Sun Mote Copse Candy-colored fingers and schadenfreude eyes

The encounter with his aunt had left him with excess nervous energy. There was a bitter taste at the back of his mouth, the kind of heart burn effect after too much running, which he tried to alleviate by crushing thick pads of grass between his molars.

After tugging a few clutches of green free and chewing them beyond the chlorophyll taste, Reyes spits. He looks like a cowboy having ridden a horse for too long, his limbs stiff, his neck and shoulders tight - probably sporting a few bruises from Niamh, actually.

Fucking bitch, comin' at me like that... Reyes comments under his breath, feeling the all too familiar itch of his anger just beneath his skin. It had been smart to pull himself away from Towhee and the boy; he couldn't trust himself in this state.

A lot was going on in Eljay's mind lately. He had a lot to think about, and things felt very unsteady. The roots that Weejay had mentioned felt completely nonexistent right now; if anything, it felt as if the roots were being pulled from under him.

While he was taking a walk and musing to himself about the many things going on and what his part in it all should be, Eljay heard some muttering. He had been so lost in thought he didn't notice someone else nearby. The words were completely lost on him, but his attention was caught. He didn't think he'd met this pack mate yet -- were they new? -- and decided to greet.

Upon coming closer he didn't seem in the best of moods -- he seemed very on edge, and was that... grass? -- but it was too late to turn back now. Heya, said Eljay and he smiled softly, body language neutral and face friendly. Are you... Okay? I don't think we've met yet. I'm Eljay, the pack's caretaker.

Snap, snap snap. Chew chew chew, spit. Grass sometimes settled his stomach when it was upset, or so he'd learned in his travels, and in this case it did little more than exacerbate his already burning frustration.

Reyes grabbed at one cluster of tall grass and then another, uprooting small patches until he came to one darker cluster, and upon scything his teeth through it he realized his mistake: garlic scapes. He'd chomped through some wild-growing stalks and the bitter flavor rioted across his tongue.

As he huffed and spat this last terrible thing out, someone called out a greeting. Not being in a very sociable mood, Reyes ignored it; but the stranger was not dissuaded. They came striding closer until Reyes finally paid heed.

I'm Eljay, the pack's caretaker. The stranger introduced themselves, smiling thinly, appearing quite friendly - as well as marginally concerned. 

This wasn't what Reyes had anticipated. He glared at the stranger, snapping, I'm just peachy. Did Niamh send you? The boy's tone was accusatory, a stab in the dark. Before Eljay could answer, Reyes was going off again.

She was the one that attacked me. I'm fine. Over it, done. Find someone else's head to shrink. He did not want someone poking around in his, at any rate.

The other didn't seem very eager, but Eljay didn't realise it until he was too close to politely declined the interaction, really, so he went on with his greeting. He frowned in worry as the other spat back that he was 'peachy' and asked if Niamh had sent him. Eljay shook his head. No, I-- but before he could even ask why he might need someone, the answer was given to why he thought Niamh had sent Eljay there.

The surprise was palpable on Eljay's face and he blinked a few times before he said, She... Niamh attacked you..? Then as surprise faded the concerned frown returned. What... You don't have to say if you don't want to, but what happened?

Reyes eyed the gray wolf with a certain degree of caution, overpowered by his current petulance. It sounded like the guy hadn't been sent on purpose after all; that or he played the part of a blithering idiot especially well. That was Reyes' poor attitude flavoring his perception, of course. Poor Eljay.

I was goin' to go meet with Towhee -- the Captain, right, explained Reyes, rather forthcoming for someone who didn't want company; once it started to pour out of him he couldn't stop it. Instead this blonde bitch shows up, but I think its my sister 'cuz my sister is blonde too. Turns out she's actually my aunt and they have the same goddamn name. He's pacing now, trampling the half-bitten grass and kicking dirt clods around, but utterly unaware of the small trench he's carving with his steps.

I tell her I've gotta go meet with Towhee and whats she do? Grab me! So 'course I fight back. I ain't gonna take that! Next thing I know I'm eatin' dirt and she's laughin', tells me I got'ta attitude problem! The boy snorts, pawing the dirt like a bull about to charge - but that's where the story ends.

