Cerulean Cape wave-wracked and wanton

@Aditya @Amoxtli @Forrest @Grayday @Komodo @Screech @Skwol @Spiritwalker @Stockholm @Sunny @Thelxiope

This Hunter’s Moon thread takes place at midnight on January 31, 2018. I would describe what the moon had looked like from my locale, but I live in Oregon.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

No posting order. Feel free to interact with who you like, when you like. We’re going to be hunting some sea lions, telling some stories, singing some songs, dancing some dances, whale-watching, and generally raising hell. ♥ Narrator-esque posts will be made using this font and format, and a second post will be made as the moon starts to turn red. I hope you have fun! Thank you for joining in! ^^

Off the coast, a column-shaped cloud of white coalesced above the mirrorlike sea, lingered briefly, and disappeared. It was so faraway and so fleeting, one would have to be staring directly at that exact part of the sea, in that exact moment, to notice — and Coelacanth, trading her attention between Stockholm and the rest of the party with feverish delight, missed it completely.

The chilly breezes that drifted inland bore crisp reminders of winter, but in between their whispers, the evening seemed almost unseasonably warm. A fragile layer of frost had settled upon the silver sand of the cape like caramelized sugar over an exquisite crème brulee, and the sheepdog drew a ridiculous amount of pleasure from breaking through it with overexuberant leaps and bounds.

The moon hung heavy in the sky, and her reflection on the ocean’s glassy surface stretched all the way to shore. Brilliantly bright, she bathed the world and its inhabitants in a presently pale, bluish cast — but the atramentous Groenendael knew it was only a matter of time, now. Though a tinge of guilt stung her psyche, her mouth watered at the memory of her last Hunter’s Moon, and the rich, fatty flesh of the sea lions the Cortens regarded as distant cousins. Though they couldn’t celebrate in true Vargas Island fashion, she embraced the feeling of renewal and revitalization associated with the event — and automatically, her eyes flickered to her island.

It didn’t belong to Marbas anymore.

Grayday knew they couldn't be away for too long, but Catori's family traditions were important to him, and besides, he'd brought Lavender along, and Dauntless had proved able to take care of himself. The ones left at Morningside knew the plan if something went awry, and Grayday simply wasn't going to let life slip by him due to something like fear.

The trio had come upon Seelie and her companion before Grayday could even make sense of it. Of course, Catori had told him that this night would attract other Cortens, but he hadn't quite believed it. The male had greeted his new cousin-in-law with no small amount of surprise - "Small world!" he'd cheered, realizing he and the muted girl had met before. This story was told between gales of laughter and blind, enthusiastic play. The girls certainly got excited when they got together, but Grayday thought there might be something else behind that as well.

"Give it a whirl," he said to Lavender when she beseeched him to allow her to hunt with the Cortens. He'd be sitting this one out, being unfamiliar with hunting seals and almost certain he'd be more of a hinderance than a help.

It was around this time that more arrived, and while the fur on Grayday's back stood up at once, he still exchanged greetings amicably. The night was still charged with happiness and excitement, and he wasn't about to ruin it with his possessive tendancies - not even with Catori's scent singing in his lungs.

Serein and Sirimiri charged ahead of Bron and the Earthstalker, nipping at each others' heels when one drew too far ahead of the other. The sound of sea lions boomed down the shore, and three Cortens knew in the marrow of their bones that reuinion was nigh.

Sure enough, there were a few familiar faces in the group that was gathered up ahead. Sirimiri was gleeful as she raced toward them, exchanging a wild look with her twin. Coelacanth was unmistakeable, of course, and that was Catori with her! It was a good thing she had such a striking appearance, or Siri would never have guess it was her, simply because she'd had no idea her eldest niece was in the area.

"Found you, found you, found you," the twins cheered in unison, dashing in happy circles around the entire party, hoping to incite a game of chase.

Though he wasn't over the full extent of his illness yet he was able to muster up the energy to follow along with his family to go along with the cortens. As they got farther from morningside and into places he'd never seen, his eyes brightened up a bit and his tail began to sway. He didn't remember Seelie entirely but he was vaguely aware of a sense that he'd definitely met her somewhere before.

Some went off to hunt and while his paws itched to go along and give it a go as well, he knew he was too weakened to be much help. So instead he settled down to sit beside his father tail wagging as he watched the girls play. His eyes were focused curiously on Coelacanth the most as she leaped and frolicked through the mist, her movements graceful.

