Post by Ahiga on Nov 30, 2007 11:41:46 GMT -5
Setting: Lazuli Pack Den
Characters: Miakoda and Echo
Summary: Echo and Mia get to spend a bit quality time together and test the bridge of communication.
Spring. The weather is warmer. The last remnants of snow is making its retreat, making room for the lush green grass that's already filled meadows beyond and the forest floor. Flowers have awakened, trees are showing off their new green, and animals everywhere have woken up to greet the new season with new families. ... Except for Miakoda. Miakoda is asleep. And why is the beta wolf of the flourishing pack snoozing away this fine spring day? Because she has three kids who are energetic and /tiresome/. Even the what seemed to be relaxing task of feeding the pups has grown to be a thing that's not wholly leisure time anymore, for as the pups have grown from day old squirmy things to stronger and more developed weeks-old creatures, they've learned to push and complain and nudge and tousle for their feeding spots. Sigh! But despite this, as Miakoda lays where she is, settled on her side with closed eyes, she looks very content.
The den has been relatively quiet recently, with most of the pups asleep at their mother's sides. Nestled between his sister and brother, the white pup was content to snuggle away the rest of the morning, were it not that fate was cruel and woke him from his silent dreams and brought him into the waking world. Lazily, the white boy lifted his head and dropped his tiny muzzle open in a yawn, blinking groggily at the midday light that filtered to the back of the den from the opening. It was warm and comfortable where he was, the prime spot in the middle and next to his mother's stomach. Still half-asleep, Echo squirmed a little so that he could suckle easily, and did so for a few moments in a content silence. Jostling, at this point, was really not something he had to do, and, pleased, the pup rests his head along Miakoda's stomach. Burp.
Something is moving, which is her cue to wake up. Sensitive to even the slightest movement near her stomach, Miakoda's ear slightly twitches and her eyes barely part. It's early...and blissfully quiet. With eight cubs, seven of which that make noise, the den is hardly a serene place to be most times. She blinks groggily before yawning a wide yawn. Five more minutes.. As she licks at her muzzle, her head lifts a little and she peers towards her belly to see who's awake. A soft smile blossoms instantly as she spies her pale little burping son, and her ears lift afterwards. "That's gross," she coos affectionately. "Say "Excuse me"," prompted with little expectation that he'll say much of anything. The kid hasn't even whimpered since birth.
The pup had closed his eyes again, full belly and a warm bed tempted to lull him back into sleep, but Miakoda's initial movement and then her voice floating across his mind caused him to blink himself awake. His little ears twisted to the side, his head following, a little off balance still, as balance wasn't quite something any of them had mastered yet. Then, click! Momma! Echo's tail begins to tap against Moonbird, thudthudthudthud, and his still slightly milk covered muzzle drops open in silent greeting, his tongue panting out one side. It takes him a few moments to pry his over-large paws free and Echo, none too gracefully, clambers over Shikoba and ends up flopping onto his side. Hrk! The white pup, stunned, blinks a few moments before thrusting his hindquarters into the air and shuffle-walks in Miakoda's general direction.
The poor pups abuse one another so much. Good thing they're resilient little things! Miakoda can't help but giggle as Echo scales over Shikoba's sleepy self, and she's careful to roll herself onto her stomach without squishing any of her children. Her ears remain lifted as she watches Echo's wobbly progress, and her tail thumps lightly against the ground in encouragement. "That's my big boy," complimented as the boy fails to erupt into tears after his little tumble, and she all but purrs as he heads her way. She leans forward to nose and nuzzle him when he's close enough and washes her tongue over his milky face. "Quiet little Echo. Come to keep me company, hm?" But apparently, he'll need to be a clean pup first, and Mia wastes no time in licking him all over. No pup of hers is going to be dirty for too long!
His mother's tail wag is met with an energetic one of his own, though soon enough he's a little tired at having wobbled over all that way! At his name, Echo perks a little and his muzzle beams a smile, content to flop himself down where Miakoda can reach (or not, should she choose to move him), and sits through his midday bath like a trooper. Eventually, though, he gets a little tired of it and rolls to his back, tummy exposed, and bats up at Mia's face and nose with his paws, maw agape in a play smile as he wriggles around.
