Warm summer evenings were one of young Stolas' favorite things. The temperate air, the chirping song of crickets in the long grass, the fireflies dancing all about the valley like living stars come to earth. And of course, his most favorite thing of all: the actual stars in the nightly heavens above. Oh, how Stolas loved the stars! He was fascinated by their mysteries, the constellations, the stories they told and the prophecies they contained. Ever since he was a small pup, he would sit outside his family's palace and gaze up at the twinkling balls of light overhead, fascinated by their mere existence. He wanted to know all about them, more than any wolf could ever hope to know.

Graphite gray eyes dazzled with the light of the celestial heavens while he sat atop the sloping hills leading down into the lush valley. He had asked Widow to come meet him out here this evening, wanting to share his passion for the night sky with her. Perhaps he was hoping to find a like mind and kindred spirit in her, what with her fascination with the occult like he had, or perhaps he just wanted to share a personal part of his life with her. He didn't know why, but being around Widow made him feel... giddy. Excited in a way he didn't recognize and like no one else did. Just being around her would have made this night exquisite, but getting to indulge in his hobbies while he was at it would be an added bonus.

"Stolas Abraxas-Destruction"

Ever since their encounter at the barn, Widow couldn't really stop thinking about the young red and black man. He'd bested her in their first and only spar, though unlike her other losses before she wasn't stuck on her failures that resulted in her loss. Instead, every other thought and feeling was burned into her from that moment. It was safe to say she was more than excited to receive the invitation from the young man, though she did well to hold her composure from the point that she received the note to the time that she spotted his silhouette. A smile pressed into her features as she quickened her pace a bit, her heart beating faster with each step as she approached.

A smirk replaced her smile suddenly. "Isn't it past your bed time?" She teased, eyeing him with a raised brow and the smirk comfortably lingering.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle 2022 | Art © Saltine 2022

The subtle sound of rustling grass caught Stolas' attention, the young Abraxas prince turning his head to spot the dark-furred lady he'd grown particularly fond of approaching. He greeted her with a bright smile, bushy tail wagging of its own accord across the ground behind him. She teased him about the lateness of the hour and he snickered in reply. "Why, Widow, are you offering to tuck me in? Maybe give me a good night kiss too?" he teased her back, still getting comfortable with the banter that she seemed to throw his way with such ease. He'd never had quite a sharp verbal sparring partner like her before, and the way she kept him on his toes was exhilarating in ways Stolas didn't know he enjoyed until he felt them with her. His heart began to patter faster in his chest, still smiling at her while he simply enjoyed being in her presence again.

Stolas gestured to the patch of grass beside him and patted it with a large paw, urging her to come lie down beside him. He slid his forelegs out, gracefully lowering his belly to the grass and getting comfortable while he forced his gaze away from her and back up to the heavenly bodies above, lest his eyes begin to stray down some other heavenly body. "The weather was supposed to be excellent for stargazing tonight, and I thought that maybe you'd like to join me?" He smiled to Widow while he explained his reason for asking her out so late at night. "That is, if it isn't getting too late for you. I know you older wolves like to get to bed early." Stolas flashed a devilish grin and a playful wink to Widow. In truth, she was one of the few wolves he would actually consider a friend, so he was just happy to be with her again. Ashen did tend to get lonesome after a while.

"Stolas Abraxas-Destruction"

He was nearly impossible to spot in the darkness until he moved, turning his head to with a giant smile as she approached. On the outside, Widow was the same calm, nearly-regal she had always been, but on the inside she was anything but. His flirty comeback had hardly earned anything more than a playful glare from the young woman but she smiled regardless as she watched him settle down in the grass. Patting the spot next to him in an invitation to take the seat next to him, Widow was happy to oblige.

Carefully stepping over, she settled down beside him into a similar position, however with her hips shifted over and onto her side to lay a bit more comfortably. The weather was nice for star gazing, she couldn't lie about that, though she would be just as content getting lost in the cosmos of his own pelt. She almost hadn't heard his jest as she thought about his coat, her gaze even lingering on him for longer than one would certainly consider. She stuck her tongue out at him briefly in response before firing back with her own sarcasm and wit.

