skill: [none]

Mythris was a strange and challenging land. Euphemia had puzzled long and hard about the how’s and the why’s of how folks were ripped from their lives (and only sometimes were restored). She thought about her own experience with it, and how strange it was that her previous life, and then the one that replaced it, and then the rebirth into this one all seemed so irrelevant and separate from one another. There was no overlap. There was only fracturing and pain at whatever had occurred in her untimely absence, a grief that never seemed to remedy itself.

So which was the more painful, to have died – or to have been resurrected?

With this thought on her mind, Euphemia easily found it within herself to swallow the eternal frustration that her abandonment issues had left her with, and she beamed towards Vidarr, despite him detailing the traumas that had befallen him. He clearly hadn’t died, and he hadn’t left per se, but he at least had been dead to them – and she did not have this feeling in a negative manner. It was simply the fact of this reality, that when people were here, they were here. When they weren’t…

Well, did it matter where else they were?

Finally, the truth of Vidarr’s journey settled into her psyche, her eyes widened with concern. You got burned? she questioned, an astounded tone on her tongue. She had caught wind of more strange happenings these past months, astral occurrences and caves made of nightmares and such, and assumed Vidarr had been made victim of similar circumstances. The maiden glanced at him, lips pressed into a thin line, now feeling proud that he had made it back in the face of such dire circumstances. Yes, somehow, she had made an emotional 180 in how she regarded his ‘time away.’

Her eyes looked at his face, which seemed to be mostly the same as it always was, but when his body language directed her attention to his dorsal area, her eyes widened once more. Gosh, you look like Da! Euphemia gasped, stepping forward, amazed at seeing flesh so raw and new. Euphemia suddenly didn’t want to press the man for more information, she truly just wished to usher him across the borders and give him back his den to rest in and feed him updates on the sisters and those who existed around them, but two questions of her own could not contain themselves.

But, where did you recover? and... I assumed someone healed you? she tried to ask delicately.

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skill: [none]

It was always an interesting relationship, being known from birth. Usually, that was a right and role allotted to the parents – to care, at least emotionally, for this living thing for the rest of their lives – and in closer families, the aunts and the uncles and the grandparents had this opportunity too. Euphemia thought of Vidarr as some sort of uncle, and she supposed it was rather normal for uncles to drift in and out, as they indeed lived their own lives and did need to be caring for children that he didn’t himself create.

But mother was dead. Da hadn’t been seen for some while. The sisters had Genghis, but there was no doubt that there was a need for an additional mature presence. Aurelia and Tiberii, thought accomplished, were young; just as young as she, and Euphemia couldn’t imagine leading a pack and making tough decisions like they did. She had no idea how her sisters did it – but they couldn’t do it alone forever.

Not when Vidarr stood at their doorstep, ready to take his place amongst the pillars of Dawnbreak once more.

Well, considering that Da isn’t cute at all – he’s a tattered mess she squealed, a peal of laughter rolling on her tongue at the thought, now flushed with endorphins at the happiness of the return of a family member. – you have him beat automatically. Euphemia stared at him, unblinkly, as if observing art in a museum. At least it missed your face. she said bluntly, succinctly, and sat down to hear the recount of his recovery.

She didn’t know what else she could have expected, but she felt a strange feeling wash over her when he mentioned that yes, someone had been caring for him. Yes, he depended on another when he was supposed to be depending on his family. Oh, she muttered, looking downward for a moment, then realizing that he had asked this question for a second time and now she had to answer it.

As always, it was difficult for Euphemia to shield her emotions from view. Yeah, everyone's good. It’s been tough since mother… it was still difficult to say. There was an audible silence where words were supposed to be, and instead of speaking, the maiden could only swallow thickly. Kuhn was kicked out. He said that Tiberii and Aurelia were… usurping the pack… or… something. Honestly, it was hard to remember the details, all Euphemia clearly remembered was the hurt she had felt when the cat left hurled insults and burned bridges in his wake. But yeah, he left. He just… left.

