It had been a few days since Manea had promoted her into the position beside Al and while it may have seemed like a perfect fit given her place in his life she still felt kind of off by it. Relm had never lived in a pack besides Elysium, ambition wasn’t one of her strong suits.  She liked to stay in the shadows and do her duties behind the scenes. But honestly she couldn’t say no to Manea and she did feel honored for her to feel that way towards her given their rough start and maybe still tension between them. Though maybe things wouldn’t change much, and she at least believed Alastor would guide her through her unknowns.

Usually she would wait in the common areas for him, but today she wandered out into the new territories where she knew he would be scouting or patrolling for the expansion. Work had picked up more recently because of it, but Relm was still working through her silent routines with the extra patrols and filling the stores on the island.

When she caught up to him she gave him a near shy smile, the most genuine she could be around anyone here. She went to walk beside him in step as if she was just here to be in his presence which wouldn’t have really been out of the norm for her. It took her a moment to say anything. "Manea promoted me." She spoke with her gaze still out in front of her maybe showing just that hint of anxiousness to him. She tried to sound... excited in a way but in the smallest amounts she could show. It was a little forced. Manea should have already talked to Alastor by now, she could assume but she didn’t. Her tone and step was the most casual she could be. "Is this something you wanted?" she wasn’t asking him if he had asked for her to be Generalis, but almost asking him if she had made the right decision or not.

"Relm"

Alastor had known about Manea's intentions to promote Relm to the rank of Generalis as his right hand before she'd made the offer to the young woman, but ever the fan of surprises, the Mendacium man had said nothing nor given away any hints of his knowledge to clue Relm in. This was a big deal; a reward for her efforts put in toward improving herself and Elysium as a whole. Her work had not gone unnoticed, and Manea was compensating her justly for it. Still, he was eagerly awaiting the day she came and told him the news of her promotion so he could celebrate with her, letting Relm find out from Manea first hand. It took a few days from when he and his wife had the discussion about the pink Abraxas woman, life continuing on as normal. A warm spring began to thaw the world out from its frigid winters, aided by the many storms that soaked Boreas as the seasons transitioned. On this particular day, the weather was thankfully dry, if not a bit muggy, and there was a thick blanket of heavy storm clouds rolling in the sky, but so far the weather had remained temperate. It remained to be seen if it would stay that way, however, as a distant rumble of thunder preceded a coming storm.

The massive black dire wolf was patrolling the borders of Firefly Lake with several of Elysium's other warriors, making Sur their newest territory acquisition remained squarely within their control. Their neighbor to the south may have been disbanded and the lingering threat of Abaven dispelled, but that did not guarantee safety for the pack. So Alastor ran patrols, wandering around the edges of the lake as a gentle breeze tousled his long flowing fur. He could smell the coming storm on the wind; hopefully it stayed away until he could return to Alias. Drying out his fur was never a fun endeavor. Partway through his circuit, he saw a flash of pink approach him, and obsidian eyes turned to greet Relm with an equally warm smile as she accompanied him in his patrols. Together the pair moved in lockstep, neither saying anything immediately, content to enjoy each other's presence. It was Relm who broke the silence first, informing him of her promotion. Alastor's placid smile grew, sharp fangs flashing in a wide grin as attention was turned to his companion.

"Congratulations! It's what you deserve. You've done so much to prove yourself," he replied, dark eyes shining with a warm pride for the young woman as he feigned ignorance to what he knew was coming her way. Alastor could sense Relm's anxiousness, more than just her usual amount of discomfort at being out and about. There were nerves there, though whether they existed because of her new rank or for another reason he couldn't tell. Relm asked if this was something he wanted and Alastor gave a curt nod of his head. "There's no other wolf I'd trust to be by my side—well, except maybe Kichi, but you could easily knock his ass on the ground in a fight." Alastor gave a humming chuckle, his voice almost lyrical while he celebrated Relm's accomplishments with her. As they walked, the dire brute slid closer so his side brushed hers and his shoulder gave hers a playful bump, glancing down to Relm with such pride and delight for her in his expression. "Is this something you wanted?" he countered with her own question, wondering if this was what Relm had desired also or if she had taken the rank out of a sense of obligation to.