The night time wasn't a frightful place to him anymore. Screech couldn't remember the last time he'd been afraid of it. Had he ever? Maybe not. But at some point he'd transitioned from childhood fears to real, palpable, adult traumas. The dark was just that — dark. It did not have teeth no matter how many times his dreams said otherwise.

The darkness had become a part of him. He could march his way through Ravensblood Forest without doing too much harm to himself now, but he still craved the open space beyond it — so Screech followed the river, his head canted down so that he could investigate the scents collected on the riverside stones. It was through his peripheral vision that Screech caught sight of a flash; he twitched his head towards the flowing river and squinted his good eye, but he could see nothing. So, he carried on his way until the forest thinned and the river emptied out upon the coast.

It was here he saw another flash — a myriad — for in the dark the stars were dancing in the waves, their light reflected. He only noticed the gathering of wolves when he traced the seaside with his eye, and saw their bodies blocked out with the shining surf beyond. All at once he was nervous and curious, skeptical but bold, and he skulked closer to investigate the happy sounds from the waiting bodies.

They seemed content among themselves; while he did not wish to intrude or disturb them, Screech wasn't interested in returning to the depths of the forest either. So he paused a dozen or so metres away to be safe, and turned to watch the rolling waves.

While she waited for the hunting to begin, Lavender sat by her brother and father, jumping between them and pawing amicably at their necks and faces, hoping to play. Her eyes widened when the two identical wolves came running around them, but after a moment, she caught on to the game and been dashing after them, knowing instictively, somehow, that they were Cortens.

However, her attetion was soon drawn to someone off in the distance. Lavender squinted, concerned, and then let out gasp. "Daddy, look! He's like you! He's only got one eye!" she called out excitedly, trotting off toward the stranger without another thought. Grayday was on his paws at once, not quite sure who Lavender was talking about but not keen on her trotting off alone - or yelling such insensetive things.

"Arushi!" he scolded, trotting after her a few paces. He ran straight into her when she pulled up short, looking over her shoulder to see what was the matter.

"Hi boy!" she shouted, hailing Screech. "Are you a Corten, too? Are you going to hunt with us?"

There wasn't long before he was spotted, and one of the bodies shot away from the rest like a star unto itself; he almost didn't hear the voice above the din of the ocean, but he did turn in time to catch the girl freezing up and faltering. Behind her was a silvered body, and he took his time to reach them. That or maybe he was just older - Screech couldn't tell right now, and the girl was taking all of his attention.

His tail whisked behind him, and his brow creased when he made out what she had said. What's a Corten? He asked, but didn't leave time for an answer. I was out for a walk is all — wait, did you say you were hunting? The boy took a step towards the girl but was squinting over her shoulder at the older man. In the dark?

it wasn't too terribly long of a journey up the wall and over the mountain, but it was arduous. since they couldn't go through ravensblood forest, and the other way involved a deviation of several miles, aditya opted for this direction. they made it across the top of the range, but they were tired upon descent, and so he thought it prudent for them to stop and rest for a while.

he was happy to be this close to the sea. the salt air was bracing, the wind singing joyfully through his ears like a song he'd not heard in moons. ensuring @Dawn and @Easy were within calling distance, he began to trot off, exploring the landscape. he hadn't been on the shore since he had dragged himself from the isle. . .undersea. it seemed so long ago, yet it had only been a season.

aditya paused his wandering when he caught sight of wolves in the distance. his golden gaze narrowed, then widened, as he picked up lavender's familiar coat pattern. then shifted a bit, to a wolf that could have been grayday. and he thought he saw catori's cream and fire pelt, as well.

he gave a short bark-howl for his mate and sister-in-law to join him before venturing forward, his paws kicking up the white, frosted sand as he made the transition from grassy field to beachy expanse. coming closer, it was indeed grayday. what was wrong? had something happened? but the alpha didn't look particularly worried; he looked happy, as did everyone else.

"i didn't think i'd see you again so soon," he remarked, his tone caught between wryness and alarm. "what's happened? is everyone all right?"

he took in the assorted crew of wolves assembled here. day and cat, lav, a man with his eye missing, too. . . and then he saw her. the gleaming black pelt, blue-tinged in the moonlight; that kind, pointed face.

"s-seelie?" he stammered, jaw agape.

