Sun Mote Copse Won't you take my cane and hold my hand
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Ooc — Jess
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When she left the plateau, it was with regret and hope mingled together in some strange cocktail that tasted off- but at least it seemed to hit the spot. She knew she would go back- just to visit, of course, as she couldn't very well visit too soon...But she couldn't keep herself away for long, that much she knew. Towhee was still her Person- and something was bothering her that was more profound than Niamh had expected it to be. Had she seen signs of it? Or had she been too invested in her own pity party to notice? Probably the latter...But at least she knew now to look for those signs. She was learning- but it was a steep learning curve, and damn, it hurt. Did it need to hurt so much?

She was relieved when the time it took to get from the plateau to the edge of the forest seemed to fly by though she wasn't moving too quickly. She was tired- she'd travelled to the hills where she'd met Colt, and then had gone directly back to the plateau- and then roved the extra few hours between the two packs. It'd taken some time, but @Colt likely would have been back home for at least half a day by the time Niamh made her way there. Was he even expecting her? Had he actually been serious when he'd said that maybe he'd meet her? Now was the moment he'd invited, but likely hadn't expected. Niamh showed up at the edge of the forest and called out for him. 

She felt vulnerable, having left the pack to go and put herself in a position where Colt could really hurt her. Had she left the Redhawks only to get to the Copse and find him looking at her with laughing eyes and shaking his head- only to shoot her down the way she'd shot him down...Well, she wasn't sure what she'd do next. But it was a risk she'd agreed to take- and now waited to find out exactly what would happen next. Somehow, despite all the doubt and fear, it felt right, like a puzzle piece that had been missing had finally been found. Now all she had to do was put it back in its rightful place.
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Fuck.  She'd done it, and way sooner than he'd imagined.  He had thought maybe she'd at least put it off, take some time to decide if she actually wanted to make the split, but it seemed she'd been completely honest on at least that side of the conversation.  Unless she was coming to say she wasn't coming.  Which was honestly a pretty solid chance too.

In any event, Colt kept up his end too, immediately taking off to intercept.  He loped up silently, glancing around half expecting to see Towhee with her, doubling down on the fact that Niamh was staying put.  But no, she was here alone.

Hey, he said, and that was it.  He tended, waiting for her to explain why she was here - passing through, or were they trying this?
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Seeing Colt made Niamh's heart flutter- but he looked a bit skeptical and tentative, so she held back for a few moments. He greeted her, obviously waiting for more of an explanation, but she wasn't going to let him have it quite so easily. So, she tilted her head back slightly and regarded him with a somewhat coy look that was lightly teasing and skeptical.

"Is...Is this the way you Firebirds are suppoed to greet potential joiners?" She asked, and then lost the act, lowering her muzzle and moving forward to greet him properly, touching her nose gingerly to his cheek, before she stepped back. She didn't want to push things too fast. "Guess I really do have a lot to learn," She said.
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Her words confirmed it, and he smiled.  As conflicted as he might be over this entire mess, he was glad she was here and glad she was staying.  He couldn't imagine that conversation had been easy.

So you are joining.  Well, then, sorry for forgetting the party.  Wasn't expecting you this soon, told them tomorrow. He joked back, returning her nudge with a light one in return.  There was probably going to be a hesistation to them for a while now, he could tell immediately, but he wasn't sure that was a bad thing.

We should probably find Wildfire to make this thing official, he said, and as he moved around to walk next to her he allowed the space between them to close, so that they nearly brushed.  I'm... really glad you came.
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There was a shimmer of Colt’s sense of humour to reflect her own and it made her feel happy, and convinced that she was doing the right thing. She sniffled slightly at his proclamation, but ended up shrugging. ”I’m pretty good at playing dumb and acting surprised.” She said, as though she still expected for there to be a welcoming party.  She felt sure she’d get some judgement from the Firebirds- if Colt had already joined them then without a doubt he must have explained what had happened between them. Bonus points if he used Finley’s words and called her a dumb slut.

She moved in to step alongside him, their closeness tantalizing, so naturally she walked with her typical long-legged swagger so that every step made with her left hind- the one nearest him- the tips of their fur touched. Gentle, but still a reminder that she was there, and of the passion she still had for him. It already took everything she had to hold back from trying to jump his bones.

She was touched by his admission, and reached out to nip gently at the fur of his shoulder. ”Me too. This just feels...” She didn’t finish the thought, but she did smile, for the first time smiling with her eyes and heart since she’d pushed him away.
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Ah, there'd probably be a party he guessed.  He wondered what Wildfire's reaction would be.  'Hey, remember my ex? Well, here she is, wanting to join...'.  He hadn't said much about what happened, at least not against her specifically, but the entire situation was definitely a mess.

