Other than the soft wash of the water lapping at the lake shore and the sound of her own claw delicately scraping back and forth along the flat of her tanto, the night was silent. Things had felt eerily still and quiet in the days that followed her parents' murder, like she was still waiting for the pin to drop. Even though they had been buried and the future of Elysium had mostly been decided there still felt like there was no finality, nothing that made it feel real. Everything had come so suddenly and it was easier to simply lay out here and pretend that she could go back to the den her family had shared and they would be there waiting for her. Perhaps she should have been taking this time to grieve with her siblings or at least sticking close to them in this time, but the silence somehow felt more welcoming.

With a sigh she slid the blade back into its sheath, the sleeve of her floral, silk kimono sliding across the cushion she was laying on. At some point she would have to face the reality of the situation she was in, but tonight would not be that night. She looked up at the fireflies that lit up the lake that stretched out ahead of her, her eyes following one and then another while she debated between going back to the island or staying here in the bungalow to sleep tonight. Without consciously making a choice between the two, she lowered her head to rest it on her paws, quietly letting the dancing fireflies hypnotize her while she tried to relax.

"Darika Kintsugi Mendacium"

The shocking murders of Deimos and Ikigai had sent a shockwave through Elysium that uprooted the pack's very foundation. With the alpha couple deceased and his own parents refusing to take up the mantle of leadership, the future of the Mendacium family looked bleak and uncertain. It infuriated Daemon to no end to see his own parents, the rightful rulers of the pack, refuse their birthright because of what? Because they were still too sad over his brother's death. It was pathetic. Daemon had loved his brother, sure, but Thyrus had been half-dead from birth. He was a weak link in their family's bloodline. He would not cry over the weak being winnowed if they were unfit to survive. And now his brother was fucking things up even more by crippling his parents' ability to take charge. Infuriating!

Whether it was his raging hormones or the sudden spike of aggression and hostility Daemon had discovered in his adolescence, the whole situation had the Mendacium brute restless and agitated. He couldn't bare to stay around his family's den with his parents sulking and everything going to shit around him. So he didn't. Daemon left the family den just after supper and trudged out into the cool autumn evening, going nowhere in particular. His wandering paws brought him around the coast of the island, then across to the mainland, just walking to clear his head and even his temper out.

Amidst his wandering, Daemon began to pass by the Firefly Lake, watching as the last of the summer fireflies danced like little stars over the water's dark surface. It was quite a sight to be sure—but the even greater sight to behold was the wolf he spied across the lake thanks to his sharper vision. Lying on a cushion on the lake's shore, dressed in one of her family's kimonos, was Darika. She seemed to be alone, and a quick sniff of the air confirmed she was the only one out here. For a long while, Daemon slowly walked along the edge of the lake, clinging to the darkness where his dark coat would conceal him, watching Darika. His eyes roved over her, taking her in. She had hit adolescence too; no longer the chubby puppy he would bully, but a young woman. Long legs, subtle curves he could just make out beneath her flowing gown, a lean and slender form... Daemon's face marking began to glow a little brighter as his heart rate picked up, feeling those urges starting to bubble up inside him again.

Tamping them down, Daemon made his way leisurely around the lake until he could approach Darika from behind, wondering if she'd noticed his glow or if he'd been camouflaged amongst the fireflies. His paws crunched on the pebbly shore, announcing his presence to her. When she turned to face him, Dae offered her a half-hearted smile. "Y'know sulking isn't very becoming of a princess," he greeted her with a touch of teasing, though it was evident from his tone that his heart wasn't fully in it. "You look a little lonely out here. Want some company?" Daemon wasn't exactly the emotional type, but he knew losing both your parents in one go was tough. If she wanted someone she could bitch and vent to, he could be it. Or she might want to be left alone. The ball was in her court now.

"Daemon Mendacium"

With the steady flicker of fireflies dancing through the air ahead of her and the soft lapping of the lake along the shore Darika had nearly managed to lull herself into something that resembled sleep. However, the shift and crunch of pebbles under paw quickly snapped her back to consciousness and she lifted her head to turn and look toward the noise. As much as she liked to believe she was safe within the pack's borders, the murder of her parents had put that in question so hearing an unexpected visitor had her paw shifting to the hilt of her blade. Her unique eyes landed on Daemon's familiar figure and she immediately relaxed once more with a soft huff of an unamused response to his half-hearted teasing. "Princess? There's no princess here," she muttered with a flick of her tapered ears, her attention shifting back to the lake in front of her. Under normal circumstances he could easily get a rise out of her with his comments, but in the same way his heart wasn't really in his usual bullying she didn't have it in her to combat his remarks.

