Silver Creek it's a mineral, marie

Spring was right. he needed to talk to @Shreya about the kids. while he expected the old woman might give him a bit of guff about it, she wasn't going to be around forever. Cas scolded himself for the coldness, but it was right. he was fond of Shreya and her loyalty to the pack, but the kids needed their futures ensured.

leaving behind the new den that he and Laika had discovered, the Mayfair stretched his skinny body on their doorstep and then set off to find the elder. he expected she'd be with the pups, and so that's where he headed, talking over the speech he would give Shreya in his head.

Ohi. ^__^

One foreleg flopped loosely over the nearest girl, Shreya snoozed away but awoke when one of them hiccuped. She groomed the pup vaguely and it went back to sleep, but Shreya's dozing was over. She'd become a very light-sleeper. So with a muffled garumph, Shreya got creakily to her paws and padded to the entrance of the den, where she stretched more in the ebbing daylight.

Casmir, she observed mid-yawn. They're still in dreamland, she told him, assuming he was here to visit the pups as usual.

:D

Shreya greeted him with a yawn, and Casmir smiled in spite of himself. "actually, Shreya, it's you i wanna see," the boy responded, resisting the urge to creep close and peep at the little birds in their nest. motioning to the elder to follow, the Mayfair boy moved some feet away as not to disturb Indy and Laur, and then turned, squaring his shoulders.

"you're their grandma, so i wanted to have you in on this, but ... i want to adopt them. nothing changes, of course -- just that they have someone they can look to as a parent when they get older." his voice remained steady -- he was proud of himself for that -- but as he fell silent, he felt apprehension spark in his gut at what Shreya's response might be.

Shreya plonked down her rear on the growing grass and listened to the young fellow. Her ear tilted with a hint of surprise, but to be honest she'd seen something like this coming. It had been decided that the pack would raise the pups — Shreya lived with them simply by default, having been the most regular visitor to Saena's den. She hadn't expected Casmir to be the one to take them though — she'd expected Spring or Laika.

That's fine by me, young man, as long as it is by them, she confirmed. And by Spring of course, but that part wasn't up to Shreya. Though I'd like to remain in charge of their learning. For instance, I suspect I'm the only one in this pack that can offer them a balanced perspective of their father. He's the grandson, by the way, she added with a slight smile. Casmir had kindly underestimated her old age. The pups are my great grandchildren.

"oh," Casmir mumbled eloquently to Shreya's correction, then caught himself. if he was going to be the guardian of her great-grands, then he needed to get his act together. "well," he murmured, "you certainly had me fooled, Shreya," Cas drawled, embellishing the whole thing with a wink. 

regarding a balanced perspective of their father; Cas' eyes narrowed. he wasn't at all keen on Indra and Laurel being told anything positive about Reek, the idiotic homewrecker who had abandoned them and their mom for some hot piece of ass. "what...uh...what do you mean about Reek?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at Casmir's awkward — but no less effective — attempt at flattery. So she didn't look like a great grandmother but simply a grandmother? Great...

But chuckles were soon off the menu as she realised she'd have to explain something to a young man whose intellectual capacity she hadn't yet established. Well, she began carefully. The temptation, I'm sure, is to judge Reek wholly on his sins, and write him of as any kind of father. But, as much as we might resist it, reality is more complicated than that. Reek was excited to be a father: he loved those pups enormously, and I bet he thinks of them every day. He would never knowingly hurt them. It seems fair to me that the pups should be told that Reek sacrificed his right to see them by betraying their mother, but there are other things to tell about him too. His good-humour, the care he had for his pack, how excited he was for his children to be born. A balanced perspective, she concluded, is a precious gift to give a child.

Shreya began to explain, and Casmir's jaw set more tightly with each of her soft words. so she wanted to tell them all about how great their fuckin' piece of shit sperm donor was? how much he wanted them? how they should forgive him for sticking in some other chick and cheating on their mom. the boy's gaze had turned to steel by the time the old wolf finished speaking, and he turned away from her. 

he couldn't deny Shreya the right to talk to her great-grands, and he wouldn't do that. she loved them; she wanted the best for them, just as the rest of the pack did. but he didn't like it. "all right," the Mayfair boy murmured coolly. "and i'll tell them my side. reek cheated on my cousin, left her high and dry with a belly full of kids, and for what? and then he threatened to come back for her? like with force? i'll save all that till they're older, Shreya, but if you agree ... then you have your say and i have mine."

Shreya quirked her brow, unimpressed that someone trying to be a father was showing such bile. No, she said after giving him room to finish. This won't be a war, Casmir, with one person shouting something in one ear and another shouting something else in the other. They would agree upon the balance, of this she was determined.

Someone could tell them about their mother's sins with the same judgemental tone. One could tell them 'your own mother abandoned you in the height of famine and left your baby brother for dead, not even caring to return for his corpse.' Or one could tell them the story with balance: 'your mother got lost in herself, and left our lives. The Saena we know would have never meant for Milo to die.'

