Redhawk Caldera disconnect the dots

Family and close friends welcome. Maybe @Peregrine? :)

Unlike her mate, Fox had not immediately had overwhelming love for her children. She cared for them, that much was true, but she did not feel like they were anything particularly special. Well, they were. But they weren't. It was confusing and frustrating and caused her to feel especially guilty when Perry would fawn all over the four little potatoes she'd given birth to. How could it be that she had waited so long for this and wasn't ecstatic about their little family?

A frown tugged at her lips as she nudged the derp so he could get a better hold on the milk dud he'd been trying to get at. The red one, her mini me with the black tail, shrieked something awful for no apparent reason, and Fox attempted to soothe her by licking her head. This worked for approximately two seconds before she imitated a banshee again, so Fox picked her up and moved her toward a teat. The brown one seemed asleep, from what she could tell, and the black one as well. Fox sighed. Where was that natural bond that she was supposed to feel with them?

*glomps*

Their little red screamer was a good sleeper, yet during those sparse waking moments, she made sure everyone else in the caldera was awake too—namely, her parents. Her latest shriek caused Peregrine to startle awake from a light catnap. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked at the little banshee, then to Fox's face. She appeared pensive and Peregrine carefully leaned over the pups in between them to nudge her.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice quiet because, despite their elder daughter's frequent blats, the atmosphere in here was generally a peaceful one.

Others are welcome to pop in whenever! And... don't mind Fox's postpartum depression. <__<

"Hm?" she asked, blinking as she tried to piece together the words that her ears had heard while her mind had been elsewhere. "Oh. Yeah. Just tired." That wasn't a lie, exactly. Nothing else was wrong. And she was tired. She'd barely managed to eat today, save for one of the small rodents Jaws had brought them. Whatever sleep she got was usually short and broken up with kids prodding her belly or visitors coming by for a look-see.

"The cream one..." she trailed off, "He's really small." Too small? He seemed to have the most trouble getting milk, and he was frequently pushed aside by his brothers and sisters. What if he couldn't eat enough? What if an adult stepped on him? What if Fox rolled over on him and smothered him in her sleep? Would it be so bad if they had one less to care for? Fox blinked, trying not to think such horrible thoughts. "You think he'll be okay?"

She seemed distracted and careworn. Peregrine sympathized, though he saw nothing strange about this. He gave her an encouraging smile, then looked at their pale son when she began asking about him. Up until this very moment, he hadn't thought anything of the boy's tiny size. He would grow, in time. His heart began to beat a little faster, wondering if Fox intuited anything amiss with the runt.

"He'll be fine," he said reassuringly, speaking not only to her but to himself. "I was thinking that you should name him," he added, hoping to ease her mind and get her to think of something more positive. "He's your very first child, so I just think you should get the honor. Plus, he must look like some wild creature out there. Maybe..."

He pondered a moment, then began spouting suggestions. "Owl?" He did take after her paternal grandmother and there were definitely white/cream owls out there. "Goat? Swan? Uh, Polar Bear? Snowshoe Hare? Beluga?" But he wasn't white, per se, but a sandy sort of color. Hm...

If Peregrine sensed her quiet unease, he didn't show it. Or Fox was to dull to notice that he'd noticed. In any case, she did her best to brush the thoughts away like cobwebs. The newly-dubbed Dud then began to rattle off names, one after another, which might be placed upon the sandy boy's body. She listened with pricked ears, though she knew that naming them so soon was bad luck. It was one of the few superstitions she bought into, and she certainly didn't wish to curse the smallest and weakest of her first litter. "I'm sure he'll make it clear what his name is in time," she replied, nudging the sandy boy upright when he rolled over onto his back.

How could she name them when it didn't even seem like they were alive? They were just eating, shitting, puking machines right now. Blind and deaf to boot. How were these writhing potatoes supposed to be... charming? Fox did her duty as any mother should, but she derived less joy than she felt she should have. They were work more than they were fun. Perhaps bonding to them would simply take time.

His attempt to lighten the mood was met only with a dull response. Again, Peregrine didn't read anything into this. She was tired and, moreover, she'd made her position clear when it came to naming pups. Nonetheless, his lips pursed slightly. He wanted to spit out a few more ideas, yet he sensed that she wasn't feeling it right now. Her words implied that she would like naming rights over the boy, though, so that was good.

"I think this little dude's gonna be Nightjar," he said, giving Fox a tentative glance to gauge her reaction. She'd said he could name half of them and he'd asked her if he could use this name for a child that came out looking just like their second son did (how serendipitous!). "What do you think?" He reached out a paw to stroke the chubby puppy's flank. The question could have been meant for Fox or little Nightjar himself, though of course the puppy was too young to answer and stone deaf to boot.

