Redhawk Caldera A slice left if you want it

Hoping for uncle @Peregrine or aunt @Fox, but whole family can join!

Lagan was beginning to pick up on some words. Jack had been by a few days ago, and attempted to teach a bit to the young Blackthorn. Lagan didn't learn much, but he did discover that learning was really boring. Lazily, the boy stumbled towards the entrance of the den, once again leaving his siblings behind to nap. They always seemed to be sleeping when he wanted to play. He thought about waking them, but they'd be mad. He thought about calling for Jack, but Jack wasn't much fun. Maybe Whip or one of his bros? Lagan thought about who might come play with him for a couple minutes, sitting on his chubby bum and sighing.

Finally he shrugged, forgetting what he was thinking about and wandered slackly around the grassy clearing, fumbling over a small pebble.

*steals* Others can still jump in, of course! :D

The littlest Blackthorns were about a month old, which meant that they were becoming more active by the day. Elwood no longer felt the need to hover around the den like a helicopter, although he still did often choose to spend much of his time there with his family. Their collective naps had become one of his favorite activities and he already knew he would miss them when Lucy, Lagan, and Liffey outgrew them.

He watched from within as Lagan tumbled out into the open and was soon on his feet to follow. "Whatcha doing?" he asked, stifling a yawn as he plopped down onto his haunches.

Yay father son time!!

Lagan turned his head from the pebble with a look of excitement when he heard his father's voice. Another thing he was getting good at was recognizing and labeling voices to faces. He could now distinguish Elwood from Finley, but Eljay sounded a bit like both so when his brother spoke he usually defaulted to mom or dad. He was getting it though, and was glad to see his father coming to meet him. Pa! He exclaimed to Elwood, rushing forwards unsteadily and barreling into him. 

He stopped and grabbed onto the adult's leg with his toothless mouth, slobbering all over it. Ith goo! He said, attempting to form a couple words. Perhaps his papa could teach a bit today, but then again little Tiarnach didn't like learning much. He looked up at his father's face for a moment, the resemblance of the two was uncanny. Much like the rest of the family that is. Except weirdo Lucy. He then went back to chewing happily on Elwood's leg.

In hindsight, it was pretty goddamn crazy how quickly Jack had become part of the family. Whether it was due to his age or his resemblance to Peter, Peregrine wasn't entirely sure, but sure enough, the pup was one of their own now. He hadn't just made it with the Alpha pair, either, but had been busily integrating with the larger Redhawk family as well, including the Betas and their new tots.

It was with this thought in mind that Peregrine made his way toward the Blackthorn den now. He was a little leery of running into Finley or Eljay (too many feels), so it relaxed him a bit when he spotted Elwood with—was that Lagan or Liffey? He couldn't tell from here, but as Peregrine closed the distance, he lowered his snout to take in the pup's smell. It was the little boy.

"Hey guys," he said, shooting a nervous glance at the den's mouth before squinting in the Beta male's direction. What did Elwood think about what had gone down between himself, Finley and Eljay? He almost didn't want to know, would rather ignore the entire situation, maybe get in some shop talk while they played with little Lagan. "What's shakin'?"

Pompoko -- I watched Stranger Things last weekend and I TOTALLY approve of Lagan's human character model. <333

Elwood snapped to attention, the last tendrils of sleep clearing from his mind as Lagan noticed him and romped towards him. The boy plowed right into his father's leg with an exclamation, affectionately gnawing on said appendage and dampening Elwood's grey fur with drool. Elwood used his other forepaw to ruffle the fur between Lagan's ears, noticing that his foot didn't quite dwarf the boy's head as much as it used to.

He looked up when Peregrine approached, noting the way the Alpha male cast a furtive glance at the den. Finley had, of course, filled him in on what had happened. In true Elwood fashion, he could see both sides of the coin -- Finley's frustration was justified, but he understood why Peregrine had felt the need to step in. It was a touchy subject all around, but he held no ill will towards Peregrine. He and Finley would work it out, he was confident.

"Say hi to Uncle P," Elwood instructed with a smile, pointing his snout down at Lagan as he spoke.

AHHH thank you! I love the show so much Dustin is so adorable I had to <33

Lagan was so excited when his papa ruffled his head fur, he let out a little growl of joy. He was a genuinely happy little boy, everything new made him happy, everything old made him happy. Tail still wagging he glanced up at his father, giving a quick toothless grin before returning to his work of art of his papa's leg. He was just beginning to decide whether his dad tasted good or not, when Uncle P was there. Torn between wanting to finish his masterpiece and starting a new one on his uncle, Lagan turned to look at the large black wolf.

