Favorite Subjects!

[[Midnight]]

The vantage point from up here was undeniably useful. With Half Moon Mountain, there was a beautiful view of the lands surrounding the territory, a spectacular seat for a romantic viewing of the night sky, and it proved to be a useful landmark to scout the enemies far away in the distance. The latter, though, hadn't necessarily been needed. Yet.
As Sukalina paced the edges of a cliff near the top of the mountain, she pondered what her favorite place here in this territory was. Back in the original lands, she had fallen in love with the Meadow; now that they had involuntarily moved locations, Sukalina hadn't seen the Meadow in something close to a year. That was where... Shaddix...
She let herself get pulled into memories, and a cold breeze slapped at her sides. As she sat there quietly, relaxed, she decided what her favorite spot was here in the new home. This mountain was at the top of her list.
Surely I'm not the only wolf who loves this place, she thought to herself, opening her eyes and scanning the grounds straight below. She knew her own daughter probably came here a lot; they had always had very similar tastes when it came to everything.

Thinking of her pups brought her mind back to the coming Spring. Everyday, the air got a little warmer. It wasn't significant, not yet, but the temperatures would eventually rise even further in the next few weeks. And with Spring came... More pups! Sukalina loved pups. If Shaddix were still alive, she knew she'd be having more. If only, if only...

[Paint]

The snow crunched loudly and satisfyingly beneath Haine's dark paws, as he pushed his way up through the cold and the rocks. He wasn't particularly looking for company, nor anyone in particular, but he certainly wasn't upset when he saw Sukalina.

"Hello, lovey," he greeted her in a friendly way, smiling, but he wasn't about to be over-the-top cheeky or flirty, as he usually was, because he heard she'd had an adoring mate not so long ago. She is very pretty though... he thought to himself, daringly, as if he weren't allowed to think of a widow in such a way.

"Bit lonesome are we?" he questioned offhandly, sitting down next to her, smiling more.

[[Midnight]]

Sukalina's ears twitched and she turned to look at Haine, narrowing her eyes as she sized him up in about a moment. She hadn't heard much about this fella, where he had come from or what type of wolf he was. But she'd give him a chance for a first impression.
"I've always been the nostalgic type," she answered carefully, watching him with her big, brown eyes. She shifted her weight from one paw to the other, and curled her tail around a back leg. Suka was young, but not a yearling anymore. She was old enough to be a mother to quite a few of the wolves of Dancing Stars. That's why, when she quietly sighed and thought about how she would be very much alone this Spring, she also thought that about how the future pups might be calling her 'granny Suka'.
"So yes, it's always nice to have company on a night like this," she ventured, smiling her sweetest smile, the one she was known for.

[Paint]

Haine could see it very clearly now, this wolf wasn't going to take any crap. And he knew he was full of it. So, he put on a fairly emotionless face, until he smiled back politely. Sure, he was arrogant and shallow but he was in no way stupid. And sometimes, it was nice to take a breather from everyone hating you.

"I can imagine," he agreed, watching her gently with his chocolate-coloured eyes. "I can't believe spring is so near. This winter has been short and sweet, I suppose."

He felt that the topic of conversation most contemplated at the moment was the coming of spring, the new pups to be had, the love to blossom under the trees which would flourish in the heat. Everything happened in spring.

[[Midnight]]

Sukalina nodded in agreement, tossing her gaze down at the male's large paws as she thought about things.
"Yes. Yes, it has been. Although I can't say I'll miss winter anymore than I will enjoy the coming of Spring. Spring is always exciting," she grinned, flexing her toes into the snow. She blinked when she thought of Falling Moon, considering the possibilty of another attack from them. If anything, that would probably happen in the summertime, when wolfkind was fattened up on good hunting and the pups were old enough to walk and explore. But, ahh, maybe Falling Moon would stay silent this year? After all, they have everything they could possibly need, right? Either way, Spring would probably be normal, calm, and happy.
"So, Haine, what brings you out here tonight? Just exploring?" she asked with a tiny sigh, more of contentment than anything else.

