deep

An anger burned brilliant and bright within her.

It was unbecoming and the air around her practically rolled off with sheets of it — the frustration, the exhaustion, the stupidity she felt. All of it had been enough to draw her away from the place she shared with @Esmerelda as she prowled down the coastline. Headed for the northern reaches of the island.

It felt better to shelf herself away from others for the time.

To burn herself down into embers so that she could recover from being volatile once more.

Yet she yearned for the soft comforts of her lover in all this turmoil. So she had reached the far reaches of the island, where it remained barren and rocky, only to turn back around. Heavy steps carrying her to where she hoped her siren would be.

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This day, she found herself upon the shores, soft white sand still warm beneath her paws and belly. Despite the clouds overhead, there had been enough sun to keep the beaches warm and a fantastic place to bathe in such warm light. this place, despite her run in with the little fox, gave her such like, such energy. Esmerelda could feel it filling her, healing her, giving her life in a way many things could not.

She stretched those grey paws out, all the way down to her toes, spreading them as best she could before rolling onto her side, continuing to laze about. Those stormy eyes closed, Esmerelda had no notion of her sailor, so upset, heading her way.

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Guilt.

Guilt, guilt, guilt. It ravaged her like a lover's touch but with more burn.

Was it cruelty to come drag this to the doorstep of her actual love? The one whose touch did not burn like these horrible emotions. How suddenly childish she felt — one who wished to crawl into a bed and hide away from the world.

Her siren looked so peaceful, as if washed ashore once more. She forced herself to stop, only a yard or two away, so that she could watch it with awe. The tranquility her lover exuded so effortlessly.

And how suddenly undeserving of such divine perfection Wake felt.

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I should be asleep bc I have work in 5 hours. And yet…



There was some stir in the air, some force that pushed against the tranquility of the beach and it’s tide that rushed in, then out. In. Out. Her breathing matched it. In when the ocean pulled back, out when the water pushed in. It was so easy to be at peace here and yet…

Another breath in and she new that her salt soaked sailor was near, putting a lazy, sleepy smile on that face. “Come closer, amante. Tell me what bothers you so.” Had she glanced her way, to see the emotions strewn across Wake’s face? No one could be too sure, not even Esmeralda. Sometimes, she just knew things. Felt things. There wasn’t always an explanation.
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not both of us losing sleep for these two...

---

A tremble in her legs, for a moment.

As if her siren had spoke magic, and perhaps she truly had, in those simple words. The beckoning, the summoning of her emotions. Her tongue was tied somewhere between spilling forth every detail and saying nothing. Although the second one was hardly an option. Her mouth would never stay closed around her lover.

She drew close, sunk down to her belly upon the sands.

“Am I making a mistake with the fox?”

She searched for blunt truths.

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The fox. Her smile faded a touch, an ear flickering in irritation as she thought of the creature. Stretching once more, briefly, Esmerelda shifted so that she could better eye the Captain of the island, not immediately giving an answer. The knee jerk response, purely of spite, was yes, but she assumed Wake sought honesty in this moment, and not the cruel and vindictive woman that Esme could sometimes be.

“It depends.” She would say finally, light eyes watching the other's face for a reaction. “It depends on many things, as the weather depends on many things. There is no simple answer, though.” She would let those words sit for a minute before she continued speaking, sincerity present in all its forms. “Do I like her? Not particularly, but I don't favor those that aren't of our own kind.” Another truth, one it was likely important to let Wake know. “I also think she runs her mouth when she is scared. But I could see how a cunning creature could be useful.”

“Above all, I trust your judgement, and if you wish her to be around, or any others, then I trust you. And if they bring harm to anyone else, I will simply toss them out to sea.” A small jest, followed by a little wiggle to move closer, resting her muzzle upon Wake's foreleg. “What happened?”

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Of course, there could be no simple answer.

Why would there be? That would have been too easy, would have tidied things up nice and pretty with a ribbon wrapped around.

“Hiding things, whole fucking places of the island, as if we wouldn't find out eventually.” She snorted sharp and bitter. “I told her she'd be useful in death if she wasn't useful in life.” It was fucked up and maybe she knew that. Yet the world rolled on, it gave and it take.

