And this we will overcome too

CHULANE

Over mountains and forests and seas

Longnight had been… hard.

He’d known it was coming, and yet when it happened, it still hurt.

He’d been asleep at the time. Stronger than ever before though he was, his mortality still meant he needed to sleep. It was Auni who’d woken him, Auni who’d been with her when suddenly there was no her to be with.

He’d cried into the little luxere’s fur that night. And he’d not really recovered during the depths of darkness that was the Longnight.

The not-knowing, the anxiety, the anger that he’d only just got her back, and she was being taken from him, used as a tool might be used in a war she’d had no say in.

Then the Sun rose. And he flew.

Auni followed, though much slower and on foot. He too, wanted to make it to the portal, to see if his once-bondmate would be returning to them a third time.

As soon as the dawn broke, as soon as the temperature allowed, he took to the skies, cloaked in his feathered shift, to get to the skies above the Citadel, to find her wherever she was, returning or not. He had to know.

He had to know if he was to continue being broken, or if he might have just this little piece of bliss in amongst a hard and cruel world.

to go anywhere that I please

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

Deimos had met her at the portal, and it was here at the Citadel that she’s sure she’ll find Chulane. She departs from her father figure, aiming her attention along the pathway, darting from shadow to shadow and avoiding every bit of sun she can – after all, she hadn’t anticipated it to be so bright here during Flowerbirth, hadn’t wanted to run the possibility of surviving LongNight if only to get blown up by the damned sun on the homestretch.

It’s here that she darts into an alleyway, hidden under cover but just enough that she can scan the skies, hoping that perhaps her dark hair and tattered appearance might scream it’s her, peering up at the sky in the hopes of calling him down to her, to bring her home. She tries one more thing as well, enacting that upgrade hidden in her spine, to fit her arm with armor, hoping the reflection from the snowy walls of the Citadel might reflect off her armor and catch his attention.

And then she silently sits there and waits, calling out silently for Chuy even if she can’t speak through the attuned bond any longer.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA

CHULANE

He calls for her too; the bond is full of his silent pleas, his hope, his heartbreak. The attuned of the Citadel probably hear it, hoping along with him – bracing for what might come should his hopes be dashed once again.

Kia his heart croons, with only the wind returning his call. A nudge, a mental bleat from Auni, and he is pushed, nudged, ushered back towards the Citadel – had he missed something? Had he missed her?

Or had she been returned to him as nothing more than a body, a husk of the vibrant soul he loved so dear?

Broad wingspan tilted towards where the thoughts and feelings nudged him, anticipation rising until—

He saw her. Her. Kia. His Kia, whole, complete, draped in her armour.

A great whistling chime breaks through the atmosphere, as somewhere within the Citadel Auni also makes his way slowly towards them (guarded, a bit hesitant, but towards them nonetheless).

“Kia,” the word is given as the eagle comes into land, the shape of a man erupting from its feathery form to let his strong legs touch down in nothing short of a sprint towards her. Arms outstretched, cloaked in furs and his own partial moose shift for warmth, he makes to hold her tight to his chest in the shadows of this building, to reassure himself again and again that she was real.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

There’s a sharp cry from the sky, and Kiada’s silently praying that it’s him – trying to squint through the light that she avoids to get a better look. And when she finally recognizes the eagle’s form, she grins – a brilliantly fanged thing, full of relief and happiness, of love and content. “Chuy!” She calls up toward the eagle as it moves in to land, Kiada remaining in the shadows to prevent from blowing herself up, waiting for him to reach her despite the amount that she wishes she could run to him again.

But he’s there soon enough, and she’s throwing herself into him and pressing her face against his chest, arms wrapping tightly around him, beneath cloaked furs and over the warmth of the partial moose shift, sighing contently despite having no need for breath. “I made it back.” She chimes, muffled in his chest, before she’s pulling away and peering up at him with bright electric eyes.

