Larkcall Lowlands I just wanna believe

Sorry this took so long xD @Craw
There's a smidge of pp, If you're not okay with that just lemme know ^^;

Now that the group had finally finished their travels, it was time for Maeve to officially join another pack. Last time around it was easy, though something about this time made the orphan feel a bit nervous. Perhaps because there was more at stake now that she'd reunited with the princess? And as for this Craw guy, well, the fae didn't feel like she knew enough about him yet! Wasn't he a bit shady? Nevertheless the yearling really had no other choice but to trust Celandine's judgement. With a sigh, Maeve approached her possible new leader with high hopes.

"Craw.." She murmured, bowing her head instantaneously as to assure she'd be in position before the male had time to greet her."Cella was talkin' a bit about whu' y' go' goin' on here a' th' Monadnock.. I wan' in.." Gah, was that a little too straightforward? Maeve hadn't really gave a damn about whether or not she made it into the pines, so no real practice had ever been made towards the 'correct' way to join a pack. The fae could feel her cheeks flush at the thought of how stupid she must of looked. "Er, I mean.. I wanna be apart o' this lil family y' got goin' here. Ain't really ever had no family before. Could do whatever role y' need me t' fill wi' a lil practice. 'M pretty talented when I put m' heart into it."

(This post was last modified: Oct 13, 2016, 05:19 AM by Maeve.)

take all my apologies. This is my priority thread now so we can get Maeve accepted, really sorry for the wait <3 if you change the thread type to 'join' then you should be able to stop her losing LP? And you could request a deduction from the date you posted this thread since technically she'll be accepted from then.

He had never seen Celandine so talkative and, dare he say it, warm. Not that any of it had been directed at himself, of course, but such was hardly a surprise. Though he had spent some time with them during the journey back, because he was hardly about to prance back with a complete stranger on his tail, for the most part Craw had just focused on an efficient return. To be so distant from the others - even only a day away - made his flanks itch.

The fact that their numbers would be one stronger (and a rival pack one weaker) than when he left was a happy bonus, of course.

Now that the monadnock was back in view against the horizon, this talk was inevitable. Whether it happened now or at their borders made no matter, but it was going to happen - Maeve may have been someone known to and trusted by Celandine, but she was a complete wild card otherwise. The white princess' opinion did hold some weight with Craw, though, which would work in the grey girl's favour.

It was with a gruff manner that Craw turned his attention to the young wolf as she approached, respectful in manner, able to know her place. She had not been rude or untoward during the journey so there were no wrong foots to correct - but he would always look favourably on such wise behaviour. Though he watched her with a cool passiveness, the corner of his mouth did crook at the use of the word family - had Celandine used it? He hardly thought so. But it was true, he felt it; the Whitestone wolves were a united family in their own rough and hardy way. The beginnings of something bigger and better. A resurgence.

He could have said I didn't go all that way just to let you skip off into the sunset, but it wasn't true that he'd have brought her back no matter her manner, for if she'd been an insufferable bitch (like Celandine without the ability to bite her tongue) then he wouldn't have hesitated in turning her away. If nothing else, he had fulfilled his promise to Celandine; accepting her friend into his pack hadn't been a part of it.

He eyed her with a careful, critical eye, weighing her valuation of herself (an easy way to put 'I'm good at anything', a common claim of those with no particular talent, one easy to be sceptical about). She was young, so it was permissible if she had not yet found or fostered any innate skill. "What did the Pines have you doing? Were you in training?" He would not push her for more wishy-washy self-assessments, if she had no profession or goals. If she was really so versatile then he could find a place for her.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Nah, I'm just as bad so no need to apologize. My muse has been so dry recently, in all honesty you were sort of doing me a favor XD!

"Mmm.." Maeve frowned, not really expecting the man to actually take much interest in what she had been doing with her spare time these past few months. "Well, Guess I should jus' be honest wi' ya." With a sigh, the orphan tried her best to think of a more sophisticated way of saying 'I've done absolutely nothing my whole life.', but her mind was running a blank.

