Fallen Tree Cove Strange as it seems

OOC: For Mama @Namid <3 - Cernan has some questions for you! Backdated to 3/9/2016

3/9/2016
Weather:
-29° F, -2° C
Sunny
2:10 PM

Everything was weird. @Aleister was back, and for the most part everyone had settled back into something, close to normal he supposed. Papa still wasn't himself, but another oddity was digging at the young man's brain. Ma had always had all of his answers, so she was the one he sought out that afternoon, hoping that she too was idle in these midday hours, or at least not so busy that he couldn't talk to her. That morning he'd tried a little hunting again, but his every effort was fruitless. He would always fail more often than not, but that didn't mean he had to like it. 

Just like he didn't have to like that his brother had worried them sick, even for whatever noble reasons he claimed to have. No no, his mind corrected silently. He wasn't going to brood over it; Cernan Vuesain was no fire-starter. At least he was back safe. Whether or not he could make up for the damage done their family remained to be seen, though. For now, the heftier son kept to himself. He and Al were obviously not as close as he and Neha; but the distance was even more obvious now. The Prince was not cold, but he certainly didn't seek out his wayward littermate the way he used to. In fact he was perhaps unnaturally calm about it all; on the outside. 

And that was just fine. That kept everyone content, and peaceful. It was all the tawny child had ever wanted in the first place. Maybe if he was relaxed and stable, then maybe everyone else would be that way too. Curiosity, however, was very capable of shoving all that to the back of the boy's mind. All of a sudden his mother had started to smell... different. If it hadn't been so very strong he might have ignored the whole thing and kept his mouth shut; fearing whatever awkwardness the conversation might unearth. Then, just when he was beginning to think that something might be wrong, what with how tense and moody she seemed to be, the perfume vanished. What replaced it was just as baffling, and by this point he'd decided to just ask. 

It made the Alphess easy to find, even for a novice tracker like himself. When at last she appeared his fluffy tail swished to life and he lowered his head. “Hey mom,” he called, a lopsided smirk on his maw. By now her dear son was bigger than his dam in all senses of the word. How times had changed. The chunky pup drew up beside her; passing his pink tongue across her chin in submissive, affectionate greeting. The boy then pulled back; his golden pools quietly searching her face. It was obvious that he'd come to her with some undisclosed purpose, but his mother of all people had probably figured that out already.

 

(This post was last modified: Apr 14, 2016, 11:42 AM by Cernan.)

Her scent had officially changed, signaling that her and her husband’s late night meetings had done their duty. She was excited for the future, excited by the prospect of more children to raise and to add to the numbers of their ranks. She was also excited to see her oldest brood interact with them, to see them be the amazing siblings that she knew they would be. Namid held an image in her mind, the image of her and Vespertio surrounded by their family. What before had just been the two of them, had turned into five, and now the image of perhaps eight made her feel light on her feet. This was what she had wanted ever since she had been split from her family, and upon finding Veho it seemed like her world was slowly coming together.

Today, Namid was on her way to collect herbs. With no real medical expert with them, her meager experience taught to her by her mother would have to do. She was on her way toward the Mountain of Dire, where the trees that made up much of their lake home thinned out into a harsh rocky landscape. A tune hummed from her jaws contently as she went, auds swiveling forward and the noise ceasing as her youngest yet largest child came into view. Her tail began a gentle wave and she offered him a chuff as they came together. “Hello darling,” she said, nuzzling his cheek affectionately and offering a kiss to his crown. The pale queen had to strain to reach it, her frame leaning toward the border of small-medium while her child had inherited his father’s bulkier, taller build. It amazed her how much they had all grown, remembering as if it were yesterday when they were snuggled up against her side eyes not yet even opened and nursing from her teat.

She stepped back, moving her body to a more comfortable sitting position. Her mismatched gaze trailed over her son’s posture, taking in his expression and noticing immediately as only a mother could that this was more than just an encounter. He had sought her out, for a reason she had yet to know but suspected she would soon. “Would you like to talk about something?” she asked, raising a brow and allowing a grin to settle on her blackened lupine lips. Her children knew well that questions were always answered eagerly with her, knowledge cherished in her eyes.

OOC: @Namid - Bit of a short post; he's tiptoeing. xD

He regarded her attentively; feeling a bit of relief as she began to ease back to the ground. Well, she couldn't have been too terribly busy then, and there was nothing else about her demeanor that would have indicated as such. The boy was still watching her; willing the gears of his mind to turn and form the sentences needed, when she spoke the obvious aloud. At least her words made it a little easier. He had always come to his parents with questions, and never had the boy been turned away from the promised information. Surely she would have no trouble explaining this this time either, right? 

