Redsand Canyon defuse

if you have the time/space! :D

he remembered what he had told reyson, that towhee was skilled at all things mercenary. she had once been praefectus and still he viewed her as such.

-@Towhee!- he both spoke and signed as he approached the mouth of their den. a special pep in his step that seemed more common these days with the growing of the children. -how are you feeling?- he had a desire to engage her with a bit of training, but he still remained leery that she might suddenly collapse again.

The kids were napping, at least for the moment. Towhee pondered leaving them there and heading out on patrol. Usually she would find a sitter or drop them off at the palazzo, though surely they’d be fine on their own for a short bit. They were at that age. And there were plenty of wolves nearby, it wasn’t like they’d be totally unsupervised…

Maxim arrived, interrupting her deliberation. He looked rather peppy, which made Towhee tilt her head, then smile slowly at him. She still had trouble admitting it to herself, though she was pretty sure she’d actually fallen in love with him somewhere along the way. It kind of annoyed her, which was why she never said anything, along with still being in denial about it half the time.

I’m feeling fucking fabulous, she deadpanned, her playful sarcasm a dead giveaway of how fond she was of him, you?

he found delight in her deadpan some days. it was easier to understand now. he did not fret every time she cursed or seemed to be slack in emotion. towhee was...towhee! she could not be compared to any other he knew or had met and he found he adored this the most.

i am better now. he teased with a grin. the children were not running amok and he wondered if perhaps he had interrupted one of the few times she might actually get a break.

i was hoping i might steal you away for a bit. wondering if you might beat me in a spar or teach me some more.

the children would be fine. right? probably.

His reply made her eyebrow creep up her face a bit. Better now? she thought, wondering what that meant. Before she could open her mouth to ask, Maxim mentioned stealing her away for a bit. Evidently he was feeling a little masochistic and wanted her to beat him. Towhee smirked.

They peered at the children at the same time, before her eyes tracked back to her partner’s face as she said, They’ll be fine by themselves for a bit, right? Right.

She waved a paw, not even waiting for an answer before she headed out the door. Towhee strode several feet in the direction of the sparring pit when she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Maxim was right behind her. She then motioned for him to walk in her preferred position: beside her.

if towhee thought so, maxim thought! and truthfully, he imagined nothing dire could happen before anybody would find them. the children regularly had visitors and mereo was no spread so thin as to not be on alert at all times by somebody.

he only lingered behind for a moment, tail waving softly as he looked upon the slumbering children. then turned to promptly follow after his mate.

eagerly falling in line next to her as they moved along.

i am glad you seem much better. he confessed. there had been a thread of fear in his heart, of course, that she might not recover.

She tossed an inscrutable look his way when he remarked on her health. For a few footsteps, Towhee did not reply, thinking back on everything that had transpired that day and the weeks since. She tried to look at it through a different lens: his. It must have been pretty fucking stressful.

Yeah, I’m good, she reassured him, bumping his muzzle, and feeling even better since I booted them off the tit. I have more energy… just in time to kick your ass and reclaim my title! she quipped.

It was true, she had been feeling more or less fine since her initial recovery from the preeclampsia, thanks in part to paying close attention to her diet. But ever since stopping nursing altogether not too long ago, Towhee felt more energetic than she had in quite some time. Thinking back, she’d felt exhausted during most of the pregnancy, so she really did feel better than she had in months.

the stress of the event rolled off of him with her touch and then sudden declaration! he boomed with sudden laughter, even if she would not hear it.

you need to kick my ass to get your title back?! did i get a promotion without knowing? his smile all teeth as he aimed to bump his shoulder into hers. it was good to have time to theirself, to joke around and learn each other more once again.

he couldn't exactly bring himself to say just how nice it was though.

She made no comment when he teased about ranks, though her orange eyes did a little dance. They continued bumping into one another the rest of the way to the dirt arena, Towhee digging her toes into the dry, dusty earth when they arrived. She stood there a moment, thinking.

