Your first light my eventide

Peregrine Redhawk · July 27, 2014, 03:43 PM

I hope it's okay to start this thread for @Fox and @Lasher. Depending on how everything goes, Perry will eventually want to call for @Blue Willow (I'll tag you again if/when that happens). <3

Although he was supposed to be welcoming Fox to her new home, the fact that Osprey had effectively risen from the dead was understandably distracting for him. Peregrine couldn't seem to let his daughter out of his sight. He couldn't stop marveling at her liveliness. She'd grown during her absence and the thought that she would continue growing and go on to live a long life never failed to fill him with utmost euphoria.

Now, with Junior tagging along at their heels, Peregrine ushered Fox to the heart of the plateau in search of Lasher. En route, they stopped by the rendezvous site. The Alpha male spent the better part of an hour lingering there before he was finally able to part with Osprey. He held her close and kissed her on the head, promising he would be back as soon as he set some affairs in order.

He was on cloud nine as he escorted his lady friend through the woods, despite his slight nervousness about this meeting. With Osprey Jr. back and Fox at his side, his weeks of misery were all but forgotten. Yet he could not, would not, forget how Lasher had helped him through his time of grief. Lasher had come to mean a great deal to him... which was why they were here.

Pausing in an open, sunlit copse, the Alpha male tipped his head toward the canopy and called his lover's name, then dropped his head and gave Fox the gooiest smile of all time.

RIP Fox · July 27, 2014, 07:11 PM

Playing it like Fox wasn't present for the reunion thread. :)

No sooner had Fox stepped her first foot on the plateau's claimed land was Perry whisked away to the call of some child. The redhead had let him go, watching without a word as he scurried off to attend whoever it was. When he arrived with a child at his side, Fox shifted uneasily onto her feet. She suddenly saw them in a much different light, and she was curious to see how (and if) they would accept her. Flashing a nervous glance to Perry, she was then followed to the rendezvous site. Again, Fox kept her distance, not wishing to intervene and knowing that her place was still rather uncertain.

Only when he called for Lasher did Fox ask, “What was that all about? With your kid, I mean.” It was obvious that something had happened, but because she had been removed from it, she didn't know that his daughter had more or less come back from the dead.

Lasher · July 27, 2014, 10:32 PM

*BARGES IN*

osprey junior had returned, and the buoyant attitude of the plateau had been restored. lasher had quickly intended to bring the girl beautiful things, to restore whatever spirit had been taken from her in her absence. perhaps the other children of the blacktail wolves would mend, and life would move on as nature intended. his thoughts lingered often on peregrine, and he felt a stirring of his heart, for he fully loved the panther now.

orange blooms hung from his muzzle, and sunset-hued petals were caught in his ruff as taltos' ears swung forward in heed of peregrine's summons. he did not drop his well-searched-for flowers, however; they accompanied him with a light, tangy fragrance to the site where the sable devil stood with a fireflare lasher recognized immediately.

peregrine, the earthen delta murmured, once he had laid down his burden. murky eyes lingered on peregrine's handsome face for a fleeting moment before lasher turned his attention to the ruby at his side. i did not have the pleasure of your name last time, he said softly, a bright smile lighting his face. taltos was no fool; the inclination of their bodies held an obvious undertone. however, the expression upon his lover's face delighted his heart; if this woman brought peregrine happiness, she was a blessing indeed.

Peregrine Redhawk · (This post was last modified: July 27, 2014, 10:52 PM by Peregrine Redhawk.)

*ships these three*

Fox's question earned a bark of surprised laughter from Peregrine. "It all went down rather quickly, didn't it? I'm sorry if I gave you whiplash. I probably gave everyone whiplash," he mused. Still grinning from ear to ear, he explained, "That was Osprey Jr., the one who I thought had drowned. She did wash downriver, evidently, and spent the past few weeks living with another pack. Can you believe it?"

