Magnolia Glen i ponder of something great

Hopefully all of these tags work...
@Phineas @Albiero @Zia @Deneb @K'arnae @Ace @Aponi @Mercy @Neoma @Hypatia @Evy @Celandine @Takis
I would really like to end the round in a week, so May 21st. :C Please post, guys. Pleasepleaseplease.

It had been a long two weeks. The den she'd made for herself many weeks ago, that had held her so very well, and even her three happy bundles at their genesis, was now despicably small. In the span of half a month, her tiny babies had found their paws and their sight, and did nothing but move about. The moment she saw those lovely blue eyes of theirs, the woman knew that it was about time they moved back to the main den where there was more space. But it was a bit more involved than just moving a few puppies. The pack needed to meet them. Although she'd had a lot of time to think about this, as she shifted about in her den, cooing gently to her children, letting them know what was about to happen (as thought they might truly grasp it entirely), she couldn't help but feel anxious.

She was, quite literally, about to throw her children to the wolves. Strange eyes would be upon them, thinking thoughts that she could not read because she knew few of them well enough to truly trust them. At least, she supposed, she could trust herself and her mate and Zia, and should something terrible happen, it would not take much to put it to an end. An immediate and very painful end. "Ready to see the world, my little monsters?" She asked, chuckling as she nudged them towards the mouth of the den. In time, she would step around them to reach the sunlight before they would so that she could summon the rest of the Glen. Remaining on her paws, she howled a quick summons to her packmates, before tending to her children as they stepped out into the afternoon sun.

(This post was last modified: May 15, 2014, 03:12 PM by Borlla.)

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

to avoid confusion, she's reacting to Neoma

She could feel it in her skin; the days were growing warmer, and no amount of drenching was enough to stave it off. Indeed the time was drawing nigh that she would need to shed her thick coat, as it had already begun falling in clumps around her den, and in the wake of her steps to and from the creek's bend. A diligent grooming would have done her good, but the female could not bring herself to do so just yet. Or at least that was her excuse when she woke before the dawn, sweltering in her own fur til she crawled out to meet the open air.

Meeting the morning with an exasperated sigh, she preceded in the arduous task of ridding herself of the mountain coat. Beige and umber fell away as she cleaned, plucking debris and the like from her pelt til beneath was only a sleek and manicured coat; a little thinner than was to her liking but none the less clean. She felt better near immediately, but never would she admit this truth to another. She was proud of her mountain exterior and the bulk it provided to her person, but given the change in terrain, she reasoned she could have to get used to something smoother and lighter.

She only hoped it would not look so strange...

With the extra weight expelled, the female felt much lighter on her paws as she began to busy herself around the territory. As always, she stopped by the creek's edge to fish; catching something small for herself and the two young ones before returning to her own den to clean. It was nearing the height of the afternoon when a summon called for her routine to cease, and with eager attentions she heeded, immediately changing course for the densite of the new mother.

Her ears were pleasantly met by the soft pipes and squeaks of pups in the open. And much like a young one herself, the she-wolf stepped with a little more pep with tail swaying eagerly at her heels to meet the new life. Yet how quickly her enthusiasm drained when she reached the site, spying not only the mother and her brood but the deceptive female standing near to greet them first. Umber hackles raised as she slowed her enthused pace to a stalk, nearing the gathering with purpose; her eyes momentarily fixed on the dark female. Her jaws snapped open with a singular bark of warn, her lips reared back as her large head lowered to rest between her shoulders. She approached the dark wolf from the side, but did not advance to strike. Instead she stilled and waited til she pardoned herself from the dame and pup's presence; her eyes ever watchful til she was put a shadow against the trees.

