Waterfall Glade

“I’ve, uh, been meaning to ask you something for a while now. But it’s never been a very good time, or the right moment.” Lycu spoke slowly, hits of him being nervous were visible in his tone. “Would you be my mate?” he finally spat out. The rather laid back Linx quickly froze. Well, that was unexpected. VERY unexpected. Her expression saddened in an instant. She got to her feet with a silent shake of the head "I-I didn't..." she cocked her head up to Lycu "What did Brute tell you? If this is some sort of sick joke, it's not funny, Lycuvayu." she growled, a step towards him. Wow that actually sounded rather defensive.

Well her reaction wasn’t what he expected... She stood up and stepped towards him growling and a strange sad expression. Lycu scrambled to his feet and back pedalled slightly. “Brute?” He said. What did she have to do with this? “I hardly speak to that, that... that Brute.” He replied, his fur starting to stand on end. Something wasn’t right.

“I’m being serious. I’m not messing around.” He said.

“I’m being serious. I’m not messing around.” Lycu spoke determined, but nervous. Not the reaction he was expecting and even less the one he was looking for.

Linx came to a halt. She took in a breath in an attempt to calm herself down. And despite the 'calm' appearance, inside, her heart beat out of her chest. Another exhale, a few steps back from the silver shnlai, eyes searching the ground under her paws as if looking for something. She glanced back up at Lycu. So he didn't know. Brute didn't say a word. That was good, maybe there was some way to weasel herself out of that situation without being to hard on the male. "I...I can't..." she replied. Ok, maybe a little more blunt than she would have liked.

She went quiet, looking almost blank as she took a few breaths and backed up. Lycu crept forwards slightly, lowering his head and watching her with worry. "I...I can't..." She said.

Lycu stopped and his tail dropped. “Why?” He asked quietly. There had to be some reason. He’d rather know why than being left to wonder. If she said why at least he might cope better. He had a feeling it would be difficult if she rejected him and never said why, working alongside her would become a little harder, that was for sure. “Tell me.” He said softly, looking up at her.

Linx took a few steps back when while Lycu did the opposite. “Why?” He asked quietly. "Tell me.”
"My mate is dead, Lycu." she spat bluntly "He's dead." She pinned the silver lai down with her glance alone, then turned to leave. "I am sorry if I have ruined your day. I will take my leave and let you carry on with the rest of it."

Lycu’s face fell. He didn’t realise that she had had a mate. He didn’t know. When she turned away he moved quickly so he was in her sight, but making sure not to crowd or block her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He said slowly. “I-I’ll wait for you. If y-you ever change yo-your mind.” He said, awkwardly, stuttering and stumbling over his words. He shifted to one side to let her pass. “I won’t force you, but I will wait...” He said, moving to sit by the river again, watching her, but making no move to follow.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He said slowly. “I-I’ll wait for you. If y-you ever change yo-your mind.” He said, awkwardly, stuttering and stumbling over his words." I won’t force you, but I will wait...”

Linx came to another halt and turned back to face Lycu. "Why?" she said with a sigh "I am not worth your time. A shinlai like yourself can find such a nice, fitting female."

"Why? I am not worth your time. A shinlai like yourself can find such a nice, fitting female." She said with a sigh, looking at him.

He frowned slightly. “I’ve tried.” He said. “It didn’t go to plan. You are worth my time.” He said slowly. “You’re the only one who makes these,” He tapped the side of his head. “Vanish. You make all my problems go away.” He said, looking away awkwardly.

“I’ve tried. It didn’t go to plan. You are worth my time. You’re the only one who makes these,” He tapped the side of his head. “Vanish. You make all my problems go away.”

Linx frowned. She felt genuinely bad for once. She looked off, then back at Lycu, slowly padding towards him, before nuzzling lightly in to his neck. A sigh, nothing more than that. Not really in the mood to search for words anyways.

Lycu tensed momentarily as she came towards him, but relaxed when she nuzzled his neck. He curved his neck around hers, and rested his chin on one shoulder. He cleared his throat quietly. “I love you.” He said quietly, voice almost a whisper. “I’ll do anything for you. And if that means waiting, then so be it.”

“I love you. I’ll do anything for you. And if that means waiting, then so be it.”

"Lycu...to be honest, i'm scared." she said low, eyes half lidded as if tired, as she sunk her face deeper in to the male's silver fur. Mmm fluffy, warm, It felt really nice. "I'm scared to loose anyone close to me. So I keep my distance from others on purpose. I don't want it happening again, I won't be able to handle it." she explained.

"Lycu...to be honest, I'm scared. I'm scared to lose anyone close to me. So I keep my distance from others on purpose. I don't want it happening again, I won't be able to handle it." She said, burying her face in his fur.

