Fia had been living her, well, average life. Average for any pup getting older and learning new ways and responsibilities, and training. She was diligent and eager to learn, but she did find these things relatively boring and she missed her younger lazy days. She did like taking runs and working on her strength and stamina, making things with Avacyn. But gathering in groups or even just discussing fighting methods wasn't really her forte. She preferred to work on those things in the moment.

Though, these weren't things on her mind now. As her first birthday came around, she was thinking back to that strange festival type thing where she met that boy. No solid thoughts really, but she had never really had the opportunity to make real friends. She had pack mates sure, and even while none her age they could have been good candidates. Something about someone from the outside though, it drew her in.

She started making late night trips out towards the steppe, cautious as she stepped over Elysium borders but still all confident as was in her nature. A few times her family ravens had caught wind of her though they either hadn't warned her parents or her parents may have decided it was time to let her explore this way. Neither was really a problem for her. She still stuck close to the area of the pillared plains closest to Elysium in case anything turned south but each night she became more relaxed. Even while she was expecting that boy to show, she was honestly just thrilled to make her way out here under the impression that she wasn't allowed to. It did make it exciting at least, even if she was on her own.

"Fiametta"

As late summer ticked over into early fall day by day, Stolas grew more and more excited to return to the northeastern corner of Boreas where he had met the eccentric Fiametta at the bonfire festival for Samhain. He hadn't forgotten the promise he'd made her—in fact, he thought about it often!—and now that the autumnal sky was becoming clearer every night, he was eager to give her a more in-depth reading into her horoscope and astrological prophecies. The adolescent Abraxas prince carried his grimoire with him in a rustic leather satchel adorned with pieces of obsidian and garnet, styled to match his fur, as well as show off a little bit of the opulence that came with being a prince of the Ashen Empire. Stolas wasn't one to flaunt his family's standing or wealth by any means, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy it.

The evening was cool, but not cold, and still carried with it some of the mildness of summer. The sun had just crept out of view on the western horizon, blanketing the world in the darkness of night. With it came the appearance of the stars, celestial bodies out in droves and sparkling like diamonds in a spotlight. The evening was clear and calm; a perfect night for stargazing! Stolas couldn't wait! He didn't often get to indulge in sharing his passions with anyone else like this, save for Widow, but for all he knew she was dead and gone. The thought hurt his heart after the time they'd shared, which is why he did his best not to think of her. Instead, he thought of the fire-marked crimson girl he'd met. She was a chance for a fresh start; a potential new friend for him to make.

And speak of the devil, there she was! Keen graphite eyes widened with a smile on his face when he spotted Fia moving amongst the crumbling stone pillars and ruins. She came! Had she been coming out here every night since fall started looking for him? The thought both saddened him thinking he'd kept her waiting for so long but also gladdened him to know she liked him enough to seek him out. "Fia!" he called out to the girl, his gait kicking up to a brisk trot to catch up to her. "I'm glad you're here! Tonight is a perfect night for reading the heavens." He turned a brief glance up to the starry sky, then back down to his newest friend. "Would you like to pick a spot we can get comfy in and we'll get started?"

"Stolas"

Fia was much more reserved when it came to eyes meeting forms of each other but she was much more open in personality as she grew older. As Stolas showed the eagerness to meet her again and closed the distance between them she couldn't help but wag her tail, and giggle just a little. "Shhh," She started through that quiet chuckle, looking up at the ancient stone pillars where her raven was perched looking down that them with a side eye. He wasn't so quick to jump up and fly back to Elysium as if Fia was in danger, she wasn't at least.

Her head picked up to sneak a peak around as he had asked if there was anywhere particular she wanted to settle down, and as was fitting to her she took just a few steps around behind the pillars they had met before. Something about the familiarity is what maybe drew her in, but there was no big meaning behind it.

She took a gentle lay down into her spot, patting her paw next to her for him to join though she was sure he wouldn't be far behind. It was then she had a more clear and focused look at the items he wore and maybe felt just a tad jealous but Fia felt she was beautiful just as she were. Maybe she'd have some cool or fun things to wear one day, especially for battle she thought. Rolling sideways onto her back, she arched in a little stretch before finding herself comfortable and looking up at the clear autumn skies above them, "Alright Starboy," speaking as if she was moving an entire spotlight onto him, "I hope you give me something fascinating."

"Fiametta"

Stolas' enthusiasm to see Fiametta again was momentarily put on pause when the fire-marked girl giggled and shushed him quietly, then glanced up to one of the pillars. A raven perched atop made him wonder if perhaps she was being surveilled and this was a clandestine rendezvous of sorts. The notion was intriguing and exciting! Stolas gave a knowing look and snickered as well, nodding his head to show he understood. They were being sneaky tonight, it seemed. Fia led the way around the old ruins to the place where they had met, choosing it as their rest for the evening. That suited Stolas just fine; the spot had offered an excellent view of the heavens the last time, after all!

