Sun Mote Copse Cloud nine

Nellie and Bronco tags are just for reference, but they're welcome to join, too!

Phox was feelin' groovy. Having confessed his feelings (however little or big they were) to Niamh, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off of him. Hopefully she wasn't feeling too burdened by it, but knowing Niamh, she was probably feeling like she had the world on her shoulders. That was a little concerning, but he wanted to give her whatever space she wanted. She could come seek him out whenever she was ready. Or not. Maybe she'd just avoid him until the end of time. Oof, that was a worrying thought.

With nothing decided, he held off on tracking the kids down to start planting ideas in their wee heads. He did want to find @Bronco at some point, and he'd heard that @Nellie(!) had returned. That was even more reason to give Niamh space. She'd want to reconnect with her daughter, no doubt.

Out checking on the caches, he caught @Clover's scent, somebody he hadn't seen in quite some time. Had she always been here? Hadn't she stuck with the Redhawks Frosthawks? Keeping track of everybody was one hell of a job. In any case, Phox followed her trail, remembering she'd been a decent hunter. Maybe they could plan something and get the pack together for a little feast soon.

Apparently the tags didn't work? @Clover @Bronco @Nellie

*crashes*

This is preheat (lol).

Towhee was feelin' pretty groovy herself. Things were definitely on an upswing lately, which explained her recent mood. The latest word on the street was that Nellie had shown up at the borders. Towhee hadn't spent enough time with Niamh lately, though they would have to catch up soon and bask in the glory of prodigal children. She already had a smile on her face, though that thought made it even bigger.

Although she supposed Niamh probably wanted some private time with her kids, Towhee went looking for her friend all the same. She would just drop in to say "hi," welcome Nellie back into the fold. But as she made her way toward the area where Colt's widow kept house, she found herself crossing paths with her brother. They weren't far from one of the caches, which made sense, as did that expression on Phox's face. He was totally in the zone.

"You can stop looking, here I am," Towhee bellowed with unusual exuberance, scampering up to her sibling. "Ta-da!"

The Firebirds were as crazy as ever. All of her playmates had grown up and started some drama somewhere in the socially complicated huddle that was their pack, but Nellie herself was pretty new to the stuff. She had promised herself to check in and have a little chat with her mother (and Bronco, if he so desired) every day to reassure her she was sticking around. Of course, that promise was played with willy-nilly and she was sure she had already missed a day. Her coat now reeked of the Copse and the daffy gang that lived there, so she was sure Niamh could track her whenever she wanted and vice versa.

She popped into the conversation accidentally and, in an attempt to establish a name for herself instead of "That missing daughter of Niamh who returned", decided to socialize. She recognized them vaguely as Phox and Towhee, fuck, were they family as well? Their tree was confusing as all heck, which would make dating difficult in the future.

Hey - whatcha'll doing? She greeted with a smile, totally adulting like a pro.

Clover was nearby when the commotion started. It began with Towhee's bellow, a noise that Clover had yet grown accustomed to, and then was followed by a not-so-familiar voice. Intrigued, she turned on her heel and began to was towards the gathered crowd. Not being too far away, it didn't take her long to arrive. 

Seeing Phox was a surprise—Clover had smelt him but had suspected that he was elsewhere—and her expression brightened as she slowed to a stop. "Y'all having a party without me?" she teased, her gaze sweeping the group.

I think rounds would be best for this since there's a lot going on. I'll post again once everybody else gets a chance to. ^__^

Somebody scampered to his side, and Phox had to wheel himself around to see that it was Towhee. He grinned at her remark. She seemed in good spirits, which was a-ok with him. They'd been through a lot lately, and he was so happy that his little fam was back together again. Before he had much time to react, he spotted none other than Nellie. He had, of course, known where she was, but he'd been sworn into secrecy. Breaking her trust was not something he would allow himself to do, even if it meant keeping her mother in the dark. He hadn't expected her to show up again so shortly after he'd gotten here, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

Nellie! he exclaimed, happy-as-ever to see her. How'd your mom take your arrival? Is she pissed at me for keeping the secret? Because yes, Niamh's opinion of him mattered a lot to him. No sooner had the question left his mouth than Clover wandered up to the group. And holy shit, Clover! She had grown considerably since the last time he'd seen her. He wagered it had been about a year since they'd had any real interactions with one another. Where have you been?