Easy will be PPC after this post, so feel free to toss her around. She'll be running around and being cheerful and hunting.

Easy was off like a shot as soon as she caught sight of her sister, and soon enough, the pair were dancing around each other in much the same fashion as Serein and Sirimiri. She greeted her father and den mother as well, but was more excited to see Lavender than either of them. Unlike Grayday and Catori's, Lavender's absence had been much regretted by the speckled girl.

Screech was completely ignored by the pair. They had important girl things to talk about.

"I'm a Corten," Grayday replied, tail giving a little wag. "But I'm sure you'd be welcome whether you are one or not. We're just having fun." He was feeling oddly at peace, today. He would never have invited a stranger to party with them just a few hours before, but the tension had melted out of him since arriving at the beach, and he felt that he could trust this strange male for some reason.

"I'm Grayday," he added, "And this is my daughter, Lavender." He did not notice that Lavender had slipped away to play with her sister. "And - hell, I can't see 'em. Anyway. My wife's the orange one, and her cousin Seelie is a little black wolf with pointy ears, and Sunny's the other grey male, and Aditya - Aditya?"

Grayday grinned broadly as he realized he was hearing and smelling his son-in-law. Dawn was there, too! "What are you guys doing down here? Couldn't resist the party, eh?"

The girl gawked at him for a second but the older man, he answered. Before Screech knew it, they were alone together. The boy tried to look around the man (who introduced himself as Grayday, which itself was a bit strange but for once Screech had no opinion to voice). It was difficult enough to tell that the wolves were there at all, let alone identify them.

Family thing, then. Neat. He felt like he was intruding no matter what Grayday said, and cast a glance back the way he'd arrived - but flinched and turned to regard Grayday when the older man shouted up the beach at someone he must've recognized. In that moment Screech noticed something odd about the man's face. He was missing an eye.

You guys pirates? He asked in a flurry, saying the first thing that came to mind. I mean, y'all are hanging out by the sea and you look like you need an eyepatch. He blinked his solitary eye after speaking this, not realizing it might've come across as insensitive until a breath later. I mean, uh, you're in good company I guess. The boy turned his head slightly so that his empty socket aligned with Grayday's eye, but he said nothing after that. Derp.

The quartet left Wheeling Gull Isle, but they never truly parted with the coast. A few more raucous nights had been spent upon the beach, with the siblings all making promises about an upcoming lunar event — a hunters moon — though Komodo often escaped inland to experience the soil beneath his paws and drink in the arboreal sweetness of the forest air. The Corten siblings ancestor’s must have been fish, the earthstalker figured, for he had never seen such a people so aligned with the waters. Their divine connection with the seas made him experience a twinge of jealousy, actually — and that was not an emotion he felt often. Though he was an anointed shaman,, somehow the mysteries of the ocean and its tides had always evaded him; they refused to talk to him. It had never been more clear than that fateful night, when the sea birthed a pack right there, upon its shores, with no instructions or holy guidance. 

He might never understand the sea god’s true intentions, but damn it, he was going to try.

As the troubadours paraded down the coastline, Komodo broke apart from the group and breeched the treeline in order to make a quick hunt. If what the Cortens said was true, tonight was to be a true bacchanal and the earthstalker knew better than to show up to a party empty-handed! Fortune shined upon the man and soon found a raccoon lumbering about, blissfully unaware of the occasion — Komodo slaughtered the animal quickly, grabbed the carcass in his mouth and carried it high as he made to rejoin the group.

When the brute was once again within the sea’s grasp, Komodo saw that there were not three wolves communing in the shimmering essence of the night — but many! Komodo cut his firebright gaze against the darkness and tried to recognize these souls; maybe they held clues to the apparent dissolution of Undersea. The brute sauntered closer, his movements closer to that of a jaguar than a wolf, he realized that… no, he did not know these wolves. It was no matter, of course, as Komodo tended to feel more comfortable within the unknown anyways. He found it easy to make friends of strangers and did relatively well in social settings — in fact, he had fashioned an entire career from these two things. and it had kept himself hale up until this point, hadn’t it? 

