Redhawk Caldera trust issues

Everybody from RHC is strongly encouraged to attend this pack activity for some team building.
I'll post the next round on February 24th, and there will not be any posting order. You may post multiple times per round if you'd like (just try not to overtake the thread, lol).
@Peregrine @Elwood @Finley @Somnia @Grimm @Dove @Magpie @Theseus @Hex @Jaws

Unrest was in the air. Fox was not a particularly astute wolf, but even she could feel the bad vibes coming off several members of the pack. Peregrine was included in that selection, especially considering he seemed to have more than a mild dislike for Magpie. But maybe she was imagining that. If she had to admit it, even Fox had caused tension with a few of her pack-mates. Even with the children ready to pop at any moment, Fox still felt responsible for the social health of the pack. Actually, she felt an even more pressing need that everybody be on the same page. Without everybody working together, their children wouldn't have the best possible chance at life.

She had continued to carry the weight of the pups well, even though her abdomen was taut. Fox traveled carefully to the edge of the caldera's mountaintop lake. The remnants of Somnia's cache game were still apparent with disturbed pockets of earth laying about. Peregrine was likely not far off, considering they'd been practically attached at the hip for the past week or so. Still, he wasn't within sight, and so Fox called for all the members of her pack to join her. A bit of deja vu hit her when she realized Swiftcurrent Creek had been in a somewhat similar situation around this time last year. Her team building activity hadn't quite gone as planned, but she had a different idea in mind this year.

At first, he had a hard time not telling Fox about what had happened. He kept reminding himself that now was not the time to burden his mate with such nonsense. In any event, the encroaching birth helped take Peregrine's mind off things. Everything else ceased to be of any import to the father-to-be. He stayed close to Fox, making sure she wanted for nothing, and prepared to lay low with her and their newborns for a little while. Everyone and everything else could wait.

The Alpha female had other plans, though. As he trotted back toward their den with a freshly killed rabbit in his jaws, he heard his mate send out a call. Peregrine immediately broke into a gallop, wondering if she had gone into labor and needed assistance. Yet her voice led him to the shore of the lake, where he found the heavily pregnant Fox standing there with a look of anticipation upon her face. He hastened to her side, dropping the rabbit at her feet and nudging her.

"Everything okay?" he asked breathlessly, nosing her ear gently.

Sure, Somnia's verbal skirmishes with Dove caused quite a bit of unease within her. Even if deep down inside she knew Peregrine wouldn't just kick her out without hearing both sides of the story, there were still some doubts as a result of Dove's threat. She had threatened to tell Fox that Somnia was being mean to her, and Somnia had (even if she had saw reason to it at the time). She had been mean to Fox's sister, so depending on how Fox saw the situation, Somnia could get kicked out. But, Peregrine himself had told her he didn't have the greatest first impression of Dove either. Seeing how she had tried to make things right, surely Peregrine would be on her side? But at the same time, he had told her to handle things like a civilized adult, and Somnia was starting to doubt that she had done that.

While the thought of Peregrine - most likely - being on her side was reassuring, it also brought up a much bigger problem. What if Fox wanted to exile her for being mean to her sister, but Peregrine refused to allow it? What if it caused another fallout, like the one that had happened when Peregrine didn't want to accept Magpie back? It was seemed as if Fox would give birth to the puppies any day now too! What if something happened to Fox and her pups as an indirect result of her being on bad terms with Dove?!

When the call went up, Somnia thought for a fleeting moment that that was what it was about. But, Fox wasn't just calling her, she was calling the whole pack. The possibility of this being about her was thrown out of her mind; if this had been about her, the whole pack wouldn't have been summoned. Which meant... PUPPIES! It had to be that! What else would they called for? Without even realizing that the call came not from the Alphas' den, but from the top of the Caldera, Somnia started galloping towards the location of the call as fast as she could.

Out of breath as she arrived on the scene, a bewildered look was on Somnia's face. Fox was still perfectly round! "I-I thought... She spluttered between breaths. In a mixture of physical exhaustion from getting here, and mental exhaustion from trying to understand the situation, Somnia sank to the ground, still trying to get a handle on everything.

Vague since I'm not sure what's going to go down in the goat thread... concussions are good for that. Hopefully, it's safe to assume she's still part of RHC? :P

Magpie didn't remember much of what happened yesterday— the fog was beginning to lift, but trying to recall the details of her return was like trying to see through mud. She was here, though, and that must mean it hadn't been all bad. At least she was still here for Fox, regardless of where she stood with her other pack mates. Still, she kept her distance— keeping to her den to rest, allowing her body some time to heal. As her mind slowly began to clear, the pain in her body became more apparent... but even the details of her injuries were jumbled and confused.

