Lost Creek Hollow You're a threat

@Rannoch!

She wound her way yet again to the cache closest to her den.  It wasn't like there was much else exciting she could do at the moment.  Her days were getting more and more boring, and there wasn't much she could do about it other than attempt to turn off her brain and do whatever mundane things came to mind just so she didn't go completely crazy.

Being away from her duties soured her mood. Okay, some people probably wouldn't really notice, it wasn't like she was full of sunshine and smiles on a good day.  But hey, she knew, Terance knew.  And now as she stood at the cache, hungry as always, she wasn't even sure if anything here really suited her tastes.  Let's be real, she'd already picked out all the good stuff.

Lost Creek Hollow was flourishing; healthy puppies had been birthed, their numbers were solid, and the caches were filled. Despite the number of puppies that had been birthed, there was still a litter that was due at any day now—Treason and Terance's. Rannoch had eventually found out about the news, and (naturally) he was thrilled for them. Terance and Treason genuinely seemed happy in each other's company, and he already knew that they worked well as a team—parenthood wouldn't be an issue for them, he was sure. 

"Treason," Rannoch called as he approached from behind, his words muffled by the ferret that he carried. He had decided to pay her a visit once Liffey and their children were taken care of, and he didn't want to show up without something for Treason.

Her slow self-imposed seclusion had made it so she'd run into Rannoch much at all recently.  Then again, even back on Sunspire there were the odd stretches of time where just schedules wouldn't align and they'd just be scents in passing.  She was never exactly the most social creature, and there hadn't been any large dramatic events or anything that required her calling on anyone besides Terance -- aside from the odd time she managed to corner @Joss to judge his hunting abilities (okay, it was more like she headed to the cache frequently enough that they had to cross paths sometimes).

Not to mention the fact she currently saw herself as resembling a bloated corpse instead of her properly threatening self, so it just didn't make things seem great.  Blah.  She was tired of it, and in a permanent low-grade state of misery, most of it from just Treason being Treason rather than anything especially awful.  She started to turn away and head to a different cache when Rannoch called to her.  She stopped and turned, eyes quickly locking onto what he was carrying, nostrils flaring as she tried to figure out from here if that would do to satiate her unending appetite.  Anyway.  She dipped her head and approached, Were you planning on storing that?  She would totally relieve him of that effort if that had been the case.  It maybe made her seem a little bit too predatory but eh.  She wanted food, deal with it.

At Treason's question, Rannoch shook his head and smiled with the ferret still hanging between his jaws. "It's for you," he revealed, "You interested?" Treason seemed interested enough but, he figured he'd ask. 

Rannoch's gaze began to wander as he waited for her reply; she had ballooned since he had last seen her. Although it was odd to see her so pregnant, he averted his gaze quickly, knowing that some pregnant wolves tended to be sensitive, and he didn't want to press his luck with Treason.

She nodded. It was a silly question.  Of course she was hungry. Quite  It was fresh, so that was probably the most appetizing thing in a fairly big radius right now.  Okay, she might not quite be at the point where she'd yank it out of his grasp or something, but she drifted a little closer like a circling shark for now.  Since Treason was focused on the dangling ferret instead of Rannoch's face, she missed his quick examination of her.  Probably a good thing -- this wasn't exactly the best time to poke at sore subjects.  She'd rather chew on people things.

A little voice in the back of her mind wondered if there was some other reason for him tracking her down, but it was pretty much drowned out by the presence of edible things.

"It's all yours," Rannoch replied, placing the carcass at his paws before nudging it in her direction. Once the meal was within Treason's reach, he took a step back and allowed for her a moment to enjoy her first bite in peace. 

"It's been a while," Rannoch said once she had swallowed her first mouthful. "Well, not since I last saw you," they often crossed paths at the borders, "But, you know, since I've had the chance to check on you personally." He knew that Treason wasn't the type to share how she really was, but that didn't deter him. 

"I'm excited for you and Terance," Rannoch admitted after a momentary pause; their children were often at the forefront of his mind. "And I wanted to stop by and see if there was anything that you guys needed before they're born."

Thank you, she said, before stepping forward to retrieve it, pulling it back a step with her.  It was a little unfortunate that ferrets weren't secretly like three times as big, but she wasn't going to complain.  Still, she gave it a quick once over as she decided where the best bits would be before digging in -- even if not much would be left by the time she was done with it.

