Shadewood This is the story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down

randomest thread title ever @Cry

So here's the thing. He tried not to think about the Piebald girl he had named lil lil miss sunshine. He tried so so damned hard. It was sort of impossible though when her scent was everywhere around him. She was cute, she was a looker, she was funny but she was also innocent and he knew what season it was. He had no idea if she had gone into heat yet but the thought of her doing so and being caught in a situation that could possibly end badly involving a man made him worried. Being worried also made him worried. It had been a very long time since he had cared about anyone but himself and here he was going nuts over some silly girl. 

Why? Did he want her? The image of Phex looking at him with obvious attraction stirred a warmth inside his groin that hadn't been stirred by anyone in a long time. Yes, he wanted her body. The idea of showing her sensations that would make noises that were anything but innocent come from her maw was something he would definitely enjoy. But would he be able to handle the outcome, the children that could quite possibly come from such an act? What if she expected or wanted more? What if she wanted love?

The thoughts drove him mad and he decided he needed a distraction from all things Phex. He wanted to know the plans for this place, what was being asked of everyone. He wanted most of all to know who he was supposed to respect and call leader, so he lifted his muzzle and called for Cry.

Set for before he has his life-breakdown, apparently xDDDDDDDD

Cry had been patrolling with Morgan earlier that day, but after the call had asked for him he had pardoned himself from the West Southerner and made his way where the echos had died down. And low and behold, he found Laroche, the male whom Phex had brought in. 

While the dark titan strode through the hibernating jungle, he saw the fellow male and waved a proper greeting with a swished tail and a hello in his frosty gaze. "It's been a minute", he started out with a slight but knowing smile to the agouti. "But I'm guessing that means you've adjusted rather well then, eh Laroche?"

Pulling himself to a halt, the Phantom adjusted himself to remain rather neutral to the nearly unknown male. Cry supposed there was a conversation to be had, or atleast some sort of alert to the Watcher of the Keep. He was attuned to Laroche for any and all the male had to reveal.

Laroche hadn't needed to wait very long for the male to show up and when he did he dipped his muzzle in greeting, lips quirking upward in the corners at Cry's joking greeting. "It's very nice here. I'll be settled in very soon." he agreed genuinely. His silver gaze swept around the area and he sighed softly "So...A lil bit of bad news but I had to fight off a rather idiotic man a while back. Blatantly disregarded our markings" he said this casually, like it was no skin off his back. Truly he hoped that it would be seen as him already doing his part and it would be recognised that while he was new, he wasn't gonna slack off and rest and other bullshit. Nah, he was part of this group and he would do his work. 

"So ah...you and Gwen huh? Nice. She's beautiful...much too gentle for my tastes" he continued the conversation, complimenting his mate while also making it clear he wasn't interested. Boost the ego while building trust. Gwen was gentle from what he had gathered, gentle and capable of being a leader's mate. Definitely not his thing, he liked a strong woman, a challenge. Not someone pretty and sweet and gentle...naive....glowing...Phex. Dammit! The broad always snuck back into his head "Honestly I kind of thought you and lil miss- I mean Phex were a thing. You looked real happy to see her" the words rushed from his maw before he could stop them, jealousy rising with them.

The dark Watcher listener well to the repose of the fellow Keeper, a nod suffice to show he could understand the jarring tryst between the agouti and his enemy. “They’re gonna try us. But we won’t fall. We’ve got too much going to fall.” Was he speaking for the entirety of the pack?
Or was he simply speaking for his own hide? 

The ex-assassin prayed the former than the latter. 

“It’s a good thing you were victorious then. Thanks for that.” Cry appreciated the wolves that knee they were given a good thing; it made them much more willing to work to keep the good thing going than to preserve themselves. 

