|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:26 pm
He smiled a little; that quiet place inside of him -- that foxish, playful, devious place that occasionally rose up inside of him -- rather enjoyed Terreis's disbelief. Well, she'd see soon enough, and he half-frolicked down the pathway, looking forward to the look on her face when she saw Seraphin.
He poked his head through the trees, smile still upon his maw though he had not quite caught sight of the blue-green female. "Seraphin?" He called. "Seraphin...there's somebody that would like to meet you!"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:44 pm
Funny, she could hear Iosef's voice in her dream as if he was actually there. Reality set in a moment later and her eyes flashed open. That was no dream, Iosef was here. She could see him splotchy coat coming out from the trees. Instantly her tail wagged, a smile danced across her maw. Seraphin had hoped he would come around today, he usually did unless his duties kept him away. "Iosef." Getting to her feet Seraphin padded towards her friend, her mate. And just who wanted to meet her.
Her eyes moved the trees where Iosef had come out of and she was met by a sight that caused her to freeze in place not far from him. Holy crap it was Varia. Why the hell was he bringing that wolf here? No, it couldn't be her. Heart raced within her chest, a hint of fear in her eyes. But Varia knew her, so it couldn't be her. Taking a couple of deep breaths she tried to relax, finally taking the last step towards Iosef she gave him a quick nuzzle. Eyes ticked to the other wolf again, now that she took a closer look Seraphin realized it wasn't Varia, but she did look a damn lot like her. "Hello." She said and really that was about all she could say at this point until she knew just who this mystery wolf truly was. A member of iosef's family for sure, but just who she still wasn't sure.
Terreis followed Iosef out from the trees and laid her eyes upon the blue-green female. It didn't take much to notice that look of fear that crossed the other wolves eyes. Once again she had been mistaken for Varia, which she supposed could be advantageous at times, but this was not one of them. Bringing her paws to a stop a good distance away Terreis didn't want to push her luck with this new wolf until she was good and ready. No need to frighten her half to death when she was already half way there.
Of course those few moments she allowed the other female to relax was enough time for Terreis to give her a once over. Nothing too out of the ordinary for a nanny, not a very large frame, seemed a bit timid and then she spotted the rounded stomach. It was still small but certainly a tell tale sign of pregnancy. Her jaw dropped open a bit. Iosef hadn't been joking, he was going to be a father and she was going to be an aunt. Snapping her jaws closed and giving her head a quick shake Terreis offered the female a warm smile. "Seraphin, it is nice to meet you. I'm Terreis, Iosef's sister." Pausing for a moment she looked over at her brother. "It seems we have much to talk about." Her eyes ticked to the rounded stomach and then back at the pair.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:48 pm
Iosef stood beside his....mate...his eyes trained amusedly upon his sister. The idea was still very foreign to him. Mate. Father. They were words he never suspected would ever be attached to his name.
He could get used to this. He really could.
"Terreis," he said, with a slight tail wag. "This is Seraphin." His eyes glittered with amusement. "Mother of my future pups."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:02 pm
So this was Terreis. Iosef had mentioned his other sister many times, he was very close to her that was for sure, but he had failed to mention how much of a Varia look-a-like she was. As long as Terreis wasn't more than just a look-a-like then Seraphin would be happy. Lowering herself onto her haunches she smiled. "Terreis, I have heard much about you. Iosef speaks very highly of you." With the last bit of fear slipping away Seraphin could fully relax. There was nothing to fear with Iosef here to protect him.
"I thought you had been joking earlier." She told Iosef with a serious tone, but then her maw stretched into a smile. "Congratulations, I'm sure you two will make great parents." Her attention moved to Seraphin, a wolf whom she only just met and was now her brothers mate and mother of his upcoming pups. "It seems you know much about me, and yet I know so little about you." This would certainly change with time, and now Terreis was determined to not return to YMCA until she knew everything about this wolf and how she met her brother. Perhaps she was being a bit overprotective of Iosef, but surely they would understand that given the situation.
Turning to look at Iosef she decided to bug him first before asking for Seraphin's life story. "So, tell me how did this all happen?" Shooting Iosef a look that said 'And don't leave out any details' Terreis waited for his reply.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:10 pm
He reclined back to his haunches, scratching tentatively at an ear with a hindpaw as his expression gained a softly introspective look. "She needed my assistance with some...clean-up duties, around the pack," he said, tentatively. So amusing, protective Big Sister. He felt himself wishing very desperately that she would come back to the pack, so that their family could be together -- and so she could balance out Varia, as she had always done.
"We got to talking about our shared love of puppies, and how we had both always wanted a family of our own...and..." he shrugged, and looked extremely uncomfortable. "One thing followed after another."
As it were.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:43 am
Seraphin let out a slight huff as Iosef did a not so stellar job of explaining how things had happened. Why he made it seem like all this happened overnight....which was certainly not the case. Males! Always thinking they could skip over the details. Though that way of thinking wasn't really fair to Iosef nor was it what Seraphin would normally think. Curse these confusing hormones. When Iosef was done with his short explanation Seraphin stepped in to fill in all the holes he left. "We met after a large storm knocked down a lot of branches across the den sight." She began to explain, slowly going over how they talked then as he work. Then she went on to describe how they became friends with common beliefs, the trip to the ridge where the wild flowers grew and every other little thing that told the story of how they came together.
It was likely the most Seraphin had said to a relative stranger in a long time and when she was done with explaining everything several moments later she few silent. It was a lot of take in that was for sure, but she wanted to make one thing clear to Terreis so she spoke up once more. "I care for Iosef deeply, and I would never do anything to harm him. Our puppies will be well cared for a loved."
Smirking at Iosef's shorted version Terreis then turned her attention to Seraphin who seemed more than willing to say what her brother had not. Terreis listened in silence to the stories and noted the fondness in Seraphin's voice as she spoke. Perhaps this female was a good match for her brother after all. Her little brother was growing up. Even in the years he spent with Alkaia he had never produced any pups, which didn't mean they hadn't tried, but it did show that there was a good strong bond between these two.
"I have no doubt that your pups will be happy and well taken care of." She finally told them after digesting all of the information that had just been thrown at her. Though deep down a part of her noted how utterly jealous she would be if Iosef's produced any daughters, but she kept that buried, not wanting to ruin this pleasant meeting. "And they will have plenty of playmates with Penthesilea's brood, and Guinevere, my adopted daughter, will be coming up to start her training soon as well. That will give me plenty of chances to check in on you two and your family."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:15 pm
Iosef stared bashfully at his paws for the duration of Seraphin's story, quietly allowing Terreis to soak in the information. It was not in his nature to interrupt a female, and even if it were he would not do so to Seraphin -- especially as he had nothing to add, considering the rather...embarrassingly thorough...way she had summed everything up.
At least she'd skipped over the part he had hoped she would.
Although...there was nothing to skip over there, anymore. He was finished with that part of his life! That was a resolve.
He glanced up at Terreis, finally, when she spoke, and smiled softly. "They will have a happy life here. And...perhaps, if I have sons, they might be allowed to visit your sons." His smile looked slightly wry. "They might like that."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 1:55 pm
Seraphin gave Iosef a small lick on the cheek once she noticed his slightly bashful look. She didn't mind so much that he hadn't told the complete story, besides it was a good opportunity to show Terreis how much she truly cared for Iosef by recalling things in such detail. When Iosef mentioned their pups going to visit Terreis' sons she gave her tail a slight wag looking towards the splotchy female. "Yes, I think they would be a lovely idea, if it would be allowed."
And if you have daughters it will place more shame on my head, Terreis thought but kept it to herself. It hadn't been her fault she had an all male litter, no that was purely Derecho's fault...somehow. But this wasn't time to bring up any such subject so he smiled a bit at the couple. "YMCA is always open to visitors, and I would be more than happy to have any of my nieces and nephews come visit us."
Letting out a soft sigh Terreis knew she had best go speak with the Queen soon, it was only right to see her as soon as possible after coming up to visit. "I would like to stay and talk more, however I think it's best if I go and speak with Penthesilea for a while. I need to set up some training for Guinevere. And, I'm sure Varia has caught wind of my arrival by now. If she finds me here, well..." Trailing off for a minute she knew it wouldn't be a good thing. Varia would take offense to her visiting with Iosef before her. And that would put Seraphin in danger, and Terreis wouldn't allow that. Eyes settled on Iosef. "You and I both know it would not turn out well." It probably wouldn't turn out well either way as Varia would be extremely mad at her for not returning to the pack permanently. "We will take again once I have dealt with Varia." Standing she gave her fur a shake. "It was nice to meet you Seraphin, we will speak more later and Iosef, keep you eye out for Varia, you know she is bound to be angry over the next few days because of me." With that she turned and padded off, leaving the couple alone to do as they pleased.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:11 pm
Iosef smiled a bit wanly. "No...that wouldn't do at all," he said, in regards to Varia. He watched Terreis thoughtfully for a moment, trying to pry into her thoughts, wondering what was really going on in her mind.
