Sun Mote Copse and the irish guy wins the joke.
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#1
All Welcome 
Her time had come and gone without incident, except for the fact that it had been so inconvenient for her. She'd anticipated getting to spend a few days hanging out with her parents and her kids and her siblings, bonding and laughing and enjoying herself. At the end of their visit, she'd only been able to do the latter, and that had been in the sole company of Rannoch. It wasn't all a loss, though. As she said good bye to her family at the Plateau and left all of them behind to enjoy their own last hours together, she felt rather content in the utter confidence that she and her mate had been successful in their endeavors. There was no telling for sure at this point, she she was confident that she was indeed pregnant once again.

Her heat had delayed their trip, but Liffey had insisted on staying until she could make one last visit. She hadn't anticipated that @Eljay would not be with their mother - it was so very not Eljay to be anywhere else - but she was actually kind of pleased to hear that he had actually been the first to defect to the Copse. Fin and Elwood had told her they would soon being going too, but still. It was quite something that her older brother had gone ahead of them. She was thinking of this as she stepped up to the borders and she found his scent amongst many that were unrecognizable to her. It made her smile, but also it made her heart twinge almost painfully with eager longing. She had always loved her big brother, and it had been far, far too long since she'd seen his sweet face.

Tilting her head back, Liffey called for him. Her family would be leaving soon, but all she wanted in the last few hours she had in the Hinterlands was to hang out with one of the only brothers she had ever known.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#2
Eljay had been a little disappointed when he found out when mommy and daddy returned that they had gone out to visit Liffey's pups. He had wanted to see them too, but he still had his duties as puppysitter anyway at the time, he told himself, so it wasn't the worst thing. He'd see them at some point, maybe.

Yet his mind had been very clouded lately with the thought of his own pups, that may or may not be baking in the oven right at that moment; he'd forgotten a little bit about his younger siblings living with the Redhawks and everywhere, even though he still sort of missed mommy and daddy. But he hadn't wanted to leave Wiffle alone during the heat. Eljay didn't know overly much about heats, only that they usually lasted longer. He'd remembered mommy smelling confusing, but he had never felt the urge to uh, do the things he had done with Wiffle with mommy. But then again, he hadn't really felt the super big urge to do them with Wiffle either; the only reason he wanted to was because she thought it felt good and because she wanted puppies with him to boot.

Luckily for Liffey Wiffle's heat had ended as quickly as it had started, and that meant that he was free to go where he pleased again and no longer had to be around Wiffle almost all the time. Eljay was surprised by Liffey's call, feeling a little forgotten by his younger siblings often (but then again, maybe they felt the same), so he was pleasantly surprised. Eljay eagerly made her way to the borders, although he wasn't really sure how he would tell Liffey about what had happened, and if he should tell her, anyway.

As Liffey came into view at the copse's borders Eljay didn't realise that his scent was still thoroughly intertwined with Wildfire's, considering the days they had spent together just now. Hey Liff! he called out with a soft smile, his tail wagging as he approached her, ready for a hug (or a nuzzle of her cheek if it looked like she might not appreciate an actual hug).
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Liffey had believed her level of missing-Eljay to be just above average. She definitely missed him and was excited to see him, but she wasn't like... weepy or overwhelmed over the prospect. That is, until she spotted him and the dam broke and it all came flooding into her.

"Jay!!" Liffey squealed as she darted forward to smash herself into his embrace. Her entire body wriggled from the force of her wagging tail in a way that it hadn't since she was just a young pup, bounding around the Caldera with Lagan and Gannet and vying for her big brother's attention.

"Mom and Dad said I'd find you here," she said, stepping back finally from the wolf hug and settling her excitement a little as she did, "This is Wildfire's pack, right?" Wildfire had always been her favorite heroine in her childhood daydreams. The stories she'd been told of her by Finley had made her seem like this spunky, cool adventurer - just the kind of wolf Liffey had always wanted to be. Liffey might be much older now, but she still considered her cousin Wiffle to be the coolest of the cool.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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It was heart warming for Eljay to see that his sister was just as excited to see him as he was to see her. He excitedly greeted her, tail wagging behind him. When Liffey collided into him he let out a little oof but soon thereafter he was also busy wagging his tail and covering Liffey in nuzzles and licks. It'd been altogether too long since he had seen Liffey. As a matter of fact, he hadn't seen her since she had just up and left, pretty much. He'd never really understood why she had not just said something to them, but it was so long ago now that it didn't matter much anymore. What mattered was that she was happy and safe and that she was here right now, yay!

