Because you're family - Sunflower Beach

She nodded.

"Right. Why toys?"

"Dad was a watchmaker, my mom made toys. I learned a lot from both of them" she smiled. "I had two younger sisters back then. I guess a part of me wanted to keep the memories alive. To keep something important with me from when I still had a family. Something I could share with others to make them happy too" she looked at Grace. "If that makes sense?"

She kissed the girl's forehead.

"Perfect sense. D' ye have anythin' o' there's t' keep?"

The blond shook her head with a slightly sad smile.
"No, not really. I got some dried rose petals from the flowers on their graves..." she said softly, and while those were still sore memories she none the less smiled. "They all died on the night of my embrace. The house burned to the ground so there wasn't really anything to retrieve afterwards"

Her embrace tightened.

"Ah, love. I be sorry."

"It's alright" she smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned into the embrace. "It happened a ling time ago and you cant keep crying over something forever. None of them would've wanted that"

She gave a heavy sigh.

"Aye. I ken tha'."

Not really knowing what else to say, she just hugged her back.
"Keep the good memories. That's what they would've wanted"

She smiled.

"Ye take care o' Medwyn. I lost me Mate few years back. Tis th' worst o' pains."

She tensed for a moment, hiding her face against the other woman's shoulder with a whisper.
"I'll look after him.. I swear... I-I don't know what I'd do if I lost him..." chances were though that she'd break.

"If th' worst happens, ye come t' me, an' we'll take care o' it t'gether. Promise."

"Please... I don't..." didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to think about it. Please..

She nodded.

"Last I'll e'er say on't. Now, why dinna ye tell me how ye became one o' th' monsters in th' night."

Anything was better to talk about the possibility of ... mm, no, she really didn't want to think about it. So even a question about her Embrace felt like a slight relief in comparison.
"I'm not sure how much there is to tell, it's all a haze at best. Fragmented images of a shadow in my room, the scent of fire, screams... I don't really know what happened, just that when I woke up I was alone and laying in the snow outdoors... The village was burning, looking as if it had been attacked by.. something" the blond gave a light shrug of her shoulders. "So many dead, including my family. No sign of what or who had done it. And waking up dead not knowing or understanding what had happened? Let's just say it a good thing no one was there to see me the first few weeks"

Her embrace tightened.

"No wonder ye dinna think ye deserve us. Such a beginning. We will just ha' t' do our best t' banish those memories. Mine was....a bit more traditional. An' I ha' ne'er made a child o' me own. Probably why I cling t' th' ones me blood ha' gi'en me."

"They're just memories" she smiled softly. "I stopped looking for answers to them a long time ago. Whoever my Sire was or is, they haven't come looking for me, so I see no point digging in the past when it won't change anything" and besides, those memories weren't really as bad as some others..
"I got a family again now.." Teddy looked up at her and smiled gently. "With the man I love"

She nodded.

"That's all ye need."

"It is..." Teddy smiled at her. "He... I'm so lucky to have met him"

She shook her head.

"Nay luck, lass. Fate. When two people be meant t' be t'gether, the Goddess finds a way."

The blond let out a soft chuckle.
"You know... I had to travel across the world to meet someone from my own country that I never would've met if I hadn't been Embraced to begin with" she smiled. "I don't even know how old he is, and honestly, I don't care. There's so many things I don't know about him but I find it doesn't really matter. It wouldn't change who he is. And as long as I know how to make him smile? Then" Teddy shrugged with a lingering smile. "Then I know all I need to know"

She gave a sigh.

"Aye. Tha' be all ye need t' ken. When th' heart gets involved. And for his smiles? We'll rip th' world apart for ye."

"He's got such a beautiful smile..." the obviously love struck Caitiff said softly. "I promised him I'd forever endeavour to make him smile like that..." and she would, she would forever do her best to make him smile...

She nodded.

"Good. Now, show me ye're place. I want t' see 't all."

"Sure" the blond smiled. Hey, she had a hone, she was happy to show her. "Mmm, you've already seen the living room" she chuckled. "And you can see the kitchen from here" Teddy added with a chuckle and waved towards the open kitchen. "Mini workshop and bedrooms upstairs, wanna see?" the Caitiff was already moving to stand.

Serene jumped to the ground and waited.

"Aye, lass. Show me."