drops of jupiter /demi and keanu

[Fire]

With the cold chill of winter long gone, the world was brimming with vibrant greens and yellows. The sun's golden rays cast a sea of light and warmth across the land as it burnt brightly is the clear blue skies. The air was filled with the sound of birds singing, crickets chirping and the water crashing over the cliff side and into waterfall pool. Everything seemed to be bursting with life. Seemingly unfased by the buzz that surrounded him, a wolf was lazing by the clear pool of water without a care in the world. He'd just eaten, so he was full to the brim and as happy as Larry. Whoever Larry was. If he even existed, he probably wasn't as charming or as good looking as Keanu was. Nope, Keanu's God-like ways were unparalleled throughout the land, or so he liked to think.

Rolling onto his side, Keanu wondered how long he could go without moving. He probably wouldn't have to eat for years he was so full, and he had a constant supply of water. The sun would keep him warm but...Oh, no. The moon wasn't at all warm, he hadn't thought about that. He could still manage it, though. Right? Of course he could.

He tended to spend most of his time out in No Mans Land nowadays. The Falling Moons were so boring and dull. He always had to watch his back, too. He wasn't exactly a vicious wolf like the rest of them, but he found it easier to stick with them even if it was just for the safety. However, he was beginning to wonder if he'd be safer on his own than with that pack of blood thirsty idiots. Idiots, the lot of them! Maybe if Demi and the rest of the Rouge Six were still around to be seen they could still cause some trouble. But he hadn't seen them since the Earthquake, and he didn't hold much hope for them appearing out the blue. It would be nice, though.

Oh, Demi. Demi, Demi, Demi. Keanu rolled around dramatically and sighed softly. Woe is me, he thought. Demi was the prettiest she-wolf he'd ever met. There was no way anybody could compare to her. If she were still here, they might even be having pups like the rest of the love-sick idiots around. Everyone was an idiot around here. All the girls were taken and all the guys were... well he couldn't hit on the guys because most of them were straight. He had tried it once, but it'd landed him a nasty scar that was only beginning to fade.

No, no way. Pups weren't his thing. He was far too carefree to think about something as ridiculous as pups. For now, his own reflection and the spring breeze were company enough for him. Closing his eyes, he smiled to himself as he felt himself drifting to sleep in the thick, warm air. This was the life.

[arbie]

Pads hitting the hard earth, all the she-wolf could hear was the blood pounding in her ears. Most days were spent alone, or at least when Spring came around. Demi didn’t want to see all the males and females discussing pups and names. When you didn’t have a mate, you felt like an outsider, someone that wasn’t truly accepted because you weren’t helping the pack. Sure, a few females that weren’t pregnant could help protect the pack in case of sudden danger, but that was unlikely to happen. Dancing Stars rarely instigated fights, and they would be preoccupied with pups themselves! Demi mentally tuted at the thought of more Dancing Star pups. Rarely would they turn out Falling Moon material, and even then, it would be difficult to get them to come to their side of the land. Pups were monitored closely, or at least that’s what Demi assumed. If they weren’t, she would definitely monitor her pups. Who knew what sort of crazed wolves wandered on Falling Moon territory.

Slowing her pace, Demi’s ears swivelled at the sound of running water. Thirst suddenly came over her and she moved swiftly, slinking between the trees and following the river until she reached the waterfall. She leaned down and lapped up some water, smiling to herself at the silence. But then something else caught her ear: a heavy sigh? Turning, Demi peered at the edge of the pool below, spying another wolf. From here, as clear as day, she could tell who it was, and she was almost relieved. She smiled, tail wagging gently behind her until she noticed and it stopped. She didn’t want to seem too eager to see Keanu. After all, they left each other on slightly awkward terms.

Leaping along the rocks around the pool, she landed with a thud on level ground.
“Keanu?” she called, not wanting to frighten him as she approached. She sent him a smile, whether he saw it or not, and quickened her pace slightly as she approached. It was nice to see a wolf that wasn’t gaga over pups. Though she was sure he was down about Spring: it meant not many females were open to flirting. Amused, her smile widened and she sat down by him, batting his ear in a playful greeting.

“How’ve you been?”

[Fire]

Carelessness was not normally something he had to worry about, it was second nature now. Even whilst drifting into a lazy slumber, Keanu's senses were as sharp as ever. His ears pricked at the sound of pads hitting the ground, and he opened his eyes quickly, suddenly alert. He tried to stand up but the sun was so bright that he couldn't see, and he stumbled backward and fell back on his rear. Squinting, his eyes became accustomed to the light, and he saw a figure leaping down the rocks that surrounded the pool. At first he thought he was dreaming, but he felt his heart suddenly lift as he suddenly recognised the familiar face. Relief washed over him. It was so good to see her again after all this time.

