Sex: Female Summer was drawing to an end. Thankfully the rains had returned, rehydrating the dried-out landscape and, hopefully, bringing the grazing herds back. But winter brought its own struggles, including more scarcity. With Chan gone, the dynamic of their little lakeside group had changed, though not detrimentally. But they needed better organization, especially with winter’s thread looming on the horizon. Whether it was the shock of the news, or Chan leaving, the fiery shewolf had finally been shaken from her depression and now, she was driven to action! Walking along the lakeshore, almost mechanically noting the fresh tracks in the mud from visiting grazers, she sought out the trail of one particular member of their loose knit group. She’d never managed to really talk to the dark man when their groups first joined up, other things had taken priority; Well, better late than never…! The shadow of a smile curled one corner of her lips as she found what she was after, quickly following the fresh scent. She was done waiting around, if he wasn’t gonna act, she would, but he deserved the chance. So she went to the source, following his latest tracks until she got closed, then barked out a neutral greeting; “We need t’ talk.” ”Speech" Thoughts |
That was a question he continued to contemplate, though not obsessively. There was no going back, after all.
As such, despite his desire to continue exploring, Jet had opted to remain closer to the group in case something came up, and to keep an eye and ear out for the kids, for he’d be damned if anything else happened to those that’d chosen to take up residence near the lake. Finley was more than capable of keeping an eye out for her son and the adopted boy, too. But it was a duty the dark one found himself enjoying more than he might’ve thought, and he secretly hoped for some more opportunities to meet with them in the future.
We need to talk, a voice spoke. Jet was more than mildly surprised by who it was. She’d seemed decent, back at the cove. And Flair’s voice was familiar, though she was perhaps the last one he’d expected to see. Even greater still was his surprise that she’d want to talk to him, of all of them, about something. That had him confused and concerned.
Jet offered a nod regardless, hoping it wasn't something bad. ”Okay. What's up?”
---ah, i’m sorry i’m so terrible! and it took me so long to actually notice this :s
| While Jethro had certainly come out of his shell after leaving the Cove, he still seemed the more reserved type – not one to hang around for idle chit-chat – much like Flair herself. There certainly was a no-nonsense air about him, and indeed, despite clearly being surprised by her request, he got straight to the point. Her single ear flicked at his words, a twitch of approval pulling at the corners of her mouth; This might go easier than I thought…! Meeting the dark man’s eyes squarely, Flair answered him in an even tone: “Don’t y’ think it’s about time we make this whole thing official?” A faint twitch of her shoulder indicated the lake and woods around them, suggesting what she meant by ‘this whole thing’. Her words were direct, but calm and none challenging. She wasn’t blaming him for the elapsed time – she’d been preoccupied, he might very well have been too – but she wanted to be clear and not beat around the bush. Their group deserved the security of a proper pack, and Jethro had been the one to originally give them that promise. The question was whether he was going to act on it or not. ”Speech" Thoughts |
”Yea, I do. Been meanin’ to get out and explore more. Look for a good spot to settle in,” the drought, watching the kids, and.. all of that, had placed an unfortunate hold on those efforts for a while. Still though, that wasn’t the entire reason for the more recent delays.
”And I suppose I was expectin’ you to move on, too. Likely some of the others, after that. Wasn’t sure who’d even be left.” This was spoken with care, for he did not wish to bring up too much of past events, or any of the share of painful memories that were sure to be there, with the events at the Cove and the loss of Flair and Chan’s children.
To hear that she was not intending to do that, and was in fact committed to this cause, was nice. ”I’m glad you’re not, though.” At this, Jet offered the other an inkling of a smile, as well as a nod to indicate both fondness from their shared time at the cove, and respect. While he was definitely glad to still have an extra body, it was not just that. Someone with more years and experience would be handy to have around, too. For advice, or maybe a nudge, like this.
| Indeed, the longer the conversation went on, the better she felt. Jethro was honest and direct, with a good balance of confidence and courtesy, good traits for a pack leader. And it made him easy to talk to, no parsing words or wasting time on formalities. Flair felt her shoulders unconsciously relax as he answered her, not bothering with excuses or explanations, but getting to the point right away, the crux of it all. Her brows rose in surprise at his confession. Cynical as she was, she’d never considered that – they had all been hanging around for so long, it seemed obvious that they weren’t interested in moving on; And me…? She’d chosen not to go with Chan back to the Cove, prioritizing Finley and her boys, and the rest of the lake group – she had to move forwards, not back. “I gotta make sure th’ pups are safe,” she admitted, answering his honesty with her own; “And… There’s nothin’ left for me in th’ Cove.” Well, perhaps one thing, now, but she would have to deal with that later. Jethro’s last addition surprised her too, bringing a genuine smile to her lips. She wasn’t used to being openly appreciated, and most of the time that was just fine, but it still made her glad to know that the dark man seemed to respect her the same as she did him. So, she felt a need to return him some encouragement, swaying her tail as she added: “Besides, I think y’ underestimate your own influence, on th’ others as well. They trust you, that’s why they’ve stuck ‘round!” Truth was, Flair was the last of the group to finally get to know Jethro, the rest of them already knew the kind of wolf he was. ”Speech" Thoughts |
That was one of those questions he supposed would only be answered with time, for it wasn’t something Jet would ever speak aloud. Instead, he opted only to tip his nose down in a gentle nod, content to let that topic rest at that.
