Firefly Glen [PHE ] there, there, baby, it's just textbook stuff

Bidding farewell to Moonwoman, the Mayfair lifted a paw, rubbing at the back of his neck a moment as he considered. The only approach was to do it now—the saying of eating the frog standing out clear within his mind.

So, he went to go rip the bandaid off swiftly, disappointment etched upon his features.

Crooning—he beckoned for @Cygnet and @Mae in the Swiftcurrent camp, coming to a small clearing and thrumming a paw on the ground as he waited. His eyes lifted to the sky—noting the direction of sun. Later day—cooler now, then it had been only hours before. Thus was autumn.

Cygnet and Mae had been working on a game that the two of them could play that seemed to keep others from coming over to interact with them. Facing one another, one wolf took a turn laying with their forelimbs outstretched, though with their core engaged and some weight settled onto their hind limbs. They would need that balance to yank one of their forepaws back as quickly as possible. 

The other sat, with both forepaws planted on the ground. The aim of the game was for the sitting wolf to smack the other opponent’s paw against the ground before the other had a chance to pull it back. 

“Knuckles,” essentially. 

Occasionally, a fake would be thrown in- and if the other opponent flinched, then a free smack would be given to their paw. 

They played mercilessly, and Cygnet caught herself wondering if Mae truly was blind. 

When the call came, she heaved a sigh. S’go, then, She muttered. 

Guiltless, but with forepaws smarting lightly, she answered Akavir’s call and looked at him questioningly.

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Given Mae is on NPC for the time, continuing this with just Cygnet for sake of keeping assumptions vague. <3

He waited for two—only one showed.

She looked at him with question to his summons—he could feel the grind of his teeth and the tightening of his jaw in that moment—entirely miffed that the actions of the one who held the rank of Gamma in his pack was able to maintain the facade before him.

“I’ve heard you’ve been busy,” he finally utters, withholding a sigh as he draws his form up—eyes sharp upon the young woman. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Why had it possibly seemed like a good idea to tell a girl who came to say hi at a valley-wide pack gathering meant to establish connection and familiarity with one another to get the fuck away and that she was a fake ass bitch.

He lifted a paw to rub at a temple—eyes scanning behind Cygnet a moment to find Mae, who had it seemed decided to prolong this moment.

Busy? She had been. She nodded as she sat down, still giving no sign that anything stressful had transpired. If anything, she looked a bit more placid than usual.

Only challenged fair spars. One with Sven, one with Sobeille- the latter had ended hastily with a draw due to a relative calling for the masked girl and pulling her away from what was otherwise a voluntary fight. Got no berries- didn’t steal any, She added, in case he figured she’d planned to get them another way. 

But Cygnet knew what he wanted to know about, and it wasn’t the spar requests or the berries.

Redhead mountain girl too sensitive. Looked at Mae like a pitiful creature, I tell her not to. Redhead sea girl come over, tell me to shut up, on our turf. Mae tell her to fuck off. Sea girl called Mae a cunt. Mountain girl shake, cry, run to tell grandma. 

Words- but sticks and stones. Nothing brutal, nothing serious. 

I stood up for Mae, said no bad words. She said, with a defiant jut of her chin. What she say? She asked, then- keen to see if Akavir would be proud of his girls for being strong and united, or if he would buckle under the pretty woman’s accusations.

As if ticking off her fingers on how well behaved she’d been with one reason listed after the other—Akavir waited—a brow lifting, ensuring he remained quiet rather than point out that she shouldn’t have been trying to coax wolves she did not know into giving her strange food.

“Her name is Ajei,” he finally spoke—after she attempted to belittle the scenario and others further, feeling more annoyance at Kukutux being referred to as ‘Grandma’ as if it were something to sneer at.

The fact Mae had cursed them out was no surprise to the man—but it certainly did little to soothe his disappoint, and perhaps that could be noted from the frown that came upon his features. “You believe Mae needed defending from a particularly shy girl who had come to say hello?”

He lifted a paw to rub at his temple—giving a light bewildered shake of his head before he settled back. “‘Grandma’s’ name is Kukutux. She is known as Moonwoman and she is the figurehead for three different tribes.” It was impressive—particularly given they seemed less keen on bloodshed and battle to claim their land and grow their numbers.

“This hunt is a way for the nearby packs to gather together and learn of one another—to socialize, and strengthen ourselves. Knowledge is power, Cygnet. Alliances can be powerful.” He blinked—eyes searching hers— did she understand?

“I told her we would take our leave. Moonwoman is trying to encourage me not to—so, here comes some tough love, because you and Mae are better than this. You will earn your rights to the hunt, now, given the original invitation had been extended by these people in good faith that we would not be assholes at their organized gathering. Moonwoman has suggested some cleaning can be done—assistance around the camps.”

He paused, standing to his full height, then: “You and Mae will give the girl a full apology. And you will then report to Kukutux. She wishes to speak to you both.”

Ajei. A name for the face of the girl too sensitive and insecure to tolerate the featherlight blow of coarse words. Not that Cygnet needed a name- she knew the look, smell and location of the girl within the camps. If she had any intentions of exacting revenge, she wouldn’t need a name. She felt Akavir was giving her names in an attempt to press some amount of empathy into her; she had little room for it.

Not defending. Just being her eyes. Teaching ‘Ajei’ not to judge. Responded the indignant girl who still believed she’d done no wrong in correcting Ajei. 

Again, she was fed another name, which was shrugged off. It wasn’t as if she intended to see Moonwoman ever again, and she hoped that the woman wouldn’t come looking for Akavir the same way other women did- though there was something to be said for Kukutux I. Having come to Akavir not to flirt, but to request that he be made aware of the conflict. 

But her place as the boss of three packs wouldn’t mollify the girl- she was set in her ways. She too busy leading packs to teach granddaughter, was her deft reply. She glanced up to Akavir, knowing that that statement would likely earn her a glare. 

He’d not seen the way Ajei had stammered and trembled like a maladjusted pup. 

Cygnet would bear his glare readily. She listened to what he had to offer- as if he thought himself selfless for accepting Kukutux’s bid for them to stay, rather than leaving as punishment. They were assigned community service- and an apology was demanded of her, followed by a meeting with the Moonwoman.

Cygnet wasn’t interested in doing what Akavir asked of her because she didn’t believe she’d done anything wrong. 

Whatever. She replied with a roll of her shoulder; not ready to agree to the man’s terms, not willing to admit that she would apologize, either. She raised an eyebrow to see if there was anything else.

Cygnet’s opinion that Kukutux was too busy leading to teach a granddaughter—while it wasn’t the case, he idly wondered if Cygnet wished that were the case with him in this moment—or did she miss the point of this entire conversation as also being a teaching moment?

Sardonic—committing to nothing to which he spoke nor did she reveal any sign of remorse, there was a shining issue in this moment.

Akavir did not throw the weight of his rank around often—nor would he now. Cygnet was a teenager with the feign of indifference in that moment—and his eyes swept over her, quietly acknowledging her youthful age was what shone the most in this moment. “Remember you represent your family and the Creek,” was what he closed the conversation on—lifting himself to his full height and casting another sweeping gaze over the pack’s Gamma.

Perhaps it was not a responsibility she was ready for.

She held his gaze, and for once, showed some level of maturity when she lifted her chin slightly and nodded. 

I know.

She was faithful to the pack. She knew Akavir- while she criticized him unfairly on occasion- was a fair alpha, and that he had a strong sense of justice. She felt that in supporting Mae, she had done no wrong. If nothing else, the stubborn girl felt she was becoming exactly the sort of wolf her upbringing had made her be.

Foul-mouthed, for certain- but strong.