Set before Asla goes north.

In truth Mojito had been putting this off, he'd meant to do this shortly after the pups had been born, but that obviously hadn't happened... He'd been so enamored with his daughter that she'd crowded all his thoughts for a long while. But in truth that was part of why he was here, Mojito had to try and be the best father he could be for his daughter and he was coming to realize he couldn't be that when whole sense of self-worth was tied to a wolf he'd been crushing on since he was a puppy, especially when Asla was so good at hurting him unintentionally.

He certainly didn't blame her for her proclivities was it was hard for him to feel like he was worth much when he wasn't enough to keep her attention... Yeah that thought, that thought right there was why he knew he had to finally and truly sever his attachment to the woman. He hoped it wouldn't ruin their friendship or worse make things worse with his daughter but Mojito had finally worked up the courage to go through with this, he wasn't about to choke out now. Mojito had chosen to wait until he could be sure that Naiche had taken both the kids out for the day before he'd go looking for Asla. His emotions a clear storm on his face. Hoa had been told to stay back at the hut, in case he was needed but honestly mostly because Mojito didn't really want an audience for one of the hardest things he was about to do.



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Art by Rivaah

Naiche had taken the children on some adventure or another. Aslatiel had already run her morning patrol and had absolutely nothing to do until evening. With no pups to care for and no work to be done, what was a Reaper to do? Aslatiel pulled up a patch of sun and sprawled out on her trim grey belly. With as hard working as the woman was, she'd regained her figure quickly, though she doubted her hips would ever be the same again. There was a womanly roundness to her body now that she rather liked. Kids were good for something.

Purple eyes closed as Asla simply relaxed and enjoyed the sun. She didn't get much time to herself these days. Between pups, her duty as Reaper, caring for the pack while her father went out gallivanting... There was little time for anything else, let alone time for self care. The young woman was going to make the best of this situation.

She didn't hear Mojito until he was rather close. Asla's lids peeled away from her galactic gaze and she looked straight at the floppy eared man. A warm smile instantly found itself to her face. Of all the people that could have found her today, she was glad that it was Mo.

"Aslatiel Fatalis"

It was in fact a rare beautiful day, fall has brought much rain and so the clear sunny day was a blessed relief from the cold and muggy days before them. And yet Mojito was cloudy, he felt like he was almost visibly darkening the air around him. It was almost a wonder there wasn't a tiny raincloud above his head giving him a personal shower. He nearly stumbled upon Asla, her scent washing over him before he even saw her but despite his gloomy mood he couldn't help but return the woman's soft smile as she turned to look at him. "Afternoon." He said softly, despite his mission that day... he couldn't stay sullen in the woman's presence.

Mojito settled himself near her, wanting to curl around the woman. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to go back to that day on the beach when they'd first kissed... But he wasn't certain he could, he worried if he did he would whimp out again. Still, he wanted to be close to her and so curled himself slightly so he was laying against her back, or at least if she'd let him. "What are you up to?"

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Art by Rivaah

Mo greeted her and she greeted him in turn. "Afternoon." Asla was more than a little surprised when the flop-eared man curled up with his back to her. The contact wasn't unwelcome, she just hadn't expected him to want to touch her. The last time they touched... Well... Satira happened. She would never regret having produced such a gorgeous child, but she wasn't sure if Mojito would.

When asked what she was up to, Aslatiel released a soft chuckle. "Naiche has the pups, so I'm enjoying a moment of freedom and relaxation." Turning her head, the woman pressed her nose into Mojito's velvety soft ear. "What's on your mind, Mo?" She could tell that he hadn't just stumbled upon her. Though he lay beside her, she could feel a sense of purpose emanating from him.

Asla thought about it. What could he possibly want from her? Surely he knew that he could spend time with Satira and Arcturus whenever he wished, so he couldn't be here to ask her about that. With her head turned, she continued to look at the man out of the corner of one swirling purple eye.

"Aslatiel Fatalis"

Gods he wanted to hold her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, wanted to bury his face in her fur, wanted to kiss her all over... But he didn't, instead settling just for the little contact they already had. She was, in truth, his oldest friend it wasn't surprising she could tell there was something on his mind. He smiled softly, a few false starts pulling open his mouth before he'd close it again as he thought better of his words.

Finally when he did speak his tone was soft and he had his gaze on the horizon as if lost in his own memories, which maybe he was. "You already know me and my family weren't exactly on the best of terms..." He managed a dry chuckle. "They made me feel like I was lesser than, all because of my father. I know I've told you before you made me like my ears, but I really don't know how to explain how totally it decimated my self-worth. It never mattered to them that I had my mother's colors and markings, had her horns... All they could see was my pelt, my stature... my ears. All of them were my father in me." He flicked his head from side, knowing his ears would flop as he did so. "You were the first wolf I met who saw those things about me and didn't just see how much they mimicked my father. You saw me." Mojito laughed again, this time it was light.

"I recognize now I was putting you on a pedastle, but to me you were the most amazing wolf I'd ever met." Mojito closed his eyes, feeling the surge of emotion rolling over him. "That's when I fell for you, and I've been chasing after you ever since. Literally and figuratively."

"I know you might not believe but I've not regretted a moment of our time, and I especially can not regret the thing that gave us such a perfect daughter." He turned to look at the woman, he leaned towards her slightly, drinking in her scent.

