A Tale of Two Lives || Chapter 5- Blossoms in the Winter
#5 of A Tale of Two Lives
Here we go, chapter five is good to go! Sorry about this taking so long, just been lacking motivation to post Two Lives recently, as it hasn't been getting much love that I've seen... Alas, the show must go on!
Silvis was in the middle of poking fun at her mate when she heard the washroom door open, so she simply nudged him instead of finishing her playful insult before she went out to go meet her son and his sweetheart. Immediately when she met them in the main room that also served as the entrance to the cave, Silvis noticed a peculiar scent coming from them and it took her a minute to figure out what it was, but it was obvious once she had thought about it- the smell was that of saliva. In hindsight, they had more than enough time alone to share a lover's kiss, and she was happy that they did, because she was proud of her son for finding himself a beautiful female to love.
Flarin was in the middle of talking to his mate about the day when he heard the washroom door open and Silvis ran out to greet their son and houseguest, as Silvis had put it herself. He was very glad that she had told him the story, as he would've never believed it had it come from Nolaltro, but he enjoyed the knowledge that his son had seemingly found a lover to call his own. So, as he set the table for their meal that evening, he set out an extra foodboard and opened a bottle of sweet dewflower-fruit juice and poured a glass for each setting before adding the actual meal, which consisted of freshly cooked and seasoned deer and rabbit meats. It may have taken quite a bit out of their stocks, but Flarin knew it would be worth it to show Crystalia, as Silvis had called her, what life was like here; hopefully he could help his son with impressing his love, and increase his chances of starting a life with her when they became of age to do so.
As Nolaltro lead Crystalia into the kitchen to meet his father, he heard her breathe deeply in either excitement or surprise and it made him smile with pride, relishing in the knowledge that she was impressed. Taking his usual place at the table, Nolaltro tapped the tiled floor beside him with his tail as an open invite for Crystalia to sit next to him, to eat beside him, where he could keep his tail wrapped up with hers and enjoy the company.
Before taking her usual spot across from Nolaltro, Lasia nudges Crystalia with her tail and leads her around to sit next to the male, at which point she continues walking around the table, back to the other side. When she turned and looked across again, Lasia had to hold back laughter at the visage that both her brother and Crystalia shared, for it was most easily described as lovestricken passion, and she could even see their tails twisted together behind them. Just as she had guessed before, Lasia now knew that those two would quickly become inseparable, if they weren't already.
It was a sight to behold, Silvis knew, when she walked into the dining area beside the kitchen and saw her son sitting next to his flame, with their tails intertwined as they sat there, both nearly humming with delight. Gently taking a seat, Silvis knew that they would not eat as normal, with a long conversation or debate that was only interrupted periodically by the eating of food or someone taking a drink. No, today Nolaltro would eat as quickly as Crystalia, and then drag her off to his room, where they could enjoy the privacy needed to kiss to their hearts' content. This, Silvis was fine with, in fact, she was proud of her son. What worried her, though, was the dull, almost fruity scent, laced with very particular pheromones that wafted from Crystalia, as it was almost intoxicating to Silvis, so she knew her son wouldn't be able to resist his instincts if he caught wind of it, especially with how much he had already fallen for this girl. That scent, that's what worried Silvis, as she could only hope that they wouldn't make her mistakes and end up with a child before they were ready.
The evening meal went as everyone had expected, with Crystalia ravenously tearing into the food she was provided, in an attempt to make up for the energy she lost shivering earlier that day while Nolaltro kept pace with her. Immediately after they finished Nolaltro excused them, and they ran off, giggling and pushing each other like children as they headed to his bedroom in the hall to the washroom, and the sound of a lock clicking could be heard throughout the cave as the door closed behind the two lovebirds.
Now that her brother was out of the room, and earshot, Lasia was free to let out a sigh of malcontent. Just because she was proud of her brother's finding a lover didn't make it any less painful to her, as she had yet to find a even a potential lover herself. It didn't help matters that he was so smitten with Crystalia that Nolaltro now nearly ignored Lasia, save for getting mad at her when she disturbed his time with this flame of his. She needed a friend, a role that her brother had filled until recently, which was now frequently left empty.
Flarin noticed his daughter's longing sigh and, when he looked up, the wistful look on her face, and it immediately worried him. Carefully, so as not to sound upset, he inquired as to what was wrong, "Lasia? Sweetie? Is something up?" He did the best he could to phrase his question softly, and he felt he did a pretty good job.
