Redhawk Caldera why shouldn't a guy feel lucky to love you?

Lagan is back a week after the puppies were born, and he's hanging out in the den. So puppies come at me! @Lucca, @Fiadh, @Clover, (idk if @Tegan has a player but if so join me)! Or anybody else allowed near the Blackthorn's newest brood!

Lagan was so glad to be back, even though he'd had a blast on his trip. He'd met another pack, some pretty cool wolves, and he couldn't help but think of forgetful Tapat often. He'd really liked that boy, and he hoped to see him again sometime. But visits across the mountains would come again later. Now was puppy time! After a morning hunt, Lagan proudly brought home a plump squirrel, that's been dumb enough not to see him coming. He trotted into the den, his tail wagging joyfully.

He plopped himself down next to the puppies, and after eating a little bit of the squirrel he nudged it away for either of his parents should they get hungry. Then he turned to his siblings, complete adoration in his eyes. Hey you guys! I can't really tell who is who, but I heard you got some crazy names! He said, giving them each a lick on their foreheads.

Pups should still feel free to jump in! :D

Although he hadn't expressed it outwardly, Elwood was especially relieved that Lagan and Gannet had returned from their trip. He knew that they were both capable young men, but he hadn't been able to stop himself from worrying in the wake of Eljay's departure. He was also glad that Lagan would be able to meet his newest siblings; presently, he watched as the boy greeted Clover, Fiadh, Tegan, and Lucca (who had finally earned a name at some point since his birth).

Using a forepaw to pull the discarded squirrel towards himself (intending to take a few bites and save the rest for Finley), Elwood chuckled. "Their names aren't any crazier than yours," he teased, watching as the littlest Blackthorns squirmed under their brother's affections. He sank his teeth into the carcass, then prompted around his mouthful, "Tell me about your trip with Gannet. I want all the details!"

Clover was as good as a sleeper as her brothers, for now. It wouldn't bode well in dangerous situations but fortunately Lagan was the opposite of that. When his tongue swept across her forehead, Clover shifted, adjusting her position in her sleep. The potato spud placed her head across Tegan's pudgy withers, and a large snore came forth from her tiny body. It was but a preview of the loud noises she could make if she desired to—fortunately for her family, Clover had yet to have such a desire. The conversation between father and son went completely over her head, literally and figuratively.

Lagan turned his head when he saw his father, who was grabbing the squirrel that Lagan had brought. Lagan smiled, his tail wagging happily, and he rolled over towards Elwood to give his dad a lick on his cheek. He then rolled back, a big child at heart, and returned to playing with the pups. His dad replied to his remarks on the babies' names, and Lagan made a 'ch' sound with his teeth. Yeah right! My name is Tiarnach I think. But isn't one of these guys like Mathematical or something? This one? He asked, pointing to the one that just snored incredibly loud.

He giggled at her and grabbed her gently by the scruff, and pulled her close to his chest. He looked back up at his dad when Elwood mentioned his trip with Gannet, and Lagan was more than happy to discuss this topic. He took an excited breath before he began. Dad it was so lit! Me and Gannet went up the mountains, and we made it to like the top! It was so cool up there! And we found a pack, south of the mountains called Teaghlaigh. They were very nice and I met this guy there named Tapat.

Lagan's memory of Tapat made his white tipped tail take off faster than before, And Tapat was super cute and nice and happy and I liked him a lot and I think I'm going to go visit him again sometime. He finished, then added, But not yet, because I have to look after my baby siblings now.

Oh my gosh, I love Lagan so much <3

Elwood swallowed the food that was in his mouth, shifting his gaze to Clover as she made a sound much louder than seemed possible for a puppy her size. Coincidentally, it was her given name that Lagan referenced, and Elwood gave a shrug. She probably had the longest name of any of their pups, but if he was being honest, most of them were challenging to pronounce. "Mathghamhain," he said with a chuckle, then added, "Don't forget your sister's name is Caoilfhionn. You lucked out, Tiarnach. But that's why you all get nicknames."

