Drop-Off

[Phantom]

The small grey wolf was grateful for the soft grass under his paws after sleeping in a cold, dirt-floor den. For once, this day, his remaining midnight blue eye, usually dark and dull, was bright and clear. He had his head raised and ears perked forward in a clear display of confidence and happiness. Mirage. Happy. Imagine that.

The male paused at the fringe of the border, letting out a contented sigh before glancing back behind him. His long fur whipped in a cool breeze he found himself grateful for. He hadn't had such a time to relax in a while. Now to wait for his two adopted daughters...

[Vita]

No worries. They were coming. Just give their short legs a moment. Pure girly laughter bubbled up from behind him as one of his two adopted daughters rolled up, the flash of unusual light lavender on her paws identifying her immediately. Lavender bounced to her feet and waved her thick tail, sterling eyes bright as she looked back to await her sister's arrival.

Cerulean came through the brush only a few minutes later with a touch more regal air, though her amused grin partially ruined the image. The female's quirky cerulean eyes, the namesake of her calling, glanced up at Mirage as she bounced up alongside him. "Who are we visiting again, Daddy?" She asked cheerfully, her tone still the childish innocence that only the young could pull off. Besides her, Lavender skipped up, her tail waving frantically as she peered up at Mirage with an expectant look. So... cute.

[Phantom]

Mirage gave a light-hearted chuckle, leaning down to lick the top of each of their heads. It was almost scary how much they reminded him of their mother. He stepped forward again, past the border. "Remember how I told you about your real mother? We're going to see her to let her see what good girls you are." He paused a moment to look back at them with a gleam in his one eye. "Because you two are the best little pups in the wood, aren't you?"

[Vita]

Lavender yipped happily, bright sterling eyes practically glowing. "Yep!" She cheered as her response, and Cerulean grinned impishly, flicking her tail behind her. "If you say so, Daddy." She purred, eyes striking as she padded fearlessly behind her. Although Lavender paused for the briefest of moments, she trusted both her 'father' and her sister to the ends of the world so she followed, wagging her tail comfortably once more.

Once more, it was Cerulean that asked the more intelligent question. "How much longer 'til we get there, Daddy?" She asked, glancing up at him before maneuvering her way around a jutting root. Behind her, Lavender near stumbled, but caught herself and bounced up to walk beside Cerulean.

[Phantom]

Of course, Mirage leapt the root. "Not long. She might be a little preoccupied, though." He frowned slightly, gaze hesitant almost. It would be odd for his two 'daughters' to encounter siblings they'd never known existed... and it would be odd for him to speak with Brevity after so long a time. Guilt gnawed at his belly; he'd not really asked for her permission to take care of these two. She may be a tad upset...

[Vita]

That was a bit of an understatement... Especially considering one could hear Brevity's voice right where they were. "Sterling! I told you to get the hell away from my pups!" She snarled, and there was an audible snapping sound before clearly amused laughter rang out. We're betting it wasn't Brevity's... Of course, the fact they were now receiving sound meant she was close. Which could be a good or bad thing, depending.

Cerulean peered up, eyes brightening, if possible. "Oooh, is that her?" She asked, wagging her tail. Beside her, Lavender grinned. "She sounds fun!" It was amazing how generally cute puppies could be in circumstances...

[Phantom]

Mirage sighed, frowning. Damn Sterling. Turning back to the pups, he murmered a swift order. "Stay here for a second, until I call you." Turning back towards the ominous voice, he paced full into the mother's view. "Brevity?" He held still after that, eyes pinpointing the femme, braced for what full-on attack he might receive.

[Vita]

The slim female tilted her head over at the sound, and immediately, a grin warmed her slender muzzle at his appearance. "Hey, Mirage. Something the matter?" Around her paws, four other pups had been previously playing, though they all looked up when Mirage arrived. The one nearest to him, a pretty little black pup with red tips to her pelt, blinked scarlet eyes before beaming. "Mirage? The Mirage?" She questioned, and beside her, a gold-blonde pup with neon green eyes and swirls on her legs giggled.

Brevity turned toward her pup and arched an eyebrow. "Oh hush, you two. Yes, but that is The Mirage." She admitted, flicking her two-toned tail. Off to the side, a serious faced Sterling studied him admittance, though not with the welcome Brevity did. More like suspicion. "You really should stop having friends in other packs, Brevity. They always seem to become messengers for bad news." She declared, and Brevity glanced her way with a growl. "Shut, Sterling. This is my business. Go away now." Although Sterling flicked her tail and looked like she wanted to argue, she left. Grr.

[Phantom]

Mirage shot a glance at Sterling, but let a grin slide across his maw. Let her say what she liked. He turned right back to Brevity, though couldn't help the glance at her two visible pups. So... dare he say it? Think it? ...Cute.

"Actually, I've brought good news," He replied easily, sitting against the ground, head still raised. "And two missing pups." He turned back, still grinning, one eye glowing. "Lavender! Cerulean!"

[Vita]

Peering around her forelegs, the other two pups became visible. One was all black with near glowing red eyes, though her black was a softer kind of the color, not a fountain of darkness. Her sister beside her was also black, darker though, with one red eye and one shining light blue one.

