Dead Empress Backwater Karma's gonna come collect your debt

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage was late to respond to the call but made her away regardless. She was struggling within the pack, unable to find her place and not learning any roles she took an interest in. In fact she hardly knew anyone. The yearling was nervous to even respond to the call, given it was optional, but chose to come and see what was up. She arrived just in time to catch Clover introducing the pups one by one. She glanced at each one in turn instantly enamored with them. They were so small, innocent, and cute. The one named Tuwile hung close to his mother's legs. She smiled softly at the child before looking around at everyone present. Anxiety crept in, but she swallowed it down to the best of her ability.

The Hervok sunk into a comfortable position at a respectful distance from the children but close enough that she could watch curiously. Her tail thumped against the ground. Her pale chin met the dirt in an attempt to be as nonintimidating as she could manage. Maybe one would greet her? Even if not she was content to familiarize herself with the tiny babies."She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

from charming to alarming in seconds

The tawny pup grumbled as his siblings pushed past him, even snapping halfheartedly at Torianna’s tail but mostly hung back. More blurry figures began to arrive and his mother beckoned him further out than the few steps that he had gone. He watched as his siblings spread out, chewing on legs and demanding attention shrilly but he did not move. Not yet.

The child looked around, trying to make heads or tails of what it meant that suddenly there were more and more blurs. He only knew the ones called Mom and Dad, and had not thought there would be others. Certainly not this many. And definitely not all looking at him.

It took him a little longer to make a decision, but seeing a blur that looked light like his mother, but somehow he knew was different, that was intriguing. Khalon walked cautiously towards Sage - though he did not know who or what she was - before stopping a foot or so away. Breathing in deeply to try to figure her out he accidentally got more than he bargained for as dust assaulted his sinuses.

He sneezed. The kind of whole body sneeze only children are capable of, wet and with force. Directly into Sage’s face.

Viorel had been facing the other way when the other children began to emerge from the den at Clover’s request. He was relieved when some other adults attended, Vayko of course, but also Eros who flanked him, earning a gentle lean into the touch from the father but no other distinct acknowledgement, and Sage. If he had been paying closer attention he would have also noticed the scent of Asmund in the air, but as of now he was just trying to hold it together.

The names were completely lost on the dark man as his whole body froze as a tiny voice reached out for him. Demanding, and small. And so much like Sephrina and Isla had been as children. Viorel’s nose scrunched in disgust and his ears flipped sideways in a quiet warning that he needed to be left alone. Glancing at the dark tawny child who was standing before him, he quickly looked away.

Suddenly Viorel got to his paws in haste. He wasn’t going to sit here and pretend like he gave a shit about these kids, even if it was for Clover and Vayko. Without a word the leader retreated from the group, tail swishing behind him in irritation as he grumbled to himself. He was going back to his deer herd.

Viorel exit.

It's time to strap our boots on

Conquest

This is a perfect day to die

There was a gentle nudge of encouragement from her father that would send her more towards the crowd. Originally, a dark blur had been her target but as Viorel began to move away from her she decided the task too challenging and would change directions, instead moving towards Eros as her mother spoke and greeted them all, introducing them though the notion of it was completely lost on the girl.

She would barrel and stumble towards the man, jaws open to gnaw on his leg in a fashion that truly only Tori could manage to pull off, landing at the very least just short of the leg and managing to grab onto the paws with a whining shriek that was sure to violate the ears of anyone nearby. She was certain it would cause ire, based on how the blobs that were mother and father seemed to react to them.

There would be a lack of comfort that came with the ground, but she cared little for it right now, not when she found herself on a mission start to finish. Eros’s leg now belonged to her, and if he had an issue with that then he could fight her!

Vayko would encourage his daughter from parting from his side, watching as the children began to interact with others, making their way towards the adults of the pack who had made an appearance… he was surprised to see Eros there, and then of course Sage was there as well… and Viorel, though he saw as the man’s face contorted, a dagger through his own heart twisting as the man turned and stalked away.

He did everything in his power to repress it from his features. He refused to let it show how much it stung if only for the sake of his children and Clover.

Instead, his attention would turn to his son as he sneezed directly in Sage’s face, moving over to him and nosing him gently before offering the girl an apologetic smile, remaining silent because in that moment he did not trust his own voice to break out into the air that surrounded them. He’d move back over by Clover’s side, offering her an encouraging nuzzle as well before he found that courage.

“Thank you all for coming… and for meeting our children.” His gaze leveled in a soft nature with Eros as he said it.

Vayko Valle

Whatever words his mother was saying went in one ear and straight out the other. Tuwile was too busy in his own world, staring at the mix of blurred and unblurred shapes and things around him. A surprised squeak escaped him at the sudden nudge, feeling the loss of warmth along his side where he had been resting against her leg. She beckoned him further towards where the other beings were, and after a moment to reorient himself he began to walk with purpose in a single direction, wobbling with each little step.

Even Khalon's sneeze and Tori's shriek couldn't distract Tuwile from his plan of... going somewhere. He only stopped when a pair of green eyes loomed into his vision at a level height with his own short stature. He made a low noise deep in the back of his throat before stumbling forwards and falling onto the muzzle of whoever it was he had found, suddenly finding himself right up in their face.

Tuwile simply stared unblinkingly into those green eyes, nose twitching as he got a sense of the wolfy musk of whoever he had found.

