Dragoncrest Cliffs this guy plays football, but i once won the whole superbowl by myself

So far, Stingray was unaffected by the length of Njord's absence.

He believed wholeheartedly that his father was still visiting his family in Meares and would be home soon, and it just took longer than everyone thought it would. Ray himself was late to dinner all the time, so that made perfect sense to him. The possibility that Njord was waylaid, or worse, never entered his mind. The optimism of youth helped a good deal with that belief, even as @Meerkat's mood gradually darkened. So far, it had not meaningfully affected her son.

Yet there were little eddies of change around him and his behaviour that suggested he was not entirely spared from concern. More and more often, Stingray visited the pack's private beach and looked out over the waves as if he could see his paternal family's island in the distance. That was where he was now, so focused on the horizon he didn't see a little crab scuttling past until it clambered over his paw.

Oh, hi lil guy! he said to it, stepping gingerly out of its way. Sorry ta bug ya! The crab, of course, did not answer, which didn't stop Stingray from proudly sharing, I'm gonna be the first to see da when he comes home! You'll see!

I hope you don't mind another brother thread. <3

Where Stingray had continued with normal behavior and his typical shot of jovialness, Swordfish had found their mother’s darkening mood and the absence of their father to be more troublesome. He had grown pouty and tired. He didn’t seem to want to play when prompted. The young boy watched the ocean waters from the cliffs with a sullen expression, most days. When he could be roused to do something, he didn’t give it his all and ended up sulking shortly afterward.

When he found Stingray talking to a crab, Swordfish opted not to say anything. He considered turning around and going to find their mom. It had been a while since he’d had a chance to delve into his brother’s imaginative world. Perhaps that was what he needed, he considered internally – a dash of glowing golden sunshine provided by his brother.

Hey, Ray… Swordfish greeted, drawing his tongue across his chops with a heavy-lidded stare toward his sunlit brother. Who’s your friend? The boy motioned toward the crab with nis shout.

Ray looked up at the sound of his brother's voice, meeting Swordfish's tired expression with a beaming one of his own. Hey, Fish! This was another little change in Stingray, who might previously have partaken of some light goading where his perpetually lethargic brother was concerned. It was common for him to try to force his littermate into some game or adventure or another. Instead, he beckoned his brother closer with no indication he meant to do anything at all.

It fell to him, he felt, to try to cheer his siblings up rather than make things worse.

He just came outta the sand, he explained. D'ya wanna follow him and see where he goes? Maybe he would lead them to some hidden crab village where the other crabs went, or maybe he would show them to a secret trove where crabs hid their treasures. The mere possibility of finding something cool was enough to entice Stingray, but what about Swordfish?

Despite the pout on her features, her mother convinced her it would be good for her to go play on the beach, while she watched for any danger. Suzu followed at her mother’s heels through the tunnel, but hesitated when the daylight spilled into the end of it. Her mother looked over her shoulder, nodded, and then disappeared into the light. Suzu hated being left on her own- so, dawdling, she followed.

She kept to her mother’s flank as she strode down the beach. Her gaze was fixed upon two others in the distance. It wasn’t her siblings, but two boys who looked a little bit older than her. Chacal chose to rest in the shade of the cliffs, but urged Suzu to go and see if she could play with the boys.

She felt mortified.

She had to walk out in the open, across the sand, and approach two older boys? Her expression was read by her mother, who tried to soothe her child with a lick to her forehead. She nudged the girl in the right direction and assured her that no harm would come to her. She’d be watching.

So Suzu began to move toward the boys, sticking to driftwood and piles of kelp, so she might not be quite as obvious. When she looked for her mother, she saw her occasionally- her dark blended in well with the shadows, but the flash of her eyes was there. She continued sneaking her way toward the boys until she frightened herself, stepping in a tide pool. She yelped and hopped away, but to her dread, something long, dark and wet was wrapped around her paw.

She screamed, horrified. Then, when she realized that it was just seaweed, she slipped it off her foot, and tried as hard as she could to simply sink into the ground, hoping the boys hadn’t seen her total meltdown.

Swordfish didn’t hesitate to draw closer. His steps were drawn out. He took his time, but the boy found a spot beside his brother and gazed down at the crawler. Crabs were interesting to look at, he felt. They had bodies that were quite unlike any prey he’d tasted. If Stingray hadn’t been talking to the little thing, Swordfish might have risked the claws to see if he could get a bite out of the sand-dweller. Instead, he had been propositioned to follow the crab.

I… do, he confirmed. Y’think he’ll go back to a whole bunch of others like him? Or do you think he’s on a mission to deliver an important message to the crab boss?

Those questions really weren’t going to be answered, as the boys founds themselves with more company. The yelp drew Swordfish’s attention to a sharp point with narrowed eyes. When he saw that it was just another kid, his tail wavered slowly. He shifted his attention back to Ray and shifted curiously.

Wanna invite her too? he whispered.

This is gonna be my last one here, I just need to reset my threadlogs, but please feel free to powerplay Stingray however you like so you can continue! I'm sorry for holding this up so long. :(

Oooh, good question! exclaimed Stingray as he mulled over Swordfish's suggestions. He thought a crab treasure trove would be pretty awesome, but surely this crab would be a little more glam if he had a hidden stash of jewels. I bet it's the crab boss. Look at him go! He's gotta be doing something real important. Maybe—

Before he could finish the thought, Suzu's scream pierced right into the center of his brain and shattered the pretend crab scenario he was dreaming up. His head shot up and his ears pressed forward. Adrenaline hit him like a bulldozer so that by the time Suzu threw herself down and Swordfish whispered to him, Stingray's heart was racing.

Not knowing what else to do with this jittery energy, he hollered, YOU'RE IT! at her and took off running, forgetting for the time being about the crab and its secret message for the crab boss.

I'm OK to fade as well; always up for an updated thread though!

They looked at her. She tucked her tail in around her haunches, and flattened her ears in an apology. She probably sounded like a baby, crying out like that- and all just because the kelp had frightened her. It was pretty gross- slippery and sticky, like an eel...They seemed to debate her presence for a moment, and she felt discouraged. 

Stingray shouted- and bolted. Suzu's ears perked- she knew that cue. It was an invitation! She didn't like being 'it,' and these boys were much older and bigger than she, but she scrabbled to her feet and charged them with as much of a frenzy as she could muster. What she didn't have in size, she'd have to make up for with tenacity, and with a bright smile she lunged after the boys, yipping and hollering with joy as they played their game of tag.

A spontaneous game of tag had sprung from Stingray. He barked out who was tagged “it” and then raced off, kicking up earth behind him.

Swordfish watched with a heavy-lidded stare and a slouched figure. The girl didn’t hesitate for a moment. She sprung after the golden racer and didn’t look back. Damn his brother, sometimes. The young wolf huffed a sigh and began to trot after them. Swordfish planned to catch up whenever he got there. They could run ahead.