After the greeting it was time for talks. Eljay smiled as Liffey said that mommy and daddy had said that he was here. When she asked about Wildfire, he nodded, feeling his cheeks flush again as he thought of Wiffle. Yeah, it is. It's a pretty nice place. Run by a pretty nice wolf. Eljay contemplated telling Liffey about what had happened since she wouldn't go running back to mommy and daddy to tell on him, surely, but then he decided he wanted to hear about her, first. I heard that you had pups of your own last year! he said, a very weird thought to him, and one of the things that'd unlocked his own desire for pups and his own realisation that he was at or maybe even past father age. I wanna hear all about them. With uhm... Rannoch, right..? He didn't know Rannoch, but he'd heard a thing or two about him from daddy.
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Liffey looked around at the woods as Eljay answered her question, noting that he appeared to be correct about his opinion of the area. She gave an approving nod, holding back the urge to start peppering him with questions about the place. The motes floating about reminded her of stars, which appealed to her a great deal. But the trees blocked the view of the actual stars, so she knew that this would likely never be the place for her. She had the Hollow and the Falls.

"Yeah! I have four - three girls and a boy, Breccan," Liffey answered, smiling proudly, "They're about six months old now. And actually, I just had my season so I think Rannoch and I might now be expecting another batch in a couple of months." She grinned excitedly. Though she'd been horrified about going into heat while visiting Elwood and Finley, she somehow didn't mind talking about it with Eljay. It was like talking about your period with your gynecologist - it's just supposed to happen, so it felt perfectly comfortable. Maybe it was because of Eljay's profession as a midwife, but probably more than anything, it was just because it was Eljay.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Eljay nodded as Liffey told him about her four pups. Then came out the pleasant news: They were expecting more. Eljay smiled cheerfully at the news and happily said: Congratulations! That's great news. More Blackthorns were always more better, after all. Eljay hesitated a moment before he said contemplatively: Do uh, do you have someone to help you with the pregnancy and stuff, there? Not that Eljay had ever been able to help her before, but he just wanted to make sure that she was, you know, taken care of and safe. He'd seen how pregnancies could go awry, and he didn't wish that on his baby sister. Or maybe it was just the midwife professional in him that wanted to make sure she had someone equally good available.

He almost told her about how he might be expecting pups this year, but then decided to wait for her answer first and finish this subject. Then he'd tell her. Maybe.
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Liffey beamed as Eljay congratulating her. At the start of her first pregnancy, she'd been so reluctant to tell anyone about it until she'd been absolutely certain it was true. Her confidence level this time around was certainly much higher than before considering she'd probably only been pregnant for two days at that point, and already she was sharing the news. I'd like to say a woman just knows sometimes, but really, Liffey was just being cocky and enthusiastic. Luckily I control whether or not she miscarries, otherwise she'd be in for some real devastation.

"I think we have a medic at the Hollow if anything goes wrong," Liffey answered, having to pause to wrack her brain, "I um... I'm not entirely sure, actually. But I didn't need anyone last time even though I didn't know what to expect. I'll be okay again." She smiled, though considered that she probably ought to have just lied and told him they did have a medic. She knew her brother was going to worry now. And they probably did have one... Someone had looked after Rannoch after he'd been injured, hadn't they?
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Of course, Eljay was immediately flabbergasted by his sister's comment. You think? he brought out incredulously, a little out of character from his usual soft hearted demeanor. I mean, sorry, just... You should make sure there is one. And if not, I.. you could always come and fetch -- but he realised just in time that he couldn't be fetched, because it was only a few days ago that Wiffle's heat had ended too. If both were pregnant then he couldn't possibly. Next to the fact that the outside world was pretty scary.

Just... Try and look for one, okay..? he asked with a worried frown.
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Yep. She should've lied.

Liffey was patient as her brother Eljayed out on her about not having a healer, smiling softly at him as he fussed. When he asked her to at least try to find a healer for herself, she nodded in agreement. "I will, I promise," she reassured him with a smile.

She paused then as she tried once more to remember whether or not the Hollow had one already. "I do think we have one, though. Rannoch got injured a while back and I know someone tended to his wounds. I was..." Liffey hesitated, dropping her head a little as shame crept in, "I was so upset about it, and worried over him... I sort of... withdrew from everything to be by his side and take care of him. I don't feel like I even know anyone there anymore, save for him and our kids and a couple of others." She didn't even know where Wraen had gone, and she had begun to think of the woman as her best friend. She'd been so lost in her world.

