OOC: Liquid time set during phase 4 of the Long Night.

Romulus had begun to accept that this was just the way the world was going to be from now on. Eternal night, a blanket of swirling stars and auroras in place of blue skies and sunshine. Crystals and mushrooms as far as the eye could see. This was the new normal. Or at least, as long as it took for the world to finally succumb to the darkness and die. He'd managed to recover from his crystal plague, but the world still seemed worse for wear. Would any of them manage to survive this? Was this the end of days? There would be no way of telling, but it sure as hell felt like it. It really made the young Armada wolf question what he was doing with his time. Standing just beyond the gates, gazing out across the vast emptiness of the plains surrounding him, lifeless and barren. Artorias had ordered all Hallowed wolves to remain inside the castle walls, but with the plague seeping into their home, that seemed counterproductive. At least out here he could be proactive.

Silver eyes turned to look back at the castle, illuminated bright, just as the Aegis had ordered. A beacon of life and hope in the otherwise never-ending darkness. It made him smile slightly. He was proud to be a part of a pack with such a noble goal like offering shelter and aid to those who needed it. Sadly, none had come to them in the dark of the night, and Roman hoped that meant everyone else was faring all right. Still, a quick little night patrol couldn't hurt, and his legs could use the exercise after being bedridden for so long with his illness. But he wasn't going alone. Lifting his muzzle, he gave a short, quiet call for Lillith, beckoning her to come join him for a midnight stroll. After the wonderful night they'd shared together recently, Roman never wanted to be apart from his soul mate ever again.

WC: 331 / 1500

"Speech"

Lillith wouldn’t have minded the forever night the rest of her life as long as she had Romulus by her side. Now that her boy had made a full recovery and she wasn’t worrying herself to death over him Lil could appreciate the beauty around them. The massive ever present full moon, the auroras that danced in the sky above them and would forever be cemented in her mind with the memories they made together beneath them. The world might have been falling apart around them but Lil would have happily been swept down the drain as long as Roman was beside her. There had been an order to remain in the castle, but her rebellious streak would not be quelled, and she followed Roman with no hesitation.

She raced to answer Roman’s call, today, yesterday, tomorrow.. She would always come when he called, as she knew he would do for her. Pristine pale paws carried her from the castle to meet her silver slate man. A grin playing on her features as she rushed to his side. There was something different about their relationship now. It was deeper and more meaningful than ever before, and she refused to be separate from him ever again. "My knight in silver shining armor.” She greeted him with a teasing grin and innocent kiss on his cheek.

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Lillith didn't keep him waiting long; she never did. He heard her dainty footsteps approaching before she spoke, turning to greet her with shimmering steel-silver eyes while she came up and kissed his cheek with a grin. Romulus snickered and returned her grin, dipping his muzzle to place an equally innocent kiss right on her lips as she called him "her knight in silver armor". "My Lady Adravendi," he greeted her in turn. He turned his gaze over the moonlit plains, motioning to them with a flick of his head and the roguish grin that could never be removed from his visage. "It felt like a lovely night for a walk in the moonlight. Care to join me?" The question was rhetorical, of course. He knew Lillith would never turn down an offer to spend time with him, whether it was something as mundane as a walk in the evening or as magnificent as their midnight lovemaking beneath the full moon and dancing auroras.

Rising to his paws, Romulus shook out his coat that seemed to sparkle beneath the haunted moon and set the pace for them, sauntering out away from the castle walls and across the vast plains. In the eternal night, the sea of grasses and rolling hills felt ethereal—almost fairy tale like. As they walked, Roman couldn't keep from stealing glanced at his lover beside him. She looked radiant under the moonlight, truly akin to a goddess of love and passion given flesh. The way her silver and snow fur practically glowed under the moon's shine was breathtaking. "You really make the moonlight work for you, y'know that?" he remarked while they roamed the fields.

Roman's mind was already turning to far more romantic and physical things they could be doing out on the plains alone together when a strange sound caught his attention, breaking the spell on him and returning him to his senses. For a long moment, the world was silent. Then the noise came again and Romulus realized it was some creature yowling. He exchanged a look with Lil and trotted off in the direction of the noise, cresting a hill and spotting the creature in question. A stunning albino tiger was meandering aimlessly across the plains, its pristine white coat streaked with a rainbow of glowing colors similar to the moon and auroras overhead. Its face was practically covered in mushroom growths, causing the feline distress. Though Roman could sympathize with it after his brush with the disease, it was still a large predator trespassing in their homelands—and it was a danger to the pack.

"Gods, why is it always fucking big cats?" muttered Romulus under his breath with a growl. Silver eyes steeled onto the predator. They really should try to kill it or drive it off; as fighters, they had a responsibility to protect the Hallows. But in the same breath, this was a diseased predator, and the largest of any of the cats they'd faced. His priority was to keep Lillith safe. The Armadan boy turned to look at his girlfriend with a raised brow. "Think we can take it?" He would leave the decision up to her and however she felt. They could back away, go back into the castle or come back with reinforcements. But if she was feeling up to it, Roman was ready to tackle any challenge with his soul mate at his side.

WC: 568
Total: 1127

"Speech"

Lillith easily caught Roman’s attention before she even said his name, and her features brightened considerably as he looked up at her with that handsome grin of his. He didn’t hesitate with his sweet kisses nor his greeting before both of their eyes were sweeping the plains. "Oh, of course.” There wasn’t any doubt that she would go with him, especially when she was reminded so vividly of their recent night together under the magical sky above.