"Alastor"

Something about Alastor, maybe the way he looked at her, smiled, told her she deserved it, it did make her feel a little better. A little more worthy, a little more confident. Her own shy smile in response to the way he reacted but she still struggled well on the surface. He could make her feel better sure, but she'd always feel as if she was never good enough. For Manea, for the pack, at times for him. It was her own curse really. Maybe it was driven from her upbringing with Kefka, but either way she still lacked much confidence in the entire time she had known Alastor since she had nearly joined Elysium. It would probably never fade away. She'd probably always feel anxious and undeserving. She'd never actually tell him that though.

She still held that hard smile as he mentioned Kichi, her eyes looking forward along their path which was the most show in the way she was feeling. She could feel completely free beside Alastor, so the kind of nerves and tension she was exposing to him in a subtle way was different than her usual, undefined anxiousness alongside anyone else. She did know how to hold those kinds of emotions in when necessary, she could handle harder situations. But just being around anyone but Alastor and most of the time Kichi, her physical tension came off typically very wrong to others. And it was one reason why having the higher position made her nervous.

Alastor gently bumping into her, once upon a time, would have sent her spiraling. Panicking internally, repulsed by the touch. But they had been long past that. Just for him she was completely comfortable with opening up and with allowing him to touch her in anyway whether it was playfully or further. She had grown to long for the next time she could be wrapped up in him, or just as casually as they were now. It was a feeling she'd never known before.

When he asked her in turn if it was what she wanted, she stopped in step. She didn't respond right away because she was searching for the right words to say. Not that she felt like anything she'd say to him would come out wrong. She was just never really good with words to begin with. "This is hard for me, Al." It was... probably so blatantly obvious what she meant. Just being here. Being around others, having her own expectations of herself through Manea's eyes. Everything about being in Elysium was hard for her. "It's not easy for me to be around Manea." She still hadn't turned to look at him yet, her jaw clenched just a little bit as she was reminded about the night here at the lake after her fallout with Merrick. She didn't bring it up, she didn't want to. "This is a first time for everything." An easy confession, not even a weight off her shoulder. Everything he may have already known. She had never lived in a pack before, barely lived around other wolves in her whole life. The nurturing Kefka deprived her of in her early youth causing her to be so screwed. Her gaze finally turned to meet him, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I don't even think for Kichi." It could have been old news to him, but ever since their last time here at the lake everything really had changed even if she wasn't showing it much now. In turn she could maybe say she was happy with the promotion, but everything was drowned out by the anxiety she felt that was everywhere surrounding Alastor.

"Relm"

Alastor wasn't blind, and he didn't miss the way Relm's expression grew tense when they talked about Manea and Kichi. He didn't address it though; he knew of Relm's emotional struggles. Her struggles with Manea made sense, given the intimate nature of the relationship he shared with her. He could only assume it was the same reason why she grew hard at the mention of Kichi as well. Not out of malice, but out of discomfort. Alastor understood, which is why he said nothing on it. Instead the two continued their walk around the lake in quiet while Relm picked her words to use in response to his question. That was good, it meant she was taking the time to really consider what she thought and how she felt. He knew he would receive a genuine answer instead of a manufactured lie used as a placeholder for the truth.

When Relm stopped so too did Alastor. The dire brute angled his body to face the young woman, cocking his head to one side in an almost comically confused fashion. Relm explained that this was hard for her and that it wasn't easy for her to be around Manea. Alastor's jaw tensed, his lips pulling into a fine line while he nodded in understanding. He knew why it was so difficult for Relm to exist the way she was. She wanted Alastor, wanted him all to herself. In another world, another life, maybe they would have been what she wanted them to do. The demon wolf breathed a heavy sigh and stared down at where the grass met the pebbly shore of the lake, lost in wistful and distant thoughts. "I know..." A simple answer, but the whole-hearted truth. He knew. He understood. He also didn't know what or if he could do anything about it. "You know, I wanted to kill your father from the day I met him." Alastor gave a dark chuckle laced with incredulity, the giant wolf shaking his head while he gazed out at the lake. "Now I'm wondering if I had, what would that have done for us." Would it have ruined their relationship to execute the woman's psychotic father when she was but a pup? Would it have freed them up to pursue the relationship they had now? Or had all this been dependent on Alastor slaughtering Kafka when he'd been inside his own daughter?

