Blacktail Deer Plateau growing like a weed
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Ooc — aerinne
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#1
At two and a half weeks old, Tytonidae was growing like a weed. In fact, she could hardly keep up with the changes. One minute, she was in a sea of darkness and silence. Then she was seeing light, and this morning she awoke to find that she was beginning to sense something all together different. When her parents opened their mouths, instead of just muffled nothingness coming from them, she could make out syllables. She did not know they were called this, of course, but she knew the distinction was clear. Ty was amazed and flabbergasted by it all, and yet she remained sane somehow, taking it all in with her tiny brain.

Ty was also finding strength in her legs. Slowly but surely, she was beginning to learn that she could stick them underneath to propel herself in the den faster. Ty still fell (a lot), but her grace would come later. For now, she was happy to be able to crash into her siblings at higher speeds and move about without dragging her belly on the ground all the time. With this particular development, Ty had begun escaping the den as often as possible where she could see things more clearly. Today was no different, and the charcoal girl stumbled out of the den and into the bright afternoon light.
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Ooc — Kat
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#2
In the coming weeks, as the four pups each discovered the allure of the outdoors, Peregrine would look back on the days of their squirmy infancy with extreme wistfulness. He would soon be spending his time at home keeping tabs on them and thwarting escapes. There would be little time for anything else; between the four of them, it would become a full-time job. At least there was Hawkeye and Kisu to keep an eye on everyone too.

All three adults were currently in the vicinity, so the Alpha male didn't worry too much when Tytonidae stumbled toward the den's mouth. Instead, he stood and followed her outside. "Don't take advantage of my generosity, dust bunny," he warned her affectionately, taking a seat nearby. He watched her, wondering what his slightly paler daughter would be like when she grew up and trying to guess what trades she might pursue when she came of age. Perhaps her behavior today would give him some clues.
<strong>here is a strange and bitter crop</strong>
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Ooc — Karmencita
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#3
I'm just popping in and out of puppy threads, since they're probably all together. :D Feel free to ignore me in the posting order if the thread pulls ahead!

Pura was engaged in a wrestling match with the now much livelier Saēna. It thrilled him that the smallest lump in the group (and the one he felt the greatest affinity towards) was able to engage fully with him now, batting at him with tiny paws as they fought. Eventually, Pura's sister tired of his antics, and wobbled back to Hawkeye for attention. Undeterred, her brother looked about for any other signs of movement, and caught sight of something small leaving the den. He followed her at an unsteady gallop, stumbling several times before finally catching up the larger pup.

"Fffff, ffff," he breathed (presumably with affection) when the two were level, gnashing at the air near her ear. What adventure were you going on without me?!
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#4
Ty hadn't taken more than a few steps out of the den before she sensed movement behind her. Her father exited their humble abode, and she gave him a happy grin, flattened her ears, and wagged her tail with delight. To Pura, who had run up behind her and was apparently pleased with her enthusiasm, she gave him a tug on the ear with her tiny jaws and then toddled off toward a leaf that lay on the ground. Picking it up gently, she pranced toward her cousin-brother, showing him the leaf before sloppily bounding away with it.

Stopping to shake the leaf from side to side (like some kind of poor dead animal), she looked back to see where Pura was. Idly, she wondered if the other ones her size would come out to play, too. It was strange now that they were able to be in different places. She didn't always have Osprey by her side, nor her two cousins.
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Pura suddenly emerged from the cave like an awkward, misshapen, discolored bat... Peregrine began to laugh at his horrible metaphor, watching as the young boy caught up to his sister-cousin. The two took turns tugging on one another's ears before the larger pup, Ty, trundled toward a leaf, picked it up and began shaking it. Maybe, like Osprey Jr., Tytonidae would show a predisposition toward hunting. Or perhaps the Alpha male was reading too much into typical puppy behaviors...

He cocked his head, watching Pura for a reaction to the new plaything. He wondered if they'd fight over it, perhaps even engage in some good ole tug-o'-war. The leaf would shred to bits in seconds. Smiling at the thought, he settled in to watch the action unfold.
<strong>here is a strange and bitter crop</strong>
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#6
Something interesting was going on in the vicinity of Ty's face, but Pura couldn't make out the detail. There was a flash of green, but the bigger girl swanned off before he could get a good look at what was going on. "Muh!" he complained, bounding after her on stocky little legs. He approached from behind, launching at Ty's left cheek when he saw a flash of colour there, jaws flapping wildly for purchase on the leaf that she still held.
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#7
Uh, I think Ty is going to grow up to be a complete snot, haha.

Ty's ears moved like radars when Pura protested her movement. Unfortunately, her little baby body was still pretty useless when it came to quick movements, so her cousin-brother easily snatched the leaf away from her. Shocked and appalled by this recent development, Ty crashed to the ground dramatically and began whining and howling. If Peregrine had yet to see a tantrum, now was his chance!

The charcoal girl rolled around on her back, eyes closed and wailing as loud as her lungs would allow. As far as she was concerned, this would not cease until her leaf was returned to her. Life was so, totally, unfair.
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Demonstrating a surprising amount of dexterity, Pura expertly snatched the leaf from his cousling's mouth, leaving a bewildered Ty to throw a monstrous tantrum on the ground. He'd definitely been witness to one a few times by this point. Eventually, he would rebuke his children for these dramatic displays. For now, they were still young enough to get away with them, per se, though Peregrine rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.