In the beat before Nellie and Clover appeared, Towhee considered telling her brother about her recent foray with Pippin. But was that the sort of thing Phox would want to know or would he prefer she keep her shenanigans to herself? She was still debating this when the two younger she-wolves showed up and made the whole thing moot. She liked Pippin and had very much enjoyed their extracurricular activity—enough that she was considering doing it on a regular basis, possibly—but no way was she going to announce it to the entire pack.

Phox greeted the new arrivals in a clearly cheerful manner, even if Towhee couldn't hear it. She added a, "Hey guys," for good measure but did not interrupt, giving the two a chance to answer her fellow Tradesman's questions. Her orange eyes did linger on Clover a bit, remembering how petty she'd been the last time she'd seen her, although Towhee quashed that train of thought before it could crash into the shit hole that was reserved for her feelings about Tegan.

She remembered Phox - he had come to visit the Frosthawks not too long ago. Nellie had indeed let him swear secrecy, but was surprised he had kept his promise. She liked him for that, for an honest man was a good man. She smirked at him. 'Happy to see me, less happy 'bout you not telling her my hiding place. She remarked. Her expression then turned into something more sincere as she followed it with; But thanks for not spillin' my secrets.

Another then joined the party, this time the grey scale woman she believed to be called Clover. Luckily she didn't have to ask for names with everyone shouting their identity to each other, and her suspicions were soon proven to be correct. She shot a smile at both the colored-maned Towhee and the clover-butted Clover, then turned to whoever it was that would take the next word.

Awkwardly writing Clover out since she's gone inactive.

Clover briefly explained where she'd been, then excused herself. Apparently she'd been on her way to do something else and just wanted to stop in and say hello. Later, cuz! That was a-ok with Phox, and he waved a paw at Clover as she left them. She's always been a weird one, he said with a wink to Nellie. He was really glad she was here, especially considering Niamh had been pretty distraught about her. It had been really difficult to keep his mouth shut about her, but he knew it wouldn't be right to break the promise he'd made.

Of course, he said. I'm glad you're back. Your mom was worried about you. And her failure as a mother, but he wasn't about to bring that up. He was sure that Nellie was well-aware of how it had affected Niamh, so he didn't want to drive it home any further. But enough about that, how was the trip back here? Have you gotten to hang out with Bronco yet?

When Clover bustled away, Towhee quirked a brow and stared after her. She should really just let her go, she knew. She was curious about where Nellie had been all this time and how she was doing, particularly when the exchange between Phox and Nellie included talk of secrets. That was pretty intriguing.

But it was really niggling at her, so Towhee couldn't resist saying, "I'm glad you're back too, Nellie. I bet Niamh and Bronco are both shitting kittens." That came out a little distractedly before she confessed, "I'm gonna go after Clover. I have a bone to pick with her. I'll catch you both later." She gave her brother a meaningful look, Nellie a quick smile, and then departed after the Blackthorn.

Clover's crash into the conversation didn't last very long, which was a bummer because Nellie wanted to get to know everyone. Seeya! She called after her, giggling at Phox's comment after. She felt a teeny tiny bit guilty for making him lie for her, but the fact he'd done so only gave him plus points in her book. If she had any kind of father figure in her life, she was thinking it might be Phox.

She grinned, but not for very long. When her mother was brought up she sighed. Yeah, I noticed. She nearly wanted to roll her eyes but thought it might come off as rude. She didn't like her mother making such a big deal out of it all. She'd come back unharmed right? What was the issue? She'd just been chilling at the hawks, no biggy. Phox was right; enough about that. She smiled at Towhee, waving her goodbye when she went after Clover. That just left her and Phox.

