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+--- Thread: Sun Mote Copse Waking young and feeling old (/showthread.php?tid=33024)
Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - February 27, 2019
Niamh was beginning to feel flustered and ill-prepared for the winter. Sleeping in a den had always made the most sense to her, and even though she and Colt hadn’t been given permission to breed, she still felt the urge to get a den ready. Maybe Wildfire would let them- they were both in good standings with the pack, both had trades they regularly exercised, and they were ready. She felt they were, anyway.
So she gave into her nesting instincts and began to dig a new den out of an old fox hole, but had to take a few breaks as the frozen ground was hard on her claws. She’s made the entrance just wide enough for Colt to get in, and then she’d dig the rest of the den out. She preferred a tiny entrance to the den for safety reasons. Once she’d tired herself out, she lay in the entrance way to take a break and watch as a few small snowflakes fell.
RE: Waking young ad feeling old - Wraen - March 03, 2019
It was bloody freezing. Unless Wraen was moving around, her paw became cold and numb. She was not even sure at times that she could feel her ears or that they were still there. Brrr... where was spring, when you really needed it?! She stopped in her tracks and looked up at the cloud-covered sky. Come on... the days were longer already, was it too much to ask to actually see the sun? To get some warmth? She snorted and shook her head. Sheesh...
And she would have continued to pity herself in this manner, unless a distraction happened along the way. Her gaze ran across the nearby scenery and spotted a golden-pelted head, which she was sure she did not recognize. Though her mind was predominated with overcoming the most primal need of every living creature (not be cold), she decided that she could do so much as to get to know that person. Or - here she almost chuckled - see, if it was a head only only or it had some body attached it too.
"You look comfy," she remarked, when she had come close enough to see that the head, in fact, belonged to a pretty she-wolf, who was half-hidden inside a den.
RE: Waking young ad feeling old - RIP Niamh - March 11, 2019
In the distance, a dark figure appeared and Niamh watched as she approached, recognizing the features of Wraen- one of the wolves that seemed to pal around in their own little clique with Kiwi and Maia. The three of them seemed pretty tight, though Niamh felt hopeful that she herself might be able to win her way into this group as well. There was a pretty powerful group of young women in the pack- considering that she, Kiwi, Wraen, Maia and Clover were all capable, likeable young women. She imagined that Clover might be the one to unite the two groups, as she'd been hanging around with Kiwi lately, but Niamh too liked Kiwi and was occasionally training her in self defense. Wraen and Maia were on the other end of the spectrum, same as she and Clover were- now all they needed was to knit the two ends together and they'd practically have an all-girl power band.
She thumped her tail in welcome as Wraen arrived and smiled at her comment. She lifted herself up and gestured that Wraen could follow her in. "C'mon in. Ain't finished yet, but it's warm." She said, noting the way that Wraen's coat had been fluffed up to keep her body heat in. She pulled back and more or less had to back her way down the narrow entrance, as she couldn't exactly turn around in it. Once past the run, though, she was able to turn around and move toward the back of her den where it was a bit wider, allowing Wraen to join her in the slightly dark but warm interior of the den.
RE: Waking young ad feeling old - Wraen - March 13, 2019
Wraen would have objected a little about the assumption that she and Kiwi were good friends. Acquaintances - yes, business partners in a sense - yes. Buddies - that part had to be found out. Plus, her opinion on the young leader would be heavily influenced by Maia's opinion. Family came first, no matter what in this case, distant relations - second.
But she was blissfully unaware of this and was glad for the invitation, though there was a slight skepticism of, whether Niamh's comfortable nook would be big enough for two of them. It looked deceivingly small from the outside, but, once she had made her way down the rabbit-hole, it was not that bad. The fact that she had still not regained the weight she had lost during the empty-weeks of winter, definitely helped.
"This is nice," she thanked the generous host. "Colt is out and about and left you without a personal heating element?" she asked in that whimsical way of hers.