Surely there was no real threat present, yet the mountain wolf was not inclined to give the dark female the benefit of the doubt. While taking her eye off the woman, she let her bi-colored sights behold the small treasures, allowing the faintest smile to grow gradually upon her muzzle. With eyes softening to their innocence, she lowered her head nearest to their mother before offering a respectful lick to her cheek, then let her eyes fix fondly upon the little babes exploring about. They were so small! She whined happily as she lowered herself to her belly near the little pups, but a little distance away that she would not pose as a danger to them. She let her large paws slipped forward in front of her, hoping that a little pup might take interest in their girth.

It was quite clear that the woman adored the little gifts, yet she kept her enthusiasm well controlled. After all, she was still but a stranger in a house not fully her own.

(This post was last modified: May 15, 2014, 05:40 PM by K'arnae.)

~* Looking for Magnolia Glen plots/threads *~

Hopeful that he might soon catch a glimpse of the newborn pups, Mercy had hovered somewhat near the alpha female's den, keeping enough distance that he might not seem suspicious, but still passing by every now and again- trying to look as casual as possible when he did so, and craning an ear with which he'd hoped to hear their sounds. But he'd been too far away and the pups too quiet, so he'd heard, smelled and seen nothing of them. But it was only a matter of time, he figured. They couldn't be all that tiny when they were born, could they? He pondered for a moment and found himself shuddering. No, they had to be tiny when they were born. Otherwise, birth would be too painful...He found himself thanking some unknown deity for giving him man-bits.

So when the howl rang out, summoning the wolves to the den where he knew the pups would be, he scrambled to get there as quickly as he could. He wanted Aponi to see them too- but in his excitement he couldn't force himself to go out, find her, then go and see the pups. He held his head high as he ran, and bounded on stretched legs so he could catch a glimpse of them as soon as possible- but as soon as he caught the faintest glimpse of wolves in the distance his posture shrank instinctively, though his pace quickened. He couldn't go running about with his head held high, certainly not in the presence of the alpha, but he could hardly keep himself held back.

He slowed when he approached so that he joined the gathering at a walk with his belly low to the ground, eyes glancing to and from the puppies, and then away- he didn't know if it was improper to gaze upon the pups, as it would have been improper for him to gaze directly at the alphas...But they were too cute to ignore. There were two, little blobs with pudgy bodies and little, soft ears that looked way too tiny for their heads. One was fair and dusted with tans and browns, the other more reddish and dark along her spine. Both had pastel eyes, the same shade that he'd had until his eyes had been touched with a tinge of silver. He lay down on the ground beside K'arnae and rested his muzzle on his paws, stretched forward as much as possible but he didn't dare move any closer, not where he was still little more than a stranger to the pack. His tail waved in the dust behind his haunches and he whined softly. "speech"

MAGNOLIA Glen

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

She had only just been able to unseal her lids, and testing out this new feature was a top priority. Thrilled with this new ability, brilliant blue met the world in a hazy out of focus stare. Of course everything was indistinguishable, but she knew nothing else, and so it went by unnoticed. However, the change in atmosphere did not. Somehow her mother was different today, antsy almost; Cooing at them more often than usual. Too young to grasp the concept of her mother's words, Celandine reveled in the attention, stealing as much of it as possible. Babbling back in a flurry of yips, and excited barks, she was answered with prodding toward the entrance.

Without a second thought, the girl followed, ready to take her first steps into the sunlight. One mousy paw -- growing lighter by the day -- after another moved unsteadily across the threshold. It was steeper than she would have liked, but nothing could stop the young princess from following her mother.

Once her entirety had entered the light, and her eyes began to adjust, Celandine found herself in awe at the colors surrounding them. Things she never even imagined were everywhere. Briefly taken out of her amusement by the reassurance of her mother, the girl noticed that they were not alone. Stronger scents laced the air, ones that had only vaguely wafted through the den. How strange. Glaring out at the horizon, she searched for the sources, but found yet another blurry mess. They were too far away, and she wanted a closer look.

