Location: Lazuli Falls

While they were on their exploration of the lands before becoming the band and leaving The Hallows, Duchess knew she would eventually show Segin the sugar falls here. She was eager to show him, he was so upbeat and generally happy that she knew he would love it. She was more quiet and reserved herself. She showed her emotions in other ways.

When she heard the sound of the falls, she turned back to look at Segin with a playful grin before moving forward at a trot to reveal the beautiful sight of sparkling blue waters and greenery and herbs surrounding the pool of water. She admired herself for a moment, this had to be one of her favorite places in all of Auster. Of course her memory with Indigo had heightened her delighted emotions.

Duchess easily moved forward into the sweet pool of water, spinning around after she found her legs no longer touching the floor. She hoped Segin got the invitation before she had to ask.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Segin happily followed Duchess as they made their way into other parts of Auster, throughly enjoying their tour around the continent as they learned the lands it contained more throughly. For the most part it felt like the first time he had ever laid eyes on them even though he had at least passed through a good portion of them at least once during his self destructive wandering. His life was split into two halves - before and after finding Indigo. Now that he was with his new family that would soon split away from the pack they lived in to form their own band he felt like a whole new wolf that had gotten a new lease on life. Indigo had been the catalyst for that sudden shift and had certainly made the biggest impact, but he gave credit to every single in their group of purple-hued lost souls and he cared about each and every one of them.

He looked up at Duchess curiously when she looked back at him with a grin and he smirked back, picking up the pace as well to keep up with her as she moved more quickly toward the sound of a waterfall up ahead of them. As they drew closer and passed through a line of trees the beautiful, clear waterfall revealed itself, and he gave a soft sound of awe, his silver gaze widening as he looked up at the tall, stunning pillar of water. The light glistened off of the water and made the whole thing and the pool below look like a sparkling, blue gem. He looked back to Duchess as she started moving into the crystal clear water, his eyes finding hers again when she turned back toward him. He smiled and moved forward to join her, wading out into the water until his paws just barely grazed the floor of the pool beneath him.

Segin Epsilon

Segin joined her and she still couldn’t help the smile on her face as she moved backwards further into the pool of water. The day was darkening as it was getting late and she knew just where they could stay for the night.

She moved towards the waterfall, gesturing with the pull of her head, "Come on, I know a place." A near silent chuckle when she spun in the water back to where her paws were under her. And then she disappeared under the gentle crashing waters of the falls.

Revealing the hidden cavern behind it, she moved over to the wall of the pool, her paws placing where her and Indigo had spent their time together. She turned after a few seconds to see if Segin had followed her or not.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Segin grinned and followed after Duchess curiously when she said over the roar of the water fall that she knew a place. He certainly didn't expect her to lead them all the way behind the waterfall itself, but he followed her anyway. She hadn't led them astray yet on this trip and she knew Auster far better than he did so far. When he made his way past the falling water his silver gaze widened with surprise when it revealed the hidden cave behind the waterfall.

"Wow!" he breathed with a grin after he had pulled himself out of the water, looking further into the naturally hollowed out space that reached back into the cliff side, making a secret place away from the outside world. He grinned and looked back to Duchess with a wag of his tail. "Thanks for showing me this! This place is really beautiful from the outside, but this makes it even more interesting."

Segin Epsilon

She pulled herself up on the rocks in the cavern beyond after Segin did, nodding as he thanked her for showing him the place. She walked over to some of the rising and falling stalagmites, looking up at the drip before turning to Segin, "The stones are sweet here." Her tongue reached out to catch a drip of the sugar water falling from the ceiling. She hummed as it hit her tastes buds, looking to Segin to see if he caught on to the idea.

She moved a little farther back into the cave, more center to not lay in any of the wet areas. She watched Segin as he still looked at the cave, he did see the beauty in all the places around them. He really was a light in the band, especially while she and the others had harsh histories. Even when he had a harsh history himself.

When he finally came to join her, she looked at him with that same gentle smile a moment before moving in to hug around him chest to chest in a cuddle. They may have never been like this before, but they had shared a few touches here and there while at the castle at night. It felt easy for her to hug him like this, not like there was anything between them. Like he was a good friend.