Wake had faced such a fate before.

There had been fire, then water, then a whole new life had awaited her. Perhaps that was why such a thought had not horrified her to say.

“She spewed a bunch of fucking venom and then begged for forgiveness on my way out.”

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Such revelations of the fox's tactics and dishonesty drew Esme's mouth into a deeper frown. She knew that, eventually, they would have found such places themselves, but to have the creature discover them and withhold them was... rather despicable in her eyes. If she wanted to belong, she needed to put forward the same effort as they did. If she did not want to do such things, then Esmerelda would waste no time in simply running her out. Or killing her, for her fur would serve to warm their den, and her meat would fill their bellies; more use than she'd been so far.

“Then it is not you making the mistake, amante. You have told her how you expected your relationship to be and she withheld her knowledge. She did not uphold her end of the bargain. She is the one making the mistake. To be a bitch and then ask forgiveness is manipulative and abusive in its own way.” She sought to wound her lover, and then ask for Wake's favor after inflicting such hurt? It was a despicable tactic, for although Esme could be manipulative, hurting one's soul, one's selfworth was a different sort of cruel.

“She told me you claimed her. I threatened her life for it. She withheld information from you, and you threatened her. Do you wish to give the little creature another chance or do you want to withdraw your protection from her?” It would be a complex answer, of that she was sure, but she was curious to know what Wake thought anyway.

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It only stroked the flames harder.

Esme had already had to knock sense into the little thing once. Wake had just done so again. A fuck was certainly uttered under her breath with an unbelievable laugh. It was a fucking fox, what had she expected? It was the species of the cunning and lying.

“She fucks up one more time, she's gone. I don't care if it's in the ocean or a fur pelt for a den.”

Wake had promised the thing would be useful in death if not in life. Now the time was ticking it seemed for that clock to come to an end.

“What was I thinking, huh?” She laughed and leaned closer to her siren.

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Esme nodded, accepting the Captain's firm decision. If it happened again, the sea-witch would have no problem carrying out such orders, especially as the fox was already on thin ice in with her. “Meu amante — My lover, you were thinking of us, of what we seek to build together.” Her head lifted, running her tongue along the woman's chin before nuzzling the thick, salty fur of her neck, putting herself in a position that was practically half curled across Wake's forelegs.

“There will always be good choices and those that are... not so good. But we do not find out what kind of choices we make until we make them. It is a necessary thing, hm?” Deep down, in a part of herself that Esmerelda did not give much attention to, she was thoroughly pleased and flattered that Wake had come to her for such advice, such solace. While their coupling had been because of a chemistry, a spark that burned between them, she was happy -- more than -- to add all this deeper fuel to it. Another drop in the cup that was slowly filling with an emotion she did not yet name.

“This is why you have your Mystic, hm? So that she can advise you and reassure you and strengthen you, no?” A pretty smile then, nipping that lovely neck.

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And it had been true, she had been thinking of them. Thought of what use a cunning beast would be to them, only to fail to realize that the very same beast might be cunning to them.

Wake wished that she would only make good choices, for them.

Yet her lover continued to speak truths. That no one could know if it was a good or bad choice until it had already been done. Idly, Wake groomed the soft salt-curls of Esme, as she bestowed wisdom upon the Captain. “It is, and what would I do without you? Be blind and stupid, I suppose.” She laughed warmly as she sought to bury her face into the pale plush of her lover. To solidify their strength and comfort with one another further.

She could feel it again.

That there was a special word that would lodge in here, the knowledge that her lover was more than just a lover or siren.

Yet her throat only tightened softly and her touches became more tender.

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oof so so soooo sorry for the wait dear <3 also I never knew the actual terms for a heartbeat were "lub dub"

---

Even as Wake groomed her fur, the merle-coated witch laughed, bright and brilliant, head tossed back as she let the emotion take her for a moment. A paw hooked over her shoulder, managing to pull the thundercloud female closer, bring her in tighter. “Meu amor — My love, I highly doubt you could ever be stupid. Blind, perhaps, though I love those beautiful eyes of yours, hm? Let's keep them right where they are.” With her guard down, the word slipped out; not quite as poignant as I love you, no, but no less meaningful or heartfelt.