"I'll have to break my own rules about mingling with outsiders to go there and thank them personally," he continued after a pause. "You know, I think I actually know the dude who looked after her. And, actually..." He trailed off, then made a strange sound as a realization struck him. "If I'm not mistaken, it was his wife that Crete knocked up. Fuck me..." he marveled quietly. Had Osprey unknowingly stayed with her blood cousins?

Shaking his head—there were a whole lot of details to still unravel about Osprey's story—Peregrine quipped, "How's that for a dramatic introduction to the plateau? Now that she's back, though, everything should go back to normal. And it's up to you how much you want to involve yourself with her and the other kids. In fact, I'd almost prefer you keep your distance until you're sure you'll be sticking around," he said with a crooked smile, hoping Fox wouldn't be offended. He actually hoped she would be relieved of any sense of responsibility. Neither he nor the kids were looking for a stepmom; they already had three parents.

"You look very pretty in this light," Peregrine said softly in the next moment, his tail twitching slightly. As much as he was caught up in his daughter's resurrection, he wouldn't let his new relationship with Fox fall to the back burner. As if to remind them both of this, he reached out and slowly rubbed his black muzzle against hers, placing a few tender, lingering kisses along her jaw before reluctantly withdrawing and seating himself across from her.

Not a moment later, Lasher appeared, a spray of flowers in his muzzle. Peregrine smiled tenderly at the ocher male. He, too, had begun to fall in love. The familiarity between the two took him by surprise and he looked wonderingly at Fox. Just setting his eyes on her made him realize he was falling for her too (though hadn't he really fallen for her some time ago?). Funnily, his affinity for each of the two wolves before him did not subtract from his adoration for the other. In fact, just seeing them together this very first time made his heart splutter with joy.

"You've met?" he questioned lightly. "This is Fox," he introduced, since it was the polite thing to do. "Fox, this is Lasher. Look, he brought us flowers." For the moment, he made no mention of his hopes for the two of them to pair-bond as he had with each of them individually. He would let Lasher in on the possibility at some point, of course, and divulge the nature of his relationship with Fox. The rest, he would let happen naturally, if it was meant to happen at all.

RIP Fox · July 28, 2014, 07:09 AM

Fox listened with ease as Perry recounted the story of his daughter's "death" and subsequent return. Although she said nothing of it, her gut felt a sudden pang and longing for Haunter. There was no mistaking his fate, unlike Osprey. Haunter would never turn up in some other pack, merely losing his way. Fox had already gotten that chance once, and it had swiftly been taken away from her. Haunter's return had been so brief, she wondered if she had imagined all of it.

"Now that she's back, though, everything should go back to normal." Normal? Fox hardly believed that. Now that she was part of the mix, she was not sure Perry's new venture would be normal at all. Especially since he intended for her to have some kind of relationship with another male at the same time. The idea was, well, interesting, though Fox knew herself well enough to know that she would be possessive of the both of them... if she took a liking to Lasher at all.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief when he mentioned that she didn't have to be involved with his entire family just yet. For that, she was thankful. Perhaps, in time—if she stuck around—they would form relationships naturally. But Fox wasn't one to force it, and she doubted that would go over well, anyway.

When the dark male approached them, Fox's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. She shot a puzzled, wide-eyed look at Peregrine to ensure that she was indeed looking at his... lover. It seemed it was the case, and it took the girl a few moments to recover. “Yes,” she replied to Perry's question, the dumbfounded look not leaving her face. “You two…?” Fox wasn't quite sure how to end that question, so she simply trailed off and took a step closer to Lasher, taking in deep breaths to make sure he was the same one she had come across weeks ago. Before Haunter had returned to her.

Satisfied that it was the same wolf, Fox shook her head, bewildered. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

Lasher · July 28, 2014, 09:45 AM

*shippy ship ship*

fox. it certainly suited her small frame and ruddy colour. in response to peregrine's mention of the flowers, lasher nudged them toward the pair. i suppose much of my summer has been consumed with gardening, the delta chuckled in a mildly self-deprecating manner. of course it had also been filled with other things, but he would leave the alpha male to inform fox of those details, if he so chose.

yes, he lilted, turning his soft gaze on the devil with a single wave of his plume. we met and played like children for a time, and dozed on the earth. it was a good counterpoint to the otherwise demanding lifestyle of a grown creature. he tossed a look of good humour at fox then, ears sliding back somewhat as she stepped to inspect him, for both she and peregrine exuded a confidence that was undeniable to a servant such as he.