But when she shared his heat like this for more than a moment, she remembered the moments that they had shared throughout their travels. A few that made her think of Indigo. Her face pulled back from under his chin, looking up at him wondering if he was looking back at her. She searched his face there for a few seconds, silent like she usually was. "Segin..." She mustered through a quiet breath, she wanted to know if he was feeling what she was feeling. They felt like two entirely different personalities. He was so bright and she was so... quiet. But she was lonely, even with Indigo. What she didn't know was that Segin knew about the other woman, about Aslatiel. More than she knew actually, she only assumed most of it. She carefully moved forward to kiss him, almost hoping that he felt the same. But while she was sharing Indigo, she didn't feel like this was wrong to pursue.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Segin watched Duchess move further into the cavern, following just behind her and letting his gaze turn curiously toward the rocks that she brought him to. His head tipped slightly to the side as confusion touched his features when she told him that the rocks were sweet. He had heard of salt rocks, but sweet ones? She licked one of the rocks as if to prove her point and his own curiosity wouldn't allow him to not join her in tasting the sweet rocks. Sure enough, he gave it a tentative lick and discovered that it really was sweet! He grinned and chuckled, giving a little shake of his head. Just when he thought he had seen everything...

Duchess moved even further into the cave and settled down in one of the dry spots, clearly making herself comfortable for the night. It was getting pretty late and this certainly seemed like as good a place as any to sleep. It was out of the elements and the sound of the waterfall outside was soothing. He came to join her without much thought, laying beside her and smiling as she reached around him to hug herself into his chest, his forelegs wrapping around her as well. They all tended to snuggle together at night anyway so why would this be any different? Plus, without the usual furs and bedding they were used to they would certainly need the extra warmth. He relaxed into her, just happy to have a friend willing to snuggle and cuddle with him.

For a while they laid there in silence with just the sound of the waterfall to fill the air, feeling himself slowly begin to drift toward sleep, but when he felt her shift and lift her head he opened his silver eyes again to look down at her curiously. The look on her face surprised him, but the soft, breathy tone to her voice as she spoke his name surprised him even more. It wasn't really until she tipped her head up to bring her muzzle to he was able to piece it together, his lips connecting with hers lighting that very familiar pull and desire in his core. He knew that most wolves wanted or needed some kind of connection or emotional bond before they slept with one another and while Segin certainly appreciated those things he never really felt like that was something he needed. He just enjoyed the physical affection on its own and enjoyed all the pleasure it brought whether or not he was really close to them.

Even with all of that, this was a complete surprise coming from Duchess, though not an unwelcome one. She was a beautiful woman and Segin enjoyed being around her - he just hadn't realized she'd want to be with anyone other than Indigo so he hadn't considered the possibility. He pressed back into her kiss happily, silver eyes closing while his paws slipped down to rest on her lower back, holding her a little tighter to him in the process. His lips lingered on hers for a long moment before he gently broke away, but he didn't go far. His lips still brushed lightly against hers as a smile pulled at his lips. "How far do you want to go?" he asked softly, heavy lidded eyes finding hers. He would give her whatever she wanted or needed, easily falling back into his old habits.

Segin Epsilon

She wasn't really surprised as Segin fell into her affections, maybe they both fell a little too easily. Sure there was a lot she didn't really know about Segin, but she felt like she knew him just from the nights spent at the castle or the lands they traveled through spending time together. She fell just as easily for Indigo though, unfortunately Segin was not on the same level. Segin may not have asked for it, or expected it, but Indigo was obviously the first wolf in her life. She just couldn't help the disconnection she felt when she thought of the other woman. Which was weird because she she didn't feel the same way about the band. Maybe because she spent time with them and knew them than most anyone else. The girl from the Armada was completely foreign to her and it confused her while Indigo spent nearly all his time here in The Hallows and with his band. How could someone be more important than herself?

Her lips pushed forward as he gently pulled away, her claws carefully ran through the fur along his chest and shoulders like she was begging for more. Cuddling and kissing came easy, Indigo had made it that way for her. But again, all of this came too naturally and too quick for her. She really was desperate for the love that Indigo showed her. Was it the same way with Segin? Even though he wasn't on the same pedestal as Indigo?