And gods willing, she’d never have to leave again. To tuck herself up at home with him and a simple life ahead of them, gods what she wouldn’t give for such a wonderful thing.

"I missed you so much." She says softly, rising on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek and then his lips, arms squeezing around him tightly.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA

CHULANE

Gods, but he was so relieved. To hold her, to feel her against him, to hear to voice and see her smile (even if it has changed, with a certain vampiric trait added). Kiada had returned, had survived the fight she hadn’t had a choice but to attend, and was wholly herself still. “You made it back,” deep tones echoed, his hand rising to cup her porcelain cheek as space came between them, as they beheld each other with matching blue eyes and sheer delight written on their faces.

A low hm was given as she rose on tiptoes to press her lips against his stubbly cheek – it wasn’t enough for the farmer in this instance, as he moved his hands to her hips to use this chance to lift her, to step in closer to her, pressing himself against her, and her against the wall of the building behind. Then, with her lips as a far more even height to his, he leaned forward to devour her in a kiss, uncaring for who might hear or see them. She was back, she was his, and he would keep it that way for as long as she would have him from here on out.

When they did eventually break for air (at least on his part), he paused a moment, pressing his forehead gently against hers. “Are you hurt?” It was something he probably should have established before going in for the kiss, he thought rather belatedly, but he was confident she would’ve informed him prior if she such actions were inappropriate – as it was, he was confident she was in well enough health. She’d made it back to the Citadel after all.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

His echo is met with the softest of smiles, leaning into the hand that cups her cheek, peering up at him under dark lashes with all the content and happiness in the world. But she rises, to press a kiss to his stubbled cheek, offering a quiet squeak when he readjusts her and pushes her against the wall. Her legs wrap around him, keeping herself close to him, tangling her arms around his neck and willing away her armor to give into the kiss. Kiada doesn’t care, at the end of the day. Because after all, Chuy was here and she was here, and they were home - at least, close to it.

They break when he runs out of breath, Kiada’s fingers running along the brief curls along the nape of his neck, the question met with a soft huff from her as she shakes her head slowly, keeping it pressed against his own. “No. Just need new clothes and to clean up.” She assures him, giving his shoulders a soft squeeze that presses herself against him all that much more with that tight hug she gives him.

“I can’t wait to tell you about it.” She murmurs softly, tilting her head back up to capture his lips in another gentle, soft kiss, full of relief.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA

CHULANE

A smirk, devilish and devious, tilted his lips as she spoke of needing new clothes, and cleaning up. That she wasn’t hurt was indeed a relief, but that she was concerned over her appearance and cleanliness was just such a normal thing to be concerned about – the simple mundaneness of it almost brought him more relief than the knowledge that she was safe. But alongside all of that, he also happily let his mind picture her in the act of changing out of her tattered coverings, of showering – of joining her in the shower.

He really was becoming more of a scoundrel every moment he spent with her.

Returning her embrace with much enthusiasm (hips leaned forward as he supported her against the wall, arms looped down and around her waist in a protective, almost possessive manner), he welcomed the kiss again, murmuring something about looking forward to hear it before letting the bliss of the moment simply consume him. It was a gentler kiss this time, soft and delicate, but he enthusiastically participated nonetheless.

“Let’s get you inside,” he murmured against her neck the next time they broke apart, as he leaned against her, hands roaming over the curves of her waist with a hint of the pressure he knew he needed to apply for her to actually feel it. Though he spoke of moving, of going somewhere else, he still made no real motion of actually doing that. “Do you want to shift?” the smirk returned, the farmer fully aware of the implications of such a question, and ready to accept them should she wish to travel to their cabin cloaked in fur or feathers rather than porcelain skin and tattered clothing.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

The pressure is relieving, it grounds the Harpy as she presses herself against him again and again, supported between Chulane and the wall, her arms tighten around his neck, keeping the two of them close together, enough to share breath provided she needed it in the first place. She doesn’t, though, so it’s all for him. The softer, gentler kiss she melts into, just as enthusiastically, just as happily, content to sit there and drown within him.

