Northstar Vale Cute without the E.

Towhee made a point to toss in patrols each morning and evening, though her days were mostly spent in relatively idle exploration of the vale’s interior. And she enjoyed every minute of it, from the slow pace to the discoveries themselves.

Presently, she stretched out on a rock overlooking the lake in the valley’s southwestern corner. It was a cold day but the stone and sun were warm on her belly and back, respectively. Towhee felt only the smallest twinge in her scars.

Sup mom! 

Jack loped up to the rock where she was stretched. He panted as he reached the stone, looking over at her wounds to make sure they still looked dope and were on the mend. Both of those important pieces appeared to be true. The boy relaxed. 

Looking at all this stuff? This place is way cooler than Mereo, he stuck his tongue out and made a gagging sound. Is the Imperator here like the one back home? Because home still felt like it belonged in the redstone canyon. Jack was a little slow to pick up on the fact that they had a new home - home was right there.

Jackie, my boy! Towhee crowed obnoxiously when her son approached, reaching out to clap him on the shoulder.

She withdrew her leg and huffed a laugh at his rapidfire comments and questions. She didn’t think twice about his use of the word “home,” though Towhee playfully flicked her wrist like she might tug at the tongue he stuck out.

Arsenio and Tamar probably couldn’t be more different than Germanicus, your new brother-in-law, Towhee replied with amusement. And the vale couldn’t be greener, could it? she added, glancing around. Want to explore with me a bit?

The young Redhawk’s expression at the mention of Germanicus being his brother-in-law was just shy of absolutely revolted. This was news to Jack, of course. He didn’t realize that the most boring man alive had somehow managed to schmooze a member of their family into betrothal. What a world… what a life… Jack Snipe was reeling from this news.

If his mom hadn’t asked him to accompany her on a walk, he might have spent the rest of the day glued to that very spot – disgusted.

’Kay… sure… yeah… explore…

The boy nodded his head absently at his mom. He was ready to venture wherever she wanted. The vale was full of places to explore. She had the best opportunity, anyway. Towhee had been on the mend since their move. She would finally get to see all the best places in their new digs.

I don’t want him to be my brother. He sucks, mom. Sucked ass, as a matter of fact.

Towhee couldn’t help the cackle that escaped her at Jack’s expression. One of the best parts about having kids was dropping bombs on them to see how they reacted.

I mean, she drawled as she rose lazily to her feet and began to plod in a random direction, trending northward, isn’t that what siblings do? Suck? Towhee tittered.

The edge of the red trees sprawled off to their right, though Towhee moved around the outskirts of the forest, headed toward a waterway that would lead to another lake. Come to think of it, she was pretty sure there was one tucked in all four corners of the vale.

Did you know, Towhee said, swinging her head toward Jack, that this means I’m Germanicus’s mother-in-law?

It was a decent point, maybe.

But Leona doesn’t suck that bad! She’s pretty fun. I don’t even think Imperator knows how to smile, he confessed as he followed in her path. Even though his sister didn’t accompany him on as many wild adventures as he might have liked, she was still good company. He didn’t feel like she had a whole tree stuck up her ass when he talked with her.

Jack felt his cheeks burn when he thought back to his meeting with Germanicus. The other two boys had run away so quickly. Only a dude who super sucked could make that happen.

When Towhee mentioned that she would be his mother, Jack lifted his features and grinned devilishly.

Can you spank him?! Please?

Jack’s reaction to this latest revelation was even better than she had anticipated. Towhee snorted, stopping in her tracks. No matter how much she fought against it, the mental image seared itself in her mind’s eye. She fisted a paw and pressed it against her mouth, whether to hold back laughter or vomit was anybody’s guess.

She recovered after a moment and resumed walking, acknowledging her son’s request with a simple, Sure, kiddo, I can do that. Towhee winked at him, looking forward even as she added, I’m glad you and Leo get along so well. I know you’ve never really met Caracal or Sphyra, Tierra’s twin, but I swear those three never got along a day in their lives.

