Heron Lake Plateau I decided to remodel, I'm going for mid-century mob hit
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Ooc — Jennifer
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#1
All Welcome 
Quixote had been exploring in the glade at the base of the plateau until the rain started threatening to come down in buckets.  But now on his return he'd run out of trees to cover him, so the final leg of the trip was uphill and rather damp.  By the time Quixote got to the border, he looked more like he took a swim than went wandering around in the adjacent territories.  And to think, he had finally gotten on the trail of a possible deer herd.

That was the thing, though, he didn't really trust the lowlands to not just randomly flood with a little bit of rain.  These lands were still unfamiliar, and he wasn't about to go get swept downstream by a flash flood when the pack needed him.  They did need him around, right?  Ah screw it, assume yes.  He pointed his paws in the direction of a small cluster of trees, hoping that nobody would be under them so he could have a kind of sheltered spot to hide out and not get any more drenched.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#2
-steals this thread!-

The rain came down in cold, driving sheets, sapping the warmth from her limbs and making her wish very much for a nice, cozy nap in the sun. She'd been hunting for plants to rebuild her medicine stash when it had begun to drizzle, and it quickly escalated from there to an all-out monsoon. She'd done her best to continue what she was doing in spite of the rain, but it was a hassle when she kept sinking halfway to her elbows in mud and every few seconds she had to shake her coat out and blink water from her eyes. Giving it up, she had turned and headed back toward home, intending to seek shelter somewhere in the thicket at the plateau's base.

Her black fur clung to her as rain sluiced relentlessly over her body, and -- not for the first time -- she found herself wishing they had some caves or something she could hide in. Someplace dry, at least.

Spying a small copse of trees ahead, she made a beeline toward them. She approached, shaking the water from her pelt for the thousandth time, and suddenly looked up into the face of Quixote. She hadn't expected anyone to be out here in this rain, but then again, she shouldn't have been surprised. The alpha male was never idle for long, and he had maintained a strong presence in the lands around their plateau since his ascension to leadership. "Well hey," she said a little breathlessly from her run. "Fancy meeting you here, handsome stranger."
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Ooc — Jennifer
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Zomg thread thief!1one

Once he was under the cover, he did his best to shake out his fur but well, it's not like he had a towel or something to really dry off.  It was the best a critter in the wilds could do, so he'd have to live with it.  He wove under the slightly hole-filled canopy, looking for the driest spot before he spotted another heading this way too.  Wait, that was Raven wasn't it?  Needless to say, he quickly headed over there to that side of the trees.

As Quixote came up to her, she started to shake, causing him to squint as water flew everywhere. He opened one eye experimentally, then the other once he was sure he wasn't a chance of getting blinded by the spray.  Okay, it was safe.  With a slight chuckle, he stepped forward to kiss Raven's cheek, Hey you.  He then shifted to lean up against the tree trunk as if trying to look cool in obviously the most dorky way possible, I'd kind of forgotten there was other weather besides snow.

After leaning on the tree for a moment, he was suddenly aware of just how rough the bark was, taking a moment to scratch his shoulder against it a second before sliding down to lay at its base.  Join me while we wait for this, nod to the rain, nonsense to pass?  It'd be nice for them to actually like.. Just sit around and talk a while, wouldn't it?  He'd spent a lot of time away hunting and attempting to be what he figured an alpha actually was.  Sure, they had time to catch up about stuff that had happened day to day, but not like... actually talk.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#4
She grinned as he grimaced and endured the shower of her shaking-out, and giggled a little as he kissed her. She returned the gesture in kind, kissing his muzzle and chin affectionately as she joined him in the shelter of the trees. Rain still dripped down onto them, but in nowhere near the volume it had poured over her outside and she felt an enormous sense of relief at the break from being drenched. "Gladly!" she responded at his invitation to wait out the storm with him, and suddenly she was glad she'd been caught in it out here. They both stayed so busy that it wasn't always easy to find time to just relax and be with one another.

