violet hour-- open.

[Paint]

in the dark you tell me of the flower
that only blooms in the violet hour

The pebbles beneath her paws spread outwards as she placed her feet carefully, watching how her claws spread out and gently pushed the small grey rocks away. With a blink, she came to slightly, lifting her head and gazing into the dens. The sun would be rising soon, and the air was cold and unforgiving. Bandit had resigned, unable once again to sleep, and found herself travelling the lands. She was sure that through her insomnia, she had experienced every inch of this land. Having walked in circles for hours, she retired to sit and face out.

She'd travelled much, and she had to remind herself of this at times. Her thoughts once again revolved to her family. Both parents lost, and most likely all of her siblings. This world was far more cruel than she'd ever cared to admit before.

Still, she was strong. She'd survived- she represented her father's blood, her mother's honesty. She carried her brother's keen perception, her sister's modesty. Caerwyn she had never taken much time to know, nor Prospero. Roan she knew only vaguely of.

But she found herself constantly re-assessing her position here. The Dancing Stars- could they truly be calling themselves that? Was Caden really, honestly, a Stars wolf at heart? Bandit knew that she was not vicious enough to cause an uprising, but the fire of her right to leadership continued to burn in her gut. She was sure that it was the reason she could not rest. When her eyes closed, she saw those that she had lost encouraging her to seek her destiny. But when the sun rose and she interacted with her fellow packmates, her true desire to rule was quenched with the peacefulness of the place. In all honesty, she was torn.

She settled down, placing her head on her paws and continuing to gaze out. She would not dwell on it anymore, she decided. The answer would come to her in time.

A long, loud sigh escaped her throat and pierced the balmy morning air.

[[Midnight]]

The morning was pleasantly fresh, with the atmosphere creating an energy in Taya that made her have to run fast on her delicate paws. She had always been a restless and hyper thing, and not the type of female who sat around all day making sure the fur on her tail stayed silky smooth. She was perhaps a bit naive, but she also had power over others that most did not, and that was the power of fearlessness. She feared few and loved many. The only times she feared was when the pack was in danger. When a pup was sick. When the strangers leftover from the earthquake had swarmed the area.

Taya knew she wasn't very special and most likely everyone talked about how much of an airhead she was. She hadn't been able to catch a mate last season due to her plain looks (or at least what she thought of herself as plain.) She was an omega, not the agressive type who demanded a position of utmost respect.

But the best thing about Taya was that she knew the secrets to having fun.

With a bright look to her multicolored face, the small female perked her ears and continued jogging forward as the sound of a dramatic sigh caught her eardrums from nearby. She was close to another Dancing Star, and since Taya enjoyed the company of others greatly, she purposely swerved in her tracks to trot towards the direction of the unnamed packmate.

The pebble clearing had always been a favorite of Taya's - at least during the early and mid Summer, when pups were old enough to start romping around and tossing the pebbles down the ledges. Boy, she loved pups, what energetic and creative playmates they made.

She recognized Bandit right away, and though Taya could remember her name plain as day, she was trying her best to remember the females background and history. She knew she had been a survivor of that earthquake, the one Taya had not been a part of. These wolves Taya made sure to treat with proper care and attention. They had suffered through much and always had amazing stories to tell of good vs evil, survival of the fittest. They were heroes of Caden Valley and had made it what it was today.

But what had Bandit's story been?

"Good morning, Bandit," Taya greeted warmly, giving the Delta the wolfish body-language of respect for heirarchy. "I heard your sighing and came to your rescue."

Her pink tongue lolled slightly out of her jaws from the excercise she had already gotten.

[Paint]

Bandit turned, amber eyes flashing cautiously as she was pulled out of her dream world. But the other female was a packmate, a friend to be no doubt, and therefore Bandit instantly relaxed. Having taken the time to learn the pack that she one day planned to rule, she knew her name was Taya. She knew that she was not an earthquake survivor. But little else did she know, as she was not one to pry or gossip.

What she did appreciate was respect, and having received a respectful welcome from the Omega, Bandit's preconceptions about 'lower' packmembers completely disappeared. She dipped her head in similar respect, to show that she was not one to truly think she was higher than any other day-to-day pack member. She enjoyed mutual respect far more than hierarchy.