His father instructed him to say hi, and Lagan tried his best. Eh gunclee pee! He stumbled over his words but finally got it out. It was a pretty decent sentence, but he was basically just mimicking his father. Quickly bored of the sitting still thing, the young Blackthorn bounded forwards and grabbed hold of Peregrine's leg, beginning to work on his uncle's while the too males talked.

Uncle Kat also approves! :D

"Dang." The world dropped out of Peregrine's mouth unbidden when Lagan greeted him, eyes flicking up to Elwood. "You'd think I'd be used to how fast they grow up, after how many I've had, but... dang. When the heck did you start talking, brah?" His attention shifted back downward, grinning indulgently as the pup launched at his leg. He almost jokingly warned the little boy not to hump him but glanced at the Beta male and opted against it for once. He wasn't sure if he was still up shit creek with Finley but he didn't want to do anything to rock the Blackthorn boat unnecessarily.

"How are you?" he asked in the next breath, gently tugging his leg free and then framing both forelegs around Lagan as he flopped to his belly and thrust his muzzle in the boy's direction.

My husband and I watched the entire show in one day, lol. :P

Elwood was so pleased with Lagan's pronunciation of Peregrine's nickname -- it reminded him of Eljay at that age, although Lagan seemed to be making efforts to speak sooner than Eljay had. Maybe he was just remembering incorrectly -- after all, Eljay had been born over a year ago -- but it also wouldn't have surprised him if his youngest boy developed a bit faster than his eldest.

"Just recently," he replied in Lagan's stead. "That's actually some of the clearest speech I've heard from him so far -- he must have been honing his skills for you," he teased. He watched as Lagan attacked Peregrine's leg and the dark elder pulled him in between his elbows, enticing him to play with the movement of his muzzle. To answer Uncle P's other question, Elwood said, "I'm good. How about you?" He avoided mentioning anything about Finley, but he suspected that Peregrine was tiptoeing around the topic. He knew what it was like to have Finley's ire directed at him -- it wasn't fun.

APPROVAL!!¡ ! <33

Both of Lagan's parents seemed pretty happy that he'd spoken. He was especially excited that he'd made his father proud. Perhaps learning to speak wouldn't be that bad, if he got reactions like this every time. As he played with gunclee pee's leg, he heard a couple things from his father he understood. Narrowing his eyebrows intensely as he thought, little Tiarnach reciprocated a couple words. Far ooooo! He head butted his uncles leg enthusiastically, looking up at he black wolf with his tongue out. He was very pleased when Peregrine pulled him closer, though he wasn't so happy that he'd taken away his artwork. He wasn't finished with that leg, but he could always return to it later.

Now captivated by his uncles chin, he ignored what the two adults now spoke of. He could they weren't talking about him anymore, so he continued with his new mission. Find his uncle's tongue. He lunged forwards when Uncle P next opened his mouth, and hoped to grab Peregrine's tongue in his mouth.

I made the mistake of starting it late one night... and didn't stop until I finished around 3:00am. :P

His question had been directed primarily at the pup, though he didn't mind Elwood answering it too. He said he was good and the Alpha flashed him a smile, glad for it. He was happy that whatever had gone down between Finley and himself didn't seem to have any apparent effect on his relationship with her mate. He sighed a quiet breath of relief.

"I'm friggin' fantastic," the Alpha replied, remembering at the last second to tone down the cursing. "I—" he meant to add something else when Lagan practically leaped into his mouth, clasping the pink muscle in his own tinier maw and rendering

[insert 4-hour interlude]

Peregrine effectively tongue tied.

Lagan imitated the adults' speech, prompting a laugh from Elwood. The boy was already a chatterbox, and Elwood looked forward to the day when he could have a real conversation with his son. He listened as Peregrine replied, although his gaze was fixed on Lagan -- and when the pup suddenly lunged towards his uncle's face, Elwood sputtered in laughter.

He probably hadn't anticipated being successful, but Lagan's aim was true as he latched onto Peregrine's tongue. The Alpha male, always a good sport, seemed stunned by what had just happened but didn't make any sudden movements. "Well," Elwood said, then reached out to paw gently at Lagan's back, hoping to pry him away from Peregrine's mouth.

Tiarnach giggled with joy. He had done it! He had caught the tongue. At first he simply sat with the tongue, admiring a job well done. But then he wanted it all for himself! Uncle P could not have it back! The small Blackthorn stood on his short little legs and began to pull, hoping that Lucy's secret dad would just let go! Small playful growls rumbled in his tummy as he held onto the pink fleshy thing. He had no idea that Peregrine could've just taken it back. He thought that his uncle must just be really weak or something. He whipped around when his father pried at his back.