Brevity first blinked at his words then frowned. "Wait, Lavender and Cerulean? I thought they were..." Of course, she trailed off as the two pups entered the clearing from their father's call, and Brevity smiled. Actually tenderly. Creepy.

She dropped her muzzle to the ground, that smile remaining, to study them as Cerulean wandered over. "Are you Brevity?" The little pup asked bravely as a much more hesitant Lavender, staring at the other pups she had yet to know were her sisters, followed more warily.

Drawing her ears forward peacefully, Brevity nodded. "Yeah. What did Mirage tell you about me?" Cerulean beamed now, at ease, and Lavender relaxed automatically due to her sister's reaction. "Oh, Dad told us loads of stuff. He says your our mom." At the term of enderment for Mirage though, Brevity looked up, and a flash of something made her eyes flare. "Really?" She replied to Cerulean, though was staring at Mirage. "Anything else he said about me?"

[Phantom]

Mirage grinned slyly, one eye sparking as he listened in, and an especially almost-wicked look when Brevity caught Cerulean's words. He leaned forward, giving her a loving little nuzzle before stepping back. Mentally, he could hear snarls from Darkness, but they were ignored. This was his time to be happy with what family he had with Brevity.

"Don't worry, love. I didn't say anything too bad." He assured, scooting closer to her, but turning his loving gaze on his two 'daughters'. "Did I?" His last words were an actual question for the pups, not something rhetorical.

[Vita]

The sterling assassin couldn't help but soften slightly at Mirage's actions, though she directed her gaze back down toward her two 'new' daughters when he asked them the question. Cerulean seemed only too happy to answer, beaming, having obviously not caught onto any double meanings Mirage and Brevity was dicussing. "Nope, nothing bad at all." For once, Lavender spoke up, a gentle smile on her maw. "He adores you." She said softly, and Brevity blinked, glancing sidelong at Mirage before turning her gaze back to Lavender. "Nah. You must've gotten the wrong impression. We're just... friends." She smiled, and Lavender nodded, though, once more, Cerulean questioned. Girl loved asking those others wouldn't.

"Just friends? But aren't you two mates from having us?" When Brevity just stared, quite obviously at a loss on how to explain something like that, Henna giggled again, the green-eyed pup standing up. "Nope, they ain't. Your our sisters, but he isn't our Daddy." She shrugged those tiny shoulders, already catching onto topics that she shouldn't even know about, and Brevity looked at Mirage, letting him salvage it. He was a lot quicker on his mental feet then Brevity. Surely he'd think of some way to explain it to Lavender and Cerulean.

[Phantom]

Mirage smiled affectionettely at Lavender's words, but when Brevity spoke, he flicked his ears back, the warmth fading from his gaze to be replaced with instictive cold distance. He kept it hidden, however, by reaching back to lick clean his shoulder. He winced faintly at the golden pup's explaination, though it was Cerulean's words that hurt him the most. But he'd not let it be seen by his two... adoptive... daughters.

After a moment, he glanced back at the two, eyes gleaming once more. It was impossible to tell that it was so very fake. "One doesn't always get what they wish for." A spark lit his gaze; and the false light there went away. He bowed his head, closing his one eye. Just as things were going good... again, he had to brace himself for the worst. All he could think of was the two daughters he'd claimed as his own now thinking him only a liar. Why? He's a pessimist like that.

[Vita]

Ah, but there was a huge difference between Brevity, well-tuned into Mirage's emotions, and her daughters, none of which knew currently how to do so. She noticed immediately his uncomfortableness and flicked her ears backward, thinking, before he spoke. She blinked and looked up at him, and after just a moment, reached up and bumped her shoulder up against him, licking him across the muzzle with a faint smile as she turned back to Lavender and Cerulean, still close to leaning up against Mirage.

"He's not your real father, no, but he is definitely your adoptive one." She didn't look at Mirage while she spoke, half afraid he might give her some signal to shut up. Instead, she continued speaking to Lavender and Cerulean, both watching her patiently now. "You see, your real one sort of..." Uh... "decided to go somewhere else for a really long time." Ahem. Really long time. Suuure. "But anyway, Mirage here makes a much better father, so I expect you to keep treating him that way." When both 'his' pups nodded, their eyes bright and not betrayed in the slightest, Brevity glanced toward the four originated around her paws. "Do you four agree?" She asked quietly, maybe another reason not to glance at Mirage. Scary.

It was the mismatched eyes one that answered with a shrug. "He seems a lot better then a nonexistent one." She admitted, though a slight smile strayed onto her maw. There was something iffy about her voice, though none of her siblings nor Brevity seemed to notice. The black and red-tipped one nodded heartily. "Yup. I like him a lot more anyway. Besides, it's kinda obvious you like him, Momma." She teased, and the blonde one giggled again, back to being perfectly innocent. Only when Brevity had flashed her a grin did she glance at Mirage out of the corner of her eye, albeit a little warily. She didn't know if he had wanted her to defend him anyway, and it might've just upset him further. Here we go.

[Phantom]

He didn't see it as defending him. More as defending her newly-discovered daughters. He glanced over at her when she started talking, and once she was finished, he let a faint smile appear on his maw. Reaching up, he nuzzled her lovingly, even going so far as to throw a paw over her shoulders to get all the closer. "And even if she doesn't like me, I 'like' her." Mwa, ha.