At the Mendacium lady's behest, Stolas settled his larger form down on the grasses beside her, not so close so that they were pressed together, but near enough that he could share his book with her without issue. While Fia rolled and stretched to get comfortable, Stolas kicked back his legs to stretch out his muscles and get settled as well. He slid his satchel off from over his neck and lifted the flap covering the top. Producing his grimoire, the Ashen prince laid it out on the grass between them—although he supposed she wouldn't really be looking at the pages while upside down—and flipped open and past several chapters until he reached the category for fall constellations. Despite not being able to read all of the strange runic markings and characters on the old pages, the illustrations were enough for him to get an idea of what he was looking for, and he had learned to decipher a good amount of the words of the text from practice alone.

"Happy birthday, by the way," he said with a smile before they got started. He knew he was still early, given Fia had said she'd been born in late autumn, but the sentiment was the same. He hadn't forgotten. His stargazing companion then challenged him to give her something fascinating, dubbing him with a new nickname that made his cheeks grow warm. Thank the gods for fur and the dark to hide his blush. "Very well, let's see..." Stolas' paw ran over the lines of text and pictures, glancing up every now and then to the sky above to get his bearings. "Ooh! There!" A dark onyx paw pointed up to a cluster of stars to the north. "That's Scorpio, the scorpion sign. That's your star sign there!" They'd already spent a good amount of time talking about the astrology behind her star sign before, so he spared her most of the repeat conversation. "With your star sign now in full control of the heavens, you'll likely feel its influence more than ever. You might crave a change in your life, something to break up monotony or the expectations. You might also feel a desire for more physical closeness, like..." Stolas drifted off for a moment, trying not to think about the intimacy he'd shared with Widow. He definitely didn't need to be talking about that! "...Like forming new friendships, or strengthening your existing ones." Good save, Stolas.

Looking back down to his book, then back up to the celestial heavens, Stolas pointed out a bright cluster of stars toward the southern horizon. "See that bright bundle of stars to the south? That's the phoenix constellation. It symbolizes rebirth and second chances. It's named after a bird that supposedly never died. Instead, the bird would burst into glorious flames upon its death and be born again as a chick from its ashes!" Stolas didn't know much about birds, but the concept of eternal resurrection was fascinating for his mind to try to wrap around.

"Stolas"

Even without the dark of the night she probably wouldn't have caught on to his little blush, he was at least good at hiding it when he spoke so even experiencing something new like that that could have been a little odd to her she wouldn't have thought much of it.

From her position on her back, she did turn her head to see him open up his book and search the pages for what he needed. She smiled just a bit as he wished her a happy birthday before her eyes rose back up to the stars and he would start the reading.

As Stolas pointed out the Scorpio sign she couldn't help but show a light wag of her tail to his enthusiasm. She stayed quiet for the most part as he continued on, tilting her head just at the thought of the things he told her. She'd wait until he seemed to be finished with all that part before she said anything. "Well, I don't really have friends so I guess that should be exciting." She glanced over at him again, rolling back over onto her stomach which made her even a little bit closer to him but not in a way that was uncomfortable at least not to her, "And I want to celebrate my birthday by moving into my own den just like my brother and sister so I guess change is on the horizon." Maybe she didn't have to confirm the things he told her, but she felt like maybe it would give him some affirmation about doing things right. No harm in that.

She looked out at where he pointed out the phoenix constellation and again found herself smirking just a bit to his reactions. Interacting with anyone like this was incredibly new to her, maybe she was just used to the more seriousness of her family or at least the love she felt from her parents. She hadn't felt very strongly about any hobbies herself so she was definitely kept interested in the things this boy liked so much. "You definitely know a lot more than I do, it's cool."

"Fiametta"

Stolas was always a little nervous whenever he did any prophetic readings for wolves using the celestial heavens as his guide, dreading that they might find him strange or his methods weird and fanciful. But Fiametta continued to surprise and delight him by not only giving him the open air to teach his lesson and read her stars, but by also showing her own enthusiasm and interest in what he was saying. Fia explained how she didn't have many friends, so having some new wolves in her life might be interesting, and how she was hoping to move into her own den with her birthday this season. "That sounds like a fun change!" he agreed with an affirming nod and bright eyes. "I just recently got my own room in the family palace, and I can assure you the privacy is nice. It makes me feel... mature, I suppose." Stolas hoped that Fia didn't think he was trying to flex on her by mentioning his family's opulent dwellings or anything. He just had a hard time relating to many others because of his family's prominence and wealth, but he was trying his best.

