AW, will make an RO if no one joins in a few days
He tumbled through the territory, alone- more wary of the borders than he once was. An odd smell caught his attention, and he hesitantly followed it, curious- noise and strong scents came from somewhere yards away. Cae peeked out from behind a tree, eyes that swirled with sapphire and ruby staring at the den in which he could not make out anything but darkness. But from it came mewls, whines, hiccups. He was curious, and continued to stare, though vision was not bringing him any new information.
They had new pups. He had not met the mother but assumed that they were Mal's. Lucky him, to have pups so young. When Yao returned home he supposed that would be his next duty — to sire pups of his own. Such things could wait. He barely felt like an adult, let alone a father.
He can still care for pups, even if they were not his own or related to him. He brings a hare to the whelping den, its legs swinging against his face as he trots towards the milky and still-bloody scent. He isn't alone in visiting the newborns, but the other visitor is a lot younger than he expected. He places his tribute near the opening of the den, huffing softly to whoever was within, then turns to the little one tottering outside. Hallo,
he smiles at the child. It was an odd-looking child, with his red eyes and the strange shapes on its body, but it was a child of his pack, no matter how weird it seemed to Yao.
Suddenly a tall man mottled in browns passes, something tasty-smelling swinging from his mouth. Caerus' nose sniffed at the air hungrily, not unlike a rabbit himself. mm,
he hummed to himself, mouth watering as he licked his lips. The man placed it past him, near the place where the noise and strange scents came from. Caerus quirked a brow as the man greeted him. hallo,
He imitated awkwardly, leaning his head to peer past the man's legs at the meat that sat on the ground. w...why you don' ead id?
He wondered, already beginning to trot closer to the carcass without awaiting the answer.
It is not for me,
he began to say, only to see the brown-and-cream pup toddling towards the hare. Or for you!
He said, scooping the child away from the carcass. It's for the mama and the watoto.
He was drawn back from the tantalizing meat as the man began to speak. Caerus couldn't exactly understand the concept of not being a selfish brat at this age, and so the concept of saving meat for someone else when it was laying in plain sight seemed strange. And- this man introduced a word he didn't know. Not so odd, as he was a child, and seemed to learn new words daily- but like any curious toddler, he had another question to replace the last. wuh-toto?
He repeated. wuz dat??
He smiled at the child, for all his odd appearances, he was a child. Small ones, child, baby.
He nudged the child with his paw. Like you,
He said, smirking. What's your name?
He asked, though what he really wanted to know was who was his parents.
BABY??!?
He exclaimed with surprise and wonder, tail beginning to wag. den... i'm gonna hab fwens now?
He realized with delight, eyes widening like glowing saucers. When Haoniyao nudged him, the wide gaze of wonder only turned towards the man as a grin grew on his little face. As for the name, i'm caewus,
He introduced proudly while tail continued to wag, before returning to Haoniyao, wuz youw name?
He chuckled at the child's exclamation. Children were always a delight for him — he wanted some of his own one day but that was a discussion for further down the road — so he reveled in the innocent happiness that the boy exclaimed. In time — they're still very small.
Baby talk between languages was hard. In his own tongue, a child might have said their own name differently — Yao had no idea that an r was to replace the w that the boy intoned. Caewoos,
Yao tried to say. My name is Haoniyao,
he said his name slowly, hoping that the Caewus was able to repeat it.
hmph,
Caerus huffed in response to learning he would have to wait. dey should jus' be like me, n' gow up aready.
Quite a comical statement considering the pitch of his voice, the baby snot which he sucked back up into his nose every so often. But he was completely serious.
And now his name was being mispronounced! not caewus! CAE-WUS!!!
The boy tried again, working extra hard to achieve the R sound he wanted. He failed. Why, he ought to pronounce this guy's name weird for revenge... but he knew better than that, and so he sounded out, hao-nee-yao,
enjoying the way the word felt on his tongue. i like yo' name,
He admittedly bashfully, gaze falling to the ground when he delivered the compliment.
It took you a while to get this big,
he smiled. It won't be long for them.
Long in the scope of a child's mind, perhaps.
Caewus,
Yao corrected himself. He hesitated. Children weren't allowed to speak out to elders like this, not where he came from. It felt wrong for him to chide the child, the consequences of doing so (especially since he did not know the child's parentage). I like your name too,
he said. Though unfamiliar to him, it was nice to say.
What are your parents' names?
he asks, genuinely curious.
It took a while for him to get this big, but it wouldn't be long for them? What? Why did they get to grow up faster? His bottom lip puffed out in irritation, brows furrowing slightly. Haoniyao continued to mess up Caerus' name, but the boy huffed, jus' call me cae,
He suggested with a shake of his head. He liked his name though, and Caerus grinned, tail wagging now. um... da' and- waid, no- cupid and mal,
He corrected, my dads.
He chirped.
Cae, samahani
It was obvious that he was saying something wrong. He was surprised to hear that Mal was the child — Cae's — father. Yao looked him over again, trying to find the resemblance, only to stop suddenly. Dads?
he repeated, immediately confused. He had not heard of such a thing before. Even a widower would find a woman to nurse his orphaned offspring, but two men? Then who nurses you?
He corrected it to Cae, and the boy smiled slightly now, satisfied. But once again these uncomfortable questions came- it seemed adults were often confused by his parents, but it was so normal to Caerus that he wasn't sure how to explain. um, my da' does id.
He offered awkwardly with a shrug.