It was before dawn when Blossom stirred from slumber.
The world was quiet, as it had always been, but sound had begun to trickle in, very very faintly, as her little body developed and grew. Surrounded by warmth, the cold moments from when she was first born were quickly forgotten. She knew the smell of spring, the feeling of warm wind on her fur, the crisp newness of growing plants. These were all things she understood as well as any growing creature.
Blossom had no need for sight or sound to understand. The world was calm, quiet, and most of all kind. It wasn’t here for her to be harmed. Something in her reassured of that, quietly and yet persistently.
She lay quiet and relaxed in the dark as dawn crept closer, but a mote of dust was what tickled her nostrils. Her nose wrinkled, and the child released a faint sneeze, opening her eyes to examine what had touched her. And..oh.
She could see!
Blossom turned her body, blinking away as much of the fuzziness of new sight as she could, quietly awed even in the dark. Then, as she lay there, the first creeping tendrils of dawn light touched the walls of the den. And Blossom watched as they crept further and further towards her. She was not afraid, not of this. She turned her little body with several paddling kicks, just in time to catch color. Streaking the clouds, tugging the eye down to where the sun rose.
Quiet, now awestruck, Blossom watched the sun rise with her new eyes.
The world was quiet, as it had always been, but sound had begun to trickle in, very very faintly, as her little body developed and grew. Surrounded by warmth, the cold moments from when she was first born were quickly forgotten. She knew the smell of spring, the feeling of warm wind on her fur, the crisp newness of growing plants. These were all things she understood as well as any growing creature.
Blossom had no need for sight or sound to understand. The world was calm, quiet, and most of all kind. It wasn’t here for her to be harmed. Something in her reassured of that, quietly and yet persistently.
She lay quiet and relaxed in the dark as dawn crept closer, but a mote of dust was what tickled her nostrils. Her nose wrinkled, and the child released a faint sneeze, opening her eyes to examine what had touched her. And..oh.
She could see!
Blossom turned her body, blinking away as much of the fuzziness of new sight as she could, quietly awed even in the dark. Then, as she lay there, the first creeping tendrils of dawn light touched the walls of the den. And Blossom watched as they crept further and further towards her. She was not afraid, not of this. She turned her little body with several paddling kicks, just in time to catch color. Streaking the clouds, tugging the eye down to where the sun rose.
Quiet, now awestruck, Blossom watched the sun rise with her new eyes.
April 13, 2023, 12:22 PM
Reverie woke alone — no, not alone.
She had Blossom, always. @Moss had never returned as Arric had promised, and her new distance was a slow-burning sort of hurt. Reverie wasn't sure she could handle losing her too, but what other choice did she have? So when she blinked awake into warm morning light and the quiet company of her daughter, Reverie tried to feel only acceptance for this reality. She tried not to feel any of the grief.
Then she looked to the tiny bundle of gold at her side and saw that something had changed. Blossom's head was slightly lifted from the ground, blonde and bobbing just slightly in the unsteady way of young puppies. And her eyes were open. Her eyes! Were open! Brilliant blue eyes, Reverie saw with a delighted giggle, though she knew they would not stay that color.
For now Reverie only reached for one of the flowers she'd picked for her, and set it beside her daughter gently to see what she might make of it. A blossom for Blossom.
She had Blossom, always. @Moss had never returned as Arric had promised, and her new distance was a slow-burning sort of hurt. Reverie wasn't sure she could handle losing her too, but what other choice did she have? So when she blinked awake into warm morning light and the quiet company of her daughter, Reverie tried to feel only acceptance for this reality. She tried not to feel any of the grief.
Then she looked to the tiny bundle of gold at her side and saw that something had changed. Blossom's head was slightly lifted from the ground, blonde and bobbing just slightly in the unsteady way of young puppies. And her eyes were open. Her eyes! Were open! Brilliant blue eyes, Reverie saw with a delighted giggle, though she knew they would not stay that color.
Oh!She breathed, tail thumping the den floor as she watched her daughter who was so intently watching the rising sun. Reverie tried not to react too much, though; she didn't want to startle her! Her thoughts raced nonetheless. Oh, there were so many things she wanted to show her —
For now Reverie only reached for one of the flowers she'd picked for her, and set it beside her daughter gently to see what she might make of it. A blossom for Blossom.
April 13, 2023, 12:33 PM
Something floated into her unsteady vision, keeping to the corners as to not block her view of the rising sun. Blossom unsteadily bobbed her head to look at it, blinking a few times to try and catch the vision she could just barely make out.
The longer she stared, the more she could pick up. Color was an exciting rush, a new sensation she was realizing wasn’t just a momentary view of the distant star. It was something right in front of her!
The new color was a pretty object, a new spring flower, though Blossom did not know this name yet. In her head, she simply dubbed it “color”. Instinct said it was such, though she had no name for the color yet. She would, eventually, but for now, it was new. New was exciting! She used her front paws to drag her little body closer to the new object, one heavy handed drag by one drag, before she was right in front of it. Closer, she could see the color better, and her still developing eyes took a backseat to her nose. She knew this fragrance, but had never gotten so close to it. Blossom stuck her nose closer, ending up half buried in the flower and with a nose full of pollen as a result. She let out the largest sneeze she had ever sneezed, the force of it carrying the flower away from her, and her onto her back. Like a flipped beetle, she sat there for a moment, her legs paddling, confusion on her little face.
Her eyes caught the distant, cloudy motion of something else. Another color! Blossom looked up at the distant thing, and began to giggle.
This one looked like the sun! She waved a little paw at her mother’s face, giggling all the while.
The longer she stared, the more she could pick up. Color was an exciting rush, a new sensation she was realizing wasn’t just a momentary view of the distant star. It was something right in front of her!
The new color was a pretty object, a new spring flower, though Blossom did not know this name yet. In her head, she simply dubbed it “color”. Instinct said it was such, though she had no name for the color yet. She would, eventually, but for now, it was new. New was exciting! She used her front paws to drag her little body closer to the new object, one heavy handed drag by one drag, before she was right in front of it. Closer, she could see the color better, and her still developing eyes took a backseat to her nose. She knew this fragrance, but had never gotten so close to it. Blossom stuck her nose closer, ending up half buried in the flower and with a nose full of pollen as a result. She let out the largest sneeze she had ever sneezed, the force of it carrying the flower away from her, and her onto her back. Like a flipped beetle, she sat there for a moment, her legs paddling, confusion on her little face.
Her eyes caught the distant, cloudy motion of something else. Another color! Blossom looked up at the distant thing, and began to giggle.
This one looked like the sun! She waved a little paw at her mother’s face, giggling all the while.
April 21, 2023, 06:22 AM
She'd always known that she would love any child she had, but Reverie wasn't quite sure what to make of this feeling. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt for anyone before. Blossom had crept into her thoughts like a song constantly playing in the background. She was always aware of where her daughter was, on some level, and what state she was in — and if she didn't know, nothing would do but that she check.
And when she did things like sneeze, Reverie could not help the burst of worry that followed, even knowing that it was all okay. She reached out to nose her, but smiled a little too. Just a sneeze, she assured herself, even as some part of her that was determined to panic beyond all reason simultaneously went: ARE BABIES SUPPOSED TO SNEEZE?!
Reverie had a feeling parenthood was going to be exhausting.
But then Blossom waved at her and giggled, and Reverie giggled back, and she knew it would all be worth it. She kissed her on the forehead, then on one of her tiny paws, marveling at how small and perfect she was. And hers.
And when she did things like sneeze, Reverie could not help the burst of worry that followed, even knowing that it was all okay. She reached out to nose her, but smiled a little too. Just a sneeze, she assured herself, even as some part of her that was determined to panic beyond all reason simultaneously went: ARE BABIES SUPPOSED TO SNEEZE?!
Reverie had a feeling parenthood was going to be exhausting.
But then Blossom waved at her and giggled, and Reverie giggled back, and she knew it would all be worth it. She kissed her on the forehead, then on one of her tiny paws, marveling at how small and perfect she was. And hers.
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