— then, for a moment, Komodo halted and stood blindingly at the familiar, inky form leap and bounding amongst the wave. Sacrificial raccoon deposited on the beach and all but forgotten, the angakkuq strode close and clicked him tongue against the roof of his mouth in a manner reminiscent of their first reunion. “Oh my, my, my” he purred, extremely pleased. The Corten siblings had been right! Komodo himself had pessimistic tendencies, and never fully believed Sirimiri or Serein when they seemed so assured of Coelacanth’s good fortune. But now he could feel the moon’s energy beat strongly against his roan pelt, propelling his words and movements. Komodo flashed a smile at the others that were gathered, but their introductions would have to be delayed. There was a reconciliation to be had! 

“Look ah’ what we gat here. Y'still kickin’, moonbeam?”  

Tagging for reference. ♥

The inky sheepdog’s tongue lolled from her slim jaws as she panted heavily, afire with excitement and surprise. With characteristic timidity — and always with one possessive eye on her Gampr — she made her rounds, nosing at shoulders, licking at chins, and generally getting involved in everyone else’s business. Special attention was paid to @Sunny, who looked as though he was not feeling completely well — at least in comparison to the exuberant boy Seelie remembered. She bounded over to the young wolf with a seashell clasped delicately between her teeth and dropped it at his feet with a birdlike tilt of her head and a noiseless yip of welcome. They were cousins, now! Sunny and Dawn; Dauntless, Lavender, and Easy; no matter what name they bore, they were Cortens where it really counted. How funny! She’d been so afraid of Sunny and Grayday at first —

— and yet, somehow, here they all were. Family.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon!”

That voice — Coelacanth whipped around automatically. @Aditya! Adi! She felt a certain protectiveness toward the golden-eyed wolf and was pleased to see how healthy and strong he looked in comparison to the sodden, sand-crusted pile of wolf that had washed up on her beach that fateful day. Accordingly, she danced her way over to him. She didn’t give him a verbal response, for she didn’t speak much anymore — not that he would have been able to hear it with all the commotion anyway — but boldly nuzzled the underside of his chin in greeting. It was a shame, she thought, that he couldn’t also become part of her family [she didn’t know about his marriage to Dawn] — but he was like Komodo that way, someone who would surely find favor with Riptide himself if he ever graced Vargas Island’s shores. She pirouetted a haphazard little ring around him.

Just when Coelacanth thought she couldn’t possibly be happier, “Found you, found you, found you,” came a very familiar, very dearly missed pair of voices. The tiny wolfdog threw back her head and gave a wolfish little, “Woo!” that nobody would be able to hear, kicking up her paws in a noodle-legged frolic as she began zooming around the congregation in a headlong sprint, tufted ears thrown back against her finely-tapered skull and head cranked back on her neck. Cerulean eyes were bright and wild; her tail was so far between her legs that it seemed her spine was unnaturally sloped — and at every new sound or sign of movement, she was off again. When her case of the zoomies wore off, she’d surely want to cuddle with her family members, both old and new — but for now, she was content to run off her excess energy. She’d save enough for the hunt, of course!

@Stockholm was her first victim; she launched herself at the Gampr and swarmed over him in a confusion of kisses before clambering up and over his back in a gangly leap.

Poor @Komodo was next: she raced toward him at full speed and at first bent her head as though to charge him like a tiny, tuft-eared bull — but at the last moment, she put on the brakes. As such, if he allowed her to make contact she would bounce off him rather harmlessly, her cheek and nose squished against the broad curve of his breast. Moonbeam! She was still kicking, and bobbed her head vigorously to prove it, before flopping down on her belly in the sand to catch her breath.

As he watched the obsidian female she turned and came toward him, lowering her muzzle to drop something by his paws. He looked down at it and saw a Shell of light pink coloring with spots of tan an odd shade that made them look almost orange. He smiled brightly and wiggled his tail to and fro, lifting his gaze to smile at her "Thanks Seelie" he said gratefully and lowered his muzzle to gingerly pick up the shell between his lips instead of his teeth so he didn't break it. He wandered away to place it down somewhere for safe keeping where he could come back for it later.


Then his nose picked up another familiar scent and he turned to spot Aditya standing nearby his father,Lavender, and a white furred man with....with no eye? Happy to see his brother in law safe and looking happy he bounded over to the group and bumped against Aditya with an excited and happy whuff. "Adi! Didn't expect to see you so soon, but I'm glad you're alright." He greeted and then he turned to Lavender and bumped his head against her shoulder affectionately. "Hey Lamb." He beamed at her and then swiveled his gaze to the unknown male. After a moment of attempting and failing not to focus on the missing eye he spoke up "Hello. I'm Sunny. Um...scuse me for being a bit forward but um...that looks kinda badass" he said awkwardly.

