White Fir Notch I’m Bad News

Chan waited patiently for her to piece an answer together, concern residing on his face until it was finally out. Eyes widening briefly and cheeks promptly heating with embarrassment, he felt guilty all over again for asking. That was most certainly not his business.

I wouldn't! He frowned again, torn between minding his own and attempting to help untangle the knot. Before a decision was reached, she locked eyes with him and spoke aloud her true concern. This time, Chan couldn't help but reach out a paw, placing it on his friend's shoulder in a way that would hopefully be comforting.

"Hey. That is not something that should damage real friendship. You should never feel bad about saying no."

About anything, Flair had the right in every situation to decide and pursue what was best for herself.

"I don't... know Al as well as I probably should. I'd give him every benefit of the doubt though. I know his sister leaving has hit him hard, and that all of this is new to him. I bet anything, he'll just be happy to have a friend come back."

She didn’t think he was prying. She was generally a very private wolf, but sharing with Chan didn’t feel invasive, it actually made her feel better, talking about her worries. And what really embarrassed her about the whole incident wasn’t the intimate nature of it all, but her own indecision, feeling like her body was asking something of her that her mind wasn’t able to give, and being trapped in between. If she’d been more sure in her own wants, she could at least have given Aleister a more direct answer straight away, and she might not have felt so rotten.   Chan’s touch returned her attention to the moment, and the boy beside her, amber eyes to focus in on his face. A shaky smile slipped onto her features at his reassurances, but she still felt that knot in her stomach, gnawing away. She was confident enough to speak up for herself when it came down to it, and heaven knew her mother had repeated that lesson long enough to stick. No, she didn’t regret her choice, only the way she’d made it.   The fiery girl licked her lips, nodding slowly at his words. She’d never gotten to know the other Vuesain, but it stood to reason that Al would be upset about it. And, well, it wasn’t like he’d been angry with her snub, even after she’d let it drag on for so long, he had been a complete gentleman. Swallowing hard, she tried to keep her voice steady as she asked: “Y’ really think so?” It sounded pleading, even to her own ears, but she needed that comfort right now, if she really was to return to the mountain. After a pause, she added, a little steadier: ”And, what about you? Where will you go?” She hoped it didn’t come off as pressuring him, she didn’t mean it that way, she just wanted to know what his plans were; If I get to see you again, soon… ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

Chan didn't hesitate to nod. In all honesty, he'd be pretty disappointed in Aleister if he did hold something like that against Flair. It would definitely catalyze a conversation between the two, if not an outright disagreement. Chan hadn't taken any official position in the pack, but regardless of rank he'd never been a wolf to keep quiet if he felt someone was being wronged.

Flair turned the conversation back onto him and he didn't fight it; if she wanted to broach the topic again, he felt confident she would on her own.

The question made him smile. Everyone always expected him to have some kind of a plan, when the whole point was stumbling upon the next phase in his life.

"Probably West. I've heard there's a body of water that stretches forever. The end of the world, some say. I'd like to see it."

Whether or not he'd ever make it that far, with so much inbetween to distract him, was unknown.

A thought occurred to him then, and while he didn't want to backtrack, he felt obligated to at least let his friend know...

"Hey uh, we don't gotta keep talking about it but, just so you know, Al's having a litter with a woman who joined the Cove."

If Flair had feelings for the Vuesain man, that could very well be an extremely unpleasant thing to come back to.

(This post was last modified: Jul 13, 2021, 04:54 AM by Chan.)

