Wheeling Gull Isle No one knows anything but us.

In what felt like a heartbeat, a whole day had passed.

She was not out of the woods yet, but to have lived through her first twenty-four hours without slipping away was likely beyond anyone's expectations. Weak from a too-early delivery and malnourished from whatever it was that prevented her from gaining the correct nutrients in the womb, there was still a long road with many obstacles ahead for little Luli.

Most notably, she struggled to feed. Almost as soon as she sourced a teat did one of the bigger, greedier pups shove her aside to claim it for themselves. Luli would cry out, of course, but the frail sounds