[PRP] An Unexpected Development [Natalie x Nebiros]

[NymiiNym]

Natalie groaned inwardly as she trudged through the rain, her ears pinned against her head. If she had just listened, perhaps she wouldn't be in this mess. Chronos had warned her about the storm coming, and Natalie had simply waved him off. Her growing impatience and frustration towards him had something to do with the dismissal, but Natalie wasn't about to admit it. No; she had somewhere to be, and she wanted to believe her current choice had been fueled by the desire to get to her brother rather than the need to ignore Chronos.

While she adored the male, Natalie had begun to realize that her living arrangement with Chronos was less to be desired. She loved him, and he knew that. He liked her, too, she assumed. However, years ago she had confessed, and his response had been to request she wait for him to be ready. He had a kid at the time, and he wanted to focus on being a father, even if the situation itself wasn't the best. Natalie had agreed.

That had been several years ago.

The pattern they had fallen into never evolved. Natalie slept over his den, and... that was it. They shared food, sometimes, but more often than not Natalie would wake, explore the forest, and return to Chronos having left to go and do whatever he liked to do in the evening. The time they spent together was friendly; never daring to move into anything else. They were stuck, and as the years went on, Natalie had begun to grow accustomed to it.

After all, he had asked her to wait; he'd tell her when he was ready, right?

Then again, what if he was never ready? What if he was content with their life as it was? Natalie wasn't; she was far from happy, but was that Chronos' burden to bear? If he didn't want her anymore, then she needed to accept that. It hurt; it stung more than ever, but Natalie was slowly surrounding herself with other things then Chronos. Currently, that meant visiting her brother whenever she could. He was a welcome distraction.

Except, the rain was an issue, made evident as she pressed closer and closer to the ground. She was going to get sick at this rate. The glowing fox noted a nearby cave, pausing in her movements long enough to consider what to do. She could risk there being someone inside and continue moving, but that could lead to her slipping into something potentially harmful, or she could check out the cave. Taking her chances seemed, currently, less miserable.

Padding up to the cave, she hesitated, green eyes narrowing harshly against the cold as she searched for a figure inside. Was that.... a shadow?  

[NymiiNym]

To avoid his brother was all Nebiros wanted these days, but unfortunately, that wasn't always an option. Naberius' more cannibalistic and frankly disgusting ways was something Nebiros often found himself finding his part in. He couldn't, in good conscious, allow Naberius to go about doing what he liked to do, and so Nebiros would follow his smaller brother in hopes to chase off any prey the creepy fox found, but he had grown increasingly aware that a well-fed Naberius was a.... "nicer" Naberius.

And so he had relented, for now.

Abandoning his brother to his ways for the next month or so seemed the best he could for his own sanity. Naberius would find him when he felt the need to; he always did. Until then, Nebiros was content hiding away in a cave he had found. Some vacation time was desperately needed.

Tucked deep in the back, Nebiros watched the storm unfold. A shadow flickered near the entrance, enveloping him with dread. Was his brother back already? No, that... was a feminine form, one, and she was much smaller. Content in his shadows, Nebiros noted the tremor in her stance, sighing inwardly.

Great.

"Come in if you need shelter." He croaked, shifting in his spot. "There's enough room for the two of us."  

[NymiiNym]

Natalie flinched at the voice, taken aback by the sudden sound. Oh! There was someone inside! She lingered by the entrance, glancing back behind her. She'd be an idiot to randomly trust a stranger, she was aware of this, but...

Really, she just didn't want to be in the rain a moment longer.

"Thank you," She sighed gratefully, slinking inside the cave. Shaking herself off, she settled near the entrance, sure to give the hiding fox enough space. She folded her paws under her, tail flicking to curl around her and maintain warmth. She had felt a heat coming from the back, although she didn't spot a fire. A 'daeva, perhaps?

"I'll be out the moment the rain stops, I promise."  

[NymiiNym]

"That could take all night, judging by the strength of it." Nebiros didn't care, really. For a moment, he considered staying where he was, perfectly content remaining hidden from her gaze. However, unlike him, she was wee and probably cold. He didn't want to listen to her hacking a lung later in the night if he could avoid it. Raising from his spot, he noted her muscles tense, releasing an annoyed huff in her direction.