"Good morning," she returned. Something about this other wolf's bright, cheery personality seemed infectious. Bandit smiled slightly, which was a bit of a rarity these days. Her orange eyes softened. "Thank goodness for you, Taya. I was beginning to fear that my sighs had scared everyone away."

Good lord, was that a joke? Bandit mused slightly, ears flicking forwards curiously. It had been quite a while since she had joked around. She wasn't terribly frivolous, having been a headstrong and serious pup, she'd never seen the point in running around like a lunatic, or causing trouble for the hell of it.

"And how are you?" she asked, genuinely interested. It was a breath of fresh air to get away from her own thoughts for a minute.

[[Midnight]]

Taya watched Bandit's eyes and body language and was glad to see that, though this female was obviously superior in every way possible, she wasn't interested in domination. She felt relieved, sometimes those kinds of wolves were just mood-killers for Taya - especially since she never had the gall to fight back like she meant it. The best this female could do was play fight, and lately there hadn't been many play-fighting wolves around.

"Ohh, I'm just fine, having a nice morning jog," she replied in her normal cheerful manner. "I can't stay put for long, I'm always on the go." Her tail furiously and pup-like for a few seconds, before she sat down on her rump and pondered what Bandit had said about "scaring everyone away." She must've been feeling lonely? So Taya was glad she had heard Bandit and joined company with her. Taya got easily lonely, too, being such a social butterfly, though she also knew that she may have tended to annoy others with her constant chatter.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the most beautiful coat?" she asked suddenly, sincerely with an admiring smile. "You don't seem like the scary type. Very good looks, very good personality."

[Paint]

Bandit was startled, to say the least. She had never considered herself an attractive wolf. She was too big for a female, too headstrong and independent. Weakness was never an option to her, and males never seemed to appreciate the challenge she presented. Plus, her pelt was odd with it's mis-matched markings, her amber eyes looked startling against her black mask, she was not classically beautiful in any way. So Taya's words startled her.

"Thank you," she managed to say, absolutely bemused. She almost laughed. "Did someone bribe you to say that?"

She joked, but partly she was curious. Her problem was she had so much of a male temperament. She was very much her father's daughter, but all of his traits had been attractive to females because he was a male. She had taken on his traits and never really adopted any true femininity about her, something she often regretted. But her mother died when Bandit was only young, and as the oldest sibling she'd had to be serious quickly.

"But my pelt's rather... odd. I've never been complimented on it before. Yours, however, well. I'd love to be as classic as you are. Simple is beautiful. You seem also to possess an ability to light up whoever you're around," she laughed, her smile stretching, her features softening. "I hope you're aware of that power."

[[Midnight]]

Taya was in tune with the humor and felt a smile slap itself on her maw, along with a laugh. She couldn't say she agreed with what Bandit said about her own plain and light-colored coat of fluffy fur. She had also spent her life mateless thus-far, even though she had a strong desire for someone to love and pups to raise. All the pretty birds had flown this Spring... Except for Taya and Bandit?

"No, no bribes. I only speak truth," she replied honestly. "I don't think it's odd at all, I've always admired the unique ones. You're memorable. How often do you get anyone forgetting your name?"

Taya, on the other hand, felt like she hadn't made much of an impact living here in this valley. Almost as though she had slipped somewhere between the cracks, out of the loop with everyone's cliques and gossips.
Though, there was Roan. Taya had befriended him pretty quickly and felt like she could talk to him about most anything. But now he had a mate and pups on the way, so how long could that friendship last? Oh well.

"I've never thought of myself as having any power whatsoever," she mused, tilting her head in a thoughtful expression. Thinking back on her experiences, she never really had a fight with someone before. She tended to roll over, make others happy, if at all possible. Fighting only wasted energy and valuable ties. She was quick to talk to those who seemed in need of a shoulder to lean on. It was a joy to help bring a smile to someone's face.

"I hope what you say is true, that would be such a nice quality. I certainly am simple, though sometimes I wish I could be more assertive and responsible. But I don't worry too much about what I can't change."

[Paint]

Bandit sat up, stretching as she considered what Taya said. Sure, no one had ever really forgotten her. She'd always been known in her packs, moved up the ranks quickly, asserted herself.