She chewed what grass she could find and easily reach from her den, hoping to ease the nausea, but she had yet to find herbs that would cloud the pain. Her time was spent mostly dozing, hardly even thinking of the tension that seemed to spiderweb throughout the caldera. Fox's voice, however, interrupted her sleepy haze, and Magpie came to attention. Puppies. She had predicted that her sister would give birth around this time, in the days following the new moon. Gritting her teeth against the pain that flowed through her entire body, Magpie exited her den and moved as quickly as she could to greet her Alpha.

Although her movements were slow and pained, still moving in an awkward three-legged gait, the little black-and-white wolf arrived before most of the rest of the pack. Peregrine was there already— of course he was— and she swallowed hard, sneaking a glance at him from the eye she could still see out of. She remembered with startling clarity that he had subtly warned her to tell Fox of what she had said about him before he could, but her efforts to impress the alpha male had taken more time than she intended. Had he told the fiery woman? She looked calm, stoic, and round— Magpie could gauge no meaning.

She sank to her haunches, if only because she couldn't yet stand for long without pain, her posture low and submissive.

After her tryst with the lone wolf, Dove had gone to the lake. She had bathed in it, soaked her tired limbs until they were numb from the chill, and then disappeared among the trees. The desire to sunbathe had left her; the shale stone upon which she usually basked remained empty, and her pale pelt helped the girl to hide out among the snow. She chose to spend the rest of the day scouring the forest for a den site, which took until nightfall to find, and by that point Dove wasn't interested in dirtying herself all over again. She did what she had become accustomed to - and slept beneath an overhang of trees, where the earth was sunken-in as if waiting for her.

Thoughts of the event played out in her mind, over and over. The run through the field... The hill. The stranger once more appearing, the act itself. Dove didn't feel any different for it; she drifted off to sleep with the thought of being entwined with another body —

— and woke to the sound of her sister's voice upon the wind.

Dove eased herself out from her sleeping place and began the hike through the trees, pausing at the lake as she back-tracked, and then moving deeper in to the territory. By the time she was at the heart of it, others had already come out of the woodwork. She spotted a racing figure shooting through the trees and, incited by their panic, picked up her own; but then when she finally reached the meeting point, she saw it was only Somnia. But there was Fox, her spherical sister, and just beyond her was Magpie - what was going on?

The girl remained silent as she observed the situation, and was about to move closer, to be by Fox, when she spotted the dark figure of Peregrine; really she should have seen him first, being as large as he was, but her mind was filled with other thoughts and other worries. So she adjusted her course, approaching but avoiding them at the same time, and gave Fox a little bob of her head as a hello.

Jaws was on the move, continuing his deliberate exploration of the pack's territory, when he heard the howl. He did not hesitate, changing directions immediately to seek the caller, as would be expected of him. He did not believe it to be Peregrine, thinking instead it was like to be his mate and alpha female. The coywolf recalled that she was due to give birth - perhaps it was time. Or perhaps not. Jaws would think it strange if the shewolf requested her entire pack's presence during such an intimate moment.

He arrived shortly to see a small, red colored female he presumed to be Fox, not only for the fitting name but for Peregrine was at her side, which was swelled with pups. Around her had gathered three other females, and one in particular caught his attention - the white female from the other night. Jaws was surprised but unconcerned, and quickly disregarded her, focusing instead on the alpha pair. He approached the group quietly, keeping to the outer edge near the back, dipping his head to them before taking a seat.

It had been a long time since he had been near so many others at once.

The tension between various packmates had grown palpable; Elwood wasn't sure what had happened to cause the shift. They all used to get along and interact with such ease, but granted their membership had changed over the last month or so -- familiar faces had gone and were replaced by new ones. And many of them were female; he certainly wasn't an expert on the fairer sex, but he had the sneaking suspicion that hormones were the culprit.

Luckily, his own drama had ceased just as quickly as it had begun. He and Finley were still far from "official," but he had no complaints with the status of their relationship. Between the time he spent with her and extra patrols and hunts, he had given himself very little free time. In fact, he was in the middle of digging a new cache when Fox's howl went up. Elwood paused, his ears swiveling as he listened to her message; her intent wasn't clear, but she requested the presence of the pack at the top of the caldera.

Wondering if it had something to do with the puppies, he quickly made his way up the mountainside. Even though he tried to move swiftly, there were already other wolves gathered around the lake when he arrived. He moved towards Somnia, though he passed by the Alpha pair and touched his nose to each of their shoulders. His friend seemed a bit anxious, and he bumped her amiably as he settled next to her, though he didn't speak; instead, he let his gaze rove over his remaining packmates. He recognized Dove, and though he hadn't met Magpie, he assumed that the black-and-white yearling was Fox's half-sister. A dark male lingered near the edge of the group, presumably Peregrine's newest recruit. Finley was missing, as was Grimm, but he hoped that the former would make an appearance soon.

