ding dong! (must be that whip that i ordered)

12/21 (i think that's a good date, right?)

there was an awkward tension between the three of them. after dropping @Sunny at easthollow, bhediya knew she would have to answer to @Pygmalion for her defiance. until then, she would do her best to not think about it or what might come as a result.

the trip to easthollow took just short of two days. at the border, she turned back to sunny and said, we're calling for a woman named valette. she bit at the inside of her cheek. call with me. she might not answer if she doesn't hear you. they didn't have the best relationship.

then, to pygmalion, she said, we can go straight home after this. there was a meadow nearby that she wanted to visit, just to see if the lavender patch was still there. they'd go back to uaine right after, she was sure.

bhediya tilted back her head and sounded a howl for @Valette, hoping that sunny had listened to her instructions.

He didn't like this one bit, and he couldn't put a paw on why, exactly. It had begun with Sunny's obvious fevered state of mind, but it had blossomed beyond that. Jealousy? Couldn't be; he was her son, for God's sake. Over-protectiveness? Aye, perhaps. But that was par for the course.

Maybe he just didn't care to be reminded of an old flame of hers. Sure, Easy was of Grayday's loins, too. . .but she was a woman. This was a man, likely the image of his father, and he only brought to mind a past Pygmalion could never experience. A part of Bhediya's life he would never know.

Truth be told, he hated it.

Fine, aye, he said sullenly in answer, giving her the briefest of glances before looking straight ahead, staring at the circle of stones. He hoped Valette took the prodigal son in, else he'd have to deal with him back at Uaine Gorsedd—something he was unable to consider at this juncture.

As thick as the tension was, Sunny was relieved to at least have some sort of direction in his life. Having Zero memories left him with no idea who he had been before whatever happened and between his illness and permanent state of confusion he felt hopelessly lost and scared to be alone. The moodiness displayed from the white furred male was offputting enough for Sunny to shoot him a quick glare as they arrived at the borders of a pack. Bhediya spoke, informing him of the leader and saying there may not be an answer if he didn't call which he inferred meant he knew the woman well. He nodded to show he understood and howled a few seconds after Bhediya did falling silent and standing stiff and awkward at the borders. "Will they want me around if I don't know them?" he asked softly and looked to Bhediya ears shifting back as the vulnerability showed without any attempt to hide it.

Valette frowned when she heard the howl or should she say howls. There were multiple and she had the feeling she recognized some of them. Valette made her way to the border, curious as to why the wolves would be there. The dark colored female appeared on the top of the slope, like a queen looking down at the territory below. The stones behind her. Her eyes squinted, Akuti? What did she want now?

Valette made her way to the border with a trot and her tail carried high. However, as she came closer she realized Sunny was with them. She didn't recognize him as he didn't hold himself in a Sunny way. Valette frown deepened. The worst thing was that Steph wasn't with him. She thought her daughter would be with him. "Sunny! You are alive!," she exclaimed. "Where have you been? I thought Steph was with you," she commented and then glanced at the other two with some suspicion, on guard. "What is it you two want?," she asked then.

before bhediya had a chance to answer sunny's question, valette appeared to greet them. the coldness shown to the scout and her mate was expected and ignored, being overshadowed by relief. of course they'll want you around, she might have said, this is your family.

of course, sunny didn't know that. bhe glanced between the three of them before settling her gaze on val. we escorted him here, she explained, trying her best to avoid eye contact, sunny can't remember anything. there really wasn't a sweet way to put it. bhediya thought that being honest was their best option, given the circumstances.

when i found him in the cuesta, he didn't even know his own name. she gave sunny a once over before turning back to valette. i don't think he's eaten recently, either.

