Hushed Willows Protect me Maria, don't let this siren cast her spell

[ooc] @Tavi @Tambourine :) [ooc]

In the light of the morning sun, Trick awoke on a ridge just outside of The Crook. He didn't know if it was still a rule to sleep inside the smelly cave, but he broke rules all the time anyway. He slowly blinked a bit of sleep sand out of his enchanting green eyes and yawned. He was tired, but sleeping was a waste of time. So, instead of doing nothing all day like most of the pups inside the cave where once the copper prince had slept, he went inside the Crook to find Teagan or Grace to walk the borders with.

While entering, the sickening smell of wolf entered his nostrils, especially pups. His eyes adjusted to the shadyness of the Crook quite fast and Trick looked over to the ridge the fiery foxy Teabag was almost always found. But, alas, his gay lover was not there. Where could he have gone to? Was Trick's sweet booty not enough to satisfy the other devious man? He snorted. Just as he started to trust the guy too. He was remembered again why no one could ever break his walls, it only brought pain. It was better not to trust at all.

She had spent the night away from the Crook. It was the first time since her arrival, and that fear-filled night among the willows, that such a moment had occured. Tavi had not been alone - she had been with Stark all night - and now as she crossed the threshold back in to the Crook, she was reminded of her many responsibilities. The majority of the pack was still asleep, some were just waking and starting patrols, and the Crook was full of the familiar scents of her family as well as the strange newness of the recrnt additions. It would take time to adjust.

As Tavi made her way through the expansive cavern and towards the dark entrance to her son's sleeping quarters (which he now shared with a few extra bodies) she passed by the lurking figure of Trick. At first she did not notice him; shrouded in shadow, and with her own mind abuzz with many thoughts of her long night with Stark, Tavi was quite distracted. But she saw the gleam of his eyes and paused mid-step, turned, and regarded him with a tired smile. "Good morning Trick," she half-whispered, not wanting to disturb anyone.

Tambourine felt his mother's overnight absence, of course, but the pup was tended to well enough by the others and happily shared his space with some familiar bedfellows. When he woke the next morning, though, his empty belly ached for nourishment. This turned the usually happy-go-lucky toddler into a bit of an ankle-biting grump. He circled around The Crook, biting anything or anyone that came too close.

When Tavi eventually entered the den, the pup squawked, "Muh!" and bounded up to her, ignorant to the fact she was trying to converse with another member of the pack. "Fest! Fest!" he babbled at her, prancing from foot to foot and even rearing up to nose at the corner of her mouth. He could have launched for a teat, yet he already had a taste for the occasional and soft bits of meat his mother had begun to provide in addition to milk.

Looking around in the darkness that became clearer and clearer the longer he stood there, he found no trace of the burning ember, nor his little girl friend. He was sure Grace was somewhere, for her scent was recent enough, but he was skeptical about the scent of Teagan. His handsome face turned from calm to quite angry. He swore, that if Teabag had left him here in the dust, he would find him and poison him himself. Now he had nobody to hit on, for Nova Rose was too old, Grace too... Grace, and pups too young. Sure, Stark was a handsome man too, but Trick doubted if he had a thing for males.

His right ear flicked at the sound of footsteps, small quick ones and slower heavier ones. He wiggled his nose slightly, almost jumping at the sight of his "leader". His heartbeat quickened but he soon calmed down. His trademark smirk found its way onto his muzzle as he greeted her with a nod. Good morning, miss Tavi. He purred in a sexy whisper. He couldn't ignore the fact she had come from outside, making him wonder if she had even spent the night inside the Crook. Where have you b-...

He couldn't finish his sentence as the cute sight of little Tambourine ran up to his mother, making Trick genuinely smile. Did he want kids in the future? Would he ever find a real mate to share parent ship with? He chuckled. Sounds like someone is hungry... He whispered as he looked at the tawny, a bit more wolf-like, blob.

He almost seemed surprised to see her; Tavi felt a wave of worry pass over her, though it was dulled by the warm tingle in her skin and the dull awareness that her legs were sore. She wouldn't explain herself - although the dark wolf seemed to be keen on asking, prying in to her personal business. Before he could get a full question out, Tambourine came to the rescue.

Tavi pretended not to have heard the rest of what Trick had tried to say. She turned and smiled down at the boy, and began administering many licks to his head and face. "Tam! Shh, quiet voice.  Look, so many sleepy wolves. Its early baby, go on back to bed.." That wasn't likely to quell him, and she felt bad for denying him a hot meal, but Tavi wasn't prepared. Her belly was empty. It wasn't like she had spent the night hunting.

The puppy continued to ignore the black wolf. He had eyes only for his mother and he gazed at her beseechingly, waiting for some form of food to present itself from within her body. Truthfully, he wouldn't be picky. But Tavi offered neither milk nor meat to him. She shushed him and urged him to return to bed. Tambourine's one upright ear wilted and he sat forcefully, hips splayed, a frown furrowing his small, fuzzy face.

He didn't say or do anything after that, just sat there looking very, very, very deep in consternation over this lack of breakfast.

Trick had never meant to invade her "personal space", as many women called it, nor did he really care. He just wanted something to talk about, and since it was rare for someone to not sleep in the Crook, he found it a good topic. Never would he have expected a romance between Stark and Tavi being the cause of his "leader" not sleeping with the rest of them. But her ignorance to his first part of the question, which instantly gave away what he actually wanted to ask, he found, said it all. She did not like sharing where she had been, making the already curious man all the more determined to find out what it was.

He chuckled again at Tavi's words that were so obviously meant for a young kid. He wondered how being a mother was going for the woman, and being Trick, he would just simply ask. So, how's it going for you and little Tambourine? He asked politely. He's quite an energetic one. If you ever need someone to sit him, I'll gladly volunteer. He offered, though he doubted the woman would ever even consider him to be worthy of sitting her oh so holy son.

