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+--- Thread: Bearclaw Valley Desert Wellies (/showthread.php?tid=28250)
Desert Wellies - Nunataq - July 05, 2018
@Laurel - and the rest of the crew, who have time and space for some mischief (@Piper , @Lucas , @Marten ).
Though Nunataq employed her forepaws often (starting from the basic walking and running, to more complex prodding, tackling, pawing, thrumming and the very difficult reaching behind her ears), she discovered the act of digging only today. Either because she had watched one of the adults do it before or any of the puppies, or her brain cells simply found the right connections and - zap - gave her the bright idea of coordinating her paws, nails and the ground beneath her.
It happened so that the best earth to dig was right at the doorstep of the den she shared with the rest of the puppies and Laurel. Encouraged and excited by her quick rate and success, she dug quickly and diligently. And in a matter of 15 minutes there was a considerable hole and with a still working Nuna at the bottom. Only the last third of her butt and wagging tail was visible.
RE: Desert Wellies - Lucas - July 05, 2018
Lucas had noticed one day, while chewing on the end of a bone from some terrestrial creature or other, that the den was shrinking. What was once a spacious penthouse was now more of a chicken coop, and it was tough to find space for his giant ass around all the other occupants at night. Wyatt had it easiest—the guy was practically a stick, even though he still had that puppy flab that everyone adores on his belly—but poor Lucas felt like he was drowning in bodies when sleep time came.
As a result, he hadn't been sleeping so well in the night, and was forced to catch up on Z's after dawn when the most energetic of the pups rose and left. He wasn't often far behind them, maybe an hour at most, but he was drowsier than usual for sleeping later in the morning. It was one of those days, the kind where one's eyelids were held down by ten ton weights and the world existed in a shroud, when Nunataq decided to dig her hole.
He was still yawning and smacking his lips and trying to pry his eyes open as he vacated the den on heavily plodding paws. He wasn't quite coherent when his foot landed on thin air, but the resulting tumble woke him up faster than even the welcoming rays of sunlight could. Lucas barely managed to utter an alarmed squeak before he toppled into the hole and his fat gut smashed right into Nunataq's rear end.
As a result, he hadn't been sleeping so well in the night, and was forced to catch up on Z's after dawn when the most energetic of the pups rose and left. He wasn't often far behind them, maybe an hour at most, but he was drowsier than usual for sleeping later in the morning. It was one of those days, the kind where one's eyelids were held down by ten ton weights and the world existed in a shroud, when Nunataq decided to dig her hole.
He was still yawning and smacking his lips and trying to pry his eyes open as he vacated the den on heavily plodding paws. He wasn't quite coherent when his foot landed on thin air, but the resulting tumble woke him up faster than even the welcoming rays of sunlight could. Lucas barely managed to utter an alarmed squeak before he toppled into the hole and his fat gut smashed right into Nunataq's rear end.
RE: Desert Wellies - Nunataq - July 06, 2018
Nunataq had been so focused on task at hand, that she missed Lucas' approach entirely and sensed that something was going amiss, when it was too late. She was thrust forward roughly and a second later someone furry, fleshy and undoubtedly heavy smashed on top of her, pinning her body down at the bottom of the pit. There was one shrill and painful yelp somewhere beneath the mass that was on top of her. Some attempts of wriggling free followed, but soon the puppy, who up until now had not known term "defeat", realized that this was beyond her. Therefore she became still and waited for the situation to clear itself.
RE: Desert Wellies - Laurel - July 13, 2018
The pups were growing like crazy. Laurel was a bit worried about Nunataq because she didn't speak any proper words yet. At this point Laurel thought she never might. She hadn't cared much for Xan's other pups at first, but since Indra had accepted them as her own Laurel had become as loving an aunt as Indra was for her pups. Now that Indra had her really-Indra's-own-child Laurel had to admit it was a sore reminder that Nunataq and Marten weren't really a part of their family, and it could show in that she treated them a little more roughly. It was very clear that Lucas and @Piper were her favourites of the bunch as they were treated the most sweetly -- and listened the very best all the time, which was part of why Laurel favoured them more -- with @Wyatt falling secondly -- mostly because his appearance grew to remind her of her deadbeat father more and more each day -- and only then the other pups. Time would tell where little Merrick would fall in that equation, but it was likely he would be placed somewhere among or below her own, in a place that Nunataq and Marten could not reach.
The situation with Xan was still complicated at best after she had manoeuvred herself into the Alpha position at his side. They hadn't exactly had any good conversations since.. She contemplated they should move the pups to a rendezvous site soon, but what about Merrick, then? Well, she supposed he could join later, or they could overlap the rendezvous site with the pup den.
Laurel was lazing about in the sun that day. She'd closed her eyes for only a short time, but when she woke up because of a commotion happening and startled shrieks, a lot of things were going on at once. Laurel saw Lucas disappear partly into a hole and she quickly came into motion. She'd only closed her eyes for a little bit, how did this happen so fast? Laurel dashed over to them and tried pulling Lucas out so she could see what was going on.