After a moment, he abandoned his questioning thoughts, and shrugged. "We'll catch up more later," he said, then, and nodded a farewell to his sister, before returning his attentions to Seraphin.
His expression was soft and genuine. "How are you feeling today?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:13 pm
Seraphin let out an involuntary shudder at the mere thought of Varia showing up here. She did everything in her power to avoid the wolfess but sadly with her being the head warrior it meant she had to endure her through training, though for not much longer as the Queen was excusing her of training until after the pups were born. "It was nice to meet you too Terreis, I look forward to speaking with you again." She said and nodded a goodbye as the female left them. Turning her attention to Iosef she smiled widely.
"I am doing well, a bit tired though Penthesilea says that is to be expected and it will get worse as time goes by." Not that she cared about that one but, Seraphin would endure just about anything to finally have her own pups. It would all be worth it in the end. "Can I ask you a question?" Though knowing that Iosef would agree to such she went right ahead and asked. "How is it that you managed to get two sisters that are so opposite? Terreis seems so nice and yet Varia..." She shuddered again unable to voice her thoughts on the head warrior but knew Iosef would know what she meant to say.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:26 pm
He shrugged, unable to hide the slight smirk that developed upon his maw. He was feeling rather bold these days; the higher rank, the relative protection of his position and the knowledge that he was finally going to do something right in his life...though sometimes it still nagged at the back of his thoughts, he happily disregarded it with plans for his new family.
Her question, however, amused him as much as anything, and he considered it for a moment. "It's just...one of those things, I suppose. Families. You can never completely count on blood." He glanced around. "The queen's half-brother, for example. He's long gone, now, but I've heard tales...and he was a nightmare. So there you go."
He paused, then, because he sensed -- despite his intentions -- a slight unfairness toward even his most maligned sister. "Also," he added, a bit reluctantly, but obediently and truthfully, "She's the oldest, and has the most to prove. I think having so much responsibility all her life has...hardened...Varia, somewhat. She loved our Mother, in her way, and I'm sure....somewhere...she loves me as well."
...Or perhaps not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:48 pm
Seraphin tipped her head to the side, she had not previously heard of the Queen's half-brother before, though from the what Iosef vaguely hinted at there was likely a reason behind that. There had been differences between herself and her siblings but nothing so extreme as what she saw between Terreis and Varia. "I suppose that would lead to her becoming hardened." But even so, oldest or not, there was something about Varia that was just so different from both Iosef and Terreis.
"It's just that..." Glancing at her paws she wasn't sure whether to say it or not. Best to let it out. "...when she looks at me, there is nothing but pure hate in her eyes." And that scared Seraphin more than anything else. She wondered if her pups would have to suffer an even harder training schedule because of Varia's hatred towards her and Iosef.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 4:09 pm
He nodded, knowing quite well the expression she spoke of, as he was intimately familiar with it himself. He touched his nose to her cheek and pondered for a moment how to respond. "Varia...abhors softness. It is a trait she has destroyed in herself and despises in others." He smiled, softly. "That same gentleness that makes you so different from the others...that makes me so...comfortable...with you. She will always hate that in you."
He sighed, drawing back and, in the spirit of frankness, "Your choice of consort doesn't help," he added wryly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 4:16 pm
Go figure, everything Seraphin was, soft, kind, gentle, Varia hated. Well she wasn't about to change who she was so she would just need to endure Varia's hateful stares for the rest of her life. Giving Iosef a nuzzle Seraphin sighed a bit and then let out a huff at his last comment. "I would endure a lifetime of hatred from Varia if it meant I could be with you. Nothing would ever make me change my choice of a mate." And there was a great deal of certainty in her voice, she loved Iosef, even if she knew his heart was sometimes divided between this new life and the one he kept secret from the others.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:13 am
His ears drooped a little and that all-encompassing sadness flickered at the back of his eyes, but he pushed it away with a resolute nod. "I..." He had started to say he felt the same way, but he couldn't, not really -- not with any conviction. Instead he fell silent, and pressed himself warmly and protectively against her, and tried to think of nothing at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
