Wolf RPG

Nine whole months. It felt like so much shorter ago that @Sylvie and @Hymnal had come into his life, and at the same time it felt like so much longer. @Roswell was even older than that, but Eljay hadn't counted precisely when he'd come into the world as meticulously (at the time, it seemed like there'd be others to do that for him) so the caretaker had decided to take his son along with Sylvie and Hymnal's celebration, in lack of better alternative.

The father invited everyone in the pack — @Teya @Reyes @Lilitu @Medb — with a howl to come to his and @Maia's densite. There, he had made sure there was some food that they could share (something that he'd kinda taken from the hospitality at Akashingo; there was a little bit of rabbit he'd taken from a cache, a piece of deer from a cache as well, and a freshly caught fish) and he smiled at his three gathered children as he said: I'm so proud of all of you. Thank you for having come into our lives. I can't wait to see how you will all continue to grow in the times to come. He wagged his tail with a proud smile at them. It wasn't the best speech, perhaps — speeches had never been Eljay's 'thing' — but it was spoken from the heart.

Things were finally back to normal again for the two of them. While she loved the days they spent together, just the two of them, every spring now... it was nice to have things back and to feel comfortable once more around the rest of the pack. Maia always hated how her heat made her feel when it came to anyone who wasn't Eljay, and every year she did everything she could to avoid them during that time.

She'd spoken with the kids ahead of time and let them know what a heat was and, to @Sylvie and @Hymnal specifically, what it would mean for them. They'd be having their first ones either this year or the next and she wanted them to be prepared for it when it happened. It could be scary if they weren't! They also needed to know what it might mean, finding someone during that time. For that part, she had pulled @Roswell in as well.

Now Eljay was calling everyone together to celebrate their kids entering the ranks of adulthood. Maia couldn't help but feel a little weepy about it, but she kept a lid on it. Thinking about them growing up made her think about Lilitu, too, possibly leaving them soon. Then, how long would it be before... oh, oh no Maia. We are not going there today. Today is a happy day and we are not crying all the way through it.

She smiled as Eljay took the lead with the speech, happy to be an observer here as well. It felt right that he be the one to usher them into this new place in their lives... not only was he their father, but now he was their leader officially. Now they'd take part in the pack fully and truly begin to make their mark within Brecheliant. And she'd be there to help them, hopefully, to find what that place should be.

For Lilitu's part, she huddled next to Roswell, giving her brother her most hearty congratulations.

She'd been withdrawn since the business of her leaving, having accepted her apparent selfishness of leaving. Morose, apathetic. Brecheliant was here to stay, she supposed.

Lilitu drew a cheek to Roswell's mottled pelt, proud.

She'd leave when the festivities were over, back and tail hunched.

Hymnal was nervous—excited, but nervous. She was restless too, of course, and now that they were nearing adulthood, the urge to explore was growing harder to ignore. She never wanted to leave for good; she loved her family too much and she wanted to help with her younger siblings when they arrived. But she wanted to form her own identity, and she felt like a solo adventure would help her do that. She hadn't yet mustered up the courage to bring it up to her parents; she still had time.

The nerves came from the expectations of being an adult. She would have responsibilities now and with that came the possibility of letting other down; she never wanted to do that. 

But today was meant to be a celebration, and she couldn't not smile at everyone. They all looked so happy and proud, and she soaked it all in and tried to commit the feeling to memory. There was never a limit to the love she felt from her parents or the pack; she felt lucky to have that. 

She was eager to see how things changed for her, even if that feeling brought nerves along with it. She trusted that her family had prepared her for the world.