"So," she began as she sat down beside him and, shivering, inched closer to steal some of his body heat. "How's it going, Alpha Male Of The Redhawks™?"
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Ooc — Jennifer
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#5
Who knew his life would have flipped around so crazily in this short period of time.  Raven was top of the list of the good things that had come out of it all and now he was starting to wonder if maybe he'd spent too much of his time trying to be the perfect alpha instead of paying attention to things that were important just to him.  If it took rain scaring them into curling up under a tree to get time to talk, maybe they should work on that. I think I'm starting to figure it out, maybe.  His smile had turned uneven -- sure, Quixote was trying, but he knew he probably hadn't been great to deal with much of that first week, as his sleeping patterns had almost immediately fell out of whack.  That and he was still not too sure he was doing everything right, but that was gonna take a hell of a lot longer and probably a few conquered challenges to make sure he got it right.

He sighed, looking to her yet again for answers that she probably didn't have, I mean, am I trying to do too much?  You don't think I'm like.. neglecting you or something? He reached out to nudge her slightly with a paw.  Quixote, if it wasn't obvious by now, wasn't always the most confident about certain things.  He really did only want to please her.  How do people juggle everything?  And the pups aren't even here yet.  Quixote's ears tipped back slightly.  That was an even bigger question mark in his mind, which he did need to ask Raven about but wasn't going to do so quite yet.  Is there anything else I could do for you?  A pack in general was easy to guess -- do borders, protect stuff, blah blah -- but an individual was a whole different thing.
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Ooc — Houkie
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He wasn't wrong -- Raven often had a lot of the same worries herself. How would they juggle all of the responsibilities of leading a pack with the demands of a litter of newborn puppies? She figured she would be den-bound most of the time once the pups arrived, which meant that much of the burden of day-to-day leadership would be on Quixote's shoulders. But he would never be alone in it. Somehow, although she didn't know what she was doing any better than he did, she nevertheless managed to give him decent advice from time to time and it seemed like talking with her helped him sort his thoughts out somewhat. She'd still gladly do that with their puppies at her side, but she still would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about what lay ahead herself.

His question warmed her heart, and she nuzzled into the soft fur at his throat. Whatever his doubts about his ability to handle his obligations, he seemed to excel at the ones involving her. "I don't feel neglected at all," she answered honestly, a grin playing on her rain-streaked face. "You hunt for me and you keep me warm at night. You're there anytime I need anything. I couldn't ask for more." Her grin became a smile and she kissed his face, feeling a deeply comfortable warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature around them. He made her feel safe, complete, and like she mattered, like she was more than just the Redhawks' trusty healer.
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Ooc — Jennifer
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Okaaay, I should not post at this hour, I almost lost the whole post when I was almost done because I clicked the x.  This post is probably also like twice as long as it should be, iDK

Every time it always made him wish to coil around her like some sort of snake or something to get closer, envelop her and just keep her there forever. Quixote definitely had some very obvious buttons that Raven seemed to excel at pushing.  She drew a happy whine from him as he tried to inch closer if it were even possible, nibbling at the corner of her jaw.  But he felt he had to check himself instead of getting distracted by completely smothering her in affection, or at least had to if they were going to have a reasonable conversation.  But you always can, he insisted.  Quixote was probably far more loyal to her than he was the pack -- she could say they were running away and he'd follow along without a question.

Let's be real, though, he was awful with that whole feelings thing, but it was incredibly clear that her influence, her touch, was a good thing for him.  If he'd been told to take up the mantle of leadership without her, he probably would have gone down in a ball of fire bigger than Towhee's.  Issues, subscriptions -- he was too paranoid, too easily wrapped up in his own thoughts to have been able to do it without her there to scale what seemed like Everest down to its actual molehill size.  Quixote would pretty much do anything for Raven, and that was the whole reason he was dealing with the job he didn't want.