Eljay stood and listened patiently to the story that the pack mate told. He watched the pacing back and forth and the chewed up grass at his feet. Eljay couldn't help but worry about his health a little; he seemed to have chewed a lot of grass and he was pacing very rapidly while he explained the story. He wondered if Niamh had really attacked this fellow, or maybe she was just trying to be playful..? It was hard to imagine that Niamh'd just attack someone, although... She had shoved Fennec when she tried to clean Rasalas' wounds...

Finding it hard to demonise Niamh, however, Eljay kept an open mind towards the whole thing. Are you okay? Physically, I mean? It was clear that he wasn't all alright mentally, but Eljay wasn't really that good at therapy or anything; he was more of a physical sort of caretaker. Niamh can be, uhm, brusque sometimes, he admitted, though he felt nervous talking about Niamh in this way. I'm sure she didn't mean it poorly, though.

Eljay looked back up at the other while he could not help but wonder, Did.. Why did you chew all that grass?

It felt weird after-the-fact, voicing all of this in the open. Back in Tortuga it was easier to bottle things up. Stowed the feelings, get back to work, be a man about it all. Reyes wasn't worried about inciting Niamh's rage or anything - he was still thoroughly convinced he could take her on despite the gap in age and experience between them - but he didn't want to be a complaining pile of shit either. He was above that, usually. He was almost an adult and he knew better than to bitch and moan about problems he could fix with enough force - alas, here he was, being a little bitch anyway.

The other wolf listened and then piped up with some questions, showing real concern over Reyes when they'd only just met. It threw him for a loop at first. He bristled and stopped his pacing, levelling a wary look upon Eljay for a moment; his ears twisted to catch the commentary on Niamh, which only made him roll his eyes.

Yeah of course you'd defend her, she's your superior. He grumbled.

Did.. Why did you chew all that grass? The accidental therapist asked next, and Reyes noticed the way the man's eyes trailed along the gully he'd cut in to the dirt. Reyes huffed, lifting a paw and looking at the mud streaking up his limbs, the nests of torn grass scattered across everything, and gave a shrug.

Heartburn, I guess. I get mad and my stomach gets upset. Someone showed me once that chewin' grass can make it a little better. Just.. Habit now, rr'something. The redirect focused his mind a little, gave Reyes a momentary pause as he recited an explanation. 

Brusque. Pfft. She's a terror, that'un. Reyes drawled in a more affable tone, slanting a look at Eljay that was still moderately suspicious but a little less agitated, overall. She comes at me again though -- she'll be sorry. There wasn't much power behind the statement despite the sentiment it carried.

Eljay frowned at the grumbled words. No, it's not like that at all. I've just known her for a really long time, and I don't think she'd do it with bad intentions. Maybe something about this guy had set her off? He did seem incredibly uneasy, which made Eljay feel rather uneasy in turn. Eljay looked thoughtfully while he tried to pinpoint how he could help, but the problem was that he knew very little about mental well-being and so he had no clue what he could possibly do.

Oh, that's good to remember, Eljay said as he made a mental note about the grass-chewing. So does it actually help? Eljay knew little about heartburn, but he could relate to upset stomachs and maybe it would come in handy for his medical practises at some point.

So uh... Do you have any trades? he couldn't help but ask curiously. Ever since finding out that Fennec might not be coming back to the Firebirds Eljay had been thinking about trying to find someone else who could take the place of medic here if he did decide to pursue his own dreams. He didn't want anyone to know that he was looking, though, so he would have to be extremely subtle on this one. Besides, talking about trades provided a welcome change to the subject of Niamh, which Eljay honestly didn't really want to discuss; it was a losing battle to fight. Realising he also didn't know this peculiar guy's name yet, he tentatively asked, Oh, uhm... I think I missed your name.

The other wolf did not seem to notice Reyes' threat, or if he did he didn't comment on it. Maybe he agreed with it. Maybe Reyes had found someone to commiserate with for the first time in forever. 

They had other questions for him - basic stuff, veering the conversation away from Niamh even more, and Reyes let it happen. It wasn't useful to anyone if he dwelled too long on the crazy lady. The boy huffed; he idly rolled some of the dirt and grass back to where it'd started and patted it down, as if that would mend anything.

Yeah, I'm a fighter, more or less... My name is Reyes. He should think about diversifying his skills, he thought. It would be hard to figure out what else to focus on. And you? Should I call you Dr. Freckles or somethin'? The joke was a weak one, and he knew it. It was not satisfying on his tongue and he cringed - but stood there listening.

