#kick it harder again ✯ auretta ✯ go as high as you can

[detoxed-retox]

A single finger moves to touch the little one's hand, Dimitri then turning his head to gently kiss Auretta's cheek. They'd both suffered... Yet he feared only making her suffer worse. Would such a fate come to be if he accepted her words?

Dimitri's free hand lifts, turning Auretta's head just enough to capture her lips with his own. It wasn't a long kiss, just enough to get his feelings across and to calm himself. It would do no good if he continued to panic or upset her. Thus he nuzzles into her shoulder, right next to her neck, and peered at the small one in her lap.

"Auretta- as the son of Sol, I swear that I will do everything in my power to make happy memories with you-- and our nest of children."

@azurepyre

Of course, Dimitri's attention is nice. Really, she thrives under attention like a plant after the first rains in weeks. Of course the promise of a family makes her heart light. But...

"D-Dim-Dim, are you serious? I... I was supposed to marry Sol's son after I got older." That's all she managed to learn about her fiance before everything, when she was meant to be told more and more closer to the eventual wedding day.

[detoxed-retox]

"...And you don't deserve to be out here all alone. They'll come around once they realize you've helped me!" Auretta slides closer to Dimitri, almost completely melting underneath his gentle touches.

"My babies might take longer 'cause I've been gone so long, but they'll come around! ...Aren't you curious about the world now?" She gently coos at him and kisses him once more. "Just wait for the misunderstandings to clear up?"

"I... See..."

Guided by the wind? How odd. At least she laughed at his feeble attempt at a joke. It was such a warm and gentle sound. Though the mention of someone potentially being angered by him made the phoenix hesitant. Did he want to go through with this? Was this potentially a bad idea?

"If anyone becomes upset I shall simply leave. I wish not to make your life difficult in any way. You do not deserve that."

Free hand slips upward, fingers running through her hair then stroking the backs of his fingers over her shoulder. The want to be tender and give her positive affection was winning over the anger he felt before. This lovely avian women deserved to be loved.

[killer-dream]

Loud sigh. "I'm bored. Is, like, anyone doing anything?"

[detoxed-retox]

Dimitri freezes when Auretta whispers and he is instantly wracked with guilt and unpleasant thoughts. Even so, he hugs her gently and places a tender kiss to her jaw.

"I... Am afraid of being a father..."

The phoenix whispers in return as he leans his head against hers. It wasn't his intention to tell her, it just ended up that way.

"My father... Died saving my life... Everyone I loved died... I'm- afraid of that happening again."

@azurepyre

Her child reaches a little hand to Dimitri in an attempt to try and fix whatever's wrong. All they know is that he's upset, that his mood changed.

"...I can't do anything to change the past, but... can't we do our best to keep them from having the kinda lives we had?" Auretta chirps softly at him, putting one hand on his arm.

"My parents abandoned me. I got lucky and some other pantheon raised me... But then Ky-Ky died and everyone else got picked off..." She sighs and keeps her gaze on her phoenix.

"...The best we can do is try and give them a safe place to grow up and happy memories to look back on." They aren't exactly comforting words, but... she hasn't had a comforting life. She hasn't been alone for nearly as long as Dimitri, hasn't been isolated with only beasts for company, but... it still hurts.

Losing everyone except the two that can't die, being a broodmare twice now, constantly wondering if the ones she loves are on borrowed time... It all hurts.

[detoxed-retox]

Dimitri nuzzles his nose behind Auretta's ear. Watching her bond with the small one made him hum thoughtfully before then kissing just below said ear.

"You look good as a mother."

@azurepyre

Bright eyes sparkle with the compliment, her heart absolutely racing. It shouldn't make her this happy, she shouldn't hope like this, but it does. But she does.

Her trill is for both Dimitri and her littlest baby. "And you'd make a lovely father," she whispers, leaning back against him.

[detoxed-retox]

Auretta has been picked up by a certain phoenix and plopped into his lap. He then ushers the hatched egg towards them and plops the child into her lap before resting his chin on her head.

@azurepyre

There's no helping the awed coo when a small child -- a little snail -- is plopped in her lap. Her baby's happy and curious enough to grab at and chew on her clothes! Like this, they feel like a family and she should feel bad for thinking like that when she doesn't even know if Dimitri wants babies but it makes her feel warm.

"Hi there!" Up comes her youngest child into her arms, those curious little hands pressing her cheeks in.

"Dim-Dim," you'd make a lovely father goes unsaid. "Thank you.~"

[detoxed-retox]

Auretta you realize you probably have a phoenix's baby in you. What are you going to do if he doesn't want children?

...It really would be her luck. To finally find happiness and have it ripped from under her again... Is there any point in trying to be happy if it always comes crashing down?

