[Nexus] HT's plots

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"I will." Renetta says quietly. Joybringer. Her Name. She turns her smiling face on Waterstrider briefly. This is all just so... wow. She looks back to Preysense and says again. "Thank you."

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Other Wolfen are given names, some cubs receiving their first names, and a few adults who have earned an additional name through extraordinary valour since the Summer Festival.

There is more rejoicing, but more anticipation, as preparations begin for the mating ceremony.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider's ears perk up in excitement at the commotion and he watches the preparations. Flowers are strewn everywhere and other similar decorations are put up. Notch and a pair of Wolfen cubs rush into a nearby hut to grab a stack of big blankets, one white and two blue, getting ready themselves.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta looks around curiously at the preparations for the next part of the festival. What was next again? "What's happening now?" She asks Waterstrider. He certainly seems excited by this.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

"It's the Mating/Wedding Ceremony that I told you about last night." He says as his tail wags. "The entire tribe will have put effort into this." Waterstrider tells her proudly.

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

The bride has an elaborately braided mane, with greenery worked into the plaits. The groom is tall and thin, his mane cut shorter than most of the males wear it. Both are dressed in fine leathers, with fur trimming, and each is led to the gathering by a companion.

Dawnrunner is wearing a simple yellow robe. When the couple has arrived, she reaches out to take a paw of each in one of hers.

"Today we welcome Sundream and Fargoer as they celebrate their choice of one another as mate."

She says the words in Wolfen, then repeats them in Common.

"We name as witnesses: Mercy, Stargazer, Fenris, and the Dawn Wolf."

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta grins at the wolfen. "You certainly seem excited about it." She says, with just a bit of a teasing tone. In trust, she's incredibly interested in this part of the festival.

Oh, it's starting. When she looks back at the ceremony, it is with an all new attentiveness. She holds Waterstrider's hand tight as they watch.

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Two wolfen cubs step forward, one male and one female, each carrying a blue blanket. The boy places his blanket over Fargoer's shoulders, the girl over Sundream's.

Dawnrunner continues, "You come to us as two souls, each with your own burdens, sorrow, and loneliness. Fargoer, have you chosen a mate to hunt with, in light and shadows, for the rest of your days?"

"Yes. I have."

"What is her name?"

"Her name is Sundream."

"Sundream, have you chosen a mate to hunt with, in light and shadows, for the rest of your days?"

"I have."

"What is his name?"

"His name is Fargoer."

Dawnrunner joins their paws, and then steps back.

More pups, human, and goblin children run forward, not just the two from before, but a little swarm of them carrying a large white blanket. They pull off the blue blankets and using the white one, wind it around Fargoer and Sundream until they are wrapped together.

"Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now you will feel no more loneliness,
For each of you will be a constant companion to the other.

Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one life ahead of you."

The villagers all cheer. This seems to be the conclusion, as people begin gathering around and congratulating the couple.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta squeezes Waterstrider's paw and looks up at him once the ceremony is complete. "That was beautiful." She says, smiling gently. She has no other way of describing it. Just simply beautiful.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider smiles gently and returns the squeeze. "It isn't over yet, but yes, it really is." He tells her, resting his head on her shoulder.

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

The new bride and groom unwrap themselves from the white blanket and fold it up. It will be a treasured heirloom of the family, and be wrapped around their cubs and grandcubs in the future.

Music and dancing starts up, along with more feasting. Even the Applehills would be able to fill up here - there's so much food!

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

No doubt Renetta gets her hands on some food and eats more. She's eating for two after all. "I wish we could join in." She says, looking at the dancing. It looks fun. She's not sure how well she'd manage, though. Not at this stage of her pregnancy.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider nuzzles her hand and stands before trying to pull Renetta gently to her feet. "Lets take it slow, I'll hold you up."

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta grins as she's pulled up. "Alright, slow it is. I don't need to be held up that badly, though. Just as long as we're going slow." And she'll go along with him.

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Normally the dancing would go on much longer in a mating ceremony, but this is the festival day, with many events going on, and the Winter Festival, which means the day is short.

Soon there is some signal that the Wolfen all seem to recognize. The men and women separate, pulling the bride and groom apart, and each group starts chanting back and forth to one another, in some form of ritual challenge song.

Waterstrider stays with Renetta when the group splits. Like most of the ceremonies of the day, this one is informal enough that people can come and go, and participate or not. There is simply too much going on for everyone to be a full participant in every activity.

Suddenly, Sundream takes off running into the woods, while all the women cheer, and try to prevent Fargoer from following. The men act as blockers, trying to tackle the women out of the way to allow Fargoer to chase his bride. There's quite a lot of giggling and flirting involved in the mock battle of the sexes before he makes his escape, to more cheers.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider can't help but join in the taunts when it comes time, and when the male is released, he gives a cheer with the others. Afterward, he smiles to Renetta warmly, obviously enjoying himself. "And that is the last half of the Mating Ceremony." He says to her, keeping her close to enjoy the moment with her.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta laughs a little as she watches Fargoer disappear into the woods. She looks at Waterstrider, smiling happily. "That was really cute." She runs her fingers through the fur on his arm, not quite absentmindedly, though she is certainly distracted by other thoughts.

"Waterstrider, do you think that maybe we'll do that someday?" She's completely honest and open with this question, and there's just a touch of hopefulness in her words.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider sets his good paw on her hand, giving it a squeeze before he leans down to nuzzle her cheek. "Renetta, I would love doing this with you one day. " He tells her, hope in his own voice as well.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta plants a kiss in his fur and raises her free hand to caress his face. "Then we will, one day." Maybe it won't be in the too distant future, but... she needs to be completely ready.

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Soon the sun sets and the pageant begins. Many of the members of the tribe participate, but the primary characters are the Dawn Wolf and Fenris, the ancestor spirits of the Wolfen. The story tells of their courtship as they first met on Midwinter's Night, when they as yet had no names, but were simply Girl and Boy. They played the parts of the sun and the moon, the sun chasing the moon, and taking over more and more of the sky until there was no place to hide. When the sun found the moon, he lay dying. The sun felt pity on him and instead of taking him as prey, bit him gently and then gave him some of her life. "You are too valiant and fought too well to die now. Share the sky with me."

Over the next six months, the moon grew stronger, and the sun weaker. The nights lengthened. The moon sought everywhere for the sun, and found her at last. "You must not die. You saved me once, and so I belong to you. Who will I be without you?" And so the moon returned to the sun the life she had given him, and together they became mates, and filled the sky with stars.

The story returns to Boy and Girl. As the shortest night ends, and the year turns, Boy turns to his mate-to-be, and sees her just as the sun falls on her face, and thus names her. "You are the Dawn and the Fire, the Mother of all Wolves, and you were made for me."

She laughs. "Oh no, Fenris. You were made for me." And the two Wolfen became mates, had many children and became the ancestors of all.

The scene shifts again, and the two are Dawnrunner and Presense once more, and the story is told how they were rivals for the position of Alpha, until she challenged him directly and won. As he waited for her to tear his throat out to eliminate her rival, she claimed him as her mate instead. In front of the tribe she had just won leadership of, she confessed that she had always loved him, and he admitted the same. They were wed by the tribal elders, and it was said that their wedding chase lasted three days, before they returned to take up the mantel of leadership.

The pageant is long, and takes most of the short night. The fire is kept going, so no one should be cold, though many might doze.

Dawn approaches.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider will hold onto Renetta during the entire show and story sitting on the ground next to her and resting his head on her lap as they listen and watch. He lets himself be swept away by it. As much as he loved Renetta and her company, he finally feels relaxed in a place he would always call home, even if it's only for a short while like now.

Once the story ends, the Wolfen will stay with Renetta for as long as she wants to stay up, but at the first sign of tiredness from her, he'll try to insist that she goes to bed.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Renetta watches the pageant attentively, forcing herself to stay awake and focused the whole time. When it's over, she leans against Waterstrider quietly, just enjoying the moment. She smiles gently, what a great ending to an amazing day. No doubt Waterstrider will be quick to pick up on how tired she is, so they won't be there for long. She'll let him take her to bed, falling asleep soon after she lies down.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

When they get back to their hut, Renetta will find that their bed is covered in whole flowers as well as petals, giving off a pleasant scent. Waterstrider just smiles gently and lays Renetta down on it all before wrapping his arms around her with the blankets covering them. "Sleep well, Joybringer." He whispers to her.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

It's remarkable how Renetta's face lights up at the sight of all those flowers. She snuggles up close to the wolfen, and her smile doesn't leave her lips until she drifts off to sleep moments later.

[happyturtle]

Mother-Soon's Journey

As the pair drift off, the sun rises, and they'll hear the cheering and howls and singing of the members of the tribe who stayed up this long to see the turning of the sun. Renetta may briefly feel a sense of warmth, of the presence of the Dawn Wolf, but she still has time to make her decision.

Most of the adult members of the tribe will be sleeping through the day. The children, of course, with boundless energy, will be running amok. No one will directly disturb them.

[happyturtle]

Moff sponsored BEACH PARTY!!!!

Never mind that it's early April. At this particular beach, denominated Beachside, it's a hot summer day. The sand is gleaming, the waves are perfect, and the board-walk isn't completely inundated with seagulls.

There are umbrellas, beach loungers, floating rings, surfboards, sunglasses, sunscreen, towels, and pretty much every other variety of beach paraphernalia one would need. Beach music plays from a set of speakers.

And there are drinks. Oh yes, let us not forget the little bar where frozen drinks are available. Everyone with a Moff party wristband gets their drinks for free! If you're on the invite list, you already have a wristband. If not, you can always pester a Moff to get one. Even if Moff refuses, it's still a public beach and he can't stop you from being there.

Conveniently, there are sea caves nearby in case anyone gets in a curtainous mood.

Invitees:

Kirk
Kal
Butler / Mime / Unicorn*
Haruki*
Taul
Stu (Is required to have his flamethrower and other weapons disconnected.) (Not that they can really enforce it if he doesn't, but the Moffs will tell him it's required.)

*must be here as their ONEROUS DUTY as auctionees

---

1

((OOC: It's a party. Pranks and hijinks are fine if they're IC and okay with the other player. Try to keep the actual murder attempts to a minimum, and make sure any shark attacks are original.))

[Reinholdt]

Beach

Butler is here, wearing his bathing suit. The fan club has disappeared, but that just leaves more for Moff.



Stu is not attending just to keep characters down.

[happyturtle]

Beachside

But Moff planned on Stu being creepy at all the bikini clad girls and making them leave! Nothing spoils the scenery like pretty bikini clad girls! D=

"Hi Butler! Glad you could make it! Do you need sunscreen on your back?"

[Reinholdt]

Beachside

But no bikini clad girls got invited to this party! D=

"I suppose I could use some sir."
I wonder how Butler does it the rest of the year.

He unfurls his towel on the sand and lies face down on it for Moff to get better access.

[Gullara]

[Beachside]

Bikini clad girls? Nope, I don't see any of those. Though who's showing up now is bound to make Moff wish she had a bikini.

"See? I told you there was something going on over here." Aeia says to Phineas and Bark, who are presumably accompanying her.

For those uninformed, Aeia is a dryad. Her hair consists of thin, green leaves with the occasional touch of brown to them. Her skin is a rather pale white, with the occasional streak of grey-brown breaking it up. She's very slender, and has smallish breasts and hips. Oh, and she's completely naked.