Sun Mote Copse And I know it's true

maybe a wild @Arcturus ?!?! AW tho!

Chanel was settling in well again at Firebirds. By now she had made a point of passing by the den area of the children, wanting to catch a glimpse of the adorable little tots, but too hesitant to approach without being explicitly invited. Then there was the matter of finding a new den- her old one must've collapsed over the winter, and so she searched the territory for a couple of days until she found a suitable hollow room nestled under a couple of massive tree roots. And finally, she knew she must meet the new faces, or even reacquaint herself with the old ones- and so she headed to the rendezvous, ultimately lounging in the shade of a tree while warm coco eyes lazily scanned her surroundings.

arcturus often was not present near the rendezvous, but today was a special occasion. he had discovered an intriguing set of scents to the west, and had followed it to an old fox den which had been inhabited by a badger. after worrying the badger out of its holt, he had found its cache -- sticking out in the upturned soil was a fox's tail no doubt cached by the displaced badger.

arcturus hid the tail somewhere outside of @Meerkat and towhee's den, where he hoped the little scoundrel would follow the clues and find the toy he had hid for her. coming back from his jaunt, his gaze landed on a figure not well known to him who was lounging comfortably near the center of the rendezvous. dipping his muzzle, arcturus gave her a silent greeting.

Quiet, mysterious- this is what Chanel thought of the dark man that appeared to greet her silently with a dip of his head. She was not familiar with this greeting, but figured she should play along- and dipped her head in return. Ah, um- hello, Sir. I am Chanel Vasselli, She introduced awkwardly with a slight smile while chocolate eyes grazed over his figure. He was not familiar- must have arrived in the time she'd been away, and quietly she cursed herself for disappearing on Firebirds so suddenly.

it seemed arcturus' silent greeting was enough to open conversation between the two. he slowed as he heard chanel's soft voice purl through the woodlands, introducing herself with a smile that gently brightened her features and brought to the forefront a twinkling intelligence in those liquid brown eyes.

arcturus responded in kind, halting just long enough to see if she would come alongside him. "hello, i'm arcturus." for a second it seemed he might state his last name, but was he truly ostregan now that he had shed his role on the mountain? "i was just about to take my evening walk around the borders. would you like to come?"

Arcturus. No family name. Intriguing enough already, and at his invitation she nodded eagerly, happy that he was a friendly sort. Of course! She purred kindly. Chanel bounded to his side, knowing the territory well and yet waiting on him, thinking it right that the man ought to lead. If he began to walk, she would follow at his side, unconsciously syncing her pawsteps with his own. Forgive my asking, but ah- how did you happen to find yourself at Firebirds? Was his story as simple as hers, leaving home for a taste of independence? Or perhaps something more complex?

there was a pause as arcturus did much the same as chanel, waiting for her to take the lead -- when he saw she was politely waiting, he stifled a small laugh and swept away, their footfalls matching as they easily strolled down the forest path.

ah, the inevitable question. never was any use beating around the bush, was there? arcturus hid the pained expression that threatened his countenance, instead focusing on the golden slant of sunlight as it filtered through the pines. his tone was light, his heart was not. "family differences. i knew wraen." no use lying, or making things too overburdened with details. "what about you?" he hoped for her sake, that her induction into firebirds was a much smoother, less painless transition.

Family differences. That was simple enough to Chanel; she did not bother prying any further. When he turned the question back on her, she blinked awkwardly and answered, I suppose it was family differences as well. My father wanted me to be a certain way, and well... I'm still in the process of... breaking out of the mold he put me in, She laughed delicately. So I traveled until I found Firebirds, and Wraen was positively lovely, so I just had to make a home here. She smiled then, tail wagging slightly at the memory of that autumn day.

so they both had family differences. arcturus could understand chanel's position. his own father had been controlling -- and he had idolized charon in a way he would never idolize anything else. even then, he recognized how his freckled sire had reigned as tyrant over much of his young life.

he tried to make the mood lighter, by dipping his head in soft joke. "my sympathies.. but i understand." at least one other thing was shared -- they both thought fondly of wraen. "it is nice here, isn't it?"

wrap in a few posts ish? I'm hoping to cut down on my character list again <3

He offered his sympathy, and she smiled politely, feeling a tad awkward about sharing her story. But it was for the best, in getting to know one another. It's nice here, isn't it? Indeed, it is. Not just Wraen- but everyone, they're all so welcoming. And there's never any real trouble- no war, no famine. So peaceful. The ideal home, for anyone, really! Chanel decided, unaware that there were monsters out in the world who would much rather live in chaos.

sharing stories could be awkward, but they were both better for it. now, they were just one step up from strangers - a small accomplishment, in arcturus' eyes.

arcturus could agree with everything chanel had said. in that moment of time, there had been no strife since he had come to firebirds. it was a stark -- violently stark -- difference from his home, where there was a new crisis every week it seemed.

he walked in silence for a while, happy to simply share company. "there's something to be said for peace at home." he didn't say much more after that, content to let chanel guide the conversation where it may.

the pair patrolled in quiet company until evening, where arcturus parted at length feeling his heart was slightly lighter.