Sun Mote Copse It's all so incredibly loud.

The dark gray sky looked ready to unleash another round of rain at any moment. Towhee couldn't help but keep an eye out for Meerkat every time she roamed the northernmost stretch of the copse, though neither her daughter nor the rain made an appearance. The weather held out until she wrapped up her patrol and sauntered back to the rendezvous site. When she arrived there, she felt the first few raindrops and discovered the place empty.

She stood there a moment, pensive, then walked over toward the log where she'd given birth to Meerkat. She stared at it silently and thought about crawling inside to avoid the drizzle. Instead, she leaped on top of it and sat. Her orange gaze roved her surroundings, though soon her eyes glazed over as Towhee fell deep into thought.

The Sovereign didn't know how long she stayed like that, lost in thought, but when a sunbeam broke through the clouds, Towhee blinked to attention. The light rain had stopped but there was now a rainbow dancing over the nearby treetops. She gazed at it even as she decided to seize one of the many thoughts which had crossed her mind in the past hour and sent up a howl for @Phox and @Niamh.

The sound of Towhee's howl never failed to send a shiver up Niamh's spine. It wasn't simply the tone of her voice, but the fact that generally, being summoned by Towhee meant that there was something to discuss, and that summon had meant a variety of different, sometimes treacherous things in the past. She was calling out for Phox too, which pulled a frown to her lips. Was it something about the kids? She didn't sound too alarmed, but Niamh was quick to turn on her heel and beat a path for the Rendez-vous site regardless, to find Towhee sitting atop a log, looking somewhat like a prophetess in her sunbeam whilst a rainbow arced across the sky overhead. It made Niamh chuckle, despite her concern, and she sauntered forward, ears cupped to try and hear Phox who she assumed would arrive soon. 

She tipped her head back and gazed up into the small clearing, blinking into the blue sky, and allowing her gaze to fall to the rainbow before she sniffed in amusement and licked her lips. "-You plan all this er sumthin'?-" She asked wryly, gesturing toward the sky with a tilt of her muzzle.

The blonde Honoree didn't make Towhee wait for long, sauntering into view and cracking a joke about the rainbow. Towhee peered at it over her shoulder, a slight smirk touching her mouth. But her features soon slid into a more introspective expression as she pressed up onto all fours, then hopped down from the log. She shook out her pelt before moving forward to nudge the side of Niamh's neck, tail waving slowly.

-"Yeah, actually, I called you here just to demonstrate this new superpower I discovered. I shot that out of my ass,"- Towhee quipped, face still mostly serious, though her orange eyes glittered a bit. -"Is Phox on his way?"- she wondered in the next breath.

-"Is that so?"- Niamh purred sarcastically, accepting Towhee's fond greeting, before she pulled back and gestured toward the sky with a flick of her muzzle. -"Then I wanna see a double rainbow. C'mon, chop chop,"- She insisted, holding her mug with her jowls slightly parted in anticipation before she cracked a grin. 

To the question about Phox, she shrugged. She'd been patrolling earlier, and had't crossed paths with him. -"Prolly just tangled up with the kids. They're at this sort of 'I WANNA GO EVERYWHERE WITH YOU' phase right now? Ugh. You know how well I do clingy,"- She said, missing the irony of her statement completely as she expressed her complaint to her best friend, ignoring just how co-dependant Niamh could be sometimes.

She could've run with the jokes, though her brother's absence distracted her. Towhee frowned thoughtfully when Niamh explained he might be caught up with the kids. -"Did he respond? I really wanted to talk to you both..."- Well, life didn't always go to according to plan, did it? Especially life with kids, as she knew especially well just lately.

All the same, she hesitated. Towhee would still tell Niamh what was on her mind even if Phox couldn't make it, though ideally he'd show up eventually. In the meantime, she could simply enjoy Niamh's company... and maybe toy with her a little bit, all in good fun.

-"There's something I want to ask the two of you. Wanna guess?"-

The corners of Niamh's lips sank thoughtfully when Towhee side-stepped any response to her quip, and referenced Phox again. She shook her head- she hadn't heard anything, but then again- Niamh hadn't responded to let Towhee know she was on her way because...Well, it would've been futile. She knew how easy it was to forget about everything and fixate on the kids whenever Alyx decided to be a princess and demand the things she needed, or when Quetzal went on one of her incoherent screech-fests, or whenever Primrose was being too adorable to be left alone- which was pretty much always. So she tilted her head back and called out for Phox again, conveying a somewhat lewd message that he'd "best hurry up or he wouldn't get 'dessert' later." Towhee wouldn't hear it, the kids wouldn't get it, and Bronco was off living on a mountain so he couldn't puke all over Meerkat, who was also gone. 