RE: Waking young ad feeling old - RIP Niamh - March 13, 2019
Wraen looked a bit more comfortable once she’d moved inside Niamh’s den, which had more than enough space for the both of them, considering that she and Colt could fit in it too. She chuckled at Wraen’s comment and she nodded. ”Pretty much. He’s pretty handy in that respect. Nothing better than a space heater that also feeds you occasionally,” She said affectionately.
The den was simple, not decorated or ornate like the one she’d had at the Plateau. ”Hoping to jazz this space up a bit though once the snow melts. I have a soft spot for colourful feathers,” She admitted with a grin. ”But they’ll show up when the prettier birds come back to nest.” She reasoned.
RE: Waking young ad feeling old - Wraen - March 14, 2019
Niamh had just scored in Wraen's "people I want to know and keep knowing" list by understanding her comment and laughing too. She smiled in response and liked Colt's mate just a bit more than she had moments earlier.
Jazz up? Wraen was a little confused and cast a glance around the dark den they were in at the moment. She had never given much thought of the places she chose to sleep at. As long as they were safe, comfortable and with the added benefit of having a Maia by her side. It had never occurred that someone would want to make the bedroom more beautiful than it was.
"This is the first time I hear someone doing this," she shared her mind. "How do you keep them - feathers - in one place? So that they do not scatter, when you go in and out?"
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - March 25, 2019
Had Niamh been a more insecure wolf, she might've felt foolish bringing up what seemed to Wraen, the novel idea of decorating her den with feathers. However- Niamh was happy to be asked about her little hobby, and pleased that Wraen took some interest in it. She was also proud that she was the first that Wraen had heard of, who had developed this art form. Colt seemed to tolerate it- and had even helped her by bringing her birds to eat and de-feather, for their first shared den.
"Well, I think for this place," She said, standing up so she could squint more closely at the walls of her den, "The ground here's kind of clay-ish. Hard to tell in the winter 'cause it's all so frozen. But when the ground thaws in Spring, I'll be able to tell. You can just stick 'em in to wet clay and they'll sort of stay there." She said, before she gestured to the ground. "Or when I make a kind of fuzz-nest, 'cause I like a comfy den, I'll just tuck a bunch of them in that, around the edges...Sorta like a nest." She said. "Only thing is they tend to look kinda gimpy and tattered after a little while, so they've gotta be changed out." She said. "Spring'll be better for pretty feathers. Nothin's got its mating plumage on it yet." She said, sounding somewhat disappointed.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - March 27, 2019
Niamh gave a lenghty explanation and, while Wraen listened to her, she decided that she likes this girl better with every passing moment. She was different from Maia with whom Wraen shared a playful-tomboyish-sisterly relationship. She was different from Epic, who was all for adventuring and getting in trouble. And different from all the old and mature folks. There was something feminine about her that made Wraen realize that... well... she was a girl too, with girlish likes and whims. Maybe, when she got to know Niamh better, this first impression would change.
"Wow - I will definitely want to see your den, when you have redecorated it," Wraen basically invited herself for a next visit. "So, I understand that you are not either Redhawk or Blackthorn by birth?" she moved the conversation along. "'cause, if the answer is - yes - you might be offered a spot in a super-secret organization that I have told you nothing about."
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - March 28, 2019
Niamh nodded, happy to show Wraen- or basically anyone- what she could do with feathers once she had the time to decorate. "Sure- and if you find any nice ones, feel free to drop them off!" She said with a wink. Feathers- especially nice ones- weren't always easy to come by. There were plenty of ragged looking crow feathers, and the occasional blue jay or robin that shed them for whatever reason, but it seemed like if Niamh wanted feathers, she generally had to hunt the birds down on her own. She was reminded of the time she'd managed to catch a couple fledgeling magpies- but they hadn't been fully grown, so their feathers hadn't been nearly as nice as they could have been.