At the exchange of his wife’s qualities, Cry heaved a hearty chuckle into the mix. Seems him and Morgan would get along just fine then, apparently. “You know- it’s funny because Morgan said the same thing. Told me ‘She’s a purty gurl an’ all, but how y’all even hug? Seem like if ya touch her, she’ll snap in two.’, he said, mimicking the ruffian’s voice with near identical twangy clarity. But Cry loved her for her delicate nature. She was strong in some aspects, but when he had first met his Empress, she was a thoughtful and fragile woman, full of wonders and fantasy. But every broken soul could recognize another broken soul. And his nature was to protect the weak at all costs. Even should he fall weak, himself. He served her with every breath and muscle in his body, and it would never end.
”Dunno- guess some prefer independence and hardiness. I think it’s the fact that she and I compliment each other in our needs that keeps us stuck to eachother. Like puzzle pieces.” Two pieces that would potentially perish should they separate.  “I’ll tell her you said she’s beautiful, atleast,” he snickered. 

Auds picked up the next bout of their transition, and while it was smooth, the former killer had picked up something slightly spiced in those words, a feeling that he needed to somehow interpret in a way other than casual conversation. The instinct to defend was there, but first he would explain a bit of how he was to the youthful piebald. “Nah. That little sunbeam is more of a daughter to me than anything else. Her usefulness is extraordinarily high, as well. And she’s been here with me ever since I had been trying to figure out Shadewood. Found her over there at the Risana Lagoon, admiring that, and stalking Tula.” Tula, Kai’s Royal Blue fishing bird... Kai’s. 
Kai.
Cry’s heart began to sink, his mind idling and stalling finally on the crisp image of the blurry wolfdog, his first Seafound friend. The closest thing to a daughter that he would ever come across to having. Those iconic but slurred speckles, those glassy eyes and Seafoam perfume in a salty brine pelt of slightly matted fur on her petite body. Kai was an illusion of his heart, and every passing day, the Keep Watcher mourned for the disappearance of his First. She and Arrowbella had vanished...and while he didn’t want to assume Arrowbella had anything malicious to do with the kind youth, the vengeance in his soul couldn’t settle until he found the wolfdog. He had searched for so long, but the brine faded from her den much too soon after he had last seen her. 

He was stung by the memory as it washed over him, but none of it was meant to remain. Kai was a memory and nothing more, now. Until she atleast returned home.

The suave man reguarded Cry coolly as he spoke about his wife leaning back to sit on his haunches as his eyes focused on the man. Some folks didn't like that much, how Laroche had the confidence to look even his leaders in the face while others cowered and avoided eye contact. For Laroche it meant he was attentive, that he was currently giving the other person his full attention and for the moment his respect. Whenever anyone complained about it or got stand offish Laroche just laughed and rolled his eyes, losing immediate respect for someone who got upset over something as ridiculous as eye contact. He gave a low chuckle at Cry's imitation of Morgan, finding it to be fairly accurate "It's always the gentle ones who hold the most inside them. Never underestimate a quiet woman" he said with a small smirk.

The conversation turned to Phex and Laroche was put off when he felt relieved that the man held no romantic attraction toward the piebald woman. He believed cry when he said that the girl was like a daughter to him and hesitantly continued the conversation "She's very....naive. like she's never seen anything bad" he said picking his words carefully. He paused for a moment and noticed that Cry seemed distant, a bit of sadness there. "I'd...like to make sure she doesn't see anything bad. I don't really get close to anyone but...I already care for her" he wondered how the man would take it, or if he even heard he seemed so lost in his own head. " Did you Lose someone?" he asked in his usual forward nature. He knew the feeling, losing someone you cared for. His father had died and his mother vanished leaving him to rule a pack where he wasn't wanted. He had left and found a woman who took advantage of his youth, gentling him and then he caught her with another man balls deep inside her. The man left with no balls and he left her there crying and begging forgiveness, abandoning her along with his torn apart heart.