And it tickled! Now thinking they were going to have a tickle fight, Lagan let go of his uncle's tongue and rolled over, exposing his white stomach. He quite enjoyed these times with the adults. Other times they would just talk, or yell. He hated those times, where he'd sit and wonder why they didn't just play with him and his sisters. But that was out of sight and out of mind as he laughed, grinning his signature toothless smile up at the two males. Boo apa! He exclaimed as loud as he could.

He made no effort to pry off the pup, even though it felt a little painful and a lot weird. Peregrine did grin, exposing his yellowed teeth, which didn't seem to deter Lagan in any way, shape or form. Idly, the Alpha wondered if his tongue could be ripped out by the root. That was sort of a terrible thought. He shuddered slightly even as Elwood tickled his son, causing him to let go and turn over. Peregrine scooped his tongue back into his mouth with a slight slurping noise, then worked it and his jaw to make sure everything still worked.

"Did your mom put you up to that?" Peregrine teased, watching as Elwood tickled the little boy. He glanced up to see if the Beta would react to that. He simultaneously wanted gauge the temperature on the whole situation via Elwood and wanted to avoid the entire thing at all costs. The thing was, he couldn't avoid his other second-in-command—not to mention one of his longtime best friends—forever.

Lagan relinquished his hold on Peregrine's tongue after a moment, now distracted by the prospect of a tickle fight. His body language was clear as he flopped onto his back, presenting his pale tummy to the adults. Elwood obliged him by kneading his toes against his son's stomach, watching him squirm for a moment before shifting his gaze back up to Peregrine.

"She must've," he agreed with a laugh, although the mention of Finley wasn't lost on him. He lifted his paw from Lagan's underside for a second, brows lifting as he casually asked Peregrine, "Have you talked to Fin lately?"

Lagan giggled gleefully as his father kneaded his toes into his fur. It tickled, and it made him laugh. He wasn't sure why he laughed, it must've been magic. He allowed his father to continue, giggling for a couple minutes. But now it was his turn! He would conquer mount Elwood and become victorious! He would vanquish his father in tickles, and his father would laugh and he would laugh too. It would be glorious!

He wriggled his little fluffy booty out from under his papa's tickles, and 'stealthily' crept towards the adult wolf. He squeezed between his father's legs, to his stomach, watching his father's chest rise and fall. He wiggled his tail vigorously before launching himself at Elwood's tummy pulling at his fur and growling playfully.

Elwood took the bait and Peregrine felt his insides clench. He watched Lagan a moment, the boy helping to dispel some of the tension that vibrated in the air. Then he drew in a breath and confessed, "Uhhh, no." He paused, licking his lips, feeling suddenly very awkward as he recalled the gory details of their last conversation. "I wouldn't really know what to say," he admitted. She had screamed at him and he had run off like a little girl. He wasn't sure where to go from there.

He forced his eyes upward to meet Elwood's. "Uhhh," he repeated, "any pro-tips?" If anyone knew how to make amends with the spirited Beta female, it was her husband. "And," he continued after a weird, stilted pause, "for what it's worth, I didn't mean to upset Eljay or her or you, for that matter." Peregrine still stood by what he'd done, though he was genuinely sorry for the aftereffects.

Elwood laughed, the sound a combined reaction to Lagan's attack on his tummy and Peregrine's request for advice on handling Finley. He took a moment to crane his neck until his nose pressed against Lagan's chest, his chortling becoming briefly more exaggerated, and then turned back towards Peregrine with a wry grin. "Are there any pro-tips when it comes to Finley?" he asked rhetorically; they both knew just how hot-headed and stubborn his mate could be.

He offered a shrug then, averting his gaze briefly. "You don't need to apologize," he said, though he didn't much want to rehash the topic of Eljay's mental health. As Alpha male and father of Peter, Peregrine had had a right to do what he had done -- although, of course, Elwood understood Finley's perspective and that she wished there had been an adult conversation before it all went down. But the past was the past and there was no use in wishing that things could have been different.

"I think she's had some time to calm down. Maybe you should just try to have a conversation with her soon. She loves you, even though she thinks you're a butthead," he replied, lifting his shoulders again. It was the truth; things were awkward, but he couldn't imagine Finley forsaking her friendship with Peregrine.

Lagan continued to pummel his papa's chest, bursting out with laughter every time Elwood did. With a quick nip at Elwood's weird nub thing that boys had, Lagan rushed out from under his papa, smiling as he waited for the male to respond. He loved hanging out with his dad, it seemed the man never refused to play with him, and never told him he was being too rough. Liffey and Lucy were always throwing him around, or yelping at him if he sat on them by accident. Papa never cared. 