Though Finley had had her own bout of drama recently, all of that had been resolved when she and Elwood had admitted their feelings for each other. There was still much to be sorted out between them in regards to their relationship, but Fin was too busy being blissfully happy to care to deal with that yet. It would happen in time, but for the moment, not even hearing about how some new bitch had hit on him and Somnia had tried to flirt with him could bring her down. In fact, that news had really rather just bolstered her own self esteem. The thought that other women wanted what she had? And that he had turned them away for her without a second thought? That was just excellent.

And so, it was with only intrigue that Finley strutted onto the scene. Fox had called everyone together, which seemed to suggest that maybe it was puppy time? But that didn't make any sense. If it was puppy time surely Fox would be busy shoving them out of her bum, not calmly requesting everyone's presence. Quickly she scanned the crowd for Elwood and found him seated near Somnia. She gave him a little grin before trotting over to the alpha pair to greet them each - Fox with a lick on the cheek and Peregrine with a nip to his chin. She then proceeded to Elwood where she smushed herself affectionately against his side, snuffling fondly at his whole face before turning her full attention to whatever this meeting thing was about.

When Fox called, Grimm toyed with the idea of pretending that she was on a far-flung mission and could not reasonably be expected to attend. But this was not the first time she had avoided the pack in the past week, and it was becoming ridiculous. What point was there to dwelling on the past when the future had suddenly become so interesting? Emboldened by this, Grimm made her way at a rapid sprint to the lakeside - and the pack.

She arrived in time to see Finley molesting Elwood's face. An enormous Cheshire cat grin spliced the late arrival's face in two, and she levelled this symbol of I told you so! at the freshly loved-up pair before turning her attention to Fox and Peregrine, passing a pitch-black newcomer to sit as close to the Alpha pair as the presence of other bodies would allow. In the end, she sat by Magpie, offering her bright and whispered "Hi!" The, just for shits and gigs, she leaned over to see if she could flash the bleached, up-tight version of Fox a bawdy grin.

Next round will be posted February 27th. Remember, no posting order! :)

They filtered in. Peregrine, of course, was first, seeing as he had been practically attached to her so close to the birth. She nodded and smiled genuinely to his question. Everything with her and the children was fine, as far as she knew, and there was no reason for him to be alarmed. Somnia arrived next, panting and sputtering. It seemed she had thought Fox had gathered them all here because she was giving birth. While the pack had seen their creation, they would not see the birthing of the pups.

Magpie sauntered in, looking absolutely terrible. Perry had told Fox (or so assumes Remedy) of what had happened, and Fox offered her a kind and sympathetic glance. It seemed their "getting into trouble" blood was mixed well. Fox had gotten herself beat up more times than she could count. Motherhood may or may not knock the thrill-seeking side out of her, but only time would reveal that.

Then came Dove, to whom Fox cast a quick, stern glance before giving her a smile as well. Dove was... more complicated than Fox remembered, and she planned to keep a close eye on her. Another wolf appeared shortly after, though Fox had not met him. She cast him a brief perplexed look before her two besties caused her tail to thump the ground audibly.

Last, but certainly not least, was Grunt. A few others were missing, causing Fox to frown, but she figured there was no time like the present to get started.

“Hey everybody,” she began, sweeping a glance over the wolves that had gathered. They had one fine looking group. “Even though it hasn’t been explicitly told to me, it’s pretty obvious there’s some shit going down between some of y’all. I feel like I'm swimming in tension. I don’t care who did what or when or any of that.” Really, she didn't. It wasn't any of her business, nor did it need to be... unless it got in the way of things. “I can’t make you all love each other, but for the sake of the kids and the wellbeing of the pack, I want to make it clear that if your bickering amongst each other causes a problem, it will be dealt with. Either by myself or Peregrine.” How it would be dealt with would be up to the perpetrators and the severity of the disturbance.

But that was all so... formal. “Anyway! I thought we might do something fun together, since Peregrine and I only have a few more days before we’ll be positively preoccupied with parental duties.” That was a lot of Ps. “Why don’t we all go around and say one nice thing about somebody else. Then that somebody says something nice about somebody who hasn’t been picked yet, and so on.” By the end, each wolf would have had two things happen 1) something nice would be said about them and 2) they had to say something nice about somebody else.

Fox squinted at the group, trying to decide who would make a good starter. “Why don’t you go first?” she asked of whoever decided to post next.