Relm explained that this was a first for her, and while her vagueness may have seemed off-putting to some, Alastor actually understood her clear as day. Relm had grown up without a pack, without ranks and roles and jobs, kept alive by Kafka until she was old enough to care for herself. Everything she was experiencing in Elysium, both personally and professionally, was all uncharted territory for her. When her head turned to look at him, Alastor was already turning his head to lock gazes with her, ebony meeting silver while she heralded him as the reason she was still here. Alastor tilted his head again, considering her words for a moment. Then he stepped up to her again, closing the short gap between them until he was standing facing the young Abraxas woman. "I'm glad you took this promotion, Relm," he spoke in low, husky tones, shifting a massive black paw closer to rest over one of hers. "You are the only wolf in this world I trust to be at my side in the ways that you are. I wanted you to be the one in that rank."

Alastor opened his mouth again to keep speaking—and then paused before he said the words that he had said last time they'd been at this lake. When he'd done what she asked him not to when he admitted his love for her. He didn't want to upset or panic the young fae again, so he simply closed his mouth without saying anything. After a beat, a little smirk twitched at the corner of his lips. "Plus, this new role means you'll be spending a lot more time with me, one on one." He didn't feel the need to spell out the implications of what that new dynamic would mean for their relationship. Relm was a clever girl and would figure it out. How easy would it be for a meeting of the Genetor and Generalis to turn into a make out and cuddle session, or a training spar to devolve into the winner fucking the loser absolutely silly? He still couldn't give all of himself to Relm like they both yearned for, but this would be a good way for the two to spend more time together like they were a couple.

"Alastor"

Relm could be completely open talking about Kefka with Alastor as she was with most everything. But still the thought of him made her a little tense, it wasn't a comfortable subject even in the way Alastor mentioned. There may have been a time in Relm's life where making her father happy was the most important to her, but being able to look back on it now she realized it was just this set expectation of herself. It wasn't out of her heart, it was of some sort of approval by him. Back then, she was a child. And she was different. But in that right, if anything had happened to Kefka before then Alastor may have seemed more like a father than a lover and it probably would have grown from that. Who was to say it wouldn't be different between them now, but the idea had made Relm realize just the wreck of her life. It may not have been as bad as others, or at least in the way she felt about never having a mother and the situation of her father. But everything could have been wholly different today if Alastor had did as he said.

She still stayed quiet, leaving things unsaid as he would soon enough. But just that bit of internal struggle inside of her could have been present to him. When she looked up to him and they met gazes it always felt special to her, more than he may have known. The way he talked to her, about her, there was nothing but adoration in her eyes when she looked at him. He did make her feel worthy in a sense, in ways she had never known before. When she could be around him, talk to him, and be tangled up in him. Anytime she was with Alastor she just yearned for more of him. It had become more emotional than she had ever intended.

He'd draw closer to her, place his paw on hers, her gaze more intense only in the emotions she felt for him. She'd never flinch or back away, she did trust Alastor with her whole self. She watched him as he held back and there was a part of her that knew why. Or what. But with his smile rising again she couldn't help but pull one up herself if only for the second. Her gaze pulled from his as the paw he was touching reached up to wrap gently around his foreleg before she'd look back up at him with that subtle and genuine grin, "I do love you Alastor. I don't want to imagine a life without you." The unspoken, for him and maybe for her too. It was a thank you in a way, for being able to make her feel confident through her insecurities. For not judging her, for making it feel easy. She was different from their last time at the lake. She'd take advantage of anything she could take from Alastor when it was the two of them. She didn't need their physical desires filled, she'd love him just this way. She wouldn't linger afterwards, pulling slightly away from him as if to keep up their faux patrol around the lake, maybe diverting in a way. "Where do we start?"