Never underestimate a quiet woman. The words had hit the testament right in the heart with a pure nail of truth. The silence deafened a plenty who were succumbed to such a persona. And Gwen was no exception. Hell, neither was he. His silence was thoughtfulness- nothing he did in the entirety of his existence had been on impulse. Mrs. Eruna shared such a unending chain just as he did. 

The next section had come at a cost. It almost hurt Raziel to hear of such a revelation come from someone so new to this home, but in the most, it was unsurprising. Phex's charisma was boundless- there was near no way anyone could not wish to inhale her freedom, her relentlessness, her drive. Cry knew this day would come. And this was preperation for the furutre, where his own children would be smitten or fawned over by another. This was another trial by Fate. 
Yet before he could give over his question, Laroche had intercepted with a return to a darker tide, a colder land. 

And it was then, the winds brewed their shard-filled wall of ice and haze. His response was subtle, quiet, and strong. It told enough, but not what a nosey interloper would look for. It was general, and cut down warmth for growing buds of a subject not meant to be told, down with frostbitting-haste. "Everyone has lost, here. Even your Little Miss Sunshine, Laroche." And that was it. The winds had subsided, his voice warming as the returned to the name of his PolyHued Daughter. "Speaking of, you were talking of her as though she were more than just a ray of light-" Cry knew quite a bit in these dormant woods, and he wanted to hear the truth from his fellow Packmate. A raised brow of onyx glimmered a curious sheen in the reflection of winter about them. And those baritones came forth with the awaited question. "Do you have hope to claim my Daughter as a mate, Laroche?"

The silence was seriously uncomfortable especially for a man going out of his way to be social. Yet he still held the man's gaze, his own cool but patient and without a hard glare to it. It was only when the man's stare grew cold, hardened by the details Laroche had tried to pry loose. It confirmed the man had a bad history and apparently it was a touchy subject and the Hyde part of him tucked that away for any possible future scenario where gasoline would need to fuel a fire. What struck a small spark was the way Cry answered, speaking of Phex like he had assumed she was some silly virgin child. His own gaze hardened slightly though not by much, he was on good behavior for now. He said nothing just gave a single, affirmative nod, agreeing with the male.

His opinion of Cry wasn't low nor was it high and due to this his gaze did not warm when the male's tone did. In fact he looked on the colder end of expressionless. This wasn't something he wanted to discuss as he wasn't sure exactly how much his desire for Phex went yet. "I have only known her for less than a month. I am fond of her, she speaks to a part of me that i thought long gone" he said this calmly though his voice was tense, he was obviously displeased with discussing such a thing with the male. "I cannot say that I want her like that as of this moment. I can tell you that if...the opportunity arises i intend to try and claim her. I know what comes from this and I also promise that I will never abandon her. I have wanted to keep her safe since the moment I saw her." he did not flat out ask. He hadn't been around long enough to do so. However he would not lie, he would state his intentions honestly and politely and if the man approved then so be it. "Of course this is all up to her in the end, regardless of whether I love her or not" it was then that he lowered his gaze, just for a moment showing hesitation and embarrassment "Being completely honest with you sir, I can see myself falling for her. The more time i spend with her, the more i like her" he said this gently, the genuinity causing the cold, hard exterior to fade until there was nothing left but a handsome man confessing a crush that tore him apart.

Laroche felt the blow of artic from Cry, even from the tiny sentences Cry had given as a response. But the agouti had felt it, and pulled his coat close to keep from freezing in the subzero warning Cry's secrecy warned him with. It was a smart move, moving elsewhere. Laroche had saved himself, preserved his relationship with Cry by lack of heading into the warning winds. 
The Phantom appreciated the male's respect that much more. 

"She has that effect on people- her youth is open, telling."  Cry brought himself to admit a truth to the no-longer-strange man. "You're a smart man, Laroche." He wouldn't deny the man a compliment where he had deserved it. The ex-Assassin  didn't give them out freely, either. "When the time comes, you will know. But until then, you have my blessing to bear with her, should her wishes align with yours."