[ P ] when the party's over

when the party's over

“I’m glad that you do, love. But why do you seem as if you want to cry? Are these good tears, or otherwise?” he asked with a paw still resting against her cheek. She smiled and nodded her head gently. "They're good tears, I promise." She was far from upset. It was these moments that she lived for, the calm ones in-between all the chaos. These moments of bliss were worth everything to her. “I think that… it will be a challenge, but a worthwhile one. I… hope I am a better — a warmer — father than my own was. But, I do know that you will be a great mother.” Aurelia smiled and leaned into kiss his cheek. "You'll be a wonderful father, my love. We can do this, together." she promised him.

She knew he was right, that it would be a challenge and that their lives were going to change immensely but she was ready for that change and she hoped he was too. She could understand his apprehension, but hoped to soothe it with her words.

Aurelia was glad to hear him think she would be a good mother, though one thought lingered in the back of her mind. Would she truly be a good mother to these children or would her blindness hinder her in some way? She sighed wistfully and then laid onto her back and stared up into the nothingness. She knew they would have the help of the girls and she had Danya beside her... there was nothing to worry about; they would make it through no matter what.

A yawn escaped her and she smiled, turning her head towards him. "You've tired me out," she said quietly. She turned her body and buried her face into his chest. "Let's just take the day to relax," she offered, hoping he would oblige. A nap sounded quite wonderful in the moment but she wasn't quite yet ready to close her eyes. "I'll have to move out of here, you know. There are some cottages nearby, perhaps we can see if one is empty." she murmured. She wouldn't have children here, not with the type of clientele that passed through their doors. This was no place for kids, but she did have to remain close.

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danya novikov

Gently, Aurelia nodded her head. Danya smiled slightly, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side, one ear digging itself deeper into the furs that they used as pillows. The fine rabbit furs tickled at his ear and made him want to twitch it.

“They’re good tears, I promise,” she said. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen ‘good tears’ from her. He nodded slowly, his eyes meeting hers and holding them even though she could not see his gaze. Although, part of him felt she may be aware of his eyes upon hers regardless of her ability to see or not. She always seemed to have another sense about her, a knowing, in some regard. He smiled a little when she leaned in, her tongue rasping across his cheek.

“You’ll be a wonderful father, my love. We can do this, together,” she promised.

“Together, I know we can,” Danya said quietly. Together, they could face anything. No part of his life would have been possible, at this point, without Aurelia by his side, and that was a fact that Danya had long since come to accept, appreciate, and welcome in his entirety. While he may not have often voiced these things, he knew his actions spoke louder than any words ever could have, in the way that he behaved towards her.

As she turned onto her back, eyes focused towards the ceiling above them, Danya moved to cuddle against her even more, burying his face within the soft fur of her neck. He felt her yawn, and turn her head towards him.

“You’ve tired me out,” she said, turning into him once more, her face burying in the thick fur upon his chest. “Let’s just take the day to relax.” He chuckled softly at this, giving a small nod.

“I couldn’t agree more, my love,” he said.

“I’ll have to move out of here, you know. There are some cottages nearby, perhaps we can see if one is empty,” Aurelia murmured, her voice slightly muffled by his fur. He thought for a moment, pondering whether he had seen any empty close by. If he remembered correctly, farther up the hill there was one that he had never seen anyone at, one that smelled stale and old, and unclaimed.

“I think there is at least one empty one,” Danya said, his paw stroking her back gently. “We shall look at them, and claim one for our little family.” Admittedly, the idea thrilled him a little bit.

@Aurelia

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when the party's over

“Together, I know we can,” he said and she felt those words were true in the moment. Raising children would be hard, especially given their professions, but they could make it work. Together, they'd find their own way. It might not be the way everyone else would take but it would be their own and that would just have to be good enough.

As she peered into the nothingness, she felt his face against her neck and she leaned into him, smiling. “I couldn’t agree more, my love,” he said. It was always good to relax when you could, and their jobs were stressful to say in the least so a day to themselves was already much needed.

“I think there is at least one empty one. We shall look at them, and claim one for our little family.”

"That sounds absolutely perfect," she said. She was eager to do just that but too tired this moment to get up. Another yawn escaped her and she turned on her side to face him again. "Our little family..." she murmured again, a smile on her lips as she closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest. The soft furs tickled her nose but they weren't a bother. They were a comfort, if anything. She nuzzled him gentle and rested a paw on his broad shoulder, puling him as close as she could, which wasn't much considering they were already side by side. She was both excited and fearful of what the future would bring and she could only hope that whatever family they made in the near future would not be shattered by this horrible war.

Soon, she was beginning to fall asleep against Danya, unable to stay awake any longer.

[ exit aurelia via sleep ]

code by claerie , image by Tomoko Uji

danya novikov

Danya knew that being a parent would be difficult with just the two of them, it takes a whole pack after all. He shooed the thought, however. Despite wanting to keep their children distant from the Brothel, they would still have the help of the others — an unofficial pack of sorts, he knew the courtesans would band together to help. Most of them, anyway. They would be excited for Aure, this much Danya knew. He smiled slightly. They would not be alone in this, however distant they kept their little family from the work that they held sway over. But, regardless, they needed to be together on this and Danya knew that they would be.

The knowledge soothed his nerves a bit, but he still felt some anxiety about it in the pit of his stomach.

With war looming in the future, he knew that it would only make things that much more difficult, but hopefully, their children would still be young enough to not remember anything that occurs when the whole thing is said and done.

“That sounds absolutely perfect,” Aurelia said, her words drawing him from his thoughts. “Our little family…” She murmured, now on her side, a yawn parting her jaws. His arms wrapped around her as she buried her face into the thick fur on his chest. It seemed like only heartbeats were passing before she began to fall asleep, nestled in his arms.

Danya lay awake for a while longer, thinking, imagining what things were going to be like when their pups eventually came into the world. What would they look like? What would they name them? When would their personalities develop? So many questions swirled around in his mind, but it did not keep him from eventually drifting off to sleep.

[ fin ]

@Aurelia

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