'

Emotional whiplash.  Beru was convinced that within the span of an hour he'd experienced just about every emotion a wolf can possibly experience.  Was this what it was like being in the company of the princess, or had it just been an off day?  He'd sort of turned to leave, expecting the fae to laugh in his face after what he'd just said, but instead she reached out for him, and the sudden distress in her tone brought the yearling to a halt.  

She was sorry, that was a start. "I.. guess I shouldn't have reacted the way I did.  I'm sorry too." he murmured.  Big step for Beru.  It wasn't often that somebody received an apology after one of his famous tantrums.  He still felt like some clarification was in order though with how jumbled his emotions remained, so he thought about what he'd say next very carefully.

"I think you're pretty enough to get just about anyone you want, so if that's not me please don't put false hope where there is none." It went back to him saying what she wanted to hear, but also got the point across. "We can just be friends if that's what you want. We don't have to be exclusive kissing buddies for me to stick around."

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

He apologised! She felt herself starting to smile, maybe this was going to go okay after all. She maybe wasn’t very good at the whole flirting thing, though she had had a lot of fun teasing him. She just didn’t know where to draw the line, clearly. He looked serious, so she didn’t break out into a full grin just yet, eyeing him curiously to see where he would take the conversation next.

He sounded so sincere, promising her that she was pretty enough to get anybody, and that she was giving him false hope. She felt her mouth open as if to speak, but she wasn’t sure what to say. She closed it, and opened it again, pausing. Then, entirely and utterly against her own will, she was sincere back. Maybe he was the one who had cast a spell on her.

“I… I like that you think that. Where I’m from, strength is valued more than beauty. I’m considered… damaged goods. A faulty Princess amongst Princes and Princesses that are mighty. I’m no one’s first pick. Until now. And… I really like that about you, Beru. you don’t look at me and see someone broken. And you have a very cute smile. And you’re not afraid to argue back. And… I liked kissing you.”

"Speech"

'

His demeanor softened as Kite shared a piece of her story with him and, although a little reluctant, he sat back down.  Beru wasn't sure how anyone could ever look at someone like her and see something broken when what he saw was more comparable to that of flawlessnes, or something pretty damn close."Pff, fuck that and fuck them.  You are strong."  And he meant that.  Physically there was no denying stronger wolves likely existed, but he wouldn't doubt that she'd be able to hold her own in a fight against him, or his sister, or anyone else he knew around their age.  And let's not even start on the emotional strength she'd displayed today.

This time the yearling was able to resist most of the color creeping back into his cheeks, but not all of it.  He liked hearing her compliment him, and he thought her smile was pretty cute too, and of course he liked kissing her or that whole mess wouldn't have even happened and they wouldn't be here now. "You can't let 'em make you feel that way, Kite. You're worth more than that and if they can't see it... I mean it.  Fuck them."

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

“Yeah, well.” She ran a toe through the dirt, and thought of how many times she’d challenged Azure. She hadn’t won so much as one of them yet, but she hadn’t backed down, either. She grinned at Beru. “Fuck ‘em” She agreed.

“But it’s still… nice, you know? To be looked at like…” She waved a paw in his general direction. Just because she didn’t stand down to her family, didn’t mean she didn’t want to be looked at the way Beru looked at her. “So… maybe truce? I’ll try not to tease you too much, and we can be kissing buddies? Exclusive, that it.” She suggested, holding out a paw to seal their deal.


"Speech"

'

He smiled back at her as she repeated his words.  That's the spirit, Kite. Though whether or not she actually meant it Beru was uncertain.  It was probably pretty likely that she'd go back home bearing the same feelings she'd had before this talk, and the yearling couldn't really blame her for that. That feeling that others might view you in a less-than-positive light was hard to shake, especially when it came to family.  He could relate on a much smaller scale, but couldn't really even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to actually be in her position.  If only there was something he could do about it aside from just being there to listen to her vent.

And with that he couldn't fight it back anymore.  Every shade of red from before had graced his cheeks once more as he stared down at the fae's extended paw.  Though rather than taking it Beru fought his nerves, tilted his head, leaned in, and planted another kiss on Kite's muzzle.  Just seemed more fitting than shaking on it.  "Deal."  He grinned.  He wasn't sure what the exact details of exclusive kissing buddies entailed, but he was definitely going to tell Wari he had a girlfriend when he got back. "You never have to worry about me looking at you like that. I think you're really cool.."

