Pumpkin and Orion: Promises

The same nightmare had plagued Pumpkin again. Even now, as she jolted herself awake, the details of the terrible dream were slipping away. Her heart pounded heavily, to the point where it pained her for a few moments. The infernalkin calico gasped for air, pushing her self upright as she tried desperately to blink away the last image of the nightmare, but it had burned into her eyelids. A white figure, with brilliant blood-red horns... antlers? branching out in every direction- or maybe that was just her imagination translating the veins that stood out on the inside of her eyes as something more sinister. Even now, only moments after the dream, the meaning of the figure faded, leaving her confused- was her brain blocking what happened in the dream? Feeling wide awake, she rubbed the beading tears from her eyes, glancing out over the campsite- It didn't seem like anyone had awoken, thankfully. The embers in the campfire had burned out long ago, leaving pale ashes and darkened charcoal in it's place. Despite the chill, lulling silence of the camp around her, Pumpkin was wide awake. Looking back at her comfortable, warm spot with a sort of grimace, like the memory of the dream still pained her, the calico got the rest of the way up with a firm resolve. Her fur was still rather wild from tossing and turning in her sleep, but she didn't mind- as long as she had her hood over her head and her gloves on, she was happy. Seeking to walk off the bad dream, she started towards the woods, slipping into a slightly worn path that branched off from where they made camp.

Orion's ears went up at the sound of someone moving, clearly awake now. The large tabby opened one bright green eye in time to see his beautiful companion's tail vanish past a tree. She was having issues sleeping, huh? He needed to make sure she could stay safe and maybe provide company if she'd let him... He stood up slowly, stretching, and padded past their slumbering companions, following Pumpkin into the woods. He was kinda really sleepy, but the chill of the night air woke him up a bit and he had enough sense to follow her scent trail until she was in eyesight as he had caught up with her. "Pumpkin!" He called, kind of at a loud whisper as to not scream too loudly and startle her away or reveal position to any creature around. "Can't sleep?" He asked as he reached a reasonable distance to converse.

Pumpkin didn't even notice the tom following after her, her mind was so preoccupied- The long fallen leaves of the forest were soft under her feet, years of decomposition, rain and dirt reducing them into a cushiony damp softness underfoot. She took a moment to marvel at how old this forest really was- trees tens of years older than her sitting like mildly mannered giants. Focusing on trees was good- it got her mind off her... dream. Quietly, she took a fallen green leaf from the floor- 'Must've fallen in a storm...' she thought passively, turning it over in her paw. She let out a gentle hum as she held the leaf closer to her heart, watching as the jade necklace on her chest illuminated the fallen leaf- green glowed gently, calmly through her paw until it touched the leaf, which began to gain some of it's glossy life back, sprouting another leaf as it started to extend into a branch. She was already sweating, though- despite her being inherently good at... less than savory magic, this witchery still evaded her. She thought on this for a while. That is, until a voice spoke behind her- and, as per usual, she startled easily and nearly dashed in the opposite direction. On a fleeting suspicion, she looked at her supposed foe- and found it wasn't a foe at all. "o- Orion?" She stage whispered back at him, looking surprised but not particularly unhappy that he was there. "I- well, that's one way to put it, heh..." Pumpkin muttered at his question, subconsciously tugging on her hood as she dropped the leaf. "I assume you can't sleep, either?"

"Didn't mean to startle you, haha." He mewed, giving her an apologetic smile. He was a bit curious as to what was up with the leaf, but he decided it was best not to question it. After what had happened in that awful town with the bad father guy, he knew she had some sort of magic to her, so maybe she was practicing it? "Yeah, I couldn't manage to sleep and then I heard you leave so I figured you might want some company." Orion explained. He wasn't really lying either. He had been kinda dozing, but couldn't actually manage to fall asleep completely.

Pumpkin mirrored his chuckle, using her tail to brush the partially regrown leafy stick into the underbrush around them. "I tend to startle easily, if you haven't noticed, heh." The calico rubbed at her eyes- they still felt... strange, was a word to put it, after she had woken up from the dream. Had she been crying that entire time? Maybe she could get some water or something, just in case. "Ah, that's fair-" Pumpkin started, but then froze. Did he hear her gasping for air and absolutely dying when she woke up? Feeling flustered, she felt her face grow hot and quickly turned to hide it. "Since we both couldn't sleep, I guess uh... would you like to walk with me..?" She asked nervously- was asking someone to walk with you weird? She didn't know...

