It had been awhile since she'd seen @Nero. She'd been avoiding him. Unsure how to proceed with even having the same type of relationship with him. So easily, in a split second - had he drudged up some of the worst moments of her life. But, at the same time, he had made her vulnerable enough to let Ransom and Alabaster in - changing her life completely. It had been such a long time since Alizabeth had felt real, raw fear. The thought of disappointing Nero, or even him feeling shame in regards to her, it made her feel more than fear. Anxiety had built up so bad she'd felt sick to her stomach. Days had passed since that moment, so she'd been able to take a moment and think it out. At this point...she felt numb. The ivory woman couldn't avoid him forever.

Time to face the fucking music.

Did you get enough love
my little dove?

Of course he'd noticed her absence. For a boy who knew little outside of being left, it only made sense that she would stay away. Nero was angry with her as much as he was with Saga, and so he'd done his best to avoid the both of them just as much. It wasn't difficult to avoid Saga with her two busted legs, but she had company more often than not. Aliza.. well, it wasn't hard to avoid someone who was avoiding you. In fact, it would have been a goddamn miracle for them to have bumped into one another.

Nero was doing his daily stroll along the beach when he spotted her, familiar and stranger all in one. He stayed where he was, rooted to the ground, and waited to see if she would turn from him.

@Alizabeth

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Alizabeth turned to cast her gaze along the beach only to find herself locking eyes with her son. She froze, like a deer in headlights, her pink eyes growing wide and her throat tightening up. That feeling she'd gotten at the fight overcoming her all over again. She felt helpless in this moment, afraid to say or do the wrong thing. The woman knew that if she didn't do anything, she was going to lose @Nero anyways. Clearing her throat, she stood and slowly approached, head low - almost skittish in her mannerisms. "Nero..." She murmurs. Fuck, fuck...what did she say now? Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, her ears pressed back against her head. Why was she so bad at this.

Did you get enough love
my little dove?

Nero.

His brow furrowed as he studied her, wondering if there was any particular reason she looked so.. different. He had never seen her be anything but crass and bold, so to see her acting so meek.. well, maybe that wasn't the right word for it. Nero didn't know how to handle the situation, but it seemed neither did she.

He did notice a familiar scent on her pelt, however, and it caused him to remain where he was.

"Where have you been?" he asked, eyes narrowing on her with an unintentionally accusatory tone. "And who were those guys? And why do you smell like them?" Nero snorted, his claws flexing into the sand. Had she been avoiding him because of them?

@Alizabeth

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He stared at her. She stared back - and then suddenly @Nero was bombarding her with questions she was unsure on how to answer. What the fuck was she supposed to say? Things had progressed with Alabaster and Ransom and now she could only assume both were her mates. "I've been...tending to my new duties around the pride. Patrolling...shit like that." She murmurs, brows furrowing a bit as her head remains low, as if ashamed.

There was a feeling in her gut that made her feel ashamed of herself - not because of what she'd done or for who she loved, but because of how she was acting right now and how Nero made her this vulnerable. The accusation in his voice didn't go unnoticed, it caused her to flinch, tattered lips quivering. "It's complicated, kid. I care about them, though their fuckin' behavior was atrocious." What was she supposed to say, they'd act better next time? Alizabeth couldn't promise that. But they were apart of her life and she had no intention of getting rid of them anytime soon.

Did you get enough love
my little dove?

Tending to her new duties. Nero's lips pressed into a thin line, frustrated both of his mothers were now leading. Side by side, nonetheless, which he couldn't entirely decide if he liked or not. His two worlds colliding felt surreal, and Nero wasn't sure he appreciated being caught in the crossfire. He'd liked it when Alizabeth was a rogue because he could escape from the lagoon and find solace in her company away from a pride, but now..

Hearing she cared about them wasn't exactly pleasant, either. His ears pinned against his head in irritation, a scowl on his lips. So she'd been too busy being sovereign and entertaining those two guys to check on her son? Nero's teeth clenched. First Saga had found herself a mate(?) and now Alizabeth had, what, two of them? All of which had transpired during the time he had needed the two of them the most. The nightmares. The insomnia. The seizures. Everything he had handled on his own, because not even Asteria was there anymore. It was only him and Sol, and he hated dragging her down.

"I see," was all he finally said. "I'll let you get back to your duties, then."

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Very slowly, with each word he spoke, was Alizabeth becoming more and more annoyed. More aware that she was being reprimanded by a child and treated like she was some kind of terrible monster. Jaw clenched, her eyes narrowing intensely as the length of her tail flicked behind her, "Hold on a fucking minute, Nero." She begins, her head raising slightly, magenta eyes more visible from beneath her ashen mane. Stepping closer, she peers at him, studying his features carefully.