This has nothing to do with anything, she eventually said, turning her face to meet Maxim’s eyes, but your talk of ‘stealing away’ reminded me of something. What would you think of taking the kids on a trip when they’re a bit older? Meerkat and her family live by the coast and when Phox and Caracal visited her a bit ago, they mentioned something about meeting in the middle for a playdate with her kiddos. My grandkids. Yours too, if you want them to be... Thoughts?

a family trip. he considered her words as she spoke, his tail giving a few soft sways as he thought it through. a family trip, to go see more family. meerkat's kids. towhee's grandkids.

he recalled how caracal had teased him by loudly proclaiming dad!

would these new grandchildren call him grandpa? he found he was not horrified by the thought, despite his youth, and found only great pride. towhee had created a family that seemed to spread far and wide, strong in all regards. he had been wedded to a wonderful woman.

i think that will be a very good trip. then the children can see and learn more of the different places their family is. his own toes clawed loosely at the russet dirt. they may be raised to mereo's standards, but this will show them their are other places too. if they really want.

he felt...anxious? he tucked the thought of the children ever leaving them very far away.

His statement caught her off guard a bit, her eyes probing his face for a moment before glancing away with an exhale. Towhee reminded herself that it was a good thing to raise independent children, ones that would one day spread their wings and leave the nest. But that thought still made her chest ache and pinch. She looked over at her mate again, wondering if he felt the same way.

Cool, it’s a plan then, Towhee said, stashing the thought in the filing cabinet in the back of her mind until a later date. Now, I think I was planning to whoop your ass. If I win, I demand a full body massage. But if you somehow manage to win… I still demand a full body massage.

happy to roll for winner, happy to let towhee win due to her double mastery! whatever you prefer :D

he beamed with a brief laughter at her deals, but nodded sharply as well. a deal is a deal! he had very little complaints about either situation!

he squared up, centering his mass in case she came for a direct hit first. which he motioned for her to do. move first, that was.

He accepted her terms, earning a chuckle from her. There would be no loser in that situation, especially if… Towhee’s eyes took on a mischievous light. Perhaps she might let it become an erotic massage, which wasn’t something she would normally consider, but she really did love adore treasure like Maxim quite a bit.

She stepped into the ring, observing as her partner assumed the position. Towhee snickered at that thought, eyes still sultry as they watched the flick of his wrist, inviting her closer. She blinked slowly at him, remaining motionless for several beats as she consciously worked up some saliva in her mouth.

Abruptly, she lunged straight toward his face, trying to plant a wet smooch smack dab on his cheek.

I’m totally fine if you wanna roll for the winner! :)

i am so sorry to have left this sitting <3 towhee wins!

his face! he (thought) he saw it for what it was all at once, but in turning and further presenting his cheek to her he found himself with a hot...kiss.

a kiss! he had expected a strike!

with his guard dropped considerably, he only offered a playful shove of his shoulder into her instead. brows crinkling with humor.

No worries! I figured we could wrap this one in favor of our newer one? :D

It started with a big, sloppy kiss… and it ended with one too, right after Towhee pummeled Maxim into the earth, climbed on top of him and frantically humped him for gits and shiggles.

It was only fair that she let him do the same to her, though for the moment, she didn’t let on to her wily plan. She dismounted, moved ‘round to her mate’s front and booped his snoot.

Massage time! We probably have, like, ten minutes before we should get back to the littles, she said, trotting off in the direction of the woods and looking over her shoulder to give Maxim a saucy wink.

wrapping! :D

a sudden defeat being punctuated by a humping was a special kind of embarrassment. only allowable from towhee of all wolves. anybody else he might have lashed towards, instead he found himself in a fit of squirming and laughter.

although soon enough she was heading off, a saucy wink followed her words.

oh? oh!

he could accept a bruised body and ego in favor of this.