Neverwinter Forest In a garden where the sun still shines

Vague about stuff!

If anything, recent events had made him attempt to be seen as a responsible adult. Well, that and it kept him from being completely unreasonable whenever he came across Clover's scent. Really it was probably some anxiety pointing his paws today because when he was pretty sure he was on his own, Mal was kind of tense. The thing that wasn't questionable was that Mal was hunting -- or at least trying to. He hadn't found anything so far today that he could just pick off on his own. He wanted to find something that he could bring to Cupid -- requested or not -- to prove that coming here was totally the best choice. Sure, there was some stuff in the cache, but he wanted to find something fresher.

Assuming nobody had eaten them all, there was a warren up ahead he might be able to scrounge something up from. What they needed was to be able to take down the deer on a regular basis. Could they now? Probably. But that would take some more planning and probably gathering people and stuff. And though it wasn't like he'd gone and smuggled Cupid and the child in under the cover of darkness, he wasn't exactly keen to totally explain everything to whoever showed up. He'd managed to brush it off before, but them showing up at the doorstep made it weigh on him again.

He put the thoughts aside. Now... About those rabbits. He started sniffing around for a sign.

The scent of another in heat has spread through the territory, and it has left Aibreann both curious and slightly nervous about what it may mean for her own plans. She hasn't had a chance to discuss things further with Mal yet, given the newness of the situation; she'd planned on waiting, but it seems fate has other plans. If she's going to raise a litter with him, she needs to know his intentions for the season.
So she seeks him out, following the leader's trail until she finds him sniffing around as if contemplating a hunt. Hello, She greets softly, dipping her head as she comes to a halt in front of him. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important.

Every once and a while the distraction the scent posed was like some static in his brain -- just enough mental mess to have him suddenly wonder what he was out here doing again? Oh yeah. Hunting. He forced himself to focus. The tunnel he found first smelled like it hadn't been used in weeks, but not totally abandoned. He raised his head to look for the next and that's when a voice pulled him out of it, and he looked over at her approach.

Aibreann! Oh yeah. He did wonder if Cupid being here was going to mess with stuff -- but if she was really not caring too much as long as she got to have her own kids, then it shouldn't be a big deal, right? After the razzing Clover received at the borders, he wouldn't be surprised if she just hid herself in some not-often-traveled corner until it passed. He hadn't run into her since, at least. Of course, that didn't account for the fact there was another woman who'd go into heat not long after, but seeing into the future wasn't one of Mal's skills. He greeted her with a wag of his tail and a grin, Hey! Just a hunt -- haven't found a hot scent yet, so interrupt away. Maybe an odd choice of words. Been settling in fine? She, at least, was hopefully a certainty. No crazy questions.

She notes the strange wording of his response, but chooses not to comment on it, figuring it's only natural given the current circumstances. She's relieved to see that he has some control over himself, at least. Yes, thank you, She says, offering a smile. I was hoping we might be able to chat for a bit, get to know each other better. A lot better; soon her own season will be upon her, and there will be no time for chatting. If she's going to find out all of what she needs to know before then, they'd best get to work now.

It was easier to focus on Abrieann's presence than it was the hunt. Yeah sure, the scent wasn't from her, but at least the lizard part of his brain wasn't complaining he was totally off track now.  Of course! I'm looking forward to it. Which was true, even if he had no idea how to properly do so (or at least not so formally). Fake it until you make it, right? Ask the right questions at the right time and she'd lead him the right direction whether she realized it or not. Or at least, so went the theory.

A quick fleeting glance back to where he'd been sniffing around moments ago, then back to her, Unless you want to talk and hunt, we should probably get off the top of this warren though. Pick your poison, a walk or a walk to somewhere in particular? There were plenty of other options if she had a suggestion too, but that was a good starting point. Not to mention, keeping things that simple kept him from making a fool of himself. Even if for whatever reason planning anything seemed way more bizarre and frightening than the way of the YOLO, that didn't mean he was going to chance ruining things out of fear or something.

She nods when he mentions getting off the warren, taking a few steps back herself. I guess a walk sounds alright, She says lightly, playfully feigning reluctance at the option. Assuming he moves to join her, she turns to lead them away. She wastes no time in starting with satisfying her own curiosity. How long have you been living here?