No harm done. 

Towhee then proposed a question, in such a teasing and enticing way that made Niamh's head tilt and her ears perk, like a dog hearing the word treat? She caught her upper lip with her lower canine, and pondered for a moment what Towhee might be thinking of asking- but as per usual, she was more inclined to be sarcastic, than to actually make a legit guess. -"Youuuu"- She said, trailing off. What was it she wanted to ask? Obviously, it was something she wanted input on from the both of them- and that it was important that Phox be present...She didn't think Towhee'd be asking them if they wanted to have kids again the next year, because it was too damn soon to be thinking about that. Just the thought of having more kids made Niamh's belly clench. Somehow, she doubted that it had anything to do with the kids. The only other option was something to do with leadership- but they were already Honorees. It really did take Niamh a few moments to suss this all out in her mind, before she ended up failing horribly at coming up with either an amusing retort, or an actual guess. 

-"I dunno. You wanna start a cult er somethin'?"- She asked, at a loss for a better idea. -"I dunno. I assume if you actually DID learn how to fart rainbows, I'd be the first person you'd tell."- She added.

Niamh's first guess wasn't far off the mark, actually, and it made Towhee's lips twitch. Before she could remark, the Honoree cracked another joke about rainbows. This made the Sovereign glance upward again, though the sun had hidden behind a cloud and the rainbow had vanished. It looked like it might start raining again soon.

Gaze roving back to her sister-in-law, Towhee said, -"Speaking of cults, I was actually thinking about changing the name of the pack back to Redhawks. Well, I guess it's not 'back to,' technically... and I don't want to, like..."- She paused to search for the right words, then huffed a laugh at herself for what she was about to say. -"I don't want to alienate anyone, so maybe it's not the best idea. But: thoughts?"-

"Speaking of cults" For half a second, maybe, Niamh seriously thought that maybe her guess had been right- and the cogs and wheels inside her mind were sent off in a dizzying fury, trying to brainstorm ideas for their new cult- ranks, laws, sacrifices...But Fortunately for the world, Niamh couldn't think quickly enough to form a fully-realized idea, and Towhee went on to explain that her real intention was to change the pack's name back to Redhawks. 

Her immediate reaction was positive, and it would've shown on her features. It wasn't long ago that she an Towhee had spent some time reminiscing about their days as Redhawks, and about how times had changed since then. Simply changing the name of the pack probably wouldn't bring back all that fun and excitement- but she wasn't opposed to doing it just for the sake of being a Redhawk again. 

-"I'd be cool with that. 'Firebird' isn't even a real bird anyway,"- She said. -"I for sure got some weird looks from loners when I told them what our pack's name was."- She chuckled. -"Any reason for wantin' to change it back? Er....Change it?"- She asked, having to correct herself given the fact that at one point, the Redhawks and Firebirds had been two different packs. -"And d'you mean like you wanna move back to the plateau, an' change rank names and stuff, or just the pack name?"- Niamh asked. Her expression was somewhat hopeful- maybe she craved change, and the idea of it excited her...But as Towhee had pointed out, they might not want to ruffle too many feathers with too much change all at once.

Niamh not only liked the idea, she grabbed it and ran with it. Towhee snorted a laugh, appreciating the positive reaction as well as the enthusiasm. But midway through her friend's spiel, she held up her paws as if to say, "whoa, whoa."

-"Just the name, for now,"- she clarified, -"and I guess my reason is a little selfish. But with Wraen leaving, well... that means this is really my pack now. I mean, it's everyone's pack, of course but... you know what I mean. The Redhawks name is mine and our legacy, so it just feels right. Does that make sense?"-

As for her friend's suggestions, she should acknowledge them. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to give the hierarchy a face-lift, though she liked the setup there just fine. And they had left the plateau for good reason—two of them, actually: Fennec and a fresh start—but she supposed neither was relevant anymore. In any case, she really liked the copse and saw no reason to up and move. That would be a change on a whole other scale.