If Peregrine named his pups before a turn of the moon, would they be cursed? Or did it only apply to Fox's naming them? Now there was a question she wouldn't even dare to try and answer. She vaguely remembered him mentioning Nightjar before (or at least she thought she remembered), and she touched the mottled boy with her nose. He twitched and yawned, but didn't move from where he had been. Either he was sleeping or adamant about staying right where he was.

"I think it works," Fox replied, though there wasn't the same warmth in her voice as there had been in Peregrine's. If things did not turn around, she would share the concerns about her own mental well-being with Peregrine. But for now, she did her best to assume that it was just a passing phase. "You should name the one with the red fur," she suggested. "Not right now, if you don't want to, of course." Fox wasn't sure why she thought Perry should name that one. It just felt right.

*barges in* BAHAHA <3

Fin had tried very hard to stay away. After all, twice in one day was rather a lot for the brand new mom, especially when it had been the very same day the little firebirds had been born. But.. Now it was the next day. And she hadn't gone yet to visit. And it was at least later in the day, so it wasn't like she'd gotten back home and turned right around and gone back, so it was okay, right? Right?? And besides, it's not like Stevie's almost at 20 active threads in her threadlog on Fin alone and is falling behind on other threads, so that no big deal too, RIGHT?????

Whatever the case, Finley trotted eagerly along with Elwood in tow (whom she had been offended to find had gone back without her to play with the tiniest little nugget - rude boy! ..and hypocritical girl!). She at least had located an excuse this time in the form of a gift for the new parents. A dead cardinal! So, barely a gift at all, but one that she hoped would make them smile as it was, after all, a firebird for the firebirds. Funny, eh? Not at all morbid and creepy and totally inappropriate?

"..and then she started sucking on my thumb! On my thumb! What the crap? I think she needs taught that she has thumbs of her own to do that with," Fin rambled on to Elwood as they went, quite obviously taking advantage of the fact that she'd made him carry the dead bird. Fin took his lack of silence as a sign that he was enjoying her stories, not that his mouth was too full to tell her to shut up. All thoughts of her previous story disappeared though as the alpha's den came into sight, and with an eager whuff to her friendboy, she took off to close the rest of the distance.

"Knock knock!" Finley trilled happily as she slowed her pace, stopping just a few feet short of the den. She peeked inside with a frantically wagging tail, smiling as she spotted the two of them in there, both awake. "We come bearing ...gift!" she added, wanting to make sure that they knew she wasn't there again for the puppies - it was totally so that she could give them a dead bird. She was so not addicted to watching the legged meatballs wriggle and squawk.

*follows!*

It didn't take much persuasion from Finley to convince Elwood to make yet another trip to see the firebirds. He had been there earlier in the day but she insisted that he accompany her -- and he eagerly obliged. The tiny puppies still made him a little nervous, but he was becoming more comfortable with them each time he visited. At this rate, they would be just as familiar with Aunt Fin and Uncle El as they were with their own parents.

He laughed around a mouthful of feathers as Finley described Wildfire's antics (not for the first time, might I add!). It was obvious that his friend-girl was quite taken with the Alphas' children, and he was honestly surprised she hadn't kidnapped one for herself yet.

When they reached the Redleaf-DiSarinno homestead, he stopped next to Finley but didn't drop the cardinal just yet. He kept it clasped protectively in his mouth; once Fox and Peregrine indicated that they were welcome, he would deliver it to the floor of the den.

Hi guys! <3

Her tone seemed almost blasé but Peregrine hardly noticed because she'd more or less agreed to the name, which was exciting! The Alpha male's tail thumped and he shifted his broad paw to rest ever so lightly on his son's head. "Allow me to formally dub thee Nightjar." He smiled, then removed his paw. He didn't want a repeat of yesterday's episode if he could help it.

Fox proposed he name the red one. "I think you're surfing my brainwaves," he quipped. It was official: he had named Nightjar and now he would name their wannabe banshee. "I was thinking of calling her Attica... but I don't think I like it, at least for a first name. Maybe a middle." Peregrine made a ponderous noise. "In the meantime, I'm down with calling them Fuzzbutt #1, #2 and #3," he added, indicating them with a toe and adhering to their age (oldest to youngest).

Right then, two sudden but not unwelcome guests arrived in their doorway. Peregrine jumped, then turned to see the shining faces of his Beta pair, complete with a dead cardinal. Out of everyone else in the caldera, he minded these two the least, perhaps because seeing them together like this was a wholly separate but joyful experience. But it was the Alpha's prerogative to give everyone a hard time, so he sighed dramatically (and mostly jokingly) before shifting so he was no longer blocking the view of the pups.

"Fitting," he observed of their gift. "Is it meant to be eaten or should we pin it to the wall...?" Peregrine wondered genuinely. He gazed at the bright red bird, then at the Firebirds, then met Finley's gaze. "Wildfire, after her godmother's favorite hot sauce," he announced without any preamble whatsoever, still looking into the Beta female's friendly brown gaze before turning to make eye contact with Fox. "Wildfire Attica."

Even though her feelings for the children were iffy at best, Fox still had all the love in the world for Peregrine. Knowing that he was happy meant more than anything else to her, and it always would. It seemed he was content to call the others "Fuzzbutt" for the time being, and she leaned forward to give Dud a lick on the cheek. No sooner had she done so did two of her best friends come to their door. The sight of them lifted her spirits somewhat, and for a moment, the four-legged potatoes were forgotten.

Finley had brought them a red bird (a male cardinal, by the looks of it), and Elwood had tagged along for the ride. Fox was vaguely aware that they had both been by a few times, but she'd only been half-awake for those encounters. Peregrine announced the name for the little red and black smudge, and Fox tipped her muzzle to point at the newly-dubbed daughter, indicating to Finley and Elwood that she'd been named.

"Perry named the darker brown one Nightjar," she added. Fox still felt strangely detached.

"Dealer's choice," she replied with a smirk. Fin's tag continued to wag steadily as both alphas acknowledged the presence of their betas in their own ways. When Peregrine shuffled about to make room for them to see, Fin settled down in their doorway after making a few circles and scratching a little at the ground. Once she'd plopped down, she set her eyes on Peregrine who apparently was giving her a rather meaningful and thoughtful look. She canted her head slightly as he spoke, for the briefest of seconds thinking that he was calling her 'Wildfire'.

When finally it occurred to her, Fin was speechless at the gesture. "Awww.. Dick face..." she said adoringly, "What a sweet and... kinda weird gesture." It was so fitting, she realized. Just like them... A little weird, but still pretty cool. Fin smiled as Fox gestured for her to let them know which pup had been given the name, her eyes lighting up as she realized it was the little one who'd suckled on her claw.

"Well hi there, Nightjar and Wildfire," she cooed happily at them. Her gaze then went to the other two at Fox's belly, still yet unnamed, "And hello to you, miscellaneous extras!" Fin smiled a smile that look just like :3

Elwood stepped forward to let the bird plop to the ground at Peregrine's feet. He then maneuvered back a bit, deciding to sit just behind Finley -- who wasted no time in making herself comfortable right in the threshold of the den. From his location, he had a good view of the puppies as they alternately fed, slept, and wriggled around.

The proud parents introduced two of the babes as Nightjar and Wildfire, though the others apparently seemed to still be lacking in the name department. Elwood smiled; the titles they had chosen so far were fitting, especially for Wildfire, as she seemed to have a particularly feisty personality.

"What about the other ones?" he asked, the question open for either parent to answer. He then shifted his gaze specifically to Fox and queried, "And how are you feeling?" She seemed a little more subdued than usual, but he chalked it up to exhaustion from the flurry of activity over the last twenty-four hours.

Somehow, he had forgotten about it until now. It was one of his favorites too. Wildfire, he repeated in his head, gazing now at the child in question. She gargled, which he took as a sign of acceptance. I wonder if they're telepathic...? She snorted and the father did the same, shaking his head. The name was a perfect fit, with that fiery red coat and the screaming that set everyone's ears on fire. And he still got to pay homage to his brother.

He smiled crookedly at Finley's response, then laughed lightly when she referred to the two unnamed pups as miscellaneous extras. "Fox will be naming those two. It's traditional in her family to wait until they're a little older to name the pups," he explained, shooting her a fond glance. "For now, they're Fuzzbutts #1 and #3 or, alternatively, Derp and Derpina," he said, pulling those nicknames right out of his ass.

While Elwood engaged with Fox, Peregrine refocused his attention on the Beta female. "So... what do you think, godmother?" he queried, jade eyes sweeping over the four Firebirds and then returning to her silvered face. He had the look of a proud papa on his dark mug.

I could've sworn I started writing a reply to this, but the draft is nowhere to be found. Womp womp!

The comment about "miscellaneous extras," made Fox feel instantaneously guilty. Without really thinking about it, she found herself looking at the pups, one by one. Which one was which? They were just potatoes with legs. She was staring blankly at them as Elwood and Peregrine went back and forth for a minute before the former asked how she was doing. “Fine, fine,” she replied with a weak smile, “Just tired.” Another lie, but she wouldn't fess up to being a poor mother.

What if she never loved them? What if she continued to feel this distance between herself and them? They were just... she couldn't even put a toe on it. Fox blinked, then refocused her attention on Finley, who'd been asked a question.

