[PRP] At the Crossroads: Revelations and Confessions (Smoldering Ember x Sun-Cursed)

[doomsayer]

THE SWAMP

For the last few nights, Smoldering Ember had persuaded Sun-Cursed to accompany him in the guise of patrolling the area due to the recent attack on their neighbor in the mangrove cluster dens. Though the safety of the kin living in his immediate neighborhood was indeed one of his objectives, he had spent the last few nights mulling over the possibility of telling Sun-Cursed that he wanted to accompany her on her evening excursions because he knew that there was something stalking her, something that may have been the cause of the attack on the neighbor in the first place.

He promised her when he asked her to share his den with him that he would do everything in his power to keep her happy and safe. Telling her about this presence following her would only serve to make her concerned, but continuing to hide the fact from her only puts her in danger. The last few nights have caused him to feel inadequate to fulfill his promise to her. He hasn't had a decent sleep in the last few days because deep inside, he feels that his den is no longer safe. He wishes--if only for just a day--that he could bring Sun-Cursed elsewhere where he didn't have to worry about all of these problems and where he can get a good night's sleep just to sort out all of his thoughts and feelings.

---------

Tonight they decided to patrol near the mangrove thickets. The wall of growth provided an effective barrier for larger predators and critters from invading the area of the dens, but any determined, persistent kin could squeeze through the thickets with some difficulty in the cover of night to travel to different areas without being seen. As the night grew darker, Ember found himself increasingly thankful that Sun-Cursed was with him, her glow the only light leading their way.

Without warning, the darkness around them suddenly started to pulse and wave. Immediately, he was at Sun-Cursed's side. It looked like the spot in front of them illuminated by her glow was the only part that remained solid, but the ground behind them started to shake underfoot. He tried to steady himself but the shaking only grew worse, jostling him so violently that his internal balance was also affected which caused him to lose consciousness.

/////

THE CROSSROADS

He blinked awake, sitting with two legs below him and two limbs to his side. No longer did the ground shake. The surroundings were alien to him, but didn't seem dangerous. He felt the warm rays of the sun caress his face with early morning warmth. Then panic set in. Sun-Cursed can't be out in the sun!

He looked to his side, the last place he knew she was before his vision went dark, and there she was....

[HuniPi]

THE SWAMP
For Sun-Cursed, the past nights spent with Ember had been a mixture of giddy happiness and stomach-knotting anxiety. She had tried, multiple times, to bring up her feelings for him at the advice of Hang the Moon but it either didn't feel appropriate for the moment, or the acha doe didn't want to pile onto whatever Smoldering Ember was worrying about. She couldn't help but notice he was preoccupied with something even when he was trying to pretend otherwise.

She wanted to show him she was one less thing for him to worry about, which was what had her holding her tongue and instead discussing things about the marshlands, their neighbors, and just to come out of left field, sometimes she'd talk about Steals Kisses. Anything to serve as a distraction from whatever could be bothering him and maybe to show him she was stronger than she looked.

---------

That evening at the mangrove thickets, things were proceeding as usual. Nothing suspicious nor dangerous was found and the evening was shaping up to be uneventful. Sun-Cursed would wait for a quiet moment that was neither awkward nor uncomfortable for her to finally say her feelings aloud. Except her opportunity never came because things shifted. Violently.

She lost her footing but rather than immediately taste ground, she once again felt that strong, steady form of Ember supporting her. Until the ground and the darkness around them became overwhelming and Sun-Cursed couldn't keep her consciousness.

/////

THE CROSSROADS

Sun-Cursed was the first to wake up. Her body felt odd. Longer but also smaller. She looked down to find her form was starkly different, limbs rearranged and reshaped, short fur still covered her skin but there was a new layer of clothing that resembled her markings. When she sat up, she noticed how bright her surroundings were and first thought it was due to her halo.

But this was a brightness that was more intense than she'd ever been able to generate. The warmth on her skin was also unfamiliar but not unpleasant. It took her a moment to realize despite the canopy of trees overhead, sunlight still peeked through and shone upon them. Instinctively, she braced herself for the blisters and the burning pain that always followed any exposure to direct sunlight.

None of it ever came.

Sun-Cursed stared in awe at her body, at how in this form she could bask in the warm sun and not fear it. She turned to search for Ember to show him this happy event. When she saw who lay where Ember was last, she immediately recognized even if his form was different. Just like she was. She didn't know if she still had her glow, but in the sun it wouldn't have been as obvious anyway.

She gave him a brilliant smile and greeted softly, "Good morning."

