There was perhaps... one rub in the whole plan. Hazel didn't know how she was going to tell Bas that she'd adopted the child, and probably by extension, he had too. Was he going to be upset? Maybe. But hell, he was the one who'd found her, looking far worse for wear and one predator run-in from her story ending then and there. He had to understand... right? Hazel wasn't going to overthink it. She couldn't overthink it. Not for the kid's sake, and not for her own. Sirius had reacted largely how Hazel would expect. Though the Armada's numbers were getting rather high, he also wasn't going to turn down a child in need. "Come on, you've got one more wolf to meet, and then you can get some sleep." Hazel spoke softly to Araneae, gently. "I live in a treehouse, with my boyfriend Basilisk. We've got an extra bedroom for you." The words were soft, leading off in the direction of the treehouse. Halo would want to take a look at the pup too, but that would be tomorrow. She had her hands full as it was. "There are pups a little younger than you who live in the tree under us, too. You'll like them, I think." Hazel hoped, at least. Drawing near to the treehouse, Hazel called up. "Bas, commere. There's someone I want you to meet." Now was as good a time as any, right? Hazel tried not to sound or look nervous, though she had a hard time predicting how this interaction would go. They were both ambitious, young, and important parts of the Armada's future. Hazel figured there were pups in their future, but they'd never talked about it. Doing her best to look confident in the situation, all Hazel could do was wait. "Hazel" & "Basilisk"

Basilisk was spending a great deal of time outside of pack lands these days. The search for his dad was long and tedious, and took him far afield. He made sure he came back home between stops, however. It wouldn’t do to let Hazel think the tree house was only hers, after all. She might throw out his pillows, (which were well used, but still fine, thank you) or find his hidden pile of snacks. He ensured she had a decent schedule of his trips, and knew when she could find him.

He was foot-sore from his latest trip, and was taking a snooze in the den when she called out to him. He raised an ear and tilted his head. Someone to meet? How strange. Intrigued, and unable to help the small tide of hope, he wiggled out of his bedding and trotted down the treehouse. For a moment, his eyes met Hazel, and kept going. Wondering who she was… oh, there. Down. down, down, down, his eyes turned, and found the little pup at Hazel’s feet. they were short enough that the unnaturally sized behemoth could probably squish them between his toes by accident, if he didn’t look where he was stepping. He blinked a couple times in surprise. Was this a new wolf? Was this one of Halo’s, and he’d missed it in the introductions because of their size? He didn’t think so. The scent of Armada was too fresh. “Oh, hello?” He said, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and shooting Hazel a confused look. Since when did she introduce him to pups? Let alone one that probably wouldn’t be a third of his size once it was all grown up.


"Speech"

although still bogged down by exhaustion, they experience a second wave as Hazel leads them further into the territory, so that further complaints dry up on their tongue in favour of unabashed intrigue. everything is so deliciously new, and they swivel their head to and fro with every step, trying to soak up as much information as possible. when they finally come to a stop, however, fatigue slams into them with twice the ferocity. when Hazel begins to explain their being here, Araneae just nods and tries to stifle a yawn, wobbling slightly and falling back against Hazel’s front leg. just one more person to meet, and then they can have the longest sleep of their life. squinting through the drowsy haze, they watch as another behemoth of a man appears before them, appraising them much as Sirius had. if they’d been a tad more observant, they might’ve detected the slight hesitation in this new man - but Araneae, buoyed by the success of their interaction with Sirius, puffs out their chest and shoots a toothy grin at the stranger. “hello! i’m Spider!” “speech”

Hazel understood that he was upset. She understood that he was grappling with his father's disappearance, and the impact that had. The time apart had Hazel missing him, but she understood... as much as she could. Still, Hazel is always glad to see him, and grateful that he kept to a schedule. With a pang, she thinks of the strange activity they'd been picking up on. She worried. She worried more than she would admit. When he appears before them, groggy but whole, she's relieved. Every time she lays eyes on him these days, she's relieved. The pup did well to introduce themself, and Hazel couldn't help but smile. "Bas, this is Spider. Spider, this is Basilisk." A gentle introduction, and she watches Bas's face closely. Wondering how he'd react. "I found them in Habari's old packlands. They're staying with us." Hazel continued, soldering on. Though this was probably something that should be discussed, she doesn't leave room for it. Keeping this pup was too important to her to allow a single doubt, especially her own. The pair are visibly tired from their travels, but Hazel would keep her shit together for this. She can handle that. "Hazel" & "Basilisk"

The pup introduced themselves as Spider. Puffing up their chest, and looking up at the behemoth proudly. He couldn’t help it, his muzzle twitched in a smile. For someone small enough to fit in his mouth without any effort on his part, they were surprisingly spunky. His expression was still confused however, as his eyes settled on Hazel. If he was being honest, he missed. Catching moments with her here and there just wasn’t enough. He used to see her every day. Complained about stealing each other's food, and all the other silly but fun ends of being flatmates. Of being more.

