Sun Mote Copse Try to follow a path to lead me to the light
gubraithian fire
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All Welcome 
Setting for 5/7! :)

Pushing her recent visit to the plateau to the back of her mind, Wildfire focused on the good news: Finley's latest litter had been born! She didn't want to disturb the new (old) parents, so she waited a few days before finally wrangling @Elfie and @Weejay (likely with a little help from daddy @Eljay) and heading to the Blackthorns' den to meet the newest additions.

"Knock, knock!" the Sovereign said loudly as they approached, wanting to make sure the Honorees were prepared to receive a few big and small guests.
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"Who's there?" Elwood replied just as loudly, shifting so that he could peer out of the den at Wildfire and company. Of course, he knew exactly who it was, and was excited to see his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. His tail thumped the ground as he righted himself into a sitting position, ensuring that Wifi, Elfie and Weejay would be able to see the newest members of the family.

"Meet Avery, Suaibhseach, Cathal and Foxegrine," he introduced with a smile, using the babies' formal names (because they may or may not have earned their nicknames yet, Idk). He watched Wildfire's expression closely as he shared the name of the fourth-born child, as his moniker paid homage to her parents.
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I think I'll be skippable as Avery and will probably just reference her from Elwood's account from now on -- but wanted this in her threadlog! :)

With her ears and eyes still sealed shut, Avery couldn't add much by way of interaction at this point. Her sense of smell wasn't even quite good enough yet to notice that there were some other entities in her presence. She just kept doing what she was doing, which at the moment was mouthing @Penn's foot, but this would likely only last a few seconds before she fatigued and fell back asleep.
we are biding our time, for these myths to unwind
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Weejay was beyond excited to be escorted outside of their den. Any time her parents allowed her out of her small world, Weejay took the adventure with great seriousness.. it as much composure as a child her age was capable of managing. Like any expedition involving a toddler, there were lots of excited coos, mumbled babblings, and strings of half-words muttered at every new and interesting thing she saw.  She tried to stay on her best behavior, even when things like new scents and sights tempted her to dart off to inspect them. 

She kept behind her mother’s swinging hocks, occasionally stopping to sniff the air with her ears flopping forward in the abrupt motion. Every now and then she’d be forced to trot quickly to keep pace, but if there was one thing Weejay never did, it was stray too far behind. 

The small assembly came to a small thicket and Weejay slowed, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Was this a trick, where her mom took her to another boring den to stay in? This was supposed to be an adventure, not a trick! She glanced to her mother, disapproval writ across her features by her tiny frown — yet that briefly darkened scowl lifted as a male rose from outside Weejay’s peripherals. He looked very similar to Daddy; Weejay did a double-take, her tail wriggling as she tried to make sense of this new information. She loved Daddy, so she would probably love Not-Daddy too, right? Looking to her mother, she could only read positivity in Wildfire’s expression and body language, so Weejay brightly stepped to her mother’s flanks and chirped a loud  Hi!
gubraithian fire
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Keeping this moving. Others are welcome to pop in anytime!

Her godfather's voice greeted her and Wildfire took her cue and peeked her head inside the den. "Hey there," she said sotto voce, then pressed herself to one side to make room for her pups to take a look. "Weej—" she just managed to get outside when her daughter shouted, "Hi!" Grinning, she nudged the pup's cheek and gently said, "Keep your voice down, Weejay. Aunt Flea is trying to rest," or so the Sovereign assumed.

Elwood began introducing the newborns and Wildfire's eyes flew widened. She didn't miss the nod to her parents, though she had to snicker a little at the complexity of the names. "I see you kept to tradition," she observed, gaze flicking between Finley and Elwood. "Did you say you named one of them 'suave sock'?" she added incredulously.

Even as she spoke, she made encouraging motions at her son and daughter, inviting them to take a look at the even tinier pups.
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As the adults conversed, Weejay piped up cheerily and Elwood looked down at her with a smile. She was the spitting image of a Blackthorn, and, conversely, Elfie looked just like his mother. The two were the perfect amalgamation of Wildfire and Eljay. "Hi, Weejay!" he greeted her, even as her mother gently advised her to lower her voice.

With a chuckle, he replied to Wifi, "Suave Sock, yes. It's always our goal to make sure at least one of the names is a mouthful. They'll probably all earn their nicknames before long, though." It was a family tradition that he cherished; although Finley didn't go by her nickname, many of their children did, and those monikers often seemed to fit better than the titles given to them at birth. He couldn't wait to see what these little ones would be called.

"Can you believe you used to be that small?" he asked Weejay, as Avery stretched and yawned behind him and exposed her toothless pink gums.
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Elfie was a small, fat fellow, who would trip over his feet sometimes still and who would still be the resident gas-tank in the den he shared with his parents and sister. With all this you would expect him to be quite down-to-earth and obedient child? Humbled by his flaws. Right?

Nope.

At almost two months old - age, when most kids still obey their parents - he had begun to show, what he himself would call "free will", others "stubborness" or "teenage-hood begun early" or simply him being a very difficult child. Asked to do something - he would do the exact opposite just to prove a point.

An example from today - though he somewhat reluctantly followed his parents, he was very obvious in expressing that he was in no way interested in, what they wanted to show him. So, no wonder that, when Wildfire pushed him to go and see the newborns, he turned around, squeezed past her and went to explore the area near the den. In his mind - having seen the interior of his own den, he had no use of seeing another one.
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At her mother’s bidding, Weejay obediently adjusted the decibels of her voice. Her tail was going a mile a minute as Elwood greeted her, and she returned in kind with a second (much softer!) excitable Hi!