"Relax," He grumbled, leaving the shadows and casting her a brief, unamused glance before kicking some wood he had collected towards her. The goal had been to use it to eventually barricade the entrance if the cold became too unbearable for even him, but he could collect more later. Flopping onto his side across from her, he reached forward, allowing his flames to ignite the wood. The flame flickered from a deep black into the natural red and yellow tones, illuminating the cave.  

[NymiiNym]

"Still." She didn't finish her statement, instead shrugging softly. She'd still leave whether or not it took all night. She tensed as he moved, eyes drawing over to watch as the shadows gave form to a large 'daeva. She was right! Leaning back as wood was unceremoniously kicked towards her, a paw raised to fend it away. As the 'daeva lit the pile a soft, relieved sigh escaped her at the warmth that greeted her.

"Oh, thank you." She wiggled closer to the flames, resting her head on her paws. "I'm Natalie. Is this your den?"  

[NymiiNym]

"More or less." He shrugged, nodding towards her. He eyed her, noting the dark glow around her that hadn't lessened despite the flames. Interesting. He found himself wondering what had caused the mutation. It wasn't the first time he had seen a glowing fox —they seemed more and more common throughout his travels — but what was the origin? Was it just another twisted mutation from those botched up halloween children he had met through the years? It couldn't make hunting any easier; although her particular color might not distract prey as often as the other brighter glows he had seen. Wait, she had given her name, hadn't she?

"Nebiros." His eyes drifted to the rain, paws folding neatly. Really, what was she doing out there, anyway? The clouds had been dark enough to warn about the storm, she should have known. He couldn't imagine any fox with a semblance of wit around them wouldn't have noticed, which either made her an idiot or someone who had somewhere to be.

"Any fox would have noticed the clouds." His eyes swiveled to her, a mocking frown on his face.  

[NymiiNym]

A heavy sigh left her lips, eyes trailing after his gaze. He was right, she couldn't argue that. Yet, the idea of having to spend yet another day with Chronos? That... had seemed worse than the rain. Her heart sunk at that realization, ears drooping. They needed to talk. This wasn't how adults acted, and her misery wasn't fair, even if she had promised to wait. Years? If she couldn't do it anymore, he needed to know instead of her avoiding him every second she could.

"You're right," She relented, shrugging under the pressure. Her head turned towards the 'daeva — Nebiros — as she released a short snort. "I had somewhere to be that I thought I'd get to before it hit."  

[NymiiNym]

"As long as no one comes for my throat due to you being here, it doesn't matter." A snort left the 'daeva as he poked at the fire, eyes narrowing harshly. That thought had been originally a joke, but what if she had a mate? Someone who would find issue with her sleeping in the cave of another stranger? He cast his gaze up, locking his eyes on her emerald ones.

"That shouldn't be a problem, right?" He might as well assess if he needed to kick her out sooner than later. While he didn't mind giving the female shelter, he absolutely didn't want to deal with the burden of some insecure fox. It wouldn't have been the first time his hospitality had ended in violence.  

[NymiiNym]

Natalie frowned at the question, feeling her tail twist. That had hit a nerve, although she couldn't identify why. Because she doubted Chronos would notice? Or, if he did, he'd be content just waiting for her to come home when she felt the need? Would he even worry? Would he wish she'd come home? Her features contorted into one of pain, eyes narrowing harshly as she adjusted her gaze back to the flames.

"It shouldn't," She agreed softly, a soft whine catching in her throat as she lowered her head onto her paws once more, eying the flames. "I doubt he's noticed."  

[NymiiNym]

A sore spot. He must had landed on something she wished he hadn't. Nebiros shrugged the thought off; it wasn't his job to ensure she was comfortable. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked the question, he didn't care much for the melancholy mood that had begun to weigh the air. If he was to have company for the night, he rather it wasn't dragging him down in their misery.

"Where were you heading?" A safe distraction, he hoped. He didn't honestly care really, but it was a kindness he could offer if it swept her mind from whatever had caused her ears to fall. He truly was a good person, wasn't he? He snorted absently at the thought, tossing a careless glance at the entrance. This would be an unfortunate time for his brother to appear, he noted. He doubted the fact that the vixen was under his current protection would stop Naberius from taking the chance for a meal.  

[NymiiNym]

She was grateful for the shift in conversation. Her brother was an easier topic; it wasn't like he had done much to offend her. Her nose wrinkled playfully at the thought. If anything, Natalie had been the one who was more likely to cause trouble.

"I'm visiting my brother." For a moment, she pondered what had happened to their sister. It had been ages since she heard news of the third sibling, but Natalie had shoved that thought deep down. She didn't want to know, almost, as if knowing might tell her something she wished she hadn't heard. She just liked assuming if she heard nothing then everything was okay.

"What of you? Is there someone I should be concerned might find us?" It was meant as a joke, tone light and a teasing lift in her voice.  

[NymiiNym]

Nebiros rolled his eyes, head raising to look at the damp ceiling. Oh boy, if only she knew. He debated going into detail, instantly biting back that unsavory thought. Not only did he not want to deal with her expression or questions, but sharing information about his brother just seemed like a waste of his time. He wasn't going to see this vixen again, and really, any distance he could have from Naberius right now was best.

"Not really, no." He felt a yawn coming, clenching his jaw against the feeling. He pushed himself up, slinking back into the shadows he had originated from before flopping with a heavy 'thud.' "Wake me if the fire dies," He grunted her way before blanketing himself with his wings.  

[NymiiNym]

"Will do," Natalie mumbled in his direction, watching the 'daeva settle into the darkness. For a moment she felt a jealousy flicker in her stomach. Even with the fire, she was still damp and felt a slight tremor in her legs. Being a 'daeva must have its perks, and right now having fire at your whim seemed very beneficial. Curling as close to the fire as she could manage without singing her fur, Natalie closed her eyes.

- - - -

She awoke to the sound of birds. Natalie shifted in her spot, eyes cracking open to observe her surroundings. Light filtered into the cave, breaking up the darkness that had crept in once the fire had died just hours ago. She could see the faint form of the 'daeva in the back. The rain must have stopped, she noted. She couldn't hear anything but the birds. So, she stretched, intent on keeping her promise. Except, her paw hit something; something hard and small. Her head snapped towards the sound, ears flicking backwards as her eye adjusted to the sight.

Was that.... a BCR?

The sound that left her throat must have stirred the 'daeva, as he abruptly began to sit up. It was, but... it couldn't be hers, right? No, it had the same stripes the male seemed to have, it must have been his. How'd it get here?  

[NymiiNym]

He awoke to the sound of a pitiful whine echoing. He hadn't forgotten she was there, but the sound was unwelcome, made evident with a low snort escaping the sprawling 'daeva. She was staring at something; something small. Irritation crossed his features as he pulled himself up, taking a moment to let a limb here or there crack before he padded to her side. It took him a moment to adjust his eyes to what she was clearly staring at, his ears pulling back. A BCR? Had she stored it away in her tail perhaps when she came by?

"Pick your child up," He yawned, waving a paw loosely at the thing before scooping up some of the fallen wood and tossing it against the wall.  

[NymiiNym]

Her head swiveled to few the larger male, feeling heat rise in her cheeks at the very thought. Hers?! Oh, how she had wished long ago she'd awaken to BCRs, but alas! This was not hers!

"My- what, no! This isn't mine! It can't be!" She crouched down by the BCR, examining it throughly. Aha! Proof, right there; it had his stripes. This was clearly his. He was just trying to foist off a BCR he didn't want on her.

"See? It has your stripes." And it was glowing, but honestly Natalie had no clue what that meant. It couldn't be her glow, it was red. She'd never seen a 'daeva BCR, so it wasn't like she had the prior experience to understand it meant the child was one of his kind, but if she had it'd only further her argument.

"Look, if you don't want your kid you could just... ask someone to raise it, not just drop it near the next unfortunate vixen who needs shelter."