She easily fell in step beside him, thinking about how long it had been since she struggled to keep up with him because of her illness. Lil tried not to get too excited, but it had been so long since she had an attack that maybe she had finally recovered. She wasn’t blind to the glances that Romulus offered, and she’d smile bashfully and flush lightly with each one until he spoke again. The moonlight was her perfect compliment, though Lil’s far too humble nature wanted her to believe he was just saying it she already knew that he wouldn’t lie or exaggerate his feelings for her.

She half expected him to suggest they find a quiet place out here on the plains, and if he didn’t she was going to. Lil grew up with a strong aversion to physical touch, but Roman rid her of that quality completely. She wanted nothing more than to be close to him now. Before either of them could suggest more than a moonlit walk Roman froze on high alert. Gernet gaze lifted to his features, which had taken on a darker look.

She heard the sound a second time and slate ears fell to her skull as she followed after Romulus with no hesitation. They were swiftly greeted with the sight of a massive white cat whose face was covered in mushrooms. For a moment she thought it was a lion, but then realized it was a pale pink albino tiger. Again, a massive cat. Roman’s words were similar to her own thoughts. It was always a feline in their way.

"We can try,” she replied to his question. They could turn back to the castle now, but Lillith didn’t feel like they could ignore this threat. "I think it might be blind. We can take it.” She said with more confidence than she really had, but she believed as Roman did. They could face any threat as long as they were together.

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On her face, Romulus could see the trepidation dwelling in Lillith's mind. She was equally as concerned as he was, but hesitant to face such a dangerous threat. Still, his alabaster goddess suggested that it seemed like it might be blind and felt that they could handle it. She wanted to face it and he felt confident in their abilities together. They'd both grown stronger since their first battle together in the gardens. Surely they could take another big cat. "All right, but if anything gets to be too dangerous, we peel out and call for help, okay?" It wasn't a doubting of her health or their combined abilities, but more a desire to protect his girlfriend and keep her safe without excluding her. "I'll lead the charge and keep it distracted, you get in whatever bites you can get. We'll keep it moving and whittle it down."

With his plan explained, Roman waited for Lillith to give him the ready signal, and then the silver and slate Armada was charging across the plains at their foe. The tiger's ears swiveled when it heard the thundering paws, turning to face the noise just as Romulus came up on it. The wolf snarled and bit at the big cat's shoulder, making the predator yowl in confusion and alarm while it swung its head around trying to find him. Lillith was right; the mushrooms covering the tiger's eyes had blinded the poor creature. Despite its lack of sight, however, the tiger's hearing was still impeccable, and it swung large clawed paws in the direction of Roman's thundering paw steps, growling and baring fangs in an intimidating display. Roman ran circles around the tiger, keeping its attention moving at all times while he ducked in and out to steak cheeky bites at the animal's chest and neck, leaving an opening for Lillith to take and inflict some actual damage on their opponent.

"Speech"

She wasn’t so sure about this massive cat, maybe it was blind but that didn’t matter much where danger was concerned. Her projected confidence was much more powerful than what she really felt. Roman had a way about him, an aura that boosted her and inflated her confidence. Roman agreed with her, but he put an escape plan in place. Do what they could but bail if it got too intense. Lil nodded with a shy grin. He had a decent plan, quick and to the point and the girl did not offer any disagreement.

Romulus would take the brunt of the beast, he was the bigger wolf of the two and could handle the cat’s mass a little better than Lillith could. He raced towards the massive beast and it became more obvious as they approached that it could not in fact see, but there were no mushrooms growing in its ears. Roman did as he told her, circling the beast, keeping it distracted, getting in his own attacks. It seemed like they were just making the tiger mad now. Lil was focused though, as the beast turned to follow after Roman Lillith took her chance.

The girl aimed to leap upon the tiger’s back and inflict a massive would to the back of its head. She was aiming to shear its spine at the back of its neck so they could make this fight end swiftly.

"Speech"

Romulus didn't have to wait long for Lillith to get the gist of his plan, and while he kept the tiger confused and distracted, she quietly snuck around behind it and got into a good position. On the next turn, when he had the feline's back to her, he watched with a proud grin as Lillith sprung up onto its back, fangs gleaming in the moonlight while she went for the back of its neck. The tiger roared in surprise and pain, flailing its massive limbs to try and catch the wolf on its back, but in doing so it left itself vulnerable and open. Roman waited, muscles tensed to spring, until he saw the tiger throw its head back as Lil bit into its neck, and then he shot forward like a rocket, sprinting into a running leap with jaws open wide aimed for its exposed throat.

His attack was lethally successful, and Roman tasted blood while he felt flesh give way to razor sharp fangs. The tiger gave a strangled yowl of terror, but it never made another sound. Not willing to wait for the big cat to die of blood loss, Roman grabbed the tiger's head with two large paws, and using the leverage of his jaws in its throat and Lillith's jaws around the back of its neck, twisted as hard as he could. There was a sickening snap of bones crunching and popping out of place, and then the tiger collapsed lifeless to the ground, its last rattling breath leaving its body in its death throes. Roman released the tiger and spat its blood out of his mouth. He'd already gotten over the glow illness once, he didn't need a second bout of it if the disease was blood borne.

Taking a moment to admire their handiwork, Romulus gave a jubilant cheer. "Woo! Hell yeah!" he said between heavy breaths, grinning from ear to ear while he looked to Lillith to make sure she was all right. "You good, Lil? It didn't get you, did it?" He hadn't heard her yelp during the fight, but he had to make sure. She was his girlfriend, the most precious thing in his world.

"Speech"