The surprise returned full force after that though, and was impossible to disguise, as Flair spoke of his influence and the trust others had in him. Though he’d spoken of his intentions to everyone who’d taken up residence by the lake, and it was exactly what he’d hoped for, it had still felt as though it were Chan who’d been the glue keeping everyone together. And with his now proven to be erroneous expectation that Flair would move on, he’d also, apparently wrongly, thought they’d all follow back to the Cove or simply disperse.
”Well.. yeah, you’re right. Had no idea,” Jethro admitted. There was no reason to try to hide that, to act like he’d thought it’d work this whole time. He had a feeling Flair would see through that kind of a facade anyway. But the wry smile that’d been upon his countenance grew a little, and this new knowledge was a confidence booster. ”Thank ya, for tellin’ me.”
As he’d felt with Oksana, it seemed all the more saddening now, that he hadn’t gotten to know Flair better before now. But at least it wasn’t too late to change that. An idea came to mind, then. Something he’d not really thought of or planned at all, but in this moment seemed foolish not to act upon.
”How would ya feel about.. helping me lead this thing, together? I’ve got ideas, and a vision, but.. clearly, I’ve got a lot to learn, still. I’d sure appreciate you havin’ my back, and being here to help me learn. Make sure we do right by everyone.” There were a number of reasons why such an arrangement would be good. And though they weren't terribly familiar yet, given a similar past at the cove and several mutual friends, Jet found he trusted the other, too.
| Surprises seemed to be the fare of the day, each of them taking turns serving one up for the other. She saw it flash on his face, though was happy he didn’t ask any further question about Chan or the Cove – that relationship was something she would need to sort out later, once things were settled here. Jethro’s more obvious surprise at her praise, she could only smile at, wagging her tail and returning his nod as he thanked her. She was simply stating the truth as she’d read it, she certainly knew that no one was hanging around here for her sake – Which was why his next words took her completely aback. She cared about their groups, the boy’s especially, but the others too. Colette and Jethro had saved her life, chasing off the monster who took her pups, Reika had put up with her hostility, never once holding it against her though she had plenty of right to. Finley just wanted to do the best for her kids and Siyet was ever kind and sunny; They’re a good bunch…! Flair had figured, once they were settled, she could slip away, go find Chan and try to sort their whole mess out, but maybe she didn’t want to leave again; ‘Do right by everyone’ Yeah, she wanted that too. So, her smile shifting into a thoughtful expression, she paused only briefly to consider, before giving Jet a solemn nod. Voice quieter now, more serious, but steady as a rock, she answered simply: “Tell me about y’ vision.” She wanted what was best for them all, hopefully, the two of them could manage that, together. ”Speech" Thoughts |
”Would like it to be a home for anyone that wants or needs it. Anyone good, that is.” A qualifier he’d left out in previous explanations, but now felt important to add in. Individuals that made a habit of hurting, abusing, or taking advantage of others would most certainly be turned away. ”A place where nobody’s gotta worry about having the right blood or bein’ part of the right family, to be cared about.”
That was arguably the most important part of the whole idea. Aside from expecting members to be of decent character, there would be little else that dictated whether someone could belong. ”There’s.. a lotta good folks out there that maybe just need a chance, or someone to believe in ‘em. I wanna give them that. Like.. Nori and the Cove gave me.” He didn’t need to give a detailed account of his own history, at least not now, unless Flair asked for it. But this was enough for the other to understand this goal was personal.
He’d been through it all. In years past, he hadn’t been in a position to do anything about it. That was different, now.
| Listening to Jethro explain, his passion was evident. Paying close attention to every word, Flair felt a determined smile start to curve her lips, nodding her approval. The initial idea might seem somewhat lofty, but he backed it up with sound reasoning and concrete terms - things that could be enforced – and which were easy to agree with. As he finished, the older woman hummed approvingly, her tail swishing slowly at her hocks. “Seems we agree ‘bout what a pack should be.” She said, smile still on her face as she looked him in the eye; “A home t’ anyone willing t’ work for it!” Good or bad might not always be easy to define, but for months now, their little group had been helping each other to survive, it seemed only fair that they reap the full benefits, and offered the same to anyone else willing to lend a paw. ”Speech" Thoughts |
A home for anyone willing to work for it. ”Indeed,” the dark one agreed with a nod. There really wasn’t anything else that could be added to that. At least not now. It’d been nice to finally, actually meet and talk with Flair. And as with many things, this sort of meeting had been far too long in the making - but they were here now. That was what counted.
-fade!