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

He ignored the paw - but she forgave him for it when he leaned in for a kiss instead. She could get used to this. She leaned into the kiss again, and peeking out of one eye she brushed her tongue across his muzzle. Keeping a subtle eye on his reaction as she did so. She giggled as she parted from the kiss, and reached her paw to touch his anyway. “Well, keep looking at me like that and you’ll be sure to get lots of kisses” She promised him.

She shuffled forward, until she was brushing up against him, and could lean back against his chest. “I feel like I should know more about you, Beru. What’s your family like, where do you guys live?” She wanted to know.


"Speech"

'

He let out a small,  involuntary squeak of surprise at the feeling of the fae's tongue gliding across his muzzle, something he tried to cover up by immediately clearing his throat a bit.  Damn it.  It couldn't be stressed enough, this was really something he was going to have to work on.  With the promise of more kisses in the future, however, the male was able to get over his embarrassment pretty quick, tail wagging a bit at the prospect.  

Oh yeah, that was something they should probably work on.  They were now exclusive kissing buddies, but they really didn't know much about each other.  Kite especially knew nothing of Beru aside from the fact that he had some siblings.  "Well, my mom, dad, and four of my siblings live in Tojo-Kai.. It's, uh.. Really far from here, down south.. In a bamboo maze!"  He wondered if they had bamboo around here anywhere.  It wasn't something he'd seen since leaving.  

"My family is.. Maybe a little chaotic, but they're good.. And Tojo-Kai is.. Well, I don't really know.  The older members are super hush-hush about a lot of things.. Oh, we speak a different language there!" He wasn't sure if she would think that was cool or not, but it was worth mentioning since he didn't really have much else to add in the way of his birth-pack.  Actually, there wasn't much he thought he was really allowed to add.  Tojo-Kai was proud of it's secrets, so much so that visitors and guests weren't even allowed to set foot into the bamboo maze.  Beru had been warned to keep his mouth shut about the affairs of his homeland, and he respected his elders enough to hold true to that.

"My sister and I wanted to explore though so that's why we're up here. Her name is Himawari.  My full name is Burūberu, by the way.  I just like Beru though, like how you just like Kite.."

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

“Oh!” Kite said suddenly in surprise. “I know that name. Something to do with.. fishes.” Then she gave an impish smile, realising she had interrupted him. “Sorry, I’ve heard it in my studies but never met anyone from there before” She explained. She felt like there was some connection between their packs, but she couldn’t for her life remember what it was.

“Parents and leaders are like that tho, hush-hush I mean.” She said dryly. She knew what it was like to be on the outskirts of whatever the adults were talking about. “A different language… I’ve never heard another language before. Oh! Could you teach me a couple words?”

“They let you just… go off and explore, as a yearling? I’m impressed” Her dad would blow a vein before he allowed it. “Bur-ūb-eru” She said slowly, trying out the word. It was good to know his full name, though she would respect his preference, as he had hers. “I like it, but Beru it is.”


"Speech"

'

Beru smiled at her little interruptions, not at all bothered by them.  It was cool that she'd heard of his pack before.  He wondered what his parents could tell him of hers once he and Wari inevitably travelled back down there someday.  And it was kind of a relief to know that his pack wasn't the only one weird about secrets.  

"I'm pretty sure it means Bluebell, like the flower.  And Himawari means sunflower.  Not all of us were named after flowers though, take Potato for instance."  Ah, poor Tate.  "And yeah, we're pretty much allowed to come and go whenever.  Why, you can't?  How old do you have to be?  Wait -- first, try saying this:  Beru wa kamidesu."

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

The fish thing was still bothering her. Why did hearing his pack name make her think of fish? Sadly, if he knew what she meant, he didn’t enlighten her. But she didn’t mind, because he was already distracting her with other things. So she leaned against him, head tilted upwards as she listened to the delightful sound of his voice. “Do you know what bluebell’s look like? I want to know.” She asked him next. Especially if it was the meaning of his name. “Sunflower I know” She added with a giggle.

“You have a sibling called Potato?” Her lip twitched in amusement. “No, My dad’s really over the top. Especially since mum--” She froze. The words had almost rolled right off her tongue, and the wave of emotion hit her like a lightning strike. She hadn’t thought of her mum for a while. She tried not to, it was just too painful. Better to let painful things lie forgotten, where they couldn’t hurt her. She unfroze slowly, and whispered the word he indicated. Stumbling over it as she sought distraction. “Beeruu waaa kaaamideeesu. What does it mean?”