Trip went fine, had no troubles findin' my way back - and no, I haven't much. She shrugged. Yeah, he was her brother, but they hadn't grown up together the way most Firebird pups had. She found it hard to approach him like this. Ya think he's avoidin' me or somethin'?

Bye! he called after Towhee, knowing full-well that she wouldn't be able to hear him. It was the thought that counted, right? He returned his attention to Nellie then, listening as she explained that Bronco had been avoiding her. Oh, he said, acutely remembering how Towhee had acted when he had returned to the Redhawks. It'll probably take some time before everything's back to normal. It's hard when somebody leaves, especially a sibling. I did that to Towhee once, you know? Probably a little older than you when I ran off, but she was pretty upset when I came back. But now? Now we're closer than ever.

This time, Phox's disappearance had been unavoidable. In fact, one might say Towhee could have been blamed for all of it by scrambling up the landslide. But Phox was well beyond blaming anything but the loose footing. He'll come around, Phox assured her, even if he couldn't be sure it was the truth. Not wanting to dwell on the more serious subjects that he could have, Phox decided to suggest something else entirely.

You like hunting? I found a groundhog trail just a ways back. We could track it down and make a meal out of it. Phox could freshen up on his small game skills, and he'd get to spend some quality time with Nellie. Seemed like a win-win.

She shook her head at Phox. I don't think he's upset. Not like their mum at least. He seemed glad to have her back here, otherwise he wouldn't have tackled her onto the floor. Maybe we just grew apart and he has better friends now... She couldn't blame him for it, really. While she'd been gone, he probably made a ton of friends. Maybe even a girlfriend. Nellie was sad to not have a boyfriend, or well, like, any friends. She knew Figment, Phox's son if her memory served her correctly, but to say that they were besties was stretching it. Maybe she could get to know Fig better through his dad?

Sure. She answered. She didn't mind hunting when she was successful at it, but failing to catch anything always put her in angsty teen mode. Maybe with Phox's guidance she could catch something. He was grown and all, probably faster and more skilled. If she had to guess his age by looks, she'd say he was about 4 years? 3 maybe? Strangely enough, she could see where Fig had gotten his looks from.

She motioned for him to take the lead, falling into a comfortable pace beside him if and when he did.

A girlfriend?! Phox shuddered to think that his own kids would one day have... those... things. At least, he hoped they would, as much as he hoped they wouldn't. Oof, this was an aspect of parenthood he wasn't entirely prepared for, so he was glad these reactions were getting themselves out of the way before he had to meet one of Fennec or Figment's special friends. Yick. He was not looking forward to that one bit. To Nellie, he just gave her a quirked brow and a shrug. He didn't know Bronco well enough to know what he spent his free time doing.

He could feel Nellie's gaze on him, but Phox brushed it aside. She was probably just looking for more conversation. What's the biggest thing you've hunted? he asked, trying to gauge her skill level and what approach he might use on the groundhog, should they manage to track it down.

Nellie wouldn't mind a boyfriend, though she was sure her mother wouldn't approve fully. It didn't help that there weren't any cute boys wanting to hang out with her specifically, but it wasn't like her life goal was to woe one of them. She barely knew the basics of mateship and how puppies got into the world, still needing to hear from someone how that all worked before it was too late and she was stuck with a teen pregnancy next year.

She shrugged, something that looked a little awkward while walking. A really sick deer, but I wasn't alone. She admitted. 'Usually go for small ground critters - I'm pretty fast with these legs. It was true, she wasn't built like her brother with rippling muscles and a stocky frame. Was it not for her dorsal stripe and different facial features, she could be her mom's twin instead of her daughter.

Not bad, Phox hummed as they made their way toward the groundhog's path. He picked it up there, not too much more stale than it had been when he'd come across it. He thought this particular brand of prey would be good for the both of him. Phox needed to brush up on his small game skills, and it sounded as though that had been Nellie's specialty so far anyway. Now on the scent trail, Phox's nose was glued to the ground as he moved forward.

