Blacktail Deer Plateau battle of the bewilderbeast

This one's for you, Uncle @Atticus! :)

After one too many solitary getaways, Peregrine decided it was time to bust out some punishment for his headstrong rule breaker. "Nu-uh," he drawled when Hawkeye gathered the pups for a morning hike, "you're in lock down for the day. And I mean the whole day," the Alpha male emphasized, giving Osprey Jr. a pointed look.

When she nonetheless attempted to tag along with her mother and siblings, the swarthy leader hobbled after her, collared her with his good leg and then forced her onto her back. Once she properly submitted, he backed off her and issued a deep warning growl, forbidding her from leaving his sight.

Now, Junior stormed around the rendezvous site, thrashing every inanimate object she came across. She savaged sticks with her teeth, gouged tree trunks with her claws and stalked in angry circles, her black fur prickling and her lips curled back from her teeth in a petulant snarl. She refused to go near her father, though she often favored him with a scathing look.

Young Osprey had loved her daddy with all her heart yesterday and would do so again tomorrow but today, right now, she hated her father.

Omg, angry O.J. is so cute. XD

Atticus was on his way to visit his brother when he passed Hawkeye on her way out with the pups in tow. Or…well, three of the pups in tow, anyway. He figured Junior was still at home with Dad, but he wondered why. It wasn't Junior's policy to let everyone else go have fun without her while she laid around chillin' with her gimped-up father. Little shit must've gotten herself into trouble again, he thought to himself with an amused grin. She really was a little terror, and though Atticus thought it was hilarious and cute, he was fully aware that he'd have a different opinion entirely if she were his child.

He arrived at the rendezvous site to find Junior on a rampage -- if her behavior wasn't telling enough, the thorough destruction of vegetation along the outskirts of the site was -- and Peregrine at its center, looking nonplussed. Clearly, she'd been at this for a while. "Oh boy," he said to Perry, his eyes following the baby t-rex on her warpath. "Looks like you've really done it now, Dad." He watched her for a moment longer and an idea occurred to him. He thought he could take her aggression and use it for something constructive. Glancing back at Peregrine again, he asked, "Mind if I intervene?"

When Atticus suddenly materialized from the trees, Junior paused for half a heartbeat, then resumed her warpath. She made slightly less noise now, one ear surreptitiously cocked toward the two adults as she tried to listen to their conversation. Maybe Uncle Atticus would convince her dad to let her go out after all!

She forgot to destroy things, slowing to a stop and watching them curiously. As she watched, Peregrine glanced at her, shrugged and gave his brother a tight-lipped smile. "The little hellcat's all yours," he said and then made eye contact with his daughter. The look in his eye made young Osprey feel slightly uneasy.

Nonetheless, she began to trot toward them, her attention wholly focused upon Atticus. "Venchaw, venchaw!" she chirruped at him. (Translation: "Adventure, adventure!") "Less go on venchaw Unca Attiiiii!"

He grinned at his brother, certain that Peregrine would be grateful for a few moments' peace and quiet while Atticus had the little monster occupied. Or, at least he hoped he could keep her occupied. One never knew what one was going to get with this little demon child. She ran toward her, clamoring for an adventure, and he felt his heart swell as she called him "Unca Atti". He loved that. He'd never get tired of the title, and maybe when she got older, he'd embarrass her by continuing to refer to himself as her Unca Atti.

Unfortunately, he had to burst her bubble. "No 'ventures today, little gator," he said with a note of gentle authority in his voice as he crouched down to her level. "Dad says so. But--" he said, before she could cut in and protest. "--maybe Uncle Atti can teach you something cool today, hm?"

You get post #200, uncs. :)

When Atticus gently let her down, Osprey's brow furrowed and her lower lip thrust out in a pout. Her ears flattened too and she huffed her disappointment. "Daddy's a butt," she replied, then looked up at Peregrine, a little horrified at her own daring.

"I'm not going to disagree," the Alpha male said simply, leering playfully at his daughter before adding more sternly, "Osprey Jr., behave yourself for Uncle Atticus. If you're good, I'll take you on a 'venchaw' myself tomorrow." After giving her a meaningful look, then exchanging a glance with his brother, Peregrine prowled away to give them some space.

"Hmf," was her first comment, though the promise of a future adventure cleared up the storm on her small brow. "What's a gataw?" she wanted to know, the open eagerness on her face evidence that she was open to whatever Uncle Atticus had to offer today.

Woohoo! I'm pushing for 200 myself this week MAYBE HOPEFULLY. :D

He smirked with amusement as Junior declared with no small degree of attitude that her dad was a butt, and it was all he could do to resist the urge to agree with her. He grinned at Perry, loving every minute of the adorable torment he had to endure from this little monster and her minions siblings.

Perry padded away to let the two of them do their thing, and Atticus returned his full attention to the youngster in front of him. She asked him what a "gataw" was, and he pondered how to explain. "Hmm…it's a scary beast that has lots of teeth and likes to eat people," he told her, and then grinned as he poked her and added, "Like you!"

Edit on 7/28: Narrating a conclusion. :)

Since he'd called her a gator a moment ago, Osprey took his playful jab to mean that she was just such a scary beast and not one of its unwitting victims. The pup grinned accordingly, scrunching her little face and peeling back her lips to show two rows of perfectly white, needle-like teeth.

A moment later, her lips sheathed her fangs again and Osprey eagerly questioned, "Does a gataw waw? Weal loud?" Before she even finished answering the question, Uncle Atticus roared loudly in response, causing young Osprey to squeal like a stuck pig and start running.

He chased her, then she turned the tables and chased him, and when all was said and done, Osprey Jr. flopped to the ground, giggled a minute, then passed out like a drunk college student following a bender.