If Coelacanth is the definition of unbridled exuberance and joy, then Stockholm is the definition of calm and laid-back. If one ever needed evidence that polar opposites attract. While the inky sheepdog pirouettes along the frost-kissed shoreline, the Gampr sits quietly amid the gathering, a soft smile on his face as his attention shifts back and forth between watching Seelie frolic and the general going ons around him. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, even if he feels he is ever so slightly out of place – a stranger amongst a group of friends. It doesn’t bother the Armenian much though; this is Seelie’s family, and she wanted him to be here as well.

He takes note of each newcomer, doing his best to remember names as introductions are made. And then Seelie is upon him, nipping at his chin and scrambling over him like he was part of an obstacle course. He laughs and makes an attempt to nip at her flank as she zips away, snorting as he misses by a mile. His gaze follows her as she plows into Komodo, and he recognizes the earthen-hued male immediately, feeling a sharp pang of guilt. The last time they had spoken, Stockholm had promised the man he would look after Seelie and the rest of Undersea. And he had failed him.

Still, he was glad to see he was alive and well and he rose to his feet, giving his thick coat a good shake before heading down-shore towards the pair, dipping his head in respectful acknowledgment as he approaches. “Komodo. It’s good to see you again.”

Coelacanth, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be charging at him. The little onyx bull was moving at lightening quick speeds and Komodo gritted his jaws together tight, bracing himself for impact. If that’s how she wished to greet him, then who was be to take away this small bit of happiness from her? The man would sit there and take it — how much could a coelacanth bullet really hurt, anyways? She weighed like, a pound. 

At the last moment, the charging bullock relented and came to rest her head lightly in his embrace. There was a very felicitous, very feline-like grumble that emanated from deep within his chest, able to communicate his satisfaction and pride when his words caught in his throat and, ultimately, failed. Just a few days ago, the angakkuq had been lamenting her departure and was distressed over her wellbeing — but, now, Komodo realized he had no reason to ever doubt her. The inkblot was a survivor.

But she did not survive alone! It was not long until his attention settled upon yet another familiar figure, previously hidden from his view; the stocky, unmistakable build of the Gampr. Komodo understood immediately the way of things. Things often happened that could never be prevented or explained, but simply were because it had been the will of the gods. If the stormborn wolves were meant to stay upon the island, then they would have — and Komodo was confident that the council had made the right decisions at the tie, whatever those were. In the end, he had not been there, so Komodo did not allow himself to pass judgement — but Stockholm had kept Coelacanth safe and warm and loved, and that was all he could ask for. The man was pleased to be break bread with wolves of such high caliber. 

The brute lowered his head to return Stockholm’s respectful greeting, allowing his chest to dip down in an almost half-bow — for they were very much equals. He spoke “Good t’see yuh too,” with words rife in unspoken gratitude. A sidelong glance thrown towards the girl upon the sand was, hopefully, explanation enough. The two men could speak seriously about recent events at a different time; for that reality was not changing, but this reality was temporary and might slip away alongside the harvest moon.

The earthstalker lifted his head, backpedaled several and spoke in a bassy tone just a smidge louder than normal, simultaneously addressing everyone — and no one — at the same time. “mmm, say,” he burred, as if he were speaking to a group of friends. Now that he could properly take stock of their gathering, he realized it was split neatly down the middle. He knew about half, but would have to introduce himself to the other half. “this uh’ccasion calls fer some kumbaya, don’t it?” The man craned his head left, craned his head right, and made to look like he was searching for something. 

“Where're my minstrels at?”

Finally, he found the faces of Serein, @Sirimiri and @Corten amongst the crowd. Komodo’s ears pressed forward and he grinned good-naturedly. “Ain’t this what yer made fer?” said suggestively, poking fun at the raucous trio, calling them into attention. Maybe it was the right time for song, maybe it wasn’t — Komodo doubted they would pass it the opportunity, anyways. There was a hunt to happen sometime during the night, but Komodo didn’t really know how these things went. This was the Corten’s tradition — and Komodo understood traditions, internalized them, trusted them, so he aimed to learn as much culture as stood possible that night.  