And still Cernan felt unsure. He was a bit older now; and could figure out a lot more on his own – but this particular mystery was elusive, and it revolved around her. The tawny child glanced down, relenting into a mirrored sitting posture. How on earth to start? “Are... are you doing alright?” Her youngest son tipped his head a little with genuine curiosity. She had absolutely not been alright when Al was gone. He feared that this too could have been an extension of her emotional turmoil – but now she was much more calm, much more normal... except not. He was wary of going further than that just yet; just in case the true questions were a bit personal. Cernan was almost sure they would be, and awkward conversations repelled him nearly as strongly as birds did. He was plenty awkward all on his own.  

 

The light tawny prince seemed to be tense and unsure of what to say, and her head tilted to the side in wonder at what he could want to talk about that was making him so uncomfortable. His jaw opened and closed, and her auds gave a little flicked before he finally spoke. “Are... are you doing alright?” he asked, and the pale queen’s brows rose. Doing alright? She was doing more than alright, in fact she was wonderful. All three of her children were back in their land, the pack, though small, was running smoothly, and she had the promise of more children on the way. A smile pressed itself against her lips and she laughed, “Well, let us see. I have 16 toes,” she said, peering down at her feet as if to check, “both of my ears,” she gave both a little wiggle and a wink to the boy, “a wonderful place to call my home,” mismatched gaze swept the area around them, “and a handsome young man to call my son. I would say I am doing plenty alright,” she finished, her tail initiating a soft wag behind her frame.

Attention focused on him again, wondering at the question. Was there something going on with him that she needed to know about? Certainly it would account for how nervous he seemed to be. “Are you alright my dear?” she asked. Yes, Cernan was the most softly spoken of the bunch but he was also her right-hand man. He was a momma’s boy, and she was jubilant at the fact. He was not normally this reserved in conversation between them, and this was how she knew that something was definitely up.

Resources by freepik.com, table by Kydnt

(This post was last modified: Apr 24, 2016, 03:46 PM by Namid.)

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

(This post was last modified: May 01, 2016, 12:38 AM by Serach.)

OOC: @Namid I LOVE that table <3 Flower family :D 

His question seemed to confuse her, and for a moment the prince just stared; almost leaning in as he waited for the answer. Her confusion gave way to laughter, and this time it was his turn to be a little puzzled. As soon as he figured out what she was doing, the boy couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. It wasn't what he had meant, really, but it was still funny. He knew those parts were fine. Cernan chuffed at her wink; his smile pulling back into a smirk. When the conversation landed squarely on him, and with praise, the youth glanced sheepishly to the ground and back. 

It was a comfort to be thought so highly of, even if it was typical mom behavior. However, his inquiry had gone undressed. Instead, Cernan's amused expression faded away as the Queen turned it back on him. "Oh, yeah I'm fine," he answered quickly, trying not to think about whether or not he really was. Somewhere deep down was the same muddle of emotions he'd felt upon Al's return and buried that very day. It wasn't that he didn't feel safe bringing it up with Ma, but that he knew he'd be forced to feel it all again if he did. No thank you. 

And anyway, there was a different problem plaguing the boy right now, and she was going to make him ask it directly. Ugh. His eyes passed along the snowy ground; mind fidgeting in its attempt to figure out just how to word things. "I wondered..." he hesitated, glancing to the side. "You seemed kind of upset for a while," maybe that was an understatement, "and your scent made me wonder if you were... sick or something. I've never seen that happen unless someone was sick." Hopefully that explanation would suffice. His golden eyes turned curiously upwards, now that the issue was on the table.

 

A flutter of emotion passed over the large boy’s face and the mother watched with calm attention. My, he was just like her she marveled. Always so expressive, always so gentle unless provoked. Her heart swelled within the confines of her slim chest and her gaze softened at the sheepish expression that became him. “Oh yeah, I’m fine” he confirmed quickly, and she nodded encouragingly. But, if he was fine what was it that he really wanted? The queen was good at reading others, judging their character without ignorance, and she could tell that something was picking at the pale golden agouti colored pup. And, as much as it made him uncomfortable, it seemed that this time he would indeed have to spell it out for his mother. She wasn’t always a superwolf.