RE: Desert Wellies - Lucas - July 17, 2018
Lucas' eyes popped open as he was squeezed down into the whole, with Nunataq's rump pressed into his flabby gut and his paws dangling helplessly in the space between them. He could feel her struggling under him, and made an effort to try to push himself away, but he was wedged in too tightly for his stubby limbs to be of any help. "Ow!" the pup complained when Nunataq's thinner hindquarters jabbed him in the ribs, but then she went still under him and he began to whine softly.
Luckily, Laurel came to the rescue before either of the pups could get themselves into more of a predicament. It surely took a fair amount of strength, but he was still considerably smaller than his mother, so she managed to lift him out of the hole with some helpful scrabbling of his feet on the sides. He clung to the ground when he was placed down, heart hammering, and then shuffled forward to peer over the lip of Nunataq's hole. Had he squashed her? Was she sleeping? "Nu? You 'kay?" he squeaked.
Luckily, Laurel came to the rescue before either of the pups could get themselves into more of a predicament. It surely took a fair amount of strength, but he was still considerably smaller than his mother, so she managed to lift him out of the hole with some helpful scrabbling of his feet on the sides. He clung to the ground when he was placed down, heart hammering, and then shuffled forward to peer over the lip of Nunataq's hole. Had he squashed her? Was she sleeping? "Nu? You 'kay?" he squeaked.
RE: Desert Wellies - Nunataq - July 17, 2018
Gravity pulled Lucas down with an unstoppable force and Nunataq, who was wedged between him and the ground, found it difficult to draw in breath. And with this came a feeling she had never known before - fear. Her heartbeat quickened, her breathing became rapid and shallow and the panic began to seep in every fibre of her body. Had there been more space - she would have trembled.
Suddenly there came a release - Lucas was whisked away and in the same instant Nunataq shot up and out from the hole like a rocket and once on the ground scrambled away. Once safe, she fell on the ground in a heap, panting heavily and looking straight ahead with an unseeing gaze.
RE: Desert Wellies - Laurel - July 20, 2018
Luckily she managed to pull Lucas out of the hole relatively easy. Laurel didn't realise at first that Nunataq had been underneath; not until Nunataq shot up from the hole just as Lucas went to look into the hole and ask her if she was okay. Nuna didn't look very okay. She looked positively startled. Laurel first checked over Lucas, though, and nosed him briefly while she asked: "Are you okay, sweetie? Not hurt?" After assessing that Lucas was alright, Laurel trotted on over to where Nunataq had collapsed, presumably with Lucas right there too.
"Are you hurt, Nuna?" she asked Nunataq, ears pressed forward in worry as she neared and moved to nose Nunataq over, too, to make sure she had no injuries anywhere.
RE: Desert Wellies - Lucas - July 29, 2018
The ruddy brown mess of fur at the bottom of the pit shifted and Lucas scrambled back just in time for Nunataq to launch herself out of her hole. She huddled nearby and Lucas' tail slowly sought refuge between his legs, even as he told Laurel, "'m okay!" He was bound to have a few bumps and bruises from falling unsuspecting into Nunataq's trap, but nothing serious. His half-sister, on the other hand, seemed positively spooked.
"Okay, Nu?" he asked again as he crept slowly toward her, body slung low and apologetic. He didn't know to apologize for falling on her, because he hadn't meant to do it, so no word of remorse was uttered. However, he did reach tentatively toward her with his nose, sniffing gently and hoping she wouldn't be mad.
"Okay, Nu?" he asked again as he crept slowly toward her, body slung low and apologetic. He didn't know to apologize for falling on her, because he hadn't meant to do it, so no word of remorse was uttered. However, he did reach tentatively toward her with his nose, sniffing gently and hoping she wouldn't be mad.
RE: Desert Wellies - Nunataq - July 31, 2018
It took some time for Nuna's heart to return to the regular rhythm, the same went for breathing, the fear eased it's hold on her and, when Laurel came to assess her well-being, she was able to look up at her and tap her tail for a few times. Lucas came then and at the sight of him her first instinct was to cringe away, in case he was about to fall on her again. But then her better and fearless nature won and she leaned over to put some extra slobbery licks accross his face. She knew from experience that he did not particularly like that and this was her "payback" for the mishap earlier.
With this done, she felt a lot better, got to her feet, stretched and looked expectantly at Laurel. Nuna was in the right mood for either a game or a lesson.
RE: Desert Wellies - Laurel - August 02, 2018
Relief washed over her when Lucas said that he was okay. Now she could focus on Nunataq, for Indra'd be so hurt if anything would happen to Nuna. She was a bit.. special, perhaps, with her wordlessness and getting stuck in holes. She always seemed to have these kind of things happen to her. But she was also one of Indra's foster children and so Laurel loved her, albeit a little less than her own bunch.