Lagan wasted no time in obliging his father and telling him about his adventure with Gannet. Elwood listened attentively, committing the name of the pack -- Teaghlaigh -- to memory. He was glad to hear that they had been friendly, but his interest was even further piqued when Lagan's voice took on a particularly affectionate tone. He blinked. Was the boy saying what he thought he was...?

"I'm glad you want to stay and help with your brothers and sisters," he said, then carefully questioned, "So tell me more about Tapat."

sorry! hope i didn't ruin this <3 feel free to ignore tegan <3

tegan could hear the weird mutterings of someone from up above, but his vision gave him no help to who they may be. they smelled the same as his less-annoying parents, and all of their voices were far too muffley to understand. his eyes gazed up with some annoyance-- he was sleeping, couldn't they tell?-- but mostly confusion. there were too many big gray blobs (and little gray blobs) in this world for him to tell which one was which... or were they all the same one? too big a concept for tegan to wrap his mind around.

instead of thinking, the boy just squirmed a bit where he laid before placing his head between his paws and laying still like a stretched out little sausage. if they were going to confuse him, they damn well better pay attention to him.

u guys can feel free to skip Clover! She's just snoozin' away.

 

Her older brother grabbed her, not that she registered that. Clover slept away, dreaming of nothing at all but feelings. And presently, she felt warm and snuggled up. Clover pressed into her older brother, quite cozy and content to dream away. His chest was as comfortable as her mothers and fathers could be—she loved it.

I hope it's cool if I drop her in here?

Towhee wasn't much of a hunter, what with her hearing impairment, but it was impossible for her not have picked up some tricks from Phox. Whether it came down to luck or skill, she managed to capture a fat rabbit today. She was just about to take a big old bite of it when she froze suddenly. She should take this kill to Finley, she decided. She plucked up the slain hare and began carrying it toward the Alpha pair's den.

When she arrived and popped her head into the den, Towhee found it a little crowded; evidently, the recently returned Lagan was catching up with his new siblings and Elwood was there too. Her chestnut eyes dropped to the dead squirrel and she gently dropped her own contribution beside it before glancing down at the four tiniest Blackthorns. Her tail stirred, thumping against either side of the den's mouth, before she glanced at the two adults with a look that asked, "Am I interrupting anything?"

<3!

Elwood corrected Lagan's mispronunciation, and Lagan waved it off with his paw. Same difference. He said with a chuckle, then let his dad explain that the long names were why they all got nicknames. Good point, and Lagan was extremely glad they got them. Without the nicknames, all of his baby siblings would be 'cute baby' to Lagan. He glanced down as Clover snuggled closer then fell asleep in a matter of seconds. Uh! Lagan squealed but in a hushed tone, gesturing for his father to look at the cuteness before him.

Elwood asked to hear more about Tapat, and he didn't seem angry or anything. Lagan was so glad, because he was still the tinniest bit worried that someone in his family wouldn't like him being gay. He smiled and started talking. Tapat is so cool. He's not like other boys I've met. He's just super happy like all the time. Lagan reached over and grabbed a squirming Tegan by his scruff and gently placed him down beside Math. He kept talking, but also groomed the pup at the same time, so some of his words were a little muffled.

He's creamy white, kind of looks like Ben but not honkin huge and he's got yellow kind of hazel muddy eyes. He's super friendly, and from the moment I saw him, I felt like we were gonna be best friends dad. Lagan stopped licking Tegan when he heard a familiar voice, and he turned his head to see Towhee. He grinned, always happy to see his buddy! Hey Towhee! We're just talking about my trip, and this cute boy I met. He said, beckoning her over with a flick of his tail before returning to grooming Tegan.

Elwood kept his yellow eyes fixed on Lagan as the boy obliged his father and began talking about his new friend. Lagan first commented on Tapat's personality, and Elwood couldn't help but interject: "He sounds a lot like you, then!" It was rare to see Lagan in a bad mood, and his sunny disposition was one of Elwood's favorite things about him. He was a wolf that chose to see most things in a positive light.

