Wolf RPG

Fox returned now, to the plateau, hoping to inform Peregrine of some possible food options for their next foray into the hunting world. She knew it must hurt his pride that their last two hunts as a group had not gone as planned, and Fox wanted to make sure that the plateau fared well during the winter. They needed to start bulking up if they planned to make it through in one piece. Fox, especially, considering she would (hopefully) be feeding more than just herself when spring rolled around.

Once she had taken a short nap and refreshed herself with one of the plateau's many water sources, Fox lifted her muzzle and called out for her mate. While she waited, Fox pondered on the possibilities of the coming winter. Their pack was a large one, and while that was beneficial in some ways, it was a hindrance in others. If they were forced to move (something she knew Perry would be staunchly against), it would be more of a hassle. On the other hand, they had plenty of able-bodied wolves here to round up food.

"I know it's way too early," Peregrine announced when he arrived in response to his mate's summons, "but after that whole thing with Junior, I've been thinking of our future pups a lot the past few days. I was thinking I'd like to name one Nightjar. I also like the name Quetzal. But then I realized you may not like my bird theme. Maybe you want to name them things like Wolf and Cub."

He laughed teasingly as he stopped beside her. He exhaled near her ear, hoping to tickle it. Peregrine then nudged and licked her cheek with a purr-rumbled, "Hi."

It took precisely five minutes away from Peregrine for Fox to forget that he was a long-winded and wordy individual. It took her about three seconds to remember that it was one of the things she actually liked about him. It was especially bizarre, considering she usually loathed that particular trait. When he blew in her ear, she shook her head, sneezing as she did so. Only then did she greet him with a lick on his cheek.

"I don't see how you can name them without seeing them," was the only thing she could think to say. If it looked like the birds he mentioned, Fox wouldn't think twice about it. But Peregrine certainly did not look like a peregrine. He was too dark, and he lacked the white embellishments that those birds sported. "Maybe I'll name them all Fuzzbutt." Truth be told, Fox's family didn't name their children until they were at least a month old. Perhaps it was a bit morbid, but that was prime mortality-rate time.

"I don't base their names on what they look like," he answered in a playfully duh tone of voice. "I just pick names I like that fit with my theme, like any narcissistic parent does." He gave her a cheeky smile. "And Fuzzbutt is decent. It starts with an 'F,' like Fox. It also has some assonance going on. Do you consider that a male or female name?" Peregrine teased, his tail swinging so that it thumped her flank.

Talk of pups made him think of Blue Willow and Lasher's offer. As far as he knew, nobody had yet mentioned it to the newly crowned Alpha female. He supposed that responsibility rested with him in a way, especially since he'd already given his approval. He anticipated resistance, though he hoped to sway her. Fox was the HBIC, yet even she shouldn't overlook Blue Willow's longevity, nor her eligibility for breeding privileges. She was the only one Peregrine intended to permit.

"Mrs. Redleaf," Peregrine purled in his deep timbre, "I have a favor to ask of you. It's something you may not like much but it would mean the world to me and a few others if you said 'yes.'" As he talked, he spun around to face her and unleashed his sultriest, handsomely pouting look on her.

Fox rolled her eyes in the most dramatic way possible when he complimented the name she had thought of. She didn't even bother to answer his question of gender. She didn't see why they couldn't have the best of both worlds. If their children came out with similar colorings to birds, like her sister had, they could just as easily name them after what they looked like and stick to the Redleaf naming scheme of birds. But that was asking an awful lot of the dice rolls that were genetics. (Speaking of, we should totally use dice rolls for some aspects of their pups!)

When he mentioned there was something he needed to ask, she quirked a brow. Was he bleeding sarcasm, or was there an actual "something" on the table that needed to be discussed. Perhaps the ~mystery~ was what kept her around. "Go on, then," she said expectantly. She had not forgotten about her primary reason for calling him here, and she fully intended to work that into the conversation somehow, but she would hear him out.

Fox told him to spit it out. For a moment, he hesitated. He wondered if mentioning Lasher's offer might ruin any potentially romantic connection between his wife and lover. He really hoped not, though Peregrine supposed it wouldn't matter in the end if they were only friends. Truthfully, things didn't necessarily appear to be trending in that direction anyway.

"Lasher offered to father a litter of pups with Blue Willow. I told them they have my approval but that they need yours too, of course. She's one of our longest-standing members and our Beta. She is like a sister to me," Peregrine said, making his case while avoiding sounding desperate. "Willow hasn't actually decided if she wants to take him up on it, pending our approval. I think she's holding out for Atticus. I think she will make a wonderful mother and that it would mean a lot to her if we said 'yes,'" he finished, dark eyes seeking Fox's silver gaze.

