The boy was still getting used to the world outside of his family's den. He wasn't as bold as one of his sisters, but he was definitely not one to cling to the side of his parents. Dhiren wasn't a sissy, or so Lakota was saying to him every now and then anyway. He would prove to her that he didn't plan on being beneath his mother's wing for a long time. So, instead of waiting until he was older to prove her wrong, he chose today. The day was already present with the sun shining above and clouds drifting across a robin's egg blue sky. Summer was coming to a close, as Dhiren could tell by the slight chill in the breezes and the color changes in the trees. He had never seen them change before, so it was all new and awe-inspiring at the same time. Dhiren's curiosity about why the colors changed didn't prompt him to ask his parents, though. He only saw them as a part of life going by, like him getting bigger with each passing day. The changes didn't happen all at once, but in small increments of time. Dhiren's laidback attitude was all right with that. His determination to prove Lakota wrong was still burning in his chest. So, he dipped his head beneath the familiar underbrush that was across from his family's den and saw the expansion of Ludicael before him. The view was astounding, and all of it was his for the taking! "Muahaha," he muttered to himself as a part of his last thought. He quickly looked around, ears swiveling and eyes wide. Thank God no one had heard that! Dhiren wagged his tail and then began to start scouting. Always on the lookout, the mini-me of Cherokee began his own stag patrolling. Speech,

Jupiter wasn't sure what had driven her to meander towards the den of Song--perhaps to check in on the welfare of the new pups of Ludicael or to ensure that the woman had all that she needed. Perhaps she would never know, but with her paws quiet with practiced movement over the roots, as Jupiter slunk through her lands she encountered something that tipped off its presence with a queer tone of laughter. Her brow furrowed and she stopped, audits pulling back a bit as she tentatively stepped forth, eyes narrowed as she sought the source of the sound. Nares flared to take in the scent of something similar to Song and Cherokee and a grin broke across her creamy features as she figured that the scent must be one of the couple's pups.



Pinpointing the location of the sound, she stepped mischievously away from the shielding undergrowth, directly in the path of sight of whoever hid beneath, and settled upon her rear with her back facing the bush, tail out. To a pup, this was usually a perfect invite for a mischief act--pouncing on a wolf when they weren't looking. Jupiter wasn't aware of the personalities of the girl's children yet, so she wasn't sure if whoever was hiding would fall for it, but thought it was worth a try.

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

He didn't know it, but his scouting would take an interesting turn. As Dhiren got ready to leave the safety of his 'front yard' and its borders, he caught sight of another figure. A stranger made its way across his line of vision, stopping nearby from his hiding spot. Curiosity burned deep in his bi-colored eyes and he saw the tail stick out straight behind the stranger's body. Temptation was next in line to take over the boy's actions...and it pursued. Dhiren tried to be quiet, to avoid any stray branches or leaves that would give away his position. He would have been doing a good job if he hadn't had the wind blowing his scent towards the unfamiliar wolf. Once he got within pouncing distance, he realized it and immediately halted in his stance. Shoot!, he mentally yelled, shaking his head in self-defeat. With his ears folded against his black crown, he entered the open area beside the stranger. Dhiren had no idea that he had crossed paths with his Sol, but she smelled like him and the other members he had met, which was a comfort. He bravely looked up with his two-toned eyes and blinked to shield his gaze from the sudden bit of sunlight that temporarily blinded him. "Ouch!" he said, quickly moving to hide in the shadow the female wolf provided. When he realized he was close to her haunches, he looked up again and said, "I'm sorry! I had to get out of the sun..." His tail began to slowly wag before he looked at her face and noticed the heart shape that made up her appearance. "Wow..." he softly said, eyes dancing across the white shape as he took it in. "That is beautiful..." Speech,

The Sol was extremely puzzled by the pup's behavior; instead of pouncing on her tail, the young creature simply walked right up beside her, wincing as the sun blinded his sensitive eyes. A warm smile spread across her ebony lips as she remembered when her own children were this young. They were growing up far too fast and hardly spent time with her. She was a little disappointed but she knew it was a part of their growth and accepted it.



A tender look overcame her visage as the pup commented on her beauty upon seeing her facial features. Audits pressed forward and she tilted her head at him, stooping her head to attempt to swipe a lick over his forehead. "Hey, you're pretty beautiful yourself, Mr." Her dialogue was colored with humor and a chuckle rolled through her chest. "Your Song is your momma, right? What's your name?"

