Whitestone Monadnock west coast smokers

For @Craw || Near the gold-veined boulders/usual meeting place || Early evening, right before sunset

She had just finished her rounds of the borders after exploring within the territory most of the day. It was a beautiful place and in her short time her she had already come to admire it. Love it even. Perhaps the most breathtaking view had been that night with @Lorcan on top of the Monadnock when he found that one start the shined brightly. Maybe she could top that with this evening's sunset.

The pale woman had taken her time to get to the meeting place. Taking a spot not far from the boulders she laid upon the cold ground. A slight breeze blew through the lands. It carried the scent of the land. Crisp air, dirt, stone, and of course the collective scent of the members of Whitestone Monadnock. A scenic moment to say the least.

With the least bit of grace, she rolled to lay on her side. Perhaps someone would come join her this evening. She knew Anaia wouldn't be up here and she'd feel bad calling for Lorcan to come join her again. Piety wondered if maybe she should get up and check on Morganna or even Craw. Before she made any decisions, she wanted to enjoy at least enjoy a few more moments of the winter evening.

# C W T

Still laughing to himself over @Isuni's crass comment, his amusement just as fresh as the sore point on his shoulder where she had managed to get in a really solid headbutt, Craw trotted contentedly over the monadnock, seeking his mate for a little warm-down spar. The wrestle with Capable had been enjoyable but, today, for some reason, left him wanting. Wanting what, he wasn't sure - maybe just a lighter touch, a more flirtatious combat, or just an easier win. Capable never went soft on him.

Rolling out the ache as he walked, Craw's eyes meandered over to the distant northern horizon, to the sky which peaked out behind the distant outline of mountains. The sun would be setting soon, marking another short day of sunlight, and then the lowlands would be cast in shadow, but not before a brief but ever grand show of colour. Pausing to admire it, movement caught his eye, and he watched as a dainty white figure rolled herself over, clearly feeling as relaxed as himself.

In his nose were them all, so it was hard to tell just which white woman this might be out of Sara and Piety (Anaia should have still been further down, not yet permitted to come up to the main flat space of the high rise) but by her size, he guessed the Santoro. Closing the distance between them, he was proven right.

"Piety," he wheezed warmly, tail giving a single wag of easy greeting, observing how she had sprawled out and relaxed with idle amusement. It was good to see her make herself at home so quickly.

STORY BOOKS ARE FULL OF FAIRY TALES
OF KINGS AND QUEENS AND THE BLUEST SKIES
MY HEART IS TORN JUST IN KNOWING
YOU'LL SOMEDAY SEE THE TRUTH FROM LIES

It appeared she wouldn't have to be alone on this sunset. The familiar wheezy voice of @Craw reached her. A soft whine was given of recognition and partial submission. She was already on the ground, she couldn't get much more exposed than that. "Craw." The pale woman warmly spoke out. His name as simple of a greeting as her own had been. "Funny enough I was just thinking about going to check on you or Morganna after enjoying the view for a few more minutes." Her tail thudded against the ground happily. She was content in her unformal position. Truthfully, Piety didn't exactly see the need to rise and give some formal greeting. "I do trust you two have been well, though. And the two children?"

She was a bit of a curious thing, no denying that. But the pale Santoro only saw it as polite to inquire about those who she didn't spend as much time around. While the woman did try her best to do patrols and little hunts with Morganna, that didn't mean she got to see just exactly how the female was. Of course Piety did respectfully try to spend time with Craw also but that was a little harder. He was a gruff man and while she didn't mind that, it seemed she struggled finding a common ground with him. Nonetheless, the pale woman would put in the effort. Now was a perfect time too!

Her muddy eyes wandered to look at the large man before she huffed and lightly nosed at the space next to her. "Come join me." It was a gentle gesture. Not a demand but she was indeed hoping he would join her like Lorcan had.

"speech"

# C W T

She was everything soft and delicate and sweet, from her voice to her looks to her manner. The more tiem Craw spent with her, the more he could not decide if he understood @Skoll's attraction or not. After @Hecate, Craw had thought his brother-in-law's type to be rough and abrasive, the kind of woman to give him a hard time. Piety turned that on its head. But maybe she was a part of the Archer's younger life, when his desires were different... or maybe she herself was different. @Sven would be two years old this spring, would he not? That was a long time ago.

And Attica would be one, if she was still alive... and would there be a third abandoned bastard child to celebrate their birthday season?

"Very much," he wheezed, an effortless reply to her affectionate question about his family. Maybe it was that she wasn't genuine, that this layer of sugar was a facade? But if so, she was masterful with it, for none of them had reported any cracks in it. Maybe Piety Santoro was the angel in Skoll's dark past. Unable to resist her request, the spider came to drop himself next to  her, just far enough apart so that their longest guard hairs did not touch, but the scent  of her filled his nose and in that moment, she fully occupied his mind, pushing out the other concerns and considerations which normally turned about inside it.

"Have you spent much time with them?" he asked, her casually friendly attitude infectious. "@Odin and @Kara. My Second has been their teacher since they were born, but he's away from the pack right now on personal business - I've been encouraging them to learn from everyone else in his absence."

@Craw

NEVER WILL I KNOW WHAT YOU SAW IN ME
BUT SURELY YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I SAW IN YOU
THINKING BACK NOW
I'M SURE THAT WAS THE ONLY ATTRACTION

He was rough around the edges but she was sure there was a soft man beneath the stone he built and used for walls. If there wasn't, he made himself look good for those associated with him. His effortless reply didn't fall upon deaf ears. Her pale tail thumped against the ground and she offered a generous smile. "Pleasure to hear that." Her tones genuine as her eyes watched him take place next to her. Just like she had wished.

Piety listened to his question and her ears pinned back, brows furrowed too. "I haven't spent much time with them. I might catch glimpses of them when patrolling or when I go to see if Morganna is interested in a hunt or stroll. I'd be willing to try and teach them something if you permit." She paused to wonder how much of her soft side she should expose. "I think I just have trouble..trusting myself." Her face scrunched up as her muddy eyes looked outwards. "I wasn't a good mother so I think I'm skeptical about being around any child. I'm sure Morganna has told you or you've learned through whispers if you've ever gone near those willows." She shrugged and settled her heads on her paws.

It was all the truth and it was easy to tell from her body language. She would be an awful liar, her body always gave it away how she was truly feeling.

"speech"

# C W T

It had been a passing remark, the suggestion not meant to provoke any negativity, but something small changed about her demeanour. As she began to speak, Craw opened his mouth to interject, to say that it hadn't been as accusation, but then she said something most curious and his jaws slowly clicked shut again.

The subject he had been carefully avoiding so far, while he tried to figure out the best way to approach it, ended up being brought up by the woman herself. Ears tipping toward her, unable to stop staring at her pretty face even though her own eyes were fixed somewhere ahead, he waited in silence until she was finished. As she laid her head upon her paws, still refusing to make eye contact, he listened to the contrasting sounds of their breathing, his own harsh and noisy and her own soft, like the most gentle of breezes over the ears, and he wondered at what kind of demons might be lurking in such a delicate creature.

"She has," he replied, quietly, finding the rough sound of his own voice irritating in this situation, a most rare thing since he had been at peace with his wounds and their side effects for years. "I knew @Sven, back when we lived in the Ridge. He was a strong-minded boy... but troubled, too. What happened?"

@Craw I had no intention to get this thread a bit emotional but oops :x

READY, BUT AT PEACE
MY PHILOSOPHY IS THAT
I KNOW HOW THE STORY GOES
JUST TO SEE SOME STEADY FLOW, BACKWARDS

It was almost calming that he didn't stop her. That perhaps he was truly interested in her bucket that ran over with emotions. Her one good ear leaned towards him, catching each word. "He's a handsome one, isn't he? Pale coat from my side of the family but that little dark spot that rises up from his nose and those melted silver eyes," She paused. There had been a gentle smile on her face at the beginning of her sentence but it had faded into a soft frown. "well those are from his father's side."

She did intend to answer his question, though. Her mind just had to puzzle everything together. "Everything seemed right but I don't think anything was right. Skoll was a good man and he'll always have my heart." Oh she wanted to cough like she normally did when she got this way. To merely hack all the feelings up from her stomach out over the edge of the Monadnock. She couldn't do that, though. Not in front of Craw. "He was the father of my first and only child. But I think things were too wrong. We were kept like a secret that everyone knew. There were obvious feelings of disgust towards me and I couldn't blame them. You can only pretend to be happy for so long.." Her voice shaken as her words seemed to lose strength. She wasn't the bold and devious Dove (a name she went by during her time in Grizzly Hollow). She was the weak, emotional, hurt Piety Santoro. But her damage upon herself would never amount to that of which she cast upon her own son.

"You know, I should have been happy. A beautiful son, a loving man. I could have kept it together. I should have." Was she about to cry in front of Craw? Throw her cards out onto the table all for him to see. Anything she wanted to keep together and pretend he didn't know through Morganna was open now. She was a target waiting to be hit, perhaps a case waiting to be judged. "I'm sorry. Really. I-I shouldn't have said anything." Her voice strained. Out of pure shame her tail pulled in against her, her good ear flattened and her face turned out. What a pathetic mess she was.

"speech"

# C W T

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Her reaction was why he had made sure to steer clear of the question back when he had first brought her up the monadnock, even though the curiosity had been at the fore of his mind. Not because he feared her emotion, or otherwise looked down upon it, but for her own wellbeing. While she started out calm and composed, the more she said the more fragile her composure became. He could hear the wobble in her voice, the suppression of sadness, and still he only listened, silent, letting her say her piece.

She finished on an apology, and he was swift to shake his head - even if she might not have seen it, for Piety had turned herself away, as if in shame of herself, as if unable to look him in the eye. "I asked," he said softly, to dismiss her apology, to partly take the blame. It had been her decision to answer, so he did not apologise for his own curiosity, and she had brought up Sven all by herself; he did not feel guilt over putting his foot in the doorway when she had already opened the door.

There was so much of interest in her retelling: one and only, kept like a secret... loving man. While he did not doubt that that was how Piety may truly view Skoll, Craw could not help the ugly feeling that her view was twisted, warped by her own love and naivety. Skoll had used her, had barely raised his child, had gone on to do the same to some other bitch the year after, and Craw would have put money on him doing the exact same thing next rutting season. It was who the man was.

But as he looked at her, he could not simply point that out, could not risk damaging her already vulnerable state. She had chosen to open up. He could not abuse that.

"As far as I have heard, your boy is doing well now. He is loyal to the Ridge, to his family. He is passionate and headstrong and does what he believes is right." And he had a lot of potential, which Craw had long accepted he would never reap the rewards of. If only he knew how Sven might have felt at his mother's living here, he may have realised just how large the divide was between himself and the young bastard Archer. "That's all we can hope for."

Not that he knew anything of Odysseia except that she may yet breathe, that she may yet think they could be reunited. If Piety felt as though she had abandoned her child... well, Craw knew that pain all too well. His chest was already tight just at this barest reminder.

"The past is behind you, Piety. It's behind us all. Build something great and new, here, with the rest of us."

(This post was last modified: Jan 04, 2017, 03:41 PM by Craw.)

Perhaps there was some kind of gentle man hiding behind that rugged appearance. She wanted to see the good in everyone and right now she could see it in @Craw. His voice, despite the usual wheezing, was soft around the edges. The pale woman simply nodded in response to his "I asked," He had indeed but maybe she had over shared.

Her head turned and muddy eyes fell to look at him. Nothing but respect in his eyes. Ebony lips raised slightly to offer the faintest of smiles. "He was always so eager to learn as a child. I'd curl up in the den and he'd curl up with me. Always ready to hear a story, perhaps those did him well." She always told him stories about the truth, the light, the Lord. Not one ounce of her would be shocked if some of those stories still lingered in his mind and guided him through his trials.

The spider's next words caught the pale woman by surprise. "I-I do intend to. I believe me and Morganna get along much better now and no one has seemed ill towards me." Her muddy eyes glanced to the horizon before flickering back to look at Craw. "I actually talked to @Lorcan not too long ago and we talked about roles to work towards to perhaps help me feel more at home." She paused to see how the large man would take that tidbit of information. "I wanted you and Morganna's blessing on working towards becoming a teacher." Her head cocked to the side slightly as she waited for his answer.

# C W T