Heron Lake Plateau we haven't talked in quite some time.
a determination so powerful it could turn the sky storm black
683 Posts
Ooc — Athena
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#1
All Welcome 
Phoenix is on the borders of the Plateau and not trespassing.

She had spent enough time away from the plateau.  She was healthy enough that she could have come back weeks ago, but it was cowardice that held her at bay.  She had disobeyed a direct order and gone traipsing out of the territory to — what, hit on some boy who probably didn't give a shit about her?  Even after Bruges had commanded her to come back and tell Niamh about what had likely been his death, she held rooted to the spot in the fear that Tegan was dead, and that had been her fault, too.  It was only once she received word that Tegan had escaped more or less intact that she'd drawn up the courage to come back to the Plateau, shedding her cowardice and excuses as soon as she left Lost Creek Hollow.  

Seeing Colt had filled her with a determination that she lost a long time ago.  She moved with purpose across the wilds and did not stop unless she had to.  Soon enough the Plateau's hazy silhouette was in view.  There was a Ceara that would've cried here, but that girl was dead, shed alongside her guilt.  

Tired, she drew her head back and threw her voice to the wind, calling only for one wolf — @Niamh.  The rest she could deal with later.  Raven, she could deal with later.  This needed taken care of now.
ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
Ghost
So then find Dodge, then get out of it
1,740 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#2
The bit of time that had passed since her return to the pack hadn't soothed Niamh's fears and frustrations much. She'd found Colt again- but had not entirely made up her mind about how she felt about him, and how their reunion had gone. She wasn't even sure that she liked the fact that he'd essentially chosen to trust a Blackfeather wolf to help him find his sister rather than be true to her and follow what Towhee was doing. In the end, each had chosen someone else- Colt had chosen Ceara, and she had chosen Towhee. She felt it meant they were at a bit of an impasse, and had no idea where to go from there. 

So she felt slightly sour when Ceara howled at the borders, clearly calling for her. She could only assume that Ceara had come to drag her over the coals about how she'd treated Colt, and she seriously considered ignoring the Blackthorn altogether...But that'd get her in more trouble, wouldn't it? She frowned and spitefully made her way toward the borders, not exactly hurrying herself as she had to take some time to calm herself down. She didn't know why Ceara was there, she was just leaping to conclusions...And she had herself more or less convinced of that by the time she saw the fiery woman in the distance. 

At the sight of her, Niamh softened. She'd been kidnapped after all, and Niamh still remembered the way her brother had talked about her...She'd even leapt to Ceara's defense, so she did truly hold some affection for the wolf who was otherwise her foil. Her tail waved, but her expression was weary and neutral as she approached.
a determination so powerful it could turn the sky storm black
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Ooc — Athena
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#3
Although Phoenix didn't like how Niamh had treated Colt — that is, if she'd even heard about it, because that thread still isn't finished — she found that she cared very little about it.  She'd grown up a little.  Colt and Niamh were both adults, and sometimes people said hurtful things to one another.  She wasn't going to fault Niamh for being a wolf, even if she didn't like that it had to be her brother who'd gotten the short end of the stick.

Hey, she says, softer than usual.  Are you — are you doing okay?  She's wary, and she feels she has every reason to be.  But months had passed since her last drag-out with Niamh, and the least she can do is be compassionate in the face of everything she's about to dump on her.
ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
Ghost
So then find Dodge, then get out of it
1,740 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#4
The last thing Niamh had expected was for Ceara to greet her with empathy. Her brow raised, and she wondered if Ceara had been told that Niamh had kicked her brother out. She paused for a moment, but had to assume that Colt would have told her. She found Ceara's compassion a bit off-putting, and didn't really want to admit to her own weaknesses, and barely nodded in response. As always, she felt slightly awkward around Ceara, as she never knew when things were going to burst into a volley of hurtful words and spite. She was ready to more or less implode at any moment, though her foundation was rattled by Ceara's kindness, and she felt herself draw away from the big red button that could potentially throw everything off. 

"I can't admit you back into the pack, if that's what you're looking for," She said, her tone a bit more insensitive than she'd intended, so she calmed herself a bit, and shrugged. "I'm not a leader. You'll have to call for Quixote or Towhee." She said. She had no opinion on whether Ceara would be allowed back in- more or less because her opinion likely wouldn't matter, anyway.
a determination so powerful it could turn the sky storm black
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Ooc — Athena
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#5
And then there it was, the cold indifference.  She'd been hopeful that by approaching calmly and with compassion that it would help soften the blow, but already Niamh is launching into how she won't be accepted back in (which is totally what Fire hears it as).

It seems like Niamh realizes it, too.  She amends her statement.  Her brow furrows — Niamh, not a leader anymore?  She never would've stepped down, at least not the Niamh that Phoenix remembers, and she doesn't sound too happy about it.  I'm sorry, she says without thinking, and then she clears her throat as she swipes a paw across the ground.  No, that's not it.  I don't think I'm going to be sticking around.  I appreciate everything that you guys did I just — it didn't matter.

No, I'm here about Bruges.
ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
Ghost
So then find Dodge, then get out of it
1,740 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#6
To Ceara's apology, Niamh shrugged. It's not exactly something that Ceara needed to apologize for- in Niamh's opinion, she'd been demoted because she couldn't respect Quixote, who was an incapable leader. Of course, that was about as far from the truth as it could possibly get- and with each decision and statement he had shown himself to be mature, compassionate and wise- but Niamh wasn't willing to see it that way, unfortunately. It was obvious that Ceara actually cared a bit, so Niamh softened for a moment, and sighed softly, nodding. She opened her mouth to say more, but Ceara continued, so she would have to hold her tongue for the moment. 

