Northstar Vale (M) In memory of Keith.

She rose with the sun and set out to check the valley’s inner perimeters. Towhee felt spry enough to gallop for the first time since her injury and enjoyed the simple pleasure of it. Her breath steamed in the cold air as her paws weaved through grass crunchy with frost.

She knew @Maxim was out here somewhere. She slowed to a trot, then a steady walk, keeping her senses peeled for any sign of him. Despite the chill, her blood was warm.

he had taken up tracking. although the coming cold made such difficult. plant life waned and less wished to graze across the vale on their way elsewhere. still he tried to keep an eye on things. mountain birds that dotted the hillsides or what was within their caches. a hint to the things he might find.

so he was nearly prone in a patch of icy grass, backside unprotected.

his olive gaze remained fixed upon white-tailed ptarmigan. not wishing to scare it off. hoping that if it did take off, he might know where it made home.

Mature Content Warning

This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Towhee is a horn dog, sorry.

It was pretty unusual for Towhee to feel hot to trot outside of breeding season, yet she’d never been in such a healthy, loving relationship before. And, well, springtime wasn’t that far off, so it wasn’t hard to believe her hormones might already be shifting into gear.

In any case, she didn’t really question it too much as she single-mindedly sought her mate. Nor did she really hesitate when she saw him ahead, back turned to her. Towhee jogged closer, announcing herself with a woof seconds before she took advantage of his position by rearing onto her hind legs and using her fores to wrap around his waist and tug their hips together.

there was the briefest moment to react — a moment that he missed.

she woofed, the bird stirred off further from the pair, then suddenly he was being mounted. unable to tell if it was good or bad. only that his front end was thoroughly pushed against the ground by the sudden momentum and weight. rear held up only thanks to his mate's grip.

he could only look over his shoulder and look at her in utter confusion.

confused about this and momentarily confused about himself.

He looked back at her with abject confusion written all over his face. Towhee smirked at him, tightening her grip around his middle and bending to nibble at his cheek. She couldn’t quite reach it, though, so she settled for combing her teeth through the fur along his shoulder blade.

I kinda want to bang, she said, shifting her hips suggestively, but I’m not sure if my back’s up to it. Think we can make this work instead?

She laughed and loosened her grip, sliding backward off him. After she dismounted, she sank her teeth into the meat of his buttocks, albeit not hard. It was very much a love bite. Towhee was tempted to stick her nose under his tail but resisted, instead sidling alongside him to put their faces closer together.

I have something to tell you, she said with sudden solemnity. I had the talk with our son. We have his permission to make him some younger siblings, though I don’t think he believed me when I told him how it’s done.

he found he was quickly content in this position as she combed at his fur. his jaw a bit slack as his surprise gave way into better things. mainly because this was a surprise in every sense of the word. banging outside of season had not really been a thing. both of them had been okay with that. he still was.

but he was not about to look a gift towhee in the mouth.

even as she lovingly bit his ass. briefly donning him a porcupine look as his fur prickled with his own excitement. eyes a little buggy from the stimulation.

it was a good thing his mate was named after a bird, if bird tracking had been his goal for the day.

he leaned into her. prepared to offer a slew of affections before she began to discuss something that, once more, caught him off guard. he tried to screw his brain back on right enough to form words that weren't just incoherent mumbling grumblings.

i could take him to watch some deer? give him another talk, maybe he'd understand then. it had to be around the later part of the season for them, right? although was that what towhee had even been implying?!

his brain was hard stuck, apparently.

She didn’t expect that response. Towhee guffawed, then noticed the slightly distracted look on Maxim’s face. Had she gone and done that? Still tittering under her breath, she sniffed noses with him before offering his a little lick.

We could just do it in front of him, she said offhandedly, still laughing under her breath. Don’t think he’d scoff then…

But she wasn’t being serious in any form or fashion, even though the memory of Jack’s warm reception to the idea of younger siblings still had her heart wrapped in a merry little glow. Towhee wondered if Leo would feel similarly. There was still the matter of asking leadership too.

If you’re in the mood now too, she teased, since Maxim still looked a little starry-eyed, we could try to get creative or something. She playfully elbowed him. Or we could, y’know, try. Worst case scenario, my back yells at me and I yell at you to get off.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the double entendre and snorted loudly. As if that was not bad enough on its own, it sent a gob of snot shooting out of her nose to splatter his muzzle. Talk about killing the mood.

it was maxim who scoffed! as if that was enough to momentarily rattle some more brains free.

he was also prepared to move on at her offer. a bit too enchanted still. only for something to hit his face. thick and gooey. enough time around his own children had told him well enough that this was, indeed, a booger. splattered onto his face by none other than his mate.

but somewhere between humor and affection had him come up with the grand idea.

he quickly aimed to brush his muzzle against her own face. grossly returning what she had given. mood mattered not when he was still having fun.

Oops, was all Towhee managed to get out before Maxim wiped her own snot on her, earning an undignified screech.

Well, all was fair in love and war, she supposed. She ducked her head and used a forepaw to swipe the goo from her muzzle, then wiped it in the grass with a noise of disgust. Despite this, she was grinning when she looked back up at Maxim.

