Redhawk Caldera Good things about procrastination

I'm gonna say this takes place earlier in the day so it can happen before the thread with Dove I'm going to jump in. I also got a bit carried away, so don't bother with matching the length. :)

A little less than a week ago, Somnia had gotten into some sort of argument with Elwood and Dove. While her predicament had been primarily with Dove, Elwood had all pissy at the two of them and stormed out. The day after that had been spent thinking things out. Somnia had come to the conclusion that she would have to apologize not only to Elwood for getting him involved, but also to Dove; no matter how it got started, it took two people to argue.

Instead of actually doing that though, there had been a bunch of procrastination. That wasn't entirely a bad thing though. Somnia was one of those people who did other minor things that were also on the procrastination list when procrastinating a major thing. Instead of seeking out Dove or Elwood, whole days were spent hunting or patrolling while dreading the moment when she would actually apologize. While most would've been more upset about losing pride with surrendering, it was more about how it would actually play out that made Somnia dread it.

Eventually, Somnia had decided she would at least apologize to one of them today. The question was who, but that wasn't too hard to answer. Apologize to the acquaintance who you started off on the wrong foot with, or apologize to your best friend? It would be much easier to face an apology going wrong with a person you currently resented than your best friend. But with either situation, it was still fit to bring an apology gift of food.

Hunting fresh food for Dove instead of pulling something frozen out of a cache also provided the chance to procrastinate more. But, Somnia - very bad at refusing to procrastinate negative encounters, if you couldn't tell - took the option of hunting more than was needed. In the end, she ended up with two rabbits and a squirrel. The thought of having extra food presented one last procrastination option: checking in on Fox. Plus, she hadn't seen Peregrine in a while. She had enough food to share between Fox, Peregrine, and Dove, so why not? Checking in with Fox and Perry had been another thing she had been procrastinating.

Telling herself this would be the last time she would put off telling that wrench Dove sorry, Somnia headed towards the Alphas' den, which was conveniently nearby. With the two rabbits and squirrel in her mouth, she walked into the area directly surrounding the den. Hopefully, @Fox and/or @Peregrine would be home.

Fortunately for Somnia, Peregrine did not stray far from his mate's side as the pair awaited the birth of their pups. When he heard footfalls outside their lair, he nudged his drowsy mate, rose and stepped outside to see the Gamma with a mouthful of dead animals. He gave her an appreciative look, then motioned for her to follow him. Peregrine led her a few dozen yards away. Fox could join them, of course, but if she wanted to stay inside where it was warm and continue her nap, he didn't want to disturb her.

"You come bearing gifts," Peregrine observed with a smile. "Thanks, Som."

No pregnant Fox? Oh well. :P

"Your welcome!" Somnia barked happily before setting her gifts on the ground. Then, she realized she had also brought Dove's gift with her, due to her plans to visit her next. Wasn't it rude to tell Perry he couldn't have all of them? It was in Somnia's eyes, yet she needed one for Dove! She should've left one behind so she could've avoided the situation, and then she could've doubled back to grab it afterwards. But, Somnia was already here, so she couldn't do that now.

"Yeah, one for you and one for Fox. You guys get the first pick... Umm... I also have to give one to Fox's sister Dove as an apology present..." Her ears flattened apologetically as she spoke. If Peregrine asked why she needed to apologize to Dove, Somnia would answer. But, it was easier to see how he responded to this situation before springing another onto him.

Somnia explained that he and Fox had the first pick of the three carcasses; whatever was left over would go to Dove. Peregrine scanned the dead animals, trying to figure which was the choicest (that would go to Fox), though his eyes briefly shifted upward to his Gamma's face when she mentioned needing to apologize to Dove. He then looked back at the food and reached out one broad black paw to grab the plumper of the two rabbits.

"What for?" he questioned lightly, then decided to take the squirrel for himself. It was less meat, though he was getting a bit bored of rabbit. He snatched it with his paw and dragged it toward himself, then bent down and began eating. Meanwhile, he kept his ears pinned on Somnia, awaiting her response.

Thankfully, Peregrine didn't seem worried about only two of the three gifts going towards him and Fox. With a rabbit and the squirrel now gone from her possession, Somnia eyed the other rabbit as Peregrine asked what she needed to apologize for. She stayed silent for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts as the sound of Peregrine eating filled the air. A moment later, "We sort of got off on the wrong foot when I met her. She took something I said the wrong way, then started getting snotty with me. Instead of clarifying what I meant, I got irritated and started being snotty right back... Elwood was also there."