Again his ears had slid back slightly, dipping his head so he could bump the underside of her chin with the tip of his nose.  He was speaking of a world that was basically foreign to him, metaphorically reaching out a hand for Raven's guidance about what was coming, What about later?  Uh.  He looked away as he tried to sort out his thoughts for a second.  Quixote wanted to talk, but even willingly it was a still a bit like pulling teeth and he didn't know what direction to go in..   My birth pack wasn't exactly big on letting blunt objects like me mingle with pups.  Like, uh.  At all.  And the whole group here had done a damn good job of avoiding him, too.  And again, that whole bad with feelings thing, which didn't help him explain, But... I did always want a family and stuff.  I just... don't want to mess anything up.  He just knew more about how to make them then what to do after, classy.  His eyes traced down Raven's side to the slight swell of her belly.  Though he'd watched it slowly appear from her otherwise slim figure, thinking much about it still gave him that fluttery feeling he couldn't quite nail a name to.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#8
It didn't seem like it was possible for them to get any closer, and yet somehow, Quixote inched even closer to her. The comfort and warmth of the contact was a welcome thing, and she rested her head against his and wrapped her tail around his hindquarters. She grinned in acknowledgement of his comment, confident in knowing that she could ask him to bring her the moon and somehow, he would figure out a way to do it. For now, though, she was content with the way things were, and as the rain poured down around them and isolated them in their own shadowy little world, she truly couldn't have asked for more at that moment.

His next words both warmed her heart and made her feel a little pang of sadness for him. His birth pack didn't sound like a very pleasant bunch, from what little she'd heard of them. He deserved so much better, and she was glad for whatever circumstances had brought Quixote to the Redhawks. She touched his muzzle with her nose, the gesture intended to be both reassuring and affectionate, and said softly, "You're their father. I want you to be around them, every step of the way." She leaned back a little and gazed at him, remembering her experience with raising her youngest siblings. "We're going to mess up. That's all parenthood really is -- a bunch of fuck-ups and blunders -- and you do your best to balance it out with the good things in the hopes of ending up with a mostly normal wolf when they're all grown up." She grinned and kissed his cheek, adding, "We'll be okay. I've raised kids before, and you're going to be a great dad."
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Ooc — Jennifer
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#9
She was beyond wise about all of this and he had no idea how she always had the answers.  To him, it was just this tangled mess of maybes and unknowns, but she brought clarity, always.  Raven was totally a witch or something, but he really didn't mind it.  He was still kind of a screwed up mess, but it sounded like yet again he was maybe way overthinking things.  Not unusual there.

For a moment Quixote just looked at her, gaze painted with adoration.  Eventually he did speak, but it wasn't the same soft (and often stressed) voice he often used with her, but one that was significantly more confident, Damn, you're amazing, you realize that?  He grinned, leaning to place the side of his face up against hers as she'd done moments ago.  It seemed appropriately close and allowed him to keep talking, All these things that I think are way beyond me and then you're always able to make it reasonable.  I don't know how you do it.  I just know you really are gonna be the best mom in the whole damn wilds.  You just keep me in line so I don't do anything too dumb, yeah?  She could deal with his stupid problems like they were nothing, so dealing with cute little fluffy things that didn't come with a giant load of baggage should be a breeze.  And at least two of those younger siblings she raised had turned out pretty much okay anyway -- he'd meet Screech soon enough, but two out of three still wasn't bad.
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Ooc — Houkie
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If her heart was a flower, his words were sweet sunshine on its petals. They suffused her with such radiant warmth and joy that she couldn't stop the beaming smile that lit up her face or the brushing of her tail across the damp earth behind her. Her father was the only other wolf who had ever spoken to her like that, recognizing and appreciating the qualities that made her who she was and building her up, making her feel confident and proud of herself. Quixote had no idea just how much that meant to her. She closed her eyes and savored the touch of his face to hers, and a comfortable silence descended between them in which the little healer asked herself for the thousandth time how she had ever gotten so lucky.