He asked how far she wanted to go and while she understood the context, she wasn't familiar with the question. "I don't know, I..." She wasn't really put off, just didn't really know how to say yes or maybe that she didn't know how to tell him that she wouldn't know to tell him to stop if something went wrong in her head. "I give. I was... abused before. I don't know what it's like with anyone but Indigo..." Still even through a more morbid tone through the harsh memories she tried to push away, her eyes fluttered and her paws pulled at him like she wanted him. Cuddles, kisses, or sex. She wouldn't know until she tried at least.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

When Duchess kissed him he had immediately switched into the mindset he had been in far too often in the days that followed him running away from his birth place - falling into someone's arms, ignoring any red flags, only focused on how he felt physically, ignoring pretty much any danger or concern to feel the pleasure he wanted and ignore the other issues he was running from. He had assumed that this was what she wanted since she had instigated this moment, but the second he saw her hesitate and heard her uncertainty it made hims snap out of that way of thinking. He pulled back a bit more as she spoke, his gaze finding hers. He still held her tight against him, but he forced her to think for a moment with a kind smile pulling across his lips.

He brought one of his paws up to comb his claws through the fur around the back of her head, around her ear, across her cheek, just leaving little trails of affection around her face. He didn't know Duchess' story, but all he needed to know was that she had been abused. That she was uncertain. That needed to take things more slowly if they did anything at all. That's all he really need to know. "That's okay," he assured softly her, dipping his muzzle and kissing the top of her head. Segin shifted his paw down again and rubbed up and down along her back as he watched her thoughtfully for a moment before adding quietly, "I was abused too." He gave her a sad smile, his ears flicking back against his head. "My father was extremely violent. Among all of the horrible things he did to me and my siblings and our mothers, he also killed a boy I thought I was in love with in front of me and then raped me afterward."

He skipped over a lot of the harsher details, the rape and serial murder his father had done to all of those women and to his sisters, the fact that he had killed his father in the end, the fact that the boy he had loved was one of half-brothers... Just like her story he didn't know all the details and neither did she. It painted more than enough of a picture on its own. He went to give her lips another gentle kiss, offering her another smile. "You lead. You tell me what you want to do. Even if it's just go to sleep. If you just want someone else to experience that with then I'm happy to be that for you, but I'm not going to try and sway you one way or another." He cared about her too much to do that.

Segin Epsilon

Duchess looked up at Segin as he explained. Her expression nearly devastated through his story. But it wouldn't have mattered if he had experienced the same scenario as herself. Duchess never thought that her own abuse and rape had been worse than someone else. And just hearing the little bit of Segin's was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Her paws pressed gently into his chest. She wanted to feel how he felt. Segin was outgoing and bright, and still she felt like she couldn't truly see the dark feelings inside him. "I'm sorry." There wasn't anything she could do or say to change what happened, she knew that. And she was sure Segin would never be completely okay, she wouldn't either. "I was... raped too." Indigo had known, but she had never come straight forward about it. Her grip loosened lightly on him as she turned her neck to point out the scars on her hip, a remembrance she felt lucky not to have to face everyday.

He offered to help her through it, whether it was a kiss and an end or more. Her own paws moved up under his cheeks and drove down him again before moving forward to press into him with another kiss. She was slow at first, her kisses almost always meaningful behind them. Her and Indigo shared a lot of make out sessions before they ever went further. This was easy for her. She felt a lot of emotions through her, she didn't know if Segin felt the same way but she liked to believe he did. As she kissed him deeper her body hugged around him begging for more. She motioned with a pull, asking for him to roll on top of her before she felt really prepared to thrust into the next step. Everything but her core was loose, the rest of her could have melted into him and the stone beneath her as she was at his will. But through her physical tension related to her past trauma, she grasped onto him, "Please don't stop." This turned out not so easy as it was with Indigo, but she didn't want to feel that way. Just like she shared Indigo, she felt like she could have the same emotions with Segin, and maybe it would help fix her too.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

Segin gave Duchess a sad smile and a small nod to her apology. There was no changing the past now and thanks to Indigo and all the wolves in their little purple family it no longer carried the same sting it once had. He couldn't say he had really put it behind him, but it was easier to not think about it and to just let himself feel happiness and love now. His ears flicked back and a sympathetic frown pulled at his lips when she admitted that she had been raped as well, his gaze following hers as she motioned down to the scars that he hadn't noticed before now. "I'm sorry too," he told her softly, letting one of his paws shift down to gently brush over the scars on her hip, his paw pads lightly tracing over the slightly raised skin. He brought his gaze back to hers before reaching behind his head to where one of her paws laid around his neck, shifting her paw down slightly till it grazed the scars hidden among the thicker fur of his scruff. A permanent mark from the wounds that his father had caused.