He gave the calico a friendly smile. "Yeah, let's take a walk. It'll be good, and keep us warm, too." he purred. He started to follow the path, keeping at a pace that would be okay for Pumpkin. Just he and the company of one other person, it was like the good ol days when he traveled around with his first friend, except that his companion this time was a lovely lady and this time they were in a lovely wooded area instead of the sketchy parts of cities, bringing a 10-year-old into a brothel or a bar... to be honest, thinking about it, that guy had brought him places he would never ever dream of taking Jackie or Puma to at that age... why was he thinking about this stuff now? He guessed it was something that shaped who he had become, but he never really thought of his old pal that much in a long time. "So uh, nice night, aint it?" Other than being cold, the area was really pretty and the night was clear with stars shining above. In fact, it was probably this cold because it was so clear.

Pumpkin smiled, happy that he didn't find it weird... did he? For a moment she examined his face, looking for a trace of "what the fuuuuckkk?"- and was happy to find nothing. They walked in silence for a while, Pumpkin walking a bit quicker to keep up with him... but thankfully he seemed like he was slowing down too, and the infernalkin calico appreciated that. "Yeah... The night sky's beautiful out here..." She remarked, looking up towards the bright stars above. They could actually see thousands upon thousands of stars up there, not being near polluting civilization... It sort of reminded her of home, actually- Shaking her head suddenly, she did her best to think about something else and put herself in the moment. She didn't need to dwell on the past right now, it was only needed where they were in a city or someplace similar. "I find the coldest nights are the clearest and most beautiful..." Pumpkin chuckled gently, looking around at the forest. She was much more used to tall, unmoving pines, covered with snow and frozen solid- but the nicer, lusher forest was a nice change of pace. "Though, where I come from, staying outside on the 'coldest night' could be a death sentence, haha...."

"I see what you mean." He mewed, nodding as he looked up at the stars. "Dang, must have been frigid where you lived, huh? It was cold in winter where I grew up. But summer nights were usually still kinda warm. A relief from the intense heat, I guess, but my pelt isn't really made for hot weather." He mewed, laughing a little. Summer heat fevers were definitely a thing as a kid. Especially when running around the farm all day, playing by himself. "The stars shone just as bright there as well." Honestly this scene was almost romantic, what with the beautiful stars and just the two all alone. He wasn't going to cross that boundary or mention that thought, though. Embarrassing enough remembering his past so far back and even speaking of it aloud.

Pumpkin chuckled gently at this, looking away from the bigger cat as she thought quietly about her old home... if she could even call it a home. "That's an understatement. You have a better chance of having snow on the ground in the middle of the summer than having a nice day... Though, having snow in the midst of summer isn't that far fetched, at least, where I come from." Looking towards Orion, she couldn't help but realize how much he looked like everyone back at home. "You'd fit in there- or well-" She grimaced slightly at the memories of how people... tended to act back at home. "You'd look like you'd fit in." As they talked, the two came to the top of the gently sloping path, the trees breaking formation to allow them to look over the edge of the cliff they found themselves on, overlooking the lake below. The inky black water looked as though it was frozen solid, but the gentle movements at the edges told her otherwise. She couldn't imagine it'd be very fun to swim in, though. "Oh my god.." She said breathily, awe clear in her voice as her unobscured vision beheld the mirror-like lake and the stars above. She hadn't seen a view like this in a long, long time. Pumpkin sort of missed it, actually. Despite what seeing it again would mean for her.

"Oh wow! It snowed a little bit growing up, but not often even in winter." He mewed. "I guess my pelt is probably geared more toward weather where you're from." He looked over the lake as the pair had arrived at the end of the path. "Hey, should I try swimming?" He mewed half-jokingly, sticking his tongue out. Honestly, the view was certainly worth the journey. By now he was more awake and able to enjoy it, too. There was seldom a prettier sight than this, and seldom a lovelier person to share it with-- what was he thinking? He hid his embarrassment at this thought by looking straight up at the sky. "Nights like this remind me of being a kid again, away from cities and able to see the stars."

Smiling at the sight, Pumpkin walked towards the edge and sat down softly, curling her fluffy tail around her paws as she made sure her horns and paws were well hidden, deep within their fabric constraints. She hadn't taken the green cloak off for some time now- though she had taken it off before with the group, but she got as far away from them as she could before she took it off. Picking at the fabric subconsciously, the calico looked back at her tabby companion. "A winter without snow sounds nice...." She said softly, pondering it for a moment. "Heh, yeah- if you haven't noticed how thick and fluffy my own fur is, it's enough to keep me from freezing to death. I doubt any thin furred cat would survive long in W-" Pumpkin cut herself off, her mind immediately stopping her from saying where she was from. Why did she stop? She trusted Orion, didn't see? Looking confused, she stared at the water- until Orion questioned if he should swim in it. The infernalkin couldn't help but laugh. "If you'd like to be a block of ice, be my guest." After her laughing fit calmed down, she watched curiously as he looked towards the sky. She almost did too, but thought the sight of Orion looked kinda pretty, too... "Heh. Wish my childhood was this peaceful..." She said quietly.