 

Though Catori had been excited over the approach of the Hunter's Moon she had almost felt a trepidation at uniting both sides of her family this way. She knew that before the night was out she'd have more attention than she desired - and especially once they were out in the open and they had the children to contend with......well. Still, she'd explained on their way the history of the Hunter's Moon, the proud traditions that her family held so dear and why this night was especially....well. Special. Words failed her, she did not weave stories as cleanly as so many of her family did, but, she'd tried in her own ways while her brain was fixating on other things. 

When her paws hit the sand again she'd felt like it was back on level playing field and her head seemed a little clearer. When she spotted Seelie she'd taken off at a graceful lope until she'd reached her dark near-sibling and crashed into her with a symphony of low whines and sing-song croons. They were all together - and this felt so right. The surprise of her life was finding that more of them were there and together and Catori could only laugh; the fortune of finding her Aunt's near just made her grin.

After greeting everyone properly Catori rounded back to find Grayday, nuzzling against him with a low rumble of affection. She reached up once to tug his ear, whispering how she'd want some alone time with him once everyone was good and distracted. 

a mingled sense of joy and awe coursed through him as the sleek-pelted coelacanth slipped his way, pressing her muzzle to the underside of his in greeting. the touch startled him slightly--she was real!--and he drew back carefully, looking down at her with astonished golden eyes.

she was real! for a long time--especially since trying and failing to find her, to wish her farewell before he left the isle--aditya had thought her a ghost, a hallucination he had dreamt up half-dead on the beach. like the spirit of one of his ancestors, come to bring him back to life. she was real, and she was here. and evidently familiar to his own family assembled; how were they connected.

"i am so happy to see you," aditya murmured down at her, smiling. he looked round, trying to find dawn in all this chaos. "my mate--" before he could speak further, sunny had greeted him with a friendly shove, and he grinned broadly at his brother-in-law. "sunny! how--" he broke off, peering intently at the boy. "did you get sick, too?!" he burst out incredulously, pressing his nose into sunny's nape for a brief instant. sure enough, the scent of illness clung to his pelt, sickly sweet.

seelie had wandered off, a black shadow bounding through the bright sand, and aditya turned to grayday--and catori, to his pleasure--eyes flashing in relief and puzzlement. "what did i stumble into here?" aditya laughed, tone pitched a little louder than normal above the hum of voices. "seelie--how do you know her? she helped me when i washed up on the shore, all those moons ago."

as many wolves he knew here, there were an equal amount of faces that weren't familiar to him. the one-eyed boy, whose pelt held an incredibly confusing jumble of scents. then the group of wolves that were on good terms with coelacanth, evidently.

above it all, the moon glowed a regal orange-gold, lighting the scene with a glow at once both warm and mysterious.

I'm late but here, crashing the party ;)

There was something that drew her from her silent hiding, the time in which she had spent away from the contact of another driving her to this gathering of scents. Some, she thought she recognised, others she did not. What mattered, however, was not that, as she headed toward the area bathed in moonlight - she was longing for company. It was true she was not the most social of creatures, but she desired a familiar face to help ease the loneliness since she had departed from the island. She'd taken over temporarily as alpha, then all of a sudden their numbers were low and she could not help but feel part of it was her own fault. Should she have watched more carefully over the wolves residing on that land? Perhaps.

Now, as the wintry fae approached closer, she made out a few figures. She slunk forward, tail tucked uncharacteristically between her legs and posture low as she chuffed lightly, wondering if she'd be noticed amongst the friendly chatter. Blue gaze searching for something, anything familar, she halted at the sight of Stockholm and Seelie. Was that... they were here, too? Those two, those two she remembered. The only two she had found comfort in the company of, the only ones she might call her friends. Maybe they did not consider her this.. but she had nobody else. Of course she was used to the lack of family, but she'd thought her place was in Undersea. 

Maybe... maybe she could stay a while. She waited, tail swaying gently behind her, just to see who might turn and say hello. Seelie and Stockholm... what a delightful surprise, that she might come across them once more.

To keep the flow of the thread going, I’ll be making another post fairly soon that will gloss over the hunting part so they can get at least one sea lion down and start bartering for their food. ^^ ♥ If you want to play out the whole hunting bit for trades, feel free to take down a second sea lion!