The Silver Male had been wandering the territory of his new home for a few days, getting himself used to the sights, scents, and hoping to run into other pack mates/ But he had also been keeping close to the den site since the puppies had been born, waiting for the chance to see the new lifeblood of the pack, though he doubted he would be able to get close enough to touch them. Not that he minded of course, as if they were his own he would do the same. Any parents or guardian would, especially at their young age, and he knew it would be a few weeks before the pups would be able to run around near the den site freely.

Ace perked his ears as he heard a summons from the pale she-wolf that had accepted him into the pack, and he quickly padded in the direction of the call, curious as to why they were being summoned. Maybe it was a pack meeting? Or possibly the pups were being let out of the den for the first time. He was not sure, but either way, he would not be late for whatever the gathering was. That would be very bad on his part.

As he neared the den, the Silver Male caught the scent of three others, one which was the leader, but the other two he did not know. His ears were also met with the soft pips and squeaks of pups, and a joyful smile etched itself on his face. He slowed down and stopped a fair distance away from the den, lowering his large bulk, silver eyes scanning around. There were two wolves off to his side, one which had a brown agouti coat and seemed to be as large as himself, and another which was next to her, sporting a dark grey coat, and looked much younger. They were both laying on the ground a short distance away from the pups.

Slowly walking forward, almost at a crawl, Ace lay down on the other side of the female, eyes staring curiously at the three pups that seemed eager to explore the outside world. One had a dark black coat, another an ivory coat with darker fur along the shoulders, and the third a pristine white, with sparse dusting of cream and grey. All three pups had wide blue eyes, and looked so cute with their fluffy bodies and tails, stubby legs and just an air of eagerness surrounding them. He wanted a closer look, but refrained himself and stayed where he lay, his eyes watching them, a look of adoration in his eyes.

442 Words

When I listen to my heart,

Ace Caravello

It whispers your name...

(OOC Meant to have been posted and was before K'arnae's but due to my lack of sleep and just utter confusion, things happened XD. Hope it still makes sense?)

At first, Neoma didn’t react to the howl summoning her back to the den in which Borlla had secured for herself and her pups. It had been a long time since she had any interaction with her leaders, expect for the time the pups were being born but that was a fleeting memory. Neoma drew her head up from the river she was taking a drink from, quickly cleaning away any drips. Yet something told her that if she arrived late or not at all, something terrible would happen so drawing up all her courage, Neoma set out towards the den. Weaving her way through the trees, Neoma came to a slow stop just out of Borlla’s sight in the trees. It would be the first time since her joining since she had been in a proper meeting of any sort with either leader. Steeling herself, the swarthy wolf stepped forward to greet Borlla with the proper posture of her status within the pack, though she hated it and wanted nothing more than to leap up and take what she believed rightfully hers. But she wouldn’t do that.

“My lady,” Neoma crawled on her belly towards her leader, carefully licking her chin before backing away several steps and as she rose, though still keeping her body low to the ground and her eyes kept low with her tail between her legs as she very nearly hunched forward. Her flaxen eyes flickered over to the pups that were wiggling nearby. Her face was neutral as she stared at them, as if studying them carefully to make sure they wouldn’t harm themselves by tumbling back into the den. Though she was sure their mother would have an ever watchful eye on them.

”What beautiful and healthy looking pups.” Neoma managed to compliment them with a hint of sincerity in her voice, though deep down she cared little for the balls of fur. This wouldn’t show outwardly of course. ”May they grow to be as strong and brilliant as their parents.” Neoma would have simply crawled back towards the tree line near the den, to wait patiently for the rest of the pack to arrive while keeping her lowered posture yet it seemed fate had other plans.

Ace had arrived while her attention was drawn elsewhere and for a moment her heart stopped as he neared the pups. Not because she thought he’d harm them but because the sight made her stomach lurch strangely. She wanted to squash the feeling but it warmed her greatly, to see the male treat the pups with a shine to his eyes.

It suddenly made her feel ill. Yet she didn't leave and simply hung back near the tree line, watching and waiting.