Peregrine Redhawk · July 28, 2014, 09:56 AM

Not so long ago, Peregrine might have felt jilted or jealous as the two recognized each other with a certain measure of fondness. Today, however, it just delighted him to hear that they were well acquainted. This might actually work, he thought to himself with a grin and a twitch of his tail. I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend, his mental voice mused, a thought which made his heart flutter in a peculiar but not unpleasant manner. He just barely stifled a very unmanly giggle.

"Well!" the Alpha male said after a pause, eyes glimmering. "I'm glad you two already appear to know and like each other." His tail swept the air, fanning the smell of Lasher's blossoms. His heart skipped a happy but nervous beat. "Because... I've told her about us, Lasher, and you should know that I've asked her to come here to be with me. I was actually hoping... well, I'd like to formally court both of you. And if you decide to court one another as well, then all the better."

A questioning, lopsided smile appeared on his face as he looked at Lasher now, his gaze hopeful. Fox already knew all of this, so it was his Delta's response that was most crucial now. Peregrine intuited that Lasher wouldn't mind the arrangement, though of course he wanted to be sure the man retained his autonomy. And he wasn't sure if Lasher had picked up on it—most likely he had, as he was rather sharp of wit—but Peregrine had just implied that he would be going public with both of his relationships if all went well.

RIP Fox · July 28, 2014, 12:12 PM

Fox did not think she would be doing any courting at all. In her rather traditional mind, it was the boys who were supposed to perform that task. Then again, this wasn't exactly a traditional setup. The girl's tail swished back and forth in a bemused manner, wondering if she were in some kind of strange world where everything had been turned on its head and she was the only sane one around here. And yet... maybe falling into the same insanity wasn't such a terrible idea. Maybe this weird thing Perry had in mind would work out, and the two of them really would settle down, along with Lasher. Fox still had a hard time imagining how he would fit into all this.

The girl wasn't sure if she would attempt to woo Lasher. In fact, she wasn't even sure that she needed to. Peregrine was her main squeeze (one of my favorite phrases, haha), as far as she was concerned. But the thought of being with Lasher was a tempting one, even if she couldn't quite understand how it would work. Her gaze lingered on him longer, trying to figure out what the future would hold. It was a lost cause, of course. Fox couldn't predict the future any more than she could before she had moved to the plateau.

“So… now what?” she asked, breaking the silence that had lingered for a few seconds too long. It was a lot to take in, and she knew that her integration was not yet over.

Lasher · July 28, 2014, 01:48 PM

taltos was not easily shocked, but the words that came forth from peregrine were surprising in their own right. a petal drifted from his ruff to settled upon the ground, and he looked fully upon his lover, a gentle smile spreading agreeably across his face. he would not have faulted peregrine for hiding him away, as such liaisons were not typically pursued, though it would have stung the man had the jet devil publically elevated fox despite that.

wordlessly he crossed the small space between himself and the others, and pressed his lips gently against the underside of peregrine's cheek, accepting his offer quietly and completely. at length lasher turned to fox, seeking her gaze with his own — such a lovely smoke-hue they were!

the prospect of pursuing for companionship and pleasure a woman was one that pleased lasher. peregrine provided much to him, but the earthen celt had been created to worship the feminine form, and this he would do unto fox, despite the fact that they would perhaps never touch. a gentle sound flickered in his throat; he extended his muzzle slowly toward the ruby, holding his breath in hopes she would accept his gesture.

Peregrine Redhawk · July 28, 2014, 02:02 PM

Paging @Blue Willow now! :)

Peregrine took Lasher's slow smile to mean acceptance. He returned it in kind, leaning heavily into the nuzzle the ocher male offered. While they stood so near, Peregrine locked eyes with his lover and said, "I'm sorry I've kept you hidden. I just wasn't... ready." He swallowed. "I'm ready now. If anyone has a problem with it—with any of this—they can take a fucking hike. We deserve to be happy," he finished, sweeping Fox with his dusky eyes to include her.