As the festivities wore on, the moon took on a sanguine blush — and the Cortens began to sing. Brontide threw back his head and howled, his deep, sonorous voice blotting out the hubbub; and Serein was quick to follow, her own aria taking on a more meandering tone as it wandered up and down the octaves. Even Coelacanth, who had no voice to speak of, tipped back her finely-sculpted head and went through the motions. A thrill danced up and down her spine at the rallying cry — “Come and hunt! Come to the water!” She stretched deliciously, casting the sand from her fur with one vigorous shake.

@Faeryn’s appearance was greeted with a particular amount of joy. Seelie bounced through the sand and flopped bonelessly at the blue she-wolf’s forepaws, wriggling appealingly. Another member of the council had returned to the fold — and during the Hunter’s Moon, too! Certain that this was an auspicious sign, the Groenendael turned as the hunters began to assemble, searching eagerly for their island —

— and at that very moment, another column of white spume coalesced above the mirrorlike sea, only to be followed moments later by the faraway crash of a whale’s tail breaking surface. “I guess we’ve got company,” Brontide murmured to his niece, who was already buzzing with excitement. “C’mon, tiny. Let’s get some food.”

Pitching his voice to carry, Brontide addressed the group. “Where we come from, there’s a taboo against killing sea lions,” he began conversationally, and proceeded to outline some of the stories his mother had told, revolving around the great creation myths that supposed all life came from the sea. He told them about the odd belief that seemed to belong to the Corten family alone — the belief that wolves and sea lions were cousins, in a way. “When the moon glows red,” he said, “steeped with the blood of the fallen, we consume our past to perpetuate our future.” Here he smiled benevolently at Catori in particular, for he’d always been quite fond of the @Spiritwalker and he knew what that telltale glint in her eye meant, but he didn’t linger long and extended this glance to Coelacanth.

“On this night only, we hunt the sea lion — and usually, it is the alpha female who handles the bartering part of things, but this year’ll be a little different. Normally we trade for our food, whether that’s telling a story, doing a dance, singing a song, being the fastest or the strongest in some type of contest, or finding something pretty on the beach.” He grinned toothily. “My sisters and I are in the habit of collecting stories or songs. If you’ve got any, we’d be keen to hear them. No pressure, though.”

When she judged Brontide had finished talking at long last, Seelie edged forward to draw the first sea lion toward the group. They could not be herded, but their territorial nature worked to her advantage, and almost too quickly, one of the younger cows spotted her slinking around and began lumbering after her.

Somehow Screech had stopped paying attention to what he was doing, so he followed after Grayday and was soon met by the plethora of wolves. Not too long after that someone took notice of him (- that looks kinda badass, commented a gray dude named Sunny; Screech briefly wondered if there was a relation to this older grey dude, but didn't make mention). Things were happening all over. There was a small and dark girl with curlie-cue ears bolting around and kissing people (Seelie); a broad-faced guy that didn't look entirely wolfish (Stockholm); and before Screech could really get a handle on things, Greyday was being whisked away by one of the ladies.

'Well now what do I do?' He suddenly thought, for he was standing in the middle of this family gathering, or party, or whatever this was. It reminded him painfully of his own family as he took to watching the Cortens -- at that point some other wolves deigned to join the fray, one of which being a silvered girl with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen (Faeryn). She seemed to be examining the growing crowd the way Screech had earlier, trying to find a familiar face. Taking a chance, the one-eyed boy ducked around the various bodies and made a careful advance to where the girl was standing.

He cleared his throat as he came upon her, but didn't say anything for a little bit. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he managed a half-assed Hello, before a howl rose upon the wind; Screech felt his attention briefly flicker in the direction of the coast, and when he looked back the petite black wolf was flailing about near the blue-eyed girl's paws, looking every bit like a shining oil stain in the moonlight. Screech knew he'd missed his chance so he slipped away from the hubub and in the process, inadvertently was herded along with the other hunters.

It almost felt like he was lost at sea; in this case, the sea was a family of very happy people. Screech could've found an excuse to leave at any point really — he had thought of it through all the chaos of the party — but a part of him was missing all of this. The laughter, the love, even if it wasn't spared for his sake, this was all so similar to a life he'd left behind and he was loathe to leave it now. He thought of this in a vague sense but had attuned himself to the stranger that was speaking — mentioning something about sea lions that sounded ridiculous but, for once, Screech was speechless.

Then, the hunt began.
 