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

He shyly yipped as she licked his forehead. It was a gesture of affection, and Dhiren ate it right up. If he was of a lighter color, his face would be red from blushing so much. His tail began to thump behind him, making a fan out of it as he moved it back and forth. "Thank you, ma'am," he politely said, blinking his bi-colored opts into the direction of her own amber orbs. They were pretty indeed and his ears perked after being slightly folded. Maybe she was one of those sweet wolves Mama had talked about. His mind began to race as the older fae mentioned the name of his mama. "Yes ma'am, Song is my mama's name." He smiled brightly, heart racing as an image of Song rose in his mind. "I love her very much!" She then asked of his name and his puppy head cocked to the left, interest and curiosity peaking in their gaze. "Dhiren. Dhiren Destruction." It was a name that would follow a proud man...at least, that's what Dhiren hoped it would do later on. "May I ask what your name is, ma'am?" He inquired, tones peaked with that same curiosity that danced in his eyes. If he had to give up his name, so did she. Speech,

Celestial eyes of cool purple looked down upon him, dancing with a light that hadn't been present since the death match with Kaios. Something about this little boy's innocence and happiness brought a nostalgic sort of joy to her. Jupiter could tell that Song was raising her children very well. The Sol anticipated their growth--to have them as both friends and members of Ludicael would be, as always, an enlightening adventure. Notions of her own progressing age touched her mind (though in reality, Jupiter was still fairly young, but who's counting?) and she was almost a little sad. Nevertheless, she kept her expression bright and willed her thoughts to do the same.



"Well, it sure is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Destruction. Your momma is a good friend of mine. I'm Jupiter Illiadis--I'm the leader of this pack. They call me the Sol."

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

His tail began to wag as the conversation progressed. Dhiren wasn't used to speaking to other wolves aside from his family members, so it was definitely a treat to be speaking with Jupiter. The heart-faced wolf was different from what he was used to seeing, so he listened with intense determination as she introduced herself. "Wow, that is a very pretty name," he shyly said, gold and silver opts watching her with fascination. "Jupiter...I like it!" Dhiren was secretly proud that he didn't stumble over her name like he did with some of his siblings' names. It was a nice change from how he usually spoke, so his confidence shined in his eyes and the way he carried himself. "Does Sol mean...that you're the boss?" He asked curiously, bi-colored gaze shimmering with that same curious flame. Dhiren was the kind of pup that wanted to know as much as he could. Given he was growing, he felt he didn't have enough time to do so. Speech,

A rumble of a chuckle rolled from her chest, the sound saturated with amusement. Not even a grown creature had flattered her this much in a long time and Jupiter found herself happy to be in positive company for once. Mercury was, as always, a lovely companion but at times his negativity worked its way under her flesh. Audits flicked at his additional words and she nodded in response. "Mhm, it does." She paused, eyes rolling upwards and to the right as she thought, a smile cracking across her features once more.



"But your momma is the second person in charge, and so is your daddy. If anything ever happens to me, they're gonna be in charge," Jupiter informed the child, settling down onto her stomach, relaxing considerably in the pup's infectiously cheerful presence. "And maybe when your momma and daddy can't, you may be the Sol of Ludicael one day."

TABLE + CODING BY TIFF

prone to violent reaction. ic actions have ic consequences and she lives and breathes it.

public enemy #1

crawl. crawl more. drag your hands and knees across the destruction left in my wake to the ends of the earth. there's a green light of a shining star in my sky and there will not be an obstacle i will not overcome until i cup that star in my palms. the void in my will has been filled with purpose. so crawl. crawl more, love.

because i like it when you're on your knees.

The conversation he was having with the boss of his pack was coming along nicely. Dhiren didn't expect to have something like this happen when he woke up that morning, but he was definitely not complaining. His tail began to wag even more as the happiness seeped from his tiny body. Not many adults would take the time of day to speak to someone his age and size. She began to speak of his parents and his ears perked with more interest than before. He hadn't heard of many others talking about Song and Cherokee, so his attention was rapt and didn't waver as she explained that his parents were Betas. All of the responsibilities that came with the ranks they held was astounding. When she told him that maybe he would be the one running the show one day, his heart hammered in his chest. "Are you--are you being serious, Mizz Jupiter?" He said softly, bi-colored orbs shimmering with amazement. "That-that would definitely be something I cannot imagine!" It was an awestruck confession, but he was sure that when the time came, he would be there to take the reins. "I would do my best, though. I give you my word!" Dhiren than backtracked and quietly asked, "Is it hard, being the boss?" Speech,