Haha, sorry for length...guess Elwood has some ~feelings~

Only two other wolves joined the group after Elwood -- the one he had been hoping for, and the one that he would have preferred to avoid for...well, the rest of his life. He knew that wasn't possible as long as they were both members of Redhawk Caldera, but when Grimm strolled onto the scene, he winced slightly. She flashed an exaggerated grin in his direction -- just as Finley was showering him with affection -- but he ignored it. He didn't have any harsh feelings towards Grimm, but he did regret the way he had treated her.

He didn't think about her for long, though; it was hard to do anything else while Finley was lavishing him with attention. The Beta male chuckled, affectionately reaching up with a paw to gently cuff her crown. When she finally settled next to him, he leaned against her, happy to feel her presence. He refrained from glancing at Grimm, and instead focused his gaze on Fox, who began to address the crowd.

Interestingly enough, the whole point of this meeting was to ease some of the tension that had grown among the pack. Elwood felt bad that it was necessary for Fox to call everyone together for this reason; although his drama had passed and he and Finley were very much in their "honeymoon phase," he had been in some hot water for a few minutes. Fox knew all about that whole situation. He tilted his head, wrapping his tail around his paws as she suggested a team-building exercise of sorts. Each wolf would be responsible for saying something pleasant about another packmate (sounds like something we would do in my preschool class!). Easy enough, right?

Elwood glanced around the group, taking stock of his options. Of course, he had plenty of good things to say about Finley -- that almost felt like cheating. He needed to challenge himself. Somnia, Fox, and Peregrine would also be pieces of cake; but that left Magpie, Dove, Jaws, and Grimm. He quickly crossed Grimm's name off the list -- not because he had nothing nice to say about her, but because he was afraid he would open a whole new can of worms. Just as he was trying to make a decision, Fox looked right at him and suggested that he start.

The Beta gulped, his eyes darting from one wolf to the next. Finally, after what seemed like a long pause, he said, "Okay, um. Magpie." His gaze found Fox's black-and-white sister. "I don't think I've officially met you yet, so hi. I'm Elwood. I hope you're feeling better," he added with a smile. Welcoming her and wishing for her wellness was what Fox was looking for, wasn't it?

Grimm, on the other hand, jumped straight in.

She drew her own conclusions from Fox's comment about tension. Finwood was very obviously a thing now, and Grimm did not doubt that the Alphas had played some part in making it happen. Still blissfully unaware that Finley had seen the spectacle or that the entire leadership were aware of what had gone down, she seized the microphone with a loud "Me next!" and turned bodily to face the cuddling pair (that she had been instrumental in bringing together) with a big, toothy smile. From the corner of her eye, she had seen Elwood do his utmost to pretend she didn't exist, but it didn't matter.

"Finley and Elwood. You guys make a totally cute couple. Apparently everyone knew you guys were supposed to be together. I didn't, but it's blates obvious to me now.I hope you're happy and together for a long time." In her own goofy way, she made it sound heartfelt - and it was. Grimm had no designs on Elwood, and living with awkwardness until the end of her days was not an option. With a theatrical wink at the match she had helped make, she swivelled back to face the middle.

Magpie could appreciate Fox's idea for an activity, and her mind immediately began churning— who could she say something nice about? Peregrine was an obvious choice, but he had made it obvious that action was better than words. The yearling doubted he'd appreciate any touchy-feely statements she made, here, and it seemed a bit too self-serving to her anyway. Her mind was still churning when Elwood introduced himself, wishing her well— it wasn't a compliment, per se, but it was a nice sentiment and unexpected. She offered a smile and a small nod of her head, unsure of how to respond to a comment like that in such a situation, opting to give a heartfelt, "Thanks."

Now that she was on the spot, it was obvious who she could compliment— Finley, who sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Elwood. She hadn't treated the Beta female very well on their trip to the Sunspire, but she had appreciated the company and companionship. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to make amends and voice her gratitude; but as she opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by a dark female. Magpie glared, despite the point of the activity, gritting her teeth as the nameless wolf showered praise upon two wolves— one of which had been Magpie's target. Greedy.

"I was going to say— Thank you, Finley. I know you didn't have to accompany me to the Sunspire, and I was a little... moody," she jumped in after the obnoxious female returned to her place, censoring her usual foul language in such a formal gathering, "I'm glad I had company, and I admire your loyalty." Because it had been loyalty that moved the Beta to obey Fox without question, and there was nothing bad about that.