Fox's first reaction was to deny Blue Willow outright. The thought of a litter of pups that weren't her own being born in her home set fire to the young Alpha's heart, and she knew at once that she could not possibly be happy with that outcome. She pressed her lips tightly together, wondering if Perry had known that she would object to the idea. Was this some kind of test? Why had Peregrine even bothered to ask her? Surely he had known what she would say.

Not only that, but the sheer absurdity of it was too much. Lasher was Peregrine's lover, not Blue Willow's. As far as Fox knew, the two weren't hitched, which would make it an illegitimate litter anyway. The last thing she wanted was a bunch of bastards running around. The traditions of her family were too firmly rooted in the girl to allow such a thing. Having pups wasn't just about "having pups." It was more than that, and Fox wondered why Blue Willow (and perhaps even Peregrine) couldn't see it.

"Do you want me to agree with you, or do you want me to let you know how I really feel?" she asked. There was no chance that the two of those options overlapped in any way. It was taking every ounce of her being not to act as she normally would: on impulse alone.

Peregrine tipped his head slightly and answered, "I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, Fox, but I always want to hear your thoughts and the reasons behind any decisions you make. That's part of being a mated and Alpha pair." His ears twitched and he frowned slightly. "Of course, you don't have to make a decision about this today. I wanted you to be aware of the discussion. Mostly, I also wanted you to know where I stood and let you know how much it would mean to me to see Blue Willow as a mother."

For a split-second, Fox thought he was going to treat her like some child. Thankfully, he saved the day by explaining that he wanted to hear her thoughts. If that was the case, he would hear them alright. It was the frown that really did it, though. Fox realized just how much she hated to see him genuinely upset... if he was upset at all. He was showing all the physical signs, at the very least. And there was no playful hint among them. It took longer than it should have for Fox to put together a tactful reaction. A million inappropriate responses battled to escape her throat.

"If she wanted kids, she should go somewhere else!"

"I'm the Alpha Female, I shouldn't have to share with anybody!"

"Blue and Lasher aren't even mates!"

"Her betrothed is dead in the head; why can't she just move on?!"

But Fox showed restraint. She knew it was the only way, as much as it pained her to do so.

“Where I come from,” Fox began carefully, “those seeking to make their own family strike out on their own.” It was why Fox had set out on her own, even if it had been more out of instinct and less out of that specific need. The spitfire had always been a driven individual, as was made clear by her quick ascension into leadership and taking a mate before she was truly able to bear children. It was sheer luck that nobody had put her in her place. She wondered if Blue Willow had considered that option: leaving. Not because Fox didn't want her around, but because having two litters on the plateau meant fewer resources, and the Alpha bitch didn't like competition.

She approached from an unexpected angle: family tradition. He paused, waiting to see if she would say more, yet she didn't. Peregrine weighed the words a moment, then gave her a quick nudge just because and fell back on his haunches with a thoughtful sound. He motioned for her to take a seat beside him if she wished. This wasn't perhaps the easiest conversation they'd ever had, yet he wanted her right there beside him all the same.

"Are you saying that you hope to carry that tradition forward?" he began, his tone neutral. But before Fox could reply, he added, "It may be strange, considering my romantic life, but I consider myself traditional in a lot of ways. I think that bearing offspring is a right that belongs primarily to the Alpha pair... primarily but not necessarily solely. This pack can support two litters if it remains this size. Only the most powerful packs can successfully support multiple litters. Having just the one will not be a testament to our true strength or our legacy."

Then there were the other, more personal factors. Yet Peregrine had already touched on those. Perhaps Fox would feel better if they took this approach instead.

He made a good point, but Fox was still wary. There were plenty of other reasons she could dream up as to why Blue Willow shouldn't be given the same privileges as her. If Blue were allowed to have children, what made her the Beta, exactly? A rank? Fox didn't feel as though she truly outranked Willow if she was given all the same rights. It irked her to no end. The only reason she had allowed the Sveijarn children to be born was the fact that she couldn't bring children into the world during the last season.

“They would be bastards,” she said, unable to keep herself from saying the final word with poison on her tongue. Born out of some inconceivable tryst between Lasher and Blue. And who would the parental duties fall to? Would Lasher be their father? What would Atticus think if he ever came-to and his memories returned? Even if Blue committed herself to Lasher, Fox did not expect that Atticus would be happy if he ever returned to this world. At least in that case, they wouldn't be bastards.

Bastards were no sign of strength. They were a sign that the leaders couldn't keep their bitches in line.

