To You, My Heart I Surrender

The smile she got in return was nothing like the one she once would have gotten, and that saddened Vali. She wasn't surprised by it, but it didn't mean she had to be happy about it. At lest, though, he was honest at his answer - though it was more a gestuer. He just shrugged, and she regarded him with sympathy. She wasn't surprised by that, nor the lack of words. It was difficult putting it into words. But gestures... well, she understood what was said there. Not okay. Just 'eh'. She watched as he seemed to remember something, shuddering, and she moved over a bit to lean a bit of pressure against him, her own gesture, except this time one of comfort.

She stiffened, however, when he spoke, and she supressed the growl that she knew wouldn't help. She never liked the woman; not at all, and her dislike had only grown as time went on and the woman just messed with her friend more and more and more. To Vali, it was clear that the woman no longer cared for Bass, and just existed for the sole purpose of deriving pleasure from screwing with both Bass and his children. The latter of that nearly pissed Vali off more than Wren just messing with Bass. She had never been a mother - not that she didn't want to be, just never found the right person - but that didn't mean that she couldn't comprehend just how messed up it was for a mother to abandon her children repeatedly and then... keep reappearing. She didn't know the feel of it, but she could imagine the pain of the children, seeing their mother whom seemingly didn't care and just screwed with their emotions more and more.

Without a word, Vali scooched even closer to Bass, burying her nose in his fur in semblance of a hug. "Why can't she just leave you alone?" she whispered raggedly. She hated this. Hated seeing the wolves she cared about in pain - some of it due to circumstances that couldn't be avoided, but others caused by wolves who just don't care. "Is she trying to just keep you hurting?" Vali didn't even realize she spoke aloud. That's what it seemed like to her, though. That Wren just kept appearing so Bass would keep remembering, keep being in pain, and never be happy again. The same with the children, too. And Vali was tired of it.

""