"Since you were already taken, though, I guess I need to compliment someone else," her green eyes glanced at Grimm, and she thought about complimenting her— Yay! You're, like, totally enthusiastic and awesome!— but she couldn't bring herself to do so, knowing it would likely come out sarcastic and achieve the exact opposite effect of what Fox intended. Magpie didn't truly know anyone else, beyond Dove, Fox and Peregrine... so she finally did give way and focus on the dark male— Fox seemed too easy, and Dove... well. Could she compliment Dove without it seeming to insult Peregrine? Or without it seeming insincere? He had successfully driven a wedge between the two half-sisters, but they hadn't been close, anyway.

"Peregrine," she began, mind rapid, "We've obviously had our differences. I understand, now, how much you care for Fox," and she did, because she was still here— even injured, even with the extra burden she would be with pups coming so soon— "and the wolves of the caldera. Thanks for giving me another chance." She fell into awkward silence, then, knowing she'd probably get shit from Dove if their paths were to cross again; but she couldn't find herself caring much at the moment.

Fox assured him that she was all right. Over the next few minutes, her purpose for calling became clear. She wanted the pack to gather for a team-building exercise. He looked at his mate's face, feeling mildly guilty. He'd kept his lips zipped about his recent encounter with Magpie and Dove, yet he must not have done a good job of hiding his feelings otherwise. His mate had sensed the tension and that was why they were here. The Alpha male's lips pursed as he scanned the gathering crowd of pack mates around them, which included both of Fox's sisters.

If he was the culprit, Fox didn't seem interested in fingering him, nor anyone else specifically. Peregrine felt some measure of relief when she declared she wasn't interested in details. She just wanted to foster a sense of unity among the caldera's wolves. He bobbed his head in agreement, then swept their audience with his jade gaze, giving them all a meaningful look to punctuate his mate's subtle warning. Their pups deserved to be raised in a cohesive environment. They were all adults who needed to put their petty differences aside and settle the larger ones.

Peregrine laughed inwardly at Fox's decision to make them swap compliments. Elwood quickly began, talking to Magpie. Then Grimm interrupted the natural order, addressing both Elwood and Finley. The Alpha male jolted when he remembered what had happened between her and Elwood. His ears fell back. Was Grimm being intentionally awkward? Was she undermining Fox's effort to lessen tension? Peregrine glanced at his mate, then shot Grimm a shrewd look and shook his head. He enjoyed making people feel awkward sometimes but now was really not the time.

Magpie assumed her rightful turn to speak in the next moment and Peregrine's eyes only shifted to her when she said his name. He could have taken her words as brown nosing and, inwardly, Peregrine mentally corrected her: she'd had more like three or four chances by now. But a quick glance at Fox and her big, round belly made him decide to give the yearling the benefit of the doubt, in the name of the game. He accepted the compliment with a quick, firm smile and a nod.

It was his turn now, wasn't it? Most of the wolves here were easy. Magpie, Elwood and Finley had been taken. Complimenting Fox would be taking the easy way out. He could have complimented Dove, yet he couldn't come up with any redeeming qualities, so he passed over her. He considered complimenting Grimm on her ability to bring two wolves together, yet it still didn't seem the time or place for that. Besides, Finley must already be uncomfortable if not angry already.

"Som," he eventually said, "you're one of the highest-caliber wolves here. Even when things aren't going so hot for you, you're always there for your pack mates. You are the caldera's unsung hero. Thank you for everything you do... and for not immediately running off to make your own awesome pack, which you'd be fully capable of doing." He favored the Gamma with a crooked grin, then fell silent.

Imma just warn you all that this post in particular is mature for language ehuehuehuehue I <3 Grimm

edit: OH! Forgot to mention - I'll tag back in with Fin after everyone else has done their compliments just before the round ends :)

Once she'd received the appropriate amount of giggles from her friend boy, Finley eased off of his face, still grinning like a silly billy even as her gaze slipped over to Grimm. Fin spared the girl little more than a glance before she snapped her attention back to Fox, her head, ears and tail lifting slightly out of instinct as she did so. There was a growl stuck in her throat that she swallowed back, but the mental image that inspired it persisted even as Fox began to talk to the pack about exactly the sort of tension Fin was struggling with right then.

It seemed that Elwood would be the first participant in this little game of Fox's. She felt a very brief moment of jealousy when he turned his attention to Magpie instead of her, but it disappeared immediately to be replaced with adoration for her co-beta as he took the instructions of "say something nice about somebody else" to be "say hi and introduce yourself to someone". She smiled as he finished it up with a sincere wish for her well-being, then looked over at Magpie expectantly as it was now her turn to speak.

But the voice she heard as not that of Fox's moody, lovestruck sibling. Fin kept her gaze glued to Magpie anyway in an attempt at self-control as the whore next to her burst out and announced that it was her turn. Her entire body tensed as Grimm made her compliment to the new couple, her hackles bristling involuntarily at each word. Maybe Elwood could find it in himself to be thankful to the black bitch for making them admit their feelings to one another, but all Fin knew her as was the slut that had nearly destroyed them.