"Power is what guides me," she admitted, although more to herself than to Taya. She smiled at Taya's comment, about not worrying what you can't change. "That's a very optimistic way to think of things. I don't think I've ever stopped trying to change things," she laughed again.

She tilted her head slightly at Taya, wondering why she seemed to have no mate. Her tummy was not round with pups, as all females with mates were at this point, although she seemed as if she would be the mothering type. Bandit wondered at herself. She certainly was not the mothering type, too self-involved and pack-involved to ever have the room for pups. Of course, if she found a mate and fell in love, she knew things would change, but she'd given up expecting anything to happen now. She was getting older, she knew, and she expected that her time had passed.

"I've always been assertive. And responsible. We're such opposites!" Bandit commented lightly, smiling. She saw in Taya all of the carefree attitudes that she'd never been able to hold onto. I bet she sleeps like a newborn pup Bandit thought, slightly jealous but it did not reflect in her manner,

"My mother died when I was young, and my father was the Alpha of his pack," Bandit suddenly began to explain. She'd not been asked, she realised this, so she decided to keep it short. Leave out the whole My parents began the Dancing Stars, actually. "So I had to look after my siblings, and became a lot like my father. I find it difficult not to be assertive and responsible because of this."

[[Midnight]]

When it came to others, Taya had always been a good listener. She wasn't the greatest story teller, but she loved to hear them from someone else. And for some reason, she was still hungry to know about everyone's history; though, this fact sometimes disturbed herself. Most of the stories around here were so full of sorrow and hardship that they mixed up her emotions when she heard them. Taya liked to tell herself that she was just trying to find someone like herself, who had experienced a rather tragicless life.

As she listened to Bandit's story, Taya supposed it matched her own in a small detail. Taya's father had been the one who died before she had been born. So she was raised by one parent as well, and had adopted most of her mother's personality. Though, now that she thought back on it, her mother was always scolding her for being so hyper.

"I'm sorry you lost your mother so early. I grew up fatherless, so I guess you're on to something when you call us opposites," she mused curiously, narrowing her eyes against a random ray of sunlight.

At the mention of Bandit's siblings, Taya had instantly wondered if they were alive, and if so, who they were. How much of Bandit's royal family had survived the earthquake of that valley, where Taya assumed she had come from? She would never ever dare ask a question like that, however, and her mind raced for its own subject change.

"You sound like Alpha material yourself."

She realized what she said after it came out, and quickly prayed that it wasn't a hurtful comment. Perhaps Bandit had wanted to be Alpha and Caden beat her it. Well, Taya usually thought before she spoke, but that had been a comment that had slipped off of her tongue so naturally that she forgot it could be slightly controversial in some cases.

"I, on the other hand, wouldn't make much of a leader, maybe just an...assitant of some sort."

[Paint]

Well, they really were opposites. Bandit couldn't imagine being fatherless from birth, her memories of him were so strong and vivid. They truly shaped her, both then and now. Her mother had not been such a strong personality, but it was her absence that made the memories fade so quickly. She remained silent, nodding at Taya's comment about being opposites.

Taya's next comment should have, but didn't, catch her off guard. Truthfully, she'd heard it enough times. She'd always managed to gain supporters in a short amount of time within packs. She'd been within teeth's grasp of an Alpha's position so many times before. Never through love, always through power. The only one she'd ever missed out on was the Dancing Stars. Perhaps that was where all of this confusion and dismay was stemming from- a childish way of wanting what you can't have. She frowned at herself, at the thought of being so immature.

"You could be Beta, maybe," she replied, but her voice sounded far away. The cogs were whirring in her head as she tried to figure it all out. Part of her felt as if... if she ran from this pack because she couldn't gain leadership, then it would be just the same as running from all of the other packs just because it was all too easy.

"I'm so frustrated with this whole situation," she found herself saying, frown smashed across her face, displaying far more emotions than she usually did. She came back to herself, glancing up at Taya as if apologetic.

"I just... I feel as if I could be Alpha. Here, in this pack. But I respect Caden," she continued, giving just enough information, but keeping her tone even. She wanted it to sound as if it was just her dominant personality that was irritating her, not the memory of her dead father. Perhaps she was just trying to gain fulfilment by imitating his life. Perhaps she had to come to terms with the fact that she didn't say goodbye.

