violet hour-- open.

[[Midnight]]

Praise was never Taya's most comfortable moments, and to have been praised so profusely by her new friend made the humble female blush and try to laugh it off. Honestly, Taya was just glad to have been of use somehow. "Ohh gosh, it was nothing, really! ...But I'm glad you feel better."

She smiled sweetly and warmly and her tail thumped against the ground. These were the moments where she felt happiest; when others around her were happy.

Next in the conversation; the questioning of her life and background. For some reason Taya always found that question to be a strange one. It made her feel things she felt guilt about. It was almost like jealousy. But why should someone be jealous of an earthquake survivor?! It was a horrid thing, when Taya would admit the feeling to herself. But with all the time she had to ponder it, she had come to the conclusion that she was jealous of all the experience and adventure these wolves had had. She felt sorrow when they mourned for what had been lost, and then she felt inferior to their emotions. She felt as though these were wolves she could never live up to. She could never do anything as heroic as they had.

She'd always be ordinary Omega Taya.

She thought as far back to her peaceful family life, raised by a mother and grandmother, traveling from valley to valley.

"Correct. I am far from Empyrean. My family were nomad loners. My father died shortly before my birth. That's about as tragic as it gets," she admitted, in a quiet tone. Her toes kneaded the dirt as stretched out her silky-furred legs in front of her. "In a way the loss of my father was painless. It's different, losing someone you never got to know."

She would've continued on and said, Losing someone you've always been with is worse. But there was no need, she knew. Bandit, like all of these Empyrean wolves, already knew that kind of pain.

"When I was old enough, I traveled on my own, and this was where I ended up. I met Caden, who invited me to join his pack. My life has been fine since..."

And like that, her story was over, so quickly, so mediocre.

"Boring, huh?" she said with a big smile.

[Paint]

Bandit smiled a little, shaking her head.

"Not boring at all," she replied, "I'm a firm believer that we all have our fair share of ups and downs in life. You may be in for a surprise. You've got your whole life ahead of you, after all. You're young, pretty, intelligent- and not much trauma in your life yet is a blessing. Not boring at all."

Bandit then held back, slightly feeling as if she was lecturing Taya. She smiled.

"I'd love to be like you. To have every option open to me. You could just uproot, go wherever you please, do whatever you wish. Break the hearts of bolshy males, or settle down and start a family of your own. It's the little adventures that matter the most, not the disasters."

Bandit was speaking only the truth. Although she was torn up by the news of the earthquake, of still not knowing if the rest of her missing family was alive... it was the little adventures that she remembered the most. Exploring the lands with her younger siblings. Following her father on his daily errands. Learning to fish with her mother. Hearing the old stories from her uncles, and the other pack elders. When she left, these were the memories that were most poignant to her. Even sitting with her dear brother just outside of Empyrean Valley to keep up with the news every season after she left was strong in her heart.

Truly, these were the reasons that she was so determined to regain what she had lost. Maybe start a family of her own, keep the traditions going, lead a strong pack away from the clutches of evil. Strangely, her goal was entirely selfless- she only wanted her pack to be happy, and safe. Her own wants and needs were unimportant compared to the wolves that she loved.

"Sorry for lecturing you," she laughed lightly, shaking her head. Perhaps she was growing older than she thought. But she was still strong, young enough to breed and fight and think. They'd never take her mind from her, she decided, even if she grew old alone and her body decayed, she would always be sharp and alert.

[[Midnight]]

Now it was Taya's turn to feel as though she had been helped to open her eyes a bit more. See more avenues, the bigger picture. It was something she hadn't thought of before, and she liked the sound of it. Independence wasn't what she had chosen, but simply what she had learned growing up in such a small family, traveling alone for a while before finding Caden Valley. And Bandit was right; she still had as much of her freedom as before. Not that she ever wished to leave, no, she planned on dying here in this place. She just felt she belonged here. But it was more of the fact that the adventures weren't yet over, and were only waiting to start.

Taya smiled wide.

"I needed that lecture," she admitted gratefully. "You have a way with words. Still, I'd love to have bit of you in me, as well. I suppose it works they way with everyone, always envying one another."

[/b]

Briefly she thought of the Falling Moons. Taya wasn't particularly biased against them. She found it hard to hate these wolves like some of the Empyreans did. It wasn't like that had caused trouble for anyone....yet, perhaps. Actually, Taya thought it would be better if the packs could unite someday. Less hungry mouths and greater unity. But she was probably just getting too naive again.

"I'm glad I heard your sighing and decided to scope things out," she said with smile, leaving her thoughts behind. "I needed such a normal conversation. Thank you, Bandit."[/center]

[Paint]

Bandit smiled again.

"And thank you for cheering me up. And allowing me to confide in you," she dipped her head respectively, but her tone was very friendly. She looked backwards to the dens, deciding still that sleeping would not work just yet. Taya had given her a lot to think about. Herself, Caden, the whole lot of them...

She stood up, shaking out her duotone fur. She looked outwards to the land with her heart much fuller. Her confidence was returning. Sure, she didn't quite know her path yet, but she would. Soon.

"I'll be seeing you around, Taya, we'll have to do this again soon," she glanced at the white wolf with what might be called affection. Affection for a new friend. "I am going to go for a run now."

She stretched out her aching legs, mind racing, and began at a trot. Then as the cleared the clearing, it became a run. Moments later it was full-pelt through the forests.