Sunbeam Lair a toast to new beginnings

01/19 - totally optional. just a chance for everyone to meet :)
@Salvatore @Kaori @Moony @Xizur @Eligius

the first howl was sounded from the mouth of the lair. bhediya listened to it echo behind her, heard it reverberate over the mountainside; it was a call to empyrean, a request for their family to gather. a moment passed and the seraph made her way back inside. 

once at the eye, she settled into a seat to wait for everyone's arrival. it was a secluded corner of their territory, located at the very back of the cavern. snowfall drifted in from the hole on the ceiling which aatma used to look down on their gathering. she drew in a deep breath and allowed herself to enjoy the scenery.

He lingers close, hovering by Sunbeam Lair because it is home. A thought once intangible and a mission impossible now lays before him in his grasp, and it is all thanks to Bhediya who welcomed him with open arms.
Head comically pops upward, tipped ears standing alert at the summons beckoning forth he and the rest of the crew. The nearby tangle of dead bushes is left behind, as he clumsily sprints upward the slope towards the cavern’s entrance.
Within, he slows, nose sniffling and echoing across the walls—ears flicker and a soft chuckle leaves his lips in embarrassment. But it is not long before he enters the main chamber and sees the Seraph within. Hiya! Grin broad, the golden boy takes a seat.

I hope it's okay I jumped in here!<3

Where could she have gone? "Lale!" she called over and over again frantically with no concern about how she sounded. She had already tried whistling until her throat became hoarse and dry, nothing had come of it. Iolana ran everywhere, she'd been doing so for days. The last time Iolana had seen even a glimpse of her feathered friend was what felt like years ago when she caught that fish in the river due east. By now the wisp of a lady had so much dirt and little twigs entrapped within her pelage she probably looked more of a bush than a wolf.
She wouldn't get anywhere like this. Iolana settled and without restriction hot tears formed puddles at the base of her eyes. One fell down her cheek, then another, now a full river came coursing down her face. Iolana, already drowning in worry and fear, was now doing so in a miserable heap. A loud howl pierced the sky. If even she could hear it the wolf had to be nearby. Iolana didn't care who the howl was aimed at. She did not care if she was welcome, she shot up and begged her legs to take her to the stranger. When she arrived at the source of the noise Iolana glanced around and in her hysteria saw two new wolves. Without care of how she sounded, she screamed in panic "Ua ʻike ʻoe i koʻu hoaaloha? ʻO Lale kona inoa!" Do they speak Hawaiian? Probably not.
So she translated into what she assumed the others spoke, "Have you seen my friend? Her name is Lale!" If the wolves paid enough attention they would be able to see the still visible streaks her tears left. It didn't take an expert to see the unstable state she was currently enduring, but she wasn't sure if it was obvious she was in no way dangerous in her state. Iolana only wanted her friend back, they had to be able to help. They had to. 

eligius, bhediya called with a friendly smile, how are you settling in? the others hadn't arrived yet, but she wasn't concerned; the call was explicit in its voluntary nature. it was an opportunity for her to catch up with eligius, the newest recruit.

the seraph patiently awaited his response, but found herself somewhat distracted by the sound of distant sobs. she looked to see if he'd also heard the noise, then stood and began to walk toward the lair's entrance. c'mon, she called back to him, hoping he would follow.

the distressed stranger quickly came into view. she spoke a foreign tongue, one that bhediya responded to with, i don't understand, slow down. the sylph continued, explaining that she'd lost track of her companion. where did you last see her? bhe asked, wondering if she'd perhaps seen her in passing.

Bhediya is so friendly, it always puts the golden boy at ease to see her. Worries washed away, he is buzzing with excitement for now to meet his new packmates—while he might have seen them in passing, it’d be nice to put names to faces and all that.
Well! I’ve been exploring nearby, there is this creek that I think would— He cuts off, tipped ears twitching at the sound of cries. What was that? Eligius whispers, glancing towards the Seraph.
Although he’s a bit worried about going towards the spooky noise, he doesn’t want to leave Bhediya alone to do so. He trails after her.
He jumps, fur standing on end as they are swiftly intercepted. If he hides behind Bhediya a bit, well… no one’s really paying attention to him, right?
Unfortunately, it seems like it is a devastated wolf, seeking… a friend? The rush of words and vibes of anxiety left Eligius’ mind scrambling. Thankfully, Bhediya seems to understand somewhat. The golden boy peaks around his leader, and steps forth—nodding his head along with her words.

Iolana was losing her mind. Her thoughts were jumbled, mind racing, heart pounding. The lady had even forgotten that she was deaf and wouldn't be able to hear if the others had anything to say. Now, along with worried and hysteric, she was confused as well. "I... I..." she managed to blurt between jagged breaths. She slowed.

Iolana took a few moments to collect herself and her false hopes. "I... umm... I can't hear you." the wisp stuttered, probably very loudly,  when she realized she had no earthly clue what the wolf had just said. It wasn't until she glanced around that she noticed that the golden wolf hiding behind the other stranger. Iolana tried to lower her volume, but now she wasn't sure if she was speaking too quietly, this would be difficult. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you!" Iolana assured, trying to get back on the right foot. She had no clue how this was gonna work out, but there's no backing out now. One cannot simply scare a wolf, confuse another, then say nevermind and leave. She had to stay.

bhediya wondered if eligius was a bit dimmer than once thought. of all the places he could have hidden, he chose to cower behind her...this would have been fine, were she not the size of a child. it didn't matter, though; the woman who'd wandered into their lair seemed friendly enough. 

you ca- what? the seraph didn't understand the problem. either a wolf could hear, or they couldn't; she hadn't considered partial deafness to be a possibility. still, for hospitality's sake, she called a bit louder, where did you last see your friend? 

her voice was enough to startle a few bats. they swooped down and across the cave's ceiling, the sudden movement causing bhediya to break into nervous laughter.

He’s never claimed to be smart, and if the wolf were a true threat, perhaps he wouldn’t have ducked behind the miniature Seraph, but alas, in this case he feels more comfortable with Bhe here.
His ears twitch atop his head, the pitch of the stranger’s voice is off, and it is something Eligius catches now that his heart is starting to cease it’s wild stuttering.
Alas, Bhe answers this by speaking louder—startling bats from within that leaves Eli squeaking in surprise. His eyes turn upwards, body slouching towards the ground as they swoop.
What were those?! He says in a whisper-shout, because he doesn’t want to get dive-bombed again.

"I-I... at the river east of here. She flew off to get food and then... she just never came back." the woman replied as she slowly lowered her voice. A silent tear now crept down her face; this was her fault. A cold bitterness swept over the wisp. Encasing her much as her fur did, to others it may look as though she was still grieving. But on the inside, she was decaying. Iolana was a silent whisper, and now she was nothing but silent, her voiced drowned out by despair.

Some of it working into her words as she spoke: "I'm sorry... I'm bothering you. I'm in your way. I'm such a nuisance! I-I'm sorry." Turning away now the lady swiveled her head as the other spoke. "Those were bats, your friend scared them off. They are harmless, I promise." Complemented with a reassuring but burdened smile, the woman looked back out of the cave. "You haven't seen her... have you?" pointed to nobody in particular, her words hung in the air as a slight breeze carried them throughout the grotto.