Lasher made a move toward the spry yearling and Peregrine's eyes followed him. Mindlessly, he arched forward and plucked the remaining petals from the male's ruff. After removing the last one, he gave Lasher's dark ear a nip, seated himself and cocked his head in response to Fox's pertinent question.

"Now kiss," he joked in response. "Actually, I'm going to start the whole 'coming out of the closet' thing by calling Willow and Atti." He swallowed again, wondering what his brother would make of all this. He could not even begin to guess. "I want to tell them about us first. Then I'll tell the kids. Then the rest of the pack in a few days, after you've had a chance to settle in," he concluded, smiling softly at Fox.

Without further adieu, the Alpha male turned aside and howled for his co-leaders. Not only did he plan to tell them of his unorthodox relationships, he also intended to tell them he meant to make Fox the fourth and final leader. It was perhaps a hasty and biased decision but Peregrine's word was law. And, in any event, there were no other eligible candidates for the Beta female rank and it was only a matter of time before Fox clawed her way up there anyway. By acknowledging her fitness directly, he also hoped it would help her stick.

*Blue Willow* · July 28, 2014, 02:11 PM

Blue Willow was smiling fondly as she dug in teh fresh earth to put her marigold...if she could grow it, if there was enough root attached she could use it in a number of ways and she would forever be thankful for the male Lasher for bringing her such a wonderful gift. As she studied the small plant her ears flipped backwards to resounding howl of her friend and fellow alpha and she took off at a small lope towards him. All was right in her world for now, and she was excite dto see her friend.

Upon arriving she found both Peregrine and Lasher and gave them both a smile, but then she studied the small femme in front of her. Who was this and why did she smell like the small female Bazi she had met moons ago. She stuided her for a moment she was small and red and there were fresh wounds on her and she saw the largest wound on her back. Oh goodness that looks painful I can help with that if you would like. She tilted her head and then looked to her friend with bright green eyes. You called me?

RIP Fox · July 28, 2014, 10:04 PM

I'm a little drunk, so I apologize in advance for the poor quality of this post.

Fox accepted Lasher's gesture just as she had during their first encounter—with ease. His advances were not unwelcome, and although she still had a lot of sorting out of the specifics to do, she figured it would become more clear as she spent more time at the plateau. She was not convinced that she would stay, not even as Peregrine called for Blue Willow, the wolf who was, in every sense of the word, her opponent. Fox could think of it no other way. Even Bazi had been her opponent before Fox had gone to The Sunspire. Maybe she was paranoid, but she was convinced somebody was going to usurp her at one point or another, and it made most sense for Bazi to do it when she'd been back at the creek. And now that Fox stood here, it seemed as if that was what had happened. Bazi, her former Beta, was now leading the creek.

The redhead awaited the arrival of this Alpha, of whom she had yet to meet. Fox bit her lip, unsure what this meeting was to be like. She dared not believe that Blue Willow would take to her without doubts. In fact, Fox was not sure that any of the members of the plateau would take to her without question. She was a stranger in their eyes. Then again, she had been a stranger to each and every one of the Swiftcurrent wolves at some point or another. Perhaps it was not so far-fetched to believe that she might stake her claim here one day.

When Blue finally did arrive, Fox flinched at the mention of the medic taking care of her wounds. But the former Alpha did not answer Willow. Instead, she deferred to Peregrine, awaiting his answer rather than answering the question that had been half-presented to her.

Lasher · July 29, 2014, 03:23 PM

she deigned, and he sighed in the small span of time during which his lips too touched her cheek. turning his attention to peregrine, lasher listened intently to his devil's words, nodding. blue willow and atticus must be brought into the fold, though he was unsure of how peregrine's brother would respond. chiding himself for his judgement, the earthen servant moved to the alpha's other side, flanking him as a lover and as a confidant.

in time, as the last echoes of the panther's summons died away, the willow arrived, and taltos watched her fondly. the woman's gentle nature was first to surface; she proffered healing to fox, which went unaccepted.

the tension in the ruby was palpable, and as much as lasher loved peregrine, he wondered if it was wise to elevate her so hastily before she had learned the plateau and its wolves. yet it was not in his nature to question, nor his intention, and so he settled himself to observe the outcome of this meeting.

