[PRP] A Strained Fate (Dameon & Starry)

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

Starry frowned. He wasn't getting forgiveness any time soon. He'd have to earn it. Regardless of what happened. Or even how it happened. The blue one sighed, sitting down across from him.

"I'd like to see the children again Dameon. I would, but I don't think it would be wise right now." She pointed out. If she was this furious at her husband... No, ex-husband. How mad would she be at the children? Surely they wouldn't bring as much anger as their father did would they? The thought was making her heart ache. She loved her children unconditionally. Starry had thought the same of Dameon, until he left without a trace...

"I love you Dameon. I do.. But All of this... I can't... It's just... No." She frowned.

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

He winced before shaking his head. "I wouldn't think so. Whenever you feel ready, they'll be waiting. As for 'us'..." He sighed heavily and took his first bite. He had to tighten his jaw to refrain from showing how much pleasure he took from his first non-fish food. "I know that is non-existent. I don't know if you've moved on, and I understand if you had." He couldn't keep the pain from flashing in his eyes from that. She had spent seasons moving on from him...but he had never stopped thinking about returning to her. He was at square one. "But that's not a pressure I'm going to put on you."  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

"They're grown adults, they're welcome here as often as the rest of our family." She shook her head, chewing on some of the fruit. He mentioned moving on... Starry pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

She'd finally given up on him returning, and then he comes back within a season. Just after she managed to get herself a date. Her life starts changing and then a wrench comes into play. She was still pinching the bridge of her nose when she spoke.

"I was just coming back from a date Dameon." The red head couldn't look him in the eye. It was almost impossible for her. There was such shame in her voice. She loved this man, but he had been gone for years.

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

It wouldn't have hurt less if a physical dagger had stabbed him in his heart. He barely swallowed his bite of fruit, and closed his eyes. "Starry..." They were childhood friends... they had been through daring meetings with Amara, and vicious animals... They helped each other grow up, and helped grow three beautiful children. No. You knew this could happen. You told her you understood...Face up to your mistakes. He finally took a breath, unaware he had even stopped breathing. His steel blue eyes flicked back open. "It's okay. I'm... actually glad. I want you to be happy. Even if it's not with me."  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

Starry shook her head, finally looking up at him. She had to force herself to do it, but he deserved it at least. "It's not okay Dameon.. It hurt you..." The female pressed a hand over her own heart. "I can feel it. In here. I can see it on your face."

The thought of hurting this man.. After everything they'd been through together, the children they'd raised with one another, the family they'd faced down. Starry wouldn't have traded Dameon for the world, she thought he'd known that. That's why she'd moved on. When it seemed like he wasn't coming back.

"But I can't... I just gave up on waiting for you. And then you turn up out of the blue! What was I supposed to do?"

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

Dameon nodded slowly and even managed another weak smile. "I'm not going to say it doesn't hurt. However improbable, the thought of coming back to you... It kept me alive when I was out there searching. You're all I ever wanted, and the thought of losing that...it's hard on me." That smile was one of the hardest things he had ever done, because all he wanted to do was yell to the heavens about how unfair life was. How a single day took away what he had worked a lifetime on.  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

Starry bit her tongue. She could see what her words were doing to Dameon. She didn't want to cause him any more pain. It'd been years since his mother passed, but she passed, he got lost, and then to come back to his wife seeing someone else... How horrible was that?

The female stood, going to hug Dameon. Thousands of things rushed through her head, all at once. Starry kept her lips shut, wrapping her arms around his chest. Regardless of how long he'd been gone, how much he'd broken her heart with the entire ordeal, this was the man she'd loved. The man she'd married. He would always hold a special place in her heart.

"I'm sorry Dameon."

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

He stiffened at her embrace, caught off guard by the show of affection. An hour before, she looked like she wanted to kill him, and now she was the one comforting him. He slowly loosened to wrap his arms around her, letting the warmth sink in. Was this their official breakup? He felt his heart breaking. His mother, gone. His lover. Gone. The demonic pae felt lost. He wanted to find a hole somewhere to be be alone, and process all that had expired. He blinked once hard, determined not to let a tear escape. "He's a lucky pae..." He whispered softly into her hair before pulling out from her embrace. Slowly he stood, shaking his head. "I...should probably go..."  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

She rolled her eyes. This man had been in her life for how many years? There was no way she was going to let him go like that. Not after what had just happened. It didn't matter to her that she'd just left Aulii, no, he would find out soon enough.