Lycu shifted carefully and managed to wrap one arm around her. “Don’t be scared.” He said gently. “I won’t let it happen again.” He said. Truthfully he had no idea what happened to her past mate. But he wasn’t going to let her get hurt again.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t let it happen again.” he spoke, wrapping an arm around the female.

"You say that with such confidence, yet you'd have no choice if it did happen again." she said "You don't know what happened". A light purr rang through the female's throat. Warm, comforting, when was the last time she'd been so close to someone? She couldn't recall. Linx could feel Lycu's heart thump nervously in his chest, it was amusing. A faint smile ran across her face as she listened to each beat.

"You say that with such confidence, yet you'd have no choice if it did happen again. You don't know what happened" Linx said, a slight purr to her voice.

“I might not know, but that doesn’t matter.” He said glancing down at her, and smiling as she had her face buried in his fur. “I wouldn’t let anything happen. Not if I can help it. Not even Brute would make me stand down.” He said, a slight chuckle.

“I wouldn’t let anything happen. Not if I can help it. Not even Brute would make me stand down.”

"Hmp" She chuckled weakly "I think even Darius himself would fear an enraged Brute. Takes some guts."
Linx's sit turned in to a lay, head sliding down Lycu's chest a tad more as she did, now able to hear the silver's lai's heart beat all much clearer, the smile not fading one bit. "Have you ever had a mate before, Lycuvayu? Surely a shinlai like yourself hasn't always been solitary." she muttered low.

Lycu chuckled slightly. If it was based on strength, then Brute would probably win, although he had a feeling Darius wouldn’t go down easy. "Have you ever had a mate before, Lycuvayu? Surely a Shinlai like yourself hasn't always been solitary." Linx asked.

Lycu rested his head on top of hers. “A while back.” He said, stroking her mane slightly. “I was about 60 maybe? Stayed with her about 10 years, and had a pup with her.” He said quietly, he sighed to himself and stared across the clearing.

“A while back. I was about 60 maybe? Stayed with her about 10 years, and had a pup with her.”

"A pup? How lucky of you..." She watched Lycu through the corner of her eye "What happened...?" She questioned, somewhat hesitantly. How bad she'd feel if something horrible had happened and she was off asking questions that might make the male uncomfortable. "If you want to answer that is..."

"A pup? How lucky of you..." She said, watching him, he watched right back, a faint smile. "What happened...? If you want to answer that is..." She added hesitantly.

He gave a slight shrug. “She could only have one pup. She became so focused on him I was blotted out, that coupled with me being a Darkblood which she strongly disliked, it just kept building up until I couldn’t take it anymore.” He said, keeping it simple and not going into detail.

“What about you? If, ya know, want to answer...” He asked slowly.

“She could only have one pup. She became so focused on him I was blotted out, that coupled with me being a Darkblood which she strongly disliked, it just kept building up until I couldn’t take it anymore.”

"Selfish..." she mumbled "Perhaps it was for the best." she let out a faint sigh as Lycu asked a follow up question “What about you? If, ya know, want to answer...” She could feel her stomach cringe at the question. But there was really no point in avoiding it, Lycu would find out one way or another. "In short...I met him when I was about 35...quite young at the time. We lived happily together and eventually decided to have pups." she paused in thought "I was to have two pups..." She shift her weight, more out of nerves than anything. "We were attacked by 'The Circle' soon later...I managed to flee, but he didn't." Another pause, this time longer, throwing in a silence. "I fell in to a depression soon after and ended up loosing both pups." She spoke, voice cracking. She rest her head on the ground. "Both of them..."

"In short...I met him when I was about 35...quite young at the time. We lived happily together and eventually decided to have pups. I was to have two pups... We were attacked by 'The Circle' soon later...I managed to flee, but he didn't. I fell in to a depression soon after and ended up losing both pups. Both of them..." Linx answered reluctantly, pausing and her voice cracking.

Lycu rested his chin on her back. “I’m sorry.” He said quietly. “I shouldn’t have asked, memories like that shouldn’t be dredged up.” He said shifting upright and sitting up straight. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to be my mate...” He said, smiling softly at her, and running a paw over her shoulder, smoothing the fur there.

“I’ll understand if you don’t want to be my mate...”

Linx frowned. This dark mood had to vanish, it was putting too much tension between the two. She slowly sat upright "You know when they say 'It's not you, it's me?'. For once, it actually is true." She licked Lycu's jaw submissively. "But, i'll tell you what. How about you stay with me and see what happens?" she let out a faint smile. She wasn't going to lie and say she hadn't actually felt right when with him.

"You know when they say 'It's not you, it's me?' For once, it actually is true." She said, before licking his jaw. "But, I’ll tell you what. How about you stay with me and see what happens?" She said with a slight smile.

“Don’t say that. I’d never blame you.” He said, pushing his nose against her neck. “And that just gives me an even better excuse to follow you around.” He said with a grin and mischievous glint in his eyes.