She then asked about Niamh's relations to the two biggest families between the two sisterly packs, and she nodded, and then shook her head. "Yep- nope, no relationship by blood." She said. She was tempted to say something about the fact that she felt fairly certain that she and Colt would tie the knot (again) soon, but she kept her trap shut- and was far more intrigued by what Wraen said next. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "Super secret organization? That's not for Blackthorns or Redhawks?" She asked, a little unsure about the whole thing. She also wasn't sure she'd interpreted Wraen's statement just yet, whether this secret organization was for Redhawks and Blackthorns, or if it was for those who didn't belong to either family. To her, the pack as a whole was her family, and she wasn't sure she liked the idea of there being a secret organization that excluded certain wolves because of their surname. But at the same time, Niamh couldn't help herself- her curiosty was definitely piqued, and she scooted a bit closer, since this was, after all, a secret. "What is it?" She asked, and then a memory hit her.
"Oh, darnit. I forgot. So-" She said, leaning back reluctantly. "So sort of, somehow, like waaaay back, I am kind of related to the Redleafs. See, they used to be DeMontes, before March Owl changed the last name. My Dad's side of the family is DeMonte. [b]So I guess it's, uh...Sort of your call?" [/b]She babbled quickly, and shrugged. "Also prolly gonna be a Blackthorn by marriage, so I dunno if that counts, sort of," She said, and flicked her ears forward to see what Wraen made with all of that- and if she even managed to catch some of it, as Niamh had a tendency to babble very quickly when she was sorting through details.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - April 01, 2019
"I am just pulling your leg," Wraen chuckled, after she had kept Niamh in suspense for a little while. No secret organization per se, but she, Epic and Maia hung out together more often than with the rest of the group. And it would be nice to expand that circle. And - oh - the literary club, of course. But then again - Eljay was at the centre of it - therefore it did not qualify to the "no Redhawks or Blackthorns" requirement. "But if you feel like it, you can hang out with me and Maia, and Epic sometimes. We are a tad bit crazy, but very fun-loving bunch."
Then quite unexpectedly Niamh shared a piece of family history that Wraen was not aware of and with this the young DeMonte soon-to-be Blackthorn girl had rendered her packmate speechless. "March Owl was my grandmother and I did not know that part of the story," out of all Osprey's children she had been the keenest to learn all about the Redleaf history, but apparently even her mom, who had known the two founders personally, did not know everything. "My family are Redleafs-DiSarinnos, so this makes us... very distant cousins, I think?" she tried to wrap her mind around the extensive family tree and had hard time doing it.
"How do you know all this?" she asked then.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - April 09, 2019
Niamh was disappointed to hear that this secret society didn't exist- though part of her was relieved too, to hear that the pack wouldn't be divided by their relations or lack thereof. Given that she didn't know Wraen very well, and perhaps due to the fact that she wasn't terribly keen in matters of observation, she didn't suspect that Wraen had merely withdrawn her invitation not because the society didn't exist, but because Niamh didn't make the cut. It was likely for the best that Niamh didn't even think of this- as it might have changed how she saw Wraen, and might have made her suspicious. Regardless, she didn't even think to wonder if Wraen was telling the truth or hiding a secret, so she merely felt slightly bummed that this club didn't exist. The invitation to bond with the trio she didn't know terribly well, though, appealed to her greatly. "That sounds cool; I'd like that," She said, and made a mental note to actually follow through with that invitation. "I might just be the right amount of crazy to fit in," She said with a chuckle. Poor Wraen- she had no idea. Fortunately, Niamh's 'crazy' had been somewhat reined in since she'd relocated to the Copse.
Niamh tilted her head to the side with curiosity when Wraen admitted that March Owl, the March Owl, was her grandmother. That would make her related to Towhee then, would it not? Niamh shrugged, but nodded at Wraen's conclusion, as she wasn't terribly good at figuring out how relationships- beyond immediate family- worked. "I think so, yep," She said.