Yeah.  He almost finished what she said with a 'right', but he wasn't sure that was the right term for it after all.  Right would have been both of them still settled happily with the Redhawks and havin no problems with the ones there.  Colt didn't imagine the concept of sister packs applied much to him in particular at this point, but this definitely felt better.  More right than before.

He gave a quick call out to @Wildfire, but continued looking, figuring so long as he was here they could do the legwork too.  How'd it go? He asked after, looking sideways at her.
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They'd only parted ways a little while ago, so Colt's howl was unexpected but not unwelcome. She dreaded being alone and would seize any opportunity to avoid it. Wildfire hastened back toward The Nest, yet he wasn't there. She blinked, then realized his call had come from nearer the borders. Wondering if he'd found something (or someone) there, she bustled in that direction.

Indeed, she found him standing with a fetching she-wolf. Wildfire afforded her a quick and admiring glance before redirecting her attention to Colt. "Who's this?" she asked, her tone amiable even if she had trouble bringing herself to smile. She recognized Niamh, though she honestly couldn't place her name. She canted her head, wondering if she might be someone to Colt, specifically.
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She was glad that Colt agreed, his tone warm, even though he didn’t say the word that Niamh had in her mind. He called out for Wildfire and posed a question for her that made her wince a bit. ”Not well,” She began, reflecting back to the way Towhee had nearly gone hysterical. ”But...It was no less than I deserved. Towhee got wicked angry and kicked me out...Sound familiar?” She asked, irony singing in her voice. ”I think maybe both she and I had too much riding on us being each other’s Person forever...I don’t think I could ever have a healthy relationship if that was the case. I need that person to be my person...So...I think she’ll cool down, and I’ll forgive her when she does but things’ll be different.” Niamh said. ”I apologized to Quixote too...Man, I hated him for a while there...But he’s actually a pretty smoothe dude.” She admitted, but wouldn’t say too much more on that topic because it hasn’t transpired yet haaaaaaa

And summoned by Colt’s call, Wildfire came. This wasn’t Niamh’s turf and though she had been the one to welcome Wildfire to the Redhawks, she didn’t seem to recognize Niamh. But it was coming- and whatever Colt had told Wifi about Niamh would likely show up on her face, but Niamh averted her gaze respectfully, standing modestly by her ex-mate and allowing him to do the explaining.
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Well shit.  He couldn't say he was surprised, but with every word she said, he felt surer in his own decision setting the terms.  He'd figured he was right, but he hadn't begun to imagine she'd validate it all out loud, right there in front of him.  

He didnt care that she had Towhee as a friend, one bit.  He didn't necessarily have to like her friends, even.  But he was jealous, and selfish, enough to want to come first, because he'd spent a lot of time treating interludes as temporary second-rate flings and if that was what they had then he wanted to own it.  He wasn't good with being more invested than she was.

Rings a bell, he said, and he couldn't resist a small smile at it.  It sucked that she was on the receiving end, but he felt like they were getting to a place where they could at least treat what had happened between them with a little light humor.

He wanted to say something in response to her slew of revelations, but at that exact moment, Wildfire showed up.  He smiled a greeting that wasn't really returned, but he knew enough about the situation to not take it personally.  Hey, Wildfire.  This is Niamh, my... ex. Best to keep it straight.  She's looking to stay, and see if we can sort things out.  She'd make a more than valuable addition here. Now that was no lie.  He had few doubts that in no time she'd have situated herself among the tops here too, and if anything happened, he'd again be the one packing.  Like usual, he really didn't mind the sentiment one bit.
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Right, Niamh, Wildfire said, looking to the blonde she-wolf again. She was rather beautiful; how hadn't Wildfire noticed before? Her attention shifted back to Colt as he made a somewhat halting introduction. The Sovereign's brow furrowed a little, though her expression cleared when he explained that they hoped to work things out. Looking at Niamh again, she could see why he would hold out a torch for her and want to try again.

"I think we've actually met, though we've never really had a chance to speak to one another directly," Wildfire said to Niamh. "I'm sure we'll get to know one another if you come here to live. I trust Colt's word, though could you tell me, in your own words, what you can contribute to the Firebirds?"
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Niamh expected a more accusational look when Colt explained who she was to him. Niamh had met Wildfire before- but she didn’t know the woman personally. She’d spent more time with Bat and Kiwi in the time they’d been in the pack, and was actually somewhat relieved that she would no longer have to travel to teach Kiwi self defense, if she was still interested in learning. 