"Th' Pines didn' have me doin' much o' anythin' durin' m' stay. Matter o' fact, they didn' have anyone doin' much o' anythin'. They didn' really care 'bout anythin', or so it seemed." She grunted, though hadn't Silent moon been just as bad when it came to responsibility? "Bu' tha's not to say I don' have interests, sir. Been thinkin' I'd make a good Guardian somewhere, someday. 'M a big girl, 'n I know how t' hold m' own. Could do that for a pack too I think, with a bit o' trainin'." Definitely not convincing enough, Maeve almost felt a sense of shame from all the horrid bullshit that just escaped from her very own maw. "'R, do ya' need a medic? Been fascinated wi' plants since I was born, y' ever heard of cattails?"

Well I'll always try and make sure I reply quickly, but you can take as long as you want between posts! No rush on your part, I just don't want to hold you up <33
Also, with how wishy-washy this aspect of their timeline is, just gonna assume that Lorcan is with them because why not.

I should just be honest with you. Rarely did such an opening statement promise good things, but Craw would not be too hasty in his pre-judgements. His eyes narrowed as he watched her nonetheless, jaw clenching in faintly discouraged anticipation of what was to come next.

But while what @Maeve revealed was definitely damning, it was not particularly damaging of his perception of the girl herself. Her admission was met with a snort, an unpleasant mixture of lack of surprise and disdain for the picture she painted. His opinion of the Pines pack had been low, it was true, but based only on one meeting. He might have hoped that they were more competent outside of his own experience of them, but apparently not! What a poisonous place for a young wolf to be, sapped of purpose and guidance. If Celandine had known the fate which had befallen her friend, Craw did not doubt that she would have been far quicker to extract Maeve from it. He was glad they had when they did. Whether or not Maeve was capable of productivity would be measured on her own actions from this moment on, not the failings of her past leaders.

The corners of his lips twisted in the hint of a smile as he wondered if she knew just how much her cushy, lazy life was about to change.

He listened to her suggestions seriously, silently working out where her self-proclaimed talents and interests matched with the needs of the pack. The grey girl did not seem entirely convinced by her own words, but he overlooked it. It was not her fault if she didn't know how to express enthusiasm and proactiveness any more. She would learn, or she would fall short. "No," he rasped, and decided that he liked her blunt, rough manner to soften his own (Whitestone had a penchant for tough, cold women, it seemed), "unless you mean the type I like to rip off cougars." He waited a heartbeat before grinning, making it clear that it was a joke - mostly. With an amused huff, he rested his haunches on the ground, and studied her closely once more. "We have a medic in training, but you could apprentice under him if you wish, but I think guardian would suit you. I would know just the woman to help train you. We've got some... irksome neighbours out in the tundra, not to mention the damn coyotes and occasional cat - you would certainly be valued as more dedicated protection for the pack."

There he paused, watching closely, eager for her reaction - would she roll her eyes (or clearly fight the urge to) as would Celandine, or scoff as would Capable, or happily welcome it as would Lorcan? Ultimately, he just needed to see if she was keen for guidance, for purpose. Her past idleness could be forgiven as someone else's mistake, but there were no barriers and excuses between Maeve and her actions from here on.

To her credit, the girl's responses were straightforward and, as far as Craw could tell, honest. He saw Celandine's bluntness in her, and thought he understood their closeness. Clearly they had been there for each other during trying times, and besides the amusing idea of Celandine's being anybody's emotional support, he appreciated their history.

The decision was not difficult, and he accepted her into Whitestone on the provision that Morganna agreed with the decision. Calling for Celandine, the trio made the last leg of the journey back to the monadnock, and Craw was glad to have the whole business done and behind him.

(This post was last modified: Nov 23, 2016, 05:24 PM by Craw.)