The game continued unaware of the beta's inner turmoil, and since Elwood had already gone, Fin supposed it then was her turn to say something since she'd received the most recent "compliment". Fin held back the urge to tell Grimm "Thanks for being such a slutbag, bitch"! and settled on the more passive aggressive route by thanking Peregrine for bringing she and Elwood together, since it had been way more his doing than the subordinate's vagina's doing in the first place. But luckily, Magpie saved the day by reclaiming her turn and complimenting Fin with something that actually was rather nice to hear.

Finley's rage at Grimm's audacity ebbed away to a far more manageable level at Magpie's well-timed words. She gave the girl an appreciative smile, but kept quiet as she continued to move around the group with her compliments. Peregrine stepped up then, calling Somnia out on being awesome in every possible way, and Fin remained quiet again. One, she didn't trust herself yet to say anything that wouldn't be really shitty on at least some level. Two, the game seemed to be flowing the right way again now and she didn't want to so RUDELY interrupt it like SOME STUPID CU---No, no, sorry. We're still recovering over here.

Extra-posting with permission!

In her excitement, Grimm missed the initial rise of anger in Finley - but it continued to burn her like proximity to fire, and several wolves later, it was obvious what had happened.

Grimm's heart dropped into her paws, continued through the earth's crust, and settled somewhere in the red-hot mantle to die. She shot Finwood a few cautious glances, suppressing a wince each time her caught sight of a bristling hair. She knew. Maybe they all knew. Grimm's heart burrowed deeper. She chanced a glance at the Alpha pair, catching Peregrine's disapproving look and slicked-back ears - and took it as confirmation. Yes, they all knew. Slowly, Grimm's almost permanently forward-facing ears rotated and fell. Her posture followed suit. Two seconds passed. Three. Ten.

Under the pretence that she was desperate for a pee, the Caldera's newly crowned Least Wanted wordlessly excused herself to take refuge in the nearest evergreen bush, giving Elwood the very briefest of looks as she turned. When she emerged, it was several paces behind the newest recruits - and only until it was socially acceptable to make an early exit.

Fox's idea sounded decent to begin with, but as the wolves each took their turns, Dove found herself growing more and more withdrawn from things. Elwood spoke up first - and then Grimm cut in, that rude girl who had been one of the first to greet Dove weeks ago - and from there, things kind of went downhill. With each new individual talking, Dove was eagerly awaiting someone to address her; it wasn't a narcissistic desire, nor a selfish one. That's what she believed anyway. All the girl wanted was some good cheer thrown in her direction, some validation, but.. As the conversation betwixt these strangers continued, Dove realized that she had done some serious harm to her chances.

Inevitably she found her attention drifting from the commotion of the gathering. Her gaze traveled to one of the few wolves she recognized, one of the few who had made her feel good - and her gaze lingered briefly upon Jaws. But as soon as she caught his eye, she was looking away again. Nervous. Feeling very out-of-place with all the hubbub around her. Back home Dove had been the center of attention, the girl that all the boys wanted; but here, Elwood had Finley, Peregrine had Fox, Somnia - in her own way - had a connection to the Beta male. All Dove had was... Herself. And maybe, though she was too confused to think it, maybe she had Jaws.

And then, as she returned her attention to the last wolf to speak - Finley, who she had previously mistaken as Elwoods sibling, oh god - she noticed the tension between her and Grimm. But Dove was oblivious to their previous indiscretions - and chose to speak up next. In part to make everyone redirect their animosity, and in part because she wanted to feel the thrill of being the belle of the ball. Alright, my turn.

I don't know any of you, so I don't know what to say, or to whom I should say it. That was a pretty bad start, but there was a point to this. And... I know I've been a huge bitch to a lot of you. Either to your face or behind it, Again, not the best thing to bring up right now; but if Dove was one thing, she was honest. In need of a filter sometimes... But honest. For a moment the girl's words died down, and she perused the gathering - looking from one wolf to the next, trying to decide on who to talk about, or to. Once again, as her gray eyes caught the silhouette of Jaws, they hurried to the next face.

Landing eventually upon Fox.

Fox. I... I am very happy to have found you again. It means a lot that you accepted me in to your pack, and I know... I have had a hard time adjusting. Understatement much. But I promise to do better. Just like I promise to be here when your little ones come. While she didn't look away from Fox, there was a slight change in her tone as if to remind people of that important promise; Peregrine specifically, since he was so adamant in believing the worst about her. But without missing a beat, she continued. I wish you good health. To you and your family - all of them. With that said, Dove reprieved herself of the stage; she stepped back and sat down, crossing her paws in her usual manner, but still looking a bit piquant.

