violet eyes

His eyes are violet.

Of course, the young one cannot see his own eyes. What he perceives is the sudden piercing light above him, hitting those violet lenses with such ferocity that he squeezes his eyes shut again. He has been learning to wiggle along, stand on frail legs, but he is not at the level of running quite yet. Words, he too, is learning-- precocious and clever, he has figured it best to begin his education. And he learns from the words spoken to him.

He take a precarious glance at the light. Then, using feeble steps, he takes a few paces towards it. He is struck at the sudden coldness that graces his coat. Falling back with a whimper, he turns away from the light. No, that is too scary.
the staff team luvs u

Set before Valeska is kidnapped!

---

Valeska spent much of her time resting, finding the exertion of childcare to be much more severe than she had ever anticipated; yet her famous obliviousness was slowly turning into the fabled mom-senses of old, and as her silver pup rose on unsteady paws to stumble toward the light, her ears instinctively swiveled - still deep within slumber - and honed in on the sound with pinpoint precision. They stayed there, listening for his movements, until he let out a soft whimper and fell back into the den in a frightened heap.

Her eyes blinked open, and she yawned.

“Dimitri, my love,” she crooned sleepily, sliding him toward her with a gentle paw. “You are so impatient. It will not be long, now, but even your littermates know better. Or perhaps they are lazy - you are so much more... active”

Valeska nuzzled the boy, burying her nose in his round tummy and breathing in that wonderful puppy-scent. He looked so much like her, it was remarkable - and so much like her own father, Dimas. Yet he was so utterly unlike him even as a child, the comparison seemed unfair, and she would never speak it aloud.

“I still cannot believe the Five have blessed us so. You are a miracle. You and your siblings - all miracles from the gods. Do you know that?” she said warmly, affectionately, licking the top of his head for emphasis. “One day, I will teach you all about them. Houtu, Sylvanus, Rhys, Aether, Nivia. Each god holds power over a season, a time, a color, a feeling - they have created us all in their image, and you are no different. A divine blessing.”

He had yet to speak, but he looked at her with his wide, violet eyes, and she wondered how long it would be until that moment.

“I suppose it will be strange for you - not immediately learning the word father.”

She smiled to herself.

“Amara and I - we love you so.”

the staff team luvs u

She is not his whole world. As he looks around, he sees the forms of his siblings, and he sees the warmth of the den. The light is less blinding now, as he adjusts to it, especially as he turns from it to look at his mother. Not the whole world, but the center. And she is speaking. The words almost make sense to him now, though he doesn't get every one. But he hangs on her speech, appreciating the closeness of her muzzle. This is all he wants, to hear her words.

He wants to make sense of it. Father? What sort of word is that? Why would it be strange? The Five? And her words come to culminate. They're beautiful, and he has been trying to listen ever since sound entered his world. When Violet isn't screaming, at least.

He tries to vocalize. To imitate a word. Amara. That had seemed important. "Ba... Ma... Ra?" It is tentative, as he finds the words she said before no longer stick in his mind. They're falling off like plaster, but he holds onto that one. Amara and I - we love you so. They bring him comfort, and now he wants to say those comforting things back to her, to remind her that she may not be his entire world, but she is his center.

He would do anything to make her proud.
the staff team luvs u

It was so funny. She thought she had known the purity of love before, but seeing her children before her now - Amaranth's children - she felt like a newborn pup having just seen the world for the first time, and suddenly she understood.

Dimitri was looking at her with such an intense ferocity that she worried he might hurt himself trying to parse out her words, and she placed a reassuring paw gently upon his head, chortling good-naturedly to herself as he scrunched his little puppy nose and focused with all his might. Oh, it would be a while yet before he would be able to-

'Ba... ma... ra?'

Valeska nearly choked.

She didn't realize it, but tears started streaming down her cheeks.

“Dimitri!” she cried joyfully, eyes shining with wonderment. “Yes - Amara! Your mother! Oh - wait until she hears of this!”

Suddenly, she had a thought. Valeska had once heard it was far easier to learn other languages at a young age, how early exposure played a role in fluency - and she felt a pleased smile work its way up her lips, looking down at him fondly. Her heritage was important to her, and though she never forced her native tongue upon her mate, she thought it might be good to carry on something of the Mikaelson family history through her children.

“Amara - and in Russian, it is Амара — Amara,” she ventured, testing to see if he might be able to mimic the subtle differences. “Амарант — Amaranth. Amaranth.”

the staff team luvs u

She is crying, and for a moment he thinks she's upset her. But her tone is high pitched, and fills his heart with wonder. He has pleased her, and so he is tempted to repeat the words. But as she continues, she gives him more words. He puzzles them out, piecing the sounds together. "Bamara," he says first, trying to soothe her a bit. The tears are good? Bad? He's still not sure. He babbles the word a few more times, trying to hit it like she does-- "Mara, Bababa, Mabara," -- but the words are hard.

He has to piece them together carefully. Амарант. It shouldn't be so hard to say. But his clumsy puppy mouth betrays him, and he only manages an "Amamat," in response. To his young ears, it sounds close enough. Violet eyes peer up as his mother, expecting another response. Or another lesson.
the staff team luvs u

Her heart fluttered, marveling at how someone so small could already be so vastly intelligent (as per the thought process of every new mother; ipso facto, 'my children are the greatest'). She fawned over him, covering the boy in kisses and nuzzles, so delighted at his eagerness to learn and mostly-success at trying a foreign variation of a brand new word.

“Yes!” she cried joyfully, tail thumping the ground. “And my name is Valeska. Vah-less-kah.”

Of course, she didn't want him to call her that. She was a parent - a mother. Gods forbid they conduct so formal a home.

“But you may call me Mother, and Amara - Mama.”

She had to figure out a way for the pups to differentiate between the two women beyond pointing and grunting like cave-children; her compromise was to be two versions of 'mom'. It was a little unorthodox, but as long as they were happy, she couldn't complain.

Looking out toward the bright blue sky, she saw an opportunity.

“Now try Houtu. Hou-tu. Houtu is the All-Mother - our reigning deity. She, along with the remaining Four, made all of this,” she began sagely, gesturing out toward the glittering lake and gently rolling slopes of swaying grasses that laid beyond the mouth of the den. “You are a gift from the Five. You and your brother and sisters; it is important that you learn their names, so that you may one day give thanks.”

the staff team luvs u