Ouroboros Spine Yeah, we fancy like Applebee’s on a date night.

A slightly melancholy Towhee set out again, cold rain pattering her back as she headed north. They could still use another recruit, though she made a beeline for Moonglow this time. She made it as far as the glen before night fell, deciding to camp there and finish the last leg of her trip in the morning.

She woke up to a soundly sleeping Bushtit curled up beside her. Towhee started, then pounced on him. She could only imagine how loudly her son squawked as she tackle-hugged him awake. He pretended to put up a fight, though he quickly went boneless and let his mother squish him.

They sprawled there for a while, catching up, and Towhee couldn’t stop marveling. Bushtit had filled out a lot since she’d last seen him. Something else had changed too, something much subtler. She couldn’t put a finger on it and when she asked—poked and prodded obnoxiously, even—he only laughed and deflected, a mischievous light in his dark eyes.

It was late morning by the time she stood, stretched and said she had to get to Moonglow. Towhee invited Bushtit to come with her, though he said he was thinking of heading on to the caldera instead; he’d wait for her there. She nodded, thrust her snoot in his ear to tickle him, then departed for the nearby spine.

It wasn’t easy to push her son from her mind, though she tried to focus as she halted at the borders. Towhee sensed something, though she couldn’t say what or even guess at the nature of it. Frowning thoughtfully, she called to @Rodyn and/or anybody else in earshot who could spare a few moments.