He adopted a charming half-grin, and stood up as she walked toward him in a gentlemanly manner, then sat down again as she did.
"Good," he replied with a small smirk, watching her with his big brown eyes. Pausing, he looked up at the bright blue sky thoughtfully. It had been a while since he'd had the chance to speak to Demi, and the last time they'd spoken had been on slightly awkward terms.
"What about you?" he asked as his gaze returned to her enchanting blood red eyes. "You look as good as ever," he added, surpressing an even wider grin. She hadn't changed at all, it was like nothing had happened.

Unfortuntely, a lot had happened since they'd last spoken. He waited patiently for her to reply, anxious to find out if much had changed in her life. Maybe she had a mate, pups. A family. Somehow he doubted it. In all their time together, she had never struck him as the kind of wolf that would ever settle down. She was far too carefree to worry about things like looking after pups.

[arbie]

Keanu was very relaxed, and this made Demi relax. She was happy they were both making the effort to be friends again, but with the earthquake, she wasn’t surprised. The Rogue Six had fallen apart, so it was only logical for the pair to team up again against the world. Or, well, against whatever came at them now. With only two of them, there couldn’t be much done. Perhaps at some point they could create a new Rogue Six… Though she knew it wouldn’t be the same. No leader could match Kinaki; no one’s strength could beat Tafari’s; no wolf’s wit could outdo Tomoko’s; no one could compare to Juturna’s care.

Brought back from her memories, Demi looked up at Keanu. She felt a smile creep to her lips and she lay down, rolling her eyes and looked at the rippling water.
“I see you haven’t changed.” she commented, barely affected by his compliment. She knew Keanu was always a flirt and a charmer, and it was no surprise an earthquake couldn’t change him. She was glad. Demi, in her opinion, hadn’t changed either.

She rested her cranium on her paws and glanced at him, rolling her head slightly. He didn’t seem physically harmed, either. It seemed they both got out the earthquake marginally unscathed.

“What have you been up to?” she asked, her eyes rolling back to the waterfall, “Breaking females’ hearts behind my back?”
Though the comment seemed bitter, it wasn’t. Demi was used to joking around with a serious tone, and hopefully Keanu knew that by now.

A chuckle escaped her, amused by her own comment, and she watched the water ripple. Inspecting her own reflection, she gazed at the distorted figure looking back before looking at Keanu, not wanting to be rude while he spoke. If it were any other wolf, she would happily look around and inspect the place, but Keanu was a close friend. She would respect him while they spoke.

[Fire]

As much as he hated to admit it, he really had missed her. He felt completely relaxed, as if there hadn't really been an awkward break up at all. Well, that was a lie. It was always going to be slightly awkward because neither of them would talk about it, and Keanu had a feeling they were both thinking about talking about it, but then it would just be...Well, he didn't know what would happen if he mentioned it, so he didn't.

He smirked at how his compliment was brushed off. She wasn't going to get out of it that easily, he had far too much fun teasing her. He chuckled slyly at her comment, and looked away dramatically, faking an embarrassed tone of voice. "How could I? As if anybody could ever live up to your beauty and grace!" He looked back at her with a serious expression but soon broke into his distinctive smirk once again.

He tilted his head to one side as she did, watching her carefully with a glint of mischievousness in his eyes. He knew he'd always enjoy her company, even if they didn't get back together. They'd been through a lot, with the Rogue Six and everything. In fact he didn't even know if any of the Rogue Six were still alive, he'd almost forgotten about them. Not completely though, he had great fun causing trouble but part of him felt it was time to move on to something different. Maybe it had all been a bit childish, but he couldn't see himself settling down or taking life too seriously just yet.

"Honestly, though, I haven't been up to anything." His grin was replaced by a modest smile and a shrug to accompany it. "As difficult as this may be to believe, my life has been lacking in drama...and females." He stretched his paws out in front of him and yawned loudly. He realised that this was quite rude, and added, "sorry," with laugh. "What about you? Any love interests?" he winked at her obviously. Whilst he found it hard to believe that Demi would settle down and choose a mate, he also found it hard to believe that someone as...someone like her wouldn't have males chasing after them.

[arbie]

Demi laughed again as he continued to compliment her. She took none of it to heart, though. As far as she was concerned, Keanu was joking around and just trying to make the mood as light and happy as possible. They really needed it after the earthquake and relationship they were crawling out of. She looked at him and gave him a ‘shut up’ look, but it soon went away. She would never tell Keanu off for joking around. She enjoyed his jokes, moreso than anyone else’s. Whether it was favouritism or just his humour matching hers, she wasn’t sure.

