official move to rendezvous! everyone is welcome to join! referencing the pack if anyone wants to join :D
it was a radiant blue morning when erzulie herded
@Aminthe and
@Quennell out of the roja den — for the final time.
"today we be goin' to corsair beach. dat is where you gat'er to find your mot'er an' i from now on, oui?"
she walked beside
@Rosalyn with a warm affection in her eyes, and only a hint of sorrow. the obsidian had asked
@Jorunn along, as well as her older children. she wanted them in one place, for jorunn was not a secret and erzulie was prepared to field questions.
mireille trotted proudly beside aminthe; erzulie thought
@Val,
@Chacal,
@Sobo, and
@Loko would make their own appearances another time.
@Coraline would be visited and told of the meeting, helped to stand if she was able if only to call out.
@Meerkat and
@Njord were called upon as well, though she would not begrudge them staying home with their own new brood.
@Indra III and
@Gunnar were invited to the beach as the little procession made their way there.
once sapphique had been gathered, erzulie loosed another howl of finality, nudging little aminthe and quennell forward.
"go an' explore," she smiled.
Gunner had been invited to the rendezvous site. At first he had railed against it as he didn't know anyone really. And he wasn't certain where he stood with the femme Rosalyn.
He did not wish to cause her unrest this day. It was a joyous occasion. He finally decided to join and with mouth full of rabbit pelts he walked behind. He'd have preferred to bring a fawn skin, but he was to old to kill one on his own. It was customary in his family to give gifts for rendezvous sites.
He had dried the pelts in the sun and had also placed seashells in their centers whilst he carried them.
He dipped his muzzle to bothe Erzulie and Rosalyn and lay his bundle down. For the little ones.
Then he slid near the outskirts and watched the pups learn their new den with a smile.
Aminthe was always up for new adventures, so she practically hopped between her mothers as they made their way to some place she had never been before.
She could understand far more than she could actually speak and she understood what Erzulie was explaining to them. A new place to stay skilled the little seastar with excitement. She nipped at her brother and bounded forward when encouraged to explore. There were so many new smells, that she spent a good amount of time sniffing everything she came to.
When a stranger arrived, the pebble switched gears and bounded over to him. Oui!
she told him before jumping on his paw to chew on his toes. She hadn't yet noticed the rabbit pelts.
Rosalyn watched with pride as their brood entered the pack proper, at least in part. It was their first true stride towards independence, a show of trust for both them and the pack that they were now more freely able to roam with. If Erzulie was correct, this was the last year they would see this of their own children, and she trusted her wife's innate knowledge just as she'd known herself.
Jorunn's presence was a boon to her for a few reasons and she was glad the woman seemed content to serve as her wife's escort. The feeling that her age, her... weaknesses, were a focus for Erzulie had worn on them both. She could not be her sole confidant any longer - or her sole focus. The other reason she did not think of, did not speak of, and never would. Only time would serve to reveal it.
Rosalyn encouraged Quennel and Aminthe, whoever was near, forward. She was glad to see Gunnar there despite her harsh welcome of him. He had stood before it well and, as a result, gained at least a small amount of fond respect from her. She tipped her head at the offering, but didn't speak. Today the children were the focus and it was their gift to accept.
she is skippable <3 I'll try to hop in on rounds but don't let me hold things up for sake of order
Chacal joined the group so that she might also escort the pups down to the beach where they would grow and learn the ways of the ocean day in and day out. With the aroma den empty, it could have served then as a harbour for her own brood- but she had finished her own den just across the stream, on the edge of the wildflower fields, and had decided she would raise her children there once they were born.
All the energy she’d had during the nesting process had started to wane, and as her belly grew, so did her tiredness and appetite. Once they reached the beach, she chose to relax alongside Rosalyn, rather than engage with the children.
The male who gave the children a gift was new to her, but had been accepted into Sapphique so she too welcomed him. A soft smile teased her lips as she watched her younger sister pounce at his feet. She’d watch for a moment, to see how he’d interact with her, before she’d relax slightly and lean her shoulder against Rosalyn’s.
She hadn’t asked questions about Jorunn. She’d noticed her increased presence around her mothers, which she simply assumed was helpful. She’d been too busy and distracted to notice much more than the fact that Jorunn had been spending more time with Erzulie and Rosalyn.
Cameo!
It would be a little while longer before her own children were grown enough to join their peers at Corsair Beach. But they were not so young that Meerkat felt they couldn’t be left alone in the burrow for a few moments while she made her way to the pack’s rendezvous site. She definitely wanted to make an appearance at such an important event, even if she couldn’t stay long.
When she arrived, Meerkat found much of the pack there, milling about the sands. She barked a greeting to Aminthe and Quennell, the stars of the day. She then cast her warm gaze around the group, trying to catch each and everyone’s eye and offer a smile.
When her gaze drifted to Chacal, her brows raised a little when she saw the telltale roundness of the leader’s belly. When had that happened? A delighted smile stole over her face and she waved a paw, wishing she had more time to speak to the other young woman. They would have to convene some other time.
For now, she must return to her trio. Meerkat dipped her head and retreated, already looking forward to the day in a few weeks’ time when she would lead them back here.
jorunn found peace where anxiety had once been. there was no frenzy in her heart or mind when she found her place with erzulie and rosalyn. only love. large and blossoming in the summer breeze, eyes bouncing between the woman. occasionally quennell saw it fit to pester her, attempting a game of chase, and she nudged his rump for him to join his sister.
then there was a face who joined them. new to sapphique but familiar to jorunn. it appeared @Gunnar had come to join them. she smiled warmly to him as he carried gifts for the children.
everybody else would be looked upon fondly as well. tail in a steady pace of swaying behind her.
everything felt right.
another woman had been spending time around the family, quennell had seen it fit to make her his personal babysitter. all too eager to teeth her ears or snip at her toes. of course, if either of his mothers saw it fit to correct this he listened. only to try again later.
today was no different — not to the young boy. something important was happening but still he romped and yearned for play.
an attempt to bite the sandy limbs of the emerald was soon redirected. nudged by his crimson mother forward where a man seemed to have gifts for them.
oui, yah!
he called to erzulie's words. then took off, too eager to be the center of attention. as he came upon his sister, he would nibble at her ears.
mine!
quennell very greedily (but poorly) attempted to snatch both pelts presented before his sister could get one.
Sobo followed the procession to the beach, full of warmth and pride for his little siblings.
His eyes rested on Jorunn a beat or two longer than anyone else and something uncertain crossed behind his smile. It was an effort to tear his gaze away. His eyes locked with Meerkat's for a beat but Sobo looked swiftly in another direction. Njord was not here. He told himself for the umpteenth time that Njord was not his da anymore and there was no reason to care if he was around or not.
Sobo fixed his attention on his siblings, unwilling to wear a sour expression or let his heart weigh heavy on their special day. Chuckling, he strode across the sand and made a grab for one of Quennell's coveted pelts with a playful snort, intent on redirecting his brother into a tussle for just one rather than trying to possess them all.