Table by PuppyThief
STOCK: vivstock @ DA, BrokenWing3dStock @ DA & Dawnthieves.de

Since their joining Aponi and Mercy had seen little of each other during the days, though they spent every night together in the den he had made them. It had never bothered the girl much though, as she had always been independent and she knew he was safe within the borders. Her extreme anxiety was fading day after day though her co-dependence remained. He spent much of his time walking the borders and practicing as guardian, while she had busied herself exploring the territory and surrounding areas as well as being tutored in the art of fishing by K'arnae. It would seem the yearling had a gift and was taking up the skill quite rapidly though her heart still rested in becoming a scout she knew it was best to master the skill that could sustain both her and Mercy.

That was where she had been when the call had arisen, knee deep in the stream near the yearling's den, blue eyes focused on the squirming silver beings below the surface. It took her longer than Mercy and K'arnae to reach the scene as she had taken a moment to try and shake the excess water from her fur. Aponi was still learning what it was to be respectful and submissive, it was not a trait she had been born with so she had to remind herself as she pushed through the foliage to tuck her ears and tail down as well as lower herself closer to the ground. Coming up beside Mercy she pressed her silver side into his as she laid upon the ground, blue eyes focused on the small forms of the children. It was strange, many she wolves saw motherhood as a great gift, something to look forward to; Aponi did not. To her bringing children into the world was an act of power, it meant continuing on your legacy and bringing the pack closer together; it was a strategic move. So it was without the warm and fuzzy look in her eyes and the gooey feeling in her stomach that she gazed upon them, but a look of respect. These were the future, they were a legacy in their own right, but the girl felt more focused on Borilla than the pups. This woman obviously knew what she was doing, she could learn much from her.

Evy was nervous. Not knowing the emotion but feeling the strangeness in her stomach, the darkest pup moved with little grace toward the warmth of her mother, attracted still to her scent and the warm milk she carried. Her eyes had adjusted just barely to the sights of the outside world and already she was being pushed and prodded around, the cooing of her mother the other attraction as she scrambled to beat her litter mates to the warmth of mother dearest before them--and oh did she try. Her scrawny legs did her no justice as she stumbled this way and that, as if walking and using her eyes were the hardest job of them all, but the dark girl finally was within adequate distance to her mother before she felt her.

The scent of Celandine was familiar and yet her color was not, much too bright for Evy's liking, but what bothered her most was her ability to make it to mother much quicker and with very little error, before she did. Little did the young princess know, this moment would be the first of many jealous feelings she'd harbor for her youngest sibling who would seem, in her eyes, to be so perfect.

When she had finally caught up to Celandine she mewed, a soft whine to let her mother know that she was tired and would appreciate it very much if she would carry her the rest of the way, especially through the mouth of the den where the bright sun burned her eyes worse than the pelt of her lighter siblings. The scent of her pack mates entered her nostrils and yet she was not interested, she cared far more about her mother and the nourishing milk that she associated her with on a daily basis--speaking of which, she felt her stomach rumble once and inched her way toward the nearest tit with hopes to suckle.