He listened as Lagan continued, now detailing Tapat's appearance and the instant connection they had had. He proclaimed them the best of friends, but Elwood could tell that there was something else going on in Lagan's heart and mind when he thought of Tapat. Call it father's intuition; he certainly wasn't guessing from experience, since his other children either hadn't had any romantic interests or Elwood just hadn't been around to witness them (he thought of Eljay and Liffey, respectively). After seeing the way Liffey looked at Rannoch, however, Elwood recognized a very similar expression on Lagan's face.

They were joined by Towhee, who came bearing the gift of food, and Elwood beckoned her to join them. He then glanced back to Lagan, watching as the boy expertly handled his sleepy younger siblings. "Do you think Tapat will come here to visit sometime?" he asked.

Both father and son beckoned her to join them, so Towhee sat primly by the entrance, looking eagerly toward the puppies. She did spare Lagan a sideways glance, then looked at him more fully as he said something to her. She blinked in response, feeling a sudden awkwardness. She glanced over at Elwood, though her godfather appeared unaffected by Lagan's remark, so Towhee wondered if she'd somehow misread his lips.

-I'm sorry,- she signed, then switched to speaking as she asked, "Did you just say 'cute boy'?" Even repeating it made her skin creep uneasily. There was just something mildly uncomfortable about Lagan using that kind of verbiage to describe another male.

Elwood was right, Tapat was a lot like Lagan. Maybe a little bit more excited than the Blackthorn, but they definitely had the same optimistic outlook on life. A life with Tapat would be a life with no worries. Just the thought of it made Lagan's little heart flutter. Unable to contain his happiness, he bent down and gave raspberries to the two pups sleeping at his feet.

When Towhee entered the den, his dad asked if Tapat would ever come visit. I sure hope so. He was the best guy I've ever met. He said, just as Towhee blurted out a question. She seemed shocked, almost disgusted by the thought. Lagan's heart skipped a beat, not because of excitement about Tapat, but because of the fear that Towhee would ridicule him, or think he was wrong. His tail still swept across the floor of the den, but at a slower pace as he nervously spoke. Oh yeah but, I don't know. He suddenly felt a little self conscious.

The words "I'd like to meet him" paused on the tip of Elwood's tongue as Towhee interjected. He glanced at her, having missed her initial sign when his gaze was trained on Lagan. It was an innocent enough question, although her garbled voice held a tone of disbelief that didn't seem to be borne of simple curiosity. Elwood's brows raised slightly as Lagan verbally backpedaled, his previous confidence disappearing in an instant.

"Do you have a question, Towhee?" he asked carefully and not unkindly, garnering all of his patience. His mind was already racing as he tried to figure out the best way to navigate a potentially tricky conversation without hurting either of his children's feelings.

Her brother's noncommittal answer caused Towhee's brow to furrow. She glanced at Elwood again when he spoke, nibbling at her lip. Did she have a question? She wasn't really sure what to make of this conversation. Something didn't feel right. But with Lagan quickly dropping the subject, she didn't really have a leg to stand on. Maybe it was something best dismissed and forgotten.

She shook her head with a tight-lipped smile, then decided to turn her attention upon the puppies. It would be difficult for Towhee to eavesdrop should Elwood and Lagan continue their discussion of cute boys (so weird, she caught herself thinking), what with being deaf and all. She might catch a snippet here or there, but for the most part, she focused on the puppies, starting with a tickle to @Tegan's belly.

the tickle was wildly unappreciated, but something about it was also sort of comforting. maybe it was the warmth-- or the softness of the touch. either way, it felt weird and he wanted it to stop. unable to... anything, really, at this age, tegan wiggled where he laid, unaware of the forming discrimination as well as the forming romance-- blissfully unaware, at that.

in his wiggles and squeaks, tegan let loose a wild sneeze, shooting a bit of snot out of his grey nose. whoops.