"Sweet child, my day has only just begun." Widow smirked as she glanced at him from the corner of her silver eyes.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle 2022 | Art © Saltine 2022

Widow's simple retort brought about another tooth-filled smile from the young Abraxas-Desctruction, graphite eyes shimmering with mirth and eagerness. "That's perfect! Then you'll have no trouble staying up to see all the constellations with me." Stolas reached into the weathered satchel that rested on the ground beside him and withdrew from it a thick leather-bound book that he placed on the grass between them. He opened it up, and by the light of the moon and stars, Stolas flipped through a few pages. Each one detailed different constellations in the night sky, grouping them by seasons of when they were visible. Although he couldn't quite read the words on each page yet, the pictures and diagrams gave him enough context to go off of. Maybe one day he'd learn how to read the strange runes in all his books...

"This is what I like to do on clear nights," he explained to Widow, looking from his grimoire up to the heavens above again, keen eyes seeking out the patterns in the stars as described on the old yellowed pages. "I found this grimoire some time ago. I've always been fascinated by the stars! My siblings aren't very fond of staying up late, so I usually do this by myself." His words trailed off, the young wolf casting a quick smile to the young woman at his side. "Well, I used to do it by myself." Shifting his body a bit closer to Widow's so he could share his book with her, he pointed out a cluster of stars almost directly over them. "See that group of stars there that looks like a bird? That's Cygnus, the swan. It's only visible during the summer months, then it disappears for the rest of the year."

Stolas turned the page, pointing out another constellation to Widow while his tail wagged excitedly behind him, giving an occasional bump to her hip as it swayed in the grass. He had no idea if she would find any of this interesting or not, but he was having a good time just being able to share his passions with her. "You're the first wolf I've showed this book to or stargazed with. Thank you for coming to hang out with me," he admitted after a moment, a sheepish smile on his face as dark ears folded to his head.

"Stolas Abraxas-Destruction"

A whole new life came into the young man before her as he exclaimed about looking up at the stars with him. The twinkling lights above only reminded her briefly of a less than stellar time at the beginning of her life, but those memories were nothing but stored away with many other from her early puphood. Before she could respond with something in regards to his exclamation, Stolas pulled out a worn book much like her own. As she watched him open the dusty relic, she leaned closer to find that while they may be similar their topics were in fact much different. While hers focused on various plants and the various concoctions she could make with them and other things, his seemed to focus on his intent this night.

Her interest hadn't waned however and she listened to his speak as her gaze flitted across the pages. While she wasn't literate by the standard sense, Widow wasn't entirely inept. Her brief time away from Habari had not only resulted in her matching book, but also a bit of learning all that her brief mentor had to teach her in the time they spent together. She was drawn from her unwavering interest in the book when he shifted closer, her eyes fixed to it but her attention focused more to the subtle contact made between them as he moved closer and Widow did anything but move away.

Locating the constellation above them as he mentioned it, she studied it for a moment before looking back to the book when Stolas moved on to another constellation and tried to focus more on what he was teaching her rather than each and every subtle flick of his tail against her hip as he excited shared his interest with her. He spoke again, drawing Widow from studying the pages he'd left open to find his handsome face in time for him to express his thanks. If she could blush, she would, but instead she spoke through her own sheepish smile while looking down her her paws. "Of course, thank you for showing me."

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle 2022 | Art © Saltine 2022

Stolas, while not an oblivious or unintelligent wolf, was nearly fully unawares of the way his actions were making Widow feel. Maybe it was because the Klein princess was a master of subtlety and hiding her true emotions, or maybe it was because the Abraxas-Destruction lordling hadn't gotten much in the ways of socialization skills, but in either case he could not place a name to the way Widow made him feel warm and happy, nor the way she looked away shyly when he thanked her for her company. "It's my pleasure," he responded happily. A lopsided smile touched his dark lips, showing off a couple more constellations that he'd been learning to recognize from his grimoire.