With a roll, Esme reversed their positions, putting that bold, crass, wonderful woman of hers beneath her. Periwinkle eyes colored with all the shades of a lilac storm stared down at her, suddenly deeply serious as she met the steely gaze that looked back up at her. She could feel her a deep pounding in her chest, blood flooding and rushing in her ears as the words began to travel upwards from her very heart.

lub dub

lub dub

lub dub

A beat of silence stretched so far that Esmerelda felt like some god had stopped time and frozen everything around them for millenia. And that wouldn't have been anything she opposed, for the thought of spending those years with her sailor, her captain, her Wake, only finalized the spell and brought the words out of that delicate mouth.

“I love you, Wake.”

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I am mobile posting but I am not sorry bc I NEED them pls

---

She was loved.

Maybe it was not said so blatantly, not a declaration, but they were far from orderly and traditional. Wake only felt the deepened bond in that moment. If a part of her (physically or emotionally) was called loved then she'd grasp it firmly, let it bloom wildly in her mind until she flourished beneath the affections and attentions.

Just as she did now, pressed beneath the Mystic of the Saltwoods.

Perhaps the soft thud of their hearts aligned in that moment, for all the connection she felt with the woman that straddled atop her. What usually set her ablaze with beloved desires now soothed her, perhaps breathed a soft breeze over her worries and balmed her anxieties.

The words were spoken, but perhaps she felt them more than she heard them.

“I love you, Esme.”

As easy as breathing, rolled as free as the waves that crashed along their shoreline. Her gaze would not break away from the lavender storm fields of her beloved's gaze. How she wished they might melt into one now, that they would never be apart for any moment, that she could share each feeling and second of time.

“Do Mystics wed?”

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i love them i love them so so so much.

---

The question captured her breath in a way that none before had. Every moment of every life collapsed until all that remained in her mind was this moment, this woman, this life. Nothing else mattered, not a damn thing. She wouldn't have cared if any Mystic before them hadn't wed, hadn't tied themselves to another. Esmerelda could have been the first of them who did and it wouldn't have mattered one way or another. She would readily leap for that offering that shone like a star before her.

“Yes,” she breathed almost instantly, the word whispering over her lips. “Yes yes yes.” The answer was fervent, as passionate as the kisses blessed upon Wake's face and throat, looping the spindling red threads of fate 'round and 'round the two of them.

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crying sobbing screaming over them

---

It was not one yes.

Many fell free just like the kisses she was doused in, like a fresh storm over fire. How she smoked and simmered in it.

She felt it too, though. Somehow, someway, the universe had set them alongside each other from the moment Esme had washed ashore. Now they loved, now they treasured one another so wholly. No other thing in any lifetime could ever provide this feeling.

So teetered but so emboldened by the leap of emotions.

Somewhere between the kisses they exchanged in their newest union, she breathed humored words in the space between them —

“I don't have a name to give you, but I hope the island counts for something...”

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“I will take any name you have, my love. Any. We can create one together, even.” For Wake, the witch would drag the moon down to them if only so that she could gift it to the woman that she have done anything and everything for.

Here, on this island, on this beach, under this sky and these stars, Esmerelda would whisper those words again, her heart, her soul overflowing with such emotion.

“I love you. We will create our own name, as we have created this place and this pack.” She gave her one last kiss before she would settle in at her loves side, curled so that her ear lay against the chest that caged the heart that she had stolen, only so that she could cherish and love it forever. “I will stay by your side for all eternity, if you would have me.”

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They had created plenty already, hadn't they? What was a name when they had manifested home and land?

A foreleg stayed wedged behind her beloved now, as they cradled one another. How freely love could be declared now. Out loud and in hushed ways. In the physical and the verbal. It seemed that their abilities to tend to one another had only blossomed into another avenue.

“I didn't ask to wed you to not have you for eternity. I love you.” Her lips twisted with delight and humor. They had practically arrived in this world together, perhaps only a day or hours apart. She only wished that it would be that way for every world, every life.

