A New Adventure

DragonSong · April 30, 2023, 08:14:00 AM

"But we can definitely do the fun aunt and uncle thing," Hana laughed, nudging Thrax lightly with a sideways smile.

"I'm afraid you'll have some competition there," Shadow laughed as he moved passed the friendly reuniting to start into the cabin. "Every one of the pack's pups has more aunts and uncles than they know what to do with."

MadEmperor · April 30, 2023, 08:37:28 AM

"Yes, but how many of them are amazing bards?" Thrax smirked proudly.

Kah laughed. "Modest as ever, I see."

He looked them over again, smirking.

Thrax raised a brow at him. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Kah answered. "We should head inside. River is looking forward to seeing you."

DragonSong · May 05, 2023, 10:43:37 AM

"I'm looking forward to see her too," Hana enthused with a grin. "Though I imagine neither of you are gonna be up for some raucous, all-night reunion celebrations."

Ash, having wriggled his way to true front of the crowd in the doorway, laughed outright.

MadEmperor · May 05, 2023, 12:01:26 PM

"Was I before?" Kahroan smirked.

Thrax barked a laugh. "No. No, you were not."

Kah led the way inside, shooing the gaggle out of the way. "Alright, break it up. Give our guests some room."

DragonSong · May 15, 2023, 11:05:38 AM

The pack laughed and joked and complained that they wanted to meet River and Kah's friends, but they separated to let the two travelers into the house and give them some room.

"Welcome," River's father called from the kitchen, and her mother added, poking her head around her mate's shoulder, "Ree's in your room, Kah."

In their room, River had both twins laid in the center of the bed, trying to swaddle a squirming Mahina while her brother watched the whole affair placidly.

MadEmperor · May 15, 2023, 11:44:53 AM

Kahroan entered the room first. Smiling, he said, "At least one of the little rascals is behaving."

"Pfft," Thrax scoffed playfully as he stepped inside, "The kid has the right idea. Behaving is for suckers."

DragonSong · May 20, 2023, 04:10:00 PM

"Oh my gods!" Hana bounced in her heels even as she gave Thrax a quick, sharp elbow. "Lookit their little tails!"

Laughing, River finally managed to wrangle her daughter into the blanket and turned to hand Mahina to her father. "Yes, it's good to see you too—" she started, then blinked. "Ah...speaking of tails—Hana?"

"Oh, yeah." The kitsune chuckled. "Long story."

MadEmperor · May 20, 2023, 04:41:19 PM

"We have time," Kah said between bouts of making baby-talk noises at his daughter. "Frankly, stories are worth their weight in gold around here."

Thrax cast Hana a look that asked, "Think we can talk around telling them they were right about us?"

DragonSong · July 10, 2023, 05:32:49 PM

Hana quirked an eyebrow and crinkled her nose at the bard—she could talk circles all night and she figured River at the least would still catch them out eventually.

But hey, a good story was a good story. She could take eating a little crow to help her friends out their pups to sleep.

"Well, can't say storytelling is my profession," she joked lightly. "But lucky for us we've got a bonafide bard right here."

MadEmperor · July 13, 2023, 09:22:50 AM

Thrax grinned. "Then I shall repay your hospitality with tales of our glorious adventures. At least when there aren't sleeping babes to wake. You might have noticed that I'm rather loud."

Kahroan smirked. "Really? I had no idea."

DragonSong · August 16, 2023, 12:55:19 PM

River chuckled and rolled her eyes at her mate as she bent to tuck the baby she held into his cradle. "Well, I'm sure the pack will be just as excited as us to hear the full story. You didn't have any trouble finding us, did you?"

Hana shook her head. "Nope. Your brother turned up and scared the shhiiiiii..." She glanced at the twins and cleared her throat. "Well, ah. Anyway."

MadEmperor · August 17, 2023, 02:49:23 PM

"Can babies even understand swear words?" Thrax pondered.

Kahroan gave the gnoll a look.

"Not that I'm going to test it," the bard added quickly.

"Guess I'll need to make our story child-friendly, huh? Never had to do that before."

DragonSong · September 10, 2023, 02:45:49 PM

"Well you'd better learn," River said wryly with a nod toward the door. "Not sure if you'd noticed, but a person can't take three steps in this house without tripping over a pup or two."

MadEmperor · September 10, 2023, 04:19:01 PM

"No sex, no swearing, no violence..." Thrax listed thoughtfully.

"Well, they'll be shorter, that's for sure!" he added with a laugh and in an enthusiastic whisper.

Kahroan smirked. "They will, I'm sure, knowing what mischief you get up to."

The bard grinned. "You don't know the half of it."

DragonSong · September 11, 2023, 07:40:51 AM

Hana laughed quietly and rolled her eyes. "C'mon," she said with a gentle elbow to Thrax's side. "Let's leave the happy parents to get the pups down properly. We can tell you the whole story once they're settled," she added to River and Kahroan.

MadEmperor · September 11, 2023, 09:03:10 AM

"But Hanaaa, they're so cute," the gnoll joked.

Kahroan smiled. "That they are. Now shoo. We'll join you soon."

Thrax nodded. "Just be thankful they aren't gnoll cubs. If you think I'm a handful..."

Kahroan smirked, shooing him with a gesture.

Once out of the room, Thrax grinned. "Seriously, we're bitey little monsters."

DragonSong · September 12, 2023, 11:46:59 AM

"Oh, I believe that," Hana chuckled as they were shooed back out into the main room. "Keep talking like this though, and we'll have a whole shifter pack on us trying to convince us to prove it with kits of our own," she added in a lower, teasing voice with a smirk and a slightly arched brow.

More of River's pack seemed to have gathered, and one of her sisters--or sister-in-law, maybe?--called, "Either of you want something to drink?"

"Oh, I'd take something," Hana replied happily, bouncing over with all four tails wagging lightly.

MadEmperor · September 12, 2023, 04:05:27 PM

Thrax was incredibly grateful for the change of subject. The last thing he wanted at this stage of his life was cubs, kits, or whatever they'd be. Nor did he want to think about whatever responsibility he might have to repopulate his clan with another gnoll.

He grinned hopefully at the woman as he asked, "Got anything of the booze variety?"

DragonSong · September 12, 2023, 04:51:43 PM

The woman--Nora, as it happened--grinned and held up a bottle of golden-brown liquid. "Whiskey okay?"

"Gods, yes," Hana sighed happily, smiling at the wolf who pulled out a chair for her at the kitchen table. There were just so many of them--all coming and going with laughter and smiled and ruffled hair and teasing remarks.

She couldn't help envying the way River had grown up, just a bit.

MadEmperor · September 13, 2023, 08:05:21 AM

"What she said." Thrax chuckled to himself as he took a seat as well. The amiable chaos made him wistful for his own childhood, though it was far from the same.

"How is everyone here so Storm-damned energetic?" he complained with a smirk.