Liffey shook her head, brushing the thoughts away and offering Eljay another smile. "Tell me more about you," she requested, "How have things been? How are things here?"
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Eljay was a little mystified how Liffey could not know for sure that she had a healer in the pack. She 'thought' they had one? It was clear that Eljay was pretty confused about these facts. Liffey soon explained and Eljay frowned in worry a bit. But everything is better, now..? He guessed so considering she and Rannoch were here now, but still.

She then asked about his life and he frowned while he tried to find the words. 'Complicated' was that only way he could think to describe it. It's, uh.. I like this place better than the Plateau, and I gotta admit I'm still, uh, still pretty terrible at ptero so that's... Eljay didn't want to say he was happy to not be in the pack Towhee lead, but he was happy not to be in the pack Towhee lead. Other than that, though.. Something... Kind of happened with Wiffle, and I... Well, I'm not really sure, but I think I kinda like her. I just don't know if she likes me... He contemplated asking how Liffey had known about Rannoch but decided against it, as it was pretty personal.
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Liffey nodded to reassure her brother that things were fine now. Rannoch had recovered well and they had even begun discussing him reclaiming his rank. She supported this fully, though it gave her an odd feeling that she couldn't completely place. Things had been so busy with the visit and her body's sudden demand to be impregnated, she hadn't had too much time to inspect these feelings any further. She'd get there, though, and then it would be a mess.

But anyway, Liffey listened as Eljay talked about his move to the Copse and about his life. She didn't immediately recall what ptero was, but it clicked after a beat. She hadn't gotten to meet Towhee during her visit, but her parents had told her all about her cousins when they'd come to Sunspire. When the conversation turned to Wildfire, Liffey's ears perked in surprise. Something happened with her? Eljay liked her?

Liffey, fortunately for us all, was not all that much like her mother. She had inherited more of Elwood's calm, quiet reasoning and tactful nature. So, she didn't explode with glee like Fin would have, but paused to examine the situation thoughtfully as it seemed to her that this was weighing rather heavily on Eljay. "What is it that happened?" Liffey asked, thinking this might give her a lead on how Wildfire felt towards Eljay.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Liffey didn't really react to the news, which Eljay was grateful for. Instead she just calmly asked what had happened. Eljay fidgeted a bit while he tried to figure out how to even tell Liffey. What was the word for this, anyway? He wasn't very good at talking about it.

After a bit of squirming and trying to find words and then not saying anything after all Eljay finally said: She, uh... There was... Well, she wanted me to, uhm... Well, this was going smoothly so far. Wiffle had her season and she kinda wanted -- she asked me to -- if -- wanted pups with me. Eljay awkwardly shifted around the subject while he tried to explain what happened. This wasn't really what he felt like he should say because the point was whether Wiffle liked him or just wanted pups, not the fact that they'd kerflompled. But she never said she... We never talked about, um, us. Just pups, and it. Sort of. Mostly Wiffle wanting more and Eljay complying but now that Wiffle's season had just ended there were a lot of questions and confusion left in Eljay's mind. He'd liked Wiffle before all this but now that they might have pups together his mind was doing overtime. How could he figure it out? And what if she didn't like him back? What would their pups even think? How would they grow up normal with parents who didn't even love each other?
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Eljay began to explain slowly, hesitantly. Liffey listened patiently, her curiosity climbing higher and higher as he stumbled across his words to finally tell her (or at least allude to) the thing that had happened between them. Her eyebrows climbed to the top of her forehead in delighted surprise at the news and she had to fight to hold her tongue in order to allow him to finish.

"Oh my gosh, Jay," she said, a little breathless with emotion, "You're going to be a dad? That's so amazing, congratulations!" She leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek, her tail wagging excitedly. She was going to be an Aunt! She wondered briefly how long ago this had occurred. How wonderful would it be for their kids to be born around the same time? Not that they'd get to play together as pups, but eventually, they could visit each other and...