Let it be as true as them.

“I want a name that comes from you, that makes me whole when I speak it.”

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It was a fair point, and it served to make the Mystic smile all the more. “And I, your sass, my sailor. Among a great many other things. Your heart” a kiss to her cheek “your wit” another kiss to her ear “your fire” her jaw now, then her neck. “I love all of you, every inch, every piece, every spark.” For Wake had burned brightly in her eyes ever since they had met, and Esmerelda would tend to and stoke that fire for as long as she was welcome, as long as she was wanted.

“Hmm. A name...” It was not an easy thing to settle on, and if a name hadn't so easily slipped into her mind just then, she might have asked Wake to allow her to think on it. But as if magic, as their whole relationship had managed up to now and would continue to, a seemingly perfect thing spun itself into existence. “Nerei, like the Nereids — creatures of the sea, as we are.” She tasted the name again, only in a different, better way this time.

“Esmerelda and and Wake Nerei, of the Saltwoods.”

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It was a fair point, and it served to make the Mystic smile all the more. “And I, your sass, my sailor. Among a great many other things. Your heart” a kiss to her cheek “your wit” another kiss to her ear “your fire” her jaw now, then her neck. “I love all of you, every inch, every piece, every spark.” For Wake had burned brightly in her eyes ever since they had met, and Esmerelda would tend to and stoke that fire for as long as she was welcome, as long as she was wanted.

“Hmm. A name...” It was not an easy thing to settle on, and if a name hadn't so easily slipped into her mind just then, she might have asked Wake to allow her to think on it. But as if magic, as their whole relationship had managed up to now and would continue to, a seemingly perfect thing spun itself into existence. “Nerei, like the Nereids — creatures of the sea, as we are.” She tasted the name again, only in a different, better way this time.

“Esmerelda and and Wake Nerei, of the Saltwoods.”

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Her cheeks warmed, a simmered fire beneath her skin. It was hardly a difficult thing for Esme to make happen and yet Wake felt as flustered and fuzzy by it as much as each last time. Like she was a young woman all over again.

Maybe it was because she had lived so long and had only just discovered love.

Nerei, the name forged in love and saltwater.

“Mrs. Nerei...” She hummed warmly in something that teetered nearly on a purr. Her sensuality for her beloved roiled like a low boil, waters warmed by the things they forged together. Her foul mood so very far removed from herself now. She reached to place soft nibbles and kisses along the pale jaw of the Mystic, a teasing test of the waters.

Wake could not deny the way she excelled in physical expressions of her love and how she yearned to press herself so close she might vanish within that merle coat.

It was that her heart that wished for these things more than anything else though. Forever she feared that words alone would not be enough and found it easier to worship in the way of bodies.

“I love you,” Whispered as Wake sought to trail her nose down the wispy neck of the Mystic.

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Had she been unsure of the name, Esme need only hear it from the lips of her lover, no, her wife to know that it was perfect. Mrs. Nerei. That was her. That was them. The Nereis.

Her smile was brilliant, her joyous laugh the pealing of a church bell on a holy day. And perhaps, this was her holy day, for while she worshipped no particular god, she would now and forever more worship the grounds beneath their bodies and the woman she lay with now. Here, she found her religion and her life, thanks to the Lady Sea. All the moments of all her past lives led her to now, a new beginning.

“I love you,” She would echo, answering her wife as her chin tilted back, giving the Captain unfettered access to all the parts that she might wish to explore.

Here, on this night, the two would consummate their unspoken vows to one another, on the very shores of the sea that had united them. Not unlike their first night together, but so much more, at the same time.

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fade? <3

---

A kiss.

Here and there, along jawlines and shoulder blades. It felt like a walk down trails she knew like her own body. In a way, she did. Yet somehow despite each familiar place she might reach with her loving, worshipful touches it seemed to feel new each time too.

The waves of butterflies and electric touches.

Breathless against merle fur and pale wisps. How easy it was to sink into endless waves of bliss, pleasure and love.

Sweet love.

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