[Matt]

Damien seemed to ponder this for a moment before speaking again. "My best friend, who is surprisingly a Lucain, ran off with his mate... to somehwere calld  Mistmantle, I think." Then, leaning close to her, he licked her cheek lightly, and purred as he settled against her, hoping she would accept this.

[SpringsSong]

Maeve didn't seem to make any objections to the lick on her cheek or his closeness, but she did make a tiny move when she heard Mistmantle mentioned.  "Odd.  A friend of mine--also Lucain--ran off to Mistmantle with her mate as well.  Lleiadith, her name was... Your friend wouldn't happen to be Crispin?" She asked.  She'd been shocked to find a tiny note from Lleia a while ago saying that she was leaving for Mistmantle.

{8}

[Matt]

Damien grinned, his fur standing up. "Yah, Cripsin! Well, everyone was 'sposed to call him Captian Crispin... but, well, he said he had to get back to his old home... and... there was something about his dead wife... Whisper, or something." His voice trailed off as he remembered Crispin's note thsat had been left on Damien's bed. I'm leaving... tell everyone goodbye for me... I'll never forget you... That had been the worst moment of his life.

He had realized, in that moment, that he was completely and utterly alone.

[SpringsSong]

"Huh.  Dead wife?  Must've been hard for him to get over that.  But... I wonder where Lleia fit into that equation..." She asked.  She remembered seeing that note that Lleia left: I'm going out to Jawan.  I might or might not come back.  Don't tell Dad, and if the war ends, don't tell Grandmother Tali?±a.  But... Watch over Aelylth for me. Maeve had further isolated herself after that; not even bothering to tell anyone.  Lleia was thought to have gone "traveling", or, their code-talk for "traded".

{9}

[Matt]

Yes," agreed Damien, still snuggled close to the female cake kuhna. "I still wonder if he'll come back..." He had isolated himself from everyone after this devastating news, and his kids were heart broken that their father was in such disarray. Damien seemed to think of what to say for a moment, then spoke, his voice a whisper in Maeve's ear. "Do you have any kits?"

[SpringsSong]

"I wish..." She said, sighing.  "I'm often the babysitter for the kits back home.  I've raised so many kits... yet none of them were my own.  Since I came home to where my sister was, I have helped to raise thirty-six kits." She said, smiling.  "Five of them were held in esteem above the others... Abhilasha, the Doomsberry, Nayru, the Skulkein, Oto?±a, the Autumn, Olivia, the Plum, and Eric, the TrueBlue.  Although... Eric was not the first TrueBlue; he was still the first to see our pen." She said.  "I have so longed for children of my own..."

{10}

[Matt]

At this, Damien smiled comfortingly. "I have two. An Autumn and a Twilight. You could meet them, if you like. They'd be delighted to meet you, I'm sure." He chuckled airily. "And I think they'd like it if their father was with someone again."

[SpringsSong]

"I... I'd love to meet them." Maeve managed to say, her ears perked and alert. Her pink eyes sparkled, but something seemed like it could go wrong.  How is it I inherited the same ability as my sister's friend in that I can... see things...? She wondered.

{11}

[Matt]

Damien's ears twitched. Maeve seemed to be gazing at something he couldn't see. "There names are Arran and Fir," he said, trying to draw her back down to the present.

[SpringsSong]

Bringing herself back to the present for a few minutes, Maeve smiled.  "Those are wonderful names." She said, giving Damien a tiny lick on the cheek.  She purred quietly as she thought about something; probably wondering if Lleia would return home or what had happened to her sister and her group of crazies.

{12}

[Matt]

Damien smiled at this loving motion. Yes... this had to be love. How else could he describe how his stomach seemed to evolve into a butterfly every time he touched her? "Thank you, Maeve. For... everything." He snuggled closer to her, their bodies were pressing together now. As he was slightly taller, his head sat on her elbow. He purred loudly, the noise rumbling from his chest.

[SpringsSong]

Maeve smiled as she murmured, "Y-you're welcome... and thank you, as well.  I don't think I'd have ever left home again if I hadn't met you.  I mean... I might not normally believe in fate or chance, but something had to draw me away from my, ah... corner in my room back home... otherwise, I wouldn't have met you." She couldn't possibly be any happier than she was now...

..or maybe she could?  She smiled as she mentally shook her head.  No, no... you'll have to wait a while before Fire drags--or is dragged by--you to the Facility. She thought.

{13}

[Matt]

Luckily, Damien was a strong believer in fate and chance, as Crispin had obviously been drawn by fate to Lleia as Tentan had been drawn to Rosie. "I-I... I love you, Maeve." His ears turned bright red as he stammered it out, but he stood his ground, and when he had finished, he grinned brightly and licked the cake kuhna's cheek lovingly.

[SpringsSong]

Maeve's heart just about stopped when she heard this statement leave Damien.  "I... I love you too..." She said, feeling a blush fly into her cheeks as soon as she had started speaking.  She pressed her muzzle gently into his fur as she purred slightly louder than before; she hadn't purred in the longest time, but... it felt good to let that sound rumble through her throat and chest again.

{14}