Laurel and Lucas approached Nunataq and she seemed to be doing a little better. The sentiment was shared in some licks given to Lucas and with that, everything seemed to be doing better. "Good," said Laurel. "Now, let's close up this hole, Nunataq. It wasn't a good idea to make a death trap in front of our den." She spoke strictly, and though she didn't know for sure if or that Nunataq had made it, she assumed confidently; after all, her smart boy Lucas would never do such a thing.
RE: Desert Wellies - Lucas - August 06, 2018
There was true worry drawn taut across his brows as he reached for Nunataq, and he thought for a second she was going to pull away from him. His little heart would have broken. Instead, she met him with the extra wet licks he both hated and loved, and he giggled softly while backing away. "Nooo," he protested, swiping an ankle over his face.
His ears wilted slightly when Laurel's voice took a turn for the stern, but mama's eyes were fixed on Nunataq rather than him, so he perked back up quickly. Although she had been addressing the black-masked pup, Lucas made his way to the hole, spun around and kicked some of the loose dirt back with his hind paws, tail bobbing as he made a sort of dance of it with a tempo and a rhythm.
His ears wilted slightly when Laurel's voice took a turn for the stern, but mama's eyes were fixed on Nunataq rather than him, so he perked back up quickly. Although she had been addressing the black-masked pup, Lucas made his way to the hole, spun around and kicked some of the loose dirt back with his hind paws, tail bobbing as he made a sort of dance of it with a tempo and a rhythm.
RE: Desert Wellies - Nunataq - August 07, 2018
Nunataq wagged her tail, acknowledging that Laurel had talked to her, but her eyes and expression were entirely clueless at, what was she supposed to do. Therefore she went towards the edge of the pit she had dug and peered curiously down, as if she could not believe herself that it had been her, who had dug it in the first place. More like - oh, how did this appear here?
If Laurel was Nuna's voice of reason, Lucas was slowly taking over in the areas of the girl's intellect that were wired differently from the rest. She watched him work for a little while, considered that the reverse of digging was kind of fun and joined him as well. And a questioning look now and then in Laurel's direction was to find out, if this was really they were supposed to do.
RE: Desert Wellies - Laurel - August 08, 2018
Lucas was first to start digging. Nunataq however looked clueless. Laurel was rather worried about nunataq's intellect considering she had so much trouble understanding such simple commands. She ended up moving towards the hole and just staring. "Now go help Lucas, Nunataq," she said, a little more drawn out that time, hoping it would help.
Nunataq eventually started to help close up the hole, though Laurel wondered if she understood what Laurel had meant.
RE: Desert Wellies - Lucas - August 11, 2018
He didn't notice the exchange between Laurel and Nunataq and how strangely it went; Lucas took for granted that every wolf could speak and hear words, just as he assumed every wolf had the ability to dance even if they didn't know how yet. Nunataq seemed to prefer not to, but he had no idea that it was because she didn't understand what was being said to her. It was just her personality as far as he could tell. He still spoke to her plenty, and was still too naive to pick up on the cues that she didn't know what he was saying.
"Yeah, tha's how!" Lucas beamed as his black-masked half-sister joined him in kicking dirt into the hole. His sunny expression swung over to Laurel then—looking for praise, no doubt—as he kicked up the tempo, subtly challenging Nunataq to race him in a dirt-kicking competition.
"Yeah, tha's how!" Lucas beamed as his black-masked half-sister joined him in kicking dirt into the hole. His sunny expression swung over to Laurel then—looking for praise, no doubt—as he kicked up the tempo, subtly challenging Nunataq to race him in a dirt-kicking competition.
RE: Desert Wellies - Nunataq - August 11, 2018
Nuna was too small to understand that she was different from her brothers and sisters. It is very likely that even as she would grow up, she would never consider that there was something wrong with her. Either because her mind was wired in an alternative way, or simply because she was a 100% "doer", who was so involved with the world around her that there was no room for contemplation of philosophical sort.
She was used to other puppies and adult babbling, something she was unable to mimic (though she sometimes tried, but the effort was too much and she soon gave up) and thought quite useless anyway, when tones, body language and demeanor could be so much more informative. And that - really - to surivive you did not need that much of talking anyway. A bark here, a growl there, an occasional "rumph" and "umph" and things were clear and simple.
And because neither she, nor her siblings could comprehend yet their differences, it was beneficial that Lucas treated her as everyone else. As if she was normal by their standards. There and then, working besides her brother, frequently casting fleeting glances to him to see, if this refilling of the hole was still they had to do, she felt something stir inside her. A realization that she liked him just a bit more than the rest, that to her he suddenly was just as a special friend as Indra was.
And the next time, when she paused and looked at him, there was a profound sincerety in her eyes and smile. Nunataq might never be just like everybody else, but she loved just the same.