The last few days had been difficult, getting used to having the little buggers outside was proving to be a chore. She couldn't leave them for very long with out hearing them cry, or rather hear Colette cry. The tiny girl easily had the biggest mouth of the three. While Shakespeare was rather silent she made up for him tenfold. It was almost awful. They started opening their eyes today though, and seeing the innocent blue puppy eyes was a cute overload.  They'd fallen asleep, though it seemed like if they were not eating they were sleeping. She hoped they'd soon start sleeping more than they ate. She felt so drained all the time. It was a chore escaping outside, but she still suffered too thoroughly from cabin fever. Now that she was not weighed down by three growing pups she felt like she could actually move again, so every chance available she was outside the den. Likely this habit would reduce as the pups did more than sleep, but for these last few days she'd enjoy her time alone.  Of course the young mother would not be far from the den, within earshot of Colette's mighty call she would rest in the gathering snow. The sun was out and very much upon her, with the nest Othello had helped her build she had no fear of the pups catching cold right now. Lazily she would lounge, glad to be separated from her pups for the moment.  ""

"Speech"

ooc: I'm sorry if this wasn't an open thread! I just didn't see any tags on it and assumed lol

Leo trotted along the snowy landscape, his steps lively and quick thanks to his excellent mood. He wasn't entirely sure what had him in such a state, but he wasn't really inclined to question it either. He simply wrote it off as a case of waking up on the right side of the bed and went on about his day. Today he was on a mission to see his sister, determined to check up on her. The last time they had spoken she had given him the news that she was expecting, but he hadn't been back around since then. He felt kind of bad for not coming to check on her sooner, but to be honest he was horrible at keeping track of time. He could have seen her two months ago and he would swear he had been by just last week. None of the less, he was excited to see her.

His russet coat stood out like a sore thumb against the white backdrop, the sunlight only helping to make his coloring radiate like the sun. He hummed a tune while he walked, a few hardy winter flowers he had found a while back held delicately in his jaws. It wasn't far from where he had last seen Isolde so he started keeping an eye out for her and soon enough he spotted her up ahead. He grinned around his mouthful of flowers and picked up his pace a bit to hurry toward her, his tail wagging as he stopped in front of her. He sat his gift at her paws and asked, "How is my beautiful sister doing?" Before she could even answer though his mismatched ears perked up when he realized he smelled several different scents on her and of course the fact that she didn't look pregnant at all. It dawned on him that he must have been away much longer than he thought. He had nieces and nephews! Suddenly very excited his tail wagged behind him and he grinned widely. "Oh I missed the big show, didn't I? Can I see them? Can I, can I?" He chuckled and licked her cheek, probably way too excited to see the youngest members of their family.

The range -- it wasn't exactly easy for Epiphron to return to this place. She had left everything behind when she'd moved here, marrying Maverick. It was here that had conceived her two litters of children, and it was here that she had given birth, meeting them for the first time. The amount of joy that this place had given her ought to have been refreshing but instead it was sickening now, and she found a painful knot of tension growing in her stomach as her paws trailed after Isolde's scent. She knew her daughter had been lingering in these lands, though her scent had changed drastically. The changing hormones in her scent were nearly impossible to ignore. She had delayed her reunion with Isolde for awhile now, but it had become obvious to her that her daughter was -- or had been -- pregnant. The alabaster woman's pace would quicken as the scent grew stronger. Pawsteps were quiet as she tread through the small amount of snow that had accumulated on the flat terrain. She felt her heart nearly skip a beat as she spotted two of her children in the distance. A joyful bark would sound as she headed towards them, tail beginning to wave happily behind her at the sight of Isolde and Leo. "I am so sorry I did not come sooner," she apologized somewhat breathlessly upon closing the distance between she and her children.