After a moment of looking back down to his book of constellations and stars, he slowly closed the cover again and gazed up to the heavens above. The light of the stars twinkled and danced in his dark eyes while he contented himself with just enjoying the warm summer night. "What are you interested in, Widow?" he asked the young woman at his side, turning a curious glance her way. "What are some things you're really passionate about? I want to learn the things you like as well."

"Stolas"

She would be content looking at his book for the remainder of the night, comparing the pictures to the real thing above them and learning all that she could. Perhaps it was because she did love to learn so much, but there was a large part of her that also would admit to being happy spending the time with him regardless of what they were doing.

Much sooner than she would've liked, honestly, he closed the book. A light frown tugged at the corners of her mouth, but se briefly reminded herself that she hadn't come her to learn about the stars, she'd really come here to learn more about the boy she couldn't stop thinking about. Maybe he had been thinking the same when she was questioned about her interests and passions. She wasn't exactly shy about sharing her interests, but suddenly she worried what he would think. Sure, he shared one of his with her, but what if he hated her interest?

Pausing, Widow wondered where to begin. Sterling eyes focused back to the book much like hers before she found the words. "I have a book like yours, but it's about plants and their other uses.. things like potions, poisons, and stuff like that. I'd have brought it if you told me you were bringing your cool book!" Widow teased, bumping her shoulder into his playfully.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle 2022 | Art © Saltine 2022

Stolas watched Widow with abject curiosity, dark graphite eyes following her argent pools as they looked down from him to his grimoire. Her answer perked his interests, his expression brightening with his fascination. "Well, that just means you'll have to bring it next time to show me your hobbies!" he began with a grin, always eager to learn, and getting a peek inside Widow's secret book sounded right up his alley. "I'm also quite fond of plants as well! Although I'm not much of a healer or botanist, I do like to tend to and cultivate some of the flowers that grow around Ashen. I have a small garden outside my family's palace." The more in-depth uses of plants were more his sister's wheelhouse than his, but Stolas did have a bit of a green thumb when it came to growing plants for aesthetics. He tipped his head curiously, shifting his weight so he could better face Widow with his belly turned inward towards her while he folded his large paws over the cover of his book. "Have you gotten to try some of these... other uses yet?" he asked, then very swiftly followed that up with, "Not the poisons, I hope! Have you tried making any of the potions from your book yet?"

"Stolas"

Widow smiled and laughed a bit when he mentioned bringing it along next time. She would certainly have to remember that and mentally kicked herself for not bringing it along this time just in case. The more he talked however the more interested she became, her tail subtly wagging at the tip as he mentioned his garden outside his family's palace.

"I also have a garden outside my hut! I'm not exactly interested in those purposes either... I actually consider myself more of a witch than anything," she admitted with some nervousness lacing her words. She had become easily distracted as he moved, watching him a bit too carefully until he asked her if she'd tried anything from her book. She hadn't been so lucky as to have everything she needed at once, but there were certainly a few things she wanted to try before the others.

"Not yet; I'm short on a few things." She frowned a bit, but it didn't last as the talk of potions seemed to trick her stomach into thinking they were talking about food. "You brought us some snacks, too, right?" Her tone was teasing, but definitely hopeful.

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022

Stolas uttered a lighthearted laugh when Widow coined herself a witch more than a healer as she described her own garden outside of her hut in Habari. "Ooooh, a witch? My father warned me about messing with the mystical powers witches have. How afraid should I be hanging out with you?" he teased the occultish fae with a smirk and a playful wink. He had noticed the nervousness entering her voice when she revealed her interests to him, but he mostly chalked it up to them being eccentric. She had sounded the same way she had when he'd met her at the carnival, when she'd talked about hating her height because of how her brothers made fun of her for it. Stolas' lips turned upward in a wry grin as he looked back to Widow again, surreptitiously getting a look over her. She had matured into a beautiful, limber wolf and had really grown into her long legs. Bet her brothers weren't laughing now!

