Lost Creek Hollow hold it everybody, apple down.
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#1
All Welcome 
It was late when she crept away from the den that night, leaving her babies sleeping soundly at @Rannoch's side. Her mind was elsewhere, so she hadn't been able to sleep. She loved her new little wolves with all her heart, yet it wasn't their faces her heart longed for that evening. It was the ones she was missing--the ones she hadn't seen in such a long time. She wanted them, so she stole away to find them.

An hour later, Liffey was at Antares Falls, perched on one of the ledges with the water spilling past. She sat on the lowest cliff with the valley stretched out wide beneath her, though it wasn't that direction her eyes were cast. They were looking up, gazing solemnly at the constellations she and Rannoch had chosen for their older daughters - Remi and Wisp, two birds drawn in the sky with a shared star dotting the tips of their wings.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Ooc — Starrlight
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#2
They needed anotherrrr

Gannet too liked to visit the falls at night, though his reasons were simpler. The water soothed him to sleep in a way that, when his mind was racing, the quiet could not. Tonight was one such night, so he'd crept away from Mona and Ashlar and chosen a spot to curl up, near enough to hear the rush of the tumbling cascade.

He wasn't asleep yet when Liffey came, so he heard her approach and pass. There was always that question - bother her or let her be? But he'd found, more often than not, when a wolf was quiet they would feel better after a talk. Or, at least, they would not feel worse.

He stood up, stretching the sleepy weightiness from his limbs before slowly stepping up to join her. He didn't speak right away - just sat down beside, a small length of distance between them, and also looked up. His eyes weren't on the stars, though... they were on the horizon. The stars had never held a whole lot of interest for him. They were too far away and too distantly cold to bother with.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#3
um always <333333333333

Liffey turned slowly when she heard someone approaching, stifling the moment of anxiety that was trying to rise in those few seconds before she saw who it was. She was still nervous around strangers, especially when she was feeling as vulnerable as she was in that moment. But it was only Gannet, so she settled swiftly and offered him a small smile. They seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to not speak of that unpleasantness between them over Mona and her son. Liffey was continually disappointed to see that he hadn't distanced himself from them, but was growing to accept that it was too late anyway. He was in love with the boy the way any true father would be with his child. He was doomed now, as all parents were.

She turned to look up at the sky again, letting the silence fall between them. She had always been comfortable just being with her friend without filling every moment with chatter. But when words did come, she was also just as comfortable breaking it, which she did after a few silent minutes had passed. "What're you thinking about?" Liffey asked, not taking her eyes away from the stars.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#4
It wasn't really in Gannet's nature to dwell on previous arguments, so it was not hard for him to move on as if it had not occurred. The only effect was that it made him wary of speaking with her about Ashlar, and so he did not approach her with news on that front. If he wished to share something about his son, he had plenty of others to go to; Mona, Sarah, Ibis. Even Treason at times.

His one ear turned when she broke the silence, but he also kept his eyes out. Traveling, he replied. Ibis took messages, and I went to find teachers. But there weren't many willing. Big assumption there, but since that's been the gist so far, I'm taking a solid guess here. It had settled a nugget of an idea into his mind, one that had been growing for quite a long while.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#5
Seeing as Liffey and Gannet spent a lot of time together behind the scenes what with the puppies and all, she knew exactly what her friend was referring to. Two thoughts occurred to her then, which left her quiet for a moment as she tried to decide which to pursue first.

"Where did you try?" she asked, deciding to stow the first for a bit. Liffey was eager for news of Eljay and her parents. She also wanted to send news to them of her own children. She wondered if Gannet had gone that far in his search, or if he would be willing to if he hadn't yet.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#6
Easthollow first, he replied, recounting the trip in his mind. They had one, but I didn't stay. Then Swiftcurrent Creek, then Elysium. All had greeted them well (I assume).

He didn't explain any further than that, since he figured the reason Liffey asked she'd explain. Traveling more was definitely on his mind a lot lately, but he didn't want to go too far or too long yet. Not until Ashlar was older. Perhaps then he could even come with, if Mona wished or even came too.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
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#7
Liffey knew of Easthollow. She had been there when they had made the alliance with Valette (I'm pretty sure lololol), though she hadn't said much at the time. They had seemed like decent wolves, so she wasn't surprised to hear that they had help to offer, even though it didn't sound like Gannet had stuck around to take them up on it. She didn't recognize Swiftcurrent Creek, though Elysium struck a bell. They'd had some sort of festival that she hadn't attended due to her pregnancy. She hadn't heard of anything negative to come of it, but again, Gannet was not clear on if he'd found assistance there.

"Well, Easthollow is near enough. Do you plan to go back?" she asked, quickly losing track of her interest in sending him to the Redhawks to get news about her family. Partly because she was easily distracted, but also partly because her need to send him isn't a thing anymore oops.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#8
Gannet too had been planning a visit to the Redhawks this summer, once Ashlar was old enough. He knew for a fact that both his sister and his brother in law were healers, and that alone was more than enough reason. He'd even spoke to Treason about it and gotten her blessing months ago. Buuut for the sake of this, we are gonna say he doesn't bring it up because Liffey didn't bring it up, and its very Gahnay of him to assume that because of this he shouldn't. Just like, when she later came to him about babysitting, he'd agree without any sign of disappointment. Just a Gannet bein a Gannet.

