Redhawk Caldera the corner of pleasant and nice

Maybe @Wildfire ?! I don't know if the rest of the pack know about the demise of Derp.

Grimm's desire to avoid Finley and Elwood at all costs conflicted with her desire to spend time with the Alpha's brood. Before long, they would be a the perfect age for playing, and Grimm would be loathe to miss that short and precious period of their lives. Before she knew it, they would have morphed into moody pre-teens and consigned her to Team Uncool - as multiple batches of pups had done before. But maybe that had something to do with their parents; Grimm had always wondered if her brothers' ballsacks contained part semen, part troll sweat.

She approached the den around midday, eager to see if any tired parents were around and willing to let her take over the reins for a couple of hours.

Ooh, hi! *nabs*

Perry howled the news the day after it happened; it's totally up to you if Grimm heard it or not. :)

Wildfire didn't sleep nearly as much as before, not with so much to see and do. This might have been bad news for her parents—their only reprieve from their middle child's raucous cacophony came when she napped—but fortunately for all involved, she had been too busy exploring to make much noise. She still squeaked and squealed on occasion, though it was no longer a constant stream as before. Many of her little noises were actually pleasant too, as they included curious coos, inquisitive gurgles and even the sporadic seraphic giggle.

She was bumbling in the den's mouth this morning, under her mother's watchful eye. Although much of what Wildfire did was rather arbitrary discovery, right now she had a purpose. Her father had stopped by the den briefly a few minutes ago, only to lick her head and depart again. She had four of her five main senses now, yet there were many more she had yet to develop, including her sense of object permanence. Now that she could see, she realized that Peregrine literally vanished when he left.

It was simultaneously curious and upsetting. Grunting under her breath, she squirmed closer and closer to the light outside. She'd been out there herself once, though she hadn't disappeared. But before Wildfire could spring free from the den, something heavy (her mother's paw) fell upon her little black tail, pinning her there. Her mouth made an "o" shape as she began to complain about this, when suddenly a black face appeared above her.

Thinking it was her father returning once more, Wildfire yipped and tried to wag her tail, though it was still stuck beneath Fox's paw. Yet a few blinks and twitches of her nostril told her it wasn't Peregrine after all, so her brow furrowed and she looked up at the stranger, golden eyes somehow managing to shoot daggers at this impostor.

Sooper!

Peregrine was nowhere to be seen, but Grimm recognized the loudest of his offspring at once. It was the only pup she had seen - one of three remaining following the sad and unexpected death of the only child not to share his parents' colours. Perhaps it had been an omen.

Mother put a stop to whatever adventure Wildfire had planned, trapping her gobby daughter by the tail before she could escape into the light. Perfect - awake and ready to cause trouble. Grimm stepped forward to offer her services as a sitter, but Wildfire's impressively angry face made her think twice about it. "Wow. That's an angry face," she told the glaring pup, shooting Fox a wary glance and lowering her head a few inches when no warning growl was heard. "Wanna play, or are you super-busy imitating a toad?"

The stranger did not seem perturbed by the look, nor did she heed the implicit warning. Instead, she moved closer. Wildfire continued glaring, standing her ground (as much as she could whilst sprawled on her belly). Fox might not have minded the visitor's proximity, yet as Grimm's face came closer to her own, the pup began buzzing and her little lips wrinkled back to reveal the tips of milk incisors emerging from her pink gums. She would be able to start eating regurgitated meat within the next few days.

All she wanted to do right now was eat Grimm's face, though. (How meta!) She sneered at the visitor's looming mug for a long moment... then her expression eventually cleared when Wildfire grew more curious than angry. Forgetting entirely about her disappeared father, she arched her neck, her head wobbling slightly as she nipped at Grimm's moist, leathery nose.

Grimm waited patiently, withholding laughter at Wildfire's ridiculous and adorable baby-rage. As expected, it was short-lived, giving way to some inquisitive gumming that made the visitor wince quietly each time the tiny spikes made contact. She persevered, and made a mental note to source some interesting chew toys to see her through the teething period - for the parents more than the pup.

"Are you done yet?" Grimm rumbled, settling down without moving her face. The nibbling was making her eyes water as well as her nose, and before she could stop it, a watery strand of salty snot dribbled out over Wildfire.

She was rewarded with a stream of gooey, salty phlegm. Not knowing any better, Wildfire slurped it into her mouth and swallowed. She slow blinked, then smiled, pleased with the tasty offering. Grimm had just found her way into Wildfire's good books. To show her approval, the fiery little puppy stretched out a forelimb and gave Grimm's nose a queenly boop!

Wildfire then abruptly rolled onto her back so that she was peering at Grimm upside down. Fox had by now released her tail, which began to stir wildly back and forth. She pedaled at the air, inviting her newest playmate to engage in some fashion of amusing activity.

The intricate friendship dance continued. Grimm's accidental offering was gratefully received and repaid with a gentle pat on the nose. The older wolf suppressed a grin, painfully aware that her smiles made her look like a snarling stroke victim.

Fox indicated that she approved of this manner of play by releasing her daughter, who promptly exposed her belly. Grimm wasted no time in placing both front paws on the girl's round, fluffy little belly and wiggling her toes in a furious tickle attack.

Wildfire was no stranger to tickling, though this was the first time someone had used a paw (versus a muzzle) to tickle her. She jerked instinctively when Grimm's toes touched the warm, pink skin of her underbelly, her eyes growing wider. Did she trust this wolf? Before she could really ponder that (not that it was actually a conscious thought), the visitor began to tease her toes against the pup's tummy.

A loud squeal burst from her smudged muzzle. She bucked, trying to throw off Grimm's paws. When that had no effect, she attempted to squirm onto her side to escape the tickling touches. All the while, she laughed and squeaked, amused despite this unique form of torture.

The critter in her grasp made the most delightful sound, triggering a chorus of slightly deeper, equally thrilled giggles from Grimm. She tickled until the pup looked about ready to pass out, raising both black paws above her victims head with a wide-eyed will-I-won't-I-do-it-again expression on her face, readying herself for a counter-attack of some sort. 

At length, the tickling ceased. When it was over, Wildfire felt strangely boneless. When Grimm's arms lifted clear, she attempted to wriggle away, though she was still giggling and felt mighty weak. She ended up slumping on the ground, eyes bright and tail thumping. She felt like she needed to catch her breath, even though she hadn't really been doing anything to lose it.

After a few moments, she was able to sit up straight. With Grimm there to distract her, she'd nearly forgotten all about her father's strange (and mildly upsetting) disappearance. When his face suddenly appeared beyond the socked subordinate's shoulder, Wildfire gave a cry, zipping past the visitor to greet her father as enthusiastically as could be expected considering she hadn't been sure he'd ever return.

As much as she'd enjoyed her brief and flavorful encounter with Grimm, the puppy proceeded to ignore the visitor now that her prodigal father had returned from the ether. If and when the socked she-wolf slipped away, Wildfire didn't even notice.

I went ahead and concluded this, since it went 2+ weeks without reply. :) <3