Widow admitted that she lacked a few ingredients to make her potions and Stolas looked out over the lush summer valley around them. "Well, what were you missing? We might be able to find it around here!" He was offering to help her find some of those ingredients she needed so that she might be able to try her paw at potion brewing. Widow had been sweet enough to come stargaze with him, so now he'd help her with her passion projects. Widow asked if he'd brought some snacks with them and the lad's expression froze a bit on his face, but quickly shifted back to a confident grin. "Uh... of course! I just need to go hunt it for us!" Rising to his paws, Stolas gave a shake of his coat and a stretch to limber up his muscles. He definitely had not been planning on an impromptu nighttime hunt, but he wasn't going to disappoint his hungry friend! "What is your stomach in the mood for tonight, Lady Klein? Rabbit? Groundhog? Whatever your heart desires, I'll catch it for you!"

"Stolas"

Smirking at him as he mentioned his father warning him of witches, she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes quickly before looking away. "You've been warned," she teased, a playful tone to her voice before looking back to him briefly and winking. She felt his eyes lingering on her body and while before she hated such feelings, with him it was different and part of her wanted more.

When he asked about what she had been missing, she had been drawn away from confusing thoughts but smiled. She honestly couldn't think of what she was missing, especially now. Besides, she didn't really want to leave her place next to him anytime soon. She frowned when he stood though, only hoping the man had snacks with him instead of needing to go out and hunt for them. She wasn't that hungry, and was far more interested in learning more about the man that made her feel strange than watching him leave for a hunt, even if the view of that wouldn't be so bad either.

"I'm not that hungry! Lay back down with me," she laughed it off a bit, patting the ground next to her.

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022

Stolas was taken by surprise when Widow looked up at him with a frown and disappointed look, insisting that she wasn't that hungry and laughing while she urged him to lie back down with her. The young lordling nearly protested, insisting back that he didn't mind going to fetch her a quick bite to eat, but he could tell by the look on her face that she really didn't want him to leave. Stolas' heart fluttered when he realized just how much Widow wanted to be in his company. Nobody else had ever shown such an interest in him, and it was nice, to say the least.

"Oh, uh, okay," he replied with a small awkward smile, sinking back down to his belly on the grass beside Widow. "But before we go home, I'm getting you dinner. No refusing, no fussing!" Stolas had been raised to be a gentleman by his two fathers, and he would not be sending Widow home without sharing a meal with her first, whether that came now or later. Settling back in beside her, the young dire male gently leaned his side back into Widow's feeling her soft, plush coat blending with his where their bodies touched. "What's it like living in Habari?" he asked after a moment, a curious look on his face while he lifted his eyes to her silvery jewels once more. "My father says our alpha and yours are family, and that Habari is an extension of the Empire, but I've never been to any other pack before."

"Stolas"

Thankfully she wouldn't have to beg Stolas to return to her side despite his reluctance. She smiled when he settled back down, enjoying the warmth from his proximity as their sides gently pressed together. Widow leaned in to him a bit, seeking more of the contact she didn't know she needed. She laughed at his insistence then, nodding as she spoke. "Okay, okay!" She laughed some more, smiling at him as her laughter faded and he asked of her life in Habari, specifically what it was like living there.

Widow thought about it for a moment before answering, though it started with a shrug. "I haven't either, but I did spend some time away. Mom... Recluse is sensitive to the sun so mostly everyone is nocturnal. Otherwise, it's like any other pack I suppose! What's Ashen like?" She'd known like him that Habari had been born from Ashen, but she also didn't know much about his pack either.

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022

Stolas was quite intrigued to learn that Widow had spent some time away from her family’s pack. He hadn’t been away from Ashen for any extended periods of time, so he wondered what she had been up to. "That sounds interesting! What were you doing in your time away from Habari? Going to witch school to learn witchy things?" He said it in jest, but he was genuinely curious. "Aunt Venom doesn’t like the sun either. My dads aren’t so nocturnal though. My father Plague keeps the pack safe during the day."

Widow asked him what Ashen was like and Stolas pondered for a moment. How did he describe the Empire to someone who hadn’t seen it before? "Hmm… It’s very big, and it’s a lot of water. Ashen is made up of the island archipelago off Boreas’ southern coast, so we have quite a few different landscapes with each of the different islands. Then there’s the shrine, which is surrounded by a white tree forest. It’s mystifying! I’ll have to show you sometime!"