Peregrine Redhawk · July 29, 2014, 03:35 PM

Blue Willow arrived promptly, quick to offer medical assistance to Fox despite their lack of familiarity. Noticing her discomfiture, Peregrine said, "I'm taking care of her for now. Thanks, Willow." He waved his tail at his friend and thought to introduce them, though he wanted Atticus to be present too and it was silly to repeat himself.

However, the Beta male did not appear at length, nor did he howl. "He must be out of earshot," Peregrine mused. He paused, deliberating, then decided he was too anxious to postpone this announcement. "I'll have to bring him up to speed later. Willow, if you see him after this, can you let him know I'm looking for him?" Normally, he would've wanted his Beta male's blessing as well but Peregrine knew deep down that he would have his way today, regardless of whether his co-leaders assented.

"Willow, this is Fox. She used to rule at Swiftcurrent Creek but she's come here to be with me. With me in the romantic sense," the Alpha male began, holding his sweet friend's emerald gaze. "It's not unusual for an Alpha male's mate to step up into the rank beside him. We have a wonderful Alpha female already, so I mean to make Fox our Beta female. She will prove herself worthy in no time, I'm sure, and since there's no other eligible candidates for the rank anyway, I do not expect the plateau wolves to dissent." His face asked the unspoken question, Do you? "In the meantime, I will vouch for her."

"I have something else to tell you too," he continued after steeling himself with a deep breath. This one was harder for him, as it was breaking more of what he considered natural laws. "I'm also romantically involved with Lasher. Obviously, he and Fox know about each other." They were standing right here, after all. "Yes," he said, answering what he felt was the pressing unspoken question, "I've gone bi and poly in one fell swoop. And I have never," he finished, glancing fondly between Fox and Lasher, "felt more content." His muzzle pointed again at Blue Willow, awaiting her blessing... or lack thereof.

*Blue Willow* · (This post was last modified: July 29, 2014, 09:16 PM by Blue Willow.)

Blue raised an eyebrow at him and her lips twitched as he said he was taking care of her, she hoped he was doing a good job. Okay Peregrine. She would have used the nickname Perry but realizing that there was more to this red furred femme in front of her she kept that to herself, not wanting to stir the pot.

Blue nodded her head yes I can do that for you. She grew silent herself wondering where Atticus was having been absent for a week now and it bothered her to a degree, but he was probably merely busy.

Blue looked at him and then at fox and nodded. Though she thought he was being rash as usual for Perry, she kept that to herself very well. She did not wish to cause any problems and she knew if she spoke out it would, and besides she saw nothing wrong with this as long as the girl was worthy of her friends love, because he did not deserve another heartache and she'd rip the girl apart herself if she hurt him.

Blue stared at him for a moment and then smiled gently at both him and Lasher and said quietly Well if you needed to go that way you certainly chose a worthy lover and mate, I...not that it matters much Perry, but you have my blessing of course and I am happy for you all three of you. She added fire kissed femme into her words, not wanting to leave her out of the loop or anything of the kind.

RIP Fox · July 29, 2014, 09:36 PM

Fox dipped her head in response when Peregrine introduced her, eyes flicking nervously to Willow in anticipation. The other female was decidedly a non-talker, which pleased Fox. She simply could not stand wolves who were determined to run their mouths twenty-four seven. Oddly enough, Perry was doing that exact thing right now, although the fire-hued female failed to notice this flaw. With Willow's easy acceptance (something Fox did not think she ever would have done), Fox was essentially shoved into the Beta spot without so much as a scuffle. Once again, she was handed a leader rank without having to work for it. Did it happen this way for other wolves, or was she merely the type who was meant to lead?