Maybe. She seemed to know some, and was nice. Korei would make a good tutor in part, and there were maybe some things he could even show her. Tricks he'd picked up from different creatures around. I've been learning here too, slowly. Just not from wolves. He said quietly. He'd had to begin thinking outside the box, desperation for fixes to problems he knew he was likely to run into making him turn to sources he never would have considered before.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#9
Liffey didn't know who exactly Gannet was referring to, but didn't particularly feel the need to pry a name out of him. As long as she--whoever she was--didn't seem as though she was going to take advantage of her friend as so many others had (in her estimation), then Liffey didn't really need to know any more about her. Not that she actually trusted Gannet's opinion of who was and who wasn't worth trusting...

"What do you mean?" Liffey asked, curious to understand what he meant about gathering education from some source other than wolves. She had personally never been taught a thing about the stars or the natural world, but had been self-taught through observation. She supposed that could apply to medicine as well, but wasn't sure how that tactic alone would be enough.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#10
There was a bird. And a badger. The latter had been more recent. He'd taken to chatting up any non-food he found, and later would even encounter a herd of horses to pester. While some remedies made no sense (dirt baths for oily feathers?) some he knew to carry over, and those lessons were helping him along as he hit a wall finding wolves willing.

They showed me some things, he added, but I am going to learn more. He'd take warnings and advice from whoever he could speak to and, when he couldn't test it himself, trusted it as much as he trusted the one who gave it.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#11
Gannet gave a very typical Gannet response--one that was surprising, odd, and not very clear. She quirked a brow at him, wondering if he meant that he had practiced medicine on these creatures or force fed them plants to see how their bodies reacted to them. She was okay with that, of course, being a wolf and all. But still, she'd never heard of someone trying to learn by such methods before and was intrigued.

He went on to explain that the machinations of her overactive imagination were incorrect. Liffey felt a little disappointed, but she kept that to herself. No need to let anyone know she had a propensity for going mad scientist on them all. She merely nodded to show she understood before an idea came to her.

"It's kind of a trip, but what about Raven or Eljay?" Liffey asked because I just can't imagine her not recommending this oops, "Eljay knows a lot about medicine being a midwife, though it's mostly geared towards pregnant mothers and births. Could still be helpful to you. And there's no medic in the Wilds more accomplished than Raven." Yeah, she was a bit of a Raven fangirl, but her cousin had always been so nice to her growing up, how was she not going to become one?
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Ooc — Starrlight
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#12
It was definitely a thought he'd had a few times, but it had never seemed the time. I want to. he replied, though he looked down uncertainly. There's a lot here though. A lot to help with. He clarified quickly, thinking of the children and everything he'd had to do so far. What happened if he left and something happened? He was still planning on it, and thinking more and more now that Ashlar was old enough to be less dependent all the time.

Eljay would teach me. Raven might. he shifted uncertainly. He still saw them as family, and always would, but he did not remember his older sister terribly well. Unlike the other members of his family, she was not a mother to him, and nor was Finley. Honestly... his younger siblings barely felt like Redhawks to him, though he didn't really have the words to say that to Liffey. They might let him stay, or they might turn him away.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#13
Liffey nodded, understanding. She didn't think of anyone's children but her own, of course, but she didn't really need to. Her own were enough of a handful that she understood the scope of what a lot to help with meant well enough to be getting on with.

"Raven would teach you too," Liffey said confidently, noting his lack thereof. It became apparent to her then that he must not be all too close with his siblings on the Plateau. Which she supposed made some sense. He had been absent more often than she had when they were younger.

Seeing no reason to pursue the topic further, Liffey looked skyward and found the constellation she and her mate had chosen for their daughters again. "The other night, Rannoch and I decided to pick out shapes in the stars and name them for our kids, so they each have their own constellation. We chose a rabbit for Deshyr, a stag for Breccan, and two birds joined at the wingtip for Remi and Wisp. Just there," she indicated with a gesture that I'm going to pretend was somehow sufficient for helping Gannet find them.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#14
He didn't answer her affirmation, though she definitely had more faith than he did. In some ways Gannet could be an optimist - he never assumed harm was meant. But in many ways he was a realist, because he also never assumed that an outcome would be good. Everything would end up they way it ended up, and all he could do was work around it.

He'd never understood the stars. He used them every so often to find his way, but other than that, he saw none of the pictures or symbolism that others saw in them. They were stars - nothing more. He listened politely as Liffey pointed them out, but even if her directions were right, Gannet only saw points of light. You miss them? he asked, thinking of what she'd said about children leaving. Some of the names she mentioned were here, but some weren't.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#15
Liffey gazed thoughtfully at the stars overhead, her mind wandering through all the possibilities for where her two daughters were at that moment, what they were doing, what they were seeing. How they felt, how well they were surviving. All of it. Every detail. It pained her not to know these things about her daughters the way she knew them about all of her other children. It pained her not to be a part of their lives. She wondered if they remembered her fondly, or if they hated her for not being the kind of mother they wanted to stay with.

She merely nodded in response to her friend's question, unable to find any additional words to put towards the topic. Thinking of her daughters often made her lose her voice, but she was alright with that in the present company. She was good with thoughtful silence and quiet companionship.

wanna wrap up? :D
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#16
She nodded but didn't say anything, and he took the cue for silence. He enjoyed that just as much as well and was in no real hurry to fill it.

He looked up and tried to see something up there that meant anything, but all he saw was lights. Pretty, yes, but no prettier than the daytime sky. So he turned his attention back down and inward, after a time, thinking about everything and nothing as he shared the quiet evening.
Gannet's face and body are open books; you are more than welcome to distinctly notice any emotion written in his posts.
(Most thread titles come from Into the Fire from the Scarlet Pimpernel)