Darkness had settled across the lands of Elysium like a thick blanket, the top of which was covered with a sea of countless stars. It was in that darkness that Nirvana rose, her time of the day to rule. The albino woman slipped into her cape and made sure her dagger was with her. She had the intent to patrol the borders of the rock garden into the territory of firefly lake that night. With most of their family on the island at this time of night the woman did not doubt that they would be sleeping, snuggling, or even engaging in lewder activities at this hour. Part of her yearned for the latter. Someday, when the time and place was right, she would encounter her soulmate like her kin before her. She would not dare to soil the spirits of the ancients, nor compromise the name that was her birthright. She was proud to be a Mendacium, but not in a vain sense. She drew a breath, faded red gaze sweeping across the stone touched territory.

The sound of wings announced the presence of one of her companions winging down close to her. Nirvana cast a look over to the falcon, dipping her head slightly in greeting. Her companions were loyal, obedient, and she had found that treating them well yielded far better results than others who treated the other beasts as dirt. They were still servants of a sort, but they were solely hers. Treat them well, they would respond well. And should anyone else dare touch them, or any other Elysium member in her presence, Nirvana would be sure they paid for transgressions in blood. Family was everything. They had always been everything.

“Ridge,” She greeted. “You’ve news for me?” The albino woman tilted her head to the side. The bird gave a soft cry, winging back towards the air as she called down to her wolf mistress. “Your cousin walks these paths tonight! Perhaps it is time you spoke?” A suggestion, but one well meant. Nirvana closed her eyes with a smirk. Ridge had done well… she had been meaning to meet with Avacyn alone. Her cousin was the heir of the pack, busy for certain, especially with the raid that had occurred and undoubtedly training for her role as Matriarch, but speaking with more family, especially her aunt’s children was important to her.

Despite her finding her own path, her respect for Manea and the amount she treasured her aunt had never waned. Nirvana took off through the night, prowling under the starlight and the pale glow of the quarter moon. She would find Avacyn moving along throughout the garden, closer to the heart of the territory. “Unusual to see others up this time of night, cousin.” Nirvana’s words were not unkind as she approached, dipping her head respectfully to the other she wolf. “What brings you to the garden this late? Anything an extra set of paws might be able to aid in?”

"Nirvana Mendacium"

It was incredibly rare for Avacyn to be out this late, especially on her own, but as she inched ever closer to the day that she and her mother were going to announce the change in leadership of the pack she found that sleep was getting harder and harder to come by. There were simply too many thoughts racing through her head and too many "what ifs" sitting on her chest to allow her to fully rest. She hoped that once the change finally happened and she got it over with that some of this anxiety would stop, but there was no real way to tell until it came to pass. Luckily she didn't have that much longer to wait so she would find out soon enough.

To avoid accidentally waking up Saracyn with her tossing and turning, she slipped out of the den and began wandering out across the island and eventually found herself crossing the land bridge out onto the mainland as she got some fresh air and wandered through the dark, moonlit lands of what would soon be her pack. She didn't really expect to see anyone else out at this time of night, but a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye pulled her attention and the Heiress turned her dark gaze toward the pale figure of her cousin. Offering Nirvana a smile and nodding in agreement to the statement about how unusual it was to see someone up this time of night, she chuckled softly and replied, "I was about to say the same thing to you."

She continued to walk but at a slower pace so they could speak comfortably, giving a nod of her head for Nirvana to join her. She hadn't had much opportunity to get to know her cousin very well yet so it was a welcome surprise to have the albino woman appear now even if she wasn't sure she would be great company to keep right now or not. As Nirvana questioned her over what brought her out to the garden and offered her assistance, Avacyn chuckled again and sighed, looking out over the landscape ahead of them as she spoke. "Unfortunately, unless you can take away my anxiety or fast forward time to get me past my coronation I'm afraid there's not much you can help with." Glancing back to Nirvana again, she gave her another more thankful smile. "I appreciate the offer, though. I wish it was just a simple chore that kept me up so I could have your help with it."

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Her cousin would chuckle, making the comment that she was about to say the same. Nirvana gave a small nod. Usually yes, however… “It is normally easier for me to be active at night. Harsh sunlight can be a bit much for my eyes, much to my annoyance. I can usually push through, but it can be a bit of a handicap.” Whereas moonlight was much gentler, and she had grown accustomed to traveling by night. It could sometimes make hunting easier too, giving her a chance of ambushing prey. She would continue to pad along with Avacyn, her red gaze thoughtful as she waited to hear what brought her cousin out at this hour. It felt nice to be able to walk with a fellow Mendacium though, even if Avacyn did appear to have something troubling her mind.

Avacyn would confess that she was anxious, and that unless she could take that away or fast forward the time to get her past the coronation, there wasn’t much could do to help. Nirvana’s expression did not sour at that. Instead, it softened, and the woman let her gaze slide to her cousin in understanding. “Unfortunately those things are outside the realm of my abilities. But at the very least I can keep you company for a while. Perhaps offer a bit of a distraction to an otherwise racing mind.” Nirvana’s words were kind, her gaze shifting back to the rock garden around them.

“That said, should you ever need anything done that is something I can assist with, all you have to do is ask. I know that I’ve not yet proved myself here, but I am always willing to put in the work and assist how I can. I’ve taken to patrolling the Rock Garden at night, keeping an eye out for any predators that might dare to cross our borders. Sometimes I even wander over to the territory of the lake as well.” Nirvana spoke calmly, tail swishing behind her at a leisurely and thoughtful pace. She was sure there would come a time when she would be of more use to her pack but, for now, she focused on doing the little bits she could, discipling herself into a comfortable routine.

"Nirvana Mendacium"

Understanding lit up her features as her cousin went on to explain how it was easier to be active at night because of the harsh sunlight due to her pale eyes and features. It wasn't something Avacyn had ever needed to consider and hadn't thought about it, but now that Nirvana pointed it out it made perfect sense. "Well, I guess I have the perfect candidate for nighttime patrols then!" she partially joked with a chuckle. It would certainly be easier to have someone that was already more comfortable being up and active at night rather than having to force someone to take a shift at night and throwing off their sleep schedule entirely.

As their conversation continued and she expressed what was on her mind, she appreciated her cousin's thoughtfulness with her willingness to help regardless of the fact that what she really needed help with couldn't be so easily solved. It was one of the things that she loved about their family. Despite how small and segmented their family could feel at times and how naturally independent they could be, they truly would do anything for one another when it came down to it. "I'll certainly take a distraction," she agreed with another smile. Nirvana went on, adding that all she had to do was ask if there was anything else she could help with. Avacyn was quick to give a shake of her head to dismiss the notion that Nirvana had not "proven herself" yet. "Your night patrols and watching for predators is already a huge help. Everything else will come with time."

Her smile grew a bit wistful as she added, "I'm just glad to have some family here at all outside of just my siblings and parents. There used to be more of us here, but they've kind of splintered off and gone their own way over time. That's fine, of course, I want everyone to live whatever life feels best to them in the end, but I do kind of wish I could have the kind of life that my mom talks about in her stories... Back when she had all sorts of cousins, aunts, and uncles around her... I try to imagine sometimes what it was like to have the Mendacium family be so substantial, you know? I'm thankful for all of the wolves that have decided to live here, but it's still something I think about sometimes."

"Avacyn Mendacium"