Wake Up, The Arcane Pack

[Ivv]

Weeks had passed quickly as the pack organized itself around the two litters. Small hunts were put together by the betas mostly, and for a long while there was a general lull in the pack of nothing in particular, though all seemed anxious to finally meet the the son and daughter of Fenrae and Logan (and, sure, some were anxious to see Pandora's bastards, too). It wasn't until the second week that Loni had gotten a glimpse of the two sleeping forms of Jarkko and Lijah, and even then it had been brief. Fenrae had her den under a lock and key, and that didn't seem like it was going to change any time soon. At three weeks, however, it seemed Fenrae would have to concede to letting her offspring venture out of the den, finally. "Mom," Jarkko's voice came rather sternly as he stood to the side of his mother, his chest pushed out as he stared intently at the side of her head, waiting for her to turn and look at him. He wasn't saying it twice. "Look." At his paws was a dead beetle with obvious marks made on it by sharp little puppy teeth. Just then, Logan was entering the den and as their father's form stood half in the den, half out, Jarkko heard his sister's voice. It was low, almost like a hum - and he knew exactly what it meant. Immediately, Jarkko turned and dove under his father's legs with clumsy accuracy, sliding out of the den as though he was stealing third base. Lijah was right after him, and behind them Logan was trying to turn around his larger frame in the smaller den to follow them outside. Jarkko had not been expecting the crowd that he saw as he stood up. Every wolf in the small clearing looked up from what they'd been doing and simply stared at Jarkko and his sister. He could see beaming smiles on two black males, and the greyer of the two was quick to his feet. Jarkko's fur stood up in a bristle as a small growl rumbled uncomfortably in his throat. He didn't know what to do as the much larger male drew closer but, with a hesitant look back at the den, Jarkko decided to stand his ground. His parents were behind him with an amused look - one he didn't like very much - and this greying male seemed to share their sentiment. "What?" The words held some attitude and his brow furrowed as he looked at Loni. He had no clue who all these wolves were, but he wasn't going to run back in the den, that was for sure.

[Hype]

It had taken several more bribes to gain entry, but Loni had done it. Granted, his thirty seconds of den time simply proved that he was too big and too old to see his grandchildren properly until they cam out of the den; the thought of his stiff joints protesting and crackling as he tried to reverse from Fenrae's little space still sent tingling waves of week old soreness down his spine. Still, just a glimpse was all the old wolf needed of the two squirming balls of fluff to keep him happy and proud as a peacock for the next week. It had taken Fenrae three and a half weeks to weasel her way out from her mother's notoriously overprotective nose; Loni didn't doubt these two fur balls would make record time. While the betas took to the task of hunting for Fenrae's litter, Loni still went on his own patrols. He no longer felt the need to continue feeding Fenrae; he envisioned her swelling to fill her own den with all the fodder Roxii and Iannon seemed to find. The old male hunted in the early morning, keeping his own easily waxing strength up with extra meals before leaving the extras for Pandora. It wasn't difficult; this spring seemed to be the explosion point after the floods and harsher than usual winters. Kaono was turning back into a fully functional island again, with plenty to spare for the ever growing Arcanes. The day of the prison break came sooner than Loni expected. Leave it to Logan's son and daughter to break the pack record. The grandfather sat close to the den as usual, laying sphinx-like out in a patch of sun that managed to fully break through the foliage. The two pups had been awake for a while, though the only movement from the den so far was Logan coming up to stretch out his legs and make sure the pack hadn't mysteriously vanished. Most of them were quiet, now bored from the long month spent in one place or bored from surviving on small meals. Not even Mortimer was on edge even though he was the current punching bag with Pandora out of the picture in her den. Loni picked his head up, one ear twisting backwards, listening absently to the frustration of a hawk as its kill escaped into the underbrush. It was in that moment that the two pups seemed to simply appear from nowhere. Instantly Loni was on his feet, his ruff fluffing out in excitement as Jarkko surveyed all the faces almost casually. The little pup fluffed himself up and growled; it did nothing but widen Loni's smirk as he approached. Jarkko gave a look back to the den but stood his ground, his eyes piercing and bold just like his parents. "What?" The little pup spoke out. His petulant question was stronger than Loni expected; it took him by surprise. The old wolf's growling, bass laughter pealed through the thick trees as he regarded his little grandson, his expression souring only slightly with the shock. "What? I'll tell you what." Loni chided him, using his paw to bump the pup off balance. "You better not speak to your grandfather like that again, or I'm gonna have to knock some manners into you, that's what." He chuckled again, his eyes flicking up to Fenrae as she exited the den to watch her children. And they were definitely Fenrae's children.

--------------------

Wolves: Loni . Fenrae . 133
Dogs: Roshi
Humans: Bronson . Dover

"The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring." -Paul Rand

[AKwolf]

Like the truest of moderate pessimists, Roxii tried to control the world through a lens of cruel reality and sundered desires. If she never hoped, never dreamed then she could never be disappointed. She could control her world. It was a simple explanation for a complication emotion but this was the most basic gist of her detachment from those around her. And yet, as of late, Roxii had been feeling the gut pull of something which went in the exact opposite direction of her natural instincts. It was the same feeling she had gotten when Casolt had returned with blood on his face and a profound strength in his eyes. She felt possessive of him. But, more so, she felt at ease around him. The change in him, the stability of him and the potent expressions of his eyes drew her to him. There was something fine, exquisite, and dangerous to him. It was something that had always been there, stirring beneath the surface like fissures of molten rock beneath a subdued volcano, it was something she had always found intriguing and softly magnetic. But now it had been unearthed; brought to life and Roxii was at a strange ease with this side of him. Though…that didn’t mean she wasn’t still as cold and vicious as the armpit of hell. And like the poised and refined feminine she was, Roxii gave a very sharp and blunt “fuck you” to anyone who thought it was a good idea to poke at whatever was going on between Casolt and herself. She was also watching Pandora’s shithouse of a den like a snake watching a mouse hole, just waiting for one soft little head to poke itself out of the entrance. She had heard the soft noises, the fretful whine of those bastard pups, and at the notion of live births a low and cold snarl had drifted softly into the night. With all the stress Pandora had been under Roxii had half-suspected the pups to be stillborn, thus eliminating all issues and problems. But, Roxii had never been all too high on the favorable list of the powers-that-be and so she continued to only eye the rotting log silently with a cool and terrible expression on her face. Today, Roxii was watching the entrance to Pandora’s distant den with an exceptionally shark-like gleam to her sharp silver eyes. Blood from a recently poached rabbit, now lying in the dirt of Fenrae’s den, stained her blunt muzzle as she lay staring at the far off den with a very unhumbling expression. Her back was curled away from Casolt who lay near, though only silence passed between them. Her intense stare was broken by a flicker of white from near Fenrae’s den and with an attentive snap Roxii’s head was turned fully to the den mouth where two white pups stood. The male had stopped so suddenly it was as if a brick wall had formed from air in front of him, yet the pup stood his ground and expanded his chest as his eyes traced each Arcane wolf. Loni was quick to his paws, approaching the pup who bristled his fur and let out a quiet growl. Roxii sat up with a darkly humorous expression on her face touched with a hint of proud venom. “Careful Loni, that bite-sized Logan’s got a bit of a fire in his gut,” she commented sarcastically as Loni chided his grandson who stood stubbornly fixated on the spot. The boldness of the pups was already obvious in the first several seconds of their exit into the world. No one expected any less. Roxii’s eyes moved from the male pup to the female pup, examining her with a steely interest. It was intriguing to see the raw and fresh potential of the pups as they experienced their first encounter with the pack. And as Jarkko made his presence known, Roxii waited for Lijah’s aftershock.