He wasn't caged inside the borders of Arcanum, he knew that. But it sure felt that way; emotionally. There was a constant reminder of what he owed to Cataleya and to Zaria. Of course he went there on his own accord, was a little roughed up, but those bruises had been long gone now. He was out, just to get away. But he was sure to bring something back so it looked like he was actually doing something while he went out. It seemed like he escaped the borders often, meeting up with family or Talvi. He had even met up with Titania.  His lazy stride came to a halt as he realized how far he had gone. Or rather, where he even was. He stood at the border of his forgotten kingdom and of course his first meeting with Zaria would play back in his mind. He imagined he and his siblings daring her to cross into their territory, it all felt so real he could smell them. Wait, was this real? or just his thoughts?  Soon enough he figured that his family really was here, catching the scent of his mother as he went further in. Of course that could have been his imagination too, but it wasn't. He laid eyes on his littermates and Epiphron, not sure if he felt comfortable actually being with them. But he would keep moving forward until he stood close to his mother. The last he saw of Leo was not very pleasant, and the last with Isolde was draining if anything. But with his mother, it was joyful and actually family like He would look to his brother and give a nod before looking down at Isolde. He was in much better spirits than he had been in a while. Walk "Talk" Think

The last thing she had expected was for her family to all show up at her doorstep like they'd planned the whole thing. It was possible they had to, she hadn't gotten out much recently and missed a lot. First Leo would greet her jovially, and her grin would play lightly across her lips. Before she could answer his first question he'd seem to realize that the children he'd last seen within her belly were now missing. A sly grin would replace her previous expression, but before she could invite him in to see her little brats their mother's bark would grab her attention. Isolde's features would make a sharp turn towards the beautiful woman, her smile widening considerably as she stood to greet the woman who had birthed her. There was a lot more respect for her there now that she knew what she'd gone through to get her into this world. "It's alright, mother." Did she know of their father's other children? Isolde would move to embrace her, "Or should I say, Grandma?" She'd turn a bit more mischievous as Caeto brought up the rear. She was still rather worried about him, but knew that he was an adult and made his own choices like she was doing. She'd would back away from Epiphron, looking to each of them before saying, "Ready to meet them then?" The sun was shining, and with three other bodies she had no problems bringing the new little bundles out here to see everyone. One at a time she would retreat into the den and bring out a pup, hanging one to each brother and her mother. "Mother, you have Shakespeare, Caeto you have Colette, and Leo has Caesar." She would introduce the little pups to each, wondering if they'd get to meet the father of the little runts too. ""

He was a father. It was still an incredibly strange concept for Soliloquy to get his head around if he was entirely honest, though he hadn't ran again the temptation had been there especially after hearing the screams of his daughter. She certainly had a set of lungs on her, how on earth did something so small make so much noise. It was only going to get worse. He both knew and feared it. Whilst the reluctant father was carrying on as he had before their birth, spending his time doing what he could to care for Isolde and evidently the three little pups he hadn't settled into parenthood anywhere as much as Isolde had. He hadn't vanished though and surely that was all Isolde could ask for, he had kept his promise and perhaps he would eventually grow to be a somewhat decent father to them. He hadn't dared to move any of them, he had barely touched them in fact. To be honest he was scared he'd hurt them, not to mention that he suspected it would start Colette crying all over again, or awaken that hidden pair of lungs in Shakespeare that for all they knew could be even bigger! Apparently they'd been saying hello as they kicked around in Isolde's stomach, how could she be sure they weren't telling him to clear off and leave their lovely mother alone? He wasn't doing that though, even if it was what the kids wanted or was perhaps for the best and he would find himself heading towards the den now, hackles bristling as he caught the scents of others on the approach as well. It was an easy guess upon sight that they were related however, scent of course suggested such a tale too though he'd simply concentrated upon the fact that there were strangers around. He would relax slightly though it was hardly a warm welcome as he silently moved to Isolde's side.