It was comforting to hear, especially from Chan, whom she had come to trust over the past months, and who had known Aleister a lot longer. While she thought of Al as a friend, Flair still didn’t know him too well, and she wasn’t very confident in guessing how he might react to something like this. But running into Chan had made her miss the rest of the Cove, and she wanted to be able to return; Guess there’s nothing more to it then… She’d have to face it and hope for the best.   The tawny boy’s smile at the question made her wonder if he had somewhere in particular in mind; Or maybe someone…? But she quickly pushed the thought aside. Chan would have been honest, if that was what called him away from Relic Lore, he wasn’t the type to lie. And his answer proved as much, it was adventure he sought, new experiences; I get that… She’d had her share of wanderlust in her time, but now she was tired of travelling, she was lonely. “That does sound amazing!” She agreed, none the less, smiling back at him; “You’ll come back though, now and then? to visit I mean?” Maybe if she’d had a family like the Eastfalls, she would have been content to spend her life exploring, coming home once in a while to see them; Seems like a nice middle ground…   But for Flair herself, it seemed like Sanguine Cove was the right thing. Or at least so she thought, until Chan spoke again. Amber eyes widened with surprise, then narrowed as her brows furrowed; “Oh…” So Al had found someone else who was able to give him what he wanted; Good for him I suppose… Her gaze drifted down and to the side while she tried to sort out her feelings. She couldn’t really blame him for going somewhere else when she turned him away, could she? It wasn’t like she regretted her decision, she cared about Aleister, but not in that way.   With a pale smile curling her muzzle, she looked back up at Chan, speaking quietly; “Guess they’ll need all the help they can get!” Her attempt at a cheery tone didn’t quite manage to hide her nerves, but the smile was genuine enough; Pups…? Hopefully they wouldn’t be too scared of her. ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

"Of course," he didn't hesitate to assure her with a renewed smile. This had all been a much better reaction, far easier for him to swallow and respond to.

Chan relaxed his muzzle back down atop his paws after his own part about Aleister, but his mismatched eyes remained open and attentive to Flair. Her answer, when at last given, caused his smile to mirror her own. Empathetic, but grateful.

"Yeah, 'specially since she's not the only one," his teeth began to show, grin growing mischievously before breaking the news; "another young woman joined us pregnant too. Father's out of the picture from what I can tell."

Which just meant she could use the support of a pack all the more, everyone needed to be able to afford breaks and good rest.

"It's the same ol' place though, we're all still chill as stoners and there's no shortage of food or medicine or anything like that. I think we'll be able to handle it, unless they somehow both hit max capacity."

That would suck, but what was the point of stressing about what was already set in stone? Better to take it all in stride.

That was a small comfort at least, if she stuck around the Cove, she could see Chan when he stopped in to visit his family. But Flair still felt deflated, unsure exactly how to tackle this news and the unique feelings that came with it. He was her first real friend, the first wolf she ever felt had accepted her for who she was, and it was thanks to him that she’d had the confidence to join the Lake wolves in the first place. It was definitely going to be strange, not having him around anymore.   But then, she had other friends – right…? – At the Cove. She’d come to feel comfortable, even happy there, in a group, for the first time in her life. Her smile grew steadier, mind calming. Chan was clearly excited to go back to roaming, exploring new lands and having new adventures, she wouldn’t begrudge him for that. But Flair was tired of that solitary existence, she wanted to be among friends, and now she finally had the chance!     Amber eyes met bright, dual-colored ones as Chan continued to speak, dropping another bombshell with a grin she found far too cheeky. Flair’s brows rose then lowered as she narrowed her eyes at the boy, shaking her head faintly at his levity, but she couldn’t keep the corners of her own mouth from curling up. Really, she couldn’t be that surprised at the Cove taking in a single mother; Always so eager to help…! And why shouldn’t they? Whatever her story, this woman would soon need all the help she could get; Raising pups takes a pack! The thought brought an odd warmth to her chest, startling the otherwise so cynical she-wolf; She was actually excited!   Smiling again now, she nodded at Chan, grimacing briefly at his phrasing, though she agreed. “I better hurry then, or they’ll be overrun.” She chuckled in a low voice; “We have to at least keep a one-to-one.” She hoped it wouldn’t come quite to that though – two small litters would be more than enough to keep them all occupied, she was sure. A sudden yawn took her by surprise yet, splitting her jaws wide. She blinked heavy eyelids at her friend, remembering again, just how late it was, and how tired he had seemed moments ago; “Thanks for catching me up,” She muttered, lowering her muzzle to her own paws and struggling to keep her eyes open to watch for his reply. ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

Chan appreciated her response greatly, teeth peaking out once more as his grin blossomed a final time before disappearing into a drowsy curl of the lip. He shifted his weight ever so slightly as Flair settled into rest as well, leaning his side a touch closer for warmth's sake. His breathing was starting to even out into a steady rhythm, and his eyes drifted close as she thanked him. He hummed one note in acknowledgement before sleepily extending gratitude of his own.

"Thanks for being a good friend."