[doomsayer]

Deep inside, he knew it was her even if her form was vastly different. From the sensations and the odd movements he's had since opening his eyes, he knew his form was different too. Yet when he saw her and heard her greet him good morning, he was struck with awe at how beautiful she was in the sunlight. She still had a glow to her, but it too was not the same in form as the light produced when they were kin. It was more of an inner radiance that she emanated from her eyes and her smile. Awestruck only for a moment, he remembered his panic at her being exposed to the sun, but seeing her perfectly fine beside him melted away his worries. He couldn't help but to move in this form, awkwardly scooting closer to her side and wrapping his upper limbs around her in both relief and happiness.

Taking her in his arms, he mumbled out barely able to form a coherent sentence from the emotions he was feeling."Roomie! Sun-Cursed! You're okay! The sun! You're not in pain anywhere, are you?"

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed leaned into the embrace with what were her own front limbs instinctively winding around him. Given his distress, she really shouldn't be smiling but she couldn't help it. Here she was, standing in sunlight and she was perfectly fine! She still liked how she could press into Ember and be sheltered from the light, albeit partially.

"Em, I'm fine, really!" she raised her front leg to show him her fur and skin were devoid of any burn marks. "See? Nothing hurts," she insisted but she also couldn't bring herself to push away from him. She'd always liked being in close proximity of the kimeti, and this new form just made her realize how well she fit against him.

"Oh but what about you? Does this place have any ill-effects on you?" Her front hooves or rather hands, the word now existing in her mind, reached up to cup his face, her fingers tracing his strange, new lines and angles.

[doomsayer]

Ember let go of Sun-Cursed to look at his own body at her prompting. Two legs, two arms, two feet, two hands, fingers and toes--the knowledge of what to call these parts was new as it came to the forefront of his mind. But the sensations that came with them were not. These limbs were something he had had before, he realized as the hazy memories of the same sensations came flooding back--vague memories of him in other forms during his excursions in the last Winter Market. The fur was reminiscent of the memories of when he first met Sun-Cursed, albeit still in other animal forms.

He figured this must be another one of those dream realms where they won't remember much when they get out. He looked around to see what else there was in the area. To his surprise, although they were in the middle of a forest, there were clusters of structures that looked like they were populated. There was even some movement that he could see coming from the larger structures. Nothing here felt dangerous, and seeing Sun-Cursed freely able to move in the sunlight made him forget all the issues he was getting worked up about before they woke up here.

He smiled back at Sun-Cursed, flexing the muscles on his arms and slowly opening and closing the fingers of each hand. "Everything seems to be fine. These are new, though." He said, gesturing to the bulging biceps caused by flexing his arms. 'You wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you?"

[HuniPi]

Up until recently, Sun-Cursed had been moving around the swamp to wherever she could find shelter and food for her merry little band of familiars. There were rumors of places in-between such as the mysterious obelisks, but she remembered nothing more than whispers and scuttlebutt about a forest that never ended.

She didn't hear about what happened when one found oneself in it, however. The transformation into a new form was certainly not something spoken of because she would have remembered that detail. So maybe this was something like the in-between.

"It might be some sort of in-between. A nice kiokote doe mentioned these mysterious spaces. And since we're," she gestured to their current forms, smiling in spite of the confusion, "Whatever this is, I can suppose it's something like that."

She bit her lower lip, hesitating for a moment before facing Ember, "Can we keep looking around? I want to explore the area." She was idly swaying her arms so that she could feel the sun on more of her skin. "Is the sun always this kind of soft sort of warm?" she asked him.

[doomsayer]

He had been so busy worrying over the last few days and nights that they've been going around together, he'd forgotten to just enjoy spending time with Sun-Cursed. He recalls how he always found it amusing how she experienced things differently from him because of her affliction, and that she never failed to intrigue him with stories of different thing she's seen and kin she's met wandering the kinlands before she moved in with him. Now that she wasn't restricted by the sun and he wasn't burdened with worry, he found no reason to be so overstrung. Maybe this was the opportunity he was asking for--just a chance to finally breathe a sigh of relief and actually appreciate Sun-Cursed's company again.

He looked at her moving her new limbs and taking in the rays of the morning light, with a sigh and a sincere smile, he answered her, "You know what, you're absolutely right. We're already here, we might as well see what this place has to offer."

And when she asked him about the warmth of the sun, he made the decision to stay wherever here was for as long as she wanted. If she wanted to stay forever, then he would probably consider it. "Right now is the sweet spot. Not too hot and not too bright. It get's hotter later in the day, but even that sometimes is comforting during a long day of labor. I'm happy you can finally feel it without getting hurt."