"Relm"

The moment he had mentioned Kefka, Alastor saw that bit of struggle within Relm, the internal dilemma that came with considering her deranged father. There was discomfort, but not fear or pain. That pleased Alastor to see; that meant that the trauma he had saved Relm from hadn't been ingrained into her mind or soul. She'd been spared the worst of it by his swift and brutal actions—actions that Alastor did not regret in the slightest. He would have done it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving Relm, even not knowing how they would end up today and knowing the punishments Manea had inflicted upon him for it, he would do it again. Except maybe this time he'd drag it out longer, really let the sick fucker feel every sting until he perished beneath the dire demon's teeth and claws. Ultimately, Alastor was content with the way things had turned out. He'd killed Kefka, saved Relm, and was nurturing this growing relationship between the two of them. Relm had become his lover and Kefka had become a corpse and a bad memory. Not a bad turnout in his opinion.

The two walked in quiet while Relm considered her life, and ironically so too did Alastor. He mused over how far she'd come, how he'd met her as a small pup and was now looking at her as a beautiful and capable young woman. Her life, much like his, had been a disaster of a train wreck, but they had both persevered, adapted, learned and evolved to grow into the wolves they were today. The dire brute 100% intended to do everything within his power to make sure that Relm's life from this point onward only trended upward. Nothing would hurt her again if he had any say in the matter. When he touched her paw and she didn't flinch he felt that swell of pride and a quickening of his pulse. He hadn't expected any sort of retreat from his touch, but there was still cause for celebrating when she didn't recoil into herself like she had done in her earlier days. Instead, Relm slid her paw away to loop her foreleg around his own, holding onto him in a way that left warm tingles on his skin and made his heart miss a beat. She grinned at him and vocalized her love for him again. Alastor opened his mouth to reply—and froze, the words Relm had begged him with the last time they were at this lake ringing in his ears. He hadn't done as she asked last time and it had torn her up. Did he heed her wishes this time? Did he not say the way he felt for her in turn? Was that what she wanted from him?

Ultimately, Alastor decided to say fuck that. They had one life to live and not nearly enough time to spend with one another. He'd be damned if he didn't use every moment to let Relm know how special she was to him. Indecisive hesitation melted into a warm expression, grinning back to his lover. "And I love you, Relm." He reached in closer to brush his muzzle gently against her forehead. "You don't have to. I'm always going to be here for you." Alastor had no intentions of letting Relm leave his life—not unless she wanted to. If she never did, then he would have her always, in all ways he could. He would stand with her, oppose all those who would threaten her, revel with her in her triumphs and lament with her in her losses. He would tangle himself with her every chance they could and he would burn with her until there was nothing left but smoldering ash in their wake. The unspoken gratitude was seen by the perceptive wolf, who replied with a gentle look of affection. Sometimes the greatest way to say something was saying nothing at all. Their expressions, their body language, it spoke for them.

Relm pulled back and Alastor straightened himself up, dark obsidian eyes peering around the lake as he scanned the horizon. All was clear so far, so the two could continue their easily distracted patrol around the perimeter of the lake. Dark clouds began to roll in and the wind was picking up; Alastor could smell the storm starting to brew on the air. Perhaps they'd be lucky and finish their patrol before the bad weather actually hit, but with how rainy Boreas had been this spring, he somehow doubted it. To Relm's question, Alastor gave a pensive "Hmm..." and cocked his head to the side as if in thought. "That depends, are we talking about our work as Genetor and Generalis? Or about loving one another?" The dark dire shot Relm a playful grin, abyssal eyes glinting mischievously though there was a hint of seriousness in his teasing. He certainly wouldn't mind waiting out a storm wrapped up in Relm, after all. Ah, but if they were being good and it was work before play... "Elysium still has a number of fighters that need to hone their skills. We should begin by strengthening our forces in case of any threats coming our way, what with those fucking pirates out and about... It would also put us in a good position to consider raids of our own if Manea wishes it." Al glanced down to his companion and lover again, curious to hear her perspective on the matter. "I haven't come up with any concrete plans yet though. So... thoughts? Suggestions?"