Yeah, if it makes sense to post twice in one round, I don't mind. :)

Either Fox hadn't explained how turns worked, or Grunt was duller than she had originally thought. Then again, the girl had been trying to gather poisonous mushrooms, so perhaps Fox shouldn't have given her a lot of smart credit to begin with. Then, everybody was bouncing around, Grimm was feeling bad about the tension (which she didn't seem to understand until now she'd been known to cause), Peregrine said some (well deserved) nice things about Somnia, and Dove was complimenting Fox. It all happened so fast, Fox barely had time to reign things in.

“Thanks, Dove,” she replied, and she meant it. Dove had been, well, a bit of a troublemaker since she'd come here, but Fox was glad to know she was willing to get back on the right track. “Go ahead, Som,” Fox assured her, giving the Gamma a smile.

I feel like I'm holding this up, so I'll get up a reply to this tonight.

Everyone arrived soon after her. Elwood sat next to her, and she gave him a friendly smile. Finley soon arrived on the scene, and glued to herself to Elwood's side. The sight of the two love-struck Betas made her smile, for how could she not when two of her good friends were in such a wonderful mood?

As it became clear that those who weren't here wouldn't be coming, Fox announced why she had called them. Her idea was a good one to Somnia, and it seemed to work out just as well.... Until Grimm overstepped her boundaries. The tension Finley experienced was noticeable, and Somnia gave a disapproving shake of her head. There wasn't any permanent ill feelings behind it, for surely she was learning from this mistake already with the way she slunk towards the back of the group.

Wolves continued to get complimented, and there was a sense of suspense that came with wondering when you would get picked, and who would be left to compliment. Eventually, Peregrine complimented her. There was a mixture of pride from being complimented, and embarrassment from such a big praise being said in front of most of the pack. Her face felt heated, yet her chest puffed out proudly as a smile blossomed on her face.

Now it was time to choose her target. Luckily, Dove jumped in and gave her some more time to think. There was Grimm, the wolf in deathly need of encouragement, Elwood, who she took for granted most of the time, Dove, who Somnia had tension towards, and an unknown male wolf who Somnia was trying her best to ignore for certain reasons. In the end, she chose Grimm.

"Thank you, Peregrine. That meant a lot to me." Somnia said before moving on to her compliment. "Grimm, everyone makes mistakes at times, but the important thing is we learn from them. It takes some courage to test the water, to figure out what is wrong and right the hard way instead of waiting for others to embarrass themselves for you to find out. I compliment you on your ability to put yourself out there, and withstand some embarrassment so others can avoid putting themselves through it."

A little bit of a problem would occur now; Grimm had already complimented someone. To resolve any potential confusing, Somnia added one more thing. "Finley, you may go now, as Grimm already has." Besides, she's been complimented and hadn't had her turn to compliment.

Embarass myself? Christ on a tricycle, how many wolves knew about this? Grimm offered Somnia a weak smile from where she now sat, unsure how to take the backhanded compliment but grateful for it nonetheless. It did not even occur to her the reason for at least some of the pack's disdain was the fact that she had skipped turns (and actually, it's all Karm's fault anyway, because she misread the instructions as 'somebody' rather than 'that somebody').

When the attention left her, she shuffled further back, desperately reaching for the safety of the shadows.

Posting since the next round will start tomorrow and I don't want to miss out on this one. You buggers keep 'passing the baton' to someone specific rather than whoever posts next LOL. It's inadvertently creating a posting order *waggles finger*

Jaws had absolutely no idea about the tensions among his packmates, but there was no doubt they existed - it could be felt and it could be seen in the looks they were giving each other. He remained silent as they all spoke, feeling rather out of place. While the white female had cast him several glances, he only offered back one, his gaze moving around the group. One of the black females in particular seemed to be very uncomfortable about the situation, moving herself first to the edge of the gathering and then behind Jaws.

As he did not know anyone, Jaws was at a lost as to who to address or what to say. He had an idea, but the exchanges between the longer-standing members were not offering him much opportunity to make a comment, so he simply remained as he was and kept quiet.

this ain't goin' well for Fin...

It seemed that Finley trauma at this meeting was far from over, as she had foolishly allowed herself to believe. She glanced over at Grimm as the female excused herself to urinate and couldn't help but feel some bitter (and very canine) satisfaction at the fact that she'd likely made it happen with her subtle display. From that moment, it seemed like the rest of the meeting would pass without incident - Dove told her sister that she was awesome, then Fox shifted the attention over to Somnia for her turn.

