Ravensblood Forest pale sun rising

@Arturo
Occurs right after this thread, if that timing is okay with you!

Olive’s excursion to the singed remains of Donnelaith had not been a welcome one. After her run in with the Queen of the Depth, the druid had continued on in search of the grand forest she had visited several times. The entire scene was something out of a post-apocalyptic horror film; there was no sign of Deirdre, no sign of the young lass Witchhazel. Even their scents were long gone, surrendered to the licking fingers of the inferno [as well as time itself]. Her offering of a delicate bough of wintersweet and honeysuckle had been redirected towards the wolves of Teaghlaigh’s last remaining allies in hopes that it may soothe their ragged state of mind [and perhaps as an act of atonement to the scrappy queen]. The pale spirit has search fervently for a replacement, but the surrounding land and all flowers had been smothered by soot and snow. She could not honor misfortune with more misfortune, so in lieu of an offering Olive resigned to praying fervently for the souls of those lost and those departed, wishing upon her holy liturgy that they may find some peace and that the elemental spirits may soon return to some balance. Then she returned to Teaglaigh, her spirit no lighter than before. Olive trudged back through /Ravensblood Forest, weaving betwixt the bleeding sequoias and seeking the comforts of her stone grotto.

i am so sorry for the wait on this, eep! <3

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Arturo tended to Lotte as best he could. Though the parasite he had known as Riptide had an affinity for medicines and their deadly counterparts it was not something that Arturo had in common with the (thankfully) long gone ghost. He shuddered to even think the name, instinctively shying away from and shunning it lest the parasite make it’s return — though the gangster hoped that so long as he avoided head trauma for the rest of his life Riptide would remain a cringeworthy and bleak memory. A temporary bought of insanity that gripped him while his mind mended and healed from it’s physical damage. As it was, he did the best he could with the basic knowledge that Isley had imparted on The Family before she left them and the advice that Dakarai had to offer him. The gangster worried for his nightingale, fussed over her as he was wont to do but knew that he couldn’t spend all hours of his days and nights with her. His duties as Ceannasach had not left and he did not wish to smother her as he had done with Chusi.

The contemplation of the renewal of the Red Herring protocol was one he thought of often. He and Lotte had spoken of children and so long as she was well enough, recovered enough when she went into her first heat cycle he was fairly sure their intent was to conceive. Though Arturo was no stranger to striking the correct balance between leader and father he wouldn’t mind the help. Before Isley’s departure he had strongly considered her for the role, for his second in command but he turned his interests for the role to Olive who was his most trusted. One of the few founders to remain by his side. Her views of the world were vastly different than his own but Ceannasach did not think that as a bad thing. Though he was resolute in his thinking, in his ideals and his decisions he would not mind the balance and insight that Olive would provide him and with this in mind he sought her out.

It did not take him long to find her, eliminating the need to call for her, and let out a low chuff in both greeting and to formally announce his presence.

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you good <3

Olive was deep in her thoughts when she happened upon Ceannasach. That was usually how it went; the repetitive act of traveling [plodding along through her environment] gave her an opportunity to just think. She often got caught up in wild stories, memories, emotions… vivid pictures playing in her head, like one of those old-timey photo clicking things. Most of the time, it was very cathartic. But at that moment, the thoughts that enshrouded the sylph were troubled — very much so. Olive had a difficult time making sense of the scene she lay witness to; with the Blackrock Depths wolves Doe, Syzmon and the dark, silent one. It made Olive sad to see a woman so clearly tormented; but tormented by what? Olive had been known to succumb to the voices in her head on more than one occasion, but never had she experienced something as the small shewolf had, convulsing on the numbing, frozen ground.