"In winter when it snows? Yeah, I could imagine Lucifer with icicles hanging off his whiskers" Orion mewed, laughing a little. He looked at Pumpkin with a little concern as she said she wished her childhood was as peaceful as this. Truth be told, while his was, that peace hadn't exactly lasted. He looked across the lake again "Yeah, I wish yours was too. And I wish my childhood hadn't ended so early...." He mewed, not sounding sad for his own childhood, but more matter-of-fact with a bit of laugh in his voice. If he had only been stronger back then, would his childhood have been able to last longer? Would he have not been forced to grow up so quickly? Maybe, maybe not... It was kind of painful for him to think about. He swallowed, shoving down the memories. He then lied down next to Pumpkin, still gazing across the lake. He didn't want to make eye contact in case he had a sad look he didn't realize was still on his face, so he just smiled, focusing on the stars.

She couldn't help but chuckle at the imagery of Lucifer with icy whiskers- she didn't think he'd enjoy it all that much. More of a fiery sort of guy in her eyes.... or maybe that's just him being blatantly infernalkin speaking for her. Pumpkin didn't notice his concerned look- she had looked away at the remark about her childhood- but she quickly looked back when he said something about his own childhood. She studied him for a moment, thinking back to her own childhood. She remembered it like it was yesterday- blood running out of her nose, wounds streaming dark blood into her eyes. Her legs shaking as she tried her best, feeling her mind roar in pain as the dark energy within her grow dangerously... But that was then, and Orion was now. Watching him lay down beside her with concern, she noticed he avoided her eye contact. Wrapping her tail around him in a sort of 'tail hug', she laid down as well. "Are you alright, Orion?" She said softly, genuinely. Whatever he experienced must of been terrible- and she wanted to try and help him however she could.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. I just try not to think about those days too much. It's nothing for you to worry about. It's just too much nostalgia for me." He mewed, continuing to gaze upon the water in front of them. He could feel his face grow warm under his fur and on his ears as he felt a small tail wrap around him. He couldn't help but want that feeling to last forever. But for some reason, he still couldn't look at her. She was such a good friend and caring companion, he didn't wanna lose her... like... he lost them. He swallowed down the feelings again and put his head down, slightly leaning on her shoulder, while still facing toward the lake.

Pumpkin still looked at the bigger cat, clearly worried. "I-" She wanted to pursue the topic, just to try to help him somehow. But, seeing him still avoid her gaze, she decided not to. "I understand..." She said softly, looking away from him quietly. "It hurts to see you like this, Orion... If I could help, any help at all, just talk to me." She said, doing her best to pick her words carefully. She wasn't ever good at consoling- Pumpkin never heard it as a child- one could say it was something of a new skill to her. "Okay?" Feeling a touch on her shoulder, she looked back over and was surprised to see his head gently leaning towards hers. Quietly, she bumped her head against his affectionately, trying to let him know she was there.

Orion's ears went down shyly as he felt the gentle head-bump. What was this? Such a simple movement was making him freak out so much internally. What the hell? He could feel his face be slightly warmer than before and he still couldn't look at her. Why? She wouldn't be able to see his face be red from under his fur, but he was very conscious of it since it was his face. This had definitely snapped him out of the past completely and he was internally freaking out now. "I-it would help if... you could promise me just one thing." He managed to say, still looking away from her, the tip of his tail twitching anxiously.

She looked up, gazing at him curiously. She still noted that he was looking away from her- was he still thinking about his past? Or something else now? At first, Pumpkin was nervous to promise something. Her mother taught her that all promises were pie crust promises- easily made... but easily broken. However... if anything could help Orion, she'd do her best to do it. "Of course, Orion." She said warmly, trying to flash him a gentle smile to mask the worry she still felt for him.

He turned to her, a nervous smile on his face. "Just uh... please do your best not to die, okay?" He paused a second. "Well-well I know sometimes people can't help it, so I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen, I just want you to also make sure you're putting effort in too-- uh not like you weren't already, though, I know you were probably not planning on dying , but uh, yeah..." At this point he was just rambling and re-explaining himself. What was wrong with him? It was as if looking at this scene and this awesome friend of his just like... melted his brain or whatever. What the heck?