There was no sign that any had spotted her, at first, until a grey male approached looking almost as lost as she herself did. What struck her first was the way one side of his face seemed rather torn up, especially over his eye - in fact, it seemed he no longer had that eye. What battle had caused this, she was unaware, but even so her gaze washed over the wound briefly. She had no wish to be the cause of any uncomfortableness. He spoke, a half-assed hello, but she responded with a small smile in hopes of not seeming rude. "Hey." The wintry fae responded, wondering if she might be able to strike a conversation so she'd appear less lonely here. But at that moment, a howl rose on the wind and her attention was momentarily captured.

When her gaze returned back to the male, there was another presence ahead of her - Seelie. Fae's smile grew wider, and she ducked into a play bow in front of the inky-furred girl, tail wiggling behind her. She noted the disappearance of the other wolf, that scarred boy, and made a mental note to maybe see if she could find him again at some point to talk. He was curious. Then her attention was returned to Seelie. No, she didn't often celebrate like this, she had never really been interested in playing like this, but this was someone familiar. There was something about the way her excitement showed at Faeryn's appearance here that made her feel a warm spark of joy. "It's good to see you," She murmered with a glint in her blue eyes. Maybe she did belong here after all.

After a moment, a small reunion with the sheepdog, she found herself gathering with the hunters. There was talk of sea-lions, and while she'd never heard of them her interest was undeniably piqued.

Tonight... she could relax. This would be fun, she was certain.

Sirimiri was intrigued by the presence of children among them. She'd always been fascinated by the little beasts that her siblings insisted on popping out, but hadn't been around much for their childhoods. Easy and Lavender's interactions were keenly observed by the Corten woman - she made a game of trying to puzzle out who their parents were.

Soon enough, though, the hunt stole away her attentions. The kids followed as well, making it easier to attend to both interests, but the Hunter's Moon was too sweet an opporunity to see through with divided attention. After the hunt, she would see more about the gathered and sundry.

The gratitude in Komodo’s voice does not go unnoticed, and it helps to ease the part of his mind that cannot let go of the guilt he harbors over Undersea’s dissolution. But while he may not know it now, this night will prove to be particularly healing for the Armenian. The energy and joyous atmosphere of the gathering is contagious. It is unlike anything else he has ever been a part of. Even when he lived in the wild before, his familial group was small and while they had their own traditions and celebrations, they seemed subdued and dim compared to the Cortens’ Hunter’s Moon.

Always attuned to Coelacanth’s movements to some degree, the exuberant way she dashes off again draws his gaze as she melts into a Seelie-puddle at Faeryn’s feet. Faeryn! His heart skips in delight, for he had feared the worst had befallen her and the rest of the seawolves, but no.. here she is. He crosses the sand and closes the distance between them, tail swaying back and forth in uninhibited joy – he had not known her nor the other seawolves for all that long, but his loyalty to them was already solidified and unwavering. “Fae! Welcome to the party.”

With the exception of Seelie, the Gampr doesn’t often impose on another's personal space without fairly explicit permission or invitation, but on this occasion he touches his muzzle briefly to the silvery shewolf’s shoulder in friendly affection. There was much they should talk about, but it could wait – the hunters were already on the move to join Seelie who was luring a sea lion towards the group. Having never eaten sea lion before, Stockholm was eager to find out what the strange looking creatures tasted like and he fell in line with the rest of the group to do his part in the hunt.

The seawolf was mostly just going with the flow of the gathering and catching snippets of conversations, but not participating herself. She wasn't the greatest with words, and so she simply went along with the bubbly chatter and ring of gleeful laughter. But when the voice called to her, a familiar voice, her blue coated ears cupped forward and her sapphire gaze searched until it found Stockholm crossing the distance between them. Immediately her face broke into another grin like it had with Seelie, and her tail swayed behind her with a rush of sudden joy. Indeed, she was immensly glad to see another of the council, a familiar face and one who she trusted. "Stockholm!" The gem greeted, a sparkle in her cerulean orbs.

"Looks like a fun party," Faeryn chuckled, glancing momentarily around at the beaming wolves as they reunited with family and friends. "It's great to see you and Seelie." She smiled warmly as he briefly touched his muzzle to her shoulder and she mirrored the gesture, still pleased to see him. Hopefully they would find time to talk more at some point.

Then her attention was caught again by the talk of sea lions, and she joined once more with the gathering group of hunters so she could aid in bringing down one of the creatures.