[Paint]

Haine yawned and settled down into a laying position, then looked up apologetically at Sukalina. He wasn't yawning because she was boring, or any reason like that. He just felt tired recently, and he'd been thinking a lot about his siblings. His perfect little siblings. Ugh.

Pushing the thought firmly from his mind, he shrugged.
"I'm not sure really. I like going up to tall places, like mountains, and getting a better view of... stuff," he shrugged again, not feeling very articulate today. "Spring's okay, I guess, but I can't say I'm much of a pup person. They're awesome when they get old enough to romp about and play chase with. I love a good 'ol game of chase sometimes. But when they're really young they're so boring," he sighed. "Plus, everyone gets completely lovey-dovey and ridiculous and it just makes me wonder why wolves can't just stay... I don't know, independant? Yeah, stay independant and out of love. Love screws everything up."

Although his words had a slightly dark edge to them, he delivered them in a matter-of-fact and fairly upbeat way. This was a lot more talking than he usually did, he realised, and glanced up at Sukalina again.

"What're you up here for?" he questioned her in return.

[[Midnight]]

Sukalina smiled mischeviously, swinging her tail upwards in an amused curl.
"Before I answer that question, can I ask you something?" she said with a twitch of her whiskers, blinking her brown eyes thoughtfully. She was thinking about what Haine said, and she was too curious now to leave that conversation behind.
"Have you ever been a father before?"
She knew it may be a tender subject for some, whether or not they had been a parent before, but brave Suka wasn't afraid to ask it. Not this time, anyway.
"And I'm only here because I've decided that this is my favorite spot here in the Star's land."
She smiled.

[Paint]

Haine's line of sight fell upon Sukalina again at her coy question. He thought about it. He knew his answer, definitely not. But he wasn't sure if perhaps she meant just a little something else in that.

Confused, he tilted his head a little, but kept his expression plainly curious.
"No. I suppose you want to say it makes a massive difference when you're a father or a mother because you feel this overwhelming need to love and protect the pups when they're young and 'boring', as I put it. And that until I become a father, I really shouldn't judge what pups are like when they're too young to romp."

"Am I right?" he looked her squarely in the eyes, chocolate irises gleaming.

[[Midnight]]

Suka watched him for a few seconds before she began to laugh delightedly. He had stolen her thunder, alright.
"Goodness, I don't even need to explain myself, do I? You're smarter than you sound, Haine, you just have opinions and you stick with 'em. Huh?"
She calmed her laughter and her smile turned gentle. Maybe Haine wasn't the type to settle down with a female, although she herself hadn't yet met someone who never did eventually. Unless they were just unlucky souls who were never loved back. But there were those who claimed they'd never take a mate and they ended up eating their words when they fell in love.
"Well, freedom of expression. I like that. But you described parenthood so down-to-the-point that I'm finding it hard to believe you have no one. You were just absolutely right."
Then she furrowed her brow, relaxing her ears as she remembered the other thing Haine had said.
"Love? Screwing things up?"
She expected him to explain himself, but respected his privacy. She didn't say anything more about the matter and left it up to him.
Spring, pups, love... One of Sukalina's favorite subjects!

[Paint]

Haine laughed too, and as she spoke the first time, he shrugged.

"A lot of people think that just because I joke, and I irritate people and I'm a bit of a flirt that I have no intellect at all," he replied, keeping his tone upbeat. He may have been about ten times more serious than normal right now, but he wasn't about to sound serious.

"Yeah, 'cos see, there's loads of different types of love. There's parent to kid love, and I won't get into how that screws things, then there's head-over-heels do-anything-for-them-love-them-for-the-rest-of-your-life kinda love. That one nearly never works out. Okay, so the female and male have that kinda love, they finally pronounce their love and are amazingly happy when they become mates. What after that? Pups? What comes after that? The pups grow up and start their own lives. The point I'm trying to make it, wolves get bored of each other. They spend less time together. There is no sense of excitement anymore!"

He spoke passionately, rolling onto his back to become more comfortable, eyes drooping shut a little.
"You see, I prefer flirting shamelessly. You may never have anyone to be with for the rest of your life, but there's no let down. You just get this exhilarated feeling whenever you flirt with a pretty shewolf and it's there everytime. Ten times more interesting to flirt with ten different wolves than to stay with one wolf forever."