Pumpkin was a little taken aback by this- 'Try not to die?' a little voice in her head laughed. 'Isn't that what we've been doing since you ran from home?' She almost debated on saying something along those lines, but seeing Orion's desperately nervous face caused her to instantly throw it in the 'bad ideas' bin. "I promise to do my best." She said, smiling weakly. "I don't want to die just as much as you don't want me to die... but, Orion?" It was Pumpkin's turn to look nervous now, her ears flattening under her hood- though he probably couldn't see that, as her horns kept the hood up all the same. "C- Can you promise me something, too?"

"Okay, thanks." Orion sighed, still super nervous but glad she was on board with, uh, not dying. It made sense, but it was still something he needed to hear. "S-sure, what do you need?" He mewed, not really sure where he should be looking. Oh geez he was still nervous. Why, though? He put his head back down.

Pumpkin shuffled her feet, wincing slightly. "I- uh-" She cleared her throat, her eyes on her paws. Underneath the thick gloves were scales- demonic, dangerous scales. Pumpkin had to have someone to fall back on if... if they ever overwhelmed her. Swallowing nervously, she looked back towards Orion. "uh- Just.... whatever happens, just... Be there..." She said cautiously- was this too much to ask. "I know you can't always be beside me- you'll move on one day, and the group will break up eventually- but just as long as you're here and I'm here, it'd really make me feel... safer that you'll be there no matter what happens..." She trailed off, staring at her paws once again. They itched with long untouched power, but she'd never willingly try to tap into it. 'I have too much to risk now.' She thought, giving Orion a sidelong glance.

He looked at her, blinking "O-of course I'll be there." he mewed, taken aback. "I'll my best to keep you safe." He mewed, giving her a smile. His tailtip still twitched nervously. She was right that eventually the rest of the group would dissolve, but he didn't want to be the rest of the group, he wanted to be her friend and protector. He wanted to be strong to protect who needed protecting, that's what he bonded with his sword with. And he was gonna do just that.

Pumpkin looked at him quietly for a moment, her expression unreadable- The calico made a sound in her throat, akin to some sort of hiccup, and suddenly one could see tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Unable to suppress them, heavy tears began falling down her fluffy cheeks, soaking into her fur. She held back the sobs in her throat, but when she tried to talk she simply gaped like some overgrown fish.

Orion's fur fluffed up in surprise. "P-pumpkin...?" he sat up hurriedly and put a paw on her shoulder. "It's okay." He mewed while patting her back gently. At least this panic of her crying was stopping his panic from the weird emotions he was feeling. But why was she crying? Did he say something wrong?

Seeing Orion's surprise and panic at this sudden crying, she did her best to clear her throat and started to speak. "S- Sorry-" She muffled her sobs into his shoulder, burying her head in the fluffy brown fur. "I- It's just..." How could she possibly explain the mix of emotions in her now? There certainly weren't any words for it... "Th- Thank you..." Pumpkin managed to hiccup, doing her best to calm herself down despite the tears that still ran hot and heavy. "It's... been a while... ha haa...." She trailed off, hoping he understood what that meant. The last person she could trust had been Mare and Avon, and she had left them a while back... and they never really knew what her backstory was, either. Granted, she didn't plan on telling Orion- she was practically a ticking timebomb- but it comforted her to know he'd be there no matter what.

"You're welcome, I mean to be honest I think both of our promises help each other out," He mewed, patting her shoulder gently. "'cause if I'm with you I'm helping you stay alive and if you weren't alive, we wouldn't be able to be together." Orion looked at her. She must have been holding in a lot of pain, huh? It was good she let it out. Shoving in pain wasn't exactly advisable, although he was probably just as guilty of it.

Pumpkin gently chuckled, still sniffing as the downpour from her face started to lessen. "Heh... Yeah, I guess you're right..." She said weakly, still not moving her head from his shoulder. A wave of drowsiness had suddenly rolled over her, but she didn't try to fight it. As her tears subsided, she felt herself falling asleep... comfortable in the presence of Orion. As she dozed off, Pumpkin found herself thinking of the nightmare that had woken her up.... and guessed that just talking with Orion had knocked off all the jittery, fearful thoughts that had clouded her mind.

Orion purred gently beside her as she drifted off. He looked over the lake again. They really should be back at camp with the others. But he wanted to enjoy this beautiful scene and wonderful moment just a little bit longer. He enjoyed the view and Pumpkin's warm beside him for a while before he eventually picked her up gently and carried her back to where the others were. It was nearly dawn by the time he drifted off, but the sleep he did get was peaceful and restful.