"Alastor"

His returned four letter word could take her breath away as cliche as that may have sounded. But Relm was still young, inexperienced in everything that wasn’t Alastor and a whole different woman when she was around others. Alastor would be labeled as her first, and what she believed would be her only love down to this confession. It was what she wanted to hear, wanted to know. But something would always be between them. There was no altering time to the point they had come even if Alastor wouldn’t have changed what he had done for her. Relm would always see that maybe she was meant to be Alastor’s, but he was never meant to be hers. It was the way she looked down on herself, found little worth in her own life given how she was made. She didn’t want to die, but there were many times she just didn’t want to be. When she was here with Alastor, she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Her breath shuddered lightly from the emotions she felt as he looked down at her and her eyes kept his gaze. But it was easy for her to push it aside. At least she made it seem so even if he knew her better. He had seen her emotional before but she didn’t want anyone to see her that way. She knew, she could feel the way he felt her, knew how she was feeling. But she didn’t want that greater part outside. She didn’t want to make it any more harder on him. It’s why she turned away and diverted. it was easy to indulge in the physical desires with him and feel so mentally tethered to him, it was harder to actually evaluate the situation they were in.

The weather was really no concern for her but she didn’t have anything waiting for her back on Alias or worry about drying out her pelt. She wouldn’t think twice as she let Alastor take one step ahead of her in the lead, just going on about the day. Still in motion, her eyes glanced back towards Alastor as he asked which she was referring to, lifting a small grin on her maw, "I thought we may have had one of those already down at least." She teased him back, falling out of the emotional state that was threatening her moments before. Her face turned a little more serious as he spoke on the pack matters but she looked at him intently in the process. "I can arrange a... meeting." she had to admit that sounded kind of weird being so secluded into herself since she had joined Elysium. "We can group our fighters together to spar, maybe melee. Have them learn from each other and evaluate where they need to work on." Relm paused enough for Alastor to get his own pieces in if he wanted, but ultimately back tracked a little bit in their conversation, "I’m typically neutral, but what’s the deal with the Pirates?" she was genuinely curious and had only known of the tension between them and nothing further.

"Relm"

Alastor squinted his eyes into the strengthening wind that kicked up his flowing fur, blowing in the darker storm clouds in their direction. He wasn't worried about the weather either; if anything, they'd just need to divert back towards home or hunker down in a den and wait out the storm together. That in of itself could become a very favorable situation, the dark dire grinning to himself as he envisioned all the ways he and Relm could help pass time and keep each other warm while they dried off. The two wolves walked side by side around the lake, completely unperturbed by the shifting weather while they discussed pack business. Relm's quip about having one of their two matters down brought a barking laugh from the dire brute, a wide and entertained smile splitting his lips from ear to ear. "Touché," he remarked with another chuckle, leaning over to playfully nudge Relm's shoulder with his own. The little grin he saw on her lips helped ease his soul. Knowing that Relm was happy made him happy. Emotions were a heavy thing for the both of them, more so than other wolves. It was nice to help put Relm at ease to a point where they could just exist together in cohabitation, as pack mates and as lovers.

Relm suggested holding a meeting of sorts for Elysium's warriors to promote them improving their skills. Ideas of training spars and melees were put forth and Alastor hummed as he considered the ideas. "That's a good idea. Perhaps having our master fighters lead each of the groups so they have a mentor overseeing each group." Dividing up the work to be done amongst the wolves themselves would also mean they wouldn't need to micromanage and be watching over the fighters' shoulders so much. Plus the idea of a group melee just sounded like fun sport! "Are you sure you're not just looking for a reason to kick your pack mates' asses though?" Alastor teased Relm with an impish grin and mock suspicious eyebrow raise. Not that he would have blamed her, of course. Nothing got his blood pumping quite like a good fight! And depending on who he was fighting, that could sometimes lead to getting tangled up in other physical activities too, and rolling from fighting right into fucking was a unique and special kind of enjoyment indeed.