"Maybe I should've died instead of Ky-Ky." ...At least she can still go back to Lucifer. Would it only be a matter of time until he gets sick of her too? Should she just stop wanting things?

[detoxed-retox]

"Everywhere you look, all kinda things die so other things live.~ Deer kill plants and birdies while wolfies kill the deer." The goddess trills as she plays with a flowering stem.

"Humans and vampies are just like that.~ But both of them maim and destroy everything that's not like them because they're people. People are the worst. Not vampires or humans, just people.~"

[detoxed-retox]

Auretta wouldn't it be funny if you found out that your bird man is the child of a primordial god?

"...Not really. It just means I never was meant to meet him." With how things were, Dimitri probably would have been engaged to someone...

[detoxed-retox]

Auretta's question, the pushing away of his wings, and his own hammering heart made Dimitri change back a little too quickly. His magic not having enough time to put his clothes back on. Instead, some of his feathers remained along his chest and back, his wings spreading while his hands took hers into their grasp.

"I have never performed that dance before now and I would never have done so if I weren't serious."

The swirling flames in the air finally dissipate after a long moment and rain softly glittering orbs that vanish once they touch them. The phoenix had expended a lot of power to put on such a display, and he was glad he did so.

"You accepted it though, right?"

"Silly.~" Auretta laughs and gently flicks his nose with one of her wings. "I wouldn't ask if you want me if I didn't accept."

An excited trill leaves her when shimmering orbs shower around them. The goddess wraps her wings around Dimitri for once, pulling him close for tender kisses. "You're stuck with me.~"

[detoxed-retox]

Before Auretta is perched a grand phoenix surrounded by blue flames. The wings lift and shift with the body as the avian bounces to either side. Soon the avian lifts from the ground with a beat of wings and a dance is performed in the air. Long tail feathers follow behind and attempt to dazzle by leaving a grand trail of fire in the air. A phoenix's dance, showing control over flame along with aerial acrobatics as he circles around the one he wished to charm.

Once he lands his wings are used to cover his head, an act that asked the other avian whether or not they accepted. To lift the wings away was to accept, to not was... Rejection. It was alright, Dimitri would wait.

Staying still and watching is... harder than she thought. A dance, courting the way that feels right, always felt just out of reach. Other avians felt wrong and other gods didn't want much to do with her like that.

Tail feathers quiver as sparkling eyes watch every movement as if Dimitri's dance has any sway on her answer. He's a lovely man, kind even when he didn't have to be. ...Kind even when she assumed the worst.

When he stops, she just watches him for a while. How the light makes his feathers shine, how beautiful he is... She's slow to approach him, slow to place her hands on his radiant wings.

"You really want me with you forever?" Those wings are pushed away with a gentle push, his beak kissed like she's done many times before.

[detoxed-retox]

Auretta don't you want him on top of you? His dick deep inside of you after exchanging loving affirmations? Consummating a lifelong commitment to one another and creating new life?

"Of course I do! I just... Doesn't he deserve better than a broken person?" Someone like Dimitri can do better than someone happy enough to receive any affection, than someone afraid to leave home with a purpose in mind... He deserves better than her and her babies.

He deserves someone that would only focus on him, not her greedy heart.

[detoxed-retox]

Auretta how would you feel if Dimitri wanted to take you as his?

"We-we're just... He's just... nice, y'know? Like, he wouldn't." I have too much baggage for anyone new to want me. Maybe... if they met earlier...

"It's not nice to say things like that..." Her voice slipped into the false ditzy one she's used for so long, the one that drives people away and makes others underestimate her.

[detoxed-retox]

Tired goddess is trying to rest. Trying. It's hard to try and recover her energy when it's been thrown entirely out of rhythm by constant breeding sessions.

At least being carried home won't be nearly as taxing. Still a fair bit, so she's trying to be ready for the move. Trying, but unfortunately there's parts of herself that aren't in a key she's familiar with, parts of herself that march to their own beats.

[detoxed-retox]

Maybe you should take the bird back with you. What's the worst that could happen?

"I... just... don't wanna burden Ni-Ni again..." She sighs and gently wraps her wings around her unhatched babies. But... maybe she should go back with Dimitri. At least then she can protect these ones.

[detoxed-retox]

Aura dont you miss people who actually care about you, or are you just okay with being used as long as you get a hug and a shoulder to cry on?

"I never said I didn't wanna go back!" She's just... conflicted. Dimitri's been... kind enough, and finding out that he's been alone for a long time makes it harder to think about leaving him.

...And it's her fault anyway. Should she even try and go back without Nikolai? ...Going out was her idea... and look where that got them But... maybe he left anyway? He wasn't the biggest fan of the monsters...

"...I miss everyone. But... wouldn't I be a bad person if I left him all alone?"