Redhawk Caldera trust issues

Fin wasn't listening as Jaws turned to pay a compliment to Dove. There was a loud buzzing in her ears that allowed nothing in but the final dismissal from Fox and Peregrine. It was the only thing she even wanted to hear at that point. When it came, she gave them a respectful nod before turning on her heels and leaving abruptly, without even a glance at Elwood or the rest of them. She knew better than to trust herself to linger, and she had no desire for her friendboy know the torment she was going through.

Fin at least had gone to great lengths thus far not to mention any of the hurt feelings and unrest between them that remained in the wake of the Grimm incident. They were still very much in their honeymoon phase, and the moment she let that poison seep back in would be the death of it. And - Fin still very, very, very secretly feared - the end of Finwood. That wasn't happening on her watch, even if it meant avoidance (such as what she was doing now) and distraction (such as what she'd be doing later when they were together again).

After Elwood took his turn, he settled back and waited for the others to follow the directions as he had. Sure, his "compliment" to Magpie had been a little different, but he felt that it was still nice enough to qualify. He watched her expectantly, wondering who she would select -- but that's when things went a little awry.

Grimm spoke up before Magpie had a chance to, and the color drained from Elwood's cheeks -- beneath his fur, luckily -- as she addressed both him and Finley. Her words sounded genuine, but he still detected some sarcasm. He had no response for her -- what the hell was he supposed to say to that? -- so he simply stared for a long moment, aware of Finley's unease as she prickled next to him.

The other wolves took their turns -- Magpie spoke to Finley and Peregrine, then Peregrine directed a comment towards Somnia. Dove took her turn before Somnia, and then the Gamma indicated that it was Finley's turn. It was all a little confusing, but most of the kind words went in one of Elwood's ears and out the other. He was focused on Finley -- he could feel the waves of anger emanating from her -- and also kept an eye on Grimm, who had slunk to the back of the group after her little display.

Jaws was the last to speak, and he had something complimentary to say about the whole pack -- which was astonishing, since they were all still acting like children. Elwood shook his head gently, feeling overwhelmed by the situation, and was thankful when Fox excused them. Almost immediately, Finley took to her feet and was gone, leaving a very stunned Elwood sitting next to her now-empty spot. He glanced over at Fox and Peregrine, then turned to follow Finley. She might have wanted to keep her feelings hidden, but he wouldn't let her get away that easily.

Reacting to Jaws' compliment & stuff.

While the meeting went off without (too much of) a hitch, there was an obvious lack of structure as they each took their turns; after Dove came Fox's voice, which led to Somnia - a girl who Dove wasn't particularly interested in listening to. And then, after a slurry of half-compliments from the gray girl, Finley went. This landed everyone's attention upon Jaws. Dove was keen to avoid mentioning him, thinking about him, or in any way referring to the lanky hybrid throughout the meeting - but there he was, the center of attention. As he spoke his own piece, Dove was surprised (enough to feel the heat of blush rising in her cheeks) when he chose to compliment her. That toothy grin of his was casual enough, but the girl knew he was alluding to more; thankfully he did not go in to detail, and simply redirected his compliment to encompass the others.

Maybe her ire was obvious. Or maybe someone had finally taken notice of her wandering gaze (intent on avoiding Jaws at all costs); because in the next moment, Fox was proposing one of her own favorite activities. Bath time. But, still rattled by the presence of her secret paramour, Dove chose to forego this next stage in camaraderie — sliding in to the background while Peregrine spoke, and then choosing to silently depart while everyone was distracted by the new topic. It was during this nimble escape that Dove glanced towards Jaws, passing him a tiny scowl as she passed.

The meeting was quickly drawn to a conclusion while Somnia failed to notice the impact she had. What she did note was that what she said didn't yield the desire effect, and she made a mental note to think about what she was trying to say before she spoke in hopes of better getting her point across in the future.

When Fox suggested playing in the water, some wolves started to slip away. The main reason for them gathering was over, and the Gamma took her chance to leave. Even with things going pretty well, there was a bit of lingering tension that Somnia would be more than happy to escape. As the number of wolves who hadn't departed decreased, Somnia made it one less by taking her own leave.

Jaws was aware of Dove's scorn but ignored it, keeping his attention roaming around the group, which was beginning to break apart now that Fox had brought it to its conclusion. To his disappointment, no one else was taking her up on her invitation to go for a dip in the lake. The coywolf loved the water, and although he did not need company to enjoy it, he briefly wondered if everyone had left to give the couple some alone time before the birth of the pups. Or, more likely, the tensions were not undone by this exercise and no one could stand it any more.

"Like a bunch of pups, eh? Afraid of bathtime." Jaws joked to Fox and Peregrine. "I rather like being stinky, so I'll leave you two to, ah... frolic." With a wink, a respectful nod and not another word, Jaws departed.

Thank god. Grimm nearly tripped over her own legs in her excitement to exit the gathering, making quite a racket as she fled the scene through several bushes - eyes on the ground, tail tucked, ears flat. Swimming with the hyper-inflated Alpha and her bestest buddy Finley was so low on Grimm's list of things to do that it had to be written in 3px font - and she suspected the feeling was returned.

Grimm made her way to the opposite end of the forest at speed.