Talking about Jack’s older siblings made her think to ask, Hey, just out of curiosity, what would you think about being an older brother?

Success tasted sweet. Jack reveled in it, pleased that his mom was so cool that she would just spank the ornery Imperator without even asking why. That was a family bond, he thought with pleasure. While he imagined his mom kicking Germanicus’ ass from Mereo to the ocean, she went on to talk about some other members of their family. The young boy took a moment to catch up to what she had said, but he nodded his head in understanding.

Leona can be annoying but not a lot. Just sometimes. And then she’s not annoying and it goes away, he explained. It was pretty simple. Jack didn’t believe that there was anything his sister could do that would sway his loyalty to her. The boy was a ride or die type.

The mention of being an older brother perked his attention.

Sure! Yeah! How would you get em? You gotta trade something real nice? he asked dumbly. Mail order sibling sounded too good to be true.

Now here was a prime opportunity to get a reaction out of Jack. Towhee mentally rubbed her paws together even as she grinned at his obvious enthusiasm. She wondered if what she was about to say would change his mind about baby brothers and sisters.

Yeah, kinda. Your dad and I do a super secret married people handshake, Towhee replied, with our genitals. She glanced at her son’s face without missing a forward step. I go into something called heat and then we bang. If all goes according to plan, I get knocked up. That means I’ll be growing pups, she said, pausing to tap at her middle, in here. Following so far?

Uh huh…

Jack thought she was cracked. The lynx attack must have scrambled her brains like eggs in a skillet. It would have been rude if he just ignored all that hard work she put into her little joke. The young figure swayed slightly as he walked, his eyes lingering on his mom’s features. He wanted her to know that he appreciated the good-humored reply.

How ‘bout you just trade Germanicus for new ones? Do you think if you traded him… that we would get a little brother or sister who sucked like him? Or a better one?

It would be dope if they could upgrade. Jack thought this plan was the superior one. No offense to the growing alien babies inside mom’s ribs idea…

This time, his reaction was a bit anticlimactic. Towhee raised her brows, wondering why Jack didn’t express any outrage at the gross mental picture she’d just painted for him. Maybe she’d used too many slang words and he had no idea what she’d just told him… but no, the look on his face was clearly skepticism. That delighted her for reasons unknown, as did Jack’s insistence that she strike some sort of trade.

What exactly do you think I should trade h—hol’ up. You don’t mean trade with Germanicus, you want me to trade him in toward baby sibs? Towhee laughed, loudly. I’ll take it under consideration, she said, angling for serious, though her dancing eyes gave her away.

Check that out, Towhee said a few moments later, pointing at the body of water ahead with a large rock in the middle. It kind of reminds me of a place I used to live, only the island there was more of… well, an island, and not just a boulder. It was called The Roost. Your Aunt Orca and my friend, X, are actually buried there.

Yeah cause you’re his mom! So, you can get rid of him and get a better brother. 

Clearly, mom…

They were distracted from their talks of bartering the Imperator for “something better” when Towhee motioned for something that had drawn her attention. Jack turned to see what she was talking about, following the line of her gaze to the rock island at the center of the water. It was a cool looking place, he would admit. She said it was like a place where she lived – an island.

What’s an island? he asked slowly. If it was just a rock in the middle of some water, he had skepticism for that, too.

It’s a piece of land surrounded by water, Towhee replied, reaching out to snuffle at Jack’s forehead. That doesn’t really qualify, she continued, gesturing at the boulder, but The Roost was pretty big. I spent a lot of time there when we lived on Heron Lake Plateau. Did you know I was the Alpha there? I ruled the Redhawks for many years, actually, in various places.

In warmer weather, she would have considered trying to swim out to the rock simply for the pleasure of it. But it was rather cold and she didn’t fancy getting wet. And her back probably wouldn’t approve of such exertions yet anyway. Towhee made a mental note to revisit the idea in summertime, her eyes trailing back to her son’s face, smiling as she wondered what he’d make of her tales.