Her tail flicked a couple of times that was probably some sort of appreciation or thanks or something?  It probably would have been more clear if she spoke, but she wasn't going to entirely stop scarfing down her food right now so that would have to wait.  Instead, she continued to let him speak as she had a second bite, swallowed, and licked her lips.  As long as the caches still get filled, I think most is covered?  It was only a question because she didn't think there was much else.  She had a den, and wasn't the type to even think of needing a medic looking her over or anything.  Shrug.  It's just time I'm waiting on.  I don't think there's much else... Or whatever.  She was pretty sure Rannoch, despite his desire to help, couldn't mess with time. But that aside, what else would there be?  Certainly if there was something else, Terance would have brought it up.

"Time is the worst," Rannoch agreed with a chuckle, "Especially when you're expecting children. From what I've experienced, it seems as though time begins to slow the closer that you get to your birthing." Of course, Rannoch had never been in the shoes of a woman—he had never been privy to the physical and mental tolls that one endured in her last weeks of pregnancy. 

Rannoch's attention shifted to Treason and Terance's unborn children, and he wondered, "Will you be naming their godparents before they're born?" Rannoch found Treason's eyes once more, his expression hopeful; he hoped that he and Liffey would be blessed with the title.

Great, she scoffed, but not too seriously.  Bored enough already.  And that was kind of the issue.  Or at least that was often the issue.  Seriously.  She was way too used to patrolling and doing other such active things.  It got old ages ago.

Anyway, Rannoch spoke again and it wasn't what she was expecting.  Godparents?  Headtilt.  So no, it hadn't come to mind.  Mostly because Treason's birth pack was pretty much just her family.  What was the point of having godparents if everyone else was already an aunt or uncle or sibling or something?  And no religion, so nothing in that aspect either.  It just wasn't a thing.

Treason's confusion had caught Rannoch off-guard—he had figured that the notion of a godparent was well-known. "Yeah," he replied, "A godparent is a wolf that you appoint, and they act like another parent to your children—I've always considered Terance a godparent for my children." Rannoch wasn't sure if he was explaining it properly, and he suddenly felt self-conscious. 

"I was just... hoping that I'd have a chance, maybe," he appended, offering a constrained smile.

Treason still seemed a little befuddled by it all.  But at least Rannoch had clarified things a little.  But then it raised more questions, and she wasn't sure if going through them all right now was proper.  He seemed awkward about it, she certainly was... I.. hadn't been planning it obviously?  As a control freak she wasn't too keen on someone coming on in to interfere.  What did having a godparent actually mean?  Would they just show up and expect to do whatever they wanted?  She was probably taking it a little too literally.

Sigh.  I don't know.  I'll think about it.  And talk to Terance.  Treason really needed to know what that would really entail, to make sure it wasn't something she'd be uncomfortable with. It wasn't a rush either, was it?  It wasn't like the kids would know any better (or be really particularly able to do anything with them) for a while anyway.

Note: Last post from me!

Treason did agree outright, but she didn't disagree, either. Rannoch felt let down, but he didn't let it show. "That'd be great," he replied with a smile; he had to remind himself that it could have gone worse. 

It was then that Rannoch realized that it was getting late, and he figured that it was time to return to his family. "Well, don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything moving forward—I need to get back to my kids." He dipped his head, bidding her farewell before he turned away and trotted off in the direction of his den. Rannoch considered the conversation as he trekked through the hollow, and his disappointment festered. This conversation would leave a lasting impression on him, whether he realized it or not.

I will.  Or at least she was planning to.  Things would shift when Terance would step down temporarily to help care for their pups -- then she didn't really need the extra help.  Treason bowed her head as Rannoch headed off, then grabbed what remained of the ferret to carry back to her own den.

By the time she had a moment to sit down and think about it, that was about the time Rannoch and Liffey decided to leave.  Perhaps later she'd reflect and be thankful that she never had the chance to say anything else about it.  That by not answering immediately there was nothing that could be taken away from them -- that they had no hold over her or her pups and there need not be any drama of removing a title or expunging anything from memory.  Maybe it was for the best.