This ain't a scene

anyone? @ryuu or @raissa maybe?

FitzDutiful had decided to go for a short swim today. It was rare for him to
find time to relax, not only was he usually dealing with his alpha duties - which now included trying to find lone wolves to recruit - he was trying to be an active and good father. Making his way to the falls he looked forward to the day that he could introduce his son and daughter to this water fall location.

As he neared, he looked over all the local plant life that was starting to come through. It was his first experience of spring here and he was sure that there were going to be a lot of plant life that he had yet to discover. His naturalist instinct was telling him of all the uses these plants would have and he was beginning to think of experiments to test and find out their uses.

For now, he slid into the water and softly paddled across the lake and back again.

Rushing water created a foam mist as it dropped from a cliff into a calm lake that caused ripples to dance across the surface. It reminded Ryuu of the small waterfall in the place of the two-legs which made her ears to pin back along her head. Her icy gaze picked out FitzDutiful walking in the water. She wondered what he was doing, but didn't want to bother him. Instead she stood at the edge of the lake, watching him. 

She was a bit surprised that he was here instead of with his pups, figuring that he would want to keep an eye on them. But there wasn't much danger within the territory, so if he wanted to take a break from duties every now and then, that wasn't so bad. She was supposed to be learning the caretaker trade by being around the pups and here she was watching FitzDutiful instead. What had brought her out here and away from the pups was the curiosity of Silvertip. She wanted to know more about her new home. 

Absentmindedly, Ryuu scratched at the thing around her neck with her back paw. Pausing, she remembered that she hadn't seen the thing yet. Leaning over the surface of the lake, she studied her reflection.  Ice blue eyes stared back at her from a creamy face. Further down, a black object wrapped around her neck. A thick thing was attached to the object, blinking a yellow light. She tilted her head in confusion. What was that thing? She wondered what it was called, but the sight mesmerized her and made her a little nervous. No pain had come from the object, so was it dangerous or harmless? It worries her to think that there could be a possibility of it endangering her new pack, but nothing bad has happened since she woke with it.

On his paddle back, he noticed Ryuu standing on the water's edge. He smiled to himself to see her there and wondered whether she was wanting to talk or just passing by. As he got closer, she lifted her leg to scratch at the collar around her neck though it didn't seem to hurt her. "What is that?" he asked as he got closer to the lake shore, panting between words - he'd underestimated the effort of talking and swimming.

He pulled himself out of the lakeside and instinctually shook himself to loosen the worse of the water, sending a spray of fine water droplets over the land. FitzDutiful had been meaning to ask Ryuu about her collar ever since she had joined, there just hadn't been time - until now. Hopefully she would have a few answers for him. He doubted it was dangerous, if he had thought it was he wouldn't have accepted her into the pack.

FitzDutiful's inquiry about the thing around her neck, startled Ryuu. She glanced up as he heaved himself from the lake and shook the water from his coat. As the spray coated her with a fine mist, Ryuu flinched slightly. "I'm not sure," she answered the alpha. "I had woken with it heavy around my neck." She glanced back at her reflection, noting that water was now dappling her coat. "This is the first I've seen it. It's quite nerve racking." She tilted her head one way, and then the other in an attempt to see the whole thing. But it was the same on either side of the blinking box, a thick black, smooth material that circled the whole of her neck. "I don't even know what to call it." She had never heard the two-legs speak of it. "I'm worried that it could be dangerous, but it's never hurt me." Icy eyes turn back to FitzDutiful filled with fear. "I don't want to bring any harm to our pack."

Ryuu answered him and FitzDutiful smiled to hear it. It was nice to know that his pack members valued the safety of their pack as much as he did. They may be small but they were dedicated to each other - to the cause of keeping their pack safe and out of harms way.

"I don't think it'll cause us any harm." he told her, honesty obvious from his tone. "I wouldn't have accepted you into our pack if I thought it would." he decided that maybe a change of subject would be best. It seemed to be a difficult conversation for Ryuu to hold. "How are you getting on with the pups?" he asked her, curious if she was enjoying her caretaker responsibilities. "They're becoming a slight handful as they get older!"

Ryuu feels somewhat comforted by FitzDutiful's words and smiles warmly. "Thank you." He switched subjects to the pups. Ryuu scuffed a paw along the ground. "I like them," she started. "Especially the little female."  Perhaps she really liked June because the little one remind her of herself. She was afraid of everything. "The little male will be a handful as he continues to grow." He was the brave one, the curious pup.  "I will enjoy watching over them. I am glad that you accepted me into your pack." It was beginning to feel like home to her, though she isn't sure that it will ever truly feel like her home.  

Her mind shifts back to her pack and her mood saddens. "It will get easier, won't it?" She asks FitzDutiful. "I mean, trying to become a true part of this pack."

FitzDutiful couldn't help but smile proudly at her words, his children, little June and Mason, were already making impressions on his pack members. He carried on listening, choosing not to say anything further and let Ryuu take the conversation where she would. When she expressed her feelings for him letting her into the pack he felt a moment of concern, though he didn't show it. The following words didn't stop that concern.