[Losty]

"Mom," Jarkko said, and at first Lijah kept her eyes closed, ignoring it, until her brother added, "look." This brought her to drag her sleepy head around and peel an eye open. There, at his feet, was a dead beetle. She stared at it for a moment, unblinking, before letting her gaze snap up to her brother's face. When he finally turned to look back at her, she managed - as best she could - to look unimpressed, and laid her head back down. Just then, her father entered the den. She didn't need to see Logan to know it was him; while her mother was a steady source of comfort that never left their side, she had learned to quickly recognize the arrival of her father...to recognize the change in energy in their mother, and the sound of his footfall. She was up in an instant, picking her way very delicately towards him. Like always, she leaned her shoulder into his leg and bumped her nose against his chest in complete show of affection. "Today, Daddy?" It was the question she'd made a habit of asking - one she asked more so for the sake of her brother, knowing he had been itching for the day they were allowed out. She was curious, but not more than that. She simply smiled up at Logan, and - when he nodded, she nuzzled him. "Thank you." Jarkko must have heard her, because he took off like a bat out of hell, dashing under their father's legs to get to the mouth of the den. Lijah stole a quick glance at her mother, who notioned for her to go on ahead, and she was off too, tailing her brother closely. The light of the morning hit her like a ton of bricks. She balked slightly, stopping short, and squinted her bright blue eyes. It took a moment for the forms to swim into view, before she was able to blink the dull sting away and finally see her packmates. Like Jarkko, she stood stalk still under everyone's heavy study. "What?" Jarkko challenged, and she let her head align with her shoulders defensively as one black male who smelled old came up towards them. "You better not speak to your grandfather like that again, or I'm gonna have to knock some manners into you, that's what," the adult said, using his paw to bump Jarkko off balance. At this, Lijah's little nose wrinkled back and her front puppy teeth came flashing up with a low, unamused grumble, but there came a sharp and unmistakable reprimanding nose butt from someone else. Surprised, she spun around with wide eyes to find another black male - only one much younger - standing over her with stern eyes. "Mind your superiors," he said, and she realized how much these two wolves reminded her of Mom. She wasn't sure why, but she felt that she needed to avert her eyes and mutter a quick, sorry. For good measure, she waited a beat too, before gathering herself up and walking away from Casolt, tail loose and ears forward with genuine curiosity for the world around her. Taking little - if any - interest in the wolves now, she put her nose to the ground and started to investigate the many strange, new smells. Plants, logs, bugs - when a hawk called, she reared her head back at tried to pinpoint the source, but the light played harshly against her vision, and she abandoned the attempt, deciding to stick to things that were eye-level.

[Ivv]

Who did this old wolf think he was? Jarkko remembered his scent as one that typically lingered on the edge of the den; one he'd never been able to put a face to, but knew it in the back of his mind to be someone close with his parents. Like Lijah, Jarkko knew everything about his parents; he knew the distinct sounds of their footfalls, the weight they put behind each step; he knew that his mother held her breath for a fraction of a second before their father entered the den, and knew that Logan's demeanor - whatever it had been earlier - always changed the moment he entered his larger frame into the confines of the den. Jarkko knew what to listen for, and had attuned his ears to know what each sound meant. But he didn't know a thing about these new wolves before him. "What? I'll tell you what." Jarkko had heard this voice before. From outside the den. It usually was accompanied by his father's, or another male who he could not place. "You better not speak to your grandfather like that again, or I'm gonna have to knock some manners into you, that's what." The wolf batted at Jarkko's shoulder, and it didn't take very much to knock the chubby puppy off balance. "Hey!" Jarkko protested as he regained his footing, but quickly heard another voice. "Mind your superiors." It was the second voice. The one Jarkko could always faintly hear in mumbles just outside the den. It was always between his father, his grandfather, and this wolf. The one that looked like his mother. Jarkko's attention quickly turned away from Loni to stare at Casolt. This was family, then. The ones Fenrae had told Lijah and Jarkko about when they begged to go outside the den. She'd tell them each of their names, and would go over what rank they held. Logan would always interrupt, and say nothing would ever be certain with the Beta rank as long as Iannon and Casolt still breathed. His parents always found this amusing. Jarkko didn't have a clue, and therefore dismissed the comment completely. His mouth opened to speak to Casolt, but it was then that he heard a distinct whine come from a nearby fallen log. Jarkko's head shot around to his sister, catching her eye and silently asking if she'd heard it too, then he turned to look at his mother. She'd never said anything about pups like them. More pups. The white pup marched over to the log, the grey ridge of fur along his back moving like a serpent with each careful step he took. Still exceptionally young, his movements were anything but refined, holding the typically clumsy nature of a pup, but his eyes were sharp. A mix of the characteristic blue and green of his parents; a dark turquois. He stood at the mouth of the hollowed log to come face to face with a black male pup. "Who're you?" Jarkko asked, his eyes intent. The prospect of more pups like himself and Lijah was exciting, but something in him needed to make sure of things first. There must have been a reason his mother had never mentioned these two pups, Jarkko was sure. But then again, she'd kept them locked inside that den for far longer than Jarkko had ever wanted - so maybe this was another fun thing she'd kept away.

[meg]

Simply put, Wilde wanted out. Unlike Jarkko and Lijah's den, the hollowed log wasn't completely enclosed besides for an opening. It had knotholes and rotted areas that Wilde had tried to escape from on numerous occasions. The sun that filtered through those rotted holes made Wilde's mind go crazy with the possibilities. What was it? How did it come through the hole and... just... exist. This bugged Wilde to the point where he would sit and be transfixed on the ray of light, ignoring his mothers annoyed pleas to leave what nobody understood alone. What nobody understood. Immediately Wilde perked up, intent to be the FIRST wolf to understand whatever this thing was. It was his destiny, of course! Soon, when he hadn't come any closer to figuring that out, he took to attempting to leave the den. He was a true paw full for Pandora, that is one thing even the pack that kept far from their makeshift den could probably tell. Whenever Loni was there to drop off any tidbits of food he could give to them, Wilde was just inside the den, growling the meanest growl a puppy could muster. Of course, it was pretty pathetic, and once the dead rabbit, or whatever was dropped down the hole, came to a stop Wilde would pounce upon it and thrash it like the mean puppy he was. Well, really he just wanted to be the first to pull it about before Pandora claimed it for herself with a small growl. Today, something was off. The tensions and emotions running through his mother were different today. The small black pup opened his eyes, a color that rivaled with a yummy liquid caramel color, and let his eyes zero in on Pandora. She was sitting anxiously at the mouth of their den, keeping a silent watch on the pack. What was she watching? Wilde attempted to crawl around her once and she scooted him backwards. Wilde shot his sister, Jetta, a heated look. What was with their mother? Protecting is totally lame! They want adventure! Wilde sucked in a deep breath and let out a loud whine. He was impatient. He just HAD to beat Jetta out of the den. He had bet her a mouse tail that he would get out first! He had to win! And so, with a small puppy-like leap, he made it over his mother's paws and plop right out of the den. A triumphant yip of approval spurted from the pup's mouth, and he began a happy dance of slow twirling and mostly clumsy puppy stumbles. Who're you? Wilde froze. Slowly he looked over his shoulder to find... another wolf! Just like Wilde! Not quite, he was a completely different color, but... still! Another wolf! The other puppy's eyes were intent, glued to Wilde's as he stood awaiting an answer. "Wilde. Who're you?" he asked, focusing on the word 'you'. Another pup came up behind the first, and Wilde turned to stand his own ground. He let his eyes take in the two of them, and then an idea popped into his head. "Bet you a rabbit's foot that I can find a beetle first!" With that said, Wilde darted to the right and into a nearby clump of brush and proceeded to root around for the beetle he knew he would find first.