Her voice, which was normally soft, was quieter than normal. Not wishing to spoil the mood with such sobriety, she rolled her shoulders and looked askance. There’s a lot of new faces. It’s weird. It wasn’t the upbeat type of comment she had hoped to make, but it was her truth.

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What was this light airiness in her heart, which seemed to take flight at the exact moment Vidarr winked at her? Her young heart had never been the recipient of a wink before, and the maiden found it an interesting experience. Euphemia wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by the gesture, especially when paired with the constant mention of his good looks – of course he was handsome, he was a giant viking northerner, what else was there for him to be?! The young shewolf felt the breath catch in her throat, and she nervously pawed at the dirt beneath her front toes, feeling as if the earth could (and should) swallow her whole all because he closed one of those golden eyes at her.

Why’d he have to do that????

Thank god the conversation had shifted to something far more somber. It was almost somber enough that a younger Euphemia might not have noticed the gentle temple-touch he offered her, but this Euphemia was awakened. She glanced up at him from her downcast expression, and offered a small, shy smile. It was all she could do, stuck between the gentleness of another living, breathing creature and the harshness of the unfeeling, objective reality.

He did offer a good, albeit simple perspective on the shift in the Vale’s residents. For all intents and purposes, Dawnbreak has always been replete with souls she considered family. Now, their numbers were certainly bigger, and Euphemia never felt quite comfortable with the fact that there were members she hadn’t yet spoken to, or only had a handful of conversations with. With mother gone and father removed, Euphemia had reasoned (long ago) that it was an impossible thing she wanted; for life never to change, and for people to never die or disappear.

At least the silvered maiden had trust in her sisters, and would follow them until the end. Even blindly, even through changes she (perhaps foolishly, but almost certainly) would have hoped against. If they trusted these other pack members, then so did she... even if she didn't want to. She had to.

Good point, she admitted, knowing that her feelings regarding… everyone in Dawnbreak, except her sisters, was childish at best. But was that entirely a bad thing? For someone whose mind excelled in learning and memorizing and inquiring, she found respite in a healthy dose of youthful joie de vivre. It was the only sort of balance she felt she maintained well in this life. As such, Euphemia chuffed and narrowed her eyes playfully at his little joke. Well then, I have some bad news for you. They did. she jested with her voice held flat, as if quite serious.

Newcomers now have to go sleep on the rocks, she said with a flick of her nose towards a rocky outcrop, not-so-subtly hinting that he was expected to do as such. But to ever consider Vidarr a stranger was the true core of the joke, for it would be blasphemous to ever think of him as such.

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skill: [none]

Vidarr smiled a big smile back at her, and Euphemia beamed.

I, personally, think you’re being way too positive about it, she responded again to his suggestion that non-family members had value. but I know Aurelia and Tiberii will appreciate your sentiments. she jested, but it was (once again) her thinly-veiled truth. There was a very small, very silent part of her that understood what Kuhn had been speaking about when he castigated Dawnbreak. She, too, knew what it felt like to see strangers in their midst, beside her sisters, becoming closer with them than she was herself. Kuhn was too harsh in his surmis, but the stark lack of an election… Every time she thought about it, her stomach gripped like a vice –

– but then again, was there any other way forward? There were those that led, and those that followed. Within the Shakti-Vaes family, the former and the latter had been clearly denoted. She followed. Aurelia and Tiberii led. That’s just how it was.

Euphemia managed to hide her inner workings well, for once. Now that there was an audience she wished to impress, that is. So Euphemia left the topic with her last little sprinkling of sarcasm, and eagerly moved onto the silly display before him. She walked closer, surveying the display, and then placed a single paw on his shoulder and hoisted herself up, nose to the wind, as if he were a large promontory rock or something of the sort.

Didn’t know so much had changed around here, did yah? she suggested to the winds, allowing her words to fall down to Vidarr below. Euphemia glanced down sporting a sheepish smile, as if suddenly becoming aware of how silly this all was, and hopped down. The maiden trotted away from him several paces, but turned around and wrinkled her nose.

We’ve also implemented a series of tasks that anyone who seeks to join must complete, she made up, on the spot, unable to give up the gig entirely. and they’re tough. real tough.

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