With his offer made, leaving their evening together open to her discretion, he waited as her paws shifted to pull him into another kiss, their lips meeting again in a kiss that felt entirely different than the first. He matched her pace and let her guide them through, letting her get whatever it was she needed out of this. He had been through the whole range of the spectrum as he hopped from wolf to wolf in the weeks and months that followed what his father did. Drowning out the pain, trying to erase that feeling of the larger man's heavy frame on him, falling into another's arms just to feel something, he had done it all. Whatever this was for Duchess, he wouldn't question it. He was just here to provide and help her heal in whatever small way he could. Maybe he wasn't desperately attracted to her the way he was other wolves, but he still cared about her deeply and he could taste the pain in each of her kisses as she pulled him deeper and motioned for him to roll over on top of her.

He did as she silently requested, finding himself with his chest and stomach pressed to hers while their lips continued to work against one another's until he heard her whispers for him to not stop. He could feel her tension, he could feel the uncertainty, but if that's what she wanted then he would oblige. He tried to help her through it, tried to help her fade away into the pleasures the way he had time and time again. It had helped him reclaim his own body so he hoped maybe it would let her do the same. He showered her in gentle kisses and licks, covering her cheeks, neck, shoulders, and along the upper portion of her chest with careful affections. As he pressed his hips to hers, delving deep into his dear friend and new lover to make them one, he held her tight to him and nuzzled his cheek comfortingly against hers while he took his time and enjoyed this time with her.

- fade -

Segin Epsilon

Feeling the scars under his skin only made her inner horrors worse as he gave her even more of a glimpse into his past. Indigo really did find the broken ones, even though she thought with Segin, you would never know. His personality drove you into completely other directions. How could someone like him experience things so terrible? And what kind of monster would treat him that way?

This was different than Indigo. It wasn't bad but, she knew she loved him especially in this moment so being with Segin just felt off. Maybe a little wrong. She made herself believe it wasn't, thinking of the Armada woman and thinking about the bodies they all shared at night in the castle. Thinking of Segin only in these moments, after building up to it. While she had been mostly quiet through all other interactions, she made up for now. The sounds of her through grunts and whines were unmistakable as her pleasure. Her body relaxed only a few movements in when it realized this wouldn't hurt her. It had been this way every time since Draco, only fading as time went on.

-Fade-

She still held onto him close though with a loose grip as they relaxed. Her head gently rubbed into his chest as the aftermath took over her, only while the moments passed it got worse. It always did. Being without Indigo showed just how harmful it was to her now, or in this case Segin. She hid herself into his body until she felt like maybe she should talk about it. Her head pulled back slightly to reveal the silent tears under her eyes, "I..." she hesitated, maybe not sure what Segin would think or how humiliating it would sound had she addressed it. "I feel, empty afterwards. Every time." Indigo knew about the feelings that haunted her in the aftermath, but she had never spoken about them. Instead ignored them and Indigo smothered them with other affections. When she said it out loud it felt degrading, like she was a whore. Physically it felt like that. Mentally, well she should have known better but she was more worried about what the others would think. And it only made her more upset saying it out loud to Segin, her eyes dropping from his face trying to contain herself.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

He still held on to Duchess as they laid there in the afterglow, his paws gently rubbing up and down along her back. He couldn't really decipher how she was feeling, if he had helped, if he had made matters worse. He only ever wanted to make others feel better or to at least enjoy their time with him, but he knew that there were some wounds you just couldn't fix or that you simply couldn't soothe with affections. Eventually she lifted her head from his chest and he looked down at her, concern and sympathy pulling his brows together when he saw the tears in her two-toned eyes. He listened as she explained how she was feeling, telling him that she felt empty. Every time. Not just with him, but every time she indulged in this. His ears folded back and he squeezed her in a tender embrace, leaning his head down to catch her as she tried to look away from him, gently kissing away the tears under her eyes and bringing a paw up to rub the back of her neck.