The shadowed form of Arturo, materialized amongst the bleeding timbers, initially shocked the distracted woman. Her musculature tensed momentarily and her jaw clicked shut, but the woman soon relaxed when she recognized who the dark form belonged to. Olive felt safe around Arturo. He was a serious man; a man of his word. Olive allowed her stance to settle a bit and dipped her head in a respectful bow. “Arturo,” she began softly, letting her voice taper off. The woman had much to share with him [from her time spent with their alliance], but she pressed her lips together and kept silent. He was her leader and as such, she would always let him speak first.

again i apologize for the wait & also for the absolute crap quality of this post. :-(

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Arturo gave a slight nod — like a gentleman’s tip of his hat — in acknowledgment to the bow of her head. “Olive,” The gangster returned her name with a soft twitch of his lips upwards into a ghost of a smile. “May I steal some of your time?” Though it was not truly poised to her as a question. What he had to speak to her with, what he had to ask of her was important and Ceannasach, in true mobster fashion, had no intentions of taking “no” as for an answer. “I have something important I would like to discuss with you.” He added shortly after. Of course, as for the position she could tell him no: Arturo certainly didn’t want to force anyone’s paw into a leading position. Especially one as important to him and Teaghlaigh as the Red Herring’s. “You know that Furiosa’s death has left me down a co-leader as well as a Red Herring,” Arturo cut straight to the point, not wanting to dither around, especially if she did genuinely have somewhere to be. “The Póilín title does not necessarily come tied to the red herring title but I trust you Olive, I trust your opinions, your advice and your loyalty to me …to the Family. Would becoming my second in command be something you are interested in?” One thing at a time, Arturo decided. If (and only if) she accepted the Póilín position then they could speak more in depth about the possibility of re-instating the Red Herring protocol.

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Hehe we can make this quick and painless ;)

It seemed that Ceannasach had much to share with her, too! Like the proper acolyte that she was, the ashen woman gave a terse dip of her nose when the gangster spoke of important matters. If Arturo believed it to be important, then it must indeed be important — Arturo’s sharpness and keen sense of mind imbued him with that sense of authority, and the vagabond had come to admire such qualities immensely. The seraph remained silent, her narrow-set hip swinging to the side and ensconcing against the cold dampness of the mossy, forested floor. Her large ears roosted atop her crown, craning in order to hear his every word.

His words though, they surprised her so! The pack had been missing Furiosa is more ways than one — not only did they miss her contributions in both protection and aliment, but the family lacked her rough way of leadership. Ceannasach had shouldered the burden quite well, but with the departure of Palisander and Isley (the former was an unintentional departure, but the latter was very intentional, and hurtfully so) it made sense for him to seek support. For a moment, Olive’s gaze raised to Arturo’s, regarding him man-to-[wo]man and conveying an air of seriousness.

Then, in one balletic movement, she swung her gamine form into a rooted, deep-reaching bow. One pale limb curled against her ribcage as she dipped her check, neck and head towards the earth. Her eyes shut, overwhelmed and honored by the request. “Ceannasach, you think me worthy of such a title?” She needed to hear him say it again, that he trusted her. Arturo’s trust didn’t come easy… but it was more his vote of confidence that she could do this. Olive wasn’t so sure. “I will never be as formidable as our dear Furiosa,” she noted, though she suspected this was already clear to her ever-perceptive commander. 

But, then again — her easygoing, druid-like temperament and general likability [most of the time] worked in her favor. It seemed that not many wolves, male or female, could deny warmth and authenticity. The woman accrued friends and allies like flies to honey [she was even pretty sure she Doe and her parted on good terms despite the horrors of the afternoon]. Thankfully, sagacity  and gentleness came quite readily to the small woman. 

“Arturo, you have taught me a great many things and this is the greatest honor I have ever been given. I want nothing more than to serve you and the family in this way and provide whatever services are needed of me. You have my word, my loyalty and my life.”

Perhaps she wouldn’t be half bad at being second in command.