But Wraen had scolded her for making decisions on her own in regards to Moonspear. She was technically in charge but she was supposed to consult her council on matters like this. Bearing that in mind, Towhee asked, -"Do you think we should change the ranks? Or move? Your opinion matters to me, especially since I'd also like you to be my Regent,"- she slipped in casually.

Niamh had been right. Phox had been dealing with a spat between all three of the children, but after trying to get them to do what they were told, he simply gave up and decided they could figure it out among themselves. Mildly peeved, but knowing that kids would be kids, he showed up late to the party with Towhee and Niamh already chatting it up about who-knows-what.

He saw/heard the name "Redhawks" thrown around a few times between the two upon his arrival, but he couldn't get the full read on the situation. -What'd I miss?- he asked, settling in for whatever crazy news was to come next. It was always crazy news, wasn't it?

Niamh trailed off, smiling a bit in acknowledgement of the fact that maybe she'd gone off the rails for a bit. Towhee's reasoning for changing the name of the pack made sense to Niamh; essentially they were still the Redhawks, though with a few different members. Their numbers weren't as strong as she wanted them to be, of course- but perhaps some change might bring a morale boost after the changes that had already occurred. Maybe they needed to reclaim the legacy they'd once had. 

Towhee had just posed an invitation for Niamh to voice her opinions on changes, and she'd opened her mouth to reply but snapped it shut when she was offered a promotion. She opened her mouth again- only to have her moment of silence thieved by Phox, who'd arrived looking like he'd just walked out of a small windstorm. She tweaked a small tuft of fur from his cheek that was either just about to shed out, or had potentially been pulled loose by one of their occasionally unruly children. -"Towhee can shit rainbows,"- Niamh said, -"An' she said you have to kiss up to me now, 'cause I'm the new Regent,"- She boasted with a chuckle. She then tilted her muzzle to Towhee, allowing her the opportunity to deliver her new suggestions herself.

Before Niamh could answer her questions or react to the offer of a promotion, Phox strode into view. Towhee's attention immediately turned to her brother, orange eyes taking in his slightly harried appearance. One side of her mouth twitched upward as he came closer. Her eyes danced as Niamh nipped at his cheek, then teased him about Towhee's supposed superpower before bragging about her new title.

-"Actually, I'd love it if Phox took the other Regent position,"- the Sovereign cut in with a laugh, -"so you two can kiss each other's asses. Gross."- She clicked her tongue, then waited for formal responses to her offer. Then she and Niamh would have to bring Phox up to speed on their brainstorming about the pack's name and any other changes they might want to make while they were at it.

Phox's ear twitched as Niamh nibbled at it, and of course he grinned stupidly in response. Wherever life led him, he hoped that he and Niamh would never be split apart. -You didn't know that she could shit rainbows? She's been showing off with that since we were pups!- he joked, winking at Towhee. -And Regent, eh?- Phox bowed dramatically kissing his mate's feet. -In what ways shall I serve my new overlord? Or is it overlady?-

But Towhee was talking next, this time thrusting the title on him as well. Almost immediately, it made him feel queasy. He had been a leader once, and it had ended... poorly, to say the least. He'd lost two children (Fennec and Elfie) and the pack had crumbled mere months after they had moved to the grove. Phox furrowed his brow. He had Niamh, and he had his three (not so) little ones here. Did he really need to lead on top of all that?

-Can I think on it a few days?- he asked, his tone much more serious now as he stood upright to face his sister. -Just don't want to rush into anything, y'know?-

-"WHAT? You stinge"- She exclaimed outrageously at Towhee, for having been stingy with the information about her ability to fart rainbows. It was mock outrage of course, and maybe they were supposed to be having a serious meeting- but she knew just as well as the other two that they could switch from goofy to serious in a matter of seconds, and didn't feel pressed to make the switch back too soon. Besides, Phox was kissing her feet, making her giggle like a racehorse whinnying. -"I like the sound of over-lady"- She said, clicking her tongue against her teeth. 

Phox seemed to want a bit more time to accept his title- which was fine. She was releived that he didn't try to speak for the both of them, as she was perfectly happy to assume a slightly higher role in the leadership without qualms. Sure, the kids were busy busy busy- but she didn't see there being too much of a change. Just a bit more weight to sling around, and she could handle that. 

-"Towhee also wants to maybe change the pack's name back- ugh. TO Redhawks,"- She said, making the same mistake again. The Firebirds had been a part of the Redhawks once, but they'd been two separate groups once it became its own entity. -"I'd be happy with that. I like change."- She said, though that wasn't necessarily the truth; Niamh couldn't always handle change that well, but when it was a change that she liked...She was generally, emphatically, in.

