Hideaway Strath now kindly behave like a gangster again

Arturo had spent his morning corralling Roarke — whose tenacity was both to be admired and cause for great worry — back to Lotte for whatever lessons his wife had planned for their children after realizing that he had snuck away. Finding the winter’s bane had proven a great challenge — much to Arturo’s surprise and chagrin — and when he did and managed to send Roarke back on the path to his mother with sharp, chiding words that Arturo had learned not to fear to use when speaking to his children the morning was already half gone. The days grew hotter and Arturo, whom despised border patrol as it was, liked making his rounds when the day was at it’s lowest temperature — early in the morning and as day gives to night. Roarke had disrupted his routine but confident that Chusi or another aspiring guardian was already upon the borders Ceannasach did not stress too much that two patrols would be slimmed down to one.

The sovereign of Teaghlaigh drew in a deep breath and found that he isn’t sure what to do with free-time. He does not often allot for it within his daily schedule but he finds himself presented with it all the same. Since their last conversation and what had been offered had given way to other considerations of the Fearghal patriarch. Nothing that would not have occurred to the coywolf on it’s own as Hemlock’s contribution to Teaghlaigh had always been great and this is not the first time that Arturo thought to reward her for her loyalty and dedication to the Family. Last time, however, Palisander’s death and Hemlock’s departure for vengeance had put it out of his mind.

Thus, it is @Hemlock Ceannasach actively seeks, stopping first by the den she shares with her young ward, Sirius. His steps cease as he draws near and he lets out a low chuff of inquiry, trying to think of where else he may find her if she is not to be found at her den.

Most days Hemlock spends either teaching Sirius or one of the other puppies about the world around them, or making her rounds of the Strath for plants and things that might need her attention. Today she is feeling surprisingly lazy and while it isn't her standard, she's decided to embrace it. Her birthday is fast approaching and while she longs for the nostalgia of her littermates and the carefree life she lived as a child Hemlock knows her place and is happy for the life she's made with Teaghlaigh. Her thoughts are distant, Sirius off with the other puppies playing games or sleeping or harassing some poor soul; he is given a freedom with his age and she wants him happy and safe and knows that in their borders there are none to seek to do him harm. 

When Arturo chuffs Hemlock's tail wags pleasantly, turning her attention to the embers of his gaze with a fond smile. "I see you have chased off the ankle-biters for the time being," She teased as she moved to sit up, knowing that the children had all found their teeth. Thankfully they were past the point of relying on milk or else Lotte no doubt would have been ready to send them into the wilds. Still, Hemlock is proud of them and their growth, each with their own personalities and preferences. 

The conversation they last had when truly alone still floats distantly in her mind; Hemlock doesn't feel any different, even at the start of a possible heat, but she doesn't think it is coming yet. She has suspicions about winter and how famished she had been, imagining she would have gone into her season if her body had been capable. It doesn't feel like a missed opportunity given that Palisander had passed so recently and that she had been alone. Now, she doesn't know still what she would feel - if it were anticipation or anxiety or some sort of fear wrapped in it together. Still, she doubts this is a social call about the status of their would-be-children, so Hemlock is more curious than anything about Arturo's visit. 

Much to Arturo’s relief he does not have to over turn the Strath to find Hemlock. The gangster lets out a derisive snort when Hemlock makes mention to him having freed himself from his children. Ankle-biters is both extremely accurate and yet somehow not quite accurate enough. There is very little in the world that Arturo Fearghal loves more than his children because they are his sole redemption arc but being a father has it’s cons and it is not always a task full of sunshine and rainbows and there are times, like today, that Arturo is grateful for solitude. Still, he relishes in their want to be near him because he knows that one day, soon, they will groan against the mention of lessons or of having to spend quality time with their parents. They are still young yet and life is yet but a novelty and Lotte and him — as parents — are still cool. “For the moment,” Ceannasach murmurs with a twitch of his lips into a beguiling albeit small smile.

“I’m glad I’ve found you,” Arturo admits. He sees no reason to put off this particular offer and if he hadn’t found her it would have been shuffled to the side as patrols, leadership duties or children made their presence as priority (sometimes obnoxiously) known and demanded. “I have something I’d like to discuss with you,” And because he cannot help but see the irony in those words and idly wonders if she has yet come to fear them, a small smirk plays at the corners of his lips. “— not about what we’ve previously discussed last time we were alone,” Well they hadn’t actually been alone but Eirlys was far too young to count as a participant in the conversation. “This time I come to you with an offer of promotion to Oifigeach, if you’ll have it.” None yet have held the rank which makes this better for Arturo personally, as he has begun to think that the rank of Póilín bears a curse to it as it’s first holder was murdered and it’s second holder ended up betraying him and Teaghlaigh — and though Arturo has always scoffed at his mother’s superstitions he finds himself weary of the rank and (actively) avoids it like the plague it has become to him mentally striking it from his hierarchy until he is certain that such a curse does not exist.

Soon enough none of their young would want much to do with them. Hemlock knows she has to cherish these moments as long as she could when the tales of the Earth and it's wonders still enraptured the children rather than exasperated them. Like Arturo, Hemlock was acutely aware of the fact that all too soon they would stop seeing the adults in their lives as charming and would grow into their own beings with their own strong opinions. Hemlock's interest was even more piqued by his statement - he had more he wanted to discuss? A bemused smile grew on her face when he admitted it wasn't the same thing as last time and that was a relief. "I might have wondered when Lotte was going to chase me out if you were that set on my young." Hemlock teased before he went on to speak. 

They have not had an Oifigeach before. This the is a new station to her, and while she was aware of the basic inner workings of the pack it still left her with some questions. "What would my duties be?" She asked curiously. It wasn't as if she would reject his request of course, but she had not expected that she would lay claim to either Oigifeach or Póilín. Expectations were made to be broken, in her world, and thinking that Arturo has desires to see her in different tasks only makes her more eager. "That is not a no - I am just curious." Hemlock said with a smile, not wanting to scare him off. 

A low throaty and soft chuckle pushed forth from the gangster’s lips as Hemlock’s tease. Ceannasach does not deign to push Lotte in the matter and has, thus, (more or less) tucked it from his mind. It is not an overly pressing matter as Hemlock has not gone into heat — or else he is wholly desensitized to it which is a possibility he very much doubts — and they have already spoken about it. Until the time comes it is simply theory, anyway. “The same as any Beta’s, absent red herring status,” In truth, Arturo is not so sure he will ever take another. He stands for Teaghlaigh and he will bear it’s grievances and shoulder the burden and trouble as it comes and if it means his death …then so be it. Or less dramatically, the curse lingers still in his mind and to his abstract horror Arturo is not so willing to scoff at the idea. “You perform many of the duties presently and I thought it was about time you are rewarded for your hard work and devotion to Teaghlaigh.” Her work has not gone unnoticed by Ceannasach and he knows of no other way to show and offer his appreciation; besides, this is not the first time he has sought to elevate Hemlock to leadership; simply this time he is confident that she will remain with them her vengeance having been sated.

 

Hemlock still, despite Lotte's assurances, was set on edge about the whole ordeal. If truth be told it would be her first real heat and her inexperience would show. She wasn't the type for girlish shyness and wondered how finicky she might be when the time came. Hemlock gave a nod when Arturo explained the position smoothly without the need of the red herring and in truth, she was relieved. It seemed a marker of this new place that they would not hide in any way. "Of course I would accept,"  Hemlock said with a small smile, her ears perking as she heard the nearby war cries of their boys - no doubt Roarke and Sirius were tearing through the Strath after one another, or maybe even the quiet Ceallach had joined the fray. 

“Good.” Arturo is pleased that Hemlock has accepted the Oifigeach position, for, in his mind, there is none that is more deserving of it. She is one of the last of Teaghlaigh’s founders and without her Arturo accepts that none of this would be possible. Whether the gangster realizes it or not he feels indebted to her. “I was never a man to believe in such childish things as curses,” For that is what he sees such things: curses, magic, deities as: childish. He has always been realistic, always focusing on what he can see and touch and hear. He feels no otherworldly presence though he knows his mother’s first defense to that would be something along the lines of if you close your mind, you will never feel them but he is an old man stubborn, old fashioned and set in his ways. He is master of his own fate not some invisible, all powerful deity. “but I cannot deny the two instances of tragedy that the title Póilín carries with it. Perhaps it is time the rank is made defunct.” He knows that he has been preening Chusi for eventual leadership but even the mere idea of giving her the accursed rank makes his heart seize in his chest and his throat to close with anxiety; besides she is still young and values her freedom too much to be encumbered by the demands and responsibilities of leadership. He airs his concerns and his thoughts to her, as she, like Lotte, is now part of his decision making process when it came to ranks and things and though currently he is merely musing aloud he cannot ignore that he is seriously considering ridding Teaghlaigh of it.

 

His musings made sense, all things considered. Furiosa had been murdered and Olive had destroyed the paradise that they had made. Hemlock was still bitter about the loss of the forest, and if she saw the woman there was no chance of curbing her ire if Sirius was not present with her. She'd never found Arturo to be the type to completely get spooked by chance or superstition but if they had no need for it - why not let it go? "In time, if we need to add another, we can reflect on the concept of another rank." She did not think they had to be bound either way now. For now, let the rank be defunct, it stood empty. "When the time comes, maybe it will be time for a fresh start and we can begin again." She said with a little smile. The three of them had handled many small, and large, crises - she felt they could handle things here just fine for the time being. 

feel free to either post once more or archive as is!

Arturo nods at Hemlock’s conclusion: that she does not think it is an entirely outlandish idea to do away with the Póilín rank and if needed add a different one all together. One that does not bear the same curse that appears to plague that particular rank. He feels paranoid as he thinks it because it is unlike the gangster to believe in such things — the very first to scoff at his mother (whom adored her soothsayers and believed herself to be something of a soothsayer) — and he wonders if he has entirely killed off Riptide as he once believed he had. A thought that sent a shiver up his spine and threatened to close his throat in a rush of true fear. There is not much that unsettles the Fearghal patriarch. He is clever. He is resourceful. He is manipulative and does not fear physical threat or even, truly, death; but he fears an enemy he cannot see, cannot understand, cannot control.

“If the time comes,” Arturo murmurs with a soft curl of his lips as he effectively tunes out thoughts of Riptide and curses. He will mull upon it later, in private, he thinks. Or perhaps he will pretend like he has not been having such increasing fears and tuck it under the rug as he is effective at doing. “I am perfectly content with having you and Lotte at my side.” Besides, his trust is a hard earned thing and while it has never been easy he certainly has not sought to make it any easier in the past few months. “I should give Lotte a few hours of relief from the children.” He speaks with nothing short of adoration in his tone, accented with a soft chuckle but he does know that even the most patient parent can go stir-crazy when stuck with rambunctious children for too long without a break. He seeks to bump his muzzle gently against Hemlock’s own in a farewell gesture before he heads towards the rendezvous den, ruminating on what he has offered, what they have discussed and how Lotte will react to the idea as he makes his way to relieve Lotte of duty for a few hours.

He speaks of their rankings and leadership, but Hemlock cannot deny the thrill of emotion that rises up in her at his words. “I am perfectly content with having you and Lotte at my side.” Her tail gives a few brief flurries of motion before she gives a little nod. "It feels right," She agrees - the three of them, together, a united front. When he offers to give his wife some relief Hemlock grins at him, unable to stop the impish wink. "Perhaps I will steal her away while you and the children play then." She hummed out. She contemplated this as his muzzle brushes hers and brings that same electric spark. 

She lets him go to his wife and children but after awhile she does seek out the dark woman, if for nothing more than a walk and to talk to her - about her fears, her emotions, all manner of things. The two are fairly open to one another and this brings a great joy to Hemlock even if she is still shy about the depth of her emotions. There is even more to discuss and debate and the redhead isn't sure how she'll handle things.