After you, he said, rather needlessly, following after promptly. All things considered, Mal was on his best behavior -- that whole not wanting to ruin anything. It made him a little less bold than he otherwise would have been. I've called this forest home since this past summer. Bit of a slow start to the pack, but it came together over the winter. I'm happy with the group of wolves we've got. A brief pause, Even if we're a pretty... curious collection of people. He grinned lopsidedly at that. Brows raising -- had she had time to meet some of the others? They were a nice little batch of oddballs! But I think that's probably what I wanted anyway. Wait, was he supposed to ask a question too? Uh. Well, he hoped he'd said enough that something would draw her curiosity.

She finds herself charmed by his explanation, though it reminds her of the age gap between them. It isn't much, but as she gets older she finds herself noticing the little differences of youth. More enthusiastic and optimistic, she thinks, among other things. Perhaps not the worst trait in a parent, provided the other can compensate with realism. She's certain she can, at least. Curious, hm? She smiles in return, intrigued. Maybe you could tell me a bit about this curious collection of yours.

Aha, he'd grabbed her curiosity! More than a couple wayward youths wanting a new beginning -- varying degrees of messed up histories -- then there's one woman who practically an animated pile of snark, and the real odd thing is we've got a couple normal people. A goofier grin at that which lasted for a few seconds before it abruptly faded. There was a new name on that list too, new as of the day before. But he had to be honest, right? Less of a chance of problems that way. Yeah, maybe he should have taken the conversation a different direction a little bit ago. He continued, more hesitantly, but he sort of just blurted it out in bits, And yesterday we had another um... two join our ranks. I--uh. Cupid showed up with my kid -- he should have been here in the first place but -- He gave up there, feeling like he was fumbling it already. because the whole thing left him relatively tongue tied. It was new, Mal was incredibly uncertain, and he hadn't been able to go have an actual conversation with Cupid yet either.

Mal hadn't been lying; it is a rather curious collection. The part that catches her attention is the child, though, of course — his child. A past relationship, or an accident? She questions, not unkindly but perhaps a little too bluntly. Regardless, I hope our agreement won't be causing any conflict there. I've been meaning to ask what your plans are for this season; what you do is your own business, but I would hate for anything to endanger my own plans.

Well at least she didn't totally balk, Um. Accident. And considering that before he joined yesterday, the last time I ran into him he basically said I'd never see him again, shouldn't mess with your plans. And seriously, that whole interaction had hurt a lot. He'd said not a word of it to anyone, maybe not the best choice for his own mental health, but more that he'd been afraid to say it to anyone. I'm not one who goes back on his word, and you did ask..

Plans. Mal wasn't big on plans. Winging it was his natural state, The only thing I've really planned is that I'm gonna be there for my kids, because that's what's right and what I want to do. A pause, as that little voice in the back of his head added, 'if even allowed.' He really did need to speak to Cupid, sooner rather than later. He'd give her a bit of a smile (not to a grin yet), Besides, if you have specifics in mind of how you want things to work, I'd rather hear those. Quick, educate the poor boy!

The whole thing sounds like a mess she doesn't want to get into, but she figures she won't need to get involved. Though there are several red flags in the alpha's confession, Aibreann feels confident in her ability to avoid any possible trouble. I'm sorry to hear that, She offers, moving on in the next moment. As for plans... I have quite a few. The children will need structure and stability; I plan to provide that. Your presence is welcome, as is your help, but I'll expect you to follow my lead. I've been preparing for this for quite some time.

Mal dipped his head slightly. It wasn't the best scenario, no. But he was I do need to talk to him... I know that. Soon. But she moved on promptly, so that was apparently all he would get to say... For now at least. 

The fact she had so much planned was kind of intimidating. His polar opposite in that way, but he wanted her to be happy, to stay, I will. You let me know what you want me to do, and you can consider it done. I know that I can hunt, protect, all that for you and them, but my family growing up probably didn't qualify as a particularly normal experience and not necessarily one I'd inflict on others. So whatever you're dreaming, I'll do what I can to make it so. His smile was less jokey, more sincere than normal.