"You're really awesome too, you know," she murmured after a time, pressing herself into him a little closer as she spoke in hushed words. "You give me so much courage. I couldn't lead this pack without you...I'm not brave or strong at all. I honestly don't know what I ever did to deserve you." Her estrus had lured him in, sure, but what had kept him around afterward? She was so plain and demure, so quiet and out of the limelight. Compared to some of the bolder, more extroverted females in their pack, how had she captured and kept his interest? The rain picked up in intensity again and it fell in driving sheets around their leafy shelter, its soft susurration filling the misty air as droplets cascaded down through the branches overhead and sprinkled onto the huddled pair. Chilly and wet though it was, no part of Raven was cold at that moment. "Maybe Towhee is wiser than we give her credit for -- she was right when she said we were a perfect team." She looked up at him again, her gaze weighted with something far more meaningful than the simple words she spoke.
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Ooc — Jennifer
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This momentary confident high was one he was keen to surf until it dumped him.  Things were good -- here hew as curled up in a rainstorm under a tree with the mother of his upcoming pups and no epic drama was going down, it was just them.  The world outside the little bubble of the tree didn't matter, cold and wetness were part of life, but Raven doubting things wasn't going to be allowed.  What are you even talking about?  As I've said, you're amazing -- kind and smart and beautiful and... Everything -- you even put up with my nonsense.  I should be the only one wondering why---  He jerked away suddenly, leaning forward as he rubbed at his eye with a paw -- though the occasional drops that hit them mostly went unnoticed, he'd gotten nailed square in the eye by that one.  Something always had to ruin the moment.  Agh, dammit.  Still trying to clear his vision, he tried to reply.  What was he saying?  -- Uh.  Um. Yeah.  Blah blah, I have issues and should be the only one wondering why you stuck with me.  I'd have probably taken the pack down in a giant fireball without you.  Somehow.  A few final blinks and he tried to settle in next to her again as if nothing had happened.  Stupid weather.

It didn't take too long for that irritation to fade, and about when it did, it was about when Raven looked back to speak to him again, though she could have melted it in a moment anyway.  Even before she finished, his throat felt dry as his subconscious picked up everything and ran the hell away with it.  Honestly, Quixote probably only heard about half of what she said.  His voice had lost the majority of the earlier confidence as he asked quietly, Should we revisit 'pending'?
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Ooc — Houkie
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For a male, Quixote was surprisingly perceptive. He picked up on the hidden subtext in her words, the question she'd been too afraid to ask directly. The rain seemed extraordinarily loud just then, but perhaps it just seemed that way because she was nervous and hyper-aware at that moment. Little things seemed to jump out at her all of a sudden: the subtle shards of chartreuse in his electric yellow eyes, the perfect beads of rain that clung like tiny jewels to the velvet of his ears, the way his wet fur stuck out at odd angles around his face and shoulders. He was the most beautiful thing in the world just then, the father of her children and the half that made her whole. He was hers, and she wanted it out in the open and official.

She met his gaze, heart pounding, eyes full of so many unsaid things as a smile painted her face with joy, and simply nodded: yes.
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Ooc — Jennifer
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#13
To a certain point she had Eljay to thank for it.  He'd managed to dredge up a nice reminder to Quixote since he'd pretty much forgotten the whole thing wasn't official.  If he hadn't, it likely would have leaked out at some inopportune time and who knew what would happen with that.  It probably would have been hilarious to read.  OH WELL.

It was a good thing that he had this convenient euphemism so he could ask, because to a certain point Quixote was a coward.  He was terrified of being wrong, of saying too much, of ruining something perfect.  But that had been succinct and vague enough that it was relatively easy to say.  Other things weren't, even if he knew them, believed them, and could act on them.  Raven in all her perfection, even with the weather having done its best to ruin some of her refinement, was still too much of an intimidating audience and he was too much of a failure with words.

Those few seconds after he asked were torture, just waiting for an answer even if he could guess what she'd say.  And then she nodded.  It was a weight lifting.  There weren't questions any more -- others' assumptions didn't matter, nothing had gone terribly wrong, and the days of secrecy were well behind them now.  It was just them, their pack, and soon their kids too.  So much had happened. If he went back a few months and told past-Quixote what his status was now, he was pretty sure he wouldn't believe himself either -- that somehow after the years of stuff going wrong, now things were so... right?  Maybe.  At least it was a word that could fit.