The last thing he expected from his visit to see Isolde was for it to turn into a mini family reunion. Only moments after he greeted his sister their mother appeared with a joyful bark and apologies for taking so long to visit. He was sure that feeling was mutual all around. His tail wagged joyfully at the sight of his mother and he took a step back from Isolde so that their mother could be included in the circle. However, it looked like he and their mother weren't the only ones paying a visit. He looked up and to his surprise he saw Caeto approaching them as well. The last time he had seen his brother had gone a little less than smoothly to put it lightly, but he still returned Caeto's nod and gave his brother a small smile. He was always pleased to see his family members no matter the situation. He turned his attention back to Isolde when she spoke and headed toward her den, his ears perking up with curiosity and his tail wagging excitedly. He was finally going to get to meet his nieces and nephews! He followed along behind her eagerly and watched as she lifted each of her children up and out into the open, handing them out like gifts to each of the family members. He took the pup he had been given gingerly, so afraid that he might break this beautiful little thing. He sank down onto his haunches and then onto his stomach so that the pup could rest on top of his forelegs. His sapphire gaze was fixated on the little bundle of brown and white fur, smiling when he saw the distinctive spots his family was known for. Leo wondered if it was possible that he was ever this tiny when he was a pup, that any of them were actually ever this tiny. His tail thumped against the ground behind him and placed a small lick on the top of the pup's head. "It's nice to meet you, Caesar. I'm your Uncle Leo," he told the boy softly even though he was pretty sure he had heard at some point that pups were deaf or something till they got bigger. He had been so caught up in looking at his little nephew that he hadn't even noticed the white male's appearance. Leo suddenly looked up when he realized that he had gotten lost in his own little world and saw the man standing beside Isolde. So they finally got to meet the father! Leo didn't speak, instead deciding to leave that to their mother, especially since it seemed this man was fairly silent himself. Leo simply gave him a polite nod and a smile before turning his gaze back down toward his nephew. "Talk" "You" Think

Caeto just watched the others and did what they did. Looked and smiled at Isolde and her new family. But when she started handing out the pups, it was all over. Caeto's neck rose high over his shoulder's as his eyes flashed back and forth. His face said something like "Who, me?" He truly did not understand how to care, or even look at the tiny creature. His mother and siblings were around for help obviously, but he could help but feel a sudden rush of nervous. He pushed his paw to the other side of the little pup, his own size making him feel intimidated. He very gently pulled the girl in, only a little closer and without moving anything else on his entire body. Wide-eyed, he very slowly moved his chin to an angled tilt. "How... Adorable." He spoke awkwardly. Is this how he would react to his own children? He knew he did want some one day, even the thought of not wanting to be near them until they were big enough not crush wouldn't change that.  An ear flicked to Leo as he told the child he held that he was "Uncle Leo", and not wanting to make the situation any more awkward, Caeto wouldn't repeat as his brother did. Eyes looked to the man that had magically appeared beside his sister, an odd familiar aroma coming from his pelt. He had only smelled the man on Isolde, but had never met him. Either way, Caeto assumed that it was the father of the children. There weren't any other "brilliant studs" waltzing around. Walk "Talk" Think

Though she had pledged her loyalty to Jupiter for now, her children would never cease to remain an important part of her life. She knew where most of them wandered, and knew that Isolde had made this place her home, even if only temporarily. It seemed that Leo and Caeto had found Isolde too. Another small reunion was something she would never complain about, and she would lope quickly toward the group that had gathered. There was a warmth that emanated from her, a sort of friendliness she rarely displayed so openly except around family, and she moved to nuzzle Isolde lovingly. There was little hesitation as she approached her daughter, despite the stranger that had appeared beside her, bristling protectively. No one would stop her from seeing her grandchildren, no matter how hard they tried -- she had given birth to Isolde and would stop at nothing to seeing her first grandchildren. Her smile was wide and genuine, an expression of pure joy as she came to greet Isolde, tail swaying contentedly behind her. 'It's alright, mother,' she would begin. 'Or should I say, Grandma?' A laugh fell from parted jaws. It was one of her youngest children that had become a mother first, which surprised her -- but when had life ever been predictable? "I'm beyond ready," she would tell her, eyes sparkling as she watched Isolde bring the children from the den. There were three of them. Three tiny, perfect children, no different from her own that stood before her now. The child offered to her was Shakespeare, but she paused for a moment to assess Leo and Caeto's reactions. Leo instantly took to the child, beginning to speak to him, while Caeto seemed a bit more awkward about everything. It was one thing to have your own children, but to have anothers forced upon you was a different story. She found herself smiling again, leaning to nuzzle the small boy gently. "And I am your grandmother Epiphron," she would introduce herself softly. "Though you may call me Grandmother Pip.." it was a nickname that her sister had given to her when they were children and she figured it would be much easier for them to say than her full name.