Fin stared at Somnia as she proceeded to compliment Grimm on her ability to... what? "Test the water"? "Figure out what is wrong and right the hard way"? The beta couldn't have known that Somnia knew what had happened between Grimm and Elwood, but her mind went ahead and jumped to the conclusion that she did, and she was actually commending her for bravely banging Elwood.

The look the beta gave her friend was difficult to read at best, for she herself didn't know how to react. It was too stunning to process, and immediately she felt overwhelmed with hurt, betrayal and the poisonous seeping of anger through her blood. Were it any other circumstance, Fin would have lost her cool and confronted the both of them right then and there, but she was far too loyal to Peregrine and Fox to bring up this conflict in a meeting that was all about the exact opposite. And so, she swallowed her pride and sat fuming, even when her friend proceeded to pour salt in the wound by giving her higher-ranking superior permission to take her turn. Perhaps innocently said, but in her already burning mood, quite blatantly disrespectful.

By some gift from the gods, Fin managed to turn her gaze calmly across the gathering to land on one of the newcomers - Jaws, if she remembered correctly. "Jaws, you have a remarkable amount of patience to have put up with my teasing the other day. I think you're going to make a great addition to the pack," she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes. It was short and sweet (and all true too!). All the better to end this awful meeting so that she could get the hell away from all of them so that she could implode in private.

Jaws turned to Finley when she spoke to him, dipping his head respectfully, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "Thanks," he replied. He still was not sure about the beta female but at least for now he had her approval as well.

By his count there was only one wolf that had not been addressed - the white female he met before. Jaws did not know her on any personal level and he did not even know her name until another packmate had spoken it. "So, Dove..." he began, turning to her, a roguish grin forming on his face. "I don't knowing anything about you, but with your good looks I bet you could charm a frog off its lily pad." Naturally, Jaws had to make a joke. But he did not give her a chance to say anything back before he addressed the group as a whole, punctuating his words with a nod at the end. "In fact, I don't really know any of you. But you're the finest looking bunch I ever did see."

I'll leave this open until March 2nd. No posting order. :)

Eventually, everybody got their turn. At least she thought they had. The game hadn't gone exactly as planned, but it didn't feel like a total failure, either. Better than nothing, right?! "Maybe next time we'll just have a game about following instructions," she thought, mildly amused by the whole debacle. In any case, she felt it had done some good for the pack, if only because everybody got a chance to talk in front of the group and meet one another. Theseus was still... oddly absent, but Fox had more or less forgotten he was even a member at this point. These wolves right here were the ones she knew and trusted the most, anyway.

She considered saying something about how those who still had problems needed to get them resolved, but she ushered the thought aside. Surely they would figure it out on their own, or they really were dumber than she thought. "Thanks, everybody. I know it can be hard to get along with everyone, but we gotta work together on this. So, who wants to follow me to the lake and take an icy bath?" she asked, ears pricking up momentarily to hear any last requests before she began the journey to the lake. Now that she was in the final days of her pregnancy, all she wanted was some cool down time.

The Alpha male couldn't tell if he'd simply misunderstood the rules of the game or what. He supposed it didn't matter, as everyone got to speak in the end and everybody received a compliment of some sort. It hadn't gone down perfectly, though. Peregrine blinked as Grimm scooted to the outskirts of the group, then looked pensively at Dove as she stole the spotlight. Once she was done, Fox thanked her, then passed the torch back to the Gamma. He figured Somnia would say something incredibly sweet so some lucky someone, though he was a little wrong about that. Peregrine cringed slightly at the way she addressed Grimm, then instructed Finley to go next.

So much for cutting the tension! Luckily, Finley spoke with utmost grace, paying their newest member, Jaws, a friendly compliment. Peregrine smirked at the mention of teasing, then tipped his head expectantly when it was the black hybrid's turn to speak. He chose Dove, complimenting her on her beauty but saying nothing of her personality. Peregrine looked smug, then smugger still when Jaws paid the entire group a compliment. We totally are... the Alpha thought as his gaze swept the circle. He even begrudgingly included those he didn't like as well.

Fox seemed to think everything had gone well. Since she was the ringmaster of this little circus, Peregrine decided to follow her example. "Yeah, thanks for your par-tizzy-pay-shun," he quipped. "And remember: we want the kids to grow up in a place where everyone gets along. So don't fuck it up for us." Peregrine winked.

He looked at his mate a bit strangely when she proposed they go for a polar bear swim next. Uh, no thank you! he thought. Aloud, he gently teased, "Will you sink... or float?" Giving Fox a nuzzle, he stepped up beside her. She could play in the water and he would be happy to play lifeguard.