She hated being called Colt’s Ex- but those were the facts. She gave Wildfire a hopeful look- maybe she’d remember that Niamh had been in on the Drageda mission, and that she’d been the guardian to welcome Wildfire to the Redhawks- and her hopes were met. 

She nodded along with Wildfire’s words- they had met, but only in business-like situations. When asked what she could accomplish for the pack, she had an answer fairly ready. ”I’m a good guardian; I earned the title of hunter and warrior on the plateau...But I...I’m not necessarily looking to flex the latter too much. I think I’m ready for a more peaceful life.” She said, turning her warm gaze to Colt. She wouldn’t prioritize her trades over him this time; she wanted all of the quality time she could get. ”I’d done a bit of self-defense work with Kiwi; and I’d be interested to keep training those skills.” After all, it was defense- not offense. And empowerment was a good thing when handled wisely.
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Oh yeah, her resume was wayyy better than his.  She was even able to toss in the casual fact that she'd been helping train her daughter, one of the "honored"(? He was still getting the hang of ranks) here.  

Ready for a more peaceful life.  Damn was Colt happy to hear that, though again he didn't put much thought behind how old Niamh really was.  He was definitely ready, but he'd had years of crazy to get him there.  He sidled sideways and gave a subtle touch with his hip, though, not wanting to derail things too much for Wildfire but wanting to show appreciation on the sentiment.  Calmer.  Didn't mean it had to be boring.
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She was already impressed by Niamh's resume, then she mentioned Kiwi. The mother's brows raised. She still couldn't coax her facial muscles into a smile, though she waved her tail approvingly. Oh, you're definitely in, she thought.

What she said out loud came out a tad more professional: "Well, you sound like a wonderful fit. Welcome to Firebirds, Niamh." The Sovereign paused, glancing between the pair, then added, "I'll let Colt give you the grand tour and whatnot. I'm sure we'll meet up again soon, Niamh. See you two."

She gave them their privacy, as much as she didn't want to be alone. She drifted toward The Nest again, then decided to actively search for someone else to keep her company.
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Niamh practically melted when Colt leaned to touch his hip to hers and had they not just established their relationship to Wildfire, she might’ve acted out more. All she could do, and still present herself as a civil creature, was give him a brief but loving look and lean slightly back toward him. Her heart thumped against her chest; this was all working. She was finally getting it right. 

She got an approving look from Wildfire, even though it wasn’t hard to notice that there was something a bit tired about her features. Perhaps tired wasn’t the right word- but there was definitely a sort of fatigue there that hadn’t been present when she’d come to the Redhawks. Still, the news came as a welcome surprise to Niamh who had not expected things to get this good this fast. 

”Thank you, Wildfire,” She said, expressing her gratitude with a low dip of her head and the gentle sweeping motion of her tail from side to side. They were left, then, and Niamh waited a few moments before she skittered sideways, no longer able to contain her excitement. She bounded back toward Colt and playfully nipped at his hip and bounded away before dropping into a playbow. ”This is it,” She breathed, stretching herself out before she pranced back to his side. ”Lead on, tour guide,” She said warmly. ”I wanna see our new home.”
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Wrapping here and we can have another soon? :D

Wildfire was quick to leave them to it, and Colt appreciated it.  Of course she'd made it in - Colt had barely worried.  It was that she had come at all, that had been the part he'd dwelt on.  And now, they just had to see if they could make this work.  So far, it felt like they were off to a pretty damn good start.  Almost too good.

He couldn't stay cynical when she looked at him like that, or playfully bounded to his side.  He jumped himself, grinning and nipping out at her shoulder before falling into step alongside.  As you wish, milady, He responded with a cheeky lilt, then laughed, ready to show her the forest that hopefully would be a good home to them both.  No matter where this road took them.
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Ooc — Jess
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#16
ALL THE THREADS. ALL OF THEM. <3

She was encouraged to see that Colt joined in with her excitement, and she growled playfully when he nipped at her shoulder. She moved to his side as she had before, her tail swaying and occasionally brushing against his hind leg as it did so- but she couldn't have stopped it even if she'd wanted to. She had a new home, and Colt had begun to look at her the way he had when they'd first been getting to know each other. With Wildfire allowing her to join the pack and giving her the chance to start over again, she now had high hopes of turning her life around.