Quite suddenly a beautiful, reddish brown furred woman came from the foliage and greeted him with surprise and enthusiasm. He flinched and inched closer to Akuti and Pygmalion nervously, his tail hanging low between his legs as the words rang hollow and empty. He didn't feel a thing, didn't recognize anything about the woman in front of him or the names she spoke. He regarded her with silent confusion, eyes wide as he helplessly shook his head signaling he had no idea how to respond as Bhediya stepped in and saved him explaining it all very straight forward. "I'm sorry...I just don't remember a single thing. All blank up in my brain I'm afraid" he said gently avoiding her eyes and discreetly breathing in the scents of the borders. Upon first whiff he got nothing but the more he breathed in the more he felt that he recognized someone upon the borders. He met Bhediya's gaze and frowned shaking his head "I don't know...but I am feverish and have a nasty infected wound" he said and lowered his head so that the gaze behind his ear could be seen as he went silent again to let them process what was said all around. He noticed how Pygmalion remained silent through the interaction seeming to hold the same amount of impatience Sunny had been noticing the entire journey and sighed softly as he focused his attention fully on Bhediya and Valette moving forward until he was facing them. "I was told I know this place...so you're all I have. I'll work off the debt when I'm healed and stay around a while even if I don't have memories back in time" he spoke honestly and admitted his vulnerability, appealing to her honestly and offering what he had in return, his hunting skills and protection.

was it ok for Pygmalion to be skipped by Sunny?

Valette looked from Akuti to Sunny as the female spoke. For a moment, a scowl came on her face. "Damn it, Sunny. There is always something with you," Valette let out before she realized it. She was normally quite good with keeping her thoughts to herself but it seemed to be always something with him lately. And perhaps she was mostly worried about her own daughter. Valette didn't apologize for her words though because she kind of meant it. It felt good to let out for once. It was not only memories but he also had an infected wound.

"You are in luck, your daughter and sister are here," Valette stated. She then turned to Akuti. She rather wanted the female to stay away but it was kind of her to bring Sunny here. "We will take him in," was all she said but she was not going to give this female a thank you. At least it was a step in the right direction. With those words she also dismissed them. She motioned Sunny to come closer and then howled to @Minnow and @Dawn. Valette sighed. "Come, Sunny. You have a home here, as always," she stated, sounding like relenting mother. She often felt like his mother to be honest.

i'm going to tack on this last post and assume it was okay, we can always go back and switch it up if not.

valette might not thanked bhediya, but she knew that the woman was grateful. the recent quakes and the ongoing famine had left everyone worried about family, unsure of if they'd even survived. the matriarch didn't have to admit her gratitude for bhe to know that it was there.

she knew that she wasn't welcome at this border. she gave a dip of her head and bumped against pygmalion's shoulder, letting him know that they could leave.

"sunny!" the hunter closes the remaining distance between herself and the small gathering rapidly, pulling her brother into the wolf equivalent of a hug, should he allow. the stench of sickness, does not do unnoticed, and her voice is touched by concern when she withdraws, asking, "are you alright? what happened to you, your kids?" 

her gaze flicks over the other two wolves behind him, deeming them unfamiliar. her heart sinks at the absence of his children. it is only when she returns her full attention to him that recognition sparks, and her head snaps up to focus on the black-furred female. "khoe?" incredulous, her tones bears only surprise and doubt, the rest of her feeling about the woman hardly having time to catch up. another memory return, brief and faded and better-examined latter.

It didn't go unnoticed how much Valette sounded like an exasperated parent as she accepted his presence as if it was the normal around here. It stung...was he a nuisance in the past he couldn't remember? He flattened his ears and opened his maw to promise he wouldn't make her regret it before suddenly a grey blur rushed forward and gathered him into a hug. For once, the slightest bit of recognition hit him and he relaxed closing his eyes as he just let himself take in the feeling that this woman was someone he loved before it disappeared so suddenly and left him hollow, head beginning to hurt as she stepped away and asked him questions he couldn't answer and looked to Bhediya in such a confused way that it made him wonder how close he should get to her. "I...I'm sorry but I don't feel good...I don't remember anyone, I need to rest. May I please lay down?" he looked to Valette then, swaying precariously as the world began to turn dark and the ground rose up toward his face. 

He passed out cuz he's always been a weakling. He can be pp'd by anyone for the rest of the thread