able to understand just yet. 

When she pulled away, his face fell at the absence of her warmth. But, his disappointment was short-lived because she soon curled adorably in the flowers and after stating she would sleep here tonight, silently invited him to join her.

So he lied down behind her, wrapping himself protectively around her and resting his head on her shoulders. Her scent filled his nostrils as he breathed, and it was comforting. Her small size meant he fit perfectly around her. Such a small, pretty wolf. His small, pretty wolf he thought as he drifted to sleep.
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Liri's tail thumps ecstatically, just shy of embarrassingly. They look rather like a Rottweiler and a befriended kitten from the domestic world; their size difference might have even been comical. Liri's stomach was flipping too much to think about laughing. 

Kavik's body encircles her own once he's curled around her. It's not like being pinned down, or trapped, as she feared. The press of him at her back is safe and comforting.

She nuzzles into him as begins to doze, subconciously covering him in her scent(and in doing so covering herself with Kavik's.) 

Liri doesn't know what tomorrow brings. Confusion, definitely. Tomorrow, she'll puzzle out her feelings for the two of them. Tomorrow, she'll figure things out.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."