Wolf RPG

Phox felt listless. Fennec, Penn, and Killdeer had all moved on. Towhee was out galavanting wherever she was. Lele had wandered off. Meerkat and Njord were still living on the mountain with the kids, but what did Phox have to show for his umpteen years alive? He had thought he could have another go of it with Lele, but apparently that dream had withered away. Probably his own fault for not paying her more attention. The Redhawk sighed, swatting a fly away from his haunch with a flick of his tail.

She'd thought that she would grieve more, but it seemed to Reverie as if her grief had been spent in the weeks before her final separation from her husband. What was left, then, was less like an end than a beginning. The beginning of healing, she hoped.
Reverie spent her time teaching @Blossom what little she knew of the world. She was teaching her today about hunting, or at least the basics of it. Hunting isn't my favorite thing, She admitted to her daughter as she led her idly along a goat trail. But we all have to do it sometimes. Before she could get into the true lesson, however, Reverie spotted a familiar figure. She paused.
Phox? She breathed, and then, louder so that he might hear her: Phox! Reverie turned briefly to Blossom. Look, Blossom - that's my friend, Phox! Come on, let's say hi. And with that she started to lead her daughter toward him, doing her best to be patient with the inevitably slower pace. She couldn't wait until Blossom had longer legs to work with.

A vaguely familiar face called out his name, and Phox leaned over to find Reverie and a younger wolf heading his way. The younger wolf looked remarkably like Reverie herself, and Phox rather quickly assumed that it was her daughter. Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes! beamed Phox, propping himself up into a sit. His single hind leg was folded underneath him, giving him just enough support so that he might not fall over.

I never did get to thank you for taking that message, he said a bit sheepishly. What have you been up to? he asked. Plenty had gone on in his own life, starting with the disappearance of Maxim, the move to Moonspear, the reunion with Figment... but he wanted to hear about the little one behind her, too. And who's this? he asked, peering around to get a better look.

She couldn't help but blush a little at Phox's greeting, at the brightness of his smile. Reverie had missed this; she'd missed having friends, a life outside of the shattered little family she'd dedicated herself to. If she was honest with herself, she missed the valley most of all, and the life she'd carved out for herself there.
Oh, that's okay, She assured him when he mentioned the message she'd delivered. So much has happened! It's a long story. This is my daughter, Blossom. Reverie stepped a little to the side to bring her daughter into view, but Blossom only hesitated for a moment before moving back behind her.
She's a little shy, Reverie explained with an apologetic smile. How are you? How is your family? They'd been grieving, last she'd heard, but enough time had passed that she hoped life had given them something to be happy for, too.

Reverie didn't elaborate too much on what had happened between the last time they had met and now, but Phox couldn't blame her. Based on Blossom, he figured it really was a long story, and maybe one she wasn't up for talking about with somebody who wasn't a close confidant. He knew the feeling all too well, especially considering his own parental turmoil a couple of years back. It wasn't as though everybody needed to hear him talk about his dead wife (or wives, rather). Thankfully, his kids were all grown (and mostly out of the picture), so the questions were few and far between. Only when Towhee's kids came up did he get any weird looks, and that was easy enough to explain that he wasn't their biological father.

I'd swear there's something in the water giving everyone kids who look just like them, Phox said with a grin. While Blossom wasn't quite as cookie-cutter as Towhee Junior or Maggak, he definitely saw some distinct similarities between Reverie and her daughter. Reverie went on to ask about him and the family, and Phox shrugged. I'm as good as ever. Most of the kids moved on, but that's just kinda what they do, I've learned. I was actually hoping my sister Towhee might wander over this way eventually so I could travel with her. She's been camping out with a bunch of our kids all over the place rather than sticking to one location.

When Phox mentioned his sister Towhee, Reverie brightened with recognition. Oh, I met Towhee! On the coast! Then her ears fell and she flushed a little with embarrassment as she recalled the interaction. I um, I couldn't talk when we met, so it was kind of short. I had... some things going on. It felt like a lame explanation, but how could she tell him that she had almost died? That she had come back as a half-thing, a gilded ghost drifting along the shores.
She was better now. She hoped. I'm glad all your kids are doing well, Reverie continued more warmly, and she meant this. He'd been grieving the last time they'd spoken, but now he seemed happier. So you're traveling now? I am too, kind of - well, I've always been a wanderer. Settling for too long makes me restless.

He didn't pry on her explanation of not talking when she met Towhee, though he couldn't deny that he was curious. Had something happened? If she didn't offer more information, he figured it wasn't his place to ask for more. He had learned not to push boundaries over the years.

She asked about his traveling, and Phox bobbed his head. Yeah. I've never been much for it... but usually that's been because of the kids. I don't have any this year, and Towhee's are old enough to be independent from us now. It'll be nice to go around and see some of the older ones, too. He thought of Caracal, Figment, and maybe he'd even run into Fennec again one of these days. There was also the trio of kids he'd never really known that well: Vesper, Peregrine, and Prevost. He worried about them the most, if only because he felt they'd had a particularly tumultuous childhood. He'd never gotten a chance to truly connect with them like he had with his other kids. The same could be said of Towhee's kids from that year. Marten, Tierra, and even Sphyra were practically strangers. Caracal a bit less so, if only because Towhee had given him updates on him over the years.

And of course there was Leona and Jack Snipe, the former of which had met an untimely death, and the latter of which still resided in Epoch. Perhaps Phox would make a quick stop by there on his way to the coast, after hanging out with Figment. He tried to get out of his head, though. No sense in making too many plans when he hadn't even gotten to the first one.

If you happen upon Towhee again in your wandering, you wanna let her know I'm on the lookout for her? he asked.

She felt that she learned several things about Phox from his words: that he was a father to many, that he was a stable presence in their lives, that he still thought of them all even now that they were grown. For the first time, only briefly, Reverie wondered what might have happened if they had spent time together as they'd planned. If she had gone to him instead of Lestan. But then she discarded the thought; it felt presumptuous to think that Phox would have wanted her. Still, she thought that perhaps he could have been the kind of husband she'd wanted for herself. Someone who wouldn't fall to pieces under hardship. Someone who wouldn't just leave.
Of course I can! Reverie agreed readily, offering a gentle half-smile. Are you heading anywhere in particular? I can let her know where you might be found. Maybe - maybe if you guys don't mind, I could join you sometime. Traveling in groups is always better, and I'd love to meet your kids. Even if she was a little embarrassed at the thought, knowing they were likely nearer to her own age than Phox himself.

I'm heading back to Moonspear for now, he replied. He did want to see how Jack Snipe was getting along, not to mention Arsenio, Tamar, Reyson, and Meadow. Phox idly wondered if the latter two were still together. It seemed as though things had been... difficult between the two of them, last he remembered. A very small selfish piece of him wondered if they'd broken up.

Chances are, you already have met one of my kids, he replied with a chuckle. Phox stopped keeping count of how many he actually had these days. All he could do now was try and visit them as often as he could. He certainly had Towhee to thank for that idea. Their first little camp near Moonspear had somehow ballooned into what Towhee was doing now: hopping from place-to-place, always on the move. Phox wondered if he'd be able to keep it up for too long, especially with his leg the way that it was. He figured the best way to find out was to go ahead and give it a go.