That uncomfortable feeling in more ways than one - was winter really over? Was spring returning already, and her heat with it? How old was she now? Too old, for sure. It felt weird, too, because she still at times felt like the yearling she had been when she first came to Abaven. But... it'd been so long since then, hadn't it? She shook her head roughly, feeling the tattered feather behind her ear shake around and tug gently at the fur it was stuck in. Definitely a long time.

And yet, in that time, she had grown more and more distant with everyone in the pack, for the most part, preferring the solitude and quiet over the interaction with others that she most definitely favored when younger. She was pretty sure she was less confrontational, too.

And yet, at... however old she was, she still couldn't figure out what it was she and Lark shared. Was she just in denial? Possibly. Probably. Okay, most likely. Even she could admit that - after all, the man was the first one she thought to trust and go to... for anything really. From complaining, to bragging, to serious issues, to, ah, dealing with her heat. That'd last one specifically she'd done quite a few times. And, okay, the complaining and bragging too.

And hey, what do you know? Irritated, craving some social interaction - she and Lark had been just a bit more distant because of the Sparrow issue - she rolled to her paws, and out of her den. Maybe she'd find Lark - or anyone - nosing around the area?


""

art by birmapus

Note: Lillie has scars over her right eye and down her cheek. She also has scars under her chin and on her jaw. Her tables and art will most likely not reflect this. Unless it is specified otherwise, assume Lillianna is accompanied by her companion.

Lark felt worse and worse with each passing day. Not only had his father left, but his sister too, and for what? For a near-stranger's children? To say he was livid was an understatement, but being angry would do no good. Part of him wanted to race off and find them, to tell his father how foolish he was being, but another part of him didn't trust Abaven to survive unless he was here.. as though he might be able to save anything if it did. He nearly rolled his eyes as he thought about it now. He had no real experience in ruling a pack, and he'd told his father that he didn't want to rule Abaven, yet he was still irritated that it'd been left to Vali.

Feelings just didn't always make sense, and trying to figure this one out, well.. he had a feeling it was a lost cause. He shook his head as rummaged through the thicket, wishing he could easily push all his thoughts from his head and move on. Only when he caught Lillie's scent did his spirits lighten, though not as substantially as he would've hoped. Even she was confusing to him at times - he hadn't been able to figure out the weirdness between her and Sparrow yet, since their father was supposed to have been talked to about it, and now he was gone.

Lark tried to mask the slight scowl on his features as he navigated toward her. At least she was familiar, and a constant for him. He had all but forgotten about the time she'd spent away from Abaven, deciding that since she'd had a good reason.. she had been injured, after all.. that it wasn't worth dwelling on. Not with all this other stuff to think about, especially. He forced himself to smile as he closed the distance between them, finally seeing her through the growing vegetation. "Sup, Lillie?" He asked conversationally, leaning to nudge her shoulder gently with his nose.

Heh, it was just her luck. Or was it, really? Shrugging it off, she dismissed the though - it wasn't important, not right now. Instead, she focused on the man in front of her, her face lighting up in a gentle smile at the affectionate greeting he gave her. Still, it didn't stop her from cocking her head gently to the side, eyeing the smile that she suspected might not be so genuine. If she knew him - which she was still learning him, all these years later - then he would still be upset about his father.... and really, Lillianna didn't blame him.

"Heat again," she admitted quietly, swishing her tail back and forth lightly. Not really a wag, moreso just... movement? Twitchiness? As was normal with these seasons of heat, Lark was distracting. To be fair, he was distracting regardless for her on the best occasion. In heat? Let's not even get into that. It was even more odd to actually be admitting it; she was pretty sure they both were more than aware of her heat, but they never... really mentioned it. They didn't mention a lot of things, actually, though that silence never hurt.

It was her turn to nudge his shoulder after another moment. "How are you feeling?" About his father? About the season? About anything? What was going through his mind, and could she help any? If she could, she would, and with zero hesitation.

""

art by birmapus

Note: Lillie has scars over her right eye and down her cheek. She also has scars under her chin and on her jaw. Her tables and art will most likely not reflect this. Unless it is specified otherwise, assume Lillianna is accompanied by her companion.

Lark would've laughed if anyone had told him, when he was young, that Lillianna would end up being his closest friend. It made perfect since now, though, and he appreciated her companionship. A more genuine smile tugged at his lips at her greeting, his expression lightening considerably. It didn't go without notice that her scent had changed again.. it was considerably more attractive to him now than he remembered, and his gaze briefly flitted over her form as he drew closer.

"I noticed" Lark replied simply to her simple statement. Of course he'd sensed it right away. Maybe the first time he'd been a bit confused about it, but now it was something he both dreaded and looked forward to; he hated not feeling totally in control of himself, but he also always enjoyed spending more... intimate time with her. Usually, but today he wasn't totally sure if he was feeling up for it. His mind was occupied with other things, even if he hated admitting it.

"Better now that I'm with you," he drawled, moving to flop down to his haunches beside her. Her question was a vague one, and he didn't mind avoiding the things that were really on his mind for a long moment. He leaned into her, more heavily than he usually might, taking a deep whiff of her scent. "Other than that.. I have no idea. None at all. What about you?" They hadn't spoken about the pack's changes, and truth be told he wasn't happy about any of it, but he had yet to vocalize it aloud.

She figured he'd notice. After all, it was pretty obvious when the change happened, and it was something that both excited her and drove her insane. Excited her, because she loved the time she spent with Lark. Drove her insane, because no matter what, the feelings wouldn't disappear. Feelings? Cravings? Whatever you called it. It drove her to be more emotional, more instinctual, and that too was an iffy thing. She did usually embrace it, but still.

Her ear twitched at his drawling statement, feeling a... different sort of warmth in her chest. A comforting warmth? Different than the typical, ah, heat that suffused her when she was in heat. It was... much more satisfying, too. Not that the other heat didn't arise when Lark leaned into her, and she sighed and leaned back, firmly ignoring all tingles throughout her body as she instead focused on her words. "I'm... okay, I guess," she said softly, ears flicking. "I don't know what to do, with the changes going on." It just felt like she was drifting, with no purpose. And with Bass gone - even though Vali had said it would only be a short while, it just... she felt even more like she was drifting.

""

art by birmapus

Note: Lillie has scars over her right eye and down her cheek. She also has scars under her chin and on her jaw. Her tables and art will most likely not reflect this. Unless it is specified otherwise, assume Lillianna is accompanied by her companion.