The word caused his ears to flick, yet instead of taking offense, Peregrine gave his wife a weird sideways glance. It was strange for her to adhere to tradition in some ways and reject it in others. He did the same thing, though. Nobody was perfect, even his pretty little wife. He chortled at her teasingly.

He wondered what she'd say if he told her he'd considered fathering Blue Willow's pups himself. Would they still be bastards in Fox's eyes? He didn't want to push that button, though. By now, their honeymoon phase had ended and Peregrine was well aware of his mate's penchant for jealousy. There was no need to needlessly fire her up her up with that prospect. It was partially because he knew she'd never accept it that he considered it an impossibility.

"Those pups would be loved and supported by their biological parents, as well as myself. They would be no more illegitimate than pups you bore by Lasher, though I'm aware that things probably won't happen between the two of you... and I'm okay with that, for the record," he added as a sideline. He was disappointed but the last thing he'd ever do was pressure them to get together for his sake.

"Anyway," he said in the next moment, stretching forward and sprawling on his belly, "do me a favor and take some time to think it over before you say yay or nay, okay? Heh. I'm a poet and I don't know it."

So Peregrine intended to split his time between his own children and those—those bastards?! Fox couldn't believe such a thing, and she decided it was better if she pretended she had not heard that part of his reasoning. Her tail flicked behind her when he mentioned that pups between herself and Lasher would be just as legitimate. She couldn't help but disagree, though she spoke no word of it. They would be bastards, just like the rest. Then again, if she allowed both Peregrine and Lasher to have her, she did not think there would be any way to tell the children apart from one another. They looked enough alike. To knowingly create bastards was another matter entirely, Fox decided.

In any case, spring was still a long, long way away, and she had more than enough time to convince Peregrine that it was a bad idea. Maybe their pack would shrink to a smaller number by the time such a decision needed to be made. For now, Fox laid the discussion to rest, and her body to rest alongside Peregrine. It was becoming rather obvious that they held different ideas on what was right and what was wrong, but Fox had anticipated it. Not that it made her enjoy it.

“Did you notice I’ve been absent the past couple of days?” she asked teasingly. Surely he had, considering she had informed him of her plans prior to making the trek outside the plateau. She wouldn't want to worry him, after all. Especially considering Junior's fiasco a few months back. “I found some sheep on those cliffs, but they are too hard to hunt there. On the coast, though…” she trailed off, licking her lips. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea, and other critters, too.” Some large, blubbery things (sea lions) had been making odd noises at her. They looked tough, but she thought they would make a good, large meal if they could manage to take one down.

They let the subject rest for now and moved onto other matters, such as Fox's resent scarcity. "Tch, I hardly noticed," he teased her, turning to tug at her ear. "And I was too busy enjoying the peace, quiet and lack of fleas to miss you, firecrotch," he added playfully, this time nipping at her cheek.

"You went to the coast?" he asked with genuine surprise and curiosity. "I was never one for fish but... what other critters? You trading in one of your trades to become a Gamekeeper, missus?"

Firecrotch, eh? She'd have to add that to her list of adorable nicknames. That certainly ranked higher on her list than "Lil' Weenie," but she wasn't about to remind him of that particular moniker. Perhaps she would start introducing herself as Firecrotch Redleaf-DiSarinno. That would be a hoot and a half.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied sweetly, “Just trying to pick up some of your slack.” Of course, it wasn't like Peregrine was actually slacking, but Fox wanted to make sure the pack was well-fed. She had her part to do, even if it wasn't "official" or whatever. “They were big… but I haven’t encountered them before. I figured it might be worth a shot, even if they do look tough on the outside.” Fox had a feeling they would not be terribly easy prey, but she was willing to give it a go if Perry was up for it.

In response to her playful jab, Peregrine gave Fox the stink eye, only for his face to melt into a fond grin in the next instant. He listened thoughtfully as she spoke of prey near the seaside, large beasts with evidently tough exteriors. The Alpha male tried to picture them, yet he didn't have much to go by, so his mental image was very bizarre indeed.

"Want to take the pack there for the next weekly hunt?" he suggested. They'd just hunted a day or so ago, so they weren't due for another joint effort for a few days. But it was never too early to plan. "You could lead it, Mrs. Alpha Female, and I'll be your backup. We could take a small group. How many do you think we'd need?"

If Peregrine was looking for flowery description of them, he'd come to the wrong place. However, if Fox had the mental capacity and creativity, she might have described them as rippling with every step. They had tough, leathery skins that looked constantly wet. And their beady, spherical eyes were black and eerie. Not to mention their cute little whiskers and the way they lacked legs, but made up for it with one large flipper in the back, and two little flippers in the front. Odd looking things, they were!