Distant thunder rumbled closer than before, signaling the approaching storm moving in fast, but Alastor paid it no heed. He was enjoying his leisurely stroll with Relm, acting as if it was a bright and sunny spring day instead of an imminent thunderstorm. Relm asked about the pirates and what their deal was, and it took Alastor a moment and a bewildered look before he remembered that Relm hadn't actually been a part of their group when the pack challenge for Incendium had gone down. "Elysium was supposed to have been founded good three seasons before it actually was," Alastor explained, frowning as he recounted the day from memory. "When Incendium fell, Manea claimed the fallen pack as her own to found Elysium from its ashes. But the narcissistic bitch Sparrow challenged her for that right. Manea fought her best, and in many ways was the better contender, but Sparrow somehow got the upper hand and won the challenge." Alastor sneered, lips curling back from pearly fangs in a silent growl. "That was how the pirates came to be, and why we despise them. They tried to take Manea's dream from her, one she's been working at since she was a pup. We fortunately found other means to make Elysium a reality, but there was a time when we thought that hope had been stolen from us." Alastor's black gaze narrowed to a deadly point as he added, "Plus one of the pirate lackeys called Manea a bitch during the fight. Nobody calls my wife a bitch."

"Alastor"

She only hummed a quiet chuckle when Alastor had asked if beating her pack mate's asses was what was on her mind. Fighting was still the only way she could feel comfortable around others and once upon a time she was a good instigator. Not so much these days. At least just in this conversation she was trying to do good, trying to do what she believed was expected of her. It wasn't easy, but in a way she wanted it for herself too. She wanted to be more comfortable around her packmates, and down at heart it was for Alastor. Manea offered her the position beside him, one that she would have never seen herself in before. And while Alastor may not have had expectations of her for it, she would see differently. Pleasing Manea and doing well at the job she was given would keep her here beside him. It was simple and complicated in the way she wrapped her head around it.

As was her own nature she was quiet as Alastor started the answer to what she asked. Her paws in careful steps ahead of them as she focused on what Alastor told her why the pirates were so distasteful to at least him and Manea. She couldn't agree of course by not experiencing it herself. And honestly, she wasn't typically violent in that nature. She'd never go as far to defend a pack or a person she didn't know, and of course would take more of Alastor's word for it. But she wouldn't be driven to attack or be mean to anyone of them had she come across them on a hunt outside or anything like that.

She had already had her eyes straight ahead while her ear was turned towards him, but as Alastor spoke so strongly and highly of Manea as she even believed he should be it did make her stomach churn. And it made her feel even worse for feeling that way. Her jaw tightened but she tried to contain any emotion he'd pick up on otherwise. "Oh." Was all she could manage to pull out but it would seem that while she was trying to muster up more to say, about the pirates, about the training, anything to divert, the rains began to fall ahead of them from the shore and over the mainland. It was like a wall of water standing from where they were, and for Relm it felt like the perfect escape for the emotions she was feeling. She only looked at Alastor for a few seconds, assuming he'd want to take cover in one of the old temporary dens nearby and hope for the rains to pass quickly.

"Relm"

For the most part, Relm's impassive expression gave away nothing of how she felt while Alastor was raving about the pirates' trespasses against his family. He had been distracted by his own thoughts to notice much, but her single word reply in the tone she said it in spoke volumes that maybe only he could read. Alastor turned a swift glance down to Relm and noticed the way her jaw had set, how her eyes remained focused dead ahead. The tension in her was palpable, an emotional upset she was doing her best to hide. Were he any other wolf, it might have worked. But Alastor knew Relm better. He knew this visceral reaction wasn't being caused by the pirates; she had no reason to feel even a fraction of the loathing he did for them. Which left only one other actor in his stories to draw this response out in her.

Alastor opened his mouth to speak on the matter, but the sound of falling rain drawing closer silenced him. A wall of rain was approaching them from the storm clouds moving in from over the ocean, getting closer by the second until the dire brute felt a few errant drops hit him on the back and head. He felt Relm's silent gaze land on him, waiting for his instructions. They could make a break for the island, but he knew they'd get caught by the storm before they were even half way across the land bridge. "Come on," he muttered to Relm, leading her away from the path back to Alias. He headed in the direction of the abandoned dens they'd passed by earlier, scoping them out to find a suitably sized one for the both of them to wait out the storm in just as the rains reached them, starting to pelt the wolves with a deluge of water. Alastor ushered Relm inside and slid in behind her just as the wall of water rolled past the den's entrance. His fur was only slightly damp and would dry in time, but they'd be safe and warm in here for now.

