Sun Mote Copse universal runtime
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#1
Limit Two 
In which I tag Lauren's toons in various threads. Forward-dated to 5/10 (tomorrow).

The trio was well on their way to becoming more wolf and less puppy. Phox had heard one of them try to howl last night, and it seemed as though their ears had sprouted upright overnight. They had been slowly expanding their domain to include more and more of the outside world, and Phox was fairly certain they would be ready for some very short field trips soon. And that was exactly why he was trying to get in some errands before they were scrambling all over the place.

He wasn't really sure where he might find @Arcturus, so he did the only logical thing and howled for him. Phox was somewhere near the heart of the territory, not too close to anybody's den, and not too close to the rendezvous site.
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#2
arcturus arrived as soon as he could -- yet given his proclivity to linger along the fringes as border patrol, it took some time before he was within phox's view.

all that time, the ostrega had spent wondering why had he been called upon. it was not his nature to assume the worst, but he wondered if perhaps the male wished to impart some task to him. arcturus held his head low out of respect of phox's higher ranking, his ears folding against his dark skull as he met the man with a friendly wag of his tail.
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Why was it that every wolf he called upon acted like they were in trouble? First Weejay and now Arcturus. Was there something in his tone that made them think that he was going to rip them a new one? Whatever the case, Phox did appreciate the bit of submission Arcturus showed. With how much time he spent around family, it was all together uncommon for him to come across somebody showing such respect.

Hey, Phox greeted, setting his own tail wagging. He knew very little of where Arcturus had come from (or he couldn't remember), but Towhee had specifically asked him to seek out the newcomer, so here he was. Want to help me make the rounds on the caches? he asked, figuring walking and talking was probably better than trying to chit-chat all stoic-like. And maybe you can tell me a little about yourself along the way. Towhee said I should meet you. Might as well take any mystery out of why Phox had called him in the first place.
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#4
appreciating the friendly yet brusque delivery, arcturus settled as he heard phox's reasoning for seeking him out. bemused that it was at towhee's behest, arcturus wondered if he was finally being accepted truly into the fold (towhee had been, in his estimation, the least pleased by his stay here). if this was the case, he was overjoyed to hear it.

accepting the invitation with a nod, arcturus waited for the male to set a pace before pulling almost abreast of him. "well, what is it you would like to know?" he inquired, finding it difficult to just wing it when it came to discussing himself.
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#5
Arcturus agreed, which was a good sign. At least he was willing to help out where it was requested. One point for maybe-baby-daddy! Taking the lead, Phox began to make his way toward the nearest cache, which had been running a little on the slim side last time he'd checked. He imagined it would be empty now, or close to it, and if that was the case, he'd have to either make time later to refill it or send somebody else to do it in his stead. Maybe Figment would be up for a job like that if it was needed.

For starters, why'd you leave where you were living before? Moonspear, right? he asked. Phox knew of the pack, and he knew that Towhee and Hydra were on friendly terms. He'd even met a few Moonspear wolves when he'd been out and about nearby. The tradesmen was certainly curious about what the pack was like and why Arcturus might want to move from there to here. Maybe Meerkat was the reason. Or was it Towhee?
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#6
well, that was straight to the punch.

arcturus winced, quickly regaining composure with a coldness crossing his features. phox deserved to know as any did, but it did not make the delivery any easier.

"yes, moonspear. family differences." he started, aware this was not the most explicit or specific of answers. "i have known wraen a long time -- it just seemed right to go to her." he paused, cataloguing up the time he had been lucky enough to know the silvery she-wolf. "my family is  full of strong but very stubborn wolves." despite all of what had transpired, arcturus could not bring himself to speak horribly of his family. "i needed to go away for a while." maybe even forever -- his gut squirmed.
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#7
Fig tag for reference. <3

Phox nodded, not feeling the need to dig deeper. He'd had his own "family differences" with plenty of his own relatives, so he could understand that. It was interesting to hear that Arcturus had known Wraen long before now. When he mentioned "strong but very stubborn wolves," Phox stifled a laughing snort. Well, you won't be getting away from strong and stubborn wolves here. That's a Redhawk trait. Nearly every single one of the Firebirds had either inflicted or had inflicted upon them some kind of drama stemming from somebody being too stubborn about something. From what he gathered, his parents had been the same—Fox in particular.