"What the fuck you think is going on in that brain of yours, kid? I figure you're assuming the worst and shit." As is expected. Most others Alizabeth came across did that, took one look at her and just assumed she'd be some sort of terrible, no-good troublemaker. Only half of that was true. Alizabeth hadn't been spending all her time with Ransom and Alabaster - in fact she'd seen them both all of once, maybe twice since Saga's big fight. @Nero had hurt her, had made her feel ashamed - had brought fear into her veins once more. Avoiding him had been her only natural instinct at the time.

Neglecting him had been an unfortunate result.

Did you get enough love
my little dove?

Nero didn't shy away when she stepped towards him. He had been hoping for it, to be honest, and there was a morbid part of him that enjoyed it. He had been powerless his entire life, but he no longer felt that way. Nero felt untouchable, though not in a way that had come from anything good. Shutting off his emotions as a last line of defense was the only thing he was able to control, and now he stared at Alizabeth without much indication there was even a light on behind his eyes.

What did he think was going on in that brain of his? Nero's ear flicked.

"Your friends caused quite a disruption at Saga's second fight to the death," he murmured, shaking his head. "All because my cousin claimed Soleil for her safety, like he wouldn't have released her immediately afterwards. You assumed the worst of him." All he had done, in his eyes, was react. There hadn't needed to be any additional bloodshed.

"I don't think they should come back here." Because Nero wasn't going to allow it. "Not if they're going to be that unhinged, and if they attack a member of the Sigrún, they're fair game." And Nero wouldn't stop anyone from seeking revenge on them. Not that he had the power to do so, anyway.

"I had to watch my mom fight for her life a second time while making sure my other mom didn't loose her hounds on my family. And then you vanished." Had she actually vanished? No, but he was clouded with anger the likes of which had never crossed his mind before. "If you expected me to sit there and be quiet while all of that happened, you expected wrong."

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There is was, her spark. It came to life the moment he started speaking. The hair along her spine rose, bristling at his tone. How entitled this kid had become! "Think you got the wrong fucking idea, kid. I came in there trying to defend you and Soleil and I didn't assume shit, I saw your cousin force your friend into the pride without her consent and there was no other goddamn information needed in that situation. You seemed distressed so as your fuckin' mother I came to defend you since I knew you were already dealing with a lot with Saga fightin' for her life."

What a goddamn mistake that had been. The woman's lips quivered as he continued, acting as if he had any say in who could be in her life or not. "Nobody attacked your goddamn family, and they wouldn't have. They attacked each other over stupid shit, so not sure where you're getting that idea from, Nero. They're welcome here as long as they behave and I've been assured they will." She steps closer, nose wrinkling slightly as she peers at her son, wondering why the fuck he had assumed all this terrible shit about her when she'd only ever supported him, defended him and tried to be there for him since her return.

"Do you know how you made me feel in that moment, Nero? I felt afraid. Afraid for the first fucking time in my life since...since I was a goddamn child. You made me feel ashamed, hurt, hated myself. I came in trying to help and you declared war on me in that moment." Her voice wavered as she continued, her stomach twisting painfully, "You made me feel like I wasn't good enough to be your family, which you made pretty fucking clear by specifically acting like I wasn't."

Did you get enough love
my little dove?

Nero felt his facade begin to fracture. It never lasted d long, did it? He could only manage to defend himself in short, erratic bursts that went as often as they came. He listened blankly as she accused him of being the mistaken one, but there was no will to fight against it. She would do whatever she wanted, clearly, and Nero was not near the top of her list.

"I didn't say they attacked my family, I said if they did," he replied, already exhausted from the fight. She was blaming it all on him, wasn't she? And he was supposed to sit there and take it on the chin. It was all his fault. It always was.

It was when she accused him of making her feel ashamed and afraid that he grew rigid, a glint in his eye that may very well have been tears. "You mean like how I felt when you left me when I was a baby? I was afraid then, too. Afraid, alone, hungry. I didn't know what I'd done that was so awful you would leave. Even knowing the truth behind it now doesn't mean those feelings didn't still exist." There was no emotion behind his voice whatsoever, only an eerie stillness. He stared blankly.

The yearling shook his mane, glancing at the ocean for a brief moment. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. Seems like it was a misunderstanding on both our parts." If the apology was sincere, Nero didn't know. He only thought it was what she wanted in that moment, and he lived his life solely based on what he anticipated others expected of him.

"I watched my parents get murdered. I watch it whenever I sleep, honestly. For the longest time I thought the pink in my skin was their blood, staining me because I'd caused their death. I tried to scrub it off, bite it off. Then I watched as the woman who adopted me fought for her life -- twice. Asteria left me. You left me once. Saga almost left me twice. I can't do it anymore. I'm tired of not being good enough for anyone." Nero shook his head. "I'm just.. tired." How could a boy so young already be so tired of life?

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