He shuffled, clearly trying to find the right way to phrase whatever it was that was going through his intelligent head. Mismatched gaze followed his movements, head cocking to the side as a small smile played at the corners of her blackened lips. “You seemed kind of upset for a while,” he began and her brows rose. Yes, it was no secret, as much as she would have liked to have kept it less obvious, that the disappearance of her middle child had left Namid a wreck. Not only her, but Vespertio as well. It had been a tough time for those few months, always waiting, always watching, to see if she would find her child alive or dead. Thankfully he had come back to them relatively unharmed other than malnourishment, but that was more easily fixed than death could have been. What was in the past was in the past, and with a new litter to look forward to she was trying her best to move on. However, she knew in her heart that if Aleister ever pulled a stunt like that again he would not get as warm a welcome. She was not liable for what could happen to him.

Then, the subject of her scent came up and beneath her pale pelt the queen flushed a light shade of pink. Ah, so that was what this was about. Of course, this was more or less her fault for not gathering the children sooner to explain to them the situation. But, in her defense she hadn’t been absolutely certain until perhaps the last few days when her scent change had taken full effect. No need to get everyone excited until things were for certain, and knowing her bunch the prospect of siblings would certainly get them excited.

Her smile grew wider and she refrained from laughing this time. “No, I am not sick,” she reassured gently. A pause of her own was made, as she was suddenly not sure of exactly how she was supposed to go about telling her son that she was going to be having more children. Was this…a conversation that Vespertio needed to be having with him? Of course, the mother and son were much closer it seemed than he was to his father and they were already there. Just the thought of her husband attempting to explain why and how pups came about was utterly amusing. No, if the question came about it was better that she try and explain it herself.

“You know that one of the jobs of an alpha is to keep the pack healthy and to keep it running. Well, one of those jobs is to also provide it with members. Your father and I, we love each other very much as I am sure you know. And, we have decided that it is time to fulfill our job and provide the pack with more wolves. Tell me, Cernan, have you ever thought about being a big brother?” she asked, brows raising questioningly. Well, that didn’t seem too awkward.

Resources by freepik.com, table by Kydnt

(This post was last modified: Sep 30, 2016, 02:52 AM by Namid.)

OOC: Can't believe I took this long Dx @Namid

His mother seemed to pick up on what was so awkward about all of this at the mention of her scent; her patient and interested smile fading away for a moment. Cernan watched with confusion and curiosity. He really hoped he wasn't making this more weird. It was silent between them for a few seconds, leaving the prince to fidget a little with the placement his front paws. Suddenly her demeanor changed with a broad, sweeping smile that made no more sense in the slightest. Cernan felt his eyebrows start to creep upward.

Not sick? Well, as much as that was relieving, it brought no clarity. Was she sure? The corner of his mouth drew back wryly for a moment as he continued to observe the Queen; waiting for whatever it was the woman was mulling over to finally come out of her mouth. When at last she spoke again, the boy nodded assuredly. Yes, that was what his Ma and Pa did; lead everyone and make sure they were all healthy and safe. The statement was not exactly new. Provide it with members? Again the tawny youngster bobbed his head in understanding. They recruited new wolves, sure, and they had him and his siblings. (Though how exactly that had come about wasn't readily apparent.)  What on earth this had to do with how she was feeling was completely lost on the boy.

His fuzzy ears cupped forward to catch the rest, finding everything to still be an unanswered puzzle. Then the matriarch asked him a question, and the pup blinked in response. A big brother? The pudgy Prince's skull then rotated to the side as he studied her grinning face. He had known himself to be the youngest of the three, last born, for a long time, though they all seemed to be about the same age in reality. There was none younger than them, and yet he recognized that he had once been much smaller; different from how he was now. The den used to be a massive cavern, and swans towering giants of doom. Now he was Ma and Pa's size – but swans were still terrifying. 

The gears attempted to turn in his head but there was still so much confusion. More wolves she had said. This wasn't going to be them recruiting newcomers, not the way she'd said “provide.” Did she mean... more kids like him and Neha and Al? What had her question been again? "You mean like, having more than one brother and sister?" He asked, his adolescent tone rising in pitch. "I mean, sometimes," the boy admitted, almost shrugging. More playmates was cool, so long as they didn't crowd up the den or bug him too much, or run off like a certain someone. "What's that got to do with you being sick- er, not sick?" Cernan corrected, shaking his head a little.