He reached out with one arm, offering to take her hand in his--something he would not have been able to do in his old form--as he pointed with his other hand to the area of wooden structures for them to explore.

[HuniPi]

Sun-Cursed felt a tiny twinge of resentment about her condition. Now knowing how nice the sun felt on her skin, especially now that the heat didn't burn her, how would she be able to return to the swamp? It was different from the comforting warmth of a fire, so she knew she wouldn't be able to recreate it out there. And no matter how lovely it felt, the price she would have to pay was too steep.

But that was where she lived. With Smoldering Ember.

She turned her gaze towards him as he answered her question, noting just how much calmer he looked here. Maybe it was because this form was so different to their actual bodies she was so much more aware of his expression. He was always quite handsome as a kin, and he was even more handsome when he smiled. Like now as he agreed to keep exploring. She couldn't help but subconsciously mirror his expression.

And when he offered her his hand, the heat from her chest bloomed anew. She accept the proffered limb, her fingers interlacing with his both for a steadier grip and, well, because it felt nice holding him that way. She kept close to him as they headed towards the structures.

"Maybe there are others here," she said aloud, trying to memorize their path though finding little in the way of landmarks or defined features. It was only when they arrived at a building where the aroma of toasted beans wafted their way. "Oh what is that? It smells nice."

[doomsayer]

Holding Sun-Cursed's hand felt right. When she interlaced her fingers with his, he felt his heart flutter. He had felt these feelings before and he pushed them down then. Sun-Cursed was his friend and he didn't want to complicate things between them because of the feelings. But right now, he didn't feel like pushing them down. He liked how being close to her made him feel, and he liked how he could share in her happiness here where she could walk freely in the day time.

It was at the same time as Sun-Cursed asked her question that the smell hit him. A Bitter, earthy, smoky, strong smell that felt like it was pulling him towards it. With Sun-Cursed at his side, he opened the door to the structure, a ringing sound coming from the object overhead as the top of the door hit it. Inside was warm and cozy, the smell enveloping them both as they entered. There were soft seats covered in dyed animal hides facing wooden platforms--tables. At the center of the structure was another person with brown and black fur standing behind a counter. She waved at them and greeted them, "Welcome to Starstags Coffee Shop. We have a wide selection of coffee and pastries to choose from, and it's all free. Please, choose what you like!" Behind and above her was a green board with writing Ember had never seen before but somehow understood.

He looked at Sun-Cursed with a bewildered expression, "Well. Would you like to have some...coffee... with me?"

[HuniPi]

Same as Ember, Sun-Cursed stared in confusion at the building's interior, but as quickly as this sensation of alienness came, it went and was replaced by knowledge as if she'd always had it. Of course just because she could read the writing, knowledge was not memories and so when it came to choosing from the selection of drinks and pastries, she was a little lost for choice.

She squeezed the kimeti's hand a little tighter, reassuring herself that she was in good company. "Yes, I'd like that. Coffee sounds nice."

After making an order for a flaky pastry and a hot beverage, they found a quiet alcove booth she corrected to sit down at and wait for their order. There was soft, pleasant music, nothing too distracting but it helped mute the sounds around them. Yes, this place will do. She decided once they get their drinks and food, she was going to tell him. In the meantime, she was remarking about how lovely it was she could see things better like this, with light brighter than her halo had afforded her.

[doomsayer]

Ember realized, even as they sat down to wait for their food and beverages to arrive, that he hadn't let go of Sun-Cursed's hand. He also realized that watching her look around with eager curiosity and with her newfound appreciation for the ambient light made him unable to stop smiling with happiness for her. As their order arrived and he took a deep sip of his sweet and bitter, but warming beverage, he knew that he could finally let go of the worries about the her stalker or them getting attacked. This place was safe and Sun-Cursed was happy. With his promises to her currently met, he decided that he would just stay and enjoy her company for as long as this would last.

Wiping a crumb off of Sun-Cursed's cheek with a tissue, he said to her without a second thought, "You know roomie, my days have been brighter and more interesting since you moved in. Granted, some of our critters might be at odds with each other, but I really appreciate you agreeing to share the den. Having someone to come home to is really nice and I value your input when it comes to deciding what needs storing and what should be disposed of and how to better clean up after ourselves. I know there's been that issue with the one neighbor, but I really hope you like it there too."

[HuniPi]

Maybe it was her nerves getting the better of her, because instead of coming outright and speaking her mind, Sun-Cursed found herself focusing more on eating and drinking these foreign food and beverages. It could also be because the hand she seemed more comfortable using was currently still holding onto Ember.