Those little girls were let down by both their parents. We won't make their lives darker still by forcing our own feelings of anger and betrayal down their throats. Balance is essential for their well-being. She paused, and added an option insight: and to be honest, it's also essential for yours.

Shreya spoke and while her words caused Casmir's hackles to raise several times, provoked a growl that he barely held back, he couldn't deny the logic of her words. he could grudgingly admit his bias, for he knew Saena, and knew she had loved her children, wherever she was now. he could not say the same for Reek. if Shreya knew the man, then despite Casmir's misgivings -- he had to let her.

"fine," he muttered, meeting her eyes as the fight drained from his body. she was right -- Indra and Laurel deserved better than what he had intended, and shame stole slowly over him. tail lashing behind his hips, Casmir steeled himself and nodded. "you're right, Shreya."

he wanted to tell the old woman to save her breath when it came to him learning about Reek. no matter what she had to say, Casmir would never forgive the wretch for what he'd done to Saena.

Shreya saw in the boy a great abundance of youthful foibles — but she, in turn, carried the foibles that came with age. Casmir often struck her as undeniably young, but she refused to let herself believe this detracted from his suitability as a parent.

She looked at him at a moment to see if he was genuine, then decided and nodded her head. Alright, she concluded.

Her tail swished lightly, tellingly.

So how do you feel about the responsibilities ahead — about being a father.

if Casmir had heard Shreya's thoughts, he might have pointed out she was old as dirt and knew nothing, Jon Snow, but probably not, because that would be rude as shit. yes, he was young, and so he answered as bluntly as he could, without thinking: "i'm scared as hell, Shreya. 'm afraid of screwing them up or making them hate me. and i haven't even told Laika. what if she says no?"

Cas squared his shoulders. "it doesn't matter. these are my cousins. i have to take care of them no matter what." his gaze snuck to the old she-wolf, to see what she made of his blurting-out.

Shreya was pleased that the more honest stuff came first, because what came next wasn't pleasing at all. You might want to shake off your attachment to the patriarchy, mister. 'I must take care of everything, no matter what the women think'? Oh please. Laika is your partner in this life, Casmir, have some respect. He was lacking in that, so far.

As for being scared, the blunt old lady continued with ease. That's a healthy feeling. It shows you're taking your responsibility seriously. And teaching kids that it's okay to be scared is a worthwhile lesson, believe me.

Shreya's voice sounded, scolding him, and Casmir's ears fell back. he wasn't quite sure what the 'patriarchy' was, but the old wolf set him straight, and he pondered it briefly, taking into account her other words regarding the kids and being scared as well. "Laika is my partner, yes," he said slowly, "but these are my blood cousins. second cousins. whatever. their mom is gone and ... i'm not sure if they will ever see their dad. unless they want to," he added quietly, wanting to show he was trying to be open to the idea.

"s-so, i love Laika -- i really do, but i have a responsibility here. i came to the Maplewood when Saena was pregnant and she ... needed my support. and it's like ... i don't know," he trailed off, scuffing his foot across the ground. "'m trying to do the right thing, for once, and it seems like this is it."

"i'm gonna talk to her!" he added abruptly. "but ... i don't know ... i'm not sure what to do if she says no, you can't adopt your cousins who have no mom. bah." he shook out his ruff. it hadn't occurred to Casmir that he might be a father in the next year, or that Laika might be threatened by the resource drain that two puppies could be, let alone two that weren't her own.

Shreya returned the courtesy of listening, content to sit back quietly and take in Casmir's train of thought. It took various twists and turns, that train, and ended up a junction.

However, she did believe she was missing something: Casmir was trying to explain something he couldn't quite articulate. There was a special reason for his sense of responsibility, and she concluded that perhaps there was no great reason after all. Perhaps it was simply his passion. His instinct. And that could be as worthy a reason as logic itself.

Open up a discussion with Laika, she suggested. Rather than telling her, or asking for permission, or simply stating your wants and seeing what happens, start up a conversation about it. They were back on the subject of balance. You have good intentions, and you know she does as well. If you're a good pair, you'll listen to each other and come to a shared decision: even if it's one with compromises.

last from me! we need another!

again Casmir listened, realizing that he had learned at least two things from Shreya during this conversation, if not a few more. a nod followed her wise words, and he dropped his gaze to the ground to mull them over in his head. if Laika said yes, then cool. if she didn't ... well, they would have to compromise, like Shreya said.

on a whim the boy gathered his tall and gangly self up and sought to nudge Shreya's cheek gratefully. "thanks. i'm gonna go find her now," he murmured, more confident now than he had been a few minutes before. smiling widely at the woman, Cas turned to set off in search of Laika, tail waving behind his lanky hocks as he continued to mull over what the greying woman had said.

For sure! :)

Shreya was glad this worked out amicably, and allowed the nudge before offering a light smile. She watched him go thoughtfully, not entirely sure at this point if things would work out or not. Casmir was full of good intentions, this was for certain. But good intentions could get lost in translation...