"My Dad told me," She said, leaning back a bit, but fortunately the small den's ceiling was high enough to allow her to do that without conking her head. "He was pretty good at keeping track of family history. Apparently my- our- family tends to wander a lot, so he and his Dad before him figured it'd be best to bring their history with them. I'm not much good at it, so I don't remember all the details, but they were pretty darn good at keeping family records straight." She admitted. "From what I recall- and I might be wrong- but somewhere way back, a couple generations- there was a sort of...Split, or something, in the family. I remember the names Osprey and March Owl, and I think there was a Peregrine and...Another bird...Aves? They were all siblings, and all DeMontes, but also half Endore, through their mom. But I think both their parents went missing, so March Owl- who was kinda the ringleader of the bunch- decided that she and Osprey, who were the closest, should make their own surname- and it was Redleaf, or something like that." She said. "I think the shortcut between our families...Is that March Owl's dad, Fennyroyal," She said, mistakenly skewering his name a tad, "And my Great-great grandfather, Bragi, were half-brothers." She said. She offered an apologetic smile. "I think that's it, anyway."
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - April 15, 2019
Wraen, who was an avid collector of family history, soon got lost in trying to draw the connections between the myriad of people name's Niamh showered her with. She recognized Osprey and Peregrine and knew that both her mom and uncle were named in memory of March Owl's siblings. Aves she had never heard of, same with Bragi. Endores? She gave up. It was too much and she was afraid that by asking this lady for more details she would drown.
"This makes us sort-of cousins on god-knows-which level," Wraen concluded, regarding the golden pelted girl with new eyes, searching for any familiar features in her and finding none. They were related - that much was clear - but did not bear any likeness. "And, what were you by surname, before you became a Blackthorn?" she asked.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - April 17, 2019
Wraen seemed pretty cool- easy to talk to, and relaxed, so Niamh- who was normally fairly chatty by nature- enjoyed her company. Like Wraen, she couldn’t exactly put a paw on exactly what kind of cousins they were, but she was pleased to have found yet another relative- no matter how distant- in these whereabouts. Not surprising, considering how prolific their family was.
When she asked about Niamh’s former surname, she winced a bit. ”DeMonte-Argyle,” She answered, and then elaborates. ”Technically still sort of am. Colt and I were mates at the Plateau, but we kind of had a falling-out so we broke up. I, uh, can be kind of an idiot sometimes. But I’ve refocused my priorities, and put him at the top of the list so we’re trying again.” She said. ”And I’m lucky. ‘Cause as much of an idiot I am, Colt can be equally as stubborn,” She said with a fond laugh.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - April 22, 2019
"My mom kept her family name, when she married my father," Wraen explained, having often wondered, why hadn't Dante wanted to pass on his own family name, but never found the right moment to ask. Though he had not talked much about his life prior meeting Osprey and she suspected that there were unpleasant things he did not wish to unearth.
"And she passed it on to us - her children - though, if I happen to meet a fellow with a better family name than mine, I would not be opposed to change it," she mused, but - really - when was that going to ever happen? "Redleaf-DiSarinno is mouthful. Though yours is not that simple either," she chuckled.
"I understand that there are more DeMonte-Argyles running around? You are not the sole descendant, who has the weight of the whole family on your shoulders?" she asked, curious to find out more about Niamh's family, while she was in the mood to tell.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - April 25, 2019
Niamh tilted her head to the side at the idea of a female keeping her own surname when marrying. If the kids got the father’s name, it didn’t make sense to her (close-minded as she occasionally was) for he Mom not to take the name too. Her parents had chosen to hyphenate, so that they all had both surnames.
”I liked being a Blackthorn; it’s simpler, I’ll agree- and it’s kind of badass. Blackthorns are kind of notorious around here,” She said with a laugh. ”If you didn’t want to just take your partner’s name, you could always double hyphenate. I’ve never seen that before. But yeh, it might be an even bigger mouthful then,” She admitted. DeMonte-Argyle-Blackthorn would definitely be too much.