She did find it quite difficult to believe, however Keanu could be unpredictable at times. She watched him, wondering what he had been up to if it wasn’t flirting with innocent females that already had mates. True, Falling Moon females were much more vicious than other packs they had visited, but that usually didn’t stop Keanu. But when he mentioned love interests, Demi snorted in derision and bat him over the ear, looking at the waterfall.

“Love interests? I thought you knew me better than that.” she stated firmly, “Which is a no, by the way. I haven’t found any worth my time.”

Which was true. The males she had come across were either weak and not even part of Falling Moon or too brash for her liking. There needed to be a bit more wolves with more personalities in this place, and Keanu was one of them. She remembered the good times they had at least, and she smiled slightly as she looked back at him.

“No, I’ve just been keeping myself busy with running and such.” she sighed, “Very, very boring, really.”

[Fire]

Ah, he knew it. It wasn't because of her that she didn't have a love interest, it was because nobody could quite match up to him. They'd only been mates a few months, but they had been good together. He thought so, anyway. She got his humour, which was kind of nice. Mostly, wolves just thought he was being big-headed. Especially with the Moons, the females were just so touchy about being called beautiful! Well, he assumed so. He hadn't spent much time in the pack territory in all honesty. He felt quite threatened.

"Wow, no, running! Not boring at all," he smirked a little but quickly reigned it in and threw her an apologetic look. Hopefully she knew he was only kidding around. He knew that running was and always would be her first love, and that she was faster than him no matter how many times he tried to disprove it.
"Sorry," he admitted. An apology from Keanu was rare as he was rarely wrong, but he knew when he'd taken it too far. "I guess I'm just jealous. Running sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than whatever it is I've been doing." Maybe he should become a better part of the pack. It was a good oppurtunity, surely, to be living alongside some of the biggest terrors in Caden Valley? He could normally charm his way to the top, with his rugged good looks and captivatingly smooth voice, but he wasn't so sure Duke would be as impressed as most other wolves.

"Got any plans to liven this place up, then?" he asked. "All this spring nonsense is getting on my nerves. I'm not sure how much more I can take, if I'm honest." It was true, as much as he loved the weather, he just couldn't be done with the wolves. He just hadn't caught spring-fever, and he was quite positive that he never would. He hoped Demi wouldn't either, it would be nice to have that in common with her.

[arbie]

Demi gave him a look as soon as he opened his mouth. But when he apologised, she smiled comfortably and relaxed again, looking back at the water. She chuckled as he continued, shrugging lightly as she could and then looked at him again. Demi sat up a little.
“You should get yourself some more hobbies. Perhaps take up baby sitting pups when they arrive.” she joked. As he continued, she thought about it momentarily. Spring was one of the most boring yet stressful seasons there was: pups, pups, pups. That’s all it was. And when you weren’t having them, it wasn’t fun.

“Definitely.” she agreed, lapping up the water at her paws. She then straightened up again, looking at him, “Once the pups are born, perhaps babysitting would be a good idea.”
She wasn’t planning on taking control of the pups or anything. But influencing them to be little terrors was an enticing thought, and it would cause some amusement at least.

“But the pack is pretty sparse because of that earthquake. There aren’t enough to really mess with.” she decided, looking down at the water. She didn’t like making statements like that, it felt like Kinaki’s job. But it did feel right in a way, and a momentary thought passed through her: maybe the Rising Sun group could start again. And she could lead them. She smirked a little, and then looked at Keanu. He could be there too. She laughed a little.

“Do you remember the others?” she asked, “… Do you think about them?”

[Fire]

Atthe mention of baby-sitting, Keanu snorted with laughter. He knew she was joking. She had to be, surely? The idea of him looking after pups was...proposterous. He didn't know the first thing about pups, just that they were an annoying waste of time and that he, himself, had never been one. There was no way he could've ever been that irritating and needy. He just appeared one day, fully grown with a charming smile on his face. He smirked a little at the thought. Honestly, he hadn't even grown up yet. He was three years old and the only steady mate he'd had so far was Demi, and that didn't last very long. He was immature at times, yes. But that didn't mean he wanted to look after pups.

As she continued, he realised that she was serious. He frowned and opened his maw to protest, but he noticed that she meant it from a trouble-making point of view. He chuckled and relaxed a little. That was the Demi he knew. Nodding as she deliberated, he decided that he didn't need to tell her his view on all this, as she seemed to have already dismissed it. He wondered what it would really be like to look after pups, or even to...have pups. The idea felt out of place in his head, but it was still interesting. Would he be a good father, or would he be completely lost? Surely some parental instincts would kick in, but somehow he doubted it.