His burnt sienna eyes kept a close eye on what was in front of him, but he remained quiet. At some point, somebody had dubbed this "hunting daze," or something along those lines, and Phox tended to ignore everything and everyone around him except for what he hunting when he got like this. With the rest of the world tuned out, the Redhawk blazed full steam ahead, all the while assuming that Nellie was hot on his heels.

A blush flushed her cheeks underneath her fiery fur - she smirked proudly, shaking her mane and sticking her chest out just a little as she followed him. "not bad" wasn't exactly a compliment, but she perceived it as such. She liked compliments, mainly because she didn't get many, and coming from Phox it was just; wow. Despite her apparent clumsiness sometimes, she was a fine hunter for her age. Nothing special is what she would describe it, but useful in the long run. However, now she was gunning to impress Phox.

She observed him from his flank, lowering her muzzle to the ground to smell what he was smelling. She, too, picked up on the scent trail rather easily but couldn't help getting a whiff of "Phox fragrance" - the name he should definitely use if he was ever gonna put out a perfume - and it distracted her a little. She didn't get the time to think about why it had distracted her, because she assumed her instructor had seen or heard something that sent him into a frenzy. She raced after him, trying her best to pass him from his right to get the first pounce in.

I swear I've written two drafts for this, but apparently that was all in my brain and not in a document anywhere.

Luckily for Phox, he couldn't hear Nellie's thoughts. If he had, he would have been mortified. She was still young, and considering he'd already caught feelings for her mother, it would have been awkward tenfold. Let's be glad these wolves aren't telepathic.

Phox rushed forward, continuing to follow the trail, but it led him to a stream, and he couldn't seem to pick it back up from there. He sniffed along one shore, then the other, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to find where it had gone off to. Outsmarted by a got dang groundhog. Blast, he sighed, looking toward Nellie. I can't seem to figure out where it went from here. Ah well, tracking was still a skill he wanted to keep up.

Unluckily for Nellie, her writer loves torturing her with feelings >:). Nellie didn't know what she felt for Phox in that moment, she just knew it was different from something like a friend or family. As much as she was aware that Phox was older - much older - than her, their interactions were so... Yeah, different. He didn't treat her like a little girl like her mom did. or as a pesky sister like Bronco did. She felt like she could really be 'Nellie' around him. She had no idea how to bring this up, if she even should, but Nellie would continue to have these feelings despite the strangeness of it all.

Well shit. Was her response, halting very suddenly so she wouldn't crash into him nor into the stream. She stuck her nose to the ground, sniffling around a bit and circling back to where she had began. Just our luck, ey? — Maybe somethin' else is around? She looked to Phox then as, again, something fluttered in her food system.

Phox stared blankly at where the trail had gone, and he figured the groundhog must have crossed the stream here. That really was the only explanation he could think of. Maybe it had drowned here and been taken down stream. It was puzzling, to say the least. Nellie was talking again, asking if there was anything else around, and Phox slowly came out of his hunting daze. It seemed like it had gotten more intense since the landslide, as though once on the hunt, he couldn't even see or hear the world around him. He wondered if it was a side-effect of the concussion he'd suffered.

You wanna take the lead this round? he asked. Maybe she would have more fun trying to track something down while he was the follower this time. Phox thought she'd grow into a fine hunter yet.

He didn't seem to notice her much at first - weird. She suppressed the urge to wave a paw in front of his face or bump his shoulder, and was glad she did because whatever trance he'd been in was gone not long after. Blacking out while hunting in a team seemed a little dangerous, and Nellie could only hope Phox was gonna be alright in the end.