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“If I didn’t think you worthy I would not have asked,” Arturo told Olive bluntly, straight forward and honest. Though his words could have been made a bit more poetic, he supposed, the Fearghal monarch tended to speak the truth as he saw it and he did not hold back for Olive. If he didn’t trust her, if he didn’t think her capable he would have never come to her and that was the honest, simple truth of it. “I do not want you to replace Furiosa, Olive.” Arturo spoke with a small shake of his head. He did not look for Olive to become what Furiosa had been for they were two entirely different women and Arturo suspected that there would never be anyone quite like Furiosa. “I seek from each of my leaders to bring themselves to my council. Given that, I do not expect nor want anyone to try to be like anyone else. I don’t want you to be or be like Furiosa. I want you to be Olive.” In truth, he’d always believed that the entirely Family got a say in matters, which was the whole point of the Family meetings. In the end, it would always be his word that would be the last and though he listened to his Family and went with “majority rules” he did take to stock greatly what his co-leaders had to offer him. “You do not have to be Red Herring, if you do not wish it. It is not something I would force upon you,” To protect the family, to protect him. The Red Herring protocol was selfish but it had always been apart of Teaghlaigh, even in it’s first incarnation within Quicksilver Hollow. Nevertheless, Red Herring was not a title nor responsibility to be taken lightly. If she was not comfortable taking up the Red Herring mantle then Arturo wasn’t entirely too worried about it. Teaghlaigh had been without one for a while and he did not doubt that he would find one again someday. His fiery gaze rested upon her, the lick of red-orange flames of his irises were gentle, not because he did not think her strong but because there was a certain sort of familial affection he felt towards Olive. He'd never had a sister before but that was sort of the way he felt about her: she had become to fill the role of "little sister" to him. Though his posture held firm the draconian managed a small smile and a soft wave of his tail against his hocks.

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Olive stayed locked in her deep bow for several second long before rising out of it. Arturo did not expect her to become the Red Herring that Furiosa had been. And how could she? Where Furiosa had ben divisive and unforgiving, Olive was gentle and understanding. Where Furiosa might had angered; Olive remained placid. Olive would shine in places that departed red herring never could, and the seraph was pleased that Arturo had confidence in her own brand of governmental acumen. Now, she would have a hand in the stewardship of the family. Olive lifted an aristocratic chin at the thought. This was a strong platform for her peaceful crusades. Her opinion was esteemed; for she was poílin.

“I would be honored to stand by your side as your Red Herring. I trust no one else with the act,” not true, for she very much so trusted Chusi and Dakarai [even if Ceannasach didn’t necessarily warm up quickly to her betrothed]— but it sure sounded nice, didn’t it? Though Olive’s words were business like, her decorum forsook her: her paws tapped the earth, ash and cream banner swept to-and-fro behind her, ears sitting tall of the … all telltale signs of her excitement and acceptance of his offering. Olive let loose a chuckle, further breaking her professional demeanor. “I guess I won’t really be standing beside you, eh? More like in front of you?” She would be the smokescreen, keeping their Ceannasach guarded and safe. Dakarai would help her with this task, no doubt; but Olive was keen to try her hand at such a task. “Might you have any words of wisdom for someone new to a leadership role?”

Then, the lamb’s mind turned to the scene she witnessed earlier that day. Doe, her seismic fit, Szymon lashing out at his subordinate -- It had all been so… disconcerting, and even though the Red Herring didn’t know what to make of it, Ceannasach was sure to. Therefore, she had to enlighten Ceannasach as soon a possible; was this not part of her newly installed bureaucratic duties? “I worry for Blackrock Depths,” she transitioned rather abruptly.  “Doe, she’s— she’s not well. Szymon seemed no better.... More than just Donnelaith must have burned in that fire.” Olive stammered. “Their spirits seemed… burdened.” Then Olive paused, a weird mixture of concern and enthusiasm writ upon her features.

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She asks him for advice and just as he is with Chusi, Arturo struggles with how to tell another how to lead. It is something that has come naturally to him, his charisma, his perception, his ability to be decisive and firm on his standings and his decisions …they all aid him but because of this he is not sure how to translate these things into helpful hints for others, though he tries. “I’ve always found it important to listen to your subordinates,” Arturo speaks, before his salmon pink tongue draws across his jowls. “You can’t always give them what they want or tell them what they want to hear but being transparent and honest has always worked well for me.” Arturo knows he will never be able to make everyone happy and that sometimes the right decision at the moment isn’t always the right decision in the long run. “Leadership isn’t easy and I’m not sure there’s any amount of advice in the world to truly prepare you for it; just know that you will learn with time. Everybody makes mistakes but as a leader you have to always remember that what you do, what you say has the potential to affect Teaghlaigh as a whole.” And that was always a precarious line to balance upon: the weight and contemplation of choices and how each will serve to affect the pack in the long run. Arturo is a …business man, blessed with a keen ability of manipulation. Thus far, it has served him well in his life but that does not mean that he is not struck in those moments of worry knowing that neither option is favorable but that ultimately one will be better for the pack than the other.