Liffey slowed herself back down and refocused. "Well, I don't really know Wildfire all that well, but mating and having a family together is one of the most intimate things you can do with someone," she offered, "So if she chose you to do these things with, I would take that as a pretty good sign. Does she want to raise them together? With you, I mean?" She considered Wildfire's past with the woman who had formerly been her mate. They had obviously found a donor to assist with building their family, which might suggest that she had only been looking for the same thing with Eljay. Except for the fact that it was Eljay, and who in the world could possibly use someone like her sweet, loving, devoting brother in that way?
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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It felt as if Liffey was screaming all over the copse when she was excited about his upcoming potential fatherhood. Eljay glanced around just to make sure no one was listening in, and then he nodded. Well, maybe -- I mean -- We don't know yet if it's... If it took, I guess. Eljay did not know a whole lot about how it worked, making a litter, but he was pretty sure it wasn't a hundred percent chance. And even then they'd need to get through the whole pregnancy and all that, so there were no guarantees just yet. He could only hope, and keep a close eye on Wiffle in the meanwhile.

But back to the advice. Eljay listened eagerly as Liffey talked, spooning up all of the potential advice in there. She gave some hopeful notions but also asked some questions. Yes, he answered with a nod. Or, well, she said that she wanted me to be a father. But I did sort of tell her that I'd want to be a father some day, so I don't know if she just... really likes me as a friend, or..? Eljay was a bit clueless what even made the difference between friendship and mates sometimes. He really liked to be with Wiffle a lot though and the thought of someone else fathering pups with her made him feel upset. Maybe that was why he wanted some sort of confirmation that she wanted him exclusively. Eljay was still pretty unsure about this feeling, but judging by the descriptions mommy and daddy had given, it certainly seemed like love.
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Eljay wasn't nearly as confident as Liffey that he'd been successful in his attempts to impregnate Wildfire. Liffey couldn't even say what made her so certain, except for the fact that she so badly wanted it to be true. Her brother was the most caring wolf in the world - if anyone deserved to be a father, it was him.

She gave herself a moment to consider the next bit of information before answering. All signs still seemed to point towards the existence of some deeper feelings in Wildfire's heart. But Liffey could understand where Eljay's uncertainty was coming from - they didn't seem to have established any real terms of the arrangement prior to engaging. She could understand that too, knowing just how intoxicating a woman's season could be for both males and females.

"It still seems to me like she probably feels something deeper than friendship for you," Liffey answered finally, "The fact of the matter is that she chose you to be the father of her children, and that means something. I know you're not comfortable with... uncomfortable conversations... But I think the only way you'll ever know what exactly it means to her is by talking to her about it." It was likely stating the obvious, but it was all she could really offer to him. But sometimes, it was good to have someone else tell you what you already knew. It took away a small bit of the uncertainty around doing it that kept you from moving forward towards the inevitable.
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Eljay listened to Liffey's further advice with bated breath. She had experience with these kind of things so Eljay was glad that she would give him a piece of her time to sit and talk about it. He felt a little guilty that they were talking about him a lot while he also wanted to talk about her family, but he also really desperately needed the advice because Eljay was in over his head completely on this thing.

Liffey ended up suggesting to talk about it. How? Eljay went on to ask. Do I... Should I just tell her that I love her..? Or..? Maybe his sister had some additional advice on how to start up a conversation like that, because Eljay imagined it would only be very uncomfortable and awkward if he'd declare his love. And what if she didn't feel the same way and he went out on a limb on this? Liffey seemed to think she probably felt the same, or at the very least cared very deeply for him in, well, some way. But Eljay wasn't entirely convinced, because the fact of the matter was that Wiffle was sweet to literally everyone always. Maybe not in the 'be the father of my children' kind of manner, usually, but, uh, still.
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He loved her!! Liffey smiled softly at this, though her heart was fit to burst and compelling her to give him a giant, embarassing hug again. It just made her so happy, even though the question still remained about Wildfire's feelings towards him. She remembered that day when she and Lagan had just been kids when they'd found Eljay looking so sad and so lonely, off by himself in the Caldera. They had brought him rocks, or bugs... Or something. She didn't totally remember that part, but she did remember the look of heartache on his face and awful it had made her feel. Now here he was, a soon to be father with someone to love and hopefully share his life with. She could cry.

She didn't, though. Liffey, for her part, remained calm and steady as she considered how to respond to this new question. "When Rannoch and I first got together, we took things slow. We spent afternoons together exploring the new territory we had just settled in and spent a few nights together stargazing - just little activities so we could be together and learn about each other and learn about how we felt about each other," Liffey explained, "After a while, our feelings grew until eventually we confessed our love for each other and became mates. Even though I'm pretty sure I knew I was in love with Rannoch from the moment I met him, we still took our time and let things grow naturally."