The boy looked between his mom and the rock in the middle of the water. It was pretty much exactly what she described an island as being. Jack didn’t quite understand why this wouldn’t count. He might have asked but she went on to talk about her hold home and the shit she did. The boy kept looking to the rock island. There seemed to be a recurring theme to the stories his mom told.

Why do you leave your homes a lot? You don’t like em? Why’d you have so many?

Jack squinted at his mom and shuffled.

Already she’d pulled them out of stinky Mereo and stuffed them in this new place. Jack liked the new place. He didn’t want to think about moving again. The young boy wasn’t eager to shift his life around like that. Maybe his mom liked doing this that way, but he wanted to get settled. He wanted friends.

A disaster, usually, Towhee replied casually, reaching out to poke him in the cheek just for fun. I’m nearly six years old. I’ve lived a lot of lives in a lot of places. Are you not impressed?

She moved a little nearer the water to dip down and take a drink. It was fresh and icy, just the way she liked it, even if it did hurt her guts a little. After she finished, she wiped at her mouth and took a seat with a grunt, contemplating resuming her earlier sunbath here.

Think I wore myself out a bit. Might be time for a nap. You’re welcome to hang out if you want, though Towhee fully expected Jack had plenty of better things to do.

Jack gave her a look when she poked his cheek. She said that disaster is what made her hitchhike to new lands. She said that she was old or something and that being old meant you lived all over the place. Then she wanted to know if he was impressed. The boy blinked at her with a daft smile on his lips. He didn’t know why he should be impressed by homelessness.

Mom I don’t wanna move okay? We can stay here for a while.

Their trek had made her tired. She said that she needed a nap. Jack Snipe glanced at her, worry marking his face. She said he could hang out. Napping didn’t sound all that fun. He figured he could go find something to bring back to her so that when she woke up, she’d have tons of energy.

You take a nap, mom. I’ll go find you a snack, he waved his tail and set off trotting without another word.

Me neither, kiddo, Towhee said, earnest despite the yawn that cut through the words. Putting a paw to her mouth, she added, I’m really hoping to stay here a long while. And, hey, I won’t complain if you decide to stick around too. You’re welcome to live with me for as long as you like, up to and including forever.

He told her to go ahead and take her nap while he fetched something to eat. Towhee saluted him, feeling a rush of fondness as she watched Jack Snipe wander off to rustle up some grub. All of her kids were pretty great, though there was something really damn special about her youngest two.

Probably Maxim’s baby gravy, she mused under her breath as she made herself comfortable, letting out a noise halfway between a laugh and a sigh as her eyes slipped shut.

Feel free to archive here, unless you want to continue. I’m happy with either/or. :)

I'm having a great time so I'm happy to keep going. Can also whip us up a new one, if you'd rather. ^^ <3

Jack didn’t know about forever. It was a little too Norman Bates for his liking, but he could see himself staying with his mom and dad for a while into his adulthood. He liked the vale. He liked that there were other children who were not bound by the Imperator’s strict schedules and rules. It would be nice to see even more kids pop up – he thought of getting to be a big brother.

While Towhee slept, Jack sniffed out a cache that he believed the Arche had setup. It smelled strongly of a man that the boy was not incredibly familiar with. In the cache was a nice little collection of meats and treats. The young boy found a vole for himself and then scooped up a fish for his mom.

On his way back, he got wildly distracted by the sound of frogs making a ruckus in the reeds by the water. Jack had placed his mom’s fish down to investigate. By the time he had returned to the fish, he was drenched head to toe in a layer of mud. He’d had a good time chasing the frogs, though.

Nearing where his mom had been left to rest, the young Redhawk barked loudly.

Me love long thread!

She dozed, her dreams going in a decidedly steamy direction, probably thanks to thinking about her mate right before falling asleep. Or perhaps she was reliving their tryst the other day. Either way, she began to moan and twitch.

She was still in the throes of it when Jack returned and barked. Another wolf might’ve immediately jumped up at the noise. But of course Towhee didn’t hear it. And she was too busy talking dirty to a dream version of Maxim.