"Oh shut up Dameon. You just got back, there's no way I can let you leave. Not right now. I'm sure Raken and the children are out there too, needing a place to stay. Am I right?"  

[Tartara Seabreeze]

eek "You...want me...to stay?" Today had been a roller coaster of emotions for the poor yellow pae. He didn't know if he should be happy or sad or hurt or excited. So everything seemed to bundle up into one, leaving him one confused pae. "The children certainly. Raken ran as soon as he could to find Dyas." He winced at the thought. As hard of a time he had, overprotective Raken had been separated from his daughter for seasons.

"So...you want to see us?" A voice called from under the treehouse. Shageki rubbed the back of his head, knowing full well he disobeyed his dad, but unable to keep from his curiosity anymore.

Dameon sighed deeply. He should have known.  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek a bit. How on this great isle would she ever toss her family out of her home? Starry couldn't do it. The female smirked, flicking her tail. That was just like Raken.

"Come on up Shage. Why wouldn't I want to see my kids?" Her smirk grew into a smile. She may have been mad at Dameon, but Shage? Never. Not a bone in her body could ever be mad at her children. "Is Cressida with you too?"

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

He grinned, happy to not be scolded for his intrusion. "Of course! Come on out Cressy!" With that he flew right up to the treehouse, almost tackling Starry into a fierce hug when he arrived.

stare She flicked a glare towards her older brother as she stepped out from behind a tree, having spent WAAAYYY to much time with him the past few seasons. But as calm and collected as she always tried to portray herself, a little tiny bit inside of her squirmed in excitement to see her mother. Mischievous or not, Cressida did love her strange family. Nimbly she climbed the branches to the top. "You didn't have to yell. My hearing is fine." When the teen reached the top, she smirked at Dameon. "I told him not to eavesdrop."

"I know you did. We both did." He sighed again before chuckling. "But how could I expect him to listen?"  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

Starry laughed, catching her son. It'd been far too long since she'd seen her son. Of course, she couldn't keep upright with a grown pae pouncing her. The starred female hugged her son tight, happy to have him home. Thank the guardians there was room for her family in this tree.

"Cressy, I'm so glad to see you again." The relief in her voice was clear. This woman had dearly missed her family. "Come here." She grinned wide, holding an arm open.

"Of course they wouldn't listen Dameon, it's been seasons since they've seen the other half of their family. Why on the isle would they have stayed back?"

 

[Tartara Seabreeze]

But...but...She had just said a few minutes earlier it wouldn't be wise to see the kids yet! He quickly let it go, a warmth building about seeing the kids with their mother again. Now if only Junior were around, it would be the whole immediate family together at one location. That was a rarity even before the disappearance. "Just...thought you'd like to get a little more acclimated is all. Heh."

She faked a bit of drama by holding back for a second before walking to the hugfest, looping her arm around her mother with a smile. "I missed you too ma." She said it with the utmost sincerity.

He squeezed back, ecstatic. It had been an absolute miserable time the past few season, and it brought home the ordeal was finally over by...well being at home. "I am never going on another adventure with Dad again." He chimed in jokingly, the grin never leaving his face. At that moment, his stomach growled. A hint of pink reached his cheeks. "I...don't suppose you have anything around to eat?"  

[Dementia Requiem Asumi]

Starry squeezed her children tight. It may not have been wise, but she wouldn't deny them a chance to see her. Nor would she say no to seeing any of her children.

The red head grinned, ruffling Shage's hair. "I've just got fruits right now. Not much in the way of meat. Are you tw- Three okay with that?" She paused in the middle of her sentence. There was a very familiar yellow starred male standing, shocked, behind everyone. The one child that hadn't left. She knew about Junior's diet, but the other two had to be tired of fish, didn't they?

Junior just stood there, his jaw hanging open. His dad, brother and little sister... All of them standing there. Under one roof. Good Guardians he couldn't think of anything to say. He loved his family, with all his heart. But where had those three been for all these years?

His mind was a blur of emotions. Shock, Anger, Fear, sheer excitement, anger again... Junior couldn't settle on any one of them. He was just floored.