[Ivv]

As Fenrae and Logan came to sit just outside the den, watching Jarkko and Lijah amble slowly to centre stage, Logan simply couldn't help the comfortable smile that had found itself glued to his features. There was absolutely nothing that could ruin this moment for him. The pack was in good health, and the presence of the pups seemed to have instantly lifted everyone's spirits. The sun was bright and easily found its way through the canopy above, and the air on the forest floor was cool in the shade. "Arcanes, I give you Jarkko and Lijah." Logan announced with a beaming smile. He knew their names had filtered through the ranks already, but this was their official introduction, and a chance to put names with small, chubby faces. Of course, it was in that moment that Lijah smiled sweetly to her uncle and diverted her gaze, and Jarkko growled at Loni and was toppled over. The Bite-sized Logan, as Roxii called him, was already picking fights with one of the island's most notorious wolves. It sight seemed to bring a smile to everyone's face, and most couldn't help but give a laugh. Jarkko had quickly found more pressing matters, though. Logan could hear the exchange between his son and Pandora's son, and saw the petite black female exit her den, her son closely at her heels. She seemed uncertain as she glanced over at Logan and Fenrae, then down at her pup who had already engaged in a game and had dove into a small patch of tall grass. "Come join us," Logan said easily, nodding his head to Pandora. It wasn't a time to care for ranks or whatever inner workings of the pack needed addressing. No, today would be about the pups, and letting the four get to know one another. After all, they would form the core young group of the pack in the not-too-distant future.

[OOC: Short, but I felt like posting Logan. :) heh]

[fur, fin, and wing]

HAPPINESS IS JUST OUTSIDE MY WINDOW For the first two weeks of her life, Jetta had found the hollowed log she and her brother were confined to quite fun. Or, at least, amusing. There were many things to do and plenty of stuff to get into. Like that one time when she found a bit of muddy water that had seeped in through the many holes that lined the log, and she had rolled all in it before seeking up on her brother with the intentions of giving him a scare. She’d jumped out from behind her sleeping mother’s tail and yelled some string of nonsense sounds like some sort of wild animal. Of course, Wilde only gave her a wide grin and said “Cool! Where can I get some?”, but she’d at least gotten a kick out of nearly giving her mother a heart attack when the two pups had been pretending to kill each other, resulting in one always screaming something along the lines of “Help, help! I’m dying!”. But now, in this third week of her life, Jetta was growing really, really bored. Like her brother, she just wanted out! She had taken to waiting until Pandora was in the middle of thwarting Wilde’s attempts at jailbreak to make her own, but her stupid, short puppy legs were no match for her mother’s own. But she tried nonetheless, and growled and muttered every time she was stopped. She just HAD to get out before her brother! He’d bet her a mouse tail! Today, something felt different. The tension and anxiety coming off of her mother wasn’t the usual ‘what kind of escape plans will I have to put a stop to today’, and Jetta just couldn’t place it. But her desire to be free kept her from thinking on it too much, and in no time she was scouring the log, studying the holes and considering her options. It was then that it happened. Jetta was on the other side of the log, examining a rather promising hole when she heard a loud whine and turned to see her leaping to freedom! Right out of the big, main hole! She growled a tiny, frustrated growl, irritated that a)she now owed her brother a mouse tail and b)neither of them had ever thought to use the MAIN exit! They’d always tried every other hole, just assuming the main hole was too obvious a choice. Who knew it had always been as simple as that! Not wanting to be the last one out, she did her fasted puppy sprint to freedom. Weaving around her mother’s legs, she scrambled quickly from the mouth of the hollowed log on the heels of her brother. “Who’re you?” Jetta froze like her brother, shocked at the sight of the pup who’d spoken. Mother had never said anything about other pups! “Wilde. Who’re you?” She snorted in agreement with her brother: who were these other pups?! Once they’d given their names, she added her own. “Jetta.” She said simply, but continued to eye them with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. “Bet you a rabbit’s foot that I can find a beetle first!” Wilde was off in an instant, but his sister was used to this kind of behavior. Unfazed, she wheeled after him, plowing her smaller weight into his larger. Normally, it wouldn’t have done much, but he was unprepared as he looked for beetles and she managed to topple him over. She took his momentary disorientation to get a head start in the beetle search, not wanting to owe him a mouse tail AND rabbit’s foot!

[Teak]

For the past while, being with her pups was a nice break. Pandora actually saw quite little of the pack while caring for them in the den, aside from the quite occasional kill dropped near the entrance. The couple of times she had smelled Loni on the kills surprised her - why would he feed her above his own daughter? Then Pandora realized that with all of the loyal wolves in this pack, Fenrae was probably rolling in meals. The omega was just getting by, and plenty of times she had considered leaving the den to hunt for herself. All the while, she had wished Perchik were there. He would have been a wonderful uncle for them. However, the nature of her pups made that fairly impossible as soon as they had opened their eyes. Jetta and Wilde, she had called them. Two squirming bundles of pure energy. Pandora had developed quite good reflexes these days to trigger awake anytime one of them might be thinking about escaping. Living in such an open den with so many possible exits for their little bodies, she didn't blame them. Their energies were fueled eslewhere, such as in the collection of odd objects. Many a time Pandora woke to find that one of them had hidden a rabbit's foot beneath her, and upon asking both pups would clamor for it and then eventually begin to fight. They were growing quite quickly, and Pandora was now constantly thinking of Fenrae's litter. How big was it? Enough to have no need for her own? It was when she heard the first little voice ringing from across the way that she knew things were going to change. She sat outside the den and watched attentively, as she saw the young white pups crawl out of the dark hole in the earth. They seemed healthier than her own, but Pan was surprised to see that by size, her pups were not extremely smaller. When Wilde and Jetta burst out of the den, Pandora didn't snap to herd them up as usual. "Stay out of trouble," Pan said in a warning voice to hide the worry. Jetta had some sense, but Wilde's trouble was contagious. However, they would have to learn that on their own now. She simply watched them go, keeping a close eye on the pack's reactions. Roxii in particular. Pandora did not forget her death threat. Already, Wilde and Jetta had ringed the alpha pups into a game. Pandora smirked as she watched the brother and sister trample through the wilderness without half the surprise in the world as the white pups - hell, they'd been living in it since they were born, practically. "Come join us," Logan said from the core of the pack then, and Pandora turned to look at him first. He seemed relaxed, but she didn't trust any facial expression on the alpha for long. Pan would've rather stayed close to her pups and bitten off the faces of anyone who tried to hurt them, but she knew to flagrantly ignore Logan's words would be no better than denying his command. So she trotted over submissively to sit with the pack, though she still only had eyes for her pups that played in the shadows and mud now. She was farther from them now than she had ever been.

[Ivv]

Jarkko had puffed out his chest as Wilde drew closer, and his intent eyes steadied on the other pup. Then, a grin flashed on Wilde's face and Jarkko returned the favour and gave his name. "Jarkko," the white pup said then, with a nod back to his sister, added, "and this is—" "Lijah." She interrupted. Her voice was smooth, though. Wilde then proposed a game. A hunt for beetles. Jarkko's eyes flashed as Jetta and Wilde both dove into a tuft of grass. He turned wildly to Lijah, a devious look in his eyes. "Back to the den! I'll distract'em!" He hollered, his head turning wildly as he returned to the two new pups and, though gaining speed was still difficult under short, chubby puppy legs, Jarkko did his best as he bulldozed into Jetta first, knocking her over, then lunged onto Wilde's back. He'd caught a beetle just minutes ago. The pre-cursor to freedom. All that was left was for Lijah to bring it back from the den!

[OOC: Haaad to post Jarkko.. but I know others stlil haven't posted, so I kept it short.]

[Hype]

"Mom," Jarkko was sitting straight, doing an impression of 'serious Logan' with his brows furrowed together in a stern little expression. Fenrae could see her levelheaded son out of the corner of her eye; he watched her intently, a miniature of his father with his perfect compusure. "Look." He pressed his kill forward as she turned he head to face him fully, her eyes betraying her obvious contentment before the slow smile appeared. It marked her pride in his efforts; however, the distinct footfalls of her mate distracted her momentarily from Jarkko's victory. In the past three weeks, Fenrae celebrated being able to isolate her little family from the world. Only Logan was fully allowed into her little sanctuary from the outside world, and she wanted it no other way. Outside, the world would easily incite the young alpha female into the overprotective nature of her own mother. Fenrae could feel the pull to protect with every tottering step of her two young children. In the den she could remain calm, she could watch them stumble and fall and hunt bugs without hyperventilating. Outside was simply another story. "Today, Daddy?" Lijah's sweet voice was lowered, secretive. Fenrae didn't need to see Logan's silent nod to know that he approved. Jarkko shot out first, a furry erratic bullet tripping over his father's paws. With a polite little 'thank you', Lijah was out as swiftly as her brother, leaving Logan to back his rear up out of the entrance so Fenrae could escape. She gave him a half-hearted glare for being slow, though the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her as always. The pair would have eventually escaped on their own. "You better not speak to your grandfather like that again, or I'm gonna have to knock some manners into you, that's what." Fenrae had to laugh as Loni batted at his grandson, his expression clearly not angry. Who would have known that one of the most infamous and feared wolves on the island would turn into a soft hearted grandfather. Well, not entirely soft hearted, Fenrae mused as she watched him settle back to a sitting position, muttering cantankerously about disrespectful pups. She grinned again as she stretched, arching her back into a bow and feeling her spine pop into a straight line after weeks spent in a little hole. Jarkko had already managed to find Pandora's den, where one little ebony colored wolf seemed to pop out of nowhere. A small thrill of panic ruffled the fur along Fenrae's spine, but she willed it away quickly, taking a seat by her mate as the pack watched. Fenrae's eyes were trained on the den as well, though her reasons were far from pure and innocent. Two pups. Fenrae relaxed her watch on Pandora's den as the omega padded carefully out into the morning sunlight. Four pups in the pack could be managed without a terribly large effort. It seemed fate would smile on Pandora, at least for the moment. With her concern for a large litter erased, Fenrae's lime green eyes focused on the other mother a second time. When the she wolf finally looked, Fenrae tossed her head, a come hither motion that would probably chafe on Roxii's nerves. Still, Fenrae waited for Pan to close the gap between them, quietly watching the puppy games unfold until the omega took her seat. Pandora was teetering on the edge of the Arcanes, a abomination hanging on for dear life in order to move a few precious steps closer to her goal. She'd hit rock bottom, and she was pushing forward as valiantly as possible. Now, the alpha female would rebuild the young mother, in full view of her impressionable, unsuspecting children. Few other wolves would ever have the chance to grow up viewing the Arcane alphas as benevolent and gracious like these two pups. "What did you name them?" Fenrae asked, her ears swiveling forward in a genuine display of interest. She'd missed the puppy introductions, and while her first thoughts on this conversation were far from innocent, Fenrae did enjoy the idea of sharing motherly camaraderie, though she wouldn't share it outwardly.

--------------------

Wolves: Loni . Fenrae . 133
Dogs: Roshi
Humans: Bronson . Dover

"The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring." -Paul Rand

[Losty]

The last couple of weeks had been busy; Casolt had occupied himself with hunting for his sister, and taking up the night shifts for keeping watch. Because of that, he wasn’t able to find the time to speak with Roxii. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t recognized the moment that had passed between them the day he’d returned from breaking Demolition’s group up. He’d noticed, alright, and he had slowly weaseled his way into an interesting routine with her regardless of the lack of conversation. There were quick check ins to see how she was doing, the occasional wink from a distance, and whenever it came time to bed down for the night, Casolt was never too far from her. This strange relationship dance only fed the change that was taking place in him. His confidence was swelling – but it remained subtle; unlike the times when he’d gotten a confidence boost and clung to it desperately, flagging it around like it would get him farther, he simply let it radiate from him. He remained passive but submissive towards Iannon, too. No snide looks, no games. Still, it was obvious that he was stepping out of Iannon’s shadow, and now that he was back in Logan’s good favour, the only safe assumption was that he would take the position when he was ready to. Iannon was on borrowed time. “Hey,” he said rather gruffly as he came up to where Roxii was laying that morning – the same morning before the pups were allowed out. “I have a bone to pick with you.” As he expected, she turned her steely stare towards him. But he noticed her eyes dance, and it made him grin. “Admit it. You want to know what it was I promised to fill you in on.” She didn’t reply. She simply waited, looking bored. But he knew better. She wanted to know. “Demolition,” he said flatly, and he was reasonably sure that mentioning his brother for the first time in, well, years, had caught her attention. He went on to describe everything – from the group of loners, to Tater’s death (which he didn't glorify, but he did admit to feeling something switch inside of him when he felt the tagger's head cave in against him) - and waited for her reaction, but suddenly there were little voices, and he couldn't help but turn towards the den in immediate curiosity. Two little, "bite-sized" wolf pups stood, staring hard at the rest of the pack, and Casolt was at a loss of words. He couldn't believe how similiar they looked to their parents - how perfectly formed and yet so small they could be. He picked himself up carefully, as though any sudden movements might shatter this moment, and eased closer, studying them and feeling a rush of affection and need to protect towards his sister's offspring. "What?" Casolt stopped, caught off-guard by the forceful challenge that Jarkko threw out. "You better not speak to your grandfather like that again, or I'm gonna have to knock some manners into you, that's what," Loni said, roughing the pup up a bit, and Casolt grinned. Beside him, little Lijah began to puff up protectively. He raised a brow. "Mind your superiors." There was a beat, during which Lijah just starred at him hard, before she muttered a quick apology. He cocked his head a little, amused, before he watched them race off just as Logan and Fenrae came out. He got up and joined them, shouldering Logan and then affectionately headbutting his sister. "They're awesome," he said, and from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Pandora slinking up at Logan's invitation. He watched her for a moment, as Fenrae greeted her, before his gaze drifted toward Roxii, very aware of the rift between the two and hoping his look would ease her hackles back down, so to speak.

[Losty]

Lijah had heard the strange sound too. Her head slowly peeked up over the mound of dirt she'd been investigating the other side of, her eyes narrowing at Jarkko suspiciously, before she straightened herself up and listened a little more closely. There were more pups, and they both knew it. Jarkko took off instantly. She fell in step behind him, but it was clear that of the two, she was the one that took her time and didn't rush. By the time she got to the log, Jarkko was facing two other small faces - a male and a female. The male was talking. "Wilde. Who're you?" "Jarkko, and this is -" "Lijah," she offered, without taking her intent stare off of these two. The other female echoed her tone. "Jetta." And before Lijah could even blink, Wilde exploded in energy that made Lijah's fur spike. "Bet you a rabbit’s foot that I can find a beetle first!" he yelled, and dashed off with his sister. Apparently excited to have found wolves of his same caliber, Jarkko spun around quickly, and urged her to head back to the den, where they both knew the beetle he'd caught recently still sat. She rolled her eyes in response, not impressed that they were following this Wilde's lead on this game, but humored him by picking herself up and trotting breezily back to the den. At Fenrae's questioning look as she emerged with the beetle dangling by one antennae from her lips, she shrugged and bounced back off to the log. She spat the beetle out, not at all caring for the tangy taste of it, and howled as best a pup could. The three of them showed up in seconds to find her licking her lips. "I guess," she said, her eyes falling on Wilde's and flashing slightly, "you owe us a rabbit's foot."