But they part, briefly, his head at her neck and she leans back slightly, tilting her cheek against his own. There’s a hum that leaves her throat in agreement of getting inside, of moving toward their home where it was safe and nice, there weren’t any rogue beams of sunlight to warm up her systems. So she uses the shade right now to her advantage, peering up at him through dark lashes, a crooked smirk crossing her face in response.

“Please? I used the moose this LongNight. I think that would be fun.” She murmurs softly, pressing another kiss to his cheek and pushing herself closer to his neck, ghosting her fangs against his pulse softly, as if in forewarning – uncaring (far past it) of how visible they may be here in the shade. She dives in, biting down on his neck and hums with the sensation that floods her body.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA

CHULANE

‘Please?’ the low whisper comes, draped in her tones, and he adjusts his partial shift to reveal skin along his neck, to make it easy and accessible for her to do what was needed. What he very happily supported her doing. He too was long past caring how public they were – cloaked in shadow and off a main thoroughfare, one would have to really be looking for them to spot them anyway. (At least, that’s what he’d tell himself later today, when the initial excitement of having her return to him again had settled.)

The feel of her fangs along his jugular was thrilling to say the least – his breath hitched as anticipation rose, his body seeming to vibrate from the deep hum of satisfaction when they finally pierced his skin. It was like the other times he’d been bitten, physically at least; with a sudden warmth exploding from the point of the bite and travelling down his spine, filling his limbs with renewed sensitivity and settling rather hotly at his manhood.

Hips rolled forward as his cock pressed urgently against the confines of his pants, the pressure and friction of her nearness, the bite - he nearly blew his load then and there like a much younger, inexperienced version of himself might have done. As it was, he groaned deeply with the effort of restraining himself, pressing his lips against the crook of her neck, arms pulling her in closer still, chest rising and falling as deep breaths reveal the effort behind the restraint.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

It was always euphoric, his reaction igniting her further as his hips press against her and she can feel him through the clothes that separate them. His moan colors the air and she offers her own muffled one with it. It’s too bad she can’t feel the way she used to, otherwise she might have demanded that they stop right there where they are, have him take her against the cold wall where ice and snow blocked the side alley. But as soon as she pulls away, the sensation is gone, much to her displeasure.

So she withdraws, presses soft kisses to the holes she had created in his neck, soft kisses along his jaw and the flush that creeps along his skin, tangling her fingers into his hair and keeping him pressed against her neck. Her own head tilts back, peering up at the sky through the shade, before she can’t help but to let the smirk cross over her face again.

“If you want… We could go home and I could take care of you.” She purrs into his ear, pressing a kiss to the skin beneath it as she presses her hips against his in return, a promise perhaps, that she’d be able to have more free reign where they weren’t out in the open.

Though if he decided to simply want to here, well, she could think of a few ways.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA

CHULANE

He is drunk on her, consumed and willingly so by her – the bite is like a highway to the euphoria her presence normally brings him, a place he is always near when around her, but finds instantly when her fangs break the skin. Gods, but he could’ve taken her then and there too, he could’ve given into the moment and shirked all semblance of polite public behaviour – but the bite ended, and with its end came a sense of clarity.

While he was still very much feeling it, he was also very aware that the sensation would be lost on Kia – and also, he did want to shift with her. Then she is whispering in his ear and teasing him, and he rocks back into her in return, the decision teetering within him precariously.

Ultimately though, he huffed a low laugh, pressing kisses along her neck and up to her cheekbone. “Mm, I can wait,” he murmured somewhere into her neck, making no motion of disentangling himself from her just yet, as he enjoyed the closeness for a few more seconds – and also took the time to catch his breath, and ensure he was mostly presentable for when he did take a step back and let her find her own feet again.