With confirmations given that he wasn't entirely off base with his readings of the stars, Stolas felt emboldened and empowered in his studies. Turned out that astrology wasn't all nonsense and hokum after all! What other prophecies could he garner from the sea of dazzling lights, he wondered? Fia rolled onto her belly once more, bringing their bodies closer together which also did not bother Stolas in the least. After all, he wasn't a stranger to physical touch, no matter how negative his initial experiences with it had been with Widow. The fire-marked girl complimented his knowledge of his passions, and once more Stolas' face warmed as dark ears folded back to his head with a bashful smile. "Well, I don't know about more than you or anything like that, I'm just... really passionate about the stars, I guess. When I'm interested in something, I want to give it my all. If it's worth learning, it's worth giving all of your efforts too." Stolas looked away from where his paw was lying on his grimoire to look up at Fia then, tilting his head curiously. "What sort of things do you like to do with your time, Fia?"

"Stolas"

Fia's gaze moved to him again as he spoke, more so when he mentioned his family palace. She didn't interrupt him though, looked at him with just a little squint if he would notice or even be able to see it. It was the way she focused on things, though it made her seem maybe a little judgmental or something of the sort, that was not the case on her end.

"Are you telling me you're a prince or something?" She asked when she was given the opportunity to, a small smile pulled at her lips in some kind of teasing way. Maybe seeming like she'd be surprised if he said so. Though it wasn't that surprising coming from royalty herself. Maybe a bit different than Stolas, or maybe not. She always gave her sister as heir more credit to the family bloodline than herself. Not that she was lacking in confidence or strength.

Again, watching his reactions and emotions is what really caught Fia's attention. As much as she could see in the the dim light of the partly cloudy skies. Her eyes had adjusted well to the dark, it was her preferred time of day. But it seemed like with just the two of them and the quietness of the night she felt she could see more clearly. A strange feeling. "I can agree," She responded as he went on about learning new things and finding interests. Though as the following question came to mind, she already knew she wasn't very passionate about anything right now in her life. Maybe he could catch on to her bit of pause and she looked back up at the stars. "Well, I fought a bear with my brother once and that was pretty cool." She had also fought off a predator or two with Avacyn, but that time with the bear just seemed a little more fun and different. "And my sister makes jewelry so I help her out with that sometimes. There's not much about me. I'm pretty lazy to be honest." She smiled in another joking tone, a little serious. She was at least getting out a little more recently into the pack for training sessions and learning how to start patrols and whatnot. She was trying, she knew her place inside the pack and her family. Maybe her days laying around the den were coming to an end.

"Fiametta"

Stolas' wispy thoughts were interrupted by Fiametta's sudden and unexpected question of his nobility, catching the adolescent boy's attention with a bit of a start. He was so used to living around Ashen wolves who just knew him by his family name and as Plague's son that he had come to expect everyone to know him as a lordling. The concept that there were wolves who didn't know who he was still struck him sometimes. It didn't come from a place of conceit or hubris, but the sheer fact that young Stolas also did not get out of his pack very much. His entire world practically revolved within the confines of Ashen's borders. This was something he was trying to change, of course; to break free and give himself more experiences and be a little more worldly. Fia offered him that escape and change that he craved. Maybe that's why he was enjoying spending so much time with the girl with the flame markings on her coat.

"Oh! Um, no no, not a prince," he remarked with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks and a bashful fold of dark ears to his crown. "The princes and princesses are all my cousins, since my aunt is the Empress. I'm technically a lord by family and pack standards." The Abraxas-Kleins had always held themselves as close to gods more than mortal wolves, but Stolas didn't know how true that was. It did however make him a lord amongst the common folk of Ashen by comparison—not quite as haughty in rank as his cousins were, but he and his siblings still bore noble blood and lineage. How much did that really matter in actuality? He did not know. It hadn't made Stolas act any differently or like he was better than anyone else. He was still just a confused teenager trying to find his place in the world.

When he asked her what she was passionate about, Fia seemed to take pause, hesitating in her response. Stolas noticed and cocked his head to the side while he waited for her response. Was she trying to think of something she found fun, or was she hesitating because she was embarrassed by whatever it was? After a beat, Fia told him how she'd fought a bear with her brother and made jewelry with her sister. Ah, so the Elysian girl had siblings as well! Stolas' expression brightened at the discovery of more common ground between them. "I've fought predators with my siblings too. Combat really is a lot of fun when you get to do it with a partner." Fiametta's honest remark about being lazy got a barking laugh from the Abraxas lad, who turned a toothy smile to his new friend. "Nonsense! I'm sure there's a lot to you! You just might not know it yet. You know you like to fight bears and look at the stars." After pointing out those points to her, Stolas turned his slate gaze up to the stars again and added, "I'll bet there's a whole slew of things you don't know you like yet. You just have to find them and try them out."