A nod was all he needed, crooning as he leaned perhaps a bit too heavily in her direction in order to cover her in excited kisses.  It sort of meant more now, didn't it?  They were together, for real -- Raven was his.  Couldn't blame a guy for being happy that something that had been a very far away dream had somehow turned into a reality that was perhaps even better than he expected -- after all, look who he was with.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#14
#400 is for you, bae~

An aura of exultant disbelief seemed to descend over Quixote in the moments that followed, and he was not alone. He pressed into her with vigor and smothered her with kisses, and for a time, she returned his affection with gleeful abandon. She threw her head back and laughed into the dark, rainswept canopy overhead, and the sullen thunderheads that glowered down from above didn't dampen her spirits in the slightest. Warmth and sunshine colored her world in that moment, and she had to resist the urge to howl and send her joy out to all the world on sonorous notes of exuberant song.

Her mate. He was her mate.

She sighed deeply, a blissful sense of security and contentment settling within her, bringing with it the feeling that things were finally falling into place exactly where they should and all was right in the world. She leaned her head on his neck, the warm, earthy scent of his sable fur even headier in its rain-dampened state. "My mate. My love," she purred, her soft voice barely above a whisper as she tasted the words. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of saying that."
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#15
Congrats! :D  It's been a busy posting few months.  Have my.. Uh.  255th?

Raven's laugh was music to his ears, he paused, just watching with a smile on his face and his ears tilted forward.  If only he was more of a funny dude maybe he'd get to hear that more often.  Something told him that'd be a bit of a stretch.  He'd rather just somehow save that instant, to file it away when something inevitably went wrong, when times become tough -- to remember why and what could be.  For all the stumbles to get to this point, it seemed they'd finally landed on something good together.

As his mate settled in against him, Quixote closed his eyes, listening to the rain, enjoying the moment.  After she spoke, he mouthed the same words she said, and they felt weird on his tongue, even without a voice behind them.  He tilted his head to look down at her as well as he could.  Hell, Raven was the definition of content, wasn't she?  It tugged at him -- yeah, this loser was gonna have to get over his issues because he was too old to have these hangups and she deserved better.  They were just words that scared the hell out of him for no good reason.  I.. -- I won't mind getting used to saying it.  His turn to sigh, leaning slightly so he could rest his jaw across the top of her head before quietly repeating, My love.  Anything for her.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#16
He rested his chin on her head, and such a feeling of safety and security came over her that she never wanted the moment to end. The only thing better than saying the words "my love" were hearing them from him, and she crooned a little in her chest. They remained that way for some time, a comfortable silence surrounding them as they listened to the rain fall. It seemed to be slacking up some, but the clouds remained dark and desolate as a restless wind tossed the treetops and blew droplets of water fitfully around their shelter.

After a while, a thought occurred to Raven. Her voice was very soft as she spoke, "You know, there is something you could do for me." She paused a moment, then continued, "I need a den...for when the pups arrive. Something dry and cozy where they'll be safe and warm."
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These calm moments were a blessing.  It gave him time to think, and with Raven there, his mind didn't wander as frequently to the negatives as it otherwise would have.  Instead, his thoughts circled around them, the rain being a calm and mild backdrop -- it was like that one song from the Halo 3: ODST soundtrack or something because that whole game is very chill and jazzy.  Finding Raven had turned out to be a sanctuary, like he'd finally crawled out of raging seas without looking back, and now that he'd found her, she was the one thing he'd selflessly protect.  Or at least for now the one thing.