"Why do you feel like you're not a true part of this pack?" he asked her, wondering if she felt a lesser wolf somehow? She was tousling with the others for the ranks now - no longer always at the bottom - and he held nothing against her. Had something occurred to make her feel as though something was keeping her at arms length?

He didn't say any more, waiting for her answer was his priority now. Pack was family, Ryuu was family, he wanted her to know that but he needed to know her worries first.

Ryuu scuffed a paw at the Alpha's question. "Well, I mean... this wasn't the pack I was born in. It's hard to adjust..." She hoped that she had not offended FitzDutiful in anyway. After her terrible experience with the two-legs she had wanted the comfort of her birth pack. But there was only her sister left of the pack. Ryuu wasn't sure if she should hate or love Rain. On the one hand it was because of Rain that their pack disbanded. On the other hand, she was Ryuu's sister and all she had left. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't be bothering you with my problems." He was the alpha, he probably had more important things to do than listen to her.

Ryuu explained and FitzDutiful nodded in understanding. Of course it could be hard to adjust. He had never experienced it personally but he could see how it would happen. "That makes sense." He thought for a moment, cocking his head to one side before extending his invitation to her. "I'm a trained counsellor, so don't ever worry about 'bothering me with your problems' - it's something I love to help with. But if it makes you feel any more included, you're more than welcome to take on the Silvertip surname that my family share."

He looked at her, at the collar wrapped around her neck and wondered, once again, what it was. It didn't seem to hurt but that blinking light was an odd thing. "You're family to me, as much as Mason and June are." He subconsciously omitted Raissa without realising it. "I want you to look after them as if you were their aunt, for that is how I see you to them."

He didn't want to put too much pressure on her to accept. He hoped it came across as being very optional.

Even though Fitz said that he was a trained counselor and told her not to worry about bothering him with her problems, Ryuu still didn't feel right dumping them on her Alpha. But she appreciated his words and bowed her head in thanks.  Then he offered for her to take up the surname of his family. Saying he saw her as an aunt to his pups. That was too much for Ryuu. "I cannot accept!" She cried out. "I-I'm not try-trying to be rude.... " Ryuu had abandoned the surname of her own pack after she had been captured by the two-legs. She had had no hope then. With no pack, and thinking she had no chance of escaping her prison, she let go of the only thing she had back then. "My sister may still be alive. H-How could I completely ... abandon her like that?" She said softly, her ears out to the side in sadness.

It appeared as though Ryuu was taking his offer the wrong way. He was startled how suddenly she reacted, the exclamation that echoed from her - but he stayed quiet to allow her the explanation. It came not long after and he realised just what he'd done. "I'm sorry, I never meant to imply you abandon one family for another. Just because you take Silvertip as a name does not mean that you forsake all ties to your sister. She would be just as welcome here as you if she wanted to join us too. We'd adopt you both."

He paused for a moment looking over her. "I don't want you to think you have to choose between two families. You're always going to be a part of mine whether you take our name, or not, stay with us for the rest of time or leave us in the future to take up roots elsewhere. That's all I meant." He let her soak those words in, watching the blinking light of her collar as he did so.

Ryuu looked down at her paws. "I don't want to leave...." she muttered. Even if her sister wanted her to. She liked FitzDutiful. He had been kind to her and given her a place in his pack. "I am not sure that Rain would want to stay either...." She thought about her sister then for a minute. If Rain was a loner, it would be unlikey she would ever join another pack again. If by the rare chance that she had join a pack, then Rain would remain loyal to that pack till she died. 

Ryuu didn't want to admit it, but she knew how badly her sister beat herself up over their birth pack. That would make her try her hardest for any pack she joined. But it could be the complete opposite as well. Rain could also remain a loner as a punishment for abandoning their pack. Oh how she wished she could find Rain again.

Ryuu seemed torn but FitzDutiful heard her mutter the words that she didn't want to leave. "I'm glad you don't want to leave," he told her after she had finished all that she had to say, "As for your sister - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. You never know, she might be in the valley and find a home somewhere nearby that you can visit her often." Little did he know how true that was.

"I'm going head back to the dens," he said taking a few steps, waiting to see if she was going to join him. "Better see what those rascals are getting up to." Regardless of whether Ryuu joined him or stayed put, FitzDutiful head back to the den he had with his children and Raissa, wondering if Ryuu would find peace here once and for all.

Ryuu decided to stay where she was as Fitz announced that he would head back to the den. She wanted to be by herself. She was feeling down about Rain.  Although she would have liked to check on his pups as well. She was trying to earn herself a trade after all. But Ryuu just wasn't feeling up to it. There would be plenty of time for her to help look after the pups. 

She watched fitz until he disappeared and then laid on the ground near the water. Blue eyes gazed back at her from the lake. She and her sister looked very similar, the only difference between them being that she was cream and her sister was silver. Ryuu sighed at the water, dabbing a paw in to distort the image.