The light in Towhee's eyes was mostly fond as she watched the two of them. Despite their rocky start, they really were a great couple. She couldn't imagine a more suited Beta pair, either. Niamh quickly seized the title, though Phox asked for a couple of days to consider.

-"Of course,"- Towhee said before adding, -"you two are disgusting, btdubs."-

Niamh seized the opportunity to bring her mate up to speed on their earlier conversation. Towhee nodded, eyes bright as they fixed on Phox's face. She assumed he would be in favor of this change, though sometimes her brother surprised her.

Phox straightened himself up, sticking his tongue out at Niamh briefly before hearing the latest suggestion: change the name to Redhawks. He pondered on that a minute, wondering what sort of impact it might have. It was true that most who lived among them were Redhawks, either by birth, marriage, or adoption, but something about it seemed... well, he wasn't quite sure. A younger Phox would have rushed right into it, but after talking to so many other since he'd been here, one thing niggled at him.

-I love the name as much as both of you, but won't it alienate those who don't share our name?- he asked. -It's no secret that those who come here don't always feel like they're part of the pack because we're already so tight with one another.- Nobody had ever said anything explicitly, and yet Phox could read between the lines.

Niamh bit her lip and raised her eyebrows as though trying to hide in a laugh when Phox- like his sister- voiced his concern over the name of the pack alienating others. Whatever tree it was that they'd fallen from, they'd not fallen far from one another, like two apples joined at the stem. Niamh, naturally, didn't feel that the name might make others feel left out; she wasn't incredibly gifted at putting herself in other wolves' pawsteps, though. -"I wasn't a Redhawk when I met either of you,"- She said. -"But I became one. Din't take it as my name until, obviously, now but I dunno. Just 'cause it's our family name don't mean, to me, that we're above everybody else. Though like...Rank-wise, obviously."- She said. 

She thought about it for a moment, frowned obstinately and shrugged. -"I still like it. I mean- I 'member you sayin', Towhee, that your like...Great-Gramma chose the name, right? So it's a choice thing, not just like...nepo..Neo-potism or whatever it is."- She was struggling now. How could she possibly make a good case for this? -"All I'm tryna say is that I like the name Redhawks for a pack. Sure, it's part of our surname, but that don't mean non-Redhawk-surnamed-Redhawk'ses aren't Redhawks still."- There, that should do it.

Towhee tilted her head at Phox's remark. -"I've never heard anyone say that,"- she countered bluntly, though there was no defensiveness. It was just a frank observation. Her lips pursed thoughtfully. -"But if that's true, it's the sort of mindset I'd like to avoid..."- Which was ironic, considering how much pride they'd both taken in the name and its legacy back in the day. They'd both been every bit the shameless elitists. But they'd both grown and changed over time, as peetple tend to do.

Turning her attention to Niamh, Towhee listened to her take. Lately, it seemed like Niamh always took her side. Towhee knew it was a little self-indulgent, yet she liked how she could always count on her sister-in-law to have her back, without fail. With that said, she was mature enough to weigh both her councilors' opinions on the matter, along with her own.

-"We could always invite anyone who wants it to take the surname,"- she thought aloud, not entirely sure how she even felt about that. Was just any old wolf worthy of the Redhawk name? Perhaps her inner elitist was still alive and well. -"Or we could take some time to think about it or even table the idea for later. Maybe the changes in leadership are enough upheaval for the pack for right now."-

Just as Towhee went to shrug, thunder boomed out of nowhere. She didn't hear it, of course, but the Sovereign felt the earth rumble beneath her feet and knew what it meant. Seconds later, a flash of lightning lit up the sky and the first few raindrops began to fall, ushering in another round of rainstorms.

If wolves (and Niamh immediately wondered exactly WHO it was Phox was referring to, so she could track them down and whittle the truth out of them herself) didn't feel like they belonged, then the answer for Niamh was simple. -"Eh. Why don't we have a...Nah, not a meeting. Sort of meeting, but with food, an' we can sorta do an announcement thing,"- She said. -"Not like a...'Hey y'all! We're changing the pack name!' announcement, but just like, telling them- an' maybe sharing personal stories so they feel more involved- an' then at the end of it, actually tell them that they're welcome to use the surname. Maybe they don't feel like they're part of the crew just 'cause they haven't been directly told or asked that they can legit become a Redhawk if they want to."- She said. -"Obviously we don't want to make it mandatory, 'cause a lotta wolves hold onto their surnames 'cause of attachment."- She said.