“It’s worth a shot,” Fox replied, stretching her front legs out and yawning wide. “With you, me, and maybe two others, I think that would be a decent show. Maybe take one of the younglings, too.” They would need to cooperate with the rest of the pack sooner rather than later. Watching the hunt was one of the best ways to teach them, and it was how Fox had learned.

"Good idea. They're right at that age where they could probably start joining the effort. Hm," he mused aloud, "I'll ask Dante and Willow to stay here and... you can seek out some volunteers?" Peregrine tipped his head at her. "Otherwise, feel free to take charge. It's your hunt, so the game plan and strategy are on you, wifey."

After a beat of companionable silence, the Alpha male said, "So... we have plans later this week. But what about right now? Let's do something fun together," he proposed, sidling up next to his young mate. Peregrine towered over her and he liked it. "Let's do something fun together," he repeated, then more lowly into her red ear, added, "and then fuck like bunnies afterward. Mm?"

She nodded in agreement to his part of the plans for the hunt. Fox was beginning to realize how handy it was to have other leaders on deck whenever they needed them. For a brief moment, she began brainstorming who she would want to take with her. She had hunted with Finn previously, and Robin was an obvious choice, but she figured she could feel out the others and see if there were any actual volunteers before she started picking out her favorites. Perhaps Lasher would be up to the task.

The "Let's do something fun together" repetition caused Fox to grin. For a moment, she had thought the "fun" would be what he suggested after the fun. This only enticed her more, and she wiggled in anticipation. “Hm, what kind of fun is good before we get down and dirty?” she mused aloud, flashing him a sultry look.

"Foreplay!" he exploded without missing a beat, as if it was an inside joke between the two of them. Peregrine snickered. Still laughing quietly, he pondered for a few beats, then said, "How about I chase that hot tail? I'll give you a ten second head start. Ten... nine... eight..."

Fox batted his head with her paw, rolling her eyes at his joke. If it could even be called a joke at all. When he more or less told her to get running, she shot him a girlish grin and took off. Peregrine may have had longer legs, but Fox always assumed that she was quicker on her feet. Nimble Paws, indeed. She didn't dare glance behind her, worried that it might slow her down and possibly cause her to trip over her own feet. Instead, she pushed forward, speeding ahead at a rate that caused her heart to pound quickly in her chest.

Peregrine had never been a particularly swift runner, though he managed to keep pace with his favorite PYT, loping after her at a long-legged, ground-eating gait. At times, he let her gain on him so that she nearly disappeared into the distance, then he would speed up and resume a distance of about ten yards.

After some time of this, he burst forward with sudden speed, angling as if preparing to nip her hindquarters. Instead, he dove between her hind legs and jerked his head upward, causing her hind legs to sprawl over his face. The view wasn't bad, though Peregrine only hung there for a moment before setting her back down and leaping to the side with a boyish laugh.

Suddenly (and rather awkwardly), Peregrine lifted the back half of her body off the ground with his head. Fox yelped with surprise, but regained her composure when he set her back down. When he leapt to the side, she rushed for him, and she would lick him to death if he would allow it (not that she expected anything but permission). Fox then swatted at his head with her paw, batting at it playfully.

Once that was done with, Fox crumpled to the ground in a giggling heap, writhing on the ground like some fool. And in many ways, she was a fool. Not that she would admit it.

Fox counterattacked him with licks and playful swipes. He winced dramatically and buckled his legs, toppling to the ground right alongside her. As she giggled to herself, he released a happy sigh and simply looked at her, admiring her spirited beauty. She was young and flawed but, damn, did he ever adore her.

"Hey," he said, voice soft but deep. Once certain of her attention, he caught her eye, grinned like a cat with a feather caught in his teeth and said, "There's something you should know about me..." Peregrine trailed off for a few beats, then, "I..." he said lightly, "love you." He then butted his head gently against her, rubbing it from her cheek down to her neck.

Fox spread out once Perry collapsed beside her, and she turned to look at him with her big doe eyes when he said his "hey." Her expression remained calm, even if her insides were twisting and turning as he spoke. She wanted to make him shut his mouth, but at the same time... the words that fell out of his muzzle were ones that she had expected for quite some time. And she had been carefully crafting an answer all the while.

“I know,” she said, not missing a beat. Fox punctuated this with a soft nip to his shoulder. But her words were anything but dismissive. Instead, she wanted him to understand that she did know this. Their romance had been anything but typical. Both of them had been involved with others before. Hell, Peregrine had children with Hawkeye, and Fox's own suitor had been given an unfair, untimely death.