Redhawk Caldera some asshole broke me in, wrecked all my innocence
we smokin' 'em all
88 Posts
Ooc — Mana
Offline
#1
Private 
The past few chilly days were spent scrounging here and there, poking around neutral territories to see what she could find, and generally just.. passing time.  It still wasn't clear to Ivy why she'd returned to the Teekon Wilds.  Or why she hadn't bothered to visit her parents at Redhawk Caldera.  Guilt gnawed at her no matter how desperately she tried to beat it back.  And, she supposed with a dramatic sigh, that was why she lingered on the outskirts of said territory on this cloudy day.

The very outskirts.  Like, so far out of the skirts that she barely had a few gray toes in Finley and Elwood's territory.  Even that made her feel uncomfortable.  Ah, but she'd grown quite adept at masking such things.

Ivy's pale green eyes narrowed as she weighed her options.  Seeing her family was out of the question - she wasn't ready.  Not yet.  The leaders?  No, not necessary.  God knew she didn't want to run across Towhee again.  So who else did she know?  The petite female shifted her weight from one paw to another as she went over names and faces.  Someone she knew, someone who could answer the questions she had.. someone like..

@Lagan!  Of course!  Ivy allowed herself a self-satsified grin and lifted her face skyward to let out a call to the man himself, mostly before she lost her nerve and disappeared into the surrounding territories.  Again.  Maybe he'd be good enough to chat for a bit and let her go on her way.. without informing her family that she'd ever been a ghost at the volcano's base.
light me up and breathe in
mirror on the ceilin'
worlds best dad award winner
351 Posts
Ooc — Pompoko
Offline
#2
Lagan was lounging, giving himself a nice groom (he found himself grooming quite frequently now), when he heard a voice call out for him. He paused mid lick and looked up, his salmon pink tongue still peeking out of his mouth. He looked about in confusion, as if that would somehow clear it up, and then stood slowly. This voice sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t make it out. Whoever it was, they’d summoned Lagan in particular, so he thought it best to check it out.

The silvery toned sitter made his way towards the person who had called, and his eyes lit up when he saw her. [q]Ivy?! I thought you were like super gone! Where’ve you been?[/ooc] He called out to her, running close to her and quick. She looked good, older than before but still the same girl he’d met a while ago.
we smokin' 'em all
88 Posts
Ooc — Mana
Offline
#3
Luckily, not enough time had passed between her call and his grand entrance for Ivy to re-think her visit to the Caldera.  She blinked twice when Lagan appeared, her pale green eyes taking in his lanky, gray-toned form.  He hadn't changed drastically over the past few months, she decided, but he seemed a little more.. adult.  In a way.  She huffed in quiet frustration, unable to properly suss out what exactly was different about the male, before dipping her head in a polite greeting.  Shouldn't get things off on the wrong paw, after all.

Lagan, she drawled, a smile lighting up her face.  You're looking well.  Ivy tilted her head to the side, her gaze flashing to the direction he just came.  I do hope I'm not interrupting anything, she mused, sounding mildly concerned despite herself.  Last thing she wanted to do was piss him off before she got her answers.
light me up and breathe in
mirror on the ceilin'
worlds best dad award winner
351 Posts
Ooc — Pompoko
Offline
#4
Ivy was smiling, which was a good sign to Lagan. Last time they’d really talked there had been some tension because of the Towhee ordeal. Lagan was always quick to forgive, but sometimes others held grudges. But it seemed that was all the past. His tail went off like a helicopter, glad to have a friend back at Redhawk Caldera. He shook his head when she asked if she was interrupting anything, No way, I was just taking a bath. Nothing too important. He replied with a laidback shrug.

So where’d you go? You missed a lot while you were gone. My baby siblings are already growing up and everything. Yeah I look after them most of the time, it’s my job. He said with pride in his tone, though he was cool about it. He was trying to be cool lately.
we smokin' 'em all
88 Posts
Ooc — Mana
Offline
#5
If nothing else, she felt it good news that her call hadn't interrupted anything important - what, with Towhee's mention of war and all.  Ivy hadn't been sure if she should take the pompous female's word at face value and even now she remained dubious.  Slowly, she allowed her smile to stretch further across her dusky gray face.  Her tail even wagged a cautious but steady beat as she said, Good.

Where did she go?  The look on her face faltered for a fraction of a second.  Ivy hoped she'd recovered just fast enough for her lanky companion not to notice.  I was.. she began, brow furrowing.  How to explain?  I wandered a bit too far one day.  Fell in with some..  She trailed off, shook her head, and fixed Lagan with a steady gaze.  Things happened, but I returned as soon as I was able.  Not her best cover, but it'd have to do.  She regarded him with an appreciative look and continued: Seems like you have an important job, though.  Looking after the babies?  That sounds like a full time gig.  Ivy was still barely over a year herself, but she hadn't been around puppies since.. well, since she was a puppy.  Running around after tiny, energetic wolves struck her as a whole lot of work and she couldn't say she envied him in that regard.
light me up and breathe in
mirror on the ceilin'
worlds best dad award winner
351 Posts
Ooc — Pompoko
Offline
#6
Ivy’s explanation wasn’t the best one that Lagan had heard. He wished she’d go into more detail but he didn’t want to be rude, perhaps she just didn’t like to think about it. He nodded instead, accepting it as He truth and moving on. She moved on as well, commenting on his being a sitter. He swelled with pride, visibly, his white chest fur puffing out a little. He’d always been one for praise. Thank you! Yeah I think it’s important too! Mom and dad are out running the pack so I have to make sure the kids are ok a lot of the time. I’m like their second dad! He said, thinking about how excited he would be when he got to be first dad.
we smokin' 'em all
88 Posts
Ooc — Mana
Offline
#7
Ivy allowed a small smile to settle across her maw when Lagan seemed to accept her explanation without another question.  She realized the male wasn't stupid - he probably had questions.  But he didn't pry and she appreciated that more than she'd ever be able to tell him.  Instead of voicing those thoughts, she let the moment pass.  The less attention given to her absence the better.

When he exclaimed that the was like the "second dad" of the kids, Ivy couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.  It was a noise so unlike her that she coughed a bit to try and cover it up.  Ugh, what the hell was she giggling about?  Better move on quickly: I heard Redhawk Caldera is going to war.  The words left her mouth in a forceful rush, but it wasn't accidental.  The yearling came here for answers and she didn't feel comfortable enough with her ties to the pack (or lackthereof) to linger at the borders any longer than absolutely necessary.
light me up and breathe in
mirror on the ceilin'
worlds best dad award winner
351 Posts
Ooc — Pompoko
Offline
#8
Lagan noticed Ivy’s little cough giggle, and he thought it was pretty funny. He giggled a little in return, and effectively did not cover it up. It only got to last for a second though, as Ivy brought up that Redhawk Caldera might be going to war. He didn’t like to think about that, not at all. If the Caldera went to war, he might have to fight, and Lagan had not the slightest clue how. Plus all of his loved family and friends would be warring as well, and they could die.

Umm yeah. Maybe. Was all he responded with, his head feeling a bit heavy thinking about his fear of war. He wished she wouldn’t have asked that, that they could’ve just continued talking about his babies. He tried to hide his emotions, pushing a faint smile back onto his lips, But I hope we don’t, I would much rather just hang out and talk it out maybe.
we smokin' 'em all
88 Posts
Ooc — Mana
Offline
#9
Ivy's delicate features visibly fell when Lagan confirmed that war was on the horizon for Redhawk Caldera.  It had been her ultimate hope that Towhee's words that day were at best an over simplification of complicated politics, but it seemed that this was not the case.  Oh.. she murmured, swallowing hard.  I'm.. ah, the yearling felt her cheeks heat up as she grasped to find something to say - something that wasn't a petty, bitchy remark.

She drew in a shallow breath and fixed Lagan with a wide-eyed stare, the frown on her face growing larger by the second.  Why?  It was the only thing she could thing of to say that wasn't some sort of cutting remark, but it also happened to be the only question she really wanted answered.
light me up and breathe in
mirror on the ceilin'
worlds best dad award winner
351 Posts
Ooc — Pompoko
Offline
#10
Ivy seemed to sink when Lagan confirmed the war with Blackfeather. It was a totally understandable response, he hated it too. She stammered over her words, and Lagan's little fake smile continued to vanish. Finally she managed some sort of question, and Lagan was a bit confused, Why would I rather talk it out? Or why are we going to war? He asked. He pretty much knew the answer, he knew that she hadn't asked why he would rather talk it out. But he had secretly hoped that that had been it. His answer to that question was lighter, and his ability to spin the conversation somewhere else was far better with that one. But talking about the politics of who and why, it would only get worse from there.
we smokin' 'em all
88 Posts
Ooc — Mana
Offline
#11
Ivy nearly bit her tongue to halt an overly-sarcastic "YES" from tumbling unbidden out of her damn mouth, but politeness forced her to keep herself in check.  Lagan had to have known that she meant the latter question.  She knew him, sure, and he was likely the only non-family member she'd considered a friend, but in the face of two "why"s, wasn't it obvious that she'd rather hear what was actually going on over his own personal feelings on the matter?  Besides, in her mind pretty much everyone would rather talk out their issues than go to war.  Everyone except for Towhee and her weird friend, at least.  The yearling supposed it was his ever-present optimism that made him ask both instead.  She offered him an apologetic sort of frown and sighed softly.  Why are you going to war? she asked in the most even tone she could muster.

And luckily for her it sounded perfectly normal, all things considered.
light me up and breathe in
mirror on the ceilin'