"Maybe that might be a better approach for you with Wildfire. Maybe you could tell her you feel like there's something between you that's more than friendship, and that you want to spend more time together and explore it, and ask if she feels the same and would be open to that?" Liffey paused then, remembering the whole... "I mean, it's a little backwards considering you're already trying to have kids together... But that doesn't mean it can't still work. There are no real rules when it comes to love." She smiled, thinking of Rannoch and their life together. It really was a wonderful thing, and she wanted very much for Eljay to experience his own version of it. Hopefully her advice would help him get there.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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Eljay listened silently while Liffey explained how she and Rannoch had gotten together. They'd just spend a lot of time together apparently, until they realised that they really liked each other. It seemed like something out of a fairytale to Eljay, who'd never gotten to really experience love in this way. He loved mommy and daddy and all his siblings, but his love for them was very different than this. More steady, while this made him feel confused and tumbled around constantly. He wasn't entirely sure if he liked it yet... but ignoring it seemed the worse option.

The thought of having to tell Wiffle that he liked her and wanted to explore that was frightening on its own, even without telling her that he loved her and all that. What if she laughed at him, or told him no right off the bat? Or looked at him ruefully and said he'd gotten the wrong impression? I mean, sure, she let him do.. it.. but hormones were involved and what if she only did it because she really wanted pups, and it didn't matter with who? There were a lot of things to contemplate.

Thanks, Liff, he said with a soft smile and a wave of his tail. Eljay wasn't sure yet if he would follow all of the advice, but he was glad that it was offered. All he knew that he needed to fix knowing what they were and weren't somewhere between now and when the pups were old enough to ask questions about the relations of their parents. I guess I have a lot to sort out, huh? It's... I hope that we can see soon, I mean, that there'll be pups. If there'll be. The wait was terrible and Eljay wasn't sure whether to interpret all the signals he saw as signals or just being overly concerned and eager to see it so. How did you know..? Because she seemed so sure now, and he wondered if it was the same last year. Maybe it would help him and Wiffle too, and if not, then maybe he could get some tips out of it for his midwife profession.
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Liffey couldn't tell if what she'd said had helped her brother or made him more anxious than ever, but he thanked her with a smile that seemed genuine. That was good enough for her. Whether he followed her advice or not, she wanted to do what she could to help him with his situation. She also really wanted to be able to call Wildfire her sister-in-law and to be an Aunt to hers and Eljay's babies. Anything she could do to help that happen, she was on it.

"Well, the first time I really knew was when I started throwing up all the time," Liffey said, wincing a little at the less than pleasant truth, "But prior to that, it was really just a feeling I had. I can't really explain it, I just... knew it, in my heart. I felt pregnant." She smiled again, thinking about how that was a feeling she had now. "But short of that, you have to look for the physical signs. The nausea, the appetite, the mood swings. I actually get really emotional when I'm pregnant over completely random stuff. I cry over just about everything when I'm pregnant."

Ah, was it ever magical.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
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#20
Eljay nodded, looking like he was trying hard to remember all of the advice Liffey was giving. He bobbed his head in a nod a couple of times. When she finished he contemplated if Wiffle was pregnant. She already was quite emotionally heavy (a thing he hadn't really realised until something mommy had said) so he didn't think that her crying had to do with being pregnant. Or at the very least it was hard to tell the difference. And her daughter had died, so that was a pretty good reason to be emotional.

Anyway, Eljay smiled and said, Thanks, Liff. I'll keep an eye on those things.
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"Of course," Liffey said, smiling broadly at her big brother, "Anything for you." She adored her brother greatly. She had always adored him. She had adored her twin as well, but Lagan was gone now - off hopefully starting a family with the boy who had stolen his heart. Melancholy gripped her for a moment as she wondered about him. Would she ever get to see him again? It was so strange - their lives had been so deeply connected once and now they were completely separate from each other. It broke her heart a little to think.

"So, tell me more about you," she prompted, "I want to hear everything. Have you gotten to be part of any births since mine?" But, she did have one brother left (at least, one she was close with), and he was standing right in front of her. She wouldn't squander this time with him being sad to not also have the other.

Seems like a good place to fade! ILU BIG BROTHER/SON/FATHER
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~