The Day That Changed Everything (Jinxario x Aoife)

Aoife:

This can’t be happening. This can NOT be happening! Aoife thought in desperation as she raced through the entrance of Lord Jinxario’s glade. The dark female had been out collecting herbs that would help Lady Arina produce milk for her new fawn. Aoife still felt the deep sadness, a dull ache by now, that her Lord had found a true love. A true love that wasn’t her. In her youth when she stood beside him she liked to pretend she was fair and beautiful. If she didn’t look at herself she could not see her coat, and when he looked at her as if she was an equal, as if she was worthy of him, it was easy to pretend she was not so ugly. Ever since Arina had come she had not felt like the pale-coated doe she dreamed to be, no not when his eyes were on Arina instead, there was no way for her to feel as anything but inferior. But he was happy. He had never been so happy before… if she truly loved him, how could she hope for more?

She had been trotting back to the glade when one of the staff approached her, informing her that Arina and the fawn had died in childbirth. Her heart had stopped in that moment. Time had frozen. She dropped everything she was holding in her horror. She may have been jealous of the lovely lady, but this situation was the very worst thing that possibly could happen. Jinxario loves her…

She made right for his den and saw the piebald Lord huddled within, already his grief very evident. She paused to intake her breath, praying to the Gods for strength. Tears welled in her eyes, full of empathy and mirroring his grief. His pain was her pain. She would do anything to take it away, though knew it was impossible. Even if she couldn’t, she would try.

Aoife walked right in, as she always had done in the past given her close friendship with the young male. “Jinx…” she said softly as she approached, so not to surprise him. For the first time in a long time she felt like the pale lady of her dreams. And he was her Lord who needed her. It was with this fantasy that she gained the strength to close the gap between them, and the need to ease his pain like a true princess doe would even if she was unable. She laid beside him, letting the side of her slender head and neck rest against his fluffy mane, trying to comfort, to show that she was here. “Oh, my Lord,” she whispered in anguish, “My poor sweet Lord, I’m so sorry.” She opened her shining brown eyes, though to her they felt clear and blue as crystal, as she looked upon him, waiting for his reaction, ready to gauge the damage that had been done to her beloved Lord.

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Jinxario:

The white-splotched buck trembled where he lay curled in his nest. He couldn't believe that any of this could be happening. Arina was dead. He'd killed her and left heir fawn for dead too. He was a monster...but he had to save his own skin now. Tears no longer rolled down the young Lord’s face, but there were dark stains and mats in his fur where they had left their path. He felt like he was breaking in two...but he had to keep it together. The second most dominant feeling coursing through his veins...was anger. Pure, raw anger. One moment he was heartbroken and horrified at what he'd done and the next he was thinking that the bitch had what was coming to her.

Unfortunately, he was in the latter state of mind when his previous Aoife swept into his den.

He heard her say his name and his small ears swivelled back towards her ever so slightly. His mood was up and down, but it seemed that his anger was locked in for now. Aoife laid down beside him, curling her frame around him. For a moment, the old Jinx nearly resurfaced. For a moment he nearly broke down and sobbed into his fawnhood friend’s neck… but, no. The old Jinx was suppressed...and rage had replaced him. Jinx turned his ice cold blue gaze onto Aoife. There was nothing that she would find familiar in it. There was just...nothing.

“Don't you know how to knock, doe?” The words rolled off his tongue through clenched teeth, sounding like the hiss of a snake about to strike…

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Aoife:

Jinxario turned to her, and his look froze her soul to ice. His clear blue eyes pierced her like daggers and she felt fear overtake her. She didn’t recognize him. “Jinx…” she rasped breathlessly, desperate and confused as she searched for the stag she knew. Was this what his grief would look like? This contempt… for her?

Aoife recoiled a bit as he spoke, his words were harsh and full of a barely suppressed fury. Her ears pinned back and she felt her throat constrict in dismay. He had never spoken to her in such a way, but never had they been in a situation like this either. I didn’t even think… the worst moment of his life… what would make me think that he would want ME? The tears already stuck in her eyes beaded and fell down her cheeks as she was faced with this reality. She was of no use. Immediately the white hair of her fantasy turned to its actual wavy black, the fair hide turned to muddy brown, and she was once again her. An dark, ugly, common doe. One who didn’t know her place, and approached a Lord as if she was an equal friend. But I am… or I was… I thought I was! She had never truly believed it, even if Jinx usually had made it seem so. It had always been too good to be true, more than someone like her deserved. So it was only too easy for her to slide into such a mindset once and for all when Jinx confirmed it (even if only once) to be true. She backed up, bowing her head. “I-I’m so sorry, my Lord, I didn’t… I wasn’t thinking, I just…” she trailed off, utterly overwhelmed and at a loss of how to explain herself.

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Jinxario:

For a very brief moment, guilt flashed in the white-splotched buck’s eyes. He'd upset her. He shouldn't upset her. That was quickly chased away though, his bright blue eyes replaced by coldness and hardness once more. He could see tears beading and trickling down her eyes, but he didn't care. He'd done his fair share of crying today as well and she should no better than to just rush into his den and fling herself at him. She called him by his nickname and he gave her a small glare, but didn't reprimand her for it. They were in private, so she could call him that. He'd allow it.

“Don't do it again.” he snapped at her in response as she apologized frantically, realizing her mistake. He was being cruel, but he didn't care. Arina was gone. Their fawn was gone. Nothing mattered to him anymore. “You are not Arina, nor are you a Lady. You never will be. You are not to just saunter into my den whenever you please.” He growled, voice as sharp as the tines that adorned his proud head. Who the hell did she think she was? Only Arina was entitled to enter his den like that. Even she was pushing it and now...well, she'd never be able to enter his den again anyways.

He'd killed her.

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Aoife:

Aoife nodded her head a few quick little times as he spoke, to confirm to him that she was listening. She felt her heart breaking with each word. She didn’t dare look up at him, though, and stood there bowed and trembling, she couldn’t even answer verbally because her grief was choking her up.

Jinxario was never a Lord alike to the rest, he was kind and gentle to her. But Aoife had gotten too comfortable, forgotten her place, and overstayed her welcome. She had mistaken his life-long empathy and compassion toward a poor, dark, commoner for something deeper. She had mistaken his kindness with actual friendship. And more! From here it was simply outrageous that she had ever hoped for a romantic connection.

He finished speaking, and the dumb-struck and teary-eyed doe suddenly felt desperately frantic to answer. Standing here in silence would only wear his patience further. “Y-yes, my Lord,” she finally was able to choke out, “Of c-course, my Lord. Please, may I… may I go?” She felt her hold on herself slipping and just wanted to get out.

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Jinxario:

”Please, do me the honor of getting the hell out.” The white-splotched buck snarled in response. “Check on Lady Sloane, and make sure she's doing what she's supposed to.” he added, with extra emphasis on the word “Lady”, to pack an additional blow to Aoife’s rank. With that, he turned his back to her completely, as if she were no longer there, and laid his head back down on his nest.

Her pained words and teary eyes didn't matter to Jinxario. He could care less...right now. Later the weight of his actions would strike him and he would see the brown doe out to give her his apologies. Unfortunately, they would be moot though...as this would not be the first time that the young stag crushed Aoife's feelings… There was much more pain to come.