Fin giggled softly at the name Fuzzbutts. It was rather fitting as they did have quite fuzzy little rear ends. She turned her gaze to Fox as Elwood inquired after her well-being. She looked exhausted.. Almost as though she'd just pooped out four living creatures. Good lord that was weird.. But also, the most natural thing in the world. Which made it all just super weirder.

As Fox replied to the question, Peregrine stole the beta female's attention back. Her eyes grazed over the firebirds as she scrunched up her face in thought. The whole wildfire sauce thing was now stuck in her mind, and thus she could do nothing but admit to Peregrine: "Now that you brought it up," she said with a slow smirk, "They do look an awful lot like little chicken wings, don't they? Only with fur..." She shook her head, wondering if the new parents would be at all offended by the comparison. "Don't get me wrong; they're cute for sure, but... I dunno, it's just weird thinking that these little mole babies are going to turn into wolves." Even though they already were wolves... Gah, one of the three would probably know what she meant.

Peregrine explained that Fox would have the honors of naming the other two children. They had split it half and half, which worked out perfectly -- Peregrine was able to go ahead and use the monikers that he had in mind, while Fox could wait the appropriate amount of time (as indicated by her family traditions) before christening them. Meanwhile, Fox insisted that she was fine, just tired -- which Elwood took at face value. He had no doubt that the new mother was completely exhausted, so he didn't blame her for her lack of excitement at her best friends' impromptu visit.

He then tuned into the conversation between Peregrine and Finley which was, as usual, entertaining. They were in the midst of comparing the babies to chicken wings and moles -- though Elwood focused on the temporary names Peregrine had given them. He chuckled, looking to little Derp and Derpina affectionately. He wondered what Fox would end up calling them, and just how long she would wait.

"You two did a good job," he said jokingly, congratulating his friends on producing a batch of perfectly adorable cubs.

When Finley compared the children to chicken wings, Peregrine pretended to be affronted, then warned her, "Just don't slather them in sauce and eat them." He chortled, then rolled her eyes when she called them moles next. She wasn't exactly wrong about either comparison, though. Peregrine could draw much less flattering comparisons himself. The pups did resemble giant turds come to life...

"Thanks, Uncle El," the Alpha said emphatically, playfully shooting Finley dirty looks. "Most of the credit has to go to my leading lady, of course," he added, looking at Fox. She seemed distracted and distant. Only now did he really notice how she wasn't responding to the Beta pair's visit with any excitement at all. His lips pursed.

"I think we're going to try to get some rest," he said quietly in the next moment, giving their visitors meaningful looks that were only slightly apologetic. Fox looked like she could sleep for days and nobody could hold that against her. "Come back soon, though. And thanks for the gift. I'm totally going to use it decoratively somehow." Within the next day or two, it would in fact be skewered on a root growing over the den's entrance, a simultaneous welcome and warning.

Fox didn't know what a chicken was, although she couldn't understand how they looked like a wing, considering they lacked feathers. Moles made a bit more sense, and a weak smile fell upon the new mother's lips. Peregrine gave the two a gentle nudge toward leaving, and Fox was thankful. Even though she had only been awake for an hour or so, she was already exhausted and ready for another nap. Fox nodded vaguely to her two friends, then set her head down on the den's floor.

Feelings of unrest and guilt only proved to wear her out more, and sleep seemed to be the only escape from them. Something between a groan and a sigh filtered out of her nose then, and Fox kept her eyes open long enough to watch Finley and Elwood depart.

Fin gave Peregrine a smirk. "I swear to never try and eat your babies," she said with a sagely nod, "No matter how delicious they may all look..." She followed that up with a cackle for emphasis, trusting that they knew she was completely kidding. The whole "they're so cute I just wanna eat 'em up!" thing was not really her thing. ...Okay, maybe their toes....

Fin glanced up from gawking adoringly at the chicken wings to meet Peregrine's dismissal with an understanding nod. She grinned at the idea of using it as a decoration, even though it definitely hadn't been what she'd intended it for. Whatever made them happy, though. With a gentle chuff, she scooted backwards and got to her paws. Then, with a quick shake of her silvery coat, she turned to depart with Elwood, a mischievous look glinting in her eye as she leaned over and suggested that they go home and practice baby-making themselves.

After a few moments of good natured bantering, Peregrine indicated that it was time for the Betas to take their leave. It was completely understandable -- they had only been parents for a short while, and already the firebirds were proving to be demanding (yet cute!) little buggers. Elwood got to his feet and backed out of the den with a farewell on his lips. "We'll see you later," he said, waiting for Finley to join him.

When she whispered something in his ear, he perked up visibly and was quick to turn and follow her. Although Fox and Peregrine probably couldn't hear what was said, it was likely that they could guess -- and would get a kick out of their friends' newest hobby, wink-wink.