Sun Mote Copse you took all the lonely days and made them sing

It was hard to find a reason to get up and do things every day. Weejay was one of Eljay's only driving motivators right now. He was reminded every day both of how he was ignoring his responsibilities towards the pack's pups and @Towhee and @Niamh as mothers, as well as how he wasn't really needed because they hadn't really come looking for him after he had disappeared from his initial overbearing caretaking. It was a strange dual feeling and one that only confused him even more. It made him feel weak and pathetic, like so many times before in his life, because he knew that all he needed to do was just get on with his life and pick up his duties in the pack again. It was so easy. Possibly the easiest thing that anyone had ever faced.

But he just couldn't.

The carefree travels he had taken with @Maia to look for Elfie were now distant specks of joy. @Weejay's flowers brought small smiles on his face every day she brought them. He loved smelling them when she was out doing other things because it reminded him of her enthusiasm for them. It reminded him of how much she was like Wildfire in so many ways.

Eljay got up to relieve himself and get something to drink for his parched throat that day. He didn't really remember when the last time he'd gone out way. His fur was unkempt and not taken care of as well as it used to be, and he was still a little thin, though he hadn't further thinned down (the pack made sure of that, I'll presume). He stretched his weary limbs and started towards a nearby bush where he lifted his leg to pee, and then started to make his way to the nearby stream. Sunlight danced through the trees of the magical copse, a place that would forever remind him of the one true love he had found after half a lifetime and had lost seeming seconds after.

tags for reference, AW!

Figment hadn't spent much time with Eljay, though from what he'd learned through his time at the Copse, no one really did anymore. He'd come to the rescue when Towhee had given birth and Fig had run into him a couple of times since (I'm assuming) when the eldest Blackthorn had come to check in, but otherwise, he'd been fairly absent in the day-to-day happenings of the pack. At least, as far as Figment's world was concerned.

So, when Fig came across the older wolf that day, he decided to stop. He could only assume that Eljay spent so much time on his own because he wanted to. But it occurred to the yearling seeing how thin and unkempt he was that perhaps he was mistaken in this. Fig had frowned, considered, then turned to head in the same direction Eljay had gone until he was striding up alongside him.

"Hi," Fig said, glancing sidelong and offering a smile.

"HI!" came Fig's echo, though this particular replication was actually louder than its source.

Meerkat appeared, beaming broadly at her big brother before her attention shifted to Eljay. She knew him, though not very well. This made no difference to her. She strode right up to the pack's caretaker and grinned up at him, repeating her, -"HI!"- complete with an enthusiastic sign before adding, -"WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"-

Towhee lurked into view, waved, then promptly disappeared, fully trusting Fig and Eljay to keep an eye on Meerkat for a few minutes.

thank you guys for joining! <3

As Eljay made his way towards the stream, he suddenly heard a voice. Eljay startled visibly for just a split second and then turned his head towards Figment, someone that he didn't know very well. He opened his mouth to say something back -- hi or hello, probably, he hadn't given it much thought yet -- but before he could say anything he heard Meerkat's loud 'hi'.

Eljay knew Meerkat rather well, since he had tended to her a lot when she was little. But he also knew that the phase he had seen her a lot in was a phase that babies often forgot when they grew older. He didn't think about this consciously at first; not until she asked for his name. The smile and had appeared when he'd seen Meerkat appear drooped as she asked for his name and he realised how long it had been since he had properly visited. He'd seen her once or twice when Towhee would ask him something, but not so much lately. He supposed the truly infant-like state was over now, which mean he was less necessary, and it also meant that he hadn't been there for a long of the growing up that happened after that. Gosh, she was growing so big already. Where did the time go?

Hi Meerkat, he said eventually, then turning his weary eyes to Figment and greeting, Fig. He looked back at Meerkat. I'm your pupsitter. My name is Eljay. I helped you and your mother a lot when you were really little.

Fig hadn't expected a beam of sunshine to come crashing into them, but he wasn't capable of being unhappy that it did. Before Eljay could say a word in response to his greeting, another came screaming in. He was smiling before he even glanced behind them--an expression that broadened when he saw his little sister come dancing over to join them. He shot a glance over her head to spy Towhee disappearing and gave her a little smirk. Nothing else was needed to indicate he'd be happy to take Meerkat for a while--it wasn't necessary. The monster was always welcome with him.

He didn't contribute anything as Eljay reintroduced himself to Meerkat. He knew Eljay's involvement in her early days, though she clearly had been too young to remember. He was interested to see what her thoughts on this revelation would be, but also to see what effect her sunshine and rainbows spirit would have on the dark clouds over Eljay's head.

Her eyes shone as he said her name (and her brother's) before introducing himself as her sitter. Meerkat blinked loudly several times, her tail waving, very nearly missing the rest of his introduction. His name was Eljay and he had evidently helped her when she was littler.

