Hayden

Hayden is a fox-furred pup with grey eyes and striking blue undereyes and claws. He joined the Phoenix tribe on October 5, 2024. His original name, "Fox (g2 5m m)" was changed by Mercy to "Hayden".

Hayden was separated from two sisters and spent his early puphood raised alone in the burrow. Pupsitters John D'arc and Glass Eye didn't get to spend much time without a pup to raise! He was extraordinarily attached to D'arc and spent all his time pouncing on him, chewing his ears, and passing out cold on top of him. D'arc, a grizzled wolf with a tough exterior, softened up after raising Hayden.

There was something special about D'arc! He tried to be cool, but Hayden knew he was a softie inside and knew he could get it out of him. He loved helping D'arc clean up the burrow, as long as D'arc promised to cuddle after! While D'arc seemed stiff curling around the pup, as time went on he sank into being Hayden's cuddle buddy. He would lazily groom Hayden's fur for ticks—whether hayden had ticks or not! Even in WINTER—and even fall asleep while they relaxed. Hayden loved it! He loved D'arc!

Glass Eye, on the other hand, was more than happy to enjoy his time off, lounging around and sticking Hayden back on D'arc when he tried to play with him.

Hayden tried very, *very* hard to stay in the Burrow when he reached 6 months, and still frequently snuck in to spend time with D'arc, telling him stories of his explorations and giving him gifts he found while exploring. D'arc tried to push Hayden away at first, but didn't have the heart to enforce anything, ultimately letting the pup spend time with him. They still kept up their special cuddling time, although D'arc got more insistent on sleeping in separate nests. Doesnt mean the old geezer wasnt dozing off! Hayden was learning how to walk all over D'arc, getting what he wanted by sheer persistence (and getting special treatment, which Hayden knew he had).

D'arc was Hayden's only relationship in the Tribe, really. He became an adolescent right when Vision, Apricot, Zircon, Fern, and Willow aged up, which once again left him with few paws to socialize with. The few paws he did know bullied him.He took the brunt of Grouse's teasing now that Apricot was in Fallen Oak, which was only more incentive to sneak out.

He enjoyed lending a paw when Aurora and Lux joined the Tribe, playing with them and taking on the big brother role. Copper, who joined near the end of his underpawship, seemed awkward and flustered around him, which ever-oblivious Hayden didn't notice even once.

Hayden's Night of First Hunt was under the Shut Moon, where the moon's eye is closed.

Insert pairbond story here - doesnt really get romantic quick, seeps into it slowly when neither of them are realizing it.

Hayden enjoys spending his days by D'arc's side, letting his mate tidy up after the pups while he handles the fun things, like playing, supervising, and cuddling.

He had a tough time with Chaise and her litter, having to deal with her death. He left the raising to Polar and Haven as he took time to process it.

In summer of the pack's fourth year, a change began happening in how pupsitters acted. Instead of solely raising the tribe's pups, they began taking in pups from outside the tribe to give shelter until their adulthood, as well as having lower level tribe pups that went with them. D'arc wasn't a fan of the "new way", gruffly complaining about it at night in their nest. Hayden, however, was all for it. They were helping more pups grow up in the world than they were before! His mate was just a bit old now, he thought. He'd brought up retiring to the elder's alders several times to D'arc, who always pretended he couldn't hear him.

Ant arrived as the next fulltime pupsitter, another reason why Hayden suggested D'arc retire. He heard no such thing. D'arc took training Ant very seriously on how to care for pups and nipped at his heels a lot with it. Hayden himself started feeling old realizing that he started looking at Ant like a son less than a younger brother, the bond he'd had with the wolves before him.