Keanu snapped back to reality instantly when she mentioned the Rogue Six. He felt a strange tug at his heart, like it was aching. He'd spent a good deal of his life with Kinaki and the others, and he did think about them an awful lot. If they were still around, would they still be causing trouble? Or maybe they'd have all settled down and set there scheming pasts to rest. He sighed heavily, staring at the water with an unreadable expression. He didn't like feeling attached to anyone, that wasn't really his way of doing things. He didn't like loss, so he tried not to get close to others. However, it didn't seemed to have worked out that way.
"Yes," he admitted, looking at Demi sternly as if he were trying to hide a guilty expression. "Of course I do." He looked away again, grimacing as he thought about the loss, seemingly lost in the depths of the water. Would Demi think he was pathetic for not having moved on? Maybe she felt the same, but maybe she thought he was ridiculous.

"It's strange," he began, shrugging a little. "I don't know whether I miss them, or the problems we caused." His lips twitched into a smile at the thought of their antics. "I suppose it's both. Maybe if they were still here I'd be doing something with my life instead of lying around all day and waiting for something interesting to happen." He looked back at Demi and let his serious expression slip, leaving a face filled with sorrow and regret. "I guess they were my life." He laughed a little at himself, wondering what Demi would think of his emotional outburst. Never had he let on that he cared so much.
"What about you?" he asked, composing himself and sitting up straight. "Do you miss them?" His expression was characteristic once again, with a small smirk and a sparkle in his eye.

[arbie]

She listened quietly, not once bothering to give him a mocking look. Her tail wagged gently as he spoke of the group. She knew how he felt, as she felt all those emotions every day. Her life was empty without them; there was nothing to do, no where to go, no one to talk to. Everyone was only second-rate compared to her old friends. She felt like she had lost family members. Brothers, sisters. Perhaps even a mother when it came to Juturna. Her heart ached at the thought and she let out a low sigh, regretting ever bringing the subject up. Sharing emotions - even with Kinaki - was difficult.

“Miss them? What a stupid question.” she chastised, however her face quickly washed over with regret and she nodded, sinking her head into her front paws, “I do. Every day. I think about them. They were my family, Keanu. I knew Kinaki for so long…”

Avoiding eye contact, Demi looked at the water instead. This emotions nonsense was ridiculous, and she felt bad for feeling sorry for herself. But the heartache was too much and won over. Her throat tickled and she felt a whimper coming on, which she held back. But her tears, she could not, and a few slid down her fur and onto the grass beneath her. Snorting at herself, she looked away from Keanu, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

[Fire]

Keanu frowned a little, realising his mistake. It was a stupid question and he should have worded it better. Of course she missed them, they were her family just as much as his but now they were gone. Oddly enough he couldn't bare to think of them alive because there was a chance that they weren't. He preferred to imagine that they were dead, but that there was just a small glimmer of hope that they'd appear in Caden Valley ready to cause havoc with them once again.
He hauled a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, his heart dropping in pain at her words. Never had he seen her like this, and he guessed that it must feel odd for her to be expressing so much emotion, too. Neither of them were the kind to display unnecessary of affection to others which was probably why they always got on so well.

He knew for a fact that she wouldn't want him to draw attention to her current state but he couldn't help getting up and moving toward her. Dipping his maw down he nuzzled her gently before sitting upright and looking out at the lake, though his mind was far from the rippling surface. He was using it as an excuse almost, just as cautious and guarded of his feelings as Demi had always seemed.
His head filled with images of his old friends but they were fuzzy and out of focus. The thought that he was beginning to forget their faces made him feel even worse. Guilt washed over him and he blinked tears away, looking in the opposite direction to Demi.

"I know," he said softly,thankful that his voice to sounded stronger than he felt. "But we still have each other, and that's something to be thankful for, hm?" He left to question open and hoped she might respond so he wasn't the only one talking.
He felt strangely protective of her but that wasn't something he wanted to show either. Demi was completely capable of coping on her own and wouldn't appreciate him trying to be all caring. In honesty, she was the only female whose feelings he'd ever given much thought to.
"It'll be all right," he continued, trying to convince himself just as much as he was her. His gaze wandered back to her silver and black pelt lying next to him and a small smile forced its way onto his lips now that the pathetic urge to whimper had passed.
"We're survivors, D," he breathed. More than anything, he was glad that he'd found her again.