Her ears tipped back when Wraen asked about her siblings, or others who would pass the family name on. ”It depends I guess...Both my brothers are gone, and I suspect my older sister will have already taken someone else’s last name.” She admitted.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - April 26, 2019
"Redleaf-DiSarinno-Blackthorn - that would be some badass combiation. Poor kids," Wraen chuckled at the silly thought of having a surname that was at least five times longer than the actual name. "Or - just imagine - that kid with three surnames got married and decided to keep them all and add another one. Redleaf-DiSarinno-Blackthorn-Smith," and then you could go on and on, until the name of the character would take a whole paragraph to write down.
"A big family as well, then," Wraen nodded. "I have a brother named Terance, who is a leader of a hollow in a land far-far-away. I have a sister, who is the same age as me. Maia you have already met and then there are two more," she told, omitting the fact that there were three more, who would be a year old by now. Somehow this piece of news had disappeared in the shadow of the graver news of her parents' demise.
"I always thought that I was going to have a big family too, but as the years go by this seems less and less likely," she said it with a contemplative gaze. "I will be four next year - a middle-aged lady."
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - April 30, 2019
Niamh chuckled at the thought of giving her children- if she were ever to have any- a last name that was a combination of three different surnames, or possibly more than that. Wraen managed to tackle that topic by dealing out a three-times-hyphenated surname, and Niamh shrugged. "At that point they should just combine all four into one." She suggested. "Reddithornsmith, er something like that," She said. "Though that's not really much better," She said. "I think I'd just be happy to give up my surname again," She concluded, still hopeful that some day, she might get to be a Blackthorn again.
Wraen brought up the topic of large families, something they seemed to share- but she seemed to have some reason for believing that she herself might not have one. Niamh found this to be a slightly ridiculous assumption. "No way." She said. "Lookit Finley. I dunno how old she is, but she's still popping out kids left and right; you've still got plenty of time to make a horde of Mini-Wraens if you want to," She said with a smile.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - May 01, 2019
Niamh's counter-argument amused Wraen and she burst out in a cheerful laughter. The very thought of a little army of Wraen-like clones was entertaining. Yeah, if life was that easy... If she had a mate by her side, she would probably be just as optimistic and smart about the subject as Colt's mate was, or even Finley, if she were to ask them. But the project "family" needed two people and the idea about going off with a random stranger only to have kids and no contact, was not very appealing to her. She had put her parents' relationship on pedestal and wanted nothing less of it.
"Thank you for your encouragement," she said and meant it. "There was a time during my childhood, when I sincerely believed that you can get babies on your own. Without... how to put it tactfully... outside influence," she smiled at this remeniscence, though she had forgotten, when and how this bubble of ignorance had burst. The Talk with Osprey had not been very traumatizing or awkward after all. "Though that would make life hell-of-a-lot easier... How did you meet Colt, if you do not mind telling?" she steered the conversation back to Niamh.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - May 02, 2019
Niamh had never considered having kids on her own. She'd always pictured having the perfect, handsome man in the picture, and the two of them together would be surrounded by a multitude of kids. It seemed odd, to her, to hear of a female who amused themselves with the thought of having children without having a male involved. It was nice to be loved- and supported, and have that extra help when the kids came, if she ever had any. But she could see Wraen's point; if Niamh hadn't met Colt, she supposed she'd still want to have kids of her own.
"I get that," She said, with a nod. "But I dunno about it making life easier. I'm gonna FULLY and COMPLETELY depend on Colt whenever we're allowed to have kids," She emphasized, with a laugh. Her ears perked when Wraen took an interest, then, in the way she'd met her hopefully mate-to-be. Wraen was easy to talk to- she asked questions that Niamh liked to answer, and posed ideas that were fun to think about. Kiwi was right, as skeptical as she was of other wolves- Wraen was definitely alright.
"Actually, it's a kinda funny story." She began, doing her best to set the expectations high. "It'd just been raining for like...Days, and I was doing a patrol along the edge of the plateau- toward the south, where it leaks down into the floodplains." She said. "So there I was, walking along an' minding my own business when I slipped- and ended up pretty much flying down the side of the plateau on my arse, tumbling more'n a tumbleweed caught in wreckhouse winds, and when I finally came to a stop at the bottom, Colt was just there." She said. For a moment, her tone might have implied that Colt had stepped in to be a gentleman, but she cut that thought short abruptly. "An' he made fun of me."
