Golden Glade savin' all your food stamps and burnin' down the trailer park

Tagging @Phox but technically AW ;)

He had thought that perhaps there would have been some anxiety about returning to the now all-too familiar lands of the Hinterlands, but with one swiping look in the direction of the Copse, Pippin had simply kept going forward, seeking further to the southern aspects of the region. Lost Creek Hollow had been a bust—but he wasn’t mad about it. Visiting ghosts was hardly a way to move forward in his life, and dwelling on family that had been so far removed from his memory now would do him little good.

Mordecai. Harlyn. Silas. Larkspur.

There was a certain pain in his chest at the thought of any of them, and like all things that Pippin found too painful, he swallowed the emotions and brushed them aside, seeking to clear his mind and distract himself with some form of debauchery, mischievous antics, or scouting.

Today, his purpose was to determine his future, and so when the Ostrega stood at the precise of the glade, the gentle summer wind blowing at his fur, he snorted, considering thoughtfully.

Wrapped up in his cozy little fam-bam, Phox hardly made time for anything else. No, he was much too busy corralling his four growing children and making sure they were hitting all the appropriate milestones. On top of that, he was doing his usual hunting duties and generally trying to keep himself integrated with everything. As usual, things in the summer were easier and slower, in a way. Prey was easier to find, the children were able to be left alone for longer amounts of time, and Phox found himself with some leisure time here and there.

Presently, he was casting his usual roaming net a bit further, and he found himself in Golden Glade. Had this been the place that he had run into Rannoch last year? Where Raven had bastardized their name into "Frosthawks"? He still wasn't happy with the name, although he couldn't be too mad at Raven, considering she'd nursed him back to health after his fall from the landslide.

A flash of golden fur caught his attention, and Phox wondered what Niamh was doing out here as well, but he quickly realized (with a sniff of the air) that it wasn't her. Nope, it was Pippin. Boy, their conversation hadn't gone super well last time they'd talked... at least from what Phox could remember. He hadn't really seen Pippin around much, so he'd assumed that he'd heck'd out of the Firebirds.

Hey, Pippin. What brings you out here? he asked. His posture was friendly, and Phox's white-tipped tail waved lazily back and forth.

He hadn’t expected a Firebird to be out and about, least of all Phox. There was a curl at the corner of his lips—amusement, really, but it could easily be misconstrued as caustic. How did Phox have time to escape, being father of the year to all of the pups in the pack?

Of course, it had become obvious that the dark wolf hadn’t known of Towhee’s initial intentions, and so the Ostrega forced himself to relax—to keep in check his tongue, given the rocky ground the two shared just from their last conversation. Pippin had always liked Phox—and at the end of the day, he and Wraen were perhaps two of the three reasons he would have stayed, had it seemed the right thing to do.

For once, his exit of a pack had felt justified, rather than self-indulgent.

“Checking out real estate,” he offered, deciding to be forthcoming on the matter. His tail gave an idle sway in the air as he studied the dark wolf, his own brows arching in what he hoped was a casual manner. “How’ve you been?”

She stood at the borders for a long time after Phox had disappeared into the distance, deliberating. Her feet itched so badly and all she wanted to do was run and join him! But he hadn't invited her along and surely Towhee wouldn't approve. Her mother might even ground her again. Meerkat's sandy toes thoughtfully kneaded the soil underfoot. If she made a point to catch up and stick close to her dad, her mom couldn't possibly get mad, could she? And wouldn't Phox vouch for her too?

Sucking in a loud breath, Meerkat decided to take her chances. Feeling a little wild, she scurried after the tracker's trail, skirting around the bog and finding herself in a forest not unlike the copse. As she zoomed along beneath the trees, she kept her eyes and nose peeled for any signs of Phox. She found him pretty quickly, though he wasn't alone. As the youngster drew up beside him, breathless, her eyes lingered on Pippin's somewhat familiar features.

-"Hey, dad,"- she said while still gazing at Pippin (with a smile and wave), though Meerkat quickly turned her face toward Phox. Still panting, she asked, -"Is it okay if I come with you?"- Her rich brown gaze was beseeching, well aware that she was asking for forgiveness more than permission at this point.

Phox's gaze swept around the area, at first thinking that Pippin was looking for a den. But why would he do that? Was he going to settle down with a lady? But it dawned on Phox that he was probably looking to set up shop here in a different way. Oh, huh. It was a bit of a dumbstruck response, but Phox wasn't really sure how to react. It was true that he'd once left a pack to start his own... something he doubted he would ever do again.

Been a busybody, as usual. Wrangling th— Phox cut himself off, craning his neck around to find Meerkat coming toward them. For a second, Phox worried that something had happened and he was needed back at the Firebirds. But as the seconds ticked by and she appeared relaxed, followed by her question, he gave her a wry smile. Looks like you've already decided that for yourself, you rascal.

Maybe Towhee didn't like Meerkat running off, but Phox had gotten a lot more lax with this year's litter. In a way, he had Fennec to thank for that. Letting her go had been hard, but doable.