"I have something else to tell you too." This was the part that Fox was possibly more nervous about. Even if Perry claimed to be the top-dog around here, if he was seen as a threat, or sick, he would surely be banished at the drop of a hat. When Perry mentioned that he had never been more content, Fox let her gaze fall upon him once more, and she pressed herself closer to him. While she wasn't feeling particularly content, given the circumstances, she could not contest that Perry had helped her through so much. Willow accepted, leaving Fox to wonder if the Alpha was hiding her true emotions. Was she really going to let a stranger waltz in and become her second in command? Perhaps Willow trusted Perry a great deal... or she did not trust him at all.

Figuring she should say something in return, Fox opened her mouth to speak. “I thank you for taking me in.” It was as much of a thanks as they were going to get, unfortunately. Fox was far more clear with actions than words. Surely it was clear from her body language that she still felt out of place. It was going to take some time before the yearling truly began to feel at home here.

Lasher · July 29, 2014, 09:46 PM

truthfully, lasher would have been surprised had blue willow not granted her favor and blessing. the curved woman did so with gentility and aplomb, her elegance unrivaled by any presence around her. taltos also quietly questioned this, but he put the thought from his mind. whatever she decided, that was her truth and he would not inquire about it.

atticus did not arrive, but the delta took it in natural stride, and flexed his forepaws against the earth. fox was still palpably uneasy, though lasher attributed it to her sudden upthrust into the high tier of blacktail deer plateau. he had no doubt she would thrive there, however.

he glanced expectantly to peregrine, open affection shining in his gaze, and awaited the words of his panther.

Peregrine Redhawk · July 30, 2014, 08:15 AM

After letting Blue Willow say her piece, Peregrine found himself more than a little moved by his friend's quick, unconditional acceptance. "You..." he said, unable to find his words. Instead of speaking, he moved forward to press his forehead to hers, his tail waving slowly but fiercely. "You are a good friend, Willow. Thank-you." He nipped her nose affectionately.

In a few days' time, he wanted to let everybody know about these changes but, for now, Peregrine wanted some down time to spend with Fox, Lasher (and Fox and Lasher), not to mention Osprey Jr. As he stood there, momentarily frozen indecisively, he felt like his heart might explode with happiness. It was almost scary, how well everything was working out for him.

"Thanks, Willow. I'll come find you soon," the Alpha male said to his counterpart before turning and nuzzling Fox and Lasher in turn. "Come," he said to the former. To the latter, he said, "I'm coming for you next, Taltos," and swiped his tongue across Lasher's cheek, his eyes dancing as they met the other male's. Peregrine held his gaze for a long beat before swinging around and giving the new Beta's hip a suggestive nudge.

One day, he hoped the three of them would be an inseparable triad. For the moment, he thought it best to have a few moments alone with his new leading lady. He knew Lasher would understand, just as Peregrine would understand (and even be encouraging) when Fox and Lasher ran off to be alone during the getting-to-know-you stage. Already, there was a distinct lack of jealousy among them, as the dynamic, simply put, served each of their individual needs well.

*Blue Willow* · July 30, 2014, 12:58 PM

Blue licked the underside of his chin in friendly affection and her own tail wagged. Though she had misgivings surely and this was a rash move, she also knew that Perry was an adult and though she was the alpha female he was the leader, she was just the half to a whole that helped him to bounce his thoughts off of.

She tilted her head and nodded Very well Perry I will listen. Then with a swift muzzle down to both Lasher and Fox and a small nudge to Lasher since she knew him better she turned and departed, her mind spinning like a top as she fought to catch up with everything she had just been told.

Lasher · July 30, 2014, 11:54 PM

he watched blue willow depart, returning her gesture with a warm expression. peregrine was given a cheeky smile and a mirroring lap of his own tongue, and he watched the ruby and panther set off for a more intimate setting with delight in his heart.

stride lengthened, he moved in the direction of the plateau's outskirts, to hunt and perhaps find a member of the pack in want of company. the sun glistened warmly upon his pelt as he set off, plume swaying with quiet happiness.