Ooc:: Thread takes place before Xeph's claiming howl by the way. ;3 The Estuary had become a place of sanctuary, at least for now. Thanatos was glad to have Shiki by his side again… for he missed the small male. But things were not as positive at he hoped them to be. There was a chance of joining a pack, sure, but how long would it be before Xephyris was ready to create it? Thanatos gave a small sigh, curling up beside Shiki as he prepared for slumber that evening. But even as he did so worry gnawed at his brain. Being loners was risky business… did he have the strength to stand up for the two of them if the situation arose? The man drifted off easily, falling into the world of sleep. Yet when Thany opened his eyes it was not to the world of the living but the dream-like world of the dead; Somnium. Thanatos rose quickly when he realized he wasn’t where he should be, spinning around as he called out his lover’s name. “Shiki…?” "Listen to me talk," 'but read my thoughts.'

Table by:: Lolaf

ooc;; GOSH I MISSED THIS!!!! She couldn't recall what she'd expected.  The welcoming arms of the gods, aching loneliness, or only nothing?  Regardless, she was certain that her afterlife had both exceeded and fallen short of her expectations.  Natalya wasn't able to watch over her family, had no idea what had become of them in her absence, and it worried her tremendously.  However, she was able to calm her anxiety with family.  Her parents and grandparents and cousins were there, but, most importantly, Hermes was there.  There were no words for the emotions that overtook her at finally embracing her child again, nor for the comfort she felt knowing she would never suffer his loss again.  The gods hadn't stood to welcome her, but she felt their presence, encouraging her to use this second, eternal life as a chance for forgiveness and redemption. A feeling crept up inside her suddenly though.  It was unfamiliar and unexpected, but she knew instinctively what it meant.  She was needed.  Just a thought and she was in Somnium, a place she had never been but had heard of.  Frankly, she'd believed it a legend of the natives in life, but she knew without knowing that it was real now.  And instinct continued to lead her, over the planes of the dreamland to the reason for her being there.  Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, the child who wasn't hers, but embraced her loyally as mother anyway.  Her Thanatos. Questions pushed at the boundaries of her mind, begging to be spewed from her mouth in a torrent of words, but she held fast.  Questions could wait.  For now, she needed her time with him.  "No," came her simple reply, the word sounding strong in the blissful quiet of Somnium.  Her feet stopped her only a few feet from him, and a smile lit her features.  The gods were truly watching over her. ""

Thank you, Sea, for this gorgeous table! I owe you my life!

The young man could hardly believe his ears when he finally heard a voice. It wasn’t Shiki, no, but it was someone who he dearly missed. Thanatos slowly turned towards the owner of that voice, his gaze falling on a wolfess whom he knew was gone from the world he had been within. Did that mean that he too had died? Thany saw no reason why he would have... He’d been healthy since reuniting with Shiki. Taking one step after another he closed the distance between himself and Natalya until he draped his head across her neck.

“Mother...” Thany whispered, feeling his heart flutter. It had been too long since he’d been close with her like this. He had missed her dearly, had questions running through his mind, but right now he was just happy to be within her presence again. The man closed his eyes, shaking his head as he spoke softly once more. “Missed... You...”

How strange it was to feel the warmth of another in a phantasm of a touch. She'd imagined perhaps that she would feel a slight flutter, the feeling that something was happening but nothing so substantial. She nuzzled her child gently as they embraced before pulling away to drink in the sight of him. Natalya had lived her entire mortal life blind, never knowing anything but sound and touch. She had longed, for a time, to know what colors were, what shape was, or what her own reflection looked like. When she woke in the afterlife, her colorless eyes opened to a rainbow and more. The sensation startled her at first, she wasn't sure what was happening, but then she remembered. She remembered seasons of family describing the things around her and suddenly those descriptions had an image to go with them. She remembered her death and suddenly, she understood what had happened. In death, the gods granted her a gift, repayment for her devotion. "Thanatos, how I have missed you as well." She grinned. "Tell me, how has our friend Poe been treating you? He was such a wonderful friend to me in life." ""

Thank you, Sea, for this gorgeous table! I owe you my life!