Those were the basics of the story. Somnia hadn't mentioned how Elwood had been thrown into the middle, and how she would apologize to him too the next day. In her mind, the main problem had been her and Dove. If her and Dove hadn't started being petty, Elwood wouldn't have been involved in any problems at all.

It sounded like a cat fight. Peregrine's first thought was: Poor Elwood! His brow furrowed as he chewed. He could ask Somnia for her side of the story, then check in with Dove, but he would probably get the most accurate account from the Beta male if he wanted objective details. He wondered if he even did, really. He supposed it was his job as Alpha to mediate between members as necessary, though he would never consider himself a Counselor or anything close to it. And he wanted to make sure the pack was as peaceful as possible when the pups came, mostly so he didn't have to worry about anyone but his offspring squabbling like children but also because he wanted them brought up in a cohesive environment.

"I'm sure you'll be able to clear the air, especially with food," Peregrine said optimistically. "If she's anything like her sister, she's going to be a bit of a sassy pants," he remarked with an affectionate little smirk. "And if it makes you feel any better, I gave her a hard time when I met her. I have kind of a complex when it comes to Fox's sisters," he added absently as he bent down to take another bite of the squirrel.

"I hope so, it's not like I'm trying to get her to be my best friend or anything. I just want us to be able to get along when we have to. While it's important that we all get along any day, it's even more important with the pups going to be here any day." Somnia unknowingly repeated what was on Peregrine's mind.

It was quite ironic how Somnia was talking about hopes of having a peaceful encounter with Dove, but the encounter would end up being worse than the last one. It was even more ironic that Somnia was trying to pursue the Counselor trade, yet she was getting into fights. But based off of what Peregrine said, he didn't have the best time with her either. "That must suck a lot, hating all of your in-laws that you know." Somnia commented.

He took another moment to consider her latest comment. When he swallowed, he said, "It's funny because my family hates both of us and I hate Fox's sisters and they probably hate me too...? Well, 'hate' is a pretty strong word. I guess 'dislike' is more accurate," he thought aloud with a frown. "Not everybody's going to be the best of friends," he continued, "but I'll ask that all the members of this pack conduct themselves like adults and treat each other civilly in spite of their differences." That seemed a fair expectation, right? He conveniently forgot to consider whether he was practicing what he preached. (If he had, he probably would've simply said, "Do I as I say, not as I do.")

He had no doubt that Somnia had handled herself diplomatically, despite her mention of behaving snottily. In any event, she was already doing her best to make amends. Peregrine favored her with a small smile, then leaned down for yet another bite. The squirrel was tasty. His tail thumped on the ground as he enjoyed the free meal.

Peregrine explained the situation with his family and Fox's family. It just seemed to suck even more when Perry said his family disliked him too. "I'm confident that all of us here besides Fox's sisters enjoy your company tremendously. Weren't you saying just last time we met that you and Elwood would be like brothers to me? Well that goes in both directions." Somnia said, trying to cheer him up a little.

As for acting like civil adults, Somnia nodded. She would try her best to handle things in the best way, but even the most civilized adults could snap when they reached their breaking point.

Although he didn't necessarily need cheering up, he smiled appreciatively at Somnia's gesture. She was seriously the sweetest wolf he'd ever met aside from Osprey and Blue Willow. And she was giving even them a run for their money. Careful to avoid smearing her with gore, the Alpha male reached out to bump his muzzle against her shoulder.

"I like you too, sis," he quipped with a wink. "Hey, have you come up with any more game ideas for the pups? I'm kind of in a playful mood," he hinted, pushing the rest of the squirrel aside for now.

All Somnia did was smile and wag her tail as Peregrine bumped his muzzle to her shoulder. The point had already been made that she was happy with Peregrine, no matter what anyone else thought, so why bother voicing anything similar mere moments after saying it? Besides, her body language said it for her.

When the subject of games for the pups came up, her tail started thumping against the ground louder. "I've thought about it a lot. The two most-needed skills for any wolf would be hunting and fighting. Some roughhousing between them should do the trick for that, and I've thought of a game to hone their hunting skills before they're old enough to actually accompany hunts.

"Well we have quite a lot of fowl around here, whether it be the bigger birds in the forested area, or the water fowl on the lakes. Fowl always flee by flying away. If we can teach the pups to have better accuracy when jumping at things not too high off the ground, they should be better at hunting fowl. I have an idea for a game that should do this. It would require to adults, a bunch of feathers, and taking advantage of one of steep ridges in the Caldera. Someone could stand on top of the ridge and drop feathers, so they slowly drift down to the pups and an adult supervising them below. To intrigue the pups, there could be some kind of prize for whoever catches the most. Or, if you'd rather promote teamwork, if they catch more than a certain amount all together they would get a prize."

