[Lotus]

How loyal were the waves to the shoreline, Lotus wondered as she watched water lap gently at the banks. A cool, dry breeze was blowing in from the north that whispered the promise of change. Lotus wasn't entirely sure she liked change. If she were being entirely honest, Lotus wasn't sure of anything anymore. The rough sound of teeth scraping against hardened tar fills her head as she gnaws at a paw; a futile attempt to clean away the dark mark. It hurt. The boiling tar had been much hotter and far more painful than she had anticipated it being.

Lotus just wanted to forget. She wanted to forget why she was punished. Wanted to forget she'd ever been born to parents who would never truly care about her. Parents who would pick favorites. Not that she blamed Yonina for their parents' choices but it hurt knowing that you weren't good enough to be picked. Not that Lotus wanted to leave the Valley. She just.. she didn't know what she wanted. Heaving a heavy sigh the young girl left her task and pushed herself to her paws. The tar cracked and pinched and she grimaced, wondering if she would ever truly get used to the feeling.

She hummed as she walked along the banks of the lake, the sound soft and mournful. The sodden soil sinking beneath her blackened paws felt a bit better than the hard, unforgiving sandstone found throughout much of Oukoku-kai. The sound of the rippling water was soothing and she could feel herself slowly allowing herself to relax as she listened to the rhythmic slapping of the waves. Or maybe she was just beginning to not care anymore. Either way, Lotus welcomed the relief. 

The sound of someone approaching lifted her gaze from her paws and she blinked deep ruby eyes at them, nonplussed. "Oh, hello Crux." She said softly, making her lips lift into a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Lotus moved to lay down beside the lake, not caring that she'd get dirty or that the water ebbed at her paws and gestured for the older boy to join her. "How have you been?" Lotus hummed. He was interesting and yet aloof to the point where Lotus wanted to pick his brain apart. Perhaps she would have been more captivated by him had she not seen her sister's keen fascination the first time they'd met. Lotus had no wish to quarrel with Feizin over something as silly as a boy. Even if he was particularly handsome.

[Crux]

CRUX

thorn in your side

Today, Crux was headed to the lake. He enjoyed the peace and quiet there, where no slaves or battles usually occurred. The lake was a safe zone at times, a respite from the heat of summer though with winter, he found himself much less in need of the cool waters. Still, he enjoyed it.

He spotted someone familiar moving along the bank. He smiled and hurried on, big paws carrying him towards the other youngling. When she saw him, she looked up and smiled - but it wasn't a true smile. He looked at her with concern, noticing the tar still clinging to her fur and wondering if that was why she looked so sad.

Oh, hello Crux. How have you been?
She lay beside the lake and he followed, lying down near her but giving her space. It was true that he'd had a crush on her and it was also true that the crush was still present. She was sweet, cute, and kind. What one might misunderstand as betraying Feizin, he did not. He had two mothers who also were Baishun, so he found no fault in his feelings. Surely, the day would come where he would discover that he needed to explain to his betrothed (for that is what she requested that they be) that he was polyamorous, but he would love her no less than any other. His love spread would be wrapped in truth, unlike the deceit of sin.

I am well, preparing for my Rite. he offered a slight smile, then concern filtered into his golden eyes. How have you been? He would pause and allow her to speak, before indicating to the tar. If you want any help getting that off, I can try? this offer would be accompanied by a genuine smile, brows pinched close and raised. While they hadn't spent much time together, he really did care about her.

OOC

I'm timing this before his Rite with Thetis because I don't know what'll occur in it.

[Lotus]

Ah, yes. The Rite of Passage. A special event held for pups who were finally old enough to be considered adults; a judgment to see if they had what it took to survive in the valley. Lotus wondered if Crux had what it would take or if he would fail and be culled like so many others. The idea wasn't pleasant to her. She was particularly fond of him, had been ever since they were little kids and she'd thought his dark markings were tar. 

The thought of tar makes her cringe a little and she looks down at her paws with a frown. They tasted exactly like it smelled. Like death and decay. Bitter and rancid. "I appreciate the offer but the taste is so awful," Lotus said, trailing off quietly before lifting her burning ruby eyes back to Crux. "Rites. They can be stressful I've heard. Are you worried?" She asked. She traced a tar dipped paw through the wet soil of the shoreline creating swirls and spirals. Doodles that meant nothing. The sound of hardened tar scraping against the coarse sand was unpleasant but she couldn't bring herself to stop.

"I hope you pass." She murmured softly, releasing a slight hum before lifting turning her eyes towards the lake was the water gently lapped against her back paws. It was fascinating, she thought, how the water returned again and again to the shoreline- no matter how many times it was sent away. A gust of wind blew through her hair and out across the lake, rippling the surface in a great wake. The world could be beautiful sometimes. 

But only sometimes.