"Stolas"

As she had, she listened to how he responded and hummed just a little humorously to herself. She had considered giving him the same response of how she was kind of a princess herself, but she decided to just hold back on it. It definitely wasn't anything to be embarrassed about, but she wasn't flaunting just like he hadn't. He'd learn in due time at least, that was if he still wanted to keep coming around. She assumed so, but maybe it was too soon to tell.

She did like the thought that they had shared interests, not just the stars but combat too. She hadn't really had the opportunity to fight a predator alone, or those she didn't quite know. But the few times she had fought off predators with her siblings she could agree was at least a bit of a bonding experience.

She couldn't help but grin a little as he exclaimed that there was probably more to her to discover, even for herself. She did stay quiet just for that moment as he told her the things he had learned about her, and once he had suggested that she just needed to try out more things she didn't jump in response, but she was quick to. Quick and quiet, calm, very usual for her. "Maybe you could be here to help me discover." It was genuinely her just asking for him to be her friend, very simply because she didn't have any and he was keeping her interest in the couple times they had spent together. She usually didn't like other wolves, but maybe that was more because they weren't around her age. She couldn't say so herself, but she did feel different with him.

Her eyes caught up with her raven above who tweeted a bit before gliding down to a broken pillar closer to them. She rolled her eyes slightly but didn't jump up to leave in any hurry. "It might be about time for me to go." Maybe she felt a little disappointed, but that didn't show through. A strong loyalty to her pack and parents, but clearly annoyed that her raven may have been informing her that she was being looked for or simply that it was just getting too late. She didn't care, it wasn't like she was out here alone even if her parents didn't really know the boy she was with or even just that she was out here with him to begin with.

"Fiametta"

Fiametta was a quiet and stoic sort of wolf, much more than any other wolf their age he had met, but Stolas didn't mind it one bit. His siblings were outgoing extroverts enough for him to handle in his daily life, so a part of him quite enjoyed the subdued and observant personality of the adolescent girl. It was easy to be with her and not feel any sort of social pressure to keep a conversation going or behave a certain way around her. Fia listened to him quietly, but was quick to pipe up with her suggestion that maybe he could help her discover some of her passions. Stolas' graphite eyes widened with surprise, but he was actually quite touched that she trusted him enough already to ask him to help her discover herself. A little bit of trepidation gripped his nervous heart, worried about what opening himself up again might mean risking after his spontaneous and passionate relationship with Widow had seemed to implode on itself. Was he ready to take that leap of faith again so soon?

Offering Fiametta a small smile, Stolas nodded his head. Yes, he would take that chance again. He'd learned some lessons from his past "friendship" and he knew better now. Once bitten, twice shy. But Fia wasn't asking for anything ludicrous—just a simple start to a friendship together. Surely that couldn't be harmful, right? He was greatly enjoying his time with her and had been looking forward to seeing her again after their last meeting, and he knew he would feel the same again after tonight. "I'd love to help you, Fia!" he replied, bushy tail wagging gently in the grass behind him. "I, uh, promise I won't be overbearing or obnoxious or anything." He still didn't know why Widow had suddenly disappeared or why she had chosen not to come see him again after the night they shared together, but the young lord could only assume he had done something wrong to push her away.

Despite the fun they were having, the crone of Fia's raven from overhead snapped their attention away and beckoned the Elysian wolf to return home. Stolas breathed a sigh as Fiametta confirmed his suspicions and relented with a reluctant nod. He really didn't want their night to end already, but he supposed he had kept her out late enough. "It is getting late," he agreed, but from the tone in his voice it was apparent he wasn't happy with the turn of events either. With a bit of a pout, Stolas closed his grimoire and slipped it back into his satchel, rising to his paws with a languid stretch before turning to face a smile toward the fire-marked girl once more. "I hope you had a good time tonight. I certainly had fun studying the stars with you. Maybe next time, we can try out some things you might like too?" Perhaps they could go hunt a predator, or do anything she really wanted to. Fia could plan the whole day for them if she wanted.

"Stolas"

His energy rubbed off on her subtly as she still responded back with that gentle smile to his happy tail. Typically more eager wolves of his nature, at least at times for him, would have been very off putting to her. But she was starting to see that not everyone was the same even when they appeared to be that way. She was more willing to give others a chance now, though she still didn't like the presence of most she had met inside the pack. Maybe it was just the new and foreign meetings that was roping her in.

She stood gently as he had stated the obvious, not that she minded. And her cheek turned just slightly with a raised brow, "I did enjoy my time." In a gentle voice, but genuine. "We'll have to see what's in store. Until next time, hopefully soon." With her raven taking flight to land on a pillar further ahead toward Elysium, she would join. Maybe not looking back. But he would still be on her mind no doubt.

"Fiametta"