[[Midnight]]

Taya wasn't sure if she could say one way or the other how Bandit would do as a leader, since Taya really didn't have what it took herself. But she liked Bandit already, she liked how she seemed so feminine and so powerful at the same time. How many fighting females were here in the Dancing Stars pack? This was the first one Taya had met that gave her the impression of a heroine. She liked that a lot.

And she seemed to be opening up about her frustrations, so Taya felt a warm sensation in her paws. Does that mean she had just made a friend? Someone trusted her? That felt good. Taya had no close friends yet and she had been here over a year now.

With her eyes roving about Bandit's face as she spoke, she picked up the apologetic smile, the sincere way she spoke, and other tidbits of emotions as she explained her story. So she did have the desire to become Alpha, she was just to...nice.

"Hmm... Well, I respect Caden too. Seems like leadership comes naturally to him. If you really want to be an Alpha..." she paused a long pause, and leaned her head closer, as if she was about to tell a big fat secret. "...Maybe you should win his heart."

Again she let a brief pause pass by, until she smiled toothy and chuckle, leaning back again. "Okay, so that doesn't always work, so...if I was in your situation, I would try and scope him out, get to know him better. After some time if I found him to be unqualified as an Alpha, I'd challenge him."

Bandit seemed as though she had thought about this subject for a long while, and though Taya wasn't trying to undermine respect for Caden, she felt that what she was saying was practical. If Bandit wanted to lead the pack so badly, it was only natural for her to compare her own leadership skills to that of Caden's.....right? Or maybe Taya was just naive. Maybe it wasn't nearlt that easy.

[Paint]

Bandit laughed warmly, rolling her eyes and disbelieving that she was actually about to say what she was going to say.

"It's funny you should say that, really," she almost giggled. What had come over her?! Clearly Taya brought out the girly side in her. "I was scoping out his leadership skills. I have been since I arrived. I'm not the type to waltz in and try and take over without sussing out the competition. But... I don't know. At one point I felt as if we were almost... almost flirting."

Even the word sounded unnatural to her, let alone the thought of her actually doing it. She had never batted her eyelashes to get what she wanted, never flaunted herself to get a males attention. She'd always used her brain and strength. There was something about Caden that held her back, though, she wasn't sure if it was just attraction or something more. What was more frustrating was that he wasn't showing any feelings towards her just as much as she wasn't towards him. The last time they'd spoken, she was sure they'd been flirting, sort of, in a power-struggle sort of way... Was that what was holding her back from fighting him?

"That sounds pathetic, doesn't it," she sighed, rolling her eyes. Power she could deal with. Intelligent argument was her forte. But flirting? Relationships? Ick. So far out of her range of understanding. She was not made to flirt, which was why she had never gotten anywhere with a mate. She was always too scared to get hurt, so she always dealt with males purely on a platonic level. She laughed outwardly and tipped her head at Taya.

"You can't tell anyone I said that. Especially if I start an uprising against him."

[[Midnight]]

What Bandit started to admit was totally not what Taya had expected, and her face instantly lit up with curiousity and fascination, surprise playing on her features.
So, there was a possible route in that direction? Taya had been taking a shot in the dark, but was strangely glad to hear that Bandit did have her eye on Caden. Or, at least, maybe she hadn't planned on it, and maybe she wasn't proud to talk about, but Taya found it appealing. She pictured Caden in his kind yet tough exterior, proud, handsome, young, and unstoppable. Then there was Bandit, who Taya saw as beautiful, strong, vibrant, unbreakable.

"Wow," she sighed flicking her ears foward. "You two sound like the perfect match. I don't know everything about the two of you, obviously, but who's to say it wasn't meant to be? An unstoppable royal duo is all Dancing Stars needs."

So she knew more about Bandit than others knew! Taya smiled appreciately at the older female, feeling gratitude, even though Bandit hadn't told her anything of major importance. But Taya had gotten her to open up, and she was proud of that fact. She'd have to scope out Caden later for herself, see if she could play matchmaker for her new friend, who was obviously a leader herself.