All of this grand adventuring had her curious for what was so important she was shooed from the den; she could tell her mom expected something from her, and the way the adults were interacting told her something of great importance was hidden further in the den. She thought she could hear quiet squeaking, and as she sniffed the ground she smelled something other than herself or parents; mixed with sweetness and milk, the girl found her curiosity growing. 

Her mother’s encouragement was all Weejay needed to dive excitedly into the den — she clambered down the hardened floor and did a full stop as puppies came into view. Her ears flopped as she turned her head like a sonar dish, a quiet, tremulous whine of enthusiasm trembling from her mouth. Oooo! Weejay didn’t notice Elfie had slipped off, but when she turned around her features were composed and rather confused. Glancing to her mother, Weejay’s tone became serious as she looked for clarification. Dems brothers?
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
gubraithian fire
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The juxtaposition between her children's attitudes toward this venture gave Wildfire a chuckle. When Elfie pointedly left the den, she motioned for his father to keep an eye on him. She then refocused her attention on the pups inside, her own included. It was a delight to watch Weejay as she discovered the little bundles all tucked up beside her Great Aunt Finley. She audibly marveled at them, then made an inquiry that made Wildfire's smile broaden almost impossibly. It made her cheeks ache.

"Sort of," she replied, "they're actually your cousins. Can you say 'cousins'?" the Sovereign prompted. After giving the girl a moment to respond to that, Wildfire pointed a petite red toe and said, "Can you see the lil' stripes on their backs? Does it remind you of anyone?" There were no fewer than a dozen Blackthorns running around with the trademark, although Wildfire had one particular wolf in mind...
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While Elfie didn't seem to be all that interested in meeting his newest family members, Weejay's curiosity was evident in her expression and body language. Elwood watched with a growing smile as she moved closer in a sudden rush, then stopped short in order to observe the pile of puppies. He was happy to quietly witness this first interaction between his children and grandchildren as Wildfire patiently answered Weejay's questions.

Avery obviously wasn't really able to tell what was going on around her, but almost as though she detected the presence of her big cousin, she lifted her little face. Her pug nose wriggled and then she gave a questioning peep, only to lose her balance and topple over to be lost among the silver fur of her siblings.
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#11
skipping Elfie with Me's permission <3

So, they weren't exactly brothers. Weejay didn't quite understand how they weren't brothers, but she nodded excitedly anyway. She wanted to play with them, and one look at the encourging adults around her was all she needed to dip into an excited playbow.

Rising from her bow in a prance, Weejay inched closer to Avery, who had only just become aware of her.

"CUHZIN!"

Weejay boomed in Avery's squeaking face, giggling as the little blob lost her balance and fell back into the squirming mass of puppies. Weejay whisked her head back and looked at her mommy and Elwood for approval, a wide grin across her face and her tail going a mile a minute.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
gubraithian fire
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Weejay either didn't hear her question or didn't feel like answering it. Wildfire could hardly hold it against such a young one. Her chestnut eyes flew a little wide and she smiled awkwardly at the parents when her daughter saw fit to scream the word "cousin" directly into one's face. She was pretty sure their ears hadn't opened but still...

"Keep your voice down, Whisky Jack," Wildfire said lightly but firmly, using her child's proper name so she knew she meant business. To Elwood, she muttered apologetically, "We still need to go over indoor and outdoor voices." Back to her child, she said, "You have to lower your voice—no screaming. Finley's trying to rest and you'll scare the babies." That was a fib, of course, but if it helped Weejay soften her voice, then it was worthwhile. "Just be gentle, Weej. They're brand new."
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Back when Elwood was a first-time parent, he might have been alarmed when Weejay effectively bellowed in Avery's face. Now, though, he had to keep from laughing, especially when it seemed that the force of the older cousin's voice had knocked Avery right over. Wildfire skillfully and tactfully handled it, correcting Weejay's behavior in a firm yet loving way, and while she wasn't his biological kin, Elwood felt immensely proud of his goddaughter in that moment.

"You like your cousins, huh?" Elwood said appraisingly to Weejay, modeling a quieter speaking voice for her benefit.
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Sorry for posting out of turn. This one's sat a while, so I figured we could wrap? :)

It was such a treat, watching her daughter acquaint with her smaller relatives. Wildfire took her fill, then decided it was safe to leave Weejay in Elwood's capable hands while she stepped outside to check on her mate and son. They would have to head back to their own den soon, so the Sovereign wanted to give Elfie one last chance to check out the newborns if he liked.

When he proved as disinterested as before, Wildfire decided to give Eljay a chance to visit and sat outside with their stubborn son. She snuffled at his forehead while they waited, then planted a kiss on his crown. She wished he was as excited as his sister, though Wildfire could appreciate that her children were unique individuals, even at this age. Maybe he would be more interested some other day, when all the pups were a little older. In the meantime, she would stay here with him until it was time to go home.
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oof im sorry! that's on me. i'll put one more post in, we can archive as is or someone else could throw in a conclusion of their own?

Be gentle, Weej came the soft but firm tone of her mother; Weejay's ears flopped as she looked from dam to the bundle of babes, her eyes wide and soft. Elwood's inquiry was met with a wag of her little tail -- did she like them? She loved them!

Beaming the way a retriever might beam when presenting his owner with a stick, Weejay sat on her round tushus and stared wide-eyed at the babies; no matter how boring they seemed, or how slow their little movements were, Weejay did not grow tired of them -- and it was not until her mother announced it was time to go that Weejay stopped her intent peering, and reluctantly but obediently turned for home.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone