Stone Circle i love chew

tags for reference info; all welcome! maybe @Adeline , or someone else he hasn't met yet?

Nikai had quickly come to see @Steady and @Valette as his and @Keoni 's parents. He had been so little when his mother died that she was quickly becoming a blur of the past to him. It was only since recently he had become more aware of everything around him, of the wolves, adults, pups. There were many questions in his mind, but that Valette and Steady were his parents was not a question, just as Keoni being his sister. Althaia and Witchhazel were things that were almost like a bedtime story; once told, once experienced, but now they were gone and Nikai sometimes wondered if they'd ever been real to start with. He didn't often ask about them either. Sometimes when he thought about them he felt sad and missed them, but once Keoni or one of his parents would be there, he would easily forget again.

His eyes had started to turn green now, too, and Nikai more and more became a small version of his future self in terms of appearance.

Today, the boy was lounging in the snow outside of the den with a stick he had found nearby. Ears were splayed in concentration as Nikai battled the fierce stick, holding it wrapped between his front paws in front of him while he chewed at the edge, mouth agape while teeth scratched the bark off the stick.

Adeline hadn't slept in a den, namely her Dad's den, since the new pups and Valette had moved in. While the den was big, it was still cramped, and Adeline was still growing. It just didn't seem feasible for her to continue sleeping there. At one point, she might have asked @Grayday to stay in his den, but with his cranky girlfriend living here now, and their offspring just born, that wasn't an option, either. She could have asked Philos, but he didn't seem to be around much anymore. 

So, she spent most of her nights in random places trying to stay warm. As she approached Steady and Valette's den, Nikai's pelt stood out among the snow, and she paused. Some might have been jealous of the new pups, because, were it not for them, her life would not have changed so much. She would still be sleeping in her Dad's den, instead of them. But, not Adeline. She was rather fond of the tiny wolves, and it would just be too hard for her to hate them for something that wasn't their fault. 

With a wagging tail, she chuffed to the boy in greeting. Whatcha got there? she asked, seeing that he was playing with a stick. She plopped down in front of him, her winter coat protecting her from the coldness of the snow.

i assumed they had met before behind-the-scenes, but if that's not the case, please let me know so i can edit this post. :)

Nikai was disturbed in his play with the stick by a familiar voice. He turned to look at Adeline and his tail wagged excitedly as she approached. "Addle," he cooed and the stick was forgotten for a moment as he got up to lick Adeline's chin.

Only then did he remember the stick, and he looked back at it. "Is stick!" he chirped excitedly and Nikai trotted back towards the stick, picking it up and holding it up between his teeth to show to Adeline proudly.

That's fine! I assume they would have at least seen each other in passing

The young pup was excited to see her, and didn't seem to mind her interrupting his play. He licked her chin, and in turn, she ran her tongue along the top of his head. While they hadn't spent a great deal of time together, Adeline was rather fond of both Nikai and Keoni. 

Nikai remembered his stick, and ran back to it, showing it off to Adeline rather cutely. She smiled. That's cool! Looks like you really conquered it! she commented. She walked to him then, going down to her stomach to be on his level. I bet you'll be grabbing little mice before you know it! Or had he already? She wasn't really sure. 

Nikai wasn't sure what conquering meant, but he proudly strutted around to show his stick nevertheless. He had found it, and peed on it, and then chewed the bark off it, so it was his stick! After walking back and forth with the stick lifted high into the sky, he dropped it and nosed it towards Adeline. "Addle try!" he suggested, tail wagging.

As Adeline told him he would catch mice, Nikai tried to think of what those were. He didn't remember and so he asked, head tilted in inquiry, "What is mice?"

Nikai was happily prancing around with his stick, obviously proud that he had it, and wanted to show it off. Adeline smiled as he nosed it towards her, oblivious to the fact that the pup had claimed the object by urinating on it. That was, until she picked it up. But, Adeline wasn't afraid of germs. She tossed the stick in the air, and danced in place until the stick hit the ground. Then, she sprung towards it, trapping it in her jaws. She pranced, much as Nikai had, and then set it down in front of him.

He asked what mice were, and Adeline thought a moment, trying to decide the best way to describe them. They are tiny little creature, about the size of your paw, with fur and a tail. They're super quick and live in holes in the ground. She supposed there wasn't much to them, aside from the fact it took a lot of patience to catch one.

As Adeline made to play with the stick, Nikai's tail wagged excitedly, happy that she was taking him up on the offer. It was so much more fun to play together than all alone!

Nikai gasped as Adeline explained about mice. "Size of your paw?!" he repeated, clearly flabbergasted. He tried to think whether he'd seen one once, but he only remembered bigger animals such as rabbits. He remembered the rabbits, but mice were a new thing. Excited now, Nikai looked at Adeline and asked for confirmation: "I gonna to be catch mice soon?"