Lost Creek Hollow I can see the sun through the open window.
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#1
Maybe for Rannoch; but whoever! And take your time! :) Tags for reference.

There was a hustle-and-bustle attitude to the wolves of the Hollow, a sense of purpose that Ibis never noticed within Elysium. When a wolf wasn't busy patrolling the fringe of the pack, they were hunting, gathering, or gossiping. Ibis was not a huge fan of gossip but she hadn't met many wolves yet, and it was a good way to learn bits and pieces about the people in the Hollow.

She had been basking in the spring sunlight all morning, but when some clouds began to drift across the light - eventually cooling everything to shades of pale blue and silver - she gave up the urge and began to roam. She was nervous about leaving the clover field, but it had to happen sometime. She thought about what her dad had told her about Treason - and about finding her the other day, the size of her - and wondered if she'd appreciate a little gift for when the babies came.

It took Ibis half an hour to find and prune some pretty flowers, and then she set off again to find her step-mother; however, she got turned around a few times. She passed a few wolves she hadn't met, talking about puppies; a few moments later she spied @Gannet's pale silhouette between the trees, maybe on a run or a patrol, and she paused to watch him until his spectral figure was gone. She snapped back to reality and continued to waltz along afterwards - until she smelled the familiar aroma of puppy in the air. But there was no sign of @Treason.

She had inadvertently wandered over to the den shared by @Liffey and @Rannoch; not wanting to disturb them (they were still strangers to her after all, and they had a plethora of kids to look out for) she paused at a good distance and carefully placed the flowers down by her feet. For a few moments she was transfixed by the den mouth, dimly lit from the overcast sky but seemingly alive. She heard squawks and squeaks, and tried to get a better look without getting closer - craning her neck at odd angles.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#2
I am so sorry for the wait!

It was Rannoch's afternoon to watch the children alone, and so far they were behaving themselves—as well as one could behave while napping, that is. Liffey had fed them before she had set off, and their full bellies had put them to sleep. Rannoch kept watch, his smile soft and proud as he watched them dream. 

Ibis had only caught Rannoch's attention as she began to try and get a better look of the den. "Ibis?" he asked, his voice hushed; Rannoch had recognized her almost instantly. It had been some time since he had seen her, and she appeared to be much older than he remembered her. "Is everything okay?" 

As Rannoch spoke, Eshe exhaled sharply and stretched, obviously displeased with the commotion.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#3
She almost didn't hear the hushed sound of a stranger's voice — but it reached her, and Ibis realized it was familliar. This brought a puzzled look to her face; she didn't have the capability of hiding her emotions so they played out clearly whenever they were felt, and right now she was confused - but intrigued. She assumed the word to be an invitation to come closer; if it wasn't she could easily blame her intrusion on wanting to hear better. And so she sidled up to the den mouth with her head low and posture somewhat slack, carrying the flowers.

As she placed them down at her feet she found herself overjoyed to see the burly man; her memory wasn't the best but she knew, somehow, not to be afraid of him. Hi. I wanted to bring a present, she said hastily, then realized she was being a little loud and began to whisper, Sorry... Are they sleeping? Her gaze shifted from the silver hulk to the tiny bodies he had collected against himself, absolutely mystified.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#4
Ibis scooted closer, and Rannoch smiled; he would indulge her inquisitiveness, as he would with any of Lost Creek Hollow's children. "That's very kind of you Ibis—I'm sure they'll love them," Rannoch remarked in a whisper, glancing at the bouquet that laid at her paws. He was appreciative when she lowered her voice. "It's alright, you didn't wake them up," Rannoch reassured. 

"Do you want to come in and meet them?" he asked after a moment's pause, "They're not too much fun at the moment but, they're cute to look at."
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#5
Her tail wiggled behind her as she listened to him, but she didn't entirely hear him, being so fixated on the tiny bundles he protected. When Rannoch gave his permission to come closer, Ibis looked at him with big, bright eyes - but then carefully scooted closer. 

The bodies were so little! And so soft looking! They're so small, she murmured as she watched them. He wasn't wrong when he'd said they weren't much fun — they barely moved, yet when they did Ibis caught every tremble, every breath, every squeak or tiny-baby-yawn. Was I that small...? She thought and, accidentally, murmured aloud; she was always such a tiny girl, even as a babe, but it was a bizarre thought to imagine herself looking like a little potato.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#6
OOC: Sorry for the wait!
 

Rannoch smiled at Ibis' observation, appreciating how enraptured she was with the children. "They are," he agreed. "They grow quickly, though," Rannoch elaborated, glancing at the potato-like beings at his side, "They'll be up and walking before we know it." There was a hint of wistfulness in his voice; children grew too quickly. 

"You were," Rannoch confirmed, not realizing that she hadn't meant to speak her question out loud. "I remember the first time that I saw you—you and your brother had been born days prior. If I'm remember correctly, you were even smaller than Eshe," he said, motioning with his muzzle to the smallest of his litter.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#7
Woooow, she whisper-sang as it dawned upon her how small she must've been. Accompanying that was the new knowledge that Rannoch had been present when she was born, so that came as a new surprise. But she wasn't about to interrogate him about that right now - she was too distrated by the babes.