At their mother's urging, the children began to fan out, investigating those who had gathered to meet them. Asmund recited the names silently, hoping to remember them. Large paws that he knew to be Viorel's moved again abruptly, storming past the yearling's cover. Az frowned, but did not see any utility in his leaving too. There was likely nothing he could say or do to make his guardian feel better, just as no one had been able to dull the pain of Asmund losing his mother.

He sighed, and looked back out at the others, comfortable enough to rest his muzzle down upon his brown paws. One pup in particular was coming ever closer to where he hid, but Az found himself unthreatened and thus foolishly assuming the kid wouldn't even notice him in his cover. Then Tuwile just kept coming and Asmund realized too late that he really was the whelp's target. He backed up, but his hocks quickly hit the tree's trunk and then it was on his face.

"AHHHH!"

Without thinking, he shook his head hard to throw the child off and if released would flee the area altogether.

Eros had expected more flower names, but this was yet another litter that would stand alone. When being raised, he hadn't thought twice about the circumstances around having three parents. As an adult, and as the fracturing continued, he couldn't help but see things differently. Feel that maybe he'd gotten a lot of things wrong when it came to 'family.'

He wished Seri had come.

His father was quick to leave, one of the quadruplets clearly upsetting him with her attention. Eros stood, compelled to follow after him, but- he looked down at little Euna, and his heart hurt. Then his ankle pained him and his peach eyes jumped to see Torianna contending with his leg like it was her own personal toy. He couldn't storm away from them too, but didn't that mean leaving Viorel alone? That wasn't fair.

His eyes squeezed shut to fight back tears, and when he was able to open them again, he noticed Vayko's gaze on him, the older Valle addressing the group briefly. They all had each other. As much as he wanted to bond with his siblings, they didn't need him.

Eros used his muzzle to gently pry Tori off of him, a soft "I'm sorry," murmured to her and a lick placed on both her and Euna's crowns. Then he would be gone, chasing after his dad. He wouldn't press him to talk, but he would be there if allowed, helping with whatever distraction Viorel found suitable.

For the moment, Euna's world revolved around getting the attention of Viorel and nothing else. More wolves arrived, but she remained fixated on him. Standing tall. Waiting. Unblinking. Then, the stranger reacted. Euna's entire being lit up as if she'd won something precious. Her little blue eyes were bright, her tail wagged triumphantly. The man's irritated response was lost to her, his body langue not something her small mind could comprehend. Then everything came crashing down...her confidence wavered. Stunned she stood there, tail frozen in place, head slowly cocking to the side. She'd been rejected. Her demand was denied. This was an insult of grave proportions, and yet her usual cry did not part her mouth. She was momentarily stunned.

The pup watched him fade, holding back her voice until his blurry blob was out of sight then with all her might let out a shrill unwavering sob. The biggest dramatic display the child could muster poured forth, she wanted her way! This wasn't fair! Euna deserved attention! "Hi!" She shouted out after the now gone wolf between a quivering snot-cry.

The affection from her older brother was lost to her, Eros's lick not nearly enough to mend the girl's battered pride. She flopped to her butt, still facing the direction Viorel had gone. Crying didn't seem to get her way...demanding hadn't either. Euna wanted to try again, but she also just wanted her mamma and daddy. So, with tears still running down her face, she lifted up to her paws to toddle around the blobs of different wolves to find them when a sharp yell met her ears. The pup jumped, looking around frantically and echoing out her own whail. Maybe this was scary! Maybe she didn't wanna fight for attention right now!

Euna ran to the nearest blob, ducking between the legs of said adult, whomever that might be. She didn't feel so brave anymore.

Dead Empress Backwater
— through trials to triumph.

One Kiss away from Killing

BACK OFF, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, HEADSTRONG TAKE ON ANYONE

some fairy tales are more than true

Green eye's shone brightly with excitement as one of the children teetered her way. She couldn't help her tail as it began to thump against the ground. The child stopped and she did her best to wait, to hold still, not wanting to scare him. He was so cute! A tawny little ball of fluff! Little round ears, stumpy legs, and oh he was just precious! Just as her excitement could no longer be contained, just as she started to speak a gentle hello, her mouth was greeted by the utmost disgusting occurrence. Not only on her face but her tongue too, the child's sneeze met her. She blinked. Suddenly, she wasn't too enthralled with the tiny tots anymore. She swiped her paws against her muzzle with disgust and tried to spit out the snot.

Awkwardly, still deeply disgusted, she smiled back at Vayko. Her expression was forced but well-meaning nonetheless. Perhaps these pups weren't so cute, maybe they were gross. No sooner than that thought the one girl name Euna was screaming ear-piercingly so. No, they weren't too cute after all. Nor helpless, with that voice. She looked down to the boy in front of her, and not wanting to make him feel rejected as she often did as a pup, leaned forward and licked the top of his head carefully. She didn't want any of his germs, but she didn't want to damage his self-esteem either.

The display of affection was extremely brief, and she was up on her paws to create distance within seconds. Sage turned to leave when Asmund's yell caught her attention. Worry filled her face as she rushed over to Tuwile and nudged him with an ever-so-gentle touch. "It's alright." She cooed, hoping he wouldn't be too stirred up. What was with that Asmund guy? She'd taken a moist sneeze to the face and remained nice. He chucked a pup! The yearling wondered what his problem was, thinking back to their first encounter, but quickly pushed it from her mind and focused on consoling the pale germ-ball in front of her."She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater