Phantom Hollow To make you feel like it's not too late

Gonna leave this open to @Hunst & @Dusty Rose - either/both works! Reverie will not be appearing in this thread for my own sanity <3

It was easier, somehow, to have someone else to look after — and truly, that was all Sunspot had been able to do since finding Wildflower. His gifts had more purpose to them now, his constant silent hovering given an explanation. Well, more of an excuse, but he didn't let himself think too hard about that.

Nor did Sunspot try to pretend he had a big conversation in him, or even little casual conversations. He just didn't. Whenever Wildflower spoke, Sunspot treasured every word for a gift of his own, but often his only response was silence. There was just so little to say — and surely Wildflower knew by now that Sunspot loved him, that this would never change, and that he would never say it aloud.

The scent of his sister on the breeze was a welcome respite from the odd tension of questions and promises unspoken. She wouldn't be happy to see him, of course. Sunspot glanced at his companion with ears laid against his skull, and called out for her anyway. Might as well get it over with.

Hunst moved through the trees like a ghost, his pale, scarred face emerging from the shadows as the breeze shifted. The scent hit him—unfamiliar yet tinged with a vague connection to Reverie. His nostrils flared, and his steps slowed, ears angling forward to catch the sound of the call. A stranger. Close enough to find trouble, and trouble was something he had little tolerance for.

His imposing frame came into view, his gaze cold and unyielding as it locked onto the wolf ahead. Hunst’s lips pressed into a thin line, his displeasure evident in the rigid set of his jaw. He said nothing at first, letting the weight of his presence fill the air, daring the other to make the first move.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low and gravelly, every word deliberate.

Speak plainly. I don’t have time for games. Hunst stepped forward, his stance unshakable, the embodiment of a sentinel guarding his charge. The wind ruffled his fur, but his stance remained firm, unwavering as he waited for an answer.

I will probably cameo Wildflower at some point but he's totally skippable for now.

"Oh, wonderful," said the coywolf as his brother-in-law's voice reached his ears. He yawned and stretched while Reverie began to curse and snarl, and at the end, had a satisfied smirk on his face. He'd missed this so much. Had missed her and her incurable temper.

Dusty Rose dared to press a quick kiss to her cheek, jumping back before she could turn her teeth on him for it.

"I'll go tell him to fuck off," he promised her, thinking that it might actually be nice to see Tybault. Not because he believed it, but because he thought it might be nice to look on the bright side of things for a change. Might as well be hopeful, right? Besides — Dusty Rose never liked to miss a chance to rub it in the guy's face that he had, in fact, made it into bed with his sister. Multiple times. Over and over again, really. Forever.

Off he went, an extra bounce in his step as he psyched himself up for the reunion. But, to his surprise, there were two other wolves already there.

"Hiya, Wildflower," he said to his... cousin? Nephew? It was hard to keep the newer relations straight, and truthfully, their shared blood did little to inspire familial care in the coywolf. He didn't know the guy from Adam, and for the most part, didn't care to. Still — he seemed nice enough.

Tybault, on the other hand, did not. Even so, he received a wider smile. "And Sunshine! And... you!"

Hunst, of course, was the last one he addressed. Was this more distant family? Surely not his own! Still, he gave another jaunty wag of his tail, just to be polite.