"Speech"

'

He gladly welcomed the closeness she provided between them, leaning against her in return.  His heart was a flutter, and he couldn't help but keep thinking about how nice this felt.  He thought Kite would agree with the sentiment, but was too nervous to seek confirmation.   "Bluebells are.. uuhhh.." He wiped clean a piece of earth below his paw and attempted to draw out the flora in question.  Now, Beru was no artist, but he thought his creation might at the very least provide her with the general idea. "They're like.. droopy like that, and they've got lots of flowers on each stem.. Oh, and obviously they're blue, like a purple-y blue."  he nodded, satisfied enough with the given explanation.

"Yep! Me, Wari, Fuji, Rheum, Tachibana, and Potato." Poor, poor Tate.  He had no intentions of telling the fae that they usually addressed his brother by his nickname.  He'd forever be Potato in her mind.

He hadn't missed the mention of her mother and the way it almost instantaneously caused a shift from somewhere deep within her.  Sounded like an old wound.  The yearling was curious, but not enough to bring it up again tonight. Beru made a mental note to tread those waters carefully, if at all.  He didn't want to hurt her.  Likely because she welcomed the distraction from the previous topic Kite repeated the phrase back to him without hesitation, it almost made him feel a little guilty.  "Wow, Kite, a God? I didn't know you thought so highly of me.  I'm honored."  He looked at her, raising a brow before letting out a laugh.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

She giggled as she looked at the picture he drew, then looked back up at him again. “Accurate, you do look kind of droopy” She teased him. He wasn’t even remotely blue however, so she wondered what had compelled his parents to name him after them. She wondered if her own blue might have suited the name a little closer.

“Such beautiful, elegant names. For the most part.” She was quite happy to get in on that brother-teasing. She had siblings of her own, she knew how important it was. She shook her head, amused. Pushed past the thought of her mother and shoved it down as hard and as deep as it could go.

When he admitted to what she said, she playfully stamped on his paw. “If you're a God, you're the God of Blushing!” She warned him, not in the least but upset about the deception. She didn’t speak the language, and she would be disappointed if he didn’t use that to pull her tail a little.


"Speech"

'

His face scrunched at the jab.  Beru was a lot of things, thankfully droopy wasn't one of them.  Not yet at least, but who knew how old age would treat him in the future.  "Yeah, well you're the one smoochin' on me, so what does that say about you?  Droop lover."  he cackled, nudging her a bit with his shoulder.  "At least I'm not as droopy as Potato."  the crystalline boy smirked.  "But he wasn't named that because of his droop.  He got the name because of all those extra, root-like limbs of his.. Not to mention those eyes..."  He said it so matter-of-factly that he was almost proud of himself.  For dramatic affect Beru glanced somewhere far away and let out a small shudder.

"Oww~" He joked, withdrawing the freshly stamped paw.  "Fine, fine.  Try this then:  Watashi wa utsukushī"  A little harder to pronounce, but he was sure she'd get it.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

“I guess I have terrible taste” She said airily, before she grinned and leaned to touch the top of her nose to the bottom of his chin. Not quite a kiss, just a little bump to promise she was only teasing. After all, she had already admitted he was a good looking wolf, and she wasn’t about to take that back.

“Root like…” She opened and closed her mouth. “Extra…” What on earth was he describing? “What… I don’t understand. How can he be root like, and what's up with his… does he have weird eyes? Are you about to hark on your brother for having weird eyes.” She narrowed her own at his, her head tilting in that mulish way again. A sign he could read to say ‘danger ahead, proceed with caution’

“ Watashi wa utsukushī” She said obediently, and then, to prove she was paying attention to what she was saying she said “Kyanite wa kamidesu”

"Speech"

'

"Oh, no, no."  he shook his head.  "It's not that at all.. It's the amount of eyes, really... and their... odd placements.. Void of emotion, always... watching.. " he met her gaze with a blank, distant stare.  Whoops, close call there. Watch the eyes, buddy.  Not that he actually thought hers to be strange in any way, no more strange than the crystals on his back at least.  "And they're just so thin and long... the extra limbs, that is.  Always searching for... Nutrients.."  he hoped the image he painted of his brother was nightmare inducing enough.  Tate would probably appreciate it.  

"Hmm, you are beautiful, I agree with you there.. But if I'm the god of blushing I wonder what that would make you?  God of mischief maybe?"  He thought about it and shrugged.  "Cruel mischief, probably."  Beru winked at the fae before smiling and lightly nuzzling into her.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

She squinted at him some more. What sort of eldritch beast was he describing, exactly?? “Is one of your parents some sort of whacky Long Night creature?” She asked him, about 30% convinced, and 70% sure he was pulling her tail. She had after all seen some strange things. But she would withhold judgement until she meant the poor, strange creature that was Potato. “If your parents are eldritch gods, I’m going to be very upset at you for holding out on me” she warned him.