Slurp slurp! Gotta get behind those ears... If Mia doesn't make a good mother, there's no doubt that she'll make an expert bather. And poor Echo, with his coloring, will likely be the most washed pup in the forest. If he ever finds his voice, he'll have to thank his father for that! She snickers as the little guy seems to get fed up with bath time though, and she and tilts her head while watching him roll. "Heyyyyy.." she says as she's bapped at. His grin is infectious, and she laughs down at him in response. "You can't do that to me. I'm your /Moooommmyyyy/" she over enunciates, exaggerating the motions of her mouth as she says it. She'll be damned if her kids' first words are Daddy! She puffs out her cheeks, crosses her eyes, then lowers down her head to blow and lightly nip at his belly in a ticklish way. PFFFT!
It seems that the boy is a little too busy playing to really pay attention to mother's words, though, his pricked ears might tell otherwise. He's listening, and whether he knows it or not, he's learning quite a bit from Miakoda right now. When he's tickled, though, Echo's squirming intensifies and he curls up into a little ball, well, as much as he can with his mother's muzzle in the way, and continues to bat and wriggle in an attempt to free himself. The child doesn't seem to notice that, even with his maw open, he doesn't laugh out loud like his siblings do, though it's possible to hear his wispy breathing and to see the laughter in his face and behind his eyes. At one point, Echo wriggles enough to gnaw with puppy teeth at Mia's muzzle, hugging her nose on either side with his floppy paws.
Miakoda giggles in the middle of her blowing, feeling him wiggle, yet not hearing the laughter she's come to expect from her two other pups. She'd have to be a very unobservant mother to not notice Echo's ... oddity. What pup makes no sound? Not a whimper, cry, or giggle in his however many weeks of life. Though that doesn't seem to be enough reason for Miakoda to shun her son, and she seems confident that, even though he's unnaturally quiet, he'll be talking right along with the rest of them when they do! But even so, she can't help but pause a moment with squinted eyes and a slowly fading smile, expectantly waiting for the laughter that has yet to come. But, as she's grabbed and attacked, her grin returns full strength, and she takes in a deep breath and snorts it out at him as she holds his nose.
And the boy does make a noise, but it's more an exhale of breath than any kind of spoken sound, but continues to play regardless. Eventually, though, Echo slows down a little and rolls to his side, panting slightly at the exertion of his playing, though by no means is he upset. In fact, his eyes are bright and his face is full of warmth, a good sign for any creature. At one point, the pup glances up at his mother and sees the subtle shift in her mood, and pauses. He doesn't know what it means but he pushes himself up to sit on his hindquarters, turning his crystal eyes to his mother. Echo tilts his head just slightly and blinks, expecting an answer to his question, though as his ears gently splay back against his skull he doesn't know if he'll get one. Being a pup is so confusing!
Miakoda slightly grins as he rolls away, and she doesn't pursue the play. The poor guy needs a little rest .. and who knows when another pup, either hers or Storm's, will awaken and want to play as well. She needs to always keep some energy on reserve. A paw curls inward against her chest as she watches him, watching the change of his body language and the questioning tilt of his head. "Hm?" she says, ears lifting and her own head tilting to the side a bit. "What's wrong, buddy?" asked as she crawls nearer to him, glancing back to Shikoba and Moonbird to make sure they're alright. To Echo, she smiles a little. "Are you alright? Come here," she urges gently. Well .. she isn't reading him too well yet, but she's aware enough to note the change in his body tone. Baby steps in communication, right?
When Miakoda inches closer, Echo leans out a little, lowering his head and sticking out his muzzle to touch their noses when she's close enough. He can feel the tonal shift in her voice far before he'll understand her words, though when she beckons he does a wobbly stand and totters the few steps closer. Echo, feeling something different, cuddles against his mother's chest fluff and settles himself into a little ball, nuzzling and gnawing gently at her as a sign of his affection. He shakes his head at one point, snuffles out when Mia's fur tickles his nose, then smiles up at her to let her know that everything's fine; he just got a little confused, that's all! <3 Tired, since playing is all hard work and no fun at all, Echo tucks his face in the crook of Miakoda's foreleg and settles himself for another nap.
All is well, Miakoda can sense that well enough, but that doesn't stop her from checking Echo over for an accidental minor injury that may have come from their little bout of play. But, finding nothing amiss and feeling him settle against her, the new mother also relaxes and adopts back her content smile as she snuggles the young boy close while receiving his affection. Aww. She should've done this Mom thing sooner! With everything back at ease and her own worries for the boy tucked back to the rear of her mind, Miakoda lays her head down near his body and closes her eyes. "Good idea. Rest up, little Echo. Soon enough, everyone else is going to wake up, and you'll need all of your energy to play with your family." She smiles to herself and tilts her head enough so that her muzzle is touching his white fur. With his scent in her nose, she too takes the opportunity for a well-earned nap.