Slowing at the site of the cache, Phox uncovered what was left. Just a few scraps, which he recovered with dirt. The Redhawk made a mental note to tell @Figment that he'd need to refill that one next time he saw him. How'd you know Wraen before, then? he asked, heading off to the next food store.
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#8
relieved phox took the nebulous answer at face value and pushed no further, arcturus fell silent as he padded alongside the silver-haired crusader. he offered only a smile of amusement at phox's mannerly joke -- certainly, redhawks could be stubborn themselves, though arcturus had yet to experience such obstinacy in the flesh (give him time).

he remained quiet until phox tasked him with the question of how wraen had come into his life. it occured to arcturus that the sovereign had a strange penchant for showing up when things were chaotic -- she was the calm water in arcturus' restless sea -- the unmovable stone to his whirling hurricane life. "i was young when i met her," he reflected, his brow scrunching -- "maybe a little over a year.." a lifetime ago! "there was some trouble at home, so i just followed an elk herd until i was too tired to do anything else. while i was resting, she approached me." he could not put into words how she had made him feel -- she had made him think in ways he did not think possible. "but as you know, it would be a year and some months yet before i became a firebird. we would meet at the crag sometimes. she would tell me stories." he smiled, for these memories were something he treasured. "how about you -- you are family, right?"
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#9
Phox listened with ease, enjoying the story as Arcturus told it. He didn't interrupt or ask questions but was intent to let the former Moonspear resident tell it as he wished. Arcturus then asked about how Phox knew Wraen, and honestly, he didn't remember the exact moment or how it had come to be. I think we're cousins of some sort. I met her long before the Firebirds, but we didn't have any kind of friendship. She's a smart cookie, though. Level-headed, too. That was more than he could say for most of his own family, including himself.

After living beneath Quixote and Colt, Wraen had been a breath of fresh air. She certainly wasn't any brand of milque toast like those two had been. Phox hadn't been able to deal with either of those two, hence his brief foray into leading his own pack. He did sometimes wonder what had happened to those who hadn't come to the Firebirds. Elfie in particular was a mystery, having been so young when everything had happened. Phox had conveniently forgotten what a distant dick he'd been to him the day of his own fall.
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#10
for purely selfish reasons, arcturus hoped phox and wraen were related. family often meant a different kind of competition, one that phox wouldn't compete with arcturus in. he had confided this to no one, but anyone paying attention probably could assemble the clues and figure out that the ostrega was, for a lack of better words, uniquely devoted to the sovereign.

he agreed with phox's assessment of wraen's character: perhaps the thing arcturus adored the most about wraen was how worldly she seemed, where he seemed like a fumbling idiot. he did not want to appear gushing, so he simply nodded through phox's estimation. "yes. a breath of fresh air." he ascertained, particularly after moonspear. "i did not realize how convoluted things at home were, until i came here."
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#11
Arcturus used the exact phrase Phox had been thinking, causing him to push air through his nose in a smirk. What's that saying about the forest and the trees? Phox couldn't remember exactly how the phrase went, but it felt appropriate. Maybe it wasn't. Whatever.

Phox had established that Arcturus knew Wraen, but that left another question easy to ask. Do you know anybody else in the Firebirds besides those two? "Those two" being Towhee and Wraen, of course. Phox assumed that Arcturus had met at least a few others since he had been here, although some were harder to track down than others (lookin' at you, Eljay).
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#12
not being able to see the forest for the trees. it was not the first time arcturus had heard such an expression; how uniquely it fit his life, in this present moment.

he offered a threadbare smile in response; he did not wish to dwell, and was relieved the conversation shifted to more palatable matters. "well i know meerkat, of course." he was not aware that some firebirds might question meerkat's parentage -- towhee had told him firmly he was not the father, and since then, arcturus had never questioned it. "i've met bronco and figment too; the three of us have done patrols together. good boys." he tried to think of who else he knew, and found the list was thin. "niamh of course.. but.. that might be it."
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#13
Arcturus mentioned meeting Bronco and Figment which put a smile on Phox's face. Figment was such a wonderfully good son. Bronco... well, maybe not the best, but Phox was a little biased in that regard. He _did_ like the kid, he just wasn't quite sure if he was liked back. And there was this feeling that he'd never really be accepted by him even if he tried. Maybe _not_ trying was the right way to go about it, though. So far, he'd just been treating him like any other wolf in the pack. Hopefully that was the right move.