Dark eyes watched the downpour outside for a few moments until Alastor slid back into the den to join Relm, heaving a sigh as the dire brute came to sit beside the pink and black fae. "I know this is hard for you, Relm. But I am trying to make things work." Alastor didn't expressly come out and say he knew that the thought of Manea was bothering her, but Relm would understand all the same, he was sure of it. Obsidian eyes searched her face for something to use or understand. "I love you and I don't want to upset you, but Manea is obviously going to remain a presence in our lives." Alastor sighed again and shook his head, a sarcastic chuckle slipping from his lips. "What do I have to do to get you two to like one another? Get you two to fuck? Would that make it better for you?" As humorous as his teasing comment was, there was some semblance of truth to it. Relm had only really started to come around to him after he'd nearly raped her following the murder of her father. Did he have to get Manea between her legs too to get them aligned?

"Alastor"

Relm would follow after Alastor as they took cover and the rains came over the lake more abundantly once they were inside. Relm was nearly overwhelmed with a not so new tension as Alastor joined beside her because she wanted nothing more but to wrap herself into him. And it may have not been so bad of a thought. It was easy to indulge in him, to be physical with him. Sexual desires or just wanting to be held by him she found herself the complete opposite of how she was the day Alastor had killed Kefka. Her repulsion to being touched by others was completely flipped when she was with him instead holding a yearning to be completely surrounded by him. And the emotional state she was in didn't help subside those feelings. But she would never ask of it. He knew that. As easy as it was for her to fall into him, it was hard for her to initiate. She didn't want him to see her so desperate, to see those deep unspoken emotions that he felt without words. Because he could tell that she may not have been wholly satisfied. That she'd always want more of him. But without words, maybe that made her feelings untrue. That they were just as they could be away from Manea and nothing more. It was meant to be this way.

She was hoping the rain would divert from the way she reacted, that had they retreated here into the den he would forget but that was a silly foreshadowing. She knew better but she did just want the way she felt to disappear. She wished it were that easy. She was embarrassed and guilty, because every time, every day she was with Alastor it festered and brewed. "I know." she responded, knowing that Manea would... always be between them. And in a sense, she would always be between them. As far as always would take her. "I've made promises to Manea too, Alastor." She'd do everything to keep Alastor just where he was. For him, for his family. As much as he may have cared for her and she knew that, she saw herself as at least replaceable in his life. Replaceable by those he already had. It was a part of her lack of self image that he may have already seen. And she'd never see herself the way he did.

She stayed just where she was sitting beside him no matter how much she urged to pull him around her, looking down at her paws as one shuffled slowly over her leg with that subtle anxiety that was prominent inside of her. And added with some frustration and irritation. Expectation. She didn't react much as he chuckled, offered up a silly solution. One she may not have been so fond of herself. But she did think back to not long ago after Manea had Fiametta, and how she had licked across her lips in the aftermath of their hunt. A similar physical feeling she had felt with Alastor and yet so clouded by the way she felt about Manea. "Is that... something you want?" She questioned seriously, much more seriously than his joking tone. Because the thought had come across her mind if only in this moment, "Would that make Manea..." Like her more? Accept her more? The two of them had at the least tolerated each other. Relm didn't dislike Manea, and she very clearly saw herself as no match to her. But as it was, she wondered if trying something like this would help those feelings fade away. Like maybe she'd see herself more equal or it would break that tension that Alastor had said out loud.

"Relm"

As he spoke, Relm was quiet and contemplative as she usually was. That didn't come as a surprise to Alastor. Keen, perceptive black eyes watched her body language while she communicated to him in her nonverbal ways. He had learned to speak her a long time ago, and it was something he did almost subconsciously now—watching her movements, her posture, her expression and paws, gleaning what he could about the young woman's moods and feelings based on what he saw. Relm was a subtle creature in that regard, much like how he didn't give away many of his true emotions except to those who knew what to look for. Like Relm did. She spoke only a half dozen words, explaining that she knew that he loved her, and that she'd made her own commitments to Manea as well. The dire wolf breathed a heavy sigh. Yes, he knew she'd made promises as the new General. But Alastor wanted Relm to be happy in more than just her vocation. He yearned to see this wonderful woman be content and at peace with the world and with herself. He wanted her to have what he never could.

