Rainblade-Ryalors Private Barracks/Imperial Condos Completed The Dreams We Live For

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden let himself be soothed, the fear ebbing with Daniil's gentle touch. He felt the shame and guilt rising at his cowardice, but he pushed it away as he sank into the far better sensation of his affection for his lover, and Daniil's affection for him.

"Thanks, Daniil," he said quietly. "You're probably right, though she had confusing ways of showing her love sometimes."

An involuntary purr escaped his lips as he relaxed against the todd. "That feels good," the jack murmured. With the panic subsided, exhaustion was setting in. "Mm, Daniil, you keep doing that I'm going to fall asleep again, and we still have to change the dressings."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil reluctantly slowed his paws, half tempted to let Caden fall asleep, but knew that if they didn't change the bandages now, it would be far messier, and riskier to Caden's health, later on. "Let's get you cleaned up then," he suggested, "and we can get you back to bed."

They carefully and painstakingly removed the bandages layer by layer, clean white giving way to the sickening hues of yellow, red, and brown where the detritus of the healing process had soaked in. The ointment that the doctors at Pyrostoat had provided was carefully applied to the burned skin, a glistening sheen on the raw, angry red flesh, and then fresh bandages were carefully wound over the burns once more, avoiding trapping any fur that might become ingrown as the burns healed.

"There," Daniil murmured as he tied off the end of the bandage around one of the strands below it. "All better." He kissed Caden's cheek, giving him a smile. "Thank you for being such a good patient."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden turned his head as Daniil kissed him on the cheek and caught the todd in a kiss on the lips. He stayed there for several breaths, one arm around his partner's shoulders as he deepened the kiss and sank into the sensation of the fox with a purr. When he finally broke off the kiss, the jack grinned. "Thank you for tending to me so well. It's far easier to be a good patient for you than for those nurses in Pyrostoat."

A light cough from the door brought Caden's gaze around to where Asta stood in the hallway, still in a nightgown, her headfur mussed from sleep. She leaned on the doorframe. "You know, you two do have a bedroom for this kind of thing," she said with a half-smile.

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil pulled away from Caden with a guilty look on his face, as if they'd just been caught. He only relaxed a moment later as he realized it was just Asta. "Sorry Asta," he apologized. "We were on our way back there, I promise." He looked to Caden with a smile, offering his paw. "Shall we get you back to bed?" he invited, not specifying that sleep was necessarily a component.

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"Bed sounds good." Caden took Daniil's paw. Before he rose, however, he stopped and motioned to Asta. "Before I get distracted, though, I wanted to hear more about your interest in the Unsmudgables."

The jill looked guilty, glancing at Daniil. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

Before Daniil could answer, Caden interjected, "I heard you two talking about it in the hospital."

"Oh. I thinking you asleep." Asta flopped unceremoniously into one of the chairs across from the couch. She tucked her legs up and wrapped her tail over her footpaws, avoiding Caden's gaze. "I meeting some Smudgies in Niceties after the attack. I...I didn't like how I didn't know what to do that night, and...and um before, in Varangia. I remember the Unsmudgables being brave and helping everybeast they could. So I was thinking, maybe, and I not knowing for sure yet, but maybe I could join so I know more and won't be so...um, useless. I feeling like maybe if I knowing more, beasts I care about not getting hurt so much." Finally she managed to look at her adoptive father, her ears flat with shame and uncertainty.

Caden listened, and when she was done, he scooted away from Daniil to open a space between him and the todd. "Come join us."

She accepted the invitation, sitting alongside her father and his partner. Caden put an arm about her, and she leaned into him, tucking her head under his chin. The jack sighed.

"Asta, you know none of what happened to any of us is your fault, right?"

She nodded into him. "Ja, you telling me that a lot. I just not liking not knowing what to do. What if I could do what you do? Then maybe I helping other beasts from getting hurt." Her voice broke, and tears began to stream down her face. "Maybe I stopping you from getting burned and--and Pappa from getting killed."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil scooted to make way for Asta, still a little awkward around the marten jill. He felt absolutely no attraction to femmes that way, but he was still mindful of propriety around her, not wanting to send any wrong signals. On top of that, with the loss of her father, he didn't want to behave more familiar with her than their relationship had developed to be.

His face fell at some of her logic, and he softly spoke up, tilting his snout down a bit to look at her with regretful eyes. "Asta, I... I know something about changing your whole life based on regret," he told her softly, "especially about being helpless to save a parent. It's easy to lose yourself in that and never fully deal with the pain, while making yourself miserable trying to be something you're not. I'm not telling you not to do it, just... Just hold onto what makes you you as well.

"At least if we both join, we can help ground each other a bit," he added. "That way we don't lose sight of why we're in the Smudgies."

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

Asta blinked through her tears, sniffling as she turned to Daniil in surprise. "You wanting to join them, too?"

Caden felt his heart breaking for Asta, and he wished he could take her suffering from her and bear it himself. She deserved so much better than what had happened to her. He gave her a small squeeze with the arm that held her. "For what it's worth, I think you both would make excellent Unsmudgables."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil smiled and nodded his confirmation of both points. "At least I can't do worse than I did as a guard," he commented. He looked to Asta and added, "Yes, I'll be talking to my cousin soon to resign. I've spent long enough trying to be something I'm not."

 

[Asta Dalgaard]

The jill struggled with her emotions, taking several deep breaths and wiping away her tears.

"So...so you both thinking it okay if I join?" She glanced up at Caden. "You would let me?"

Caden sighed, nodding. "I know I've been very protective, maybe overly so, since we made our home here. But I think you'll benefit from however you get involved with the Smudgies. They're good beasts, some of the best in the Imperium, and they won't do wrong by you. You just have to promise me you'll be careful, aye?" There were fresh tears in his eyes as he looked at Asta, then to Daniil. "Both of you."

Asta nuzzled gently against his chest. "I promise, Caden."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil moved to sit closer to the family, his arm draped across the back of the couch to provide some support himself. "I promise, Caden," he vowed in return. "I'll be safe - safer than I have been, at least."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"Thank you," Caden said, his voice catching. He swallowed. Leaning over to nuzzle his head against Daniil's shoulder so that he could be in contact with the fox as well as Asta, the jack felt a sense of peace despite the pain lancing through his back. At least there, in that moment, he and his family were safe. He could only hope that the choices they made would keep them that way--or at least as safe as anybeast could be in Bully Harbor.