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There he was, as always. From the day that they had met to this very night, they had met by the side of the venomous Lake Ha'tama. Sometimes not nightly - they had other obligations, of course. To their tribe, to themselves. But if given the choice, Acere would've chosen him above all else.

Perhaps in a way she was already doing so. After all, if they were caught...The Di'taki's countenance darkened for a moment, but by the time she stepped out of the brush, she wore her usual, stoic expression. Her claws squelched slightly in the mud as she approached Soft Whisper, saying nothing until she was standing next to his lying form.

After a second of silence, Acere finally whispered, "Hello, my dear," and joined him in his rest. When she looked into the lake, she saw something quite different. This was a lake born of the tears of many fathers, more mothers, and even more children. This lake was born of the suffering of those castaway, because of their differences.

This was a lake of agony. The moon was merely a sad spectator. But from this agony sprung love. She peered over to him, eyes scanning him silently. Such a wonderful disaster.

"It has, it has." She returned the nuzzle, gently, carefully. She was faintly afraid that he may shatter if she were too rough. Acere was aware of the pain in his heart - acutely so. But though she was aware, she still remained almost...distant. She felt for him, but she did not truly feel his agony. It was a curious thing.

The Di'taki took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the lake. It was fairly humid, it being late summer, though much of the water had returned to the soil without the sun's angry gaze. Acere looked up to the moon, her alto-ranged voice whispering, "I take it things are well with your tribe?" It was a traditional question, one she always asked. After all, the tribe was quite important to the Grimshaw of these parts.

She couldn't help but snort when he mentioned that his 'tribe' avoided him because he had changed. Did they really expect him to remain the same? It seemed unlikely to her that any of the others would've been any different. For a moment she could feel a faint rage and indignation deep within her chest, but it quickly was killed under his eyes. Such glorious eyes...

"Being a hunter-gatherer, no one questions where I go in the night, so long as their bellies are full come morning. We always eat well," although eating well was a relative term. She had heard rumors of the lusciousness of the Adahy's lands, and the Di'taki's lands were barren by comparison. But they ate enough to maintain their strength and numbers, and that was enough by her standards.

Acere did not return his smile, but instead rubbed her face against his neck. It was a wonderful thing, to be able to feel him. And, judging from the news he bore, it would possibly be a more frequent luxury. Wonderful. "Have I ever told you how delightful you are?" She knew she had many times before, but it was still amusing to hear his reaction. These were the games she played - ask a question, knowing the answer, only to see whether the Grimshaw in question would tell the truth or play along.

"Tch." Acere shook her head with a grin, preening her love's feathers. "Not to me. You're the most wonderful being to walk this earth, Adahy, Di'taki or otherwise." She took another deep breath, looking up to the moon in contemplation. What was the moon, anyway? She had no concept of gravity, or other planets or such. To her, the moon was a mystical mystery. Perhaps it was the eye of a god, watching over the Grimshaw Forest as a father does his children. Or...well, what else could it be?

She looked back down to Soft Wind. Regardless of what it was, the moon was a blessing, for it allowed her to see her beloved. The female sat in silence, watching him approvingly.

She chuckled as the male nipped at her feathers, but said nothing until he spoke again. Making a soft hum in her throat before replying, she spoke softly and deeply, "What do you think about the moon?" It would seem like an odd question, but Acere would explain in time. He needed only to trust her for a moment.

Typical response. Unsurprising. Acere smiled lightly, her eyes not leaving the celestial object. "Did you ever stop to think just exactly what it might be?" Most Grimshaw didn't. But that was what she was for, eh? To make them think of things they hadn't before.

"Incredibly beautiful. Not quite as much as you." She seemed to take a moment to think about what she was going to say. If it were an eye, where was the rest of the body? Was it just a bigger, less bright sun? No, that didn't make sense - it waned and waxed, meaning that it did not cast off its own light. If it produced its own light, it wouldn't matter if the earth cast a shadow on it.

It was perplexing. But she wasn't one to say that she had no idea. After a long moment, Acere spoke again, "It can't be like the sun, since the earth is able to cast a shadow on it. If it produced its own light, it wouldn't matter that the earth cast a shadow on it. Instead, it appears to be reflecting...something." It didn't make a whole lot of sense to her, she wasn't going to lie. It was a lot to think about.