Grabbing an identical leaf, he trotted over to her and looked down at Ty. "Lookie what I got," he muttered around it, bending down to tickle her nose with it. He was certain she would be too young to realize it wasn't the very same leaf, even as Pura paraded around with the other one still clenched in his teeth. Pups this young weren't smart enough to connect the dots... right?
<strong>here is a strange and bitter crop</strong>
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#9
By some amazing stroke of luck, Pura managed to snatch the prize right out of Tytonidae's mouth. So shocked was the pup by his success at first that his brain threw an exception, and it was all he could do to stand and stare dumbly - and cross-eyed - at the leaf in his own mouth.

His cousin did not take this well. She flung herself to the ground, flapping her legs and screaming bloody murder. Pura looked between Peregrine and his daughter for two nervous seconds, unsure what the protocol was here - the pups were never punished, but he had been told off once or twice for nearly strangling Saēna.

But his uncle did not growl, and Pura proceeded to celebrate his rare victory by romping around the den-site, bucking and stumbling like a wild horse - probably making things worse for the long-suffering father, but too young and selfish to know better.
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#10
Tytonidae was quickly approached by her father, although she paid him no mind until he stuck the leaf right in her face. Her tantrum stopped suddenly, tail wagging and eyes wide with delight. “Eeee!” she exclaimed, snatching the leaf from her father and dashing away, stopping after a few paces to wriggle her bum in an invitation for him to chase her and dare to take her precious treasure away from her.

Before Perry had time to react, though, Ty caught a glimpse of her cousin-brother galloping around with her leaf. Because she had yet to discover object permanence (a term Remedy learned yesterday when playing with a 1-year old child, hah), she didn't realize that she still had her own leaf in her mouth. Spitting out the leaf she had been carrying (which was honestly just as good), she leapt after Pura with every intention of snatching "her" leaf away from him.
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#11
The leaf worked like a charm, at least for a moment. Tytonidae eventually cottoned on to the fact that Pura was parading around with the original leaf... or perhaps she simply didn't want Pura to have any leaves at all, no matter how many she had. You're probably right on the money, he thought to himself.

Sighing and rolling his eyes even while chortling under his breath at the silliness of his children, Peregrine watched his daughter dart after her cousling. He did admire her form and enjoyed daydreaming about the day when he fashioned his daughters into an unbeatable hunting duo so effective they were a force of nature...
<strong>here is a strange and bitter crop</strong>
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#12
Shit. Peregrine did his best to distract Tytonidae with a new leaf, but she was no fool. The drool-covered, punctured leaf in his mouth was the leaf, even though it was soggy and limp with abuse, and it wasn't long before Pura was targeted for revenge.

"WAAAOOOOO," he screamed through clenched teeth, scrambling in the opposite direction as fast as his little legs would carry him. Ty was still bigger, and he would be in trouble if she pinned him down.
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#13
Ty's young legs failed her this time, and she came crashing chin-first into the dirt. The leaf was now forgotten, replaced with other wailings as she threw another tantrum because she had fallen down. She rolled onto her back, yowling like she had just been through some kind of severe trauma that only she could understand. If anything, Tytonidae was a drama queen.
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#14
By Ty's second fit, Peregrine's patience was thinning, though he continually reminded himself that she was very much a baby. Therefore, she had little control over her emotions and their manifestations (particularly crying). In the same vein, it should be pretty easy to mollify or distract her.

Then it occurred to him that she might just be hangry. "Do you need something to eat, fussbudget?" he teased. He stood over her, then rolled her over with one flick of his swarthy muzzle and hoisted her by her scruff. He walked toward the den, where Hawkeye rested, hoping that a bellyful of milk might settle her.

Meanwhile, this left Pura not only free to play with the leaf but also to run amok, though only for a minute...
<strong>here is a strange and bitter crop</strong>
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#15
And that was the end of that particular game. Pura stopped when it became apparent that he wasn't being followed, craning his neck around to see what the commotion was about. The leaf was two chews shy of mush by now, and the little boy's mouth was brightly painted with green froth and slime. Ty clearly did not believe herself capable of matching the smaller pup's speed (which was by no means impressive), and reacted to that false realization in her usual way.

The smallest of frowns crinkled Pura's brow. The others - the girls, though he did not yet possess the vocabulary to make this binary distinctions - were like darkness. Hugely interesting, possibly even fun, but just as frightening. At least they were becoming slightly predictable; Ty squealed, Saēna seethed, and Junior always wanted to win.

Confused and tired by his cousin's incessant wailing, Pura lumbered back towards the den with his tail waving softly against the dirt. When he reached Peregrine's rear paw, he bent his head and spluttered shredded mess, formerly leaf, onto the ground and stared expectantly up at his uncle.
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#16
Hoisted by her father to the source of food, Ty soon settle down. What Perry didn't know was that he was reinforcing her tantrums. By throwing a fit, Ty had gotten something good out of it in the end, and she subtly picked up on this. As she latched onto her mother's milk pocket (lulz), Ty found herself drowsy and worn out from all the excitement.

The girl dozed off, unable to stay awake for more than five minutes before she was fast asleep, tongue lolling out of her mouth and snoring up a storm.
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#17
He delivered Tytonidae to her mother's side, where she immediately latched on and began to suckle. He knew sleep would soon follow and, leaving her in her mother's care, he turned to check on Pura. He was just in time to see the small boy yack shredded greenery right near his foot. Chortling, he swung around and ducked his head toward the freckled puppy.

"I'm supposed to be the one upchucking for you," he scolded playfully, "and not for a while yet." He waved his tail. "C'mon, let's wash that sheisty, leafy taste out of your mouth with some warm, tasty milk." He nuzzled the pup's head, then gently lifted Pura and placed him beside Ty.

Nothing had gone terribly awry on one of the pups' first adventures outdoors, though they had tired him out pretty quickly. Sighing a tired but happy sigh, Peregrine perched in the doorway, his eyes fastened on the little ones as they ate until his eyelids slowly drifted closed.