Even though he was quite willing to stay curled up around her pretty much forever, he couldn't help but cant his head slightly as he pondered her request.  I can do that.  But then again, there was kind of a huge amount of land to pick from.  His first thought was somewhere closer to the forested areas, but that was also close to the borders.  Hm.  Well, maybe Raven had an idea?  Got anywhere in mind?  Or do I need to start with looking for places?  One thing was for sure, if Quixote had to pick the place he was gonna make sure that Raven approved before he started digging, because just what he'd need -- to bother doing all that work and have it not be somewhere she liked.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#18
She was quickly learning that Quixote had a tendency to overthink things and stress about them, so she grinned and nuzzled him gently on his chin. "Anywhere you think would be safe for us to be," she answered him. He was the father of her pups, and she trusted his judgement. She'd found a few spots she liked, but most of them were too far from the main part of their packlands to be very practical. She'd always been a very private wolf, so being buried somewhere in the dark, tangly jungle of the thicket really appealed to her. Unfortunately, her station as alpha required that she be where her pack was, and her pack was here, on this obnoxiously exposed plateau.

"Someplace off the beaten path would be ideal," she added a moment later, punctuating her words here and there with playful kisses to the side of his muzzle and face. "But not so far that people can't find us if we're needed." She knew that Quixote would worry and fuss over finding a site that he felt would satisfy her, but she already knew that she would help him find a spot anyway. Now that they were mated, he never had to do anything alone again.
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Quixote, too, would have preferred to have been able to keep themselves hidden away, but leadership had meant they were practically on display -- and the land didn't help either.  Sigh.  Could they just go back to being subordinates so there were no responsibilities except to each other as mates?   If only.  He still wasn't exactly fond of the title of alpha.  At least they were far enough away from all the other packs that they could probably be more lax about some things and get away with it.

He'd find somewhere safe, somewhere she'd like -- certainly his tactical background would at least help with the former -- anything and everything for her.  I'll have to keep an eye out for something, then.  I think I know of a few areas worth exploring.  Maybe they wouldn't entirely disappoint him.  Raven was doing a good job at keeping him from just hyperfocusing on the idea, and though for a moment his face had shifted to be more serious, his expression had softened again.  He returned a line of kisses down her muzzle before straying slightly to start grooming her cheek, moving down to the longer, soft fur of her neck.  He paused there just a moment, letting his nose enjoy the weird but now familiar undertone to Raven's scent that had developed with her pregnancy -- that little hint of the future.

Though I still would've picked a different territory entirely, if it was up to me, he said with a wry smile.  Get him some caves he didn't have to dig, some nice trees... Something that wasn't like here.   Maybe later it would seem appropriate to move again, to somewhere more permanent and properly-scouted.  Somewhere that was actually their choice, if they had to continue to put up with this whole leadership thing.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#20
She savored his kisses, grinning contentedly as he returned her gestures of affection. She couldn't wait to see what he came up with for den sites. The weeks were flying by quickly, and the need for a den in which to give birth was slowly becoming more and more pressing on her thoughts. She had done a little scouting herself, of course, but she didn't think she'd have the energy to dig out an entire den on her own. Thank goodness she had a man slave to boss around!

The subject shifted and somehow he ended up on the topic of their new location, and Raven was quick to agree with him. "Me too," she replied, a sort of :/ expression on her face. "I don't like it at all. It's entirely too exposed. What's it going to be like in winter, when it's freezing and blizzarding and blasting wind, and we're all hanging out on top of a flat, open plateau with no shelter?" Sure, they could all retreat to the woodlands surrounding the plateau, but then what was the point of calling the plateau their home if it wasn't where they sought shelter? Raven didn't like to question Towhee's judgement, but she found she disagreed with her sister on this particular decision. This spot was nice in the warmer months, but she had a feeling winter was going to be awful up here.
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#21
Though calm for the moment, there was plenty of time for Quixote to freak out later over dumb stuff.  Or not-so-dumb.  Since he was the one that was a noob at this whole family thing, there were plenty of upcoming options that'd probably seem ridiculous in retrospective.  He was about to nose her again but she replied a bit more seriously than his little quip had been, and he froze.