Eljay was relieved when the other allowed him to steer their conversation away from Niamh, as he wasn't comfortable talking about his long time pack mate in that way. He pondered about the grass thing and made a mental note about it, before they turned to more neutral subjects; names and trades.

Reyes, his name was, and he was a fighter. Eljay nodded and said, Nice to meet you, Reyes. He chuckled somewhat awkwardly at the freckles joke, and though he'd already said his name he imagined it'd gotten lost in all the stress over Niamh. I'm Eljay, he repeated in a friendly manner. I'm a pupsitter, midwife and medic, so kinda all round caretaking stuff.

LJ? What did that stand for, he wondered. Little John? Sounded a little more pirate-y than Reyes expected, and he didn't like that, not one bit. But then, this guy didn't look much like a pirate; he would have made a good surgeon judging by the array of skills he listed off, except he didn't look like much of a warrior. Must have focused all his effort on learning how to mend things rather than break them. Reyes could respect that. It was a rare line of work as far as he knew.

So if I get in a fight, I come to you after? Good t'know. He said with a small smile. You didn't come here to talk to me on purpose, didja? Really weren't sent here by anyone to check in on the latest recruit? Reyes wasn't sure if he should trust this guy fully. He'd known too many men that were two-faced, and would be on the lookout for any snake-oil being pandered his way.

When Reyes asked if he should see Eljay after a fight, the caretaker nodded. Yeah. Or when -- if you have children, of course. Eljay smiled, and it might be unclear to someone who didn't know him whether he was trying to be funny (he totally wasn't, by the way) or just saying something seriously in a bit of a strange way (he totally was).

As for question number two, Eljay shook his head. Nope, it's just a happy coincidence that I'm here. I mean, not to say you need checking in on, uh -- I just -- I'm just glad we met. Though a bit peculiar, Reyes seemed nice enough, and regardless of all that, it was good for Eljay to know what was going on in the pack.

Children? Yikes. Woah woah woah, I am too young and too pretty to let my figure go like that, no thank you. Reyes quipped, huffing a small laugh as he played at looking offended. He didn't want anything to do with kids and that was the truth. The chances were he'd just screw them up, having come from a fatherless situation himself. Ick. It made him blanche just thinking about it.

Aye, was good t'meet you too, El. He felt a lot calmer now than when the interaction started. Whether that was because of Eljay's broad skill set as a healer or just his company, Reyes supposed it didn't matter. He didn't want to gut Niamh so much at this point and was glad to know she hadn't blabbed about him to anyone. Plus, hey, looks like Reyes made a friend in the end.

Thinking of Niamh and the little spat they'd had, Reyes wondered if there were other applications for his angry energy and realized he could've been putting himself to proper use somewhere, such as hunting or patrolling. Maybe he ought to show some initiative and get the ball rolling on that. Ah, I best get back to work. Supposed to take up a few more shifts of patrols to learn the land. You wanna come along..?

If not, Reyes would head on his way alone, which was how he liked things anyway.

Eljay had never really thought about how having children would do anything to your figure, even though he had closely guided several women in his lifetime. Somehow though, he didn't really think of it that way. Maybe it was because to him, children were such a precious gift and so he couldn't imagine that anyone would feel bad; nor that anyone would feel bad about someone else looking less trim because they had children. Honestly, if anything, to Eljay it was only more attractive (at least, that's how it had been with Wiffle; it wasn't like he had a lot of experience or anything).

Reyes sure was a portrait of, well, something. Eljay chuckled at his joke and he smiled softly again when Reyes said that it'd been nice to meet him. Validation was super important to him, after all.

Just as Eljay was about to excuse himself and leave, Reyes then invited him, albeit tentatively, to join his patrols to learn the land. Eljay was quick to nod and said, Yeah, sure, I'd like that. I could show you some good places. Although after the rainfall, a lot of them had been washed away, he could show Reyes some places that meant a lot to him, at least, such as Weejay's garden. Maybe not yet the den where Wiffle'd birthed their children; that was, perhaps, a bit too soon. Eagerly, Eljay set out with Reyes, hoping he could provide a more trusted and comfortable experience than his meeting with Niamh to make him feel at home in the pack.