For most of their childhood their relationship had been a combination of mutual irritation and teasing so she couldn't exactly say she was thrilled to see him approaching at first. There was the crushing grief of losing her parents, of course, but there was also a shame and a disappointment in herself that she didn't feel prepared yet to take her father's place so suddenly. She had let her family down and the last thing she needed was Daemon digging at that wound. Instead, he offered her company and the little teasing he greeted her with was light poking at best. At his offer of company she glanced up at him again with a slightly skeptical look. They had both grown and matured quite a bit in the last season or two. He wasn't the rowdy pup pushing her into the mud any more and she wasn't the headstrong girl trying to get revenge where it didn't need to be taken just because her pride was bruised. Not only that, but he had physically filled out and toned in much the same way she had become more slender and curved. They weren't pups any more, that was for certain.

After a moment of consideration she sighed softly and nodded. Even she couldn't deny that being alone only made things feel that much more immense and heavy. She naturally wanted to withdraw away from everything to avoid things that would remind her of what she lost, but Daemon's presence was a reminder of how much the loneliness made her grief echo back at her like a scream in a cave. "Company would be nice," she agreed as she motioned to the cushions that were laid out beside her. Her silken tail curled around her hip as she settled into the pillows once more, waiting for him to get settled before she added, "What has you out at this hour anyway?"

"Darika Kintsugi Mendacium"

Darika turned to look at him and gave him a little scoff, but even that didn't sound like it had her heart in it. She muttered a reply that there were no princesses here. Her lack of a rise made Daemon's lips purse together for a moment. Oh boy, she really was in a dour mood... He couldn't blame her though. How would he be if he were in her situation, with his parents gone and his sister going off on her own? "Hmm, well then in that case, I suppose you won't don't actually have the authority to tell me to go away, soooo..." With that roguish grin still on his face, Daemon didn't wait for Darika to give him permission to come keep her company, already trudging over to join her with giant lion paws crunching on the gravelly shore of the lake. She looked up at him with a suspicious, guarded gaze at his innocuous offer, but eventually relented and agreed that his company might be nice. Not like he was giving her much of a choice anyway. He was staying with her tonight regardless of if she wanted him here or not.

At her invitation to join her, Daemon settled his large form down on the cushion beside her with a heavy thwomf of the downy stuffing giving way to his immense size and bulk. Darika was by no means a small wolf, but Daemon was massive compared to her, even in their still growing states. She lay there in repose, so prim and proper with her fluffy tail wrapped around her hip while Dae spread himself out, stretching those taut muscles under his fur while he got comfortable. A very amusing dichotomy between femininity and masculinity between the pair of them. The two wolves were quiet for some time in the cool autumn evening, her spots and his marking glowing with gentle pulses of bioluminescent light, just like the fireflies over the lake's dark mirrored surface. Daemon kept his gaze out over the inky black water, listening to the gentle lapping of the water until the stillness was broken by Darika's soft voice.

She wanted to know what had him out and about this late. The adolescent brute simply shrugged his shoulders. "I like the night," he responded as if the simple answer were absolute law to him. His gaze briefly lifted to the canvas of stars in the sky. "But I also can't be around all... that right now." Between the calamity of Elysium crashing down and Deimos and Ikigai's murders, his little brother Thyrus had finally succumbed to his illness and his parents had been understandably heartbroken. There was just death and despair all around and while his sister thrived on it, he didn't exactly enjoy being around his wailing mother, his despondent father, or his panicked family as they scrambled to pick up the pieces.

"I'm sorry... about your parents, that is." His cerulean gaze stayed out across the lake while he spoke, finding it difficult to have these sorts of feely conversations without it being uncomfortable. When he did look back over to Darika, he started looking around her little midnight lounge setup for something. "You don't have any wine or anything here, do you? My dad always told me emotions are easier to deal with when you're not sober, and right now I'm thinking he might be right." It'd be far easier for him to feel like he wasn't about to choke himself on his own words if he had some alcohol in his system—not that the yearling had done much drinking beyond stealing a few sneaky sips from his parents' collection of liquors.

"Daemon Mendacium"