As she spoke, there was this pause as a few things clicked into place.  He looked to her, then out to the rainy abyss beyond the reach of the canopy.  Uuuh.  I hadn't even thought about that.  I was just figuring we were gonna fry the next few months -- hadn't thought beyond that.  I'm not sure which'll be more miserable.  Maybe that put a timeline on things.  Would that make the best window to seriously consider it autumn?  Well, summer project for research when they weren't being cooked alive.  Think everyone would get too pissed off if we wanted to move next door or something?  Almost any of the places that qualified as "next door" were ok options.  If a large enough group was annoyed at the idea, maybe it'd make sense to split the pack -- it wasn't like they were lacking members -- but it didn't seem like there were good alternate leaders.  And what would Towhee think if they went against another of her choices?
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Ooc — Houkie
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#22
Fry the next few months or freeze half to death in the winter. Of the two options, the latter sounded far worse. At least in the summertime, they could jump in the lake for some relief from the beating sun and its wretched heat. But in the winter, there was no escaping the killer cold. She figured the snow would likely be deep and nearly impassible atop the plateau itself, and the lake would be a dangerous hazard if it didn't freeze deeply enough. There was no question that another move was probably in their near future, but it would definitely have to wait until sometime in the fall, when the puppies were old enough to move without risking their health or safety.

Not that there was any need to travel as far as they had when they came here. "I don't think they'd complain too much if it meant not freezing their butts off," she replied to his question with a shrug. "There are some nice woodlands nearby that would be much better shelter in winter than here, and we wouldn't have to travel far at all." Golden Glade was a wonderful spot, but its positioning between the face of the plateau and the slopes of the neighboring peak meant high avalanche danger when the snows came. Perhaps over the next few months, they could spend some time exploring some of the neighboring areas to get a better idea of what their options were when the time came to choose.
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#23
It seemed like the skies were clearing.  They'd be free to go wandering about fairly soon, though honestly he'd forgotten what he'd been planning to do once it stopped raining like forever ago, partially because Raven was good at being a distraction.  Not that he minded at allAt least this time there isn't any danger hanging over our heads so we can do some proper research and do it right this time.  Not step on any toes.  They'd have a lot to plan and discuss when the time came.  Moves should be planned and the fact they probably weren't going to be walking too far this time... 

He nuzzled her cheek again, But before then, I think we can take the edge off summer with what's to come, hm?  Maybe it was weird for a guy like him to be looking forward to having kids but hey, it wasn't like Quixote was known for making sense 110% of the time.  The fact that he'd pretty much had his world upended in a relatively positive way probably didn't help either -- he was still finding his footing and now had to put the fact that now Raven really was his mate on the top of the pile.  What a world.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#24
Guess we can wrap this one up, because I'm sure we'll be having some super popcorn-worthy ones here soon LOL

She nodded in agreement with his words, thinking that it would be nice to take their time, really do their homework, and pick out a place that could be a comfortable, safe, permanent home for them where they could be happy in all seasons of the year.

He nuzzled her cheek, and his words warmed her heart. She loved that he was getting excited about the puppies, and she couldn't help thinking of how lucky she and the pups were to have such a dedicated, doting father to look after them all. She grinned and pressed her face under his jawline, so thankful to have him, and replied, "Yes...I can't wait to take this journey with you."
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Ooc — Jennifer
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#25
And it just got more nuts as time went on. XD

For now, they'd manage.  It'd been an easier thing to say and do when they didn't have the power to change anything about it, but as mentioned, right now it just wasn't the right time to change it.  They were going to be busy between the expected and the unexpected, the good and the bad. 

He was sure she'd prove again to be perfect -- the perfect mother.  She was already the perfect mate -- the one he probably needed if he was going to get through the leadership stuff with everyone in one piece.  As she leaned up against him again, he closed his eyes and sighed happily.  I'm sure yet again you'll be amazing through it all -- and I'm the luckiest guy around to be your mate.

When his eyes opened, he again watched the few raindrops out Looks like the weather's clearing.  Up for a walk around the lake?  You can watch me try to catch a bird for you.  It'd be entertaining, surely.  He still was failing far more than he had success.  He'll probably look like a fool, but if it amused Raven, he'd totally give it a go.