A long, detailed description of the game before being asked to give it? That was Somnia for you.

Naturally, talk of games geared toward hunting piqued his interest. He listened attentively as Somnia explained her idea, one ear tilting backward at the mention of fowl. Recently, Peregrine had developed an aversion to killing birds, even the butt ugly ones (I'm lookin' at you, wild turkeys). He thought of Jack. Though he didn't know it, he would meet another bird soon: Dick, the carnivorous chicken. He didn't much like the idea of using birds as bait and was so busy pondering why that was—had he belatedly inherited it from March Owl?—that he nearly missed the fact that the Gamma wanted to use feathers, not birds themselves. Like, duh.

"Som, you never fail to impress with your innovative ideas. You're gonna be the best Caretaker ever!" He grinned at her. Peregrine knew she'd been through a lot lately—from Ashton's untimely disappearance to this disagreement with Dove (not to mention the violation he didn't know about)—and he took every chance he got to remind her how valuable she was to him and this pack.

It didn't seem like a game they could play at the drop of a hat, so Peregrine suddenly tapped the Gamma's shoulder and declared, "Tag, you're it!" Giggling like a damn fool, he then took off, galloping away from the den lest their impromptu game disturb the snoozing Fox.

After the praise, Somnia was grinning like a fool. Who didn't like to be praised? It meant you were doing a good job, even if you knew it before. Didn't everyone like to know that they were doing a good job, whatever it was that they were doing? Some liked it more than others, such as Somnia.

Then out of the blue, Peregrine touched her and took off running, yelling "Tag, you're it!" Somnia scrambled to her paws and took off after him, sending a mixture of dirt and half-melted snow flying in her wake. "I wasn't ready, you cheater, cheater, pumpkin-eater!" She shouted after him as she struggled to catch up.

In response to her playfully indignant shout, Peregrine turned his head to look over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her. Of course, this meant he couldn't see where he was going and when his left forepaw struck a patch of ice, it shot out from beneath him. Both forelegs buckled suddenly and he went sprawling. Thankfully, a drift of snow padded his fall, though his forelimb was stretched out at a strange angle and it made the scar tissue on his shoulder ache in protest.

"Um, ow," he said, laughing a bit weakly as he rolled onto his belly, then pushed himself into a seated position. He rotated his shoulder. "I hope this stuff melts by the time the pups are old enough to venture out of the den. I mean, it'd probably be hilarious to watch them slipping and sliding everywhere but I don't think they need any help with that. And this stuff could be dangerous." Peregrine's lips pursed and he turned to see if Somnia was even near enough to catch any of that.

The pups are going to be here tomorrow! They're only 10 hours away if Remedy posts the thread at midnight! :D

Having been in a full-speed pursuit of Peregrine, Somnia was still moving after pulling the emergency brakes (read: dropping into a sitting position to slow down). For once, the snow and ice on the ground was appreciated; the damaging effects of friction were almost completely reduced with both the heavier winter fur to protect the skin better, and the smoother surfaces. Around the time Peregrine sat up, Somnia was sliding to a stop nearby.

The ice could be dangerous to the pups! Somnia hadn't thought of that. "Winter should be over soon. With any luck, all of this snow, ice, and cold weather should be gone before they can come outside." Even if the winter had been better than most, it still brought along the negative attributes to a certain degree. The sooner all of it was gone, the better.

Yay! *claps*

Somnia reassured him that the treacherous climate should improve by the time the pups were old enough to roam outdoors. He thought a moment, trying to remember when they generally started doing that. If they were born, say, tomorrow, then they would probably start venturing out within a month, give or take. The Alpha male bobbed his head, satisfied. By then, spring would be knocking at the door and telling winter to pack its bags and leave.

"Have I told you the two names I picked? If there's enough pups, I'll use them separately but if there's only a couple, I can use one as a first and the other as a middle." With the birth imminent, Peregrine acknowledged the more realistic number; while twelve was incredibly unlikely, two to six seemed reasonably possible. "Fox and I agreed to split the naming rights: she gets primary say over one half and I get the other."