That wasn’t the fluid bonding I had in mind, Towhee gibed, suddenly sprawling in the grass. What if I laid flat like this and you crouched behind me? Think that’d work? she questioned with a chuckle.

he tried to clear his own face free now too, laughing at her screeching. it had to perhaps be the only time he would laugh at such a sound from her.

we can try. he encouraged with an eager wave of his tail. and then if it doesn't work, i will be off in a moment.

he was already half-circling, preparing himself to pose properly behind her. after a few gentle ruffles overed over her neck and shoulders. an attempt for kinder, tender touches.

They tried. And it worked. Well enough, anyway.

Afterward, Towhee lazed on the ground beside Maxim, feeling boneless and sated. She shamelessly nibbled at his face, moving slowly along his cheekbones up to his ears. She felt hopeful that they could repeat these motions come springtime, when they really mattered.

This is cheesy as fuck, she muttered after a while, but the thought of making babies with you again pleases me immensely.

he felt half-asleep afterward. lazing alongside her in the warm spot upon the earth, feeling her close. it was perhaps the most time together they had since...ever? there had been a period of maternal/paternal leave with mereo, but that had been to raise children.

this was just them.

it makes me feel pretty damn great, too. he mumbled in a manner that felt more befitting towhee's language than that of the trained soldier he had become. i think epoch was a good move if we never do our own thing.

and for a moment he did imagine their own place. them leading and a million redhawks running about. old and young. the idea inspired a dopey smile on his lovestruck face.

They had never really spoken about the possibility he raised now, in a fairly ephemeral way. It made the drowsy Towhee’s gaze sharpen, fixing thoughtfully on his face. She mulled for a long moment before coming up with a reply.

Is that something you’d like to do someday? ‘Our own thing’? Because I’m open to that, though maybe not anytime soon. We just got settled here and Jack would murder my ass, among other things. Towhee laughed, lips pursing, before she caught Maxim’s eye. I just want you to know I’d totally consider doing that. One day. With you.

he laughed with her, tired and warm. he was no in rush, but the idea still stood like a pillar in his mind.

someday, but only with you. he added, a bit more serious looking now even through his tired haze. i see a million redhawks — new and old. running around our place. maybe...just maybe not in the middle of the mountains, hm?

he leaned in to offer a gentle nibble at her cheek.

They would only do it if they did it together. It felt like a pact.

His comment invited Towhee to ask, If you could live anywhere, what kind of place would you pick?

Maxim nibbled at her cheek and she leaned into it for a moment before gently shoving his face away, eyebrows raised. She wanted to know the answer and it would require reading his lips.

what kind of place?

he gave it sincere thought for a long moment. brows pinched softly as his eyes briefly looked towards the sky. he tried to think of the best place for raising children. which maybe said a lot about how he had grown alongside towhee.

he remembered how the children had splashed in the water with joy. or how he had brought them a bird for playing.

maybe near a lake or a creek. somewhere with trees for shade, but an open area too. he wanted it all! it caused him to laugh a little, more at himself than anything else.

where would you pick?

The first place that came to mind was Redhawk Caldera—not in reply to his question about where she’d pick but as a knee-jerk response to his ideal description. Her face scrunched.

You just described the place where I was born. I lived and led there, then took the pack elsewhere, only to return years later. When I left it this last time, I really made up my mind it would be the last. Besides, Brecheliant lives there now. It’s Eljay’s by birthright as much as it was ever mine.

Realizing she was rambling, Towhee shut her mouth and smiled at Maxim. Man, she was full of recollections lately, wasn’t she? First with Jack, now with her mate. Maybe it was a sign of her advancing age. She was just glad she could remember most of it, albeit vaguely.

I always did love a water feature though, she said a moment later, nosing at Maxim’s ruff. And who doesn’t love trees? Bitches love leaves.

could be a fade or can keep going. i will always write these two for eons so :3

he had unlocked some memory it seemed. of a place she had been born. led once and then left for the last time. he might have asked if it would really be the last time, but she informed him that eljay led it now. a man maxim had next to no knowledge of.

he bumped into her softly, hoping to move her back only enough for her to read his lips. i will get you aaaalllll the trees and leaves you want. someday.

maxim did not think towhee was bitches in any sense of the word, but he hoped the sentiment was felt all the same!

This would be the perfect place to wrap and I can start us another for the… *gestures at following post* :D?

I’ll hold you to that, Towhee murmured, flopping back down in the grass, her head pillowed on his forelegs.

It was pretty uncomfortable, to be honest, but she stayed put for several minutes, letting her mind drift to their distant future. Eventually, it circled back to their more immediate prospects, particularly come springtime. She still felt tingly from their lovemaking and could not wait for a more fruitful coupling.

Rolling away so she could look at his face properly, she said, Back to life in Epoch… I know we haven’t been here very long but we knew Arsenio and Tamar long before we came and I feel like we’re well on our way to establishing ourselves. I’d like to approach them for formal permission for a litter in the spring soon.

perfect! :D

as much as his head lived in the future, he did enjoy like in epoch. it was vibrant and brilliant. so far removed from mereo — even if it remained close in distance. he no longer wondered why the leading pair had set out to make a place of learning.

i think that is best. he admitted in agreement. there were no questions from them. no ifs or buts. now all they would need is permission to make such happen once more.

but for now... then he yawned, briefly stretching in a way that splayed his paws even. hoping that they might steal away a nap, before they set out upon bigger things.