She was confused that Ceara hadn't come to rejoin them, and gave her a look that said as much. When the topic shifted to her brother, she bristled. Ceara had come to talk to Niamh about him, and that made Niamh suuuuper uncomfortable. Rife with the flustered feeling of not wanting to delve into her brother's excessively romantic life, she didn't read Ceara's body language well and leapt to a conclusion without gauging what the situation actually was. "Yeh...He's a bit of a sleaze." She said. "He's a good guy...And I love him to bits but...He's...Yeh. I mean, do what you want, but..." She said and shrugged, as though to say at least I warned you.
a determination so powerful it could turn the sky storm black
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Ooc — Athena
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#7
Maybe in a different world they could've been friends, and commiserated about how each of them thought of Quixote as kind of an asshole.  Just like Niamh, he made her feel stupid, he talked down to her, and he treated her like a child.  If there were any humor in this situation, it would be that the irony was lost on both of them.  They had both been kind of immature, hadn't they?

Anyway — I mean, her voice falls flat.  It's not her place to cry here.  She had barely known him, though in some weird way she felt like he'd had a bigger piece of her than anyone else had.  Other than her relatives, as far as she knew, he was the only one that had even come looking for her.  But nothing like that could amount to a brother.  What would she do if it had been Colt?  Niamh, I watched him die.  

It would've been more poetic if he'd lost his life to a Blackfeather, but it had all come down to chance.  To nothing.  I couldn't save him.  He wanted me to tell you — tell you he really did care.  I don't know what that means.  I'm sorry.
ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
Ghost
So then find Dodge, then get out of it
1,740 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#8
Ceara stopped her and she fell silent, ready to shrug off the idea of Ceara and Bruges being together as quickly as she could. What she said next, though, winded Niamh, as though she'd been kicked in the gut. "What do you mean?" She barely voiced, "You watched him die," She clarified, unable to believe what she was hearing. Bruges had come to visit her...And she'd run him off- but he hadn't been in any danger...But then again- if he saw Ceara, it had to mean that he'd gone North, toward Blackfeather. Niamh tensed, hackles lifting as Ceara explained further, that there wasn't anything she could've done. Niamh shook her head furiously. 

"No, no, no," She said, each time adding more tone to her voice until her throat felt thick and sticky. She had a wide-eyed stare on her face, unable to believe what Ceara was saying. "He can't be dead. What the fuck happened? What do you mean?" She said, her voice beginning to show some level of desperation, as she begged an explanation from Ceara. She couldn't believe it- and wouldn't- but she needed to know more.
a determination so powerful it could turn the sky storm black
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Ooc — Athena
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#9
This is what she'd spent all those weeks preparing for.  She'd solidified her feelings into something impenetrable, so that when Niamh crumbled she'd be able to handle it gracefully.  The golden girl was incredulous, and Phoenix took a step back.  He told me he came looking for me, she says as clear as she can manage, but it wasn't Blackfeather, it was a panther.  And then that was that.  That's just how life was, sometimes, and she found she hated it more often than she enjoyed being a part of it.  

And it was weird, because she thought as soon as she made it to the Plateau she'd think about seeing Raven again and it'd all be okay, or she'd end up bitching out and staying here.  But it was this moment that solidified it for her.  There just truly was nothing for her here.  Colt had picked up and moved on.  He'd left Niamh.  He survived.

So she could survive without Raven, or the idea of Raven.  Whichever one she'd fooled herself into being more in love with.

The only thing I could get out of him was to find you.  She could only imagine that Niamh and Bruges had the same kind of thing she had with Colt.  And fuck, she was so sorry.  But there was nothing she could do.  Niamh wouldn't want her in this instance, this girl who she'd fought with all the time.  She'd want a real friend.  A good friend.  Something more than she could be.  To anyone.

I'm sorry.
ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in
Ghost
So then find Dodge, then get out of it
1,740 Posts
Ooc — Jess
Warrior
Master Guardian
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#10
Nothing was making sense to Niamh. Sleep-deprived, she eyed Ceara incredulously when she began to describe what had happened, but in denial, she shook her head. "You don't mean Bruges, then," She said firmly. "You mean Ambrose. He's the one who was attacked by a cougar and disappeared," She said, and for a moment, she actually believed that it was Ambrose...And that someone had finally answered the questions she'd had, about him surviving or not. It would make sense that Ambrose would go looking for her- he was a good man, and he cared...And he also had the freedom to wander that Niamh hadn't had, when Ceara had gone missing. There was no way that she could have lost both brothers to cougars. 

She was also in denial about the fact that if it had been Bruges, then that would be not only two brothers lost to cougars- but the fact that she'd sent him away because she'd called him useless, and she'd been angry with him for trying to make Ceara's absence into something trivial. She apologized, but Niamh shook her head slowly. It was too much to take in, and she began to pace like a caged animal. She'd never wanted to hear that Ambrose had actually died from his injuries..And it was all because she didn't go looking for him.
330 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
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#11
Rude boy (potential) cameo.

Tulimaq had been investigating the nearby forest when the call rose, and he was struck by a slight confusion when he realized the voice was familiar. Not strongly so, but enough to halt him in his efforts and make him look towards the plateau; he lingered in the forest for a few more minutes just in case the call hadn't scared off his potential prey and when it became clear he could do no work among the pines, he set out to find that voice. The nearer he got to the plateau's edge the more curious he felt, for there was a familiar scent winding its way closer - he crossed over the path a few times before he reached a thinning in the trees, and just outside of the grove where he was lurking, he could spot distant shapes glowing like fell fire. He did not call out; instead, Tulimaq stood with the forest flanking him and watched the shapes. They were too far for him to make out any conversation but he thought - if he squinted - one of them looked like the woman from the Hollow. He would not disturb them; this was, most likely, their much anticipated reunion.