Meerkat didn't recall this consciously, though there was a sense of fond familiarity. Of course, she felt that way toward perfect strangers too, but... -"MY WOT?"- she queried, most curious about the term "pup-sitter." Did that mean he was going to sit on her?!

Eljay wasn't really sure how to get Fig more involved in the conversation, but then again, he looked pretty content just watching Meerkat be.. really happy. She didn't seem to remember him much and though it made total sense, it also hurt Eljay quite a bit to know that he was so easily forgotten, emphasising all of the fears, worries and pains in his own mind.

Puppysitter, Eljay repeated, even though it was probably not the word itself that she was wotting about. Realising this a moment later, Eljay quickly followed up: The one who looks after you when your mother's not there, and who makes sure you are healthy. He smiled meekly, wishing that he could've been her pupsitter all the way through to growing up, and not just for the first month and a bit or so...

Skipping Fig since he's goin' on hiatus!

"OHHH," came the pup's reply to his explanation, along with a loud blink. She seemed to mull his words a moment, glancing over at her older brother. That was when one eyeball squinted in confusion. Fig looked after her pretty frequently, as did a select few others. But since when had Eljay ever babysat her?

She was too young to concern herself with it beyond that initial puzzlement. -"YOU WANNA PLAY A GAME?"- Meerkat shouted in the next breath, not even giving him a chance to react before she began jumping up and down, as if Eljay was a mountain she was trying to climb. -"I WANNA SIT ON YOU!"- she declared with a titter.

Soon the thoughts on what a puppysitter was and what it meant were gone and Meerkat asked loudly to play a game. Eljay was used to pups being kinda loud, but Meerkat sure took the cake. It probably didn't help that she was so up close and personal with him as she said she wanted to sit on Eljay rather than the other way around.

Eljay didn't really feel in the mood to play any game. He didn't really feel in the mood for anything. But he also couldn't really deny that he didn't want to just leave Meerkat hanging here. That wasn't right -- it was his job to take care of her, and he wanted to give her that.

Well, then... You'll have to catch me first! Eljay said and he then ran off; fast at first to break away from the pup that was eagerly trying to jump on him. Then he slowed down to a leisurely trot to allow her to catch up, looking over his shoulder to make sure she was even giving chase at all.

Meerkat couldn't count the number of times an adult had dropped that line on her head (although Meerkat also couldn't count, period). It never got old, though. She beamed as Eljay egged her into a game of tag, a fiendish little glint in her eye as she let out a playful roar and scrambled after him.

At her age, she was mostly over-sized paws, wobbly legs and a slightly pudgy belly, which made for a low center of gravity. She was neither fast nor graceful and kept careening off course or tripping over herself as she ran after him. But none of this affected her enjoyment of the game. She let out loud whoops of laughter, sprinkled here and there with girlish giggles.

A particularly loud cry of delight escaped her when she just about ate shit only for Fig's paw to sweep underneath her and save her at the last second. She grinned up at her big brother, then immediately recommenced chasing the gray sitter, who had slowed down somewhat to allow her to nearly catch up to him.

There was something about the joy of the child that unlocked something in Eljay. His tail even wagged a few beats as he looked over his shoulder and saw Meerkat crashing left and right while she was laughing joyously. A small smile appeared on his face as she nearly fell but was saved last minute by Fig. After that she commenced the chase, and Eljay slowed down a little. His gallops were big and slow, so that it looked as if he was still going fast but in fact he was easy to catch up with.

Oh no, I'm almost gotten, Eljay said in fake dread as she nearly reached him, about ready to fall dramatically to the ground the second she pounced on him.

I power-played his fall, hope that's cool! Would you be game to wrap this and have a more current one soon? :D

It wasn't long before Meerkat caught up to Eljay and pounced his left hind leg, her little teeth sinking into his ankle but with surprisingly gentle pressure. She growled savagely through the tendon even as he tumbled to the ground, his leg pulling from her grip and eliciting a playfully indignant laugh from her.

"GOT'CHU!" she declared a little unnecessarily, immediately springing atop his heaving flank and doing a little dance. She nearly slipped off him but there was Fig again, chuckling as he righted her on her furry throne. -"I'S THE SITTER NOW!!!"-

Towhee reappeared, prompting Meerkat to scramble off Eljay and gallop toward her mother, stumbling several times en route. "I AM THE SHIT—!" was her last cry of victory before she did an epic face-plant.

Her mother unfortunately didn't hear the slip-up (and couldn't read the little one's lips in these circumstances), though Figment burst into loud laughter. Towhee plucked up her silly child, dusted off her sandy fur and gave Eljay and Fig a bemused look before ushering Meerkat along now that she'd finished her potty break.