Wolf RPG

Sleep had been hard to come by lately. Ever since the arrival of Harlyn and the gang, actually. There was no good reason for it that she could think of, unless she considered the exuberance of her son in the equation; regardless of exactly why Tavi had become more of an insomniac, she tried to fight the condition with the aids of Grace's herbs. She pilfered some without asking, feeling it was her inalienable right as a leader to take what she needed. That had gotten her through some of the nights, leaving her with vivid dreams that went out of her head like a cloud come  morning. 

Today, when she woke, it was the afternoon. Somehow Tavi had slept through her early morning routine despite Tambourine's greatest efforts to wake her, and she was pulling herself free of the dark, dank cave. As she passed through a mote of sunlight and dust she ducked out from the Crook, and was then situated outside of the sanctum, having been too sleepy and groggy to notice the wonderful surprise that Stark had left her. She wandered off to do her business, and was then briskly returning to the Crook when the scent of fresh blood caught in her nose. The woman's fur prickled and yet she stopped, oddly bereft, and idled where she was.

The dark figure was speaking to her — but the words went through her at first. There was silence when he opened his mouth. No, wait, there was sound - she just didn't know what those sounds meant. For a second she was concerned by this. A brief frown forming upon her face. And then, as he came nearer with the gift and she witnessed it swinging from his clenched teeth, something in her head clicked; the sound came rushing back and her understanding came with it.

-am might try meat soon? Stark was saying, and when he moved to nuzzle against her shoulder Octavia felt a tiny shiver run through her body. She pulled away from his touch, and was staring absent-mindedly down at the ground where the goose had been dropped, before returning fully to herself. What? she interjected quietly, oddly sullen, but mentally filled in the blanks in the bit of speech she had managed to ingest.

Tambourine.. Eats meat. I mean, he could, probably, has the teeth, maybe she had slept too long. The words came out of her with a slow start, then were a jumble, and Octavia squinted down at the goose for a second as if blaming it for her suddenly tangled tongue; but then she looked up at Stark, took a breath, and was normal again. Ah, sorry, I think I'm still kind of groggy. We can give him something, see if he'll eat it?

Ah, she breathed, dipping her head for a moment before shaking it, and letting a strained smile drift across her features. She had slept for so long, and dreamed of many things, but now the dreams had ended and she was just a little.. Confused. And Octavia didn't know what to say, so she shrugged.

Its been tricky, is all. Harlyn and the others... More kids, you know. Lots of changes. It was the easiest way to explain why she was so out of sorts, but not even Tavi really knew what was going on. She was addled by something, and decided to accept her own statement as the truth. I'll be okay. I've uh, made Harlyn an Alpha. We're going to lead together - maybe we should announce that, yeah, that was good. Get everyone on the same page. She confided in Stark because he was here, and because she trusted him, and because.... Why not?

Come, lets... Get that to Tam.

There would be complaints and there would be resistance, she knew this. They both knew this, and were once again on the same page. It worried her to some degree, but perhaps it should've bothered her more — yet Octavia had Harlyn now, and those that followed the older woman, plus she had Stark, so anyone else that came between the pack's security and happiness and this ragtag group of new friends would be dealt with.

You're right, she comments as she follows him, but remains sullen even as the pair pass in to the Crook's heart. As the dark man deposits the goose upon the ground, Tavi looks at it. She doesn't say anything, and neither does her stomach. She is thinking, but her mind is taking a bit longer than usual to do so, and thus she seems to be even more thoughtful than before. I worry that they will never accept me. That they'll never accept that Warbone is gone. It bothered her to say it, but it was the truth. He had left them and not returned. She could only hold out hope for so long. And if they don't support me, what am I to do? She thought of Nova Rose then, and the threat the old woman posed if they were ever excommunicated. It wouldn't surprise Octavia in the slightest if the old bat went crawling to Reek just to spite her.

They had to keep control over this place, they had to, for Tambourine's sake and for that of Harlyn's brood. I don't want to uproot Harlyn again, if we were to lose. I don't think we would, but, her mind was a jumble and it was hard to keep things straight. Briefly her ears fell back, and she looked far more overwhelmed for a split second. They have just arrived, and we've just started to rebuild everything together. I know I would hate to be in Harlyn's position. If it comes down to it - she didn't want to voice this, but as she spoke her eyes lifted to meet Stark's and she couldn't stop the flow of words, If there is enough opposition then I'll consider stepping down, or maybe leaving with Tambourine. I don't want to leave, this is our home. But if it makes things easier for everyone, maybe it's the only choice.

Stand and fight. That's what she'd like to do. It would put the kids at risk though, and Octavia wouldn't allow that. Collecting all of the wolves dedicated to her and leaving - right after Harlyn and the others had begun to settle, taking away the safety-net that the Marauders represented - that seemed entirely unfair as well. If I... We leave, the three of us, would Captain follow? Even entertaining the thought of abandoning the Keep made Octavia's spirit wither, and she looked so dejected as she spoke, it was a wonder she could form words.

"Where you go, I go." Stark offered. He could enjoy other packs, he could like other lands. His growing affection for Octavia meant he was willing to take care of her, to keep her and Tambourine safe. "I feel confident she'd go with us." Stark could expect that of the golden female. It couldn't have been long enough that she had laid down that many roots among the willows, after all. "It won't come to that."  Stark promised.

He was trying to sooth her, but Tavi could not let the line of questions end there. She was buzzed by something, felt like she had a nest of bees in her brain, and each tiny hum was a thought bumping in to another thought. He gave her promises he could not keep, and she knew they'd be impossible to follow through with. With a shake of her head, Tavi slumped with her shoulder pressed against the wall leading towards Tambourine's sleeping place. The darkness of the corridor was just out of her reach.

You don't know that, Stark. Someone could overthrow me in an instant. They could band together and chase me out, just like... Just like I was chased out of the Maplewood. But then, that had been her own fault, and it hadn't been a horde of wolves to overthrow whatever she had been working towards; that had been just one woman, one very scorned woman. I'm just saying that I'll do it. If Tambourine is in danger because of this situation, if they threaten him and I have to choose between being the leader or being a mother, I'll.. I'll make the right choice. She was committed, but her face was creased by a sad frown, and Tavi felt more pitiful now than before as she watched Stark for a reaction.

Stark - she murmured through his words, but was cut off as he spoke. She listened and she moved to him, watching him, feeling such strange things within herself; like a switch had been flicked, and her sadness was suddenly gone. She was filled with some kind of sensation - adoration, maybe, or the easing of her worries, but tenfold. The more he spoke the more she watched him, and then as he made mention of her strength, she was looking away and down, at the ground. If she could've blushed she would have. Stark, she finally managed, brushing her shoulder against his and nuzzling in to his neck fur, as if this entire episode of sadness and worry had never happened; she burned now, but she didn't know why, and didn't really care.

Lets get out of here, she spoke through his scruff, forgetting about the goose, and her son, and all the things that had worked her up so much the past few days. Not.. Permanently, she breathed him in and then withdrew, watching his face to see if he understood what she was asking. Find somewhere quiet... Together.

She said nothing further. He spoke, and she knew what he was going to say even before he said it, but the words made her bold all the same. Without a sound she pulled away from him, but cast a direct look back as he followed, leading him away from the Crook — both emerging from it and she, taking the lead, led him deep among the willows.