It was only when Ember helped wipe her face clean and somehow brought the conversation to her having moved in did she realize she had unintentionally stalled herself. "I'm really happy you invited me in the first place. And, I'm really grateful you made room for not just me but for all the pets and even my, um, surprise guest." She didn't want to bring up Steals Kisses but she felt she had to, besides it didn't mean she had to dwell on the other acha doe. "I've been so much happier and I've never felt so safe. And warm."

She squeezed his hand again, and scooted closer to him. "But it's not just while we're in this strange form or place. I realized that you, Ember, you specifically make me feel warm. And like my heart's going to burst with happiness even if all that's happening is just us talking." She was starting to ramble but there was no stoppin her now. "I'll understand i-if you find this puts too much pressure on you o-or if you would have done this for anyone in need because I know you're that kind and generous with yourself. Whatever we have, it doesn't have to change if you don't want it to."

She looked up at him hopeful for a positive reception. Even if her feelings were one-sided, she hoped he wouldn't be upset that she misread his kindness.

[doomsayer]

He thought he'd be more taken aback at Sun-Cursed's confession of her feelings, but something deep inside him had been wanting this to happen--not expecting it, but preparing him for it nonetheless. On more than one occasion, he found himself looking at Sun-Cursed where he'd be filled with emotions that weren't just about being friends. Each of those times, he told himself that he had to push away those kinds of feelings for her because he thought she would not feel the same and to put that on her would ruin what friendship they had.

He looked at their hands, their fingers interlocked, her hand so perfectly nestled into his. All this time she didn't pull away, both of them occasionally squeezing each other in silent communication. Looking back, he chided himself for not seeing this coming despite how they had been behaving towards each other.

He squeezed her hand back and looked straight into her eyes, "When I asked you to move into the den with me, I had no intention of making what we have between us develop into what these feeling currently are. But even at the start, helping you made me feel different than how it made me feel to help other kin. I could have only promised that I'd keep you safe while you lived with me, but I wanted to go the extra mile for you so I also promised that you'd be happy. That's not something I would so easily promise to someone else. It's been... difficult to live up to those promises recently, but I wanted to do all I could because I promised them to you."

"You make me feel things that I've never felt for any other kin before. At first I pushed those feeling away because I thought I would be satisfied with just being friends, but now that we're here and I can finally live up to my promise of keeping you safe and happy--now that you're telling me how you feel--I think I should tell you that I feel the same. You being the first kin I see when I wake up makes me feel like everyday is going to be the best day. I want to stay with you, I want you to stay with me. And if you go, I want to go where you're going. I want to be able to help you achieve what you want, as long as you'll let me."

He took her hand and lifted it to press against his cheek, her warmth further confirming to him that what she was saying was real. He hoped she wouldn't be overwhelmed by everything he just told her, but he'd never bared his feelings like this to anyone before so he thought that being absolutely honest and baring it all is the best way to go about it. He waited for her reaction, not knowing what he would do next in this situation.

[HuniPi]

There were no words for Sun-Cursed when her feelings were not only accepted but returned. A deep sigh of relief, then a brilliant glow of her halo before she leaned forward and upward to try and touch her forehead against his. No easy feat given his height especially in this form but the contact was worth the effort.

"I'm glad I took this chance. I've been wanting to tell you for a while now but something always came up that seemed more important or needed our undivided attention." She wasn't sure but the soft ambient melody in the coffee shop had changed into something sweeter, though she didn't know why. If she was more musically inclined she might even have called it romantic. "I want to do more in the share of maintaining the- our den." she giggled shyly, giddy in the realization.

"And calling you just Em feels too distant. Can, can I call you Warm instead?"

[doomsayer]

Ember was relieved that Sun-Cursed didn't change her mind when he bared his feelings to her. As she scooted close to him and he leaned down to have their foreheads touch, he saw an outline of her halo around her head against the ambient light. This close to her, his instincts all but shouted at him to lean in, to touch his lips to hers. Now that their feelings for each other had been confirmed, would it be wrong to deny his instincts any longer? Yet he held himself back. What was here between them was still too new. He didn't know what the right time would be, but he told himself that for now he would be satisfied with whatever closeness she would initiate.

Closing his eyes and with a shy smile on his lips, he answered her "I'm okay with you calling me that, but only if you let me call you... My Light..."
He hesitated, wondering if that might have been too creepy of him to request. "But only in private...and only if you're okay with it.... Never mind, forget I said anything."