Figuring that was more than enough reasonable talk, she rocked back on her haunches. -"Or we roll out a mandatory agreement that every wolf that joins us, becomes a Redhawk. They have to worship you as their supreme deity, an' the two of us as your sub-deities (but mostly me) an' that all youngsters are born as Redchick an' grow up to be a Redfledge an' then a  Redhawk an' get the name as a right of passage, an' we just go forth, multiply an' take over the world. 'Course we'll need aaaaa, uh, like...Historian, who'll sit down with each member an' like...Keep track of their past last name and past life, so we uh, don't get confused whilst pairing up Redhawk with Redhawk and get babies with three heads. Or maybe that's the goal, Iunno."- She chuckled. -"But that's just my bullshit for two cents."-

-Well of course you haven't heard anybody say that,- Phox countered before grinning coyly, -You're deaf, remember?- He didn't often bring up her inability to hear, but she'd laid that one right out there for him.

Then it was Niamh's turn to go on a long party-planning monologue, which Phox patiently listened to. Still, he didn't see any need to change things. -What's wrong with Firebirds? It still harkens back to our parents, which is really why I've always held onto the Redhawk name so tightly. It's the only thing they were able to give us. Not to mention it was Wildfire who gave the place its name.- Phox and Towhee would always be Redhawks, and they'd always be Firebirds. From what he recalled of their guardians' tales, all the children of Peregrine and Fox had been nicknamed collectively as firebirds. Not that it was a kick in the pants to Wifi to change the name, it just didn't seem necessary to the current patriarch.

She could see that Niamh was saying something, though the rainfall quickly grew heavier, making it impossible for Towhee to follow along. Blinking the water from her eyes, she did her best to capture her friend's words, then Phox's, but there was nothing for it. They would have to continue this conversation elsewhere.

Motioning for them to follow, Towhee led the pair toward the same small thicket where she and Bronco had hunkered down over a sleeping Meerkat not so long ago. The memory put a lump in her throat. It would be a tight fit, with the three of them, but at least they would be out of the rain.

-"There's nothing wrong with that name,"- she belatedly said, -"I just thought about making the pack feel more like mine. But it's not just mine,"- even if she was in charge. -"Look, let's just think about it and circle back later."- Although they were sheltered from the weather, it was still fairly difficult to communicate in such cramped quarters.

Easing onto her belly, Towhee turned her attention to the storm. She could see puddles forming in the main clearing of the rendezvous site. The whole copse was going to turn into a mud hole if all this rain didn't let up soon. Alyx would absolutely loathe it, though Quetzal would surely be thrilled. Prim would probably sleep through the whole thing. And Meerkat, well... she was at least high up somewhere, hopefully safe and dry.

Y'all wanna wrap this? :)

Sure :)

While Niamh had liked Wildfire, part of her still associated the Firebirds founder with the crimes committed by her daughter, Kiwi, and later by her son, Elfie. Given the fact that Wildfire had passed away before Colt, Niamh had never had a chance to hold a grudge against their former Sovereign, though she still held out for the day she would get revenge against Kiwi. Changing the pack's name, therefore, somehow felt right to Niamh, though she wasn't introspective enough to realize that that was part of the reason. 

She followed Towhee, and continued to ramble off a couple more ridiculous suggestions, for the betterment of their pack, before settling in to the somewhat squished, but cozy shelter Towhee'd found for them to take shelter in.

Sounds good! Today is Phox's 30 days, so maybe we can have another. ^__^

Phox followed, nodding along to Towhee's reasoning, but it still didn't seem necessary to him. It felt like the Firebirds had been partly Towhee's ever since she'd gotten here. With Wraen leaving, was that much really going to change? He hoped not, if only because the last several months had been so smooth and easy for him. He liked the calmness that had settled here along with his ever-growing family. That did give him one more reason to consider the title of Regent: more say in who could and couldn't have children next year.

He hadn't discussed anything with Niamh yet (much too soon for it), but Phox was already day-dreaming about what next year's litter might be like. Would Niamh want kids again? Their youngest three had been different from Figment and Fennec, but no less enjoyable to have around, and now with Fig and Fenn gone... Phox just wanted his life full of little pitter-pattering feet all the time.