Honey, I'm Home!

Not well. Theory grimaced but nodded slightly. It was to be expected. Abaven had barely had time to mourn Shaye's death as they still grappled with the aftermath of the volcano. The smog had been as inescapable as their sadness. Even the air seemed heavier with it - and of course it had been. Along with their sadness, they had carried ashes in their fur and stuffed between their ears and toes for months. It was all-consuming. Grief was the same, or so she thought. Maybe only because she so closely associated her own personal tragedy with the eruption. The complicated feelings interwove between the two events until they were inextricably linked. There was no use untangling it now. Every time she smelled smoke or saw dimly flickering embers, she thought of Shaye. "To be expected. Even the strongest packs - and the most stalwart individuals - can be shaken by death. It's the great equalizer," she said. The morning fog twined between them, emphasizing what little space now lay between the pair.

Although the depth of Thalia's loyalty to her family and her god may have shaken her, it may not have surprised her. The only thing Theo was truly a zealot for was the safety and comfort of her family and pack; blind faith she could understand, perhaps better than most. Even then there were exceptions to every rule. Noir crossed her mind briefly. Not every family (or pack, or religion) was without its flaws. No one thing was infallible. Her fur stood on end in the wake of Thalia's gentle touch. Theory tilted her head down just so, enough that her cheek rested just barely on the other woman's ear. "I'm not sure... and I don't know if anyone - or anything? - was listening. But, well, you came back, yeah?" she chuckled nervously. It was frightening to admit that her absence had shaken her so much. If Thalia had never come to stay Theory wasn't sure if she otherwise would have grown this attached to her. Even more startling, she felt just a shade possessive. Thalia was part of Abaven now (sort of, mostly, hopefully). In some strange way the Abraxas now belonged to her. She wouldn't be getting away easily.