Characters: Miakoda and Echo
Summary: Echo and Mia get to spend a bit quality time together and test the bridge of communication.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Spring. The weather is warmer. The last remnants of snow is making its retreat, making room for the lush green grass that's already filled meadows beyond and the forest floor. Flowers have awakened, trees are showing off their new green, and animals everywhere have woken up to greet the new season with new families. ... Except for Miakoda. Miakoda is asleep. And why is the beta wolf of the flourishing pack snoozing away this fine spring day? Because she has three kids who are energetic and /tiresome/. Even the what seemed to be relaxing task of feeding the pups has grown to be a thing that's not wholly leisure time anymore, for as the pups have grown from day old squirmy things to stronger and more developed weeks-old creatures, they've learned to push and complain and nudge and tousle for their feeding spots. Sigh! But despite this, as Miakoda lays where she is, settled on her side with closed eyes, she looks very content.
The den has been relatively quiet recently, with most of the pups asleep at their mother's sides. Nestled between his sister and brother, the white pup was content to snuggle away the rest of the morning, were it not that fate was cruel and woke him from his silent dreams and brought him into the waking world. Lazily, the white boy lifted his head and dropped his tiny muzzle open in a yawn, blinking groggily at the midday light that filtered to the back of the den from the opening. It was warm and comfortable where he was, the prime spot in the middle and next to his mother's stomach. Still half-asleep, Echo squirmed a little so that he could suckle easily, and did so for a few moments in a content silence. Jostling, at this point, was really not something he had to do, and, pleased, the pup rests his head along Miakoda's stomach. Burp.
Something is moving, which is her cue to wake up. Sensitive to even the slightest movement near her stomach, Miakoda's ear slightly twitches and her eyes barely part. It's early...and blissfully quiet. With eight cubs, seven of which that make noise, the den is hardly a serene place to be most times. She blinks groggily before yawning a wide yawn. Five more minutes.. As she licks at her muzzle, her head lifts a little and she peers towards her belly to see who's awake. A soft smile blossoms instantly as she spies her pale little burping son, and her ears lift afterwards. "That's gross," she coos affectionately. "Say "Excuse me"," prompted with little expectation that he'll say much of anything. The kid hasn't even whimpered since birth.
The pup had closed his eyes again, full belly and a warm bed tempted to lull him back into sleep, but Miakoda's initial movement and then her voice floating across his mind caused him to blink himself awake. His little ears twisted to the side, his head following, a little off balance still, as balance wasn't quite something any of them had mastered yet. Then, click! Momma! Echo's tail begins to tap against Moonbird, thudthudthudthud, and his still slightly milk covered muzzle drops open in silent greeting, his tongue panting out one side. It takes him a few moments to pry his over-large paws free and Echo, none too gracefully, clambers over Shikoba and ends up flopping onto his side. Hrk! The white pup, stunned, blinks a few moments before thrusting his hindquarters into the air and shuffle-walks in Miakoda's general direction.
The poor pups abuse one another so much. Good thing they're resilient little things! Miakoda can't help but giggle as Echo scales over Shikoba's sleepy self, and she's careful to roll herself onto her stomach without squishing any of her children. Her ears remain lifted as she watches Echo's wobbly progress, and her tail thumps lightly against the ground in encouragement. "That's my big boy," complimented as the boy fails to erupt into tears after his little tumble, and she all but purrs as he heads her way. She leans forward to nose and nuzzle him when he's close enough and washes her tongue over his milky face. "Quiet little Echo. Come to keep me company, hm?" But apparently, he'll need to be a clean pup first, and Mia wastes no time in licking him all over. No pup of hers is going to be dirty for too long!
His mother's tail wag is met with an energetic one of his own, though soon enough he's a little tired at having wobbled over all that way! At his name, Echo perks a little and his muzzle beams a smile, content to flop himself down where Miakoda can reach (or not, should she choose to move him), and sits through his midday bath like a trooper. Eventually, though, he gets a little tired of it and rolls to his back, tummy exposed, and bats up at Mia's face and nose with his paws, maw agape in a play smile as he wriggles around.