And, of course, Niamh. Phox felt his eyes go a little lovey-dovey at that name, a wide grin spreading across his face at the mere mention of her name. Unsurprisingly, Arcturus had met most of Phox's local family members. Well, those are all the important-to-me ones, so it sounds like you're on the right track, he jested.
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#14
arcturus could never sum into words the impression niamh had left upon him. if his heart was not so deadset on wraen, phox might have found arcturus a competitor -- the gilded huntress both allured and terrified the mountaineer.

he kept such thoughts tightly lidded, having made enough of an observation that at the very least, the two were romantically involved. his eyes and heart were truly only for wraen, no matter how amazonian and attractive another wolf was. he let a small smile trickle across his countenance at phox's joke, finding he had no witty retort. "it seems most of the family is guardian oriented." arcturus observed, switching the conversation to something that he could talk about more freely. "are you a guardian too? i've had the boys show me the trails along the perimeter, but i could always use more knowledgeable company."
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Oh jeez, no. That's Towhee's thing. I've always been more drawn to hunting, observing the things I hunt, and stargazing. The last one always felt a bit vulnerable to tell others, but Phox did recall that he'd met Charon—Arcturus's father—and he had been a stargazer, too. Phox held onto that distant memory for now, wondering what sort of relationship Arcturus had with his father. Strange to think that wolves could have relationships with them. Phox had something of a father-figure in the way of Elwood, but he imagined it was different with one's real father.

It was true that Firebirds was primarily a pack of guardians. And while Phox had done his fair share of helping out, it wasn't his primary role here. He would come when called, but he didn't go out of his way to interfere with the others who were already keeping things safe.
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#16
arcturus was in good company with all the guardians in firebirds, but phox was in good company by arcturus; it had always been a deep regret of his that he had not turned out more like his father. including, charon's immeasurable knowledge of the skies.

on impulse arcturus looked to the sky as if the stars were visible. they were not -- it was midday, and he felt like an idiot. "stargazing?" he could not help the brief mistiness of his gaze. "i've always wished i knew more about the stars. maybe we can trade tips, if you ever have the time."
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#17
Phox felt the pause from Arcturus, but he didn't press further or mention his brief interaction with Charon. It didn't seem like the right time or place. Perhaps if they had actually been looking at the stars, but alas... it was the middle of the day. The offer to trade tips was right up Phox's alley. It was his primary reason for loving the diversity in trades they all had here (except for all the mercenaries, he supposed).

Yeah! That'd be swell. All-in-all, Phox had nothing but nice things to say about Arcturus. If Towhee was looking for a second opinion, she'd get one. Arcturus was an alright guy!
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arcturus grinned, realizing the absurdity of stargazing during the day. his gaze traveled upward then back to phox, his tail lightly stirring. "we'd have to wait some other time." he replied half-apologetically, giving a rounded shrug of his shoulders. "although i seem to notice there is one especially bright star out -- takes a keen eye to see it, of course." arcturus joked, referring to the sun as if it were oblivious.

"i was thinking of going to the east borders, if you'd like to come along." arcturus offered, realizing their rounds on the caches were coming to a close. patrolling time seemed to pass much quicker when there was company.
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#19
Phox grinned, listening as Arcturus stated the obvious. Daylight wasn’t very conducive to stargazing, unfortunately. But there would be many nights to come, and Phox was willing to sit and chat with just about anyone who would listen to him tell the stories he’d gathered and refined over the years.

Arcturus mentioned that he was about to go do some patrolling, even offering Phox a spot to come with him, but the Redhawk shook his head regrettably. I should get back to the kids, but I’ll see you around.

Hopefully on a somewhat regular basis. Arcturus had merits outside of just being Towhee’s baby daddy. Or whatever he was to her.
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