Out in the real world, it sounded something like, Ohhmmmyesrighthurguh, followed by a pause and a loud, DADDY.

Okay, so mom was out of her mind.

Jack stared at her with an expression that read ‘what the fuck?’ It sounded like she was having a dream about her dad. Maybe he was itching a real good spot. Either way, the young boy didn’t want to take second seat to some dream guy itching his mom’s ass.

MOM!

Jack’s voice reached a level of shrill that sent birds fluttering from the trees. He flopped her snack down in front of her snout and then stuck his tongue out and blew it in her face. If Jack Snipe could not enjoy the dream with her, he didn’t think she was gonna get to finish it.

The instant he blew in her face, Towhee jerked awake. Her instincts told her to simultaneously snap her jaws and bound away from whatever danger lurked so close to her face. Fortunately, some part of her brain recognized Jack’s stinky breath, locking her muscles and causing her to sit up very suddenly and then freeze.

Fucking hell, she said weakly, reaching out and putting a paw on Jack’s shoulder like she might need the support, the other one clutching at her chest. You scared the bejeezus out of me…

It wasn’t the sudden wake-up call that had scared her, it was her body’s automatic response. It made her think of Reyes attacking Caracal, an immensely unwelcome thought. She was just glad she wasn’t like her ex, that she’d been able to overrule her instincts and exercise some self-restraint.

Towhee let out a breath and allowed her paw to drop from Jack’s shoulder as she asked playfully, Did you at least bring snacks, rude boy?

Instead of reacting fearfully to the close snap and surprised reaction of his mother, Jack thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. The boy nearly doubled over, he was laughing so rowdily. There had been absolutely zero understanding of why it might have been dangerous to do that to a sleeping creature with fangs, whether she was his mom or not.

Though he wasn’t bright – at all – Jack had learned that his mom couldn’t hear for shit. So, blowing in her face seemed a better way to rouse her from her nice little dream than sitting around patiently waiting for it to finish. The boy didn’t have time for that. He wanted to be doted upon and he wanted it now.

Bajeebus!

Jack laughed again, tumbling to his butt. Towhee quickly saved the scene with the mention of a snack.

OH! Yeah, I got you a fish. She hadn’t seemed to care that he was a mud monster. I ATE A FROG! The young wolf’s voice shouted happily at her. His tail wagged.

Rude boy, Towhee repeated when Jack continued laughing at her, though she smiled.

He’d caught her a fish, which genuinely surprised her. She opened her mouth to tease him about it when he tacked on another declaration. Towhee couldn’t hear, though she was pretty good at recognizing when someone was shouting. There was a certain emphasis to their expression and delivery.

Why are we yelling? Towhee shouted, then added, How the fuck did you manage to catch a fish? Still with that mischievously playful glimmer in her gaze.

Towhee called him rude and then asked why they were yelling. Jack didn’t know why she was yelling, but he was doing it because she was clearly hard of hearing. Which was fine and dandy until she aimed a pointed statement for his jugular.

The young wolf spun around to look at her with betrayal scribbled into his expression.

What’s that mean? HUH? I catch things! Not fish, but he had caught a number of critters that tasted way better than smelly fish. Jack wondered if his mom thought he was incapable. The very thought was enough to make his fur stand up.

I didn’t catch the fish but I found it with my nose so that’s better. I didn’t even have to work, mom.

A meal earned without any labor was a good one.

Towhee was torn between needling him further and making sure he understood she was only teasing him. She opened her mouth to say something or other when Jack admitted he’d found the fish rather than caught it himself.

Well hell yeah, she said proudly, reaching out to clap him on the back if he allowed it, ignoring any mud that got on her paw as a result. That’s called scavenging, you know, Towhee told him, tapping at her temple in the universal signal of, good thinking. There’s a lot of merit to hunting, don’t get me wrong, but being able to scrounge up food without exerting all that energy is even cleverer.

Although, she continued after a pause, giving him the elevator eyes, something tells me you didn’t entirely avoid exerting energy. What happened? she asked lightheartedly, pointing at the mud slathered all over her son.