Slurp slurp! Gotta get behind those ears... If Mia doesn't make a good mother, there's no doubt that she'll make an expert bather. And poor Echo, with his coloring, will likely be the most washed pup in the forest. If he ever finds his voice, he'll have to thank his father for that! She snickers as the little guy seems to get fed up with bath time though, and she and tilts her head while watching him roll. "Heyyyyy.." she says as she's bapped at. His grin is infectious, and she laughs down at him in response. "You can't do that to me. I'm your /Moooommmyyyy/" she over enunciates, exaggerating the motions of her mouth as she says it. She'll be damned if her kids' first words are Daddy! She puffs out her cheeks, crosses her eyes, then lowers down her head to blow and lightly nip at his belly in a ticklish way. PFFFT!
It seems that the boy is a little too busy playing to really pay attention to mother's words, though, his pricked ears might tell otherwise. He's listening, and whether he knows it or not, he's learning quite a bit from Miakoda right now. When he's tickled, though, Echo's squirming intensifies and he curls up into a little ball, well, as much as he can with his mother's muzzle in the way, and continues to bat and wriggle in an attempt to free himself. The child doesn't seem to notice that, even with his maw open, he doesn't laugh out loud like his siblings do, though it's possible to hear his wispy breathing and to see the laughter in his face and behind his eyes. At one point, Echo wriggles enough to gnaw with puppy teeth at Mia's muzzle, hugging her nose on either side with his floppy paws.
Miakoda giggles in the middle of her blowing, feeling him wiggle, yet not hearing the laughter she's come to expect from her two other pups. She'd have to be a very unobservant mother to not notice Echo's ... oddity. What pup makes no sound? Not a whimper, cry, or giggle in his however many weeks of life. Though that doesn't seem to be enough reason for Miakoda to shun her son, and she seems confident that, even though he's unnaturally quiet, he'll be talking right along with the rest of them when they do! But even so, she can't help but pause a moment with squinted eyes and a slowly fading smile, expectantly waiting for the laughter that has yet to come. But, as she's grabbed and attacked, her grin returns full strength, and she takes in a deep breath and snorts it out at him as she holds his nose.
And the boy does make a noise, but it's more an exhale of breath than any kind of spoken sound, but continues to play regardless. Eventually, though, Echo slows down a little and rolls to his side, panting slightly at the exertion of his playing, though by no means is he upset. In fact, his eyes are bright and his face is full of warmth, a good sign for any creature. At one point, the pup glances up at his mother and sees the subtle shift in her mood, and pauses. He doesn't know what it means but he pushes himself up to sit on his hindquarters, turning his crystal eyes to his mother. Echo tilts his head just slightly and blinks, expecting an answer to his question, though as his ears gently splay back against his skull he doesn't know if he'll get one. Being a pup is so confusing!
Miakoda slightly grins as he rolls away, and she doesn't pursue the play. The poor guy needs a little rest .. and who knows when another pup, either hers or Storm's, will awaken and want to play as well. She needs to always keep some energy on reserve. A paw curls inward against her chest as she watches him, watching the change of his body language and the questioning tilt of his head. "Hm?" she says, ears lifting and her own head tilting to the side a bit. "What's wrong, buddy?" asked as she crawls nearer to him, glancing back to Shikoba and Moonbird to make sure they're alright. To Echo, she smiles a little. "Are you alright? Come here," she urges gently. Well .. she isn't reading him too well yet, but she's aware enough to note the change in his body tone. Baby steps in communication, right?
When Miakoda inches closer, Echo leans out a little, lowering his head and sticking out his muzzle to touch their noses when she's close enough. He can feel the tonal shift in her voice far before he'll understand her words, though when she beckons he does a wobbly stand and totters the few steps closer. Echo, feeling something different, cuddles against his mother's chest fluff and settles himself into a little ball, nuzzling and gnawing gently at her as a sign of his affection. He shakes his head at one point, snuffles out when Mia's fur tickles his nose, then smiles up at her to let her know that everything's fine; he just got a little confused, that's all! <3 Tired, since playing is all hard work and no fun at all, Echo tucks his face in the crook of Miakoda's foreleg and settles himself for another nap.
All is well, Miakoda can sense that well enough, but that doesn't stop her from checking Echo over for an accidental minor injury that may have come from their little bout of play. But, finding nothing amiss and feeling him settle against her, the new mother also relaxes and adopts back her content smile as she snuggles the young boy close while receiving his affection. Aww. She should've done this Mom thing sooner! With everything back at ease and her own worries for the boy tucked back to the rear of her mind, Miakoda lays her head down near his body and closes her eyes. "Good idea. Rest up, little Echo. Soon enough, everyone else is going to wake up, and you'll need all of your energy to play with your family." She smiles to herself and tilts her head enough so that her muzzle is touching his white fur. With his scent in her nose, she too takes the opportunity for a well-earned nap.