"It doesn't sound pathetic in the least," she asserted, nodding her head as though it was matter-of-fact. "In fact, I'm already plotting it all out in my head. Bandit, you should talk to Caden's sister. I think they're close? Ooh, I feel mischevious now."

She wagged her tail, getting into a mood so playful that she had to resist tackling Bandit in the start of a puppish wrestling match. She instead just scraped her claws in the dirt.

"I won't tell a soul. But now I rooting for you."

Yes, Bandit had a new fan. In Taya's mind, there was no doubt that Bandit wasn't already on the road to Alpha-dom. Perhaps her fantasy was taking off a little too fast, but then, Taya had always been fast-paced.

[Paint]

Bandit laughed openly now. Taya seemed more interested in the match than Bandit was! But it was nice. It was genuinely nice to, for once in her life, not feel like a robot. She'd been missing a friend like Taya for her whole life, always intent on her own ambitions. Packmates had always been like pups to her. She'd always been the parent, the one who wasn't allowed to seem human in case it broke their faith in her. This felt so much like a breath of fresh air.

"I don't know," she confessed, with a sigh. "I don't think we should get ahead of ourselves. He probably has absolutely no feeling for me but dislike. I have told him that I'm his biggest critic, just waiting for him to mess up so that I can take his place."

She sighed again.

"He just... he makes my blood boil. He always makes me feel as if I don't have the upper hand. He smirks at me and tries to pry away at my personality. I've not let anything on, though. Let him come and find it out if he really wants to know," she rolled her eyes at the end. Maybe she was just being stupid. By telling Taya, she'd almost made the fact real. Did she have feelings for Caden?

Well, that just complicates everything, she moaned to herself mentally.

[[Midnight]]

"Those in denial are the first to fall, I think," Taya mused in response, though she pondered over what would make someone dislike Bandit. Then again, appearing at someone's paws and demanding that they watch their backs was a pretty intimidating threat. Perhaps Caden was trying to be the good guy and respect Bandit's feelings, but other than that he felt powerless and underminded? Taya barely knew Caden, though, and was really only filling in the gaps with her own reckoning.

"Well, Bandit, maybe you're looking at it the wrong way," she said, blinking thoughtfully. "Maybe he intimidates you, and vice versa. Meanwhile, he should also admire your passion for the pack and want to know what you have to say. Maybe you're too focused on what hasn't yet happened - Caden failing, and you taking over. We're under no crisis right now, so why don't you try being his friend and comrade instead of his critic? Even an Alpha has feelings."

She wondered if she really knew what she was taking about. Was she disheartening Bandit by talking about something she knew nothing about? Was she making sense? A small frown played itself across her lips, a sign that she was worrying.

"Then again, don't listen to me. I've never been the best in social situations, to be honest," she explained rapidly, waving a paw in the air as if to dismiss everything she had just said. "I think too much."

[Paint]

Bandit considered this idea curiously. The problem was, that for entire time she had been here, she had been so robotic. Before today, she could not recall the last time she laughed. Before she had made her intentions clear to Caden, she'd felt sneaky, empty, a shell of what she should be. She used to be so vibrant, full of life. Although she felt it coming back slowly, bit by bit, with every new encounter, she couldn't yet be childish. She was still serious, she knew that.

"No, I will listen to you," Bandit replied with a small smile. "You're the only person who's actually taken the time to listen to me since I got here. You're the only one who seems to be making sense of this whole thing, as well."

She sighed, lying down again and tucking her duotone paws beneath her. It wasn't her usual pose, but it was a calming one, it reminded her of someone she'd once known. She couldn't remember who, though, and moved on.

"You're right, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. But what I meant to do with Caden was just be honest. I am a very honest wolf, he needed to know where we stood with one another. I briefly explained my background to him," she began, then frowned. Taya didn't yet know her whole background. She continued on, trying to cover the pause. She really didn't want to go on about it any longer. "But who knows." She finished abruptly.

"Now, tell me how an earth your life is going," she asked, desperate for the conversation to move on. She felt selfish, having all of the conversation based around her. She wondered what Taya's story was. "You weren't from Empyrean, were you?" her tone was genuinely curious, and she felt bad for not knowing already. She wondered if Taya's family had been affected by the earthquake at all, as it seemed to have been quite far-reaching.