Phox seemed oblivious to what he meant at first, and the tawny Ostrega noted with light amusement as it dawned upon his darker comrade. There had been a time he would have followed Towhee, Phox and the family loyally. His first real glance at Towhee’s true nature had quickly averted that and it was finally clear to the golden wolf what he intended to do—strike out for himself.

He was about to quip out a response when his bright gaze burned upon the newcomer. Meerkat had grown substantially since he had last seen her, and he felt the pang in his chest at the knowledge. She greeted Phox in a way he had longed to be greeted—had a right to be greeted, really, but Towhee had completely railroaded that.

No, according to the dark she-wolf, he was only allowed to be part of her every day life just as a normal pack member.

Anyone closely looking would have noticed the tightening of his jaw or the flash of his eyes. But years of disappointment had given Pip a solid foundation of withholding his emotions from everyone.

Instead, he offered her a grin as Phox gave his gentle approval, his eyes skimming over her with curiosity. “Hey,” he greeted, before turning his eyes back to Phox. “There’s a basin near here I’ve got my eye on. We’ll see how it goes, I guess. Maybe back over the mountains… I don’t know yet.”

She huffed out a relieved breath when her father called her a "rascal." That wasn't quite as awesome as "model citizen" but he didn't seem upset at all, which was what mattered. Meerkat stepped closer, reaching up to nuzzle at Phox's chin even as Pippin spoke.

He mentioned a basin and Meerkat tipped her head curiously. Then he said something about the mountains. Between her late arrival and her youth, she couldn't quite sort out the context of their conversation. Having already misbehaved, in a sense, she wanted to be on her best behavior and thought twice about interrupting.

But when it seemed like there was room to ask a question, the youngster said, -"What's a basin? And why are you looking at it?"- Speaking of looking, she cast her eyes around the surrounding glade, so tempted to check out this place so similar to and different from home. She couldn't help but tack on a, -"Dad, can we explore?"-

Phox had been too focused on Meerkat to notice Pippin's discomfort, although he could have guessed it if he looked back on this interaction in the next couple of hours. It sounded as though Pippin had found at least a few places he was interested in, and Meerkat didn't wait too long to start asking questions about what was really going on.

Pippin is looking for a new place to live, Phox explained, He wants to... expand his horizons and see new things. Sure, Phox was mostly making that up, but he was hoping to spare Pippin the burden of trying to explain to a child why wolves came and went on occasion. They could have that talk another time, unless Pip wanted to hop in and correct.

Aren't we exploring right now? he asked. If you want to explore a little bit near here, just stay within sight, okay? She was going to be completely knackered after this little trip, Phox was sure of it.

You should come check-in when you get settled. He knew things between Pip and Towhee were... weird, but Phox had never disliked him. Perhaps Pip's pack could become another sister to the Firebirds.

The heaviness he felt in his heart and on his shoulders didn’t stray to weight the air around them. Steeling himself, there was a light wave of his golden tail, his attempt at masking the pain of hearing his kid calling another ‘dad’—a punch to the gut. Thanks for that, Towhee. Boy, had he completely read her wrong.

And that, Pippin, is why you need to be more careful with who you dick around with, he internally scolded. Lesson learned.

The ptero from the girl was another sign of her upbringing—and he found himself casting her a wry smile. “Kinda like a lake,” he offered, not quite sure how to explain it to Meerkat. “This one’s pretty cool. You guys should check it out.” Because the girl wanted her dad to explore with her. Not her ‘father.’

An ear swiveled to Phox’s offer, a small smile just gracing the corner of his lips. At least he had a few friends left. “Yeah, I will. How's Wraen and everyone?”

Apparently, Pippin was looking for someplace to live, perhaps near a lake. Meerkat met this information with a knowing smile. She adored exploring, hence the question she posed to her dad. Phox pointed out that they were already underway and she chuckled, supposing he was right. He invited her to keep looking around, only asking that she remain in sight. Meerkat thrilled.

-"'Kay!"- she readily agreed before rocketing forth through the glade. She made sure to keep Phox in her eye line at all times, though she cast a wide net around her father and his friend as they continued chatting. There was so much to see, hear, smell, touch and even taste... it really stimulated the pup's inner tourist.

Y'all can continue and wrap without me, she'll just be roaming around in the background. :)

Same ol, same ol, Phox replied. Everybody was cruising along at a comfortable speed, it seemed. As for himself, Phox was living his best life. He hoped, at least on some level, that Pippin could find that for himself, too. He'd always wished that Towhee had given him more of a chance, and he certainly couldn't fault Pippin for wanting to move on from that. Towhee could be a real bitch sometimes, and Phox had firsthand experience with that. Winning her back had been one of the hardest and most rewarding things he'd ever done.

Phox periodically let his eyes wander toward Meerkat, but he kept his attention on Pippin for the most part. He thought on bringing up Towhee in particular, but something about that didn't sit right with him. No need in airing his sister's dirty laundry, especially when Phox didn't hold any ill will toward Niamh's lookalike.