She'd been prepared for some pushback, but it doesn't come; instead, he agrees readily. She softens, more so with his mention of his own abnormal upbringing. She can relate to that, at least. Her own family situation was far from ideal by her standards, though she's certain some of her siblings would disagree. Thank you. I can relate to the lack of a normal family experience, but I'm certain we'll do a better job of it; you'll be a good father, She says, offering a smile of her own in return. I plan to start teaching the children necessary skills early on; if you could find someone, or a few someones, trustworthy and skilled enough to help train them in the areas I'm lacking in, I would appreciate it. I'm only a passable hunter, and I've never been a fighter. Otherwise I believe I can cover most of their education.

Aibreann believed in him -- or at least so it sounded -- Mal's tail wagged at that. That was one of the things that he was adamant about -- that he would do a better job than Delight at anything and everything. Now, Mal might be lacking in other areas that he shouldn't, but that was one of the few things he was sure would be reality. His smile continued, Glad you think so -- I want to be a good father. For all his kids, no matter who the parent was.

The thing I'm best at is hunting -- when there were just a few of us here during the famine, it was mostly my work since I'd picked up a few kids who weren't great at hunting. And I recently roped Kratos into helping to train some of the others here, so we'll see how he does. Assuming he came back, but right now Mal wasn't concerned. The whole thing seemed foolish to him, so he'd give them time to realize the err in their ways. A few other wolves we've got are all-rounder sorts, we can see who's interested in helping as things get closer. Vallkyrie seemed a reasonable choice, and by then Simmik should have a good basis in all things too.

She nods as she listens, grateful he can contribute something to the children's education as well. She hadn't been certain, but asking directly had seemed less tactful. Let me know if you find anyone else with potential; I'll want to start getting to know them as soon as possible, Anyone who is going to train her children will need to be fully inspected and approved first, of course. A thought occurs to her, then, and she approaches the next topic carefully as it enters her mind. There is the possibility of a difficult child, or multiple; health problems and behavioral issues are always possible, at any stage of life. We'll hope for the best, of course, but it is worth considering the reality of it. If there is anything you won't be able to deal with, I'd like to know now. I won't give up on any of my children, but I can take the burden on myself if necessary.

Mal nodded, Will do. Want me to point them your way, or hunt 'em down on your own if they sound good later? However she wanted to do, he'd do it... When it made sense, he also didn't want to look like a fool either.

Her next question pretty well stumped him and caused a pause before he continued, carefully, I don't know. I've tried to work with everyone who's come by. The only ones I haven't were literally homicidal maniacs. I give everyone a chance here. But I can't predict everything. He wasn't sure if that was what she was looking for, but it was the best he could offer -- there was nothing specific that came to mind.

I can seek them myself, She says, deciding it would be best if they see her as an equal on their first meeting. Someone sent specifically to help her might come to think too much of the importance of their role in the children's lives.
Mal's pause isn't encouraging, but his response leaves her a little more hopeful. Still, she'd like a more solid answer than that, at least sometime before the children are born. If we manage to create any homicidal maniacs, I may reconsider my stance, Her first words are joking, to soften her next. Maybe you should take some more time to consider yours, though? I'd like to be certain about where we stand by the time the children arrive.

He nodded. Well, he'd keep her up to date then and... That would be it? He'd already kind of gotten used to wrangling things himself so to have something basically run by someone else was kinda weird but... Kinda made sense? After all, she had a better idea of what she wanted than he did.

But how could he know what he didn't know? Sure, he might run in blind, but he meant well at the very least. One would hope that they'd be able to stop any major problems from happening -- that whatever did happen, they could work around problems. That was the way life was, and it wasn't like he'd been given an easy hand in life to start. Things were always a struggle. As it is, I plan to be there for my kids. I'm not interested in just giving up if stuff gets a little tough -- I know what it's like to be the ignored kid, and I'm not gonna let that happen. He gave her more of a smirk than a smile, I think that it'd be confirmed that I can be an annoyingly stubborn creature when I get my mind set on something. And since I'm saying I'm here to help you out, that's what I'm doing -- you shouldn't have to do any of it alone, so you won't be.

Mal's words soothe her a little, though she still hopes he'll give it more thought. It is comforting to know he's dedicated to being there, at least; she can handle directing him every step of the way, if needed. So far it's seeming like it might be necessary. I appreciate it, She says, offering a smile. I'm certain our children will, too. Our children feels odd to say; she wants to say her children. But she has to remember she'd invited Mal into this. So she tries to, for the rest of their conversation — and spends some time after thinking on what it all means for the future.