What came as a great shock to him though was when Relm actually entertained the idea of fucking Manea, as if he hadn't made the suggestion in jest. Obsidian eyes flew open wide, looking at her with a mix of surprise and confusion on his countenance. Was Relm really considering being bedded by Manea if it was something Alastor wanted? For a moment, Alastor began to question just how far Relm would be willing to go for him and his approval. The pink and ebony fae asked if he wanted this, and if it would make Manea... She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to. Alastor knew where it was headed. While a heavy clap of thunder rumbled overhead and the rain poured down so heavy it drowned out the world, Alastor would shift to slide closer to Relm, his eyes never leaving her all the while. He thought about what she asked. Would it make him happy to share his bed with Manea with Relm? As a red-blooded male, he could not deny that the thought of having two women tangled up in carnal acts with him was an appealing one. But as her lover, Alastor had to question if this would be a good thing for Relm in the long run.

The ebony and ruby wolf breathed another heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping while he gave a slow shake of his head. "No, Relm. That's not something I want," he said. An uncharacteristic softness touched his abyssal eyes, and the Mendacium patriarch lifted his paws with the intent to pull Relm into his strong forelegs for a tight embrace. He wanted to surround Relm in himself, to give her comfort and security and show her that she didn't need to resort to anything extreme to be perfect to him. "Do not debase yourself for the approval of others. If you wish to share mine and Manea's bed of your own will, that is different. But don't do something that doesn't please you for the sake of others. What I want..." Alastor closed his eyes, listening to the rain outside and the steady breathing of the two wolves inside the old den. All he wanted right now was to scoop up Relm and snuggle down with her in the bedding. Sex or no sex, he just wanted to feel Relm in his arms again. "What I want is for you to be happy. Truly, wholly happy. I want you to have all the things I never could."

"Alastor"

Alastor had already given her a young life that he may not have had. Killing Kefka was what had set her free. She was thankful for that, she wouldn't have to tell him again. Without Kefka she could live openly and without fear, or at least the fear of what her father may have had in mind with her. Relm was always worried, scared that Manea would hit her last nerve. That Alastor wouldn't want her anymore. That something would happen and they couldn't be this way anymore. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't wholly what she wanted with Alastor. But it was enough, it felt like enough when they were together like this.

She was too lost inside her thoughts to really notice his silence, his true thought to her reactions. Because it was important to her to do everything she could to be here with him even at the cost of being untrue to herself and giving up a happiness for her life as a whole. Manea had given her that hint of interest in her if only in the heat of a hunt, she didn't quite feel the same way though. It didn't feel the same as how she tried to find other men to replace Alastor. She wouldn't really feel herself initiating it on her own.

If only subtle, she fell into Alastor as he drew closer to her. He could sense the feeling of relief in her as she gently pushed back into him. Maybe it was just the build up of her tension wanting him to touch her but everything felt so right when she found herself wound in him. Her eyes moved a careful glance over his face just to catch the way he looked at her when he spoke. But she mostly kept her gaze down towards the ground or down where they connected. That changed as he paused, her light eyes looking back up towards his closed eyes and soft expression. Her paws gently grasping back around him too as they shifted inside the temporary den. She didn't say anything at first. A way of life but also maybe a habit she had grown used to with him. The way she held her breath, held onto him, it was enough for him to know she was struggling. She wouldn't leave it at that this time though. Alastor deserved more. She dropped her head into his chest maybe in a way to hide her emotions from him. She never wanted to seem weak or desperate to him, even if he didn't see her that way. It was how she saw herself. "I can't always feel this way, Al." It was no news to the two of them. As he had said, Manea would always be that constant. Relm knew she couldn't have Alastor to herself the way Manea did, or at least that she did most of the time. It wasn't necessarily that she wanted Alastor to herself, but in a way she wanted to switch places with Manea. She did wonder how life, and how their relationship would be different. Different than it was now and different than his and Manea's. She'd never feel more like she belonged somewhere when Alastor was wrapped around her. But being away from him, living an average life while he had duties to his wife and children, he'd feel it was extremely hard for her. He wanted her to be truly, wholly happy. It would never happen.

"Relm"