Having almost forgotten her parents were there at all, Lasia was jarred from her quiet contemplation when her father spoke to her, despite the softness with which his words had been said, and it took her a moment to not only recover from the shock of being so suddenly brought from her thoughts, but to also put to words her feelings, as it wasn't something she had done before. It wasn't easy, but she eventually came up with the most basic explanation of her feelings, which she shared with her parents, "I...Well, Nol's so happy with Crystalia, but I'm still alone. I know it's irrational to be jealous of his happiness, but I am."
Hearing her daughter's response, Silvis looks up at her mate, just in time to catch him glancing at her discreetly, his way of asking for help when he wanted support or couldn't think of a way to say something, but didn't want the children to know. With a smile that told her mate she had seen him, Silvis gets up and walks over to her daughter, reaching her tail around to rub her back softly. It took her a few minutes to think of what to say and revise it to where she thought Lasia would take it well, and then she speaks to her daughter, "Lasia, sweetie, there's no reason to be ashamed of being jealous of your brother. He's lucky, you know he's found happiness that you can't know until you get lucky too. It's natural to desire a lover most strongly when those around you find their own- it's your body's way of encouraging you to continue your bloodline... And don't worry sweetie, I promise that if you go out on your own sometimes, you'll find someone just loving to you as Crystalia is to your brother."
Lasia just sighed at her mother's words, knowing fully that what her parents were saying was true didn't help at all to ease her current pain, and it didn't help soften the blow of her brother's choosing to spend most of his time with Crystalia over her. If there was one thing Lasia now knew, though, it was that she would find someone someday, and then she would know the happiness that her brother felt now. In the meantime, and until the weather grew warmer again, all Lasia could do was simply watch the shifting shadows under the door of her brother's room and pray that someday she would be just as happy as them.
. . .
Crystalia was in a world of pure bliss, laying with Nolaltro on his soft bedsheets. They had just broken from a kiss, and so, as she was trying to catch her breath, she noticed a sweet, fruity scent in the air. Only then did she notice the wetness between her thighs and realize just how much simply kissing this male had affected her. Her arousal was growing slowly, spreading like a numbing fire through her body, so, in an attempt to distract herself from the strange feelings, Crystalia slowly starts pawing at Nolaltro's body, feeling the distinct roughness of each of his scales as her soft paw pads scraped against them.
Nolaltro gasps as the paws roaming his back hit a particularly sore spot at the base of the powerful limbs of his wings, one that still lingered from his carrying Crystalia home earlier. He was so lost in his temporary misery that he barely heard the door open, holding himself perfectly still as he tried his best to listen to what was being said, but he wasn't able to make out a word. Furthermore, because he had been so entirely focused on trying to hear what was being said, Nolaltro nearly fainted when someone knocked on his door, someone whose voice was completely unfamiliar to him, and who knew Crystalia by name. Worriedly, he looked for Crystalia, who had been on the bed when he went to hear what was going on, and he was again startled to see her next to him.
Crystalia sighed unhappily as her mother's voice hollered for her through the door; she was comfortable and safe here, why couldn't she have some quiet time with her first ever love? Begrudgingly, she growled through the door, "Mom, I'm fine... please leave me be."
Crimsa was elated to have finally found her daughter, and especially to find that she was in such good company as the folks of the male, Nolaltro was his name, that she loved. She fully expected from the moment she had been told that Crystalia was with him that she would not get a warm greeting from her daughter, so she wasn't upset when she heard Crystalia's low, growling tone. Instead, she simply replied, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay... I didn't realize just how cold it was today, or I would've told you to stay home. And I was also informed that your good friend brought you back with him, nearly frozen to death, and that he subsequently helped you run a warm bath..." Crimsa didn't really know why she had said that last part, but she didn't let thinking about it slow her down at all, and she continued, "Your father and I will be waiting for you at home, just, when you come back, make sure to bring that Nolaltro- we want to meet him." And with that, she left, thanking the strange family for their hospitality and leaving them a pelt coat for her daughter before heading off towards home.
It took Nolaltro some time to recover from the two consecutive startling events that he had just experienced, and when he did, he looked around the room; the young male wasn't at all surprised when he found Crystalia laying on the bed, her tail thumping lightly against the mattress as she watched him come back to his senses- after all, that kind of goofy antics was what made him fall in love with her in the first place.