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - May 11, 2019
Wraen was tempted to ask, if Colt had got the memo about Niamh's intentions of leaving child-care and child-raising all up to him, but did not. They were not good friends enough for her to test the boundaries and tease more than it was considered proper and not insulting. Therefore she smiled, she listened and chuckled at the end of the tale about them two coming together. Unlike Finley's and Colt's stories, which were also very true, this was simple, funny and easy to believe to have happened. Either the manner Niamh had told it suggested it to her or... because Niamh had not attempted to make it any more awesome and shiny as it already was.
"I can see him doing just that," Wraen nodded in agreement, conjuring the mental image of the event before her eyes. "But you did not let him go away with it, did you?" she asked for a continuation.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - May 13, 2019
Niamh snorted, pleased with the fact that Wraen, too, saw Colt for the soft-core asshole he occasionally was, but clearly she didn't hold it against him- as none of them really did. After all, Colt did have a good heart- and he knew when to be an asshole and when to put that side of him on pause. He'd nearly pushed his limits with Niamh that day though, and of course that had been back when the blonde female had been more fire than wit, and had easily taken offense. Now, though, it as easy for her to look back on the entire situation and laugh at herself- even though that would have offended then-Niamh very much.
"I kind of did," She admitted, reflecting back on the fact that she hadn't exactly been in any condition to stop Colt's teasing with a physical assult. "He pushed my buttons until I got all pouty and pathetic- and then he stopped and actually helped me out," She said with a laugh. "Wasn't one of my best moments, but he seemed capable of seeing past all that- I dunno how," She said. It was hard to add another comment on to that, of course- as the next comment would be to reiterate the fact that she had royally screwed things up after then anyway. "He's pretty good at looking past my faults. And I'd like to think I've gotten pretty good at looking past his asshollery." She said, trying to make light of the situation.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - Wraen - May 15, 2019
"That's the real trick in relationships, huh?" Wraen remarked. "Seeing past the flaws, living with them and finding them endearing at some level," she mused, thinking about, how easy it was to be together with Maia and how there were people in this world, who were annoyed or did not understand either of them. She knew that Kiwi and Maia did not get along and in a similar way she had never found a common thread with Treason. Or Charon and his mate.
"I hate to leave your comfy abode," Wraen began, "but I have to see, if Maia has had any luck in getting us dinner. If it's as big as the frog-prince she found last time, she will need a helping paw." In other words - it was time to save her sister from a certain death of boredom at the borders. Hunting was as good excuse as any to disappear and do something fun instead. "You are welcome to come by," she offered, before leaving. "When you need some girl-only time."
Last one from me. Thank you for the thread and we have to have another one in near future. I would love to see, how their friendship develops.
RE: Waking young and feeling old - RIP Niamh - May 15, 2019
Wraen seemed keen to see the optimistic side of faults, something Niamh wished she could do better. She was definitely the more forgiving sort, or so she must have been, to be able to talk so casually about accept the faults present in others. She hoped that Wraen would be able to see past her faults, should they show themselves. At least she could feel fairly secure knowing that out of all the other wolves in the pack, Wraen would be the least likely to hold a grudge, or so she thought. She offered Wraen a sweet smile, as she appreciated the way her good-natured packmate could make Niamh feel les terrible about her past, failed relationship with Colt. "You're right," She said softly. She'd have to thank Colt, too, for being willing to look beyond her past errors. She was lucky to be surrounded by the wolves she now lived with.
Her eyebrows lifted when Wraen detailed Maia's hunting expertise- or lack thereof. She chuckled lightly, and nodded. "Thanks for stopping by, Wraen. And if the two of you ever wanna go for something in the bigger game category, let me know. I've been working on perfecting my skills as a large-prey hunter." She said. She stood, to see Wraen out, bid her another fond adieu, and then got back to diggin her den out, hoping that she could have a space big enough for herself and Colt by nightfall.