"But it's for her that I've come to realize how much better I need to do, for her and for myself." He closed his eyes again, taking a few deep breathes. "Because I realized I don't know who I am without you. When I told you I loved you the first time... When you told me you could not be happy with just one wolf, it was like my legs had been taken out from under me. I started to wonder if there was anything I could have done to be good enough, if I was wrong somehow. I know that's not true but it wasn't hard to fall back onto those old feelings of being rejected for being born." He opened his eyes.

"And I know that's not fair of me to put on you. The last thing I want is to ask you to change. But Satira... Gods she's perfect. I look at her and I see you in so much of her, but her eyes, some of her pelt her ears... Those are mine, and yet she's still perfect." His voice caught for a moment. "And I've realized she deserves a father who doesn't hate the parts of himself that she took from him, she deserves a father who can instill in her a proper sense of self. And I deserve to feel wanted."

"Asla," he searched for her gaze then, "I love you, and I probably always will. But whatever amount it is we can say we were 'together'... It has to end. I need to give myself the room to learn who I am outside of chasing after you and you- You deserve someone who isn't jealous like I am, who won't hold you up to unfair expectations." He didn't know if he could even say they were together, but he hoped she could understand. No more private moments between their duties, no more kissing, and perfect as their daughter was... they could never do that again either. He looked away again, feeling his voice falter as he spoke again before he would fall silent and wait...

"But I still want you in my life." It was selfish, the last selfish thing he would ask of her. To lose her completely, it would probably break him.

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Art by Rivaah

Aslatiel listened as the man beside her launched into speech. He spoke of how he had always felt like less and it still infuriated her. In Asla's eyes, Mojito was perfect. He always had been. To Asla, he always would be. He was adamant that she 'saw' him. Rather than comment on every little thing, the woman gave him her full attention, absorbing every word as he spoke. There was a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach though. All of this buildup... it sort of felt like a goodbye. A goodbye from what, she wasn't yet aware, but a goodbye nonetheless.

Mojito swore that he didn't regret a moment of their time together and Aslatiel felt the same. Every moment spent with him was comfortable and enjoyable. Asla leaned into him as he leaned into her, his white pelt mixing with her fawn. A place would always be waiting beside her if he could ever overcome his ideals and was able to share her with others. She doubted that this would ever come to be, but if it did, she would welcome him warmly.

The horned man continued, admitting that she had laid him low when she admitted that she would never be satisfied with just one partner. That part of her nature still hadn't changed. She was a passionate beast and had a lot of passion to share. Hearing Mojito speak about how she had reminded him of his former emotions brought the woman's ears tucking back against her skull. The last thing that she wanted was to hurt him, but she couldn't change for him just like he hadn't been able to change for her.

As the subject then turned to Satira, their daughter, Aslatiel could feel the immense love and pride that the man had in the girl. Hearing the emotion in his voice made Asla's eyes a little moist. She was glad that both father's seemed to love and dote upon their children.

She would never feel bad for who she was. Never. When Asla had been younger, she'd felt like less. She'd felt like she wasn't as good as her brothers. The child that she had been had decided to change its life to win the approval of her parents. Navigating stars would have been her future, but she had changed her ways for the sake of others. That wasn't to say that Aslatiel was unhappy with her accomplishments or her warrior status, but she swore that she would never change for anyone ever again. Not her father. Not Mojito. No one.

Mojito finished speaking. Essentially he was cutting her off. Aslatiel's initial reaction was anger and her brow furrowed for a moment as she tamped it down, smothering the rage and brutal words that pounded at the backs of her lips. Closing her eyes, Aslatiel took a deep breath, exhaling long and slow. When she opened them again, her gaze was firm, but the anger was gone. "Very well," was her reply. After going through her ordeal with Indigo, this... rejection... because that's what it was, was too much. For self preservation's sake, Aslatiel had to shut down or risk losing herself.

Pulling away from the man beside her, Aslatiel gave Mojito a parting nod and began to move away. Her mind reeled. She could understand his point of view and was proud of him for finally taking himself seriously, but in the wake of her breakup with Indigo, it was just too much for her right now. As she walked, her eyes were wide as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Aslatiel Fatalis"

He felt her pulling away, emotionally, and it broke his heart, the poor thing already practically mangled. He wanted to cry, and yet his eyes wouldn't even bother to water. He'd been putting this off for so long that somehow he's already internalized it all... At least that had been the case up until Asla finally spoke. It hurt somehow, it wasn't yelling or screaming or threatening him with never seeing his daughter again, and outside of the latter option he almost wished it was. Understated... He'd never known that to be who Asla was, she was pushing whatever she was feeling down. For him. She'd done too much for him, in consideration of him, Mojito wanted her to stop protecting him, wanted her to do things for herself!

And then she got up and it felt like she sucked all the strength of out him, the day that had been so unusually warm suddenly felt cold, the space she'd occupied practically frigid. She nodded to him and left and Mojito held it together just long enough for her to leave. Then his breath hitched, he slowly pulled himself to his paws feeling like his legs were both lead and weak. He didn't follow her, instead, he pointed himself in the direction of the nearest border, and he walked, his pace picking up. Though Mojito did not run he was fleeing. He would be back, he had no intentions of leaving permanently, but the gaping hole in his heart told him he needed to get away, to find someplace free from prying eyes where he could collect himself, could get himself back together. He needed to get away.

-Exit Mojito-

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Art by Rivaah