If she was small, and grew up to be as small as she did, then Eshe -- She'll be bigger than me, Ibis realized, blurting her understanding just a touch too loudly. With a meek glance at Rannoch as an apology, she hushed herself and continued, If I started out smaller -- and I'm so small now -- is everyone gonna be bigger than me? Her little face split with a brief frown. 

Being the smallest (even when she hit adulthood) was something she'd never considered, and decided she didn't like.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#8
"Not necessarily," Rannoch rectified gently, sensing Ibis' trepidation. "Children can surprise us with how much or how little they grow," he recalled his eldest, Remi, and how large she had been at birth. "My daughter, Remi, was my largest baby, and she turned out to be one of the smallest in the litter once they had grown up." At least, she had before she had left. He wasn't sure how much she had grown since he'd last seen her. 

"We'll just have to wait and see how much these kids grow," Rannoch assured her with a smile, "You can get an idea by looking at their parents, but there's no way to tell for sure from just looking at them. Does that make sense?" 

Note: I suck.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#9
No, ilu, shush!


What he said made some sense. She thought of how big and strong her daddy was, and how refined and beautiful her mama was, and applied the logic to herself and Okeanos — although it gave her a moment of pause because Ibis realized she'd stopped thinking about, and pining for, her beloved brother. Guilt aside, the logic held up pretty well. Ibis was smaller than her whole family but took after Seabreeze the most; Okeanos was different, he'd been born big and would probably be a giant like their daddy.

She nods, almost solemn, finding these facts to be curious things. So your daddy was probably big, and -- oop, she meant to reference Liffey but had forgotten her name, what a terrible child! And so they might grow up big too. Or take after their mama, like I did. A small smile parsed her lips; she looked at the kids in a new light, and wondered for the first time what her kids might look like one day. Tiny and delicate things, probably. Beautiful little bundles.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#10
Note: Ilu more. <3
 
"Yes, that's right," Rannoch encouraged as Ibis considered the genealogy of his children. Although her phrasing was less than articulate, she had gotten her point across, and he was proud of her interpretation. "That's right, Ibis—good job with that!" Rannoch rejoined. 

"Size isn't the only thing that puppies get from their parents—they can also inherit fur color, eye color, and even some personality traits from their parents." He then studied her for a moment, contemplating what Ibis had inherited from Terance and Seabreeze. "From what I can see, you look a lot like your mom. You have her eyes, and your coat is like hers, too," Rannoch explained, hoping that his example would help her understand what he was attempting to teach.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#11
Just how much had she inherited? How much of her was really Seabreeze, beyond her looks? It was a new concept but not so different from the physical aspects that were passed down, so she glommed on to it pretty quickly (considering how slow she typically seemed), and soon found herself filled with questions.

Personality traits — so you  mean, I'm not me? I'm my mama? Her brow furrowed. If she was a little bit of Seebee, then she'd be a little bit of her daddy too, which begged the question: Then who is Ibis? Am I different from mom and dad or -- did they just give me pieces of them? It was a little bit esoteric and made her head hurt a little bit, but she was invested now and very, very concerned. But after a moment of further thought she reached another conclusion: I guess... If they are good, then I am good, so that's all that matters.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#12
Rannoch noted where Ibis' understanding had been lead astray; he considered his next words carefully, as not to confuse her further. "You're right in a way," Rannoch explained. "What makes you an original, what makes Ibis, is the combination of traits you've inherited. There is nobody like you because only you have inherited all that you have from your mom and day's families. Does that make sense?" He held his breath then, hoping that it made sense to her.

Rannoch hadn't foreseen such an introspective conversation to occur, but it was a nice change of pace, and he was happy to help her better his knowledge to the best of his ability.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
Ghost
1,058 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
Master Ambassador
Offline
#13
She was happy with the resulting conclusion and smiled, thinking about how it didn't matter all that much if she was mostly one parent or the other; in the end Ibis was Ibis, and she came from two good people. I think so, she confirmed.

Then she returned her attention to the babies: I bet you'll be good too, just like your mum and dad, she murmured softly, you'll grow big and strong, and kind, and one day I can teach you about all the pretty things. One day the Hollow would run rampant with all these kids and it was up to Ibis to protect them all.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
Master Coach
Master Historian
Offline
#14
"Well, let me know if you have any questions," Rannoch replied, despite Ibis' sense of conviction. 

She then bent to the children's level and began speaking; he thought that her evaluation was adorable. "They think what you said was very nice," Rannoch informed Ibis, his voice soft. "They thank you, and I do too. I think that you all will be very good friends once they're older." 

Their conversation did not end there. Rannoch and Ibis spoke until the children began to stir, and once that happened, she excused herself from the den. "Feel free to come and visit," he called after as she left, meaning every word. Rannoch trusted Ibis, and she was more than welcome to see his children. 

He was confident they'd see each other again soon.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show