To her great relief, spring was finally here. Gone were the countless layers of snow. Bitter cold temperatures were now replaced with mild ones. Bare trees and bushes now sported a new, healthy green growth of leaves. Yes, this was indeed a season of celebration. Zia was well aware of that, and she certainly had noticed the new live now with the pack. Borlla and Phineas were once again proud parents of a litter of puppies, and while she was eager to get a glimpse of them, she held herself back. Mothers were especially protective of their young, and she respected Borlla too much to disturb her privacy. The farthest she ever went was just to drop off the occasional snack outside her doorstep, sure that mother was hungry. With more mouths to feed, even with the prey returning, it was prudent to keep the caches full. The arrival of the puppies wasn't the only change she had noticed in Magnolia Glen recently. Several unfamiliar yet well established scents of unknown wolves lingered throughout the territory. Recent additions to the pack, no doubt. And hopefully, these wolves, unlike some, would be here to stay. Although pleased that the pack was growing in numbers, Zia had still kept her distance. Not that because she was shy or intimidated. Oh no. She had just been very, very busy. First there was that confrontation with Albiero and Ace, which had left the silver female watching her rank holder like a hawk. One little mistake, and she'd happily report his insolent behavior to the Alphas. Then there was the matter of tirelessly patrolling the borders, keeping strangers out. With young pups in the den, Zia was feeling especially territorial. Guarding the borders was not what she had been doing when she heard Borlla's call, summoning all of her subordinates together. Large paws skidded to a halt, stray blades of green grass sent flying, while powerful jaws tightened their grip around a downy, limp neck. Instead of taking the freshly opened carcass of the rabbit back to one of the caches, she carried it with her as she whisked past the trees, towards the birthing den. She knew what this was about. This time last year, the leaders had called the pack together to introduce them to the children. Emerging from the cluster of shaded trees, Zia paused only for a split second to survey group already gathered. Among the wolves, she only recognized Borlla, Ace and Neoma. The others, a cream and aguoti female and two gray toned yearlings, were new to her. Unlike the others, she approached with considerably more confidence, head drawn back ever so slightly to display her rank. Halfway there, she then dropped down, belly grazing the fine blades of grass. She didn't want to startle the pups by appearing too big. Sapphire eyes finally found the new additions, and her breath caught. They were just delightful! One pitch black, another cream with dark gray along the back, and another white with a sprinkle of ginger. Before laying down, she dropped the freshly caught rabbit at Borlla's feet. "I thought you might be hungry, so this one is on me." She said warmly, before settling in the grass, a respectable distance away from the next generation of Magnolia Glen.

Table by Pann, Image by Jolee

He didn't want to see them.

Of course, he was aware of the pups. News of the new life housed near the heart of the pack could not be kept a secret for very long, and before long Deneb had heard it for himself. He had been certain to add even more tribute to the caches, in hopes of currying favor with Phineas and his mate. But he did not want to see them.Deneb had been a father once, and thinking back upon it now brought nothing but pain - agonizing, maddening pain. And so he had haunted the borders, on the pretense of patrolling and hunting and whatever else he could do to keep his mind off of it. It always circled back anyway, to his sons, to their lifeless forms, cut short before their time not by nature, but by treachery. By Albireo.

Eventually, though, he knew he would have to meet them if he wanted to remain here in Magnolia Glen, wanted to have any chance at ascending through the ranks. Hell, perhaps he might even help train them some day, now there was an opportunity. If only he could quell the acid boiling in his belly, he might even be able to pretend to be happy about this.

And yet, when he did finally join the circle of his pack mates, his eyes were drawn immediately to the romping cubs. A bittersweet smile crossed his smoky jaws, and his ivory tail swayed. A quiet whine rose from Deneb's throat of its own accord. Seeing them did hurt a bit, as he'd known it would, but he was glad to see them, too, in a way. He hadn't expected that.

Breaking his eyes away from the cubs for a moment to look over the assortment of adult forms, he first looked for the most familiar out of instinct. But Albireo was absent, which was all well and good. Deneb would not have trusted him around the cubs, though they'd probably be find with so many other watchful pack members around. Next his gaze found the alpha female - Borrla, he reminded himself - his eyes slid past hers and he offered her a deferential bow of the head, choosing to remain at a respectfully safe distance. He moved to settle himself a few feet from K'arnae, since the mountainous amber woman was one of the few here he had encountered before. He knew Zia, the silver lady as well, though the rest had until now been only scents in the trees. Seating himself, he gave a quiet, gruff sound of approval. "Congratulations. A strong and healthy brood," he muttered quietly toward the lady alpha.

Don't forget there's a price you can pay,

deneb cygni

because I am the game and I want to play...