Defeatedly Aquila sighed. Did @Furia have to be so frustratingly right? I know they'll still love me. That's what they do, give love no matter what. They were kind and good that way. Kind and good in the same way that made them far too easy to take advantage of. To unknowingly give to the wrong sorts, or even the right sort who just didn't know when to stop. Like sandstone, sheet by sheet chipping away until what was left? He loved his family, they'd give the pelt of their back if they could and be left to the cold. Thank you. Olive branch accepted.

The dark bangs of his face slid away from his silver eyes and he regained some focus, some grounding on the conversation and reality. If he finds you- There was an undeniable part of Aquila that was selfishly glad they'd landed on talking about her trauma instead of his loneliness and forlorn nature. There was a bad guy in this story, someone that was truly ok for Aquila to hate and boy did he relish in that. Not having to mental gymnastics his distaste for once was a nice reprieve from everything else going on his mind. -I'll kill him. The bronze male promised. Whether or not I'm happy you're here you will be safe here. Leave the destruction of Maua's world and their lessons to the non-natives. He had suffered doubts about Maua, their intentions, but in this moment for these reasons Aquila felt it was surely what they would want.

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Furia's eyes widened in gentle surprise at @Aquila and his declaration, surprised to hear he was willing to risk his own life to save hers. She.. didn't really know how to react to such a drastic shift in his acceptance of them, but perhaps it was better to just say "thank you" and be done with it. If only he had known the true capabilities of the monster that followed her, his manipulation tactics and the way he managed to burrow beneath her skin.

"I believe there is a small line forming for that, starting with my brother," she added with a crooked, soft smile. "Similarly, if there's anything I can ever do to help you, I would be more than happy to do so. I dabble in healing," she shrugged. "Otherwise if you ever need someone to piss you off, call my name and I'll come running." Disguising her pain beneath jokes was Furia's favorite method of avoidance. It worked.

"He'll come back, Aquila. It might not be today or tomorrow, but.. eventually, I think he'll come back. I hope he does. I hope the two of you can be happy." And if they couldn't be happy together, she hoped he was able to be happy with someone else.

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Healthy or not sometimes it felt good to be put down. When you were convinced of your own worthlessness, or bound and chained by fears and worries, getting chastized was simpler and easier than the mental toll of pulling yourself up into a more sound and secure mind state. It'll be easier to keep that promise if you moved closer to the Brooks. As it turns out Aquila could be melted under the flames of a little kind action. @Furia did not need to offer the assistance she had and yet she not only showed him kindness now but she promised it in the future if he needed. Open ended, anything I can ever do to help, just like the heart of his family and Maua themself. Or came to stay. He shrugged then and looked away like just maybe that voice that was definitely his was coming from something or someone else and totally not him.

Maybe not today or tomorrow. Then when? Aquila looked dejected at the prospect that it may take an age, a life time more, more time spent in longing. He immensely regretted all the time wasted now. Each second was precious, each second could have been more than it was. If, when... whatever. He got momentarily frustrated with the semantics and grumbled under his breath, a rolling gravely growl like sound aimed down at his own feet. I hope you're right Furia. He truly did.

let me light up the sky

Furia had never known how to properly excuse herself from a conversation. There never seemed to be an appropriate time to finish such serious talks and, awkward as she was, the Hodari was not a master at graceful exits. She had assumed with all the well wishes exchanged the two would go their separate ways, but then @Aquila had to go and throw her for a loop. Had she.. heard him correctly? Furia blinked, stunned that he would suggest she move closer or move in. After everything, he was still willing to accept her into his flock and protect her like one of his own? “You.. you mean that?” she asked, her voice terribly small despite everything. “You don’t have to offer because you feel obligated, y’know.” She didn’t want to join Vermeda just to find out Aquila had felt it necessary to offer. “I hope I am too. For both of us. I’d like my son to meet his father one day.” Even if she was angry with him for leaving, At seven years old, Furia needed a miracle.

Maybe Aquila did too.

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I don't feel obligated. I want you there. He'd made mistakes earlier, he'd been quick to judge, defensive and ... and that was going to take awhile to change. It wasn't flipping a switch and suddenly all his prejudices were gone. That was hard, that would take time. And maybe he'd never get all the way there, maybe that was for the best of his family that someone watch the gates for them.... he struggled with who he wanted to be, how to be it. As much as Nymeria struggled with balance Aquila would come to face them too. And he couldn't bare to do them alone. I need you there. They're not going to understand what I'm going through. They became his family. His muzzle turned over and firmly pointed in the direction of the Brooks. Damn it he was so tired of feeling alone.. and without Caeso it really felt like he was. He felt like while his family blossomed he was wilting away. And for some reason @Furia was there when he needed, she could sympathize with him in ways no one else could right now. If there was any of these non-natives out there who was brought here for a reason he'd bet it was her.

let me light up the sky

They were both lonely. It shouldn't have surprised her that he wanted her to come stay, but it did. Furia was a disaster that brought disaster wherever she went, and to be quite honest she was afraid of joining Vermeda. Things had been smoothed over in a sense, but the damage had already been done and she wasn't likely to trust the natives for quite some time. Aquila had reversed his tune and was eager for her companionship, but how would he feel in the morning knowing he had let in the wolves?

Furia glanced at her paws, studying them for a beat before she moved to gently place it onto his own. "With Dero back, I want to see what he wants to do. I thought I'd lost him for good, I just.. I don't want to commit to Vermeda without his input." She followed his gaze towards the pride. He needed her, he'd said, and if things had been different she may have taken that as flirtatious. Furia knew better, however. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to be here for you, Aquila. I understand all too well what you're going through, please don't.. change your mind about me." Furia wouldn't have been able to deal with the whiplash.

"I can be there for you as a rogue, if you'll let me." She shifted her weight, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

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He was familiar with the feeling of contact to his paw as one of comfort and for a beat of his heart there was hopefulness. But @Furia began to speak and he felt his stomach sink down into the pits of his body, that glimmer snuffed out soundly before it grew very large at all. Aquila couldn't blame her. He'd make the same choice in the name of a brother, of any family member. He'd put his family above her, above what he might want himself, over and over. It hurt and he couldn't fault her one bit because it resonated so strongly with his own morals and values. To say he was disappointed was an understatement though.

Aquila was already not the most chipper looking soul right now but somehow that weight over his shoulders and the weariness in his gaze doubled. Wordlessly he slumped forwards under the mental strain, aimed to thump his skull along the side of hers and rest it there while letting out an exhale of tense energy. He couldn't manage words right now, the gesture would have to suffice for his response and reassurance that he was not charging his mind.

let me light up the sky

Gods, he was breaking her heart in the worst kind of way. There was something devastating about seeing him so beaten down, like a ship that had been lost at sea during storm after storm. And maybe that was how he felt, too -- just completely and utterly alone adrift an endless sea of black. Furia understood the feeling all too well, but that didn't mean she understood how to cope with it.. or help someone else, for that matter.

He slumped forward and her eyes widened because oh shit, she'd managed to kill him by saying no. There was a brief flash of panic through her before she realized he had only collapsed for comfort, and she purred softly to reassure him as she rubbed her cheek against his. "Doesn't mean we can't have sleepovers, you know. Gods, it's been a long time since I've ever had one of those." Furia coped with grief by being silly and the offer was legitimate, so she hoped it helped in some way.

She bold stride forward and began to groom between his ears, hoping to comfort him in whatever capacity he needed. Furia was accustomed to the loneliness by now, but she remembered how much it had torn her to shreds in the beginning. Ah, sweet summer child.

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Perhaps she could feel his muscles tighten up as she spoke, and that he slightly leaned away so that he could glance down towards the top of her head confused. Sleepover? It had to have been years and years, well back into his childhood days, the last time he’d had anything of the sort. And in his dreary, down state he wouldn’t deny it sounded like a good idea. Something about the simplicity of the idea, the innocence, hit him in the right spot to give a light pulse of joy. He drummed out a laugh but gave away little else. For she began to groom between his ears and his head began to sink further downwards. The motion calming, repetitive strokes against his fur like his parents used to do when little Aquila needed a bath. It was soothing to leave his thoughts behind and have such old memories be brought to light instead. I can’t promise good gossip- He paused, his voice a little lost but overall he seemed relaxed all things considered. -for the sleepover. But I can do the snacks.

let me light up the sky

Furia was not typically good with anything consoling anyone, but apparently she'd managed to do a somewhat decent job with @Aquila. It was.. it was nice, actually. It made her feel good to know she had helped him in some capacity, even if she had only put bandages on his broken heart. Over time it would mend itself back together, and Furia knew she would be there to help him along the way. Maybe that was why they had been brought together? Maybe the god he spoke of had intended for their paths to entwine so that the broken might help heal the broken. It was a thought she didn't linger on for too long, choosing instead to keep up her grooming. It was only when he offered snacks that she chuckled, pausing. "Believe me, if you want gossip, I can just give you my entire life story. It would take months before we caught up to now. Snacks would be delightful, though." Furia wondered how long it would take before he kicked her to the curb; her story wasn't exactly a happy one, and he was already upset enough.

Nahh, it'd be fine.

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