Po bip! He said, mimicking the word pro tips. It must be important, if both of his role models said it. Po bip Po bip Po bip. He repeated, smacking his paws on top of his father's with every 'bip'. He continued to do so, having fun with this newfound vocabulary, when he heard a new word, one that made him giggle. Haha buttead! He laughed, finding the word hilarious. Pale green eyes shifting between Uncle P and papa as he waited for a reaction, Lagan decided he'd just say it again. butted butted buttteeeaaaaad! He laughed, rolling over onto his belly. He was such a happy, silly little kid.

His head cocked in response to Elwood's rhetorical question. Well, that put him at ease somewhat. Nobody would know better than her mate, after all. The Beta male went on to tell him he didn't need to apologize, which the Alpha appreciated. He and Finley were both buttheads, truth be told, but Peregrine could safely say that Elwood definitely wasn't. He was one of the most level-headed wolves he had the fortune of knowing. He was an even keel in turbulent waters more often than not.

"Thanks, Elwood," Peregrine said, grinning at the reassurance. He laughed when Lagan began repeating his father's PG-rated epithet. "That's right. Just call me Uncle Butthead," he said, smirking as he took delight in his nephew's infectious case of the giggles.

Lagan's mimicry went unnoticed by his father at first, until it increased in volume and speed. The accompanying tapping of his little punches finally drew Elwood's gaze, and he opened his mouth to ask Lagan to stop just in time for the boy to start hollering his own version of the word "butthead." Elwood's eyes rounded even as Lagan collapsed in uncontrollable laughter, and he found himself wondering if Finley would find this mishap funny -- or if he would be banished to the doghouse.

Peregrine didn't comment further on his situation with Finley, other than a quick expression of his appreciation. He then addressed the much more important issue and nominated himself as Uncle Butthead. "Which do you prefer: Uncle Pee or Uncle Butthead?" Elwood asked between chuckles.

Sorry for the wait! First week of school was hectic xP

Lagan rolled around, laughing loudly as he repeated the word butt head. Being a little baby pup, lots of words were funny, but so far butt head seemed to be the best one. He stopped rolling when Uncle P changed his name, he looked up curiously. At first he wasn't sure if he should call him Uncle Butthead. But when his papa said the word again, he was decided. Liken da guncle butted! He squeaked a high pitched squeal, scrabbling to his feet and rubbing against his father's leg like a cat. After he felt that he'd snuggled his dad's leg enough, he moved on to snuggle Guncle Butthead's, a light hum coming from inside his chest.

His lips pursed in reply to Elwood's question. He took a moment to consider it, jade eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at Lagan and replied, "Maybe... Uncle Peebutty. What'cha think?" shifting to accommodate the boy as he hopped over to him. Peregrine lowered his muzzle to slide along the pup's silky flank, inhaling that familiar puppy smell and taking simple joy in his nephew's giggly presence.

The Alpha allowed himself a few more minutes of this before announcing, "Hey, I gotta get some hunting and patrolling done today. If I catch something, I'll bring some by," he promised, nipping at the tip of the little boy's tail before nodding to his father. "See you two later." He rumbled a farewell bark, then spun on his heel, glad to have stolen these moments with the two Blackthorns.

Rather than choose one of the proffered names, Peregrine made a better suggestion and combined the two into Uncle Peebutty. This would surely tickle Lagan's funny bone, but just to make sure he got a laugh out of the boy, the Alpha reached down to nose at his side. Elwood watched the bonding between his friend and son, then nodded as Peregrine excused himself a moment later.

"We'll catch you around," he replied, then turned to Lagan. "Last one back to the den is a rotten egg," he teased even as he began to trot away, moving slowly enough that the uncoordinated pup would easily be able to catch up with him.

Lagan giggled as he weaved around Peregrine's front legs, opening his mouth to nip playfully as his uncle nuzzled him. He was offered a new nickname, which Lagan liked even more than Uncle Butthead. Uncle Peebutty it was! With a huge smile he pranced about, howling with glee. Guncle Peebutty! The new name distracted him from what his uncle said next, but he turned around just in time to see Peregrine leaving. He frowned, he'd just come up with the new name, didn't that call for a celebration of some sort? Guncle Peebutty where go? He started after the alpha, but whirled around when he heard Elwood speak.

As much as he wanted to play with Peregrine, he wanted to win this race even more. Pop I no rott'n gegg! He quickly forgot about Uncle Peebutty, and ran full speed after his papa, stifled giggles coming out with every awkward step.

I'll archive!