He nodded, as if it were final, but was sure she'd have something to say. She used to have a long-term mate, didn't she? he thought carefully.

[[Midnight]]

Sukalina shook her head, feeling sympathy for poor Haine! He had it all wrong. Anyone who thought that way had it all wrong. That kind of think only happened to those who weren't ready to take a mate, and they should have waited. The abused love.
"You're terrible," she said, not belittling, just a light tease. She leaned her face in closer as if she was telling a secret. "And what happens when the she-wolves start falling into the head-over-heels do-anything-for-them-love-them-for-the-rest-of-your-life kinda love? Most flirting should lead to someone, or you're not doing it right! Not that I am a master..."
She laughed at her own dull joke, feeling more like an old hag by the second. She really wasn't, and she knew she wasn't, but...
She looked away, at the cloudy night sky, thinking of Shaddix. It never got boring when she was around him. He was definately an interesting character, and that's what had drawn her to him in the first place. His handsome personality.
"Well, I'm not going to lecture you. I promise. I'm positive you'll find out true love is sometime anyway. Even if you are a flirtatious dunce."

[Paint]

Haine laughed loudly, playing indignant. He huffed dramatically and rolled back onto his front, crossing his paws and throwing his head dramatically away from her, with his eyes closed. He peeked round at her, laughing again, and dropped the drama.

"Go on then, Sukalina, tell me all about falling head over heels for someone. I truly want to know, because I am not planning on subjecting myself to it anytime soon," he eyed her teasingly, smile breaking out over his face and lighting up his soft brown eyes.

[[Midnight]]

Sukalina wagged her tail, the long fur swishing gracefully in the crisp air. She was enjoying her conversation with Haine, appreciative of his company.
"Alright, you asked for it!" she replied warningly with an eager grin. She shifted onto her belly and let her head rest on her front paws, watching Haine as she mustered up all of her thoughts about true love.
"Where to start... Well, when I first met Shaddix, I was just attracted by everything about him. He was kind, gentle, very lovable, and good at conversation. A real female charmer. So when or meeting ended, I asked if we could hang out again, and he said yes. I just knew.. I knew that we would go somewhere.
"And we did. Our second meeting was just as amazing as the first, and that was the night that he asked me to be his mate. I said yes without hesitation, because I knew that he loved me just as much as I loved him. When it comes to love, if it's real, you'll know. You'd have to be blind to not see it right in front of your face.
"It's really all about instincts. Follow what your gut says. If you don't think the wolf you're interested in is the right one, then trust that instinct. But if you find that all you can think about and all you can dream about is her... Then you're hooked."
She gave him a toothy grin, flinging her tail upwards so that the tips of her fur touched her back. She knew she sounded so dramatic, she admitted it, but it was exactly how she felt, and she wasn't afraid to voice what her heart told her.

[Paint]

Haine's expression became more and more amused, although he tried hard to hide his grin, he could hardly surpress it. Finally, she stopped, and the smile broke out over his face with a small chuckle.

"You honestly believe every single wolf out there actually gets that? Exactly like you described it?" he shook his head. "Every single love is different, which is why most fail. I guess you were just lucky!" He laughed again.

He rolled back onto his back, paws dangling in the air like a pup's.
"Sounds boring to me, sorry." He shrugged, arrogance returning slightly.

[[Midnight]]

Sukalina's smile turned gentle and she raised her head to look down at her paws, her gaze clouding over.
"Yeah. You're right. Love isn't for everybody and it isn't always a fairy-tale."
Her nose twitched and she looked up at Haine curiously. He was the type who enjoyed his freedom. Suka understood how he felt, but not why he felt that way. It was strange. She couldn't imagine a life without love. Suka needed to love and be loved, it was just the way she was. She was one-of-a-kind and loved everyone, really. Just not in that way.
Now that she lost Shaddix, she felt lonely, even though she understood that she wasn't alone. She wouldn't die alone, either.
"Well, it probably would be boring for you. I'm just sentimental like that. I like to turn the world into a magical place."
She laughed at herself, also unafraid to make fun of her own words.