"Stolas"

In her time spent away from Habari, she had learned a lot but no one had seemed real interested until now. She'd only left with the intentions of studying a few plants not native to their immediate area, but she'd gotten so much more. "I met a witch, actually. She gave me my book and taught me a lot." Unfortunately the witch wouldn't come home with her, but Widow held on to everything she'd learned.

When we went on to describe Ashen, it sounded nice in an exotic kind if way. Perhaps it was because she lived at the foot of a volcano, though. "Habari is at the foot of a volcano, but there's some really pretty trees. It's great for gardening, really, I'll have to get you some." She smiled over at him, eager to have someone to share her interests with finally.

The dark gray eyes of the Abraxas princeling lit up when Widow explained how she had met a witch. Aha, he had been right! That made so much sense with her passions and interests and explained why she had been away from her home—to learn spells and potions and other witchy things. "That's so cool! Maybe one day we'll be able to try out some of those things she taught you, like making those potions in your book!" he remarked, bushy tail wagging with excitement once again and brushing back and forth against hers in the process. Widow explained how Habari lived at the base of a volcano and Stolas' eyes went wide with wonder. What was it like living so close to something so dangerous, he wondered?

The leopard-spotted fae offered to bring him some souvenirs from her pack, but Stolas was already working on a better idea. "Or maybe, if you'd like, I could come visit you in Habari sometime! Then you could show me around and show me those cool trees and your witch's hut! Then you could come visit Ashen and I'll show you all the cool places we have too!" Hope made the lad's heart flutter in his chest, his belly full of nervous butterflies as he looked to his close friend, hoping that he'd get the chance to come visit her in her home sometime.

"Stolas"

"Maybe!" She was just as excited about it as he seemed to be, happy to share a passion with someone, him especially. "And then you can teach me more about the stars?" She questioned playfully, though she was certainly hopeful. If the stars positions changed, certainly that meant there were more that she hadn't gotten the chance to see yet!

When he mentioned visiting Habari and then her visiting Ashen, her tail started to thump the ground gently in excitement. She certainly liked the idea and couldn't imagine a reason that Recluse wouldn't let a member of Ashen over as long as she asked first! "I'd love to see Ashen, it sounds very pretty." She smiled as she thought about beaches and islands. Widow didn't think of herself to be much of a wolf to like those kind of things, but a change was nice!

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022

When Stolas had brought Widow out to the valley to watch the stars, he had just been hoping that he didn't bore her too much with his studies. As it turned out, Widow was actually interested in the cosmic heavens as well! This night had turned out better than he ever could have hoped for! When she asked if he would teach her more about the stars, the teenager's own smile grew wider and he nodded emphatically. "I absolutely will! We can watch the stars every season and see how they change and what new constellations we can find!" This was great! Not only did Stolas have a new friend, but now he had a partner for his studies as well! And so it was settled. He would visit Habari to see her home and study the stars with her, and she would visit Ashen to see his home and all the mystical sites in the Alabaster Forest. "I can't wait to see Habari, and I can't wait to show you Ashen," he said with a bashful smile, leaning closer to gently nuzzle his cheek against hers in a friendly gesture, a warmth growing in him that he couldn't quite place yet. All he knew was that he liked it.

"Stolas"

She couldn't wait to spend the nights with him studying the stars whatever else may happen up there, the smile on her face giving it away as he went on. She thought of all the possibilities, wondering what else could be depicted in the stars above. She hadn't only gotten a taste of all the mysteries out there tonight, and based on the size of his book, there were a lot more to learn! Part of her wanted to flip through it, to look at and study them before they'd appear, but part of her always wanted to see them for the first time above, and for Stolas to tell her what it was.

Showing him around Habari, and then her home, was an exciting thought. She was even more excited about seeing Ashen and the garden he spoke of before, but she wasn't given much time to respond before he pressed his cheek into hers into a friendly nuzzle. Widow leaned into the contact, enjoying the electric warmth that surged between them and left her skin tingling. "I can't wait, either," she finally said, though softly.

"Speech!"

Art by SkeletonDragoness & Code by Skelle 2022