“Uhh… us as in the pack, or us as in… us?” He asked her, trailing off and tilting his head to the side. But then he realised the deeper implication and his eyes widened. “That’s uhh… really close to… are you..?” He wasn’t sure how much he could say, and caught himself before asking if the two were related. Then, seeing the exhaustion in both their eyes, he took a step back. “Well, come on in. We can get Spider settled in and then… catch up?” He suggested.


"Speech"

“Basilisk? that’s such a cool name!”  Araneae chirps, smiling up at the large man. he’s so huge that they could comfortably sit on his shoulders and he probably wouldn’t even notice they were there - a slightly thrilling thought, but one they curb with great determination. it probably wouldn’t do to climb all over one of Hazel’s…friends? hesitantly they glance between the two, trying to discern the strange energy hanging between them. they clearly know each other well, but Araneae can't quite discern the nature of their relationship. there's a tension there that even a distracted pup can detect - but it doesn't seem to be a negative tension, necessarily. they squint at Bas a second more, then promptly forget the passing curiosity with all the fickleness of youth. as Hazel informs Bas that they’ll be staying with them, they give a delighted little wriggle. “do i get my own room? what’s the view like? can i sleep by the window?”  they catch their breath, beaming through panted breaths...and then, as though suddenly remembering their apparent exhaustion, flops back against Hazel again. "m'tired." “speech”

Hazel watched as Bas processed exactly what she was saying. She watched, and she nodded. "As in us," the words were a bit quieter. Maybe it should have been a discussion they had together, but when had Hazel ever looked before she leapt. While she didn't want to put undue responsibility on Bas, she also recognized a child that had been bounced around enough already. She recognized a child that needed understanding... in a way that very few others could give. "They may as well be." Hazel picked up on what her boyfriend was implying with a nod. It was a thought she'd considered as well, though she had no way of knowing. The general simply sighed heavily. The day had been long and tiring for both of them, and it was showing on both Hazel and Spider. Her shoulders sagged for a moment, attention turning back to the pup "Yeah, I'll clear the space in front of the window tomorrow so you can look out of it easier." She spoke with a yawn and a nod. "Me too. Let's grab a snack and get some rest." Hazel's tone was reassuring, patting the pup on the shoulder. "I bet if you ask Bas, he'll carry you up." Hazel was unwilling to admit that she was too tired to do it herself. It had been a taxing, tiring day. "Hazel" & "Basilisk"

It wasn't what he expected at this point in his life. He was using up a lot of spare brain power worrying about his dad. In fact, he wasn't too keen on the idea. They were both busy and ambitious people, working hard to make their way up in the world. What would they do with a kid? What would they feed it? 


Hazel might not know it yet, but there was very little she couldn't ask of him. She had his back when it mattered, so how could he do any less? Hazel words made it clear that this meant a lot to her. This was what was happening, and arguing would only upset them both. 


Instead, he smiled. And when he looked at Hazel, it was genuine. Filled with all those sappy emotions he didn't know how to put into words. His eyes lingered on her, and then he turned to Spider. "Tree house express, now departing!" He said, leaning down to grab the pup, if they didn't protest. He would need to feed them both and send them to bed. He and Hazel could talk tomorrow. That would have to be soon enough.

given how tired they are, the adults’ conversation largely washes over their head - though they definitely register the part about the window. “awesome! i can see the sunrise in the mornings!” they crow, forgetting, of course, about their propensity to sleep in. “ooh, what kind of snack? got any lizards?” the tough little critters were never Araneae’s food of choice, but out on their travels, it was often the only thing akin to a treat they could find. their ruminating is interrupted by the sensation of being lifted into the air, and a series of high pitched giggles escape as they kick playfully, relishing the way their feet dangle precariously. “yay! tree house express!” it’s definitely the best game they’ve played yet. “speech”