Their conversation switched them — to which Arturo is admittedly glad for though he strives to be a mentor it is easier to have his “heirs” shadow him and show them how he approaches different situations as opposed to offering them words. But Olive is not an heir nor a child and he trusts her judgement in matters. Besides, it is not as if she cannot call for him if she is ever placed in a situation where she is unsure. Olive’s concern regarding Blackrock Depths mirrors his own. It has been some time since an emissary has been sent and though he supposed he should have been checking up on them, in all honesty, his main concern had been Lotte through the whole ordeal. He is not apologetic for it but he does feel a small measure of guilt. “I do not know but I know that Skellige was close to Donnelaith’s young queen. If she has perished in the fire I…it may mean that they have lost their Leviathan.” Arturo hadn’t been as close with Szymon as he’d been with Skellige and him and Doe had had their strange moments but he’d never been very close with her, either though Arturo suspects this is largely because of the parasite, Riptide though he could never muster the courage to ask her. He did not truly want to know what he had done as Riptide and was more than happy to put it in the past and never touch it again. “Perhaps when Lotte is well I will take the trip to check in on them.” But Lotte was his priority first and foremost.

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suddenly this thread feels so dated lmao
last from me <3

“I fear that they already have.” 

Arturo spoke his concerns for their allies loosing their Leviathan and Olive’s ears press hotly against the base of her crown. It sounded awful, didn’t it? Losing their leadership, their peaceful neighbors, their friends… it was really no surprise that Doe’s anxieties and depressions had manifested the way they had. Olive felt a strong desire to help them, to do something for the wolves they were bound to through geo-political agreeances… but even if Teaghlaigh could help, they would be hard pressed to do so. Winter was upon them, and Blackrock Depths has so many constituents — and Teaghlaigh, so few. Even if the family maintained adequate numbers to do so, it was unlikely they would be effective at assuaging Blackrock Depth’s issues [those already transgressed and those yet to come to fruition] as their problems were more of an… esoteric kind. Olive’s inborn spirituality taught her that most illnesses were psychosomatic and it was clear the extreme emotions and chaotic energies were what cause Doe’s sickness. 

and Skellige’s abandonment. 
and the fire at Donnelaith.
and probably the deaths of Furiosa and Palisander, too.

But Teaghlaigh could not change Blackrock Depth’s destiny no more than they could change the direction of the tide, or keep the moon from waxing and waning. It was all the will of the universe — but either way, Olive would forever support Arturo in his endeavors. “Let me know when you do,” Olive continued, raising her head and chin to Arturo. “It would be an honor and a pleasure to keep and protect the family in your stead, Ceannasach.”

Arturo was a man of few words, and Olive was a woman of many. They had said all that needed to be said, and the sylph knew it would not behoove her to keep Ceannasach here with her. Her pink tongue traced her lips before she tipped her hat to the coywolf and extemporaneous announced her departure. “The earth and its elements are behaving most capriciously — and I do not believe the fire of Donnelaith to be the last of it.”   Olive nodded at her trusted friend and turned to leave. 

“Please stay safe, Arturo.”

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Arturo offers Olive a small nod of confirmation: he will let her know any time that he steps outside of the territory from here on out, as it was her duty to hold the fort until he returned. It has been some time since he has left the sanctuary that is Ravensblood Forest — though he snuck out here and there to meet with Lotte — but Furiosa’s death had meant that his ventures outside of his Forest put Teaghlaigh at a risk and though he previously risked it because he felt confident that they would be fine for the few hours he was gone he does not deign nor have any reason to do so now. “I will.” He speaks in a smoky promise, though he knows it is not one that he can keep. He will look out for himself when he is outside of his borders, of course, and will use his silvered tongue to get him out of any trouble he might find himself in but he is not overly worried. He is not arrogantly confident, either, but he has faith in his abilities, at least and he does not fear the idea of failing nor the idea of death all the same.

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