She was so mad. Rota and Audr refused to let her see her mother or father. Why?! Why were they holed up away from everyone with no explanation? Frustrated, furious, angry, sad, upset, missing her parents more than she could explain, Lumine decided not to sit and pout. No, instead she would leave. Go as far as she could go before her legs gave out.

Unfortunately for Lumine, she doesn’t make it very far. With tears in her eyes and a sniffle in her nose, she breaks through the reeds blindly. Her paws splash into the shallows and she’s quickly back pedaling onto the shore. The lake has caught her by surprise and she stands there, near ankle deep in the muck with her eyes wide and watery.

Through her blurry vision, she notices just how beautiful the place is. The sun hasn’t quite set yet, casting an array of sherbet hues over the glassy surface of water. Disturbed by the rippling of fish that breech, she soon forgets about her woes. Fireflies dance in and out of the reeds, around her and occasionally landing on her for a rest.

Where had this lake been? She hadn’t noticed it before, but when she glances backward, an eastern wind brings a familiar pack scent to her. Elysium. “Shoot, I did it again,” Lumine groans, sinking into a sitting position where she hangs her head and lets out a sigh. Well, if she was going to get caught, she might as well let it happen.

A chilly autumn had settled over Elysium, and Dominus is honestly living for it. The boy is built like a brick shithouse already, and it leaves him prone to overheating. Cooler weather meant he could get out and stretch his muscles without getting too warm and feeling crummy. Racing through the tall grasses around the lake with mom's fluffy cat as a begrudging playmate. It's as he runs, as he stretches and really allows himself to run all out, that the boy catches a scent on the breeze. Brow furrowing... it's familiar. The winds that come from the north west of them, down the mountains, they smell like that. Dominus finds himself hoping, following his nose. She's sitting among the reeds, and he's quick to close the gap. Among the reeds and in the water, and it would only get colder as the sun came down. "Lumi!" Excitement on his face, as he breaks into full view through the reeds and tall grass. She was stuffy nosed, red eyed. "What's wrong?" Tone softening, colored with concern as he draws to her side. The fact she's trespassing is outshone by his excitement to see her, and by the fact she looked like she'd been crying. dominus mendacium

table coding by bunni ♥

Staring out at the glassy surface with a sniffle every so often, she can see why Elysium would want to claim it. The lake fed by northern rivers provided ample fish even during the winter when it would freeze over. With the reeds surrounding the shore, it provided protection from others who wished to seek out the pack or to trespass. Plus, those same reeds could be used for so many things such as rope or baskets or traps.

Her mind tries to think about these things, examining the lake, keeping her thoughts busy, because it at least keeps the pain away. To be in a place where no one knows her. A place that is mysterious and beautiful and serene. Nothing bad would happen here, right? Of course not. In the next few moments, she hears someone practically thrashing through the reeds. Her fur stands on end, body freezing as she doesn't move. If she stays still enough, they won't notice her...

Lumine doesn't relax until a familiar voice shouts her name. Turning to look over her shoulder, she smiles brightly at Dominus. "Dom," Lumine speaks quietly, trying to hide the strain of her words from crying so much. As he approaches, her tail wags against the dried mud along the shore. Turning away from him to stare back out at the lake, she inhales and holds her breath, trying to stop the tears from falling when he asks what's wrong.

"My life is falling apart," she whispers. Though it sounds dramatic, she isn't even one yet and she believed her mother to be dying. To Lumine, that deserved a little bit of dramatics.

It's picturesque, the lake and the fading afternoon light. Reflective and glassy, shining back at them and scattering the fading daylight in every direction. It's really Lumine that makes it a sight worth stopping for, though he doesn't wait for long. No, instead he'd commit it to memory, hold onto it in his mind's eye. Though the girl chases any trembling from her voice, Dominus picks up the way she turns away. Carefully, the boy picks his way to her side, setting his muzzle on her shoulder. It's gentle, perhaps uncharacteristically so for such a rough and tumble boy. Warmth, right now. From what he can tell, she needs the warmth, not physically but emotionally. "Falling apart how?" His gaze is owlish for a moment, before realizing that isn't going to help. Instead, Dominus wraps around her shoulder gently, taking a somewhat more comfortable grasp. Though he's not particularly practiced, he does care. It's a start. "I've got you, you can talk to me." dominus mendacium

table coding by bunni ♥

His muzzle comes to rest on her shoulder and though it is comforting, it brings forth more tears as well. Her shoulders shake as she tries to prevent him, but the comforting grasp is almost too comforting. An exhausted sigh leaves her as she tries to avoid the hitched breathing sort of hiccups that only happen after you've cried so hard your body can't handle it anymore. With vision still blurry, she really tries to focus. Her ears can hear his question, but her brain isn't really registering it yet.

Not until his arm is around her, embracing her in a gentle hug. Why was it that this random boy from next door was more comforting than her own brothers? They seemed to just want to... fight it out or ignore it. Runa tried, she did, but she was feeling the same feelings so commiserating in the same misery wasn't always helpful.

Inhaling one more deep breath, Lumine turns her chin slightly to look at Dom. Their faces so close to each other, his embrace warm around her. How could she not confide in him? "My mother is dying and no one will be honest about it," the words spill from trembling lips and as she finishes, she leans her face into his neck. More sobs leave her as she tries to calm down, but its not working. Her mother was dying.