It wasn't a secret that Nellie was a teeny tiny bit accident-prone, from getting stuck in bushes to falling off things, but if there was one thing she could do with relative success, it was having being a huge ass — and tracking. She smirked proudly, nodding just once before beginning her sniffling again. There was Phox scent, her own, the trail they'd lost and just a bit away she was like 90% sure she found a rabbit track. She ignored it at first, wanting to catch more than just a meek bunny, but she couldn't find much else exciting. Just her luck. Ya fancy rabbit? She asked with a knowing smile, head turned to look at wherever Phox had found himself.

Nellie seemed to have picked up a rabbit's scent, and Phox nodded when she mentioned it. This time, he let the younger Firebird lead the hunt, falling behind wherever she might take them. Following behind, he let his mind wander this way and that, wondering what it would be like to have more children, wondering how his own children would react, wondering how Nellie and Bronco might react, wondering how Finley and Elwood might react. There were plenty of wolves to imagine reactions of, okay?

He didn't aspire to be a father figure to Nellie or Bronco, but he would step in if they requested or looked like they needed it. That went for all the younger wolves in the Firebirds, although Figment and Fennec would always be the nearest and dearest to his heart. Those two really were the best things to ever happen to him.

It was for the best that Phox didn't aspire to be her new daddy - well no, she def wanted him as a daddy but not the normal kind. Her writer could only imagine the awkwardness and the shame that made you wanna dig a whole and bury yourself alive if Phox really wanted to replace Colt for her (something that couldn't happen regardless of him wanting it because Colt was a special bean and there was no one as great as her father - nor would anyone ever be). Not that wanting to hook up with her mom made things any easier for her confusing feelings that had no actual place anywhere, so she hoped he wouldn't drop that bomb on her 'cause it would break her little heart.

She smiled brightly, trotting her way over the scent trail. Buttocks a bouncin', she tracked the rabbit with relative ease and fell into a comfortable sprint once she knew they were close. She pounced, not thinking about Phox for once in her goddamn life, and - sure enough - she'd caught it.

If Phox noticed anything off about Nellie, it was so far back in his subconscious that he didn’t even acknowledge it. He stuck to his own thoughts and daydreams, wondering what it would be like to have more children. So deep was he in his head, he more or less missed Nellie bolting out in front of him. Before he knew it, there was a rabbit clasped in her jaws, and Phox looked at her with a dumbstruck expression. These young whipper snappers were trying to show him up! Not that he was complaining. It was good that she was capable.

Nice! he exclaimed, taking a peek at the long-eared creature she’d caught. I’ll bet the caches could use some filling unless you’re really hungry. That was, of course, where Fennec acquired most of her food (as far as Phox knew, anyway). Keeping them stocked was often a full-time job for him, but a little help would go a long way.

Nellie wasn't thinking at all about having kids - barely knew how they came to be. She felt perfectly fine without kids, but that might be because she still was a bit of a kid. The hormones that drove females to go into heat (a thing she'd only heard whispers about) or make them all boy-crazy weren't in her body all that much yet.

She practically beamed at his praise, a big grin around their catch - or was it hers? She put the rabbit down, spitting out some fur in the process. 'Not all that hungry - you? She said honestly. If you're not hungry either, we could drop it off in a cache on the way back. She suggested with a little shrug, not actually wanting their time together to end.

Nellie professed that she wasn't all that hungry either, meaning it would go to the cache. Sounds like a plan, Phox replied, his tail waving gently behind him. Their little hunt had been a success, at least her half of it, and he was happy that she'd gotten to make the kill. Perhaps she'd turn out to be in the next generation of small game hunters like himself, though he didn't press the idea upon her. That was something best left to her mother or perhaps Wraen, if they wanted to go that route.

That train of thought led to whether or not he would ever end up as a leader someday. He couldn't imagine removing Fennec from her home a third time, so if it happened, it would have to be right here at the copse. For now, Phox was content to serve beneath Wraen. He didn't have any lofty aspirations in that department, and the only reason he'd moved to the grove was to find a safer place for Fenton. Phox's main goal now was to be the best father he could to his two lovely children (and whatever children he might have in the future).

He began walking toward the nearest cache, assuming that Nellie would be happy to have some company on the way there.