[meg]

The white pup returned Wilde’s cheeky grin, and an emotion that he hadn’t quite felt before bubbled up and onto his face. Pure joy. Sure, Jetta was crazy just like him. Sure, she fought along and battled and sometimes won the bets. BUT. And it was a MAJOR butt... I mean, but. SHE WAS A GIRL!! Wilde was a manly man… okay, puppy. And NOW he has another boy to totally kick Jetta’s butt with! Jarkko, and this is- the other pup took a couple steps forwards, her gaze attempting to scare Wilde, or… intimidate him. Something, he didn’t know he was just a little pup.Lijah. Sadly, her stare didn’t phase Wilde. “Cute.” he said in a joking manner, flashing her his tongue before he bounded towards where he knew there were TONS of beetles. TONS. Wilde was only moments away from what he TOTALLY knew to be the best beetle spot. How did he know? He was Wilde, of course he knew. Almost there, almost there… his mind was one track as his eyes zeroed in on a spot that he knew would have beetles. He felt like he was one step away, when he was suddenly bowled over. “Wha-” he yelped out, before rolling and splatting directly into a bunch of mud. “I.. I… Jetta.. you… you skunk!” he yelped, jumping out of the mud towards Jetta just in time to feel Jarkko’s puppy claws on his back and to fall back to the ground before Jarkko jumped off of his back and looked devilishly back towards the pack. With a puppy-like growl Wilde leaped up in all his mud-filled glory and tackled Jarkko, for the moment forgetting about the beetle whatsoever. Their puppy scrap was short-lived and Wilde was feeling content because usually when he tried to scrap with Jetta their mother ended it and said to be nice to girls. What?!?! What kind of horrible wolf would make up such a horrible rule?! A little high-pitched howl reached their ears and Wilde and Jarkko froze. Sharing a look together, they both took off only a millimeter behind Jetta. Of course, what he had thought would be something cool, it ended up stinking big-time. It was that girl, Lijah. Thinking she was all cool, licking her lips and… no! Horror struck it’s way through his body and his jaw dropped unexpectedly in a very dramatic and puppy-like way. I guess… she started, her eyes finding his and flashing in a way that made Wilde’s jaw immediately pick back up and he gulped to himself, glancing at Jetta in a way that totally said ‘hide the rabbits foot’. you owe us a rabbit’s foot. “Now wait wait waiiiiiit. Where were you the whole time we were searching for these bugs? I think you… cheated! Cheater!” he screeched the word cheater, puffing his black fur up and laying his ears back upon his head in surprise. Who knew, strange puppies were just CHEATERS! He would never trust a stranger again! His mother would be proud. He knew sisters were cheaters; they always cheated, so maybe this was the same thing. I mean, Lijah appeared to be Jarkko’s sister. He couldn’t be in on this; it was those sisters that were rotten cheaters. He could tell by the way Lijah stared him down.

[Ivv]

Jarkko and Wilde began to fight then, ignoring the game completely as Jarkko's head twisted to snatch a hold of Wilde's soft puppy fur and gave it a pull. They were a mess of contrasting, fluffy puppy fur and paws, yapping and whining and wriggling out of whatever hold the other mastered over them. It wasn't until Jarkko heard his sister's broken, high pitched howl that they were aware of the real game at hand, and both male pups jumped to attention. Lijah stood rather proudly as a beetle hung haphazardly from her mouth. She spat it out then, having gotten Jarkko, Wilde and Jetta's attention and claimed victory for the alpha pup duo. “Now wait wait wait!" Wilde protested, walking forward with a furrowed brow. "Where were you the whole time we were searching for these bugs? I think you… cheated! Cheater!” He called out loudly, grabbing the attention of most of the pack. Jarkko didn't waste a moment. He'd hurled himself at the darker pup, his momentum forcing Wilde to slide into the soft earth face first as Jarkko remained on his back, pushing his head into the dirt once more. "Take it back!" He demanded with a growl. Jarkko had size on Wilde, and no one - no one - called his sister a cheater. With another growl, Jarkko planted two paws on Wilde's head and forced the pup's head into the dirt again. He wasn't going to let up until Wilde took back what he'd said. In the world of pups, this was big. This was huge. It would cause a war if it wasn't settled, and Jarkko was ready to hold a grudge. “Ugh! Okay, okay! She didn't cheat." Wilde called back with a mouthful of dirt, then went on about how it didn't make sense. Pleased with himself and Wilde's words, Jarkko stepped off the other pup. "Not all beetles come from that log, you know." Jarkko said with a furrowed brow and a puffed chest. He was trying his best to imitate his father, but the way Jarkko looked at Wilde, it made him look an awful lot like his mother. There was a stubborn sense about him, a right simply by birth. No one aside from Loni and Casolt would remember Fenrae as a pup, but Jarkko was edging closer and closer to it. Still, despite Wilde's comments and Jarkko's reaction, there was a devious hint in his turquoise eyes. It wouldn't take much to have this pup back in the game, romping around, and play fighting.

[Losty]

A cheater. A cheater. That's what Wilde had called her. Jarkko was all over him in an instant, pushing his face into the dirt and demanding that he take it back. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jetta make to help him, but she pinned the she-wolf in place with her stare. Seconds later, Wilde gave in. She just sniffed in his direction. It was blatantly obvious that Lijah had lost all interest and respect in these two. She stood and turned her back to them. "Lame," was all she said, before she called for Jarkko, scooped their prized beetle up in her mouth, and marched easily back to where the other adults were. She didn't have to prove herself to those two. They could play alone. Of all the wolves she could have approached, the female who had seemed most interested in her - Roxii - was the one she went up to and dropped the beetle in front of. "Jarkko caught this," she said - more as an assertion for what had just happened, then added thoughtfully, "fair and square. Just earlier on. He's a good hunter." Another pause. "Who're you?"

[fur, fin, and wing]

HAPPINESS IS JUST OUTSIDE MY WINDOW A smirk formed on Jetta’s face as she heard her brother yell out that she was a “skunk”, and while normally she would have retorted with some sort of sarcastic or witty comment, her current task required her full attention. So she continued to dig and search; only giving Wilde about a fourth of her attention in case he decided to return the favor and run her over. She was prepared for his attack, not Jarkko’s. He was much larger than her, and so her tiny body gave way easily to the unexpected attack. “Oofph!” Was the only sound she made as she felt her limbs flailing briefly in the air before her whole body met the dirt. She quickly pulled herself up with a growl. “Hey!” She bowed down in preparation to launch herself into him first given chance, but a piercing howl distracted her. She straightened up and cupped her ears forward, looking around to see that other pup waiting for them. She was off and galloping towards this Lijah before either of the boys (who still had to untangle themselves from each other) and reached her well in advance. Her brow furrowed as she noted what lay at the pup’s feet: a beetle. “Now wait wait waiiiiiit. Where were you the whole time we were searching for these bugs? I think you… cheated! Cheater!” Again she snorted in agreement with her brother, though this time it was more forceful than when they were demanding to know who the pups were. She didn’t much care for cheaters—especially when their cheating didn’t benefit her. “Take it back!” Jetta turned around shocked to see Jarkko on top of Wilde, pushing his face into the mud until he reluctantly gave up his claim. “Fine. Your sister’s not a cheater…” She put emphasis on the last word, obviously not convinced. “…but that just means you lose as well as us and owe her a rabbit’s foot.” She wasn’t aware that Jarkko was actually the one to have caught it, but in that case, Liljah was just the loser stupid enough to help out the winner. “There are no “teams” in beetle catching unless you call it beforehand.” Duh. That was a rule everyone who was anyone knew! No teams unless you called twoies, teamsies, or doubles before the start of the game. If there were teams, WHY would she have bowled over her own teammate? “Lame.” Lijah walked away from the other three then, apparently not interested in playing anymore. She headed towards the pack and Jetta watched her with a puzzled look. What puppy wasn’t interested in playing games?! She was about to ask Jarkko if there was something wrong with his sister, but remembering his assault of Wilde she thought better of it. She was the smallest of the four, born both as a non-alpha pup and a female, and if he could do THAT to her brother, she could only speculate what kind of injuries he could give her. “Not all beetles come from that log, you know.” She cocked her head to the side and plopped her butt on the floor. She’d never thought about it before…or at least she had never had time too. Wilde and her had spent their whole lives thus far in that log. It was hard to believe they’d only just entered the world a few minutes ago. “Well…I guess that makes sense…” She looked around, surveying her surroundings. The world DID seem big, after all. “…so where DO they come from then?”

[AKwolf]

“Hey, I have a bone to pick with you” Roxii craned her neck up, swiveling her head around to snare Casolt with an unfazed and somber expression. Though her face was steeled and impassable, her eyes flickered with a new and odd fire, one which had not existed before the day Casolt approached her with his newfound conviction. Her silver eyes glittered strangely, dancing like icy fire; hot and yet beautifully cold. She searched his face and crossed her outstretched front legs, inside she felt like grinning. One of those awfully wonderful Cheshire cat grins. Without him speaking, she could tell by his expression and body language that he was going to follow up on his word to tell her about the day he, Logan, and Loni departed into the wilds. The day Casolt had returned with blood staining his face and neck ruff. Their eyes met and Casolt knew what she was expecting. He flashed a coy grin, “Admit it. You want to know what it was I promised to fill you in on.” She blinked, a bored and passive emphasis causing the action to slow a bit. She could have accused him of wanting to tell her what she, allegedly, wanted to know. Casolt was becoming very accomplished at holding himself in a solid and impenetrable manner, but at times his eyes gave him away. And just as he was learning to read her eyes, she was doing the same with him. They weren’t so much flashing hot with excitement as they were brimming with a calm passion and strength, like rolling sea waves. He wanted to tell her. “Demolition,” he began. Her eyes narrowed, her stare becoming harder, more fixated. Demolition was something of a taboo topic for the pack. She knew Logan’s pure disdain for the vagabond loner was high and yet as Loni’s son and Fenrae and Casolt’s brother, the rogue child of the Arcane Pack had an iota of protection from the white alpha’s wrath. Roxii wondered if that protection had finally been breached, if the blemish of Demolition had finally been dealt with by a matter of realism than a matter of blood. Demolition’s blood couldn’t protect him forever and though Roxii did not know the wolf well, on the few occasions she had seen him she had not been impressed. He had lacked the fire and drive which made his family great. He lacked the potential for legend. Casolt told her about the loners, about the fight, about the death of a tagged wolf by means of his own teeth and strength. At the mention of the change he had felt as his fangs carved through the skull of the tagger, Roxii’s lips curled in a sly smirk. Silence passed between them after his explanation. Roxii stared into his face and his eyes which continued to brim and silently roar with that ocean force. She had seen the change, he knew it every time he looked at her and saw the subtle twitch of reaction which came from her. As if she were rediscovering his face every time she saw it. Casolt was still in the midst of a growth and with every look he gave her she would see a diminutive flash of something new in his expressions. She enjoyed seeing the changes; she admired the shift in him. Roxii thought about telling him this, she wondered if it was too personal an admittance, if it would make her look too vulnerable. However, before she could react the two white puff-balls emerged from the den and the attentions of the pack shifted. After Roxii labeled them as bite-sized little heathens and the miniature hellraisers went off to abuse and torment Pandora’s spawn, Roxii turned her gaze to Logan and Fenrae. They sat like proud parents, both radiating a sense of power and fulfillment at having brought this new life into the world. Roxii, too, felt a surge of pride as her eyes moved back to the white pups who were already outsmarting Pandora’s brood. One of the black pups, the male, tackled Jarkko and as he did so Roxii’s gut lurched with an instinctive and protective twist. Her eyes flashed coldly and her gaze narrowed, however she did not act. Had the situation of the two black pups not been so shrouded by deceit, treachery, and the lingering threat of unknown blood the beta female would not have reacted to the play fighting in such a way. But when Wilde tackled Jarkko, Roxii saw the poison and the bile being rubbed off onto the son of Logan and Fenrae. In the back of her mind a low and hissing voice whispered with shrill intensity…should the father of those black pups come to the pack with a mind of malice would Jarkko and Lijah be in danger? Even though the pack was strong and no wolf in their sensible mind would try to touch their pups, even the slightest hint of threat caused the fur of her neck to bristle viciously. Pandora's pups were bastards. But more so than that, half of them did not belong to the Arcane Pack. They could mold them into Arcane wolves, it wouldn’t be a problem. But unless the pack knew the father had no mind to claim them, to seek them out if he should ever hear of their existence, Roxii would never be convinced of their purity. She would gladly beat and rip the claim of their father from him should she know his name, but for now it was an unknown. Fenrae motioned to Pandora and Roxii’s eyes rolled over to the young omega with a disturbingly foul ease. Roxii watched her closely as Pan slunk towards the alphas; the beta’s eyes were lazy yet solidly vicious at the same time. She saw the practicality in it, though, and couldn’t help but admire her alpha pair for their cunning. Pandora’s pups would see the redemption in this act and further acts to come. They would come to know the pack as a powerful yet fair pack as they watched their mother given small graces and options. Her eyes met Casolt’s as she looked up to him. Those silver irises were fierce with a cruel understanding and the light of a smirk. It was true, Pandora’s closeness to Fenrae this soon after the birth of the pups rubbed her fur all the wrong ways, but she saw the meaning behind it. Roxii was no fool. Still, that didn’t stop her from raising a lip in a warning should Pandora glance her way. A reminder, perhaps, of what awaited Pandora should she inch one toe out of the strict lines the pack had drawn around her. Today, however, a flash of her teeth would be all the threat or torment Roxii would bestow on Pandora. Indeed, today was a day for the pups and Roxii wouldn’t want Pandora’s to see their mother being harassed and berated by the pack and remember that as their first impression of the Arcanes. Instead, Roxii rose and walked towards her alphas, bowing her head in respect to Fenrae and Logan then siding up next to Pandora who had joined the group around the alphas. Her eyes looked Pandora up and down with a blatantly low and judgmental glance for a split second before she sat quietly with a composed expression upon her face. Fenrae now sat on Pan’s right, and Roxii to her left. It was then that Lijah marched up to the adults, her and Jarkko's defeat of Pan's pups had put a particularly pleased grin on Roxii's face. Lijah had her eyes on Roxii and as the pup halted in front of the beta female, Roxii's expression turned to a somber one of utmost attention, though her face was now flat and poised. In truth, the cool and confidant air of both Lijah and Roxii's faces were somewhat similar. "Jarkko caught this," she asserted the outcome of the game the pups had been playing and Roxii nodded in quite agreement, her face still somber as Lijah's face took on a thoughtful shine. Roxii waited for the pup to continue. "Fair and square. Just earlier on." she added. "Who're you?" Roxii took on a small and cracking smirk, her eyes glittering coolly yet with a sense of pride and an already keen respect for the composed and confidant pup. Roxii laid down to be eye level with the pup, though she held her neck and head up in a manner which suggested that she was not doting on Lijah but was instead showing consideration and esteem to the pup. Lijah came off as a pup who would respond well to the appreciation of others and when Roxii spoke her voice was a conversational one and she didn't patronize the pup. "I saw. You and Jarkko were just more clever than those two," she nodded towards Pandora's pups. "And many times wolves who don't understand how to be clever accuse clever wolves of false things. It was rather ignorant of them. Maybe they'll learn from Jarkko's and your actions," she offered. Roxii crossed her right paw over her outstretched left leg which extended past Lijah. "I'm your Fun Aunt Roxii." Her voice was a mix between sly sarcasm and flat seriousness.

[meg]

Jarkko had caught Wilde off guard. He was standing there, openly annoyed with 'Lijah', the punk puppy who had totally cheated, when he was suddenly on the ground spread eagle. His jaws clenched together as he struggled to gain a grip on the ground, an almost un-puppylike growl coming muffled from the ground. Take it back! Wilde's body was on fire where Jarkko was pushing him into the ground, and his mind was going haywire. What the heck! He continued to squirm and keep fighting until he found he hadn't been able to breathe with his head stuffed into the ground, and finally he called out the horrible words that left a metallic taste in his mouth... or maybe that's the dirt. "Okay! She didn't cheat." As soon as Jarkko let up even the slightest, Wilde was up, eyes all ablaze. Not all beetles come from that log, you know. Wilde rolled his eyes, and let out a low huff of breath. "I'm not dumb, I wasn't even LOOKING in the log. I bet you found that beetle wherever you two came from. " he said, not backing down as Jarkko puffed his chest out to seem intimidating. Lame. Wilde let his eyes shift to Lijah and rolled his eyes once more (he had picked that up from his mother, of course). "You're just mad because-" Lijah promptly called for Jarkko and turned and sauntered off. "Wow, apparently she doesn't know how to have fun." ...so where DO they come from then? Jetta piped up, and Wilde remembered his sister once again. He had another pup on his side, if Jarkko was going to side with that fluffy brat then so be it. "Everywhere, mom told us REMEMBER?" he said with a shake of his head. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Jarkko had hesitated to join his sister. She had obviously expected him to follow her, and Wilde felt weird about that. Would Jarkko just follow because she said? How LAMEEE is that?! "You know, we don't have to just stick with BEETLES. Let's go find us a rabbit! Cuz I'm totally not giving your sister my prize rabbit foot. I'll need another one." he said to Jarkko, he knew Jetta would be all in. He just needed to know if Jarkko was going to be a fun pup like he hoped, or a lame one like his sister. Personally, Wilde thought Lijah was just being a stinky suck-up. Of COURSE they shouldn't go out in the brush looking for a rabbit. Was Wilde the kind of pup that listened? Course not!

[Shelley]

The three weeks since Fenrae had given birth had passed by rather quickly. When she wasn't patrolling or hunting food for the new mothers she normally hung out with Timber and Mortimer. She appreciated her friendship with Timber. She could just sit with her and not have to say anything, just be comfortable with her. For Gena, who didn't talk that much anyway, this was quite a treat. If she would try that with any other member of the pack they would expect something from her. As for Mortimer, he amused her. She tried to be nice since everyone's animosity seemed to be directed towards him again now that Pan was out of eyesight for awhile. The miracle of birth fascinated Genoveva. Whenever she would bring back Fenrae something to eat she would stand by the den for a moment and listen to the sound within. The fact that there were mini little wolves down there seemed incomprehensible to the white wolf. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't known puppies other than her brothers who had always picked on their sister. All Gena knew was that she couldn't wait for the little ones to be out of the den. The day that is happened Gena was lying and dozing in the warm sunlight. She was stretched out on her side and almost completely oblivious to the world around her. A commotion from the den brought her head up in an instant. She rolled up on her belly with her ears pricked forward, momentarily confused about what was going on. When she realized it though, she was on her feet in a an instant. Drawing even with everyone else she watched as the alpha pups quickly found Pandora's. It was just cool to see. Gena couldn't take her eyes off of them. But as she watched Jarkko and Wilde tussle she had a thought. With everyone here watching, who was patrolling? Moving to Timber's side she whispered, Let's go patrol. I'd hate for someone to sneak up on us right now. Discreetly she turned from the pack and dissapeared like a phantom into the forest.

This post has been edited by Shelley on Sep 17 2009, 12:40 AM

[Ivv]

It was the kind of reaction Jarkko had not wanted. A lie. It was the same tone Fenrae would use on him when he got too rambunctious in the den, and she simply wanted to appease him. It was fluff, all of it, and Jarkko understood why his sister simply dropped the beetle and lost interest in the game. Lame was exactly right. He didn't know where this pride had come from - especially over Lijah - but it felt like it was a burning entity in his heart now. These pups just refused to lose. "If you're going to pitch a fit every time we beat you, then find them yourself." Jarkko said with an icy tone. He'd heard his mother use the term pitch a fit once or twice, and felt like he'd used it right. Still, if Wilde was going to call cheater on them whenever they won - and, in Jarkko's mind, that would be every single time - then he'd rather see what his sister was up to. He turned and began to follow after Lijah, who had seated herself in front of a rather large brown wolf, when he noticed two females stand up and begin to move away from the pack. Wait. "Hey! Can I come?" Jarkko asked as he weaved through their legs in an attempt to make them stumble. He'd done this to Logan more than once before, and it usually got him the attention he wanted. "Where are you going? I want to come." It wasn't overly zealous. It was a fact. It was more than a request, because Jarkko was sure he would get what he wanted. And he wanted to see what these two females were up to. "Oh, I'm Jarkko. That's my dad over there," he tossed his head haphazardly towards where his parents sat, "and he said it's okay." He lied. "Who're you guys?"

[Losty]

Wilde, Jetta and Jarkko were completely forgotten - and now this wolf, Roxii, held Lijah's unwavering attention from the very moment she'd admitted to having seen what went on by the log. "You and Jarkko were just more clever than those two. And many times wolves who don't understand how to be clever accuse clever wolves of false things. It was rather ignorant of them. Maybe they'll learn from Jarkko's and your actions." Now this...this was the kind of conversation Lijah could appreciate - even though she didn't know what 'ignorant' meant (and didn't really care). She nodded along, accepting this compliment of being clever with quiet dignity and a slight tail wag. Then the female added, "I'm your Fun Aunt Roxii." Something in Lijah's cool blue stare gave a flicker of recognition; Mom had mentioned Aunt Roxii. But as quickly as the recognition came, it was replaced with a sort of decided look. "I don't think you're fun. What makes you fun? All you've done is talk about clever wolves and ignogerant things - whatever that is...and to me, that's boring." With an elegant little swoop, Lijah folded her hind legs and sat down, tucking her tail neatly against her and looking pointedly at Roxii, as if expecting some kind of explanation.

[Hype]

Jarkko's response was short and indignant, and Loni was left standing alone as the two pups clambered off to investigate Pandora's den. With a disgruntled snort, Loni sauntered back to his spot in the sunlight grumbling under his breath about disrespectful puppies with the attention span of gnats. His spine creaked audibly as he laid back down, but Loni ignored the strange squeaks of his joints, turning his graying muzzle to watch the beetle hunt taking place. When Lijah raced back into their den to retrieve a beetle, Loni grinned in recognition of the two pups cunning. Even at a few weeks old, the son and daughter of the alphas seemed just as keen and crafty as their parents. This naturally started a fight between the pups, and their yips and growls caused more than a few of the adults to turn their head. However, no one felt it necessary to intervene in what would end up being a harmless fight, and Loni felt much the same sentiment. "Where are you going? I want to come." Loni could hear his grandson's difference in tone over the low hum of conversations. While Jarkko would probably grow up to be a grand manipulator, his puppy voice still rose and fell slightly with his next carefully crafted lie. "Oh, I'm Jarkko. That's my dad over there and he said it's okay." The pup was engrossed in the art of convincing, unaware of the old wolf who managed to sneak up behind him. "Who're you guys?" Loni waited a beat as Gena and Timber introduced themselves, then closed the gap between him and his grandson, his jaws clamping firmly as he lifted the protesting furball off the forest floor. "Carry on ladies," was what Loni meant to say, but the words were slightly muffled by the mouthful of puppy fur. Still, the two got the gist and Loni carried his new adopted ward back to his sunny spot, waiting until the two were no longer in sight. Loni sat carefully, situating his legs so he could get up quickly before he set Jarkko down. "You're not old enough to go." Loni said simply, his paw pinning the male to the ground as he turned to make a break for it, grinning at the indignant look of his grandson. "What kind of pup doesn't want to play with his grandfather anyway?" Loni faked a heavy sigh, feigning a wounded expression.

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Wolves: Loni . Fenrae . 133
Dogs: Roshi
Humans: Bronson . Dover

"The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring." -Paul Rand

[fur, fin, and wing]

HAPPINESS IS JUST OUTSIDE MY WINDOW “If you’re going to pitch a fit every time we beat you, then find them yourself.” Jetta rolled her eyes at this. Lijah and Jarkko (if they were insisting on being called a ‘team’ despite the fact that they hadn’t called it beforehand: rule break number one), had cheated (rule break number two). The idea of the game wasn’t to go pick up a beetle you had already caught beforehand, it was to catch a beetle during the game fastest. Otherwise everyone would just stock up on pre-killed beetles and there wouldn’t be any game! And when Wilde had called them out on it, who had pitched a fit about it then and attacked him? “Well if you’re going to pitch a fit every time we call you out on rule breaking, then I’d rather.” She mirrored his icy tone. This was ridiculous. She didn’t have a problem losing—and could even find it funny when her opponent cheated if it was all just fun and games—but these two pups had decided they were better than her brother and her just because they could cheat then bully Pandora’s pups into agreeing to everything on their terms. Of course they would never lose a game! If they lost despite their best cheating efforts, who’s to say they wouldn’t just bully the others into saying they’d won? She snorted as he walked away. Being alpha-born had clearly gone to their heads. But then again… It was in her nature to act impulsively, and then afterwards think obsessively on it. She couldn’t help replaying the scene over and over in her mind, every time seeing her and her brother as being in the right: the alpha duo had cheated. But her obsessive thinking led her to slowly begin to see the scene differently, only now she was trying to understand it from Jarkko and Lijah’s point of view. It would be a useful trait of her’s in the future—being able to see the entire picture and not just her own—and as she matured and her impulsive nature lessened she would become more of a wolf to think heavily before acting. For now, though, it was only after she had acted that she realized something. They had cheated and they had broken rules, but only if the pups had been playing by Wilde’s and her own rules. It was as she sat and fumed over what she considered a “pair of snot-nosed brats” that she realized the other pups were right….and wrong. It all depended on who’s rules were being put into play, or if there were any at all. It still didn’t excuse the alpha duo from jumping instantly to the conclusion that Pandora’s pups were just sore losers (they, like Wilde and Jetta, had just assumed they were playing by THEIR rules), but Jetta was able to see why they would’ve insisted so feverishly that they were right. At least mostly. She still thought her and Wilde’s rules were WAAAY better, because what kind of lame hunting game would it be if none of them actually hunted they all just fetched? No! Wrong! That would just be a fetching game, which was sooooo totally different from a hunting game. Also…she wasn’t about to apologize to the other pups. Maybe eventually she would when she got bored of playing two pup games and wanted to play three or four pup games, but until that point she was perfectly fine playing with just Wilde. Of course, even if/when she DID apologize, she wasn’t about to grovel at their feet. They needed to realize their blood didn’t give them the right to just treat everyone else like something they’d stepped in…both pup groups had been both right and wrong in the situation. “You know, we don't have to just stick with BEETLES. Let's go find us a rabbit! Cuz I'm totally not giving your sister my prize rabbit foot. I'll need another one.” Jetta turned and gave her brother a large, mischievous grin. Both siblings were always up for whatever the other suggested. “Com’on, let’s go!” She lunged quickly forward into a gallop, knowing full well that the adults would try and stop them before they got too far. Maybe if she ran quick enough she could get out of their reach before any could stop her…

[AKwolf]

“I don't think you're fun. What makes you fun? All you've done is talk about clever wolves and ignogerant things - whatever that is...and to me, that's boring.” Roxii slowly rose a brow as Lijah called into question Roxii’s “title.” For a pup who thought the answer to be borning, Lijah sure had been intent on the acclaim Roxii had given her. Of course, pups had the attention span of mayflies so what exactly had Roxii been expecting? Besides, had these pups been anything less than bratty little shits they wouldn’t have been worthy of their bloodline, or Roxii’s admiration. No matter their personality, Roxii would have defended and protected the offspring of Logan and Fenrae to the death. But, that didn’t mean she would have enjoyed the company of the pups. However, since Lijah and Jarkko had left the den they had been proving themselves to be the most heinous little jerks the island had ever seen, and Roxii was finding a special place in her small and wretched heart developing for them already. “Ignorant means to be unaware of information. Most of the time a wolf is ignorant because they refuse to listen to or appreciate what other wolves tell them.” Roxii watched Lijah’s face for a brief moment, wondering if the not-entirely subtle message behind her words had been lost on the outspoken pup. She didn’t wait too long for a reaction, though, and carried on with the conversation, maintaining a cool and clever expression on her face. “As for what makes me fun,” Roxii began with a smirk edging upwards on her lips. Her voice took on a rather dignified and icy tone, like that of a vulture explaining why it was a beautiful creature. It didn’t seem right or correct, but once you got past the first impressions one could see the innate truth to the beauty of the vulture’s ability to survive and endure. It was the same concept here, only Roxii’s voice also held a mild tone of respect for Lijah. No wolf with any sort of self-respect should ever simply accept what was told to them. “I help make sure the pack listens to your parents. It’s a very fun job because I can punish those who don’t listen to your mom and dad,” she gave a light nod towards Logan and Fenrae. “And I can do that same thing for you and Jarkko, too. Of course,” she paused, considering Lijah for a moment. “I’m sure you’re like your parents and you will want to solve problems by yourself because that’s what strong wolves do. But, even strong wolves need allies and I can always be around to help you two if you want.” She curled her tail around her haunches and tilted her head slightly to gauge Lijah’s response before asking, “What do you like to do for fun, Lijah?” Roxii wouldn’t lie to herself, Lijah was already proving to be a very interesting and intelligent pup and she was impressing the beta female with her opinionated and blunt nature.