"You can let it out," he told her softly, kissing the top of her head. He could see her trying to hold it in, trying to restrain herself. "I won't breathe a word of any of this to anyone if you don't want me to. You're safe." He gently tucked his head down over hers, pulling her into his chest and giving her another squeeze. He was quiet for a little while, considering things and letting her have this moment to just let out any pent up emotions or calm herself, whatever she felt like doing. He wasn't going to try and dictate her emotions or try to make her feel a certain way. Her feelings were valid, whatever they were, and he'd just hold her and let her feel them if that's what it took.

"You know..." he said softly after a while, giving her forehead another gentle kiss, "After... After all the stuff I went through, I slept with anyone and everyone, strangers, wolves that wanted to just use me... It didn't really matter to me at the time because I thought nothing could hurt more than what I had already gone though. That was how I coped. But everyone copes differently. Maybe a physical attraction or just trying to feel something isn't going to work for you. Maybe you need a real love or emotional connection to really enjoy it. But it's also just okay to experience things and let yourself grieve and heal and all of those things at whatever your own pace is." He smiled softly down at her, hoping he was making any kind of sense or easing her worries even a little bit.

Segin Epsilon

She held on to him just as she would if he were Indigo, the affection he gave her put her at ease even though her body was still at his will in his arms. She didn't let it out, instead just laid there in the ocean of emotions waiting for them to subside. They would eventually. The few tears he pulled away would stay gone, but internally she knew she wasn't right, she was still holding herself back from what really needed to be addressed. Not that it was really anything Segin should concern himself with.

Her teeth grit as she stayed in his embrace, but she relaxed as he started speaking again and her gaze moved to meet his. Listening to more of Segin's story still didn't set right with her, she still felt bad for everything that had happened to him. But there was simply nothing they could do to change the past. Duchess herself wouldn't have seen herself crawling under Segin after Indigo, or while with Indigo, even though it happened. So she couldn't relate to his coping method. But she was actually incredibly offended when he said she may have needed real love. She wasn't outward about it, but her brows furrowed and she bit her lip as he explained.

She wouldn't push him away though, and waited for him to finish speaking. She wasn't one to cut someone off, she had learned better before. A breath left her that she didn't realize she was holding in while she spoke, "I love Indigo." She confessed bluntly but with a soft voice. She had jumped quickly into Indigo's arms after her fall out with Draco, and she was incredibly desperate to feel like she was needed again. She needed an emotional dependency after she had been abandoned. Segin could have been right about needing the emotional connection, but Duchess was beyond blinded by what she thought she needed.

She took another deep breath, her tense muscles relaxing as she went to say more, "It's just that-" She cut herself off, not wanting to tell anyone about the other woman. The stranger in the Armada. Though Segin already knew about that, or at least the deeper details of the woman. "I don't really want to talk about it." She didn't want to just leave him on an empty note. Her head carefully dropped down onto the stone surface below them while everything outside the falls was mute, just the echoing sounds of the pounding water and the dripping sugar crystals. Her paws gently ran through the fur of his chest to distract herself from the other emotions she wanted to keep at bay.

"Duchess"

Duchess is an !M rated! character for themes of Depression. Please Discord me if you have concerns.

He was a little surprised when she said she loved Indigo, but in reality he also wasn't. He had seen how she was always with him, always affectionate, but they all were to an extent. With just Gypsy as an exception, they were all pretty close and affectionate and slept in a pile together at night. He loved Indigo, but probably in a very different way than Duchess felt like she did. It made him wonder if she was really adressing the trauma she went through or hiding from it, but he couldn't force her into anything. He could offer her advice or a shoulder to cry on or any combination of the two, but there wasn't much else he could do, no matter how bad he felt for his friend. He didn't comment on her proclaimed love, just letting her speak now that he had said his piece.

He watched her curiously as she began to speak, but quickly stopped herself, saying how she didn't want to talk about it. He gave her a slight tilt of his head, but didn't push her. He figured that if she ever wanted to explain she could on her own pace. Or if she never wanted to that was okay too. "Okay. If you're sure," he said with a soft smile, gently rubbing her back again. "I'm always available to talk if you change your mind." He let his head rest on the stone under them as well, letting silence fall between them while she played with the fur on his chest and he gently scratched along her back for a while, his eyes closing as he steadily started to relax more and start drifting toward sleep. He still hovered somewhere in-between, easily woken up if spoken to, but not far from falling into a deeper sleep if left alone.

Segin Epsilon