He fussed and plopped himself down upon his bottom, which earned a slight brow raise from Tambourine's mother. The kind of look you would totally expect from a babysitter who just didn't want to be present. She loved Tam, of course she did, but Tavi was quite tired after her night of scandalous fun, and she did not have the patience to deal with her child's attitude. With a small snort she responded to the boy, and briefly placed Trick to the back of her mind.

Come on Tam, I don't have anything in my tummy for you. Go on. Maybe if you are really nice I'll bring you back something extra special from my next outing, hm? Would you like that? But as she spoke she was slipping closer to him, and once her rhetorical question was voiced, she ducked her head and grabbed Tambourine by the scruff of the neck, and lifted him clear off the floor. While he hung like a chubby pendulum, Tavi sauntered a few steps towards the den-cave and then plopped him down.

Tavi then returned to Trick's company, unaware if Tambourine was sticking to the place she'd left him or not. Had she been more alert, more awake, perhaps she'd have been mindful of his immense desire. Instead she focused on Trick, and gave a shrug of her shoulders. We're doing great. He's getting so big - at this point she glanced back to the dark corridor, wondering briefly if Tam had obeyed her or not, and then was caught by surprise when Trick mentioned babysitting. It wasn't a job she'd entrusted to many wolves. And, truth be told, she didn't really know Trick well enough to let him watch her son, not yet. He's quite the handful, you think you could do it?

His face brightened, his mother's bribery winning him over easily. "Ess!" he cried nonsensically, tail beating a quiet tattoo on the stone floor, though it fell limp and a confused expression contorted his features when Tavi suddenly scruffed him. "Eggo!" he cried, punching the air, though he giggled as he did it, demonstrating that he wasn't as put out as he pretended. When was Tambourine ever really in a bad mood, aside from his grumpy spells in the mornings?

She set him down nearby and strode back to her companion, who the pup only just noticed. "Ey!" he shouted, mindless of Tavi's wish for him to stay put. He ran right back toward the pair of adults, only now his attention was fixed upon the green-eyed, black-furred stranger. "Tam-Tam-Tam!" he chanted, perhaps a attempting to introduce himself (or more likely nothing more than obnoxious mimicry), right before he smacked a paw against the stranger's leg to goad him into playing.

Trick watched with great amusement at how the mother was able to Trick her ray of sunshine, her little son. A smirk painted his spotless obsidian face, eyes glinting in the dark. This whole trick might earn Tavi a few extra points in Trick's book, for it showed she was fairly intelligent. Trick always had more respect for more intelligent wolves. His eyes never left the pair, the mother bringing her squirming son to the den opening and at last returning.

He nodded. Tambourine sure had grown since Trick had seen the little guy for the first time. He was just about to respond, when the high-pitched voice of Tambourine called out. The bigger blob now hurried along to them again, and Trick was surprised he was noticed for the boy who had seemed to only have eyes for his mother. He raised his eyebrows and smiled in shock. He even grinned when the little guy repeated the first part of his name a few times. Hello there Tam. He said with his honey sweet voice, not expecting to be slapped as a sign of wanting to play.

Instinct took the man over, and he lowered his front body in a playful bow, tail wagging like a flag. For a moment he forgot about Tavi watching him, his attention focused on the little tan guy. He nosed the child in response, if the trick of a child wouldn't be fast enough to escape his wet nose, before replying to Tavi with a chuckle. Of course! I've always wanted to try sitting. Besides, you earn a day or two off anyway.

Fade here?

Just when she thought she had things under control, she lost it. Well, more like Tambourine lost it - he came careening out of the dark straight at Octavia's legs, and his stomping feet were only dwarfed by the sound of his obnoxious voice. How did she birth such a rambunctious little shit? Just as she was turning to face him, to perhaps scold and remove him once more from the scene, she saw his angle of attack shift to Trick and then the two of them were playfully bowing to one another. Whatever irritation had blossomed in the mother, it faded swiftly. She smiled down at the pair of them, listening to her son ramble, and then listening to Trick as he tried to diffuse the situation.

You're right, I do deserve a break, she thoroughly approved of this. But maybe not right this second. It was still so early, and the loud little boy had begun to wake up the others that slept in the Crook. As Octavia did not want to piss off the entire pack that dwelled around them, or make her standing with her so-called family become more strained than it was, she had to put a stop to the fun and games. Before they could get too devoted to their playtime, Tavi stepped up and with some coaxing from one forelimb, pulled Tambourine close. Okay Tam, you need to chill out. Look at all the sleepy wolves, hm?

She flashed Trick a pleasant smile though, wordlessly thanking him for the offer to look after the boy. Eventually she would take up that offer and get some rest, or have some kind of vacation, but not right now. Lets go find you something to eat. Come on, out we go -- on an adventure! Her tone was more hushed as she spoke, hoping that the lowering of the decible level would bring some kind of calm to Tambourine, but she herded him towards the Crook's opening all the same. Maybe some mother-son time would be good for them. That, and she was getting the evil eye from a few sleepy adults.

The little boy squealed in delight when Trick's cold, damp nose touched him. "Ey!" he shouted in false indignation, trying to bat at that cunning black snout. But then Tavi was pulling him away from his playmate. He wriggled in protest, little forelegs stretching toward Trick, but then Tavi mentioned eating, then adventures. That captured Tambourine's attention so thoroughly that he went right back to ignoring the other adult completely.

"Ess!" he bellowed, zooming past Tavi and out of The Crook, running buck wild in the little dooryard just outside the cavern before circling back and prancing. It wasn't long before she stepped forth to meet him and the two moved away from the cavern, leaving it and its sleepy residents in peace and quiet again.