;)

It seemed as if Peregrine had forgotten that Somnia was still 'it' in their game of tag. While the thought that the could game be over after Peregrine had slipped had briefly entered her mind, Somnia found the idea of acting like it was over, then suddenly tagging Peregrine when he least expected it foolishly delighting. So, while raptly listening to Peregrine speak - she did greatly enjoy anything that was being said about Fox's pups - she inconspicuously got up and walked closer to Peregrine. The mischievous grin on her face could give her away, but it could just as easily be mistaken as an eager smile towards the unborn pups. After all, Somnia was doing a mixture of both, whether she was aware of it or not.

Now hovering besides Peregrine, Somnia resolved to tag him as soon as the conversation had passed the topic of the pups. Why disrupt during the part of the conversation that was surely going to be the best part? "No," Peregrine hadn't told her, "What are they? ...What will you guys do if there's an odd amount?" She suddenly added in with the potential of cutting him off due to her timing.

The chances of having an even number of pups were 50/50, of course, so Peregrine said, "We'll come up with a name for that pup together," and smiled. It was fun, having naming rights over half his children, but in the end, he and Fox would agree upon all the monikers as a team. "The two I've picked out are Nightjar and Atticus or Attica." Nightjar could work for either a boy or girl and, obviously, he could pick whichever applied as far as Atticus/Attica went. "I hope I end up getting to use Attica... there's part of me that's tickled over the idea of naming a little girl after my big brother. Have I ever told you about Atti...?"

Peregrine seemed to have all the information about the pups thought out. It wasn't surprising, seeing how he seemed so excited about them. His talking about the pups led to him bringing up his brother, asking her if he ever told her about him. While Somnia was waiting for the subject to change so she could tag him and run off, she couldn't just say no and run off. Obviously, he wanted to talk about Atticus. So, she would listen until a break came. Then, she'd run off after tagging him. "No, you haven't."

In the middle of Perry talking about his dead brother, Somnia should be like, "TAG YOU'RE IT, SUCKA!"

"He was my brother. He's dead," Peregrine began. He couldn't be certain of that, of course, but he felt in his bones that it was true. Like a tired old dog, the permanently damaged wolf had sought solitude in his last moments, or so Peregrine imagined. "He was my Beta back at the plateau, as well as my best friend, Blue Willow's, betrothed. Then he took a nasty fall. He went into a sort of catatonic state. We cared for him and, miraculously, he came around. The story doesn't have a happy ending, though. He vanished one day and we never heard from him again.

I'll always miss him. He was a dude's dude and we always gave each other shit, which is why I think it'd be funny to name a little girl after him," the swarthy Alpha continued, snickering despite the sad subject. "We weren't as close as Osprey and I are, yet I loved him and I want to honor his memory, like I did hers with Osprey Jr." He didn't even bother mentioning Crete. His mute brother was dead to him, and in an entirely different way than Atticus.

Lol, she's too nice to do that.

The topic of Perry's brother ended up being sad, which Somnia hadn't expected. Was she ever going to get her chance to tag him?! "Aww, I'm sorry." She commented despite her impatient feelings. Then, he finished by saying how he wanted to honor him like he had his - still alive - sister. Finding a chance to get the subject more playful, Somnia quipped, "Since you're naming pups after siblings and you've said I'm like a sister, I call dibs on my name being used next litter!"

Somnia then bumped into him playfully, as if celebrating a good joke. But, the next moment she was running for the hills, the call of, "TAG! YOU'RE IT!" streaming behind her.

Haha, Perry's a poor sport. Thanks for the thread. :)

"Only if you die!" he teased in return, even though that wasn't a criteria, obviously. He was about to stick his tongue out her again when she suddenly bumped into him, then smacked him before running away. He blinked and half-rose purely reflexively, only to sink back onto his haunches. He was too lazy to chase after her at this point and he didn't want to stray too far from Fox. What if she went into labor while he was off screwing around?!

"Byeee, Som," Peregrine shouted laughingly after her, then rose, grabbed the remaining gifts and frolicked back into the den to join his slumbering mate. He didn't even feel bad. He knew he would see Somnia again soon enough. And pretty soon, she would be a daily fixture as she helped them look after the pups as the leading Caretaker.

He never ceases to entertain me, and right back at you! :)

Sadly, Peregrine did not give chase. Instead, he said good-bye and let her run. When she slowed to pick up her rabbit for Dove as she passed it, she managed to say, "Farewell," before her mouth was full of fur. Somnia was in a good mood as she left the scene, and made a mental note that next time Peregrine bumped into her - literally in this case! - that she would have to reciprocate by starting a game of tag.

However, it would soon be forgotten, for her encounter with Dove was in the extremely near future.