“I’m The god of persistence, thank you” She told him. Surely she had at least earned that. With the amount of times she had stood up against Azure, and everything that had cost her. Besides, she had won herself a Beru, and that had taken some persistence, right? He nuzzled into her, and she let out a soft, contented sigh and leaned into it. She was definitely soaking up the attention.

"Speech"

'

"I.. Didn't mention that?"  He puzzled.  "Could of swore I did.  Yeah, my parent's real names can't even be said in any current known language so we just had to rename them Sedna and Raijin because... Well I guess because it sounded close enough?"  Admitting to his parents being eldritch gods was definitely giving away the fact that this whole thing had been nothing but a mere fabrication, but Beru didn't mind.  "Yep, basically they both drank some weird liquid during the Long Night and ascended to godhood, or so the story goes. Speaking of eyes, it's a real good thing you've got those crystals or they'd probably eat you if you ever met 'em. Still trying to figure out why they do that..."  a smirk returned to his face.

"God of persistence it is then."  Because who was he to doubt it from all that he'd heard.  "Tell me more about yourself now, anything you can think of."  He wanted to know it all, even the little things, but he had a feeling that would take more than one night to get through.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

She squinted at him even harder as he continued on, shaking her head at him as he agreed that his parents were eldritch gods. Okay, so he was definitely playing her for a fool. Yep, basically they both drank some weird liquid during the Long Night and ascended to godhood, or so the story goes. She froze, her eyes widening. That, that she found far too plausible. She had heard some crazy stories about the long night, and her parents believed that her own crystals had come from that. She shivered, and wondered exactly what she had gotten herself into. Her breathing quickened a little -- and then she saw the smirk that crossed his face. “Burūberu!” She shrieked, and jabbed her elbow into his ribs. “You monster, you almost got me!”

After a little more jabbing and pretend outrage, she settled back into her spot against his chest. “Alright.” She agreed. “What do I know about Kyanite…” She pretended to mull it over a little, before grinning at him. “Well, my father is the Warlord of the Armada, which is why I’m a Princess. He’s old. Like… really old, which is why I have three litters of siblings, aunties and uncles that are younger than me, and cousins all over Boreas. So… that's what I meant about everyone being Princes and Princesses. I can’t see in the daylight, because the lights are too bright. So I prefer the night, so I guess I’m a bit of an insomniac. I could list my whole family, but you’ll probably fall asleep before I get through it all.” She teased, drumming a paw against the earth as she thought about what she could tell him. “I have an arch-nemesis called Azure. He’s one of my oldest brothers, and he’s super against weakness in the family. I tried to bite off his toe once…”


"Speech"

He burst out into laughter despite his now aching ribcage.  "I'm sorry--"  He wheezed.  "It was too good, I couldn't help myself!" He was definitely fortunate enough to not live in a world where one of his brothers was some sort of  abomination and his parents were eldritch gods, but now he could call them even for all that she'd done to him earlier.  Plus, that face she made when she really believed him, now that was adorable.

He snuggled back in and absorbed her every last word.  So her father's a warlord.. And she had a lot of family.. And her father's an ancient warlord.. And everyone was royalty.. And he's a warlord.. And Beru's theory about the blindfold had officially been confirmed, but also her father's a warlord.. And really fuck that Azure guy, sounded like a real asshole, but at least he wasn't a warlord..  "Huh.  I like night time too, and it's a real shame you didn't get that toe.. Hey.. What did you mean by warlord?"

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

What an absolute brat, he had gotten her so good. But maybe that made them even, didn’t it? After telling him a few things about herself, he had some things to say. She was glad he liked the night, or that would have put a real damper on their… whatever this was. Their kissing-booth time. Exclusive Kissing Partners that title was going to start making her giggle.

“Yeah, I really wanted that toe, too.” She agreed mournfully. Rubbing absently at the joint of her paw where Azure had broken it in retaliation. It had fully healed, and healed clean, but she could still remember the ache of it. “Well, he chose the name because it meant… uhh.. Oh.” She paused, realising that was probably one of the things she wasn’t supposed to just tell anyone. “He likes… war? I guess. He used to be some big wig for the Ashen Empire, before he split and made our home.” It was partly the truth, but not all of it. She didn’t like keeping things from Beru, but she couldn’t remember if Tojo-kai was a pack that was aligned with theirs or not.


"Speech"