“Moose?” he asked with a smirk, concentrating on the trick he’d shown her before, summoning up within him just the antlers – ready to embrace the shift in its entirety the moment she decided to shift as well.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

She could toy with him all afternoon until it got dark, but she itches for the moose shift, of the promise of fresh clothes and a shower, to wash away the scent of the Grounds and Torchline that almost seem embedded into her skin. Still, she gives him the option, happy to oblige however he chooses, when he decides home is best too. Her chest swells with the warmth of love and she tilts her head to press a kiss to his lips in the form of a promise that she’d take care of him once they were home and settled.

And then, he gets a hold of himself, pulling away as she finds her feet beneath her, flashing a wide fanged grin up his way as she readjusts her shirt. By the time she’s done this, she looks up at him again and spies the antlers extending from his head, amused and pleased to see them as she nods her head in excitement. “Moose!” She chimes, reaching into herself and pulling out that shift that she had stolen.

It takes her a second to get used to the hooves beneath her, but when she does, she peers back at Chuy with what can only be a smug, moose smirk. Ready! She chimes yet again through the bond, swelling him with warmth and love and happiness that accompany the words.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA

CHULANE

I believe that dreams are sacred

With her declaration he embraces the shift wholly – thick fur covering him, his height growing rapidly and hugely until he is a towering beast. Breaths linger barely a second as fog before his nostrils, as icy blue eyes behold the female version of his shift upon her. Where she smirks, he can only radiate a warm, content smile in return, closing the space that had come between them as they each made room for the other to shift.

And the bond - gods, the bond. How he’d missed it. He expressed as much through it now, rumbling a low note of affection through his deep barrel as his muzzle roamed down her thick shoulder. Restraint of his emotions was lifted – something he’d not done fully since before, since she had been there, attuned, alive in another body, not yet swallowed by flame and lava.

‘Gods, I love you,’ he murmured with some semblance of words through the bond, though it was no doubt swallowed up by the empathic flows between them as they each took on the others emotional state. The farmer was happy to simply exist in this moment, with her, for a time; to process and share, to send and receive the love, the adoration, the concern, the relief that was her existence in his life.

Littered in there was an undercurrent of arousal as well, though it wasn’t the primary emotion he was radiating. Lips played with the shaggy pelt behind one of her ears, a sort of moosey kiss blown through the long nostrils. ‘I’ll walk on whichever side is nearest to the sun,’ he said after a time, almost reluctantly, not wanting this moment to end but wanting her to be safe so that they could have many more moments like this in the future. ‘We’ll have to go on a date in the Tundra under the light of the moon,’ thoughts churned and mused, as he made himself ready to move alongside her, following her lead back to their cabin.

Take my darkest fears and play them

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name

but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

The warmth and love that spreads through the bond is both relieving and appreciative to Kiada – who’d gone so long without that additional touch, that additional assurance that having these feelings ensure more than just words. It ran so much deeper and she feels every second of it, relishes in it, as she stands still in the shade while he inspects her in this form. It’s a good thing he’s much bigger than she is, otherwise the sun when they move to walk would likely cause quite the predicament.

I love you too, Chuy. She murmurs, offering a breathy snort from her fuzzy, velveteen maw – craning her neck to nip at his own neck, at his shoulder – wherever she could reach. She lets the warmth and love spread over her until she feels warm to the brim with it -  like when she shifts back she might still feel the lingering effects of it all.

Even in this shift she can feel how cold it is outside, breath pouring through her nose as she readjusts where she stands so Chuy can take the brunt of the sunlight, waiting for him to lead the way so she can remain in his shadow.  Thank you. She pulses her gratitude for it toward him while they begin the trek down the snowy streets.

We absolutely should! If there was a mental equivalent of a gasp, now would be it as she contemplates the plans, trying to figure out just how they’d go about it. What kind of things to bring, how to ensure some rogue Ursurs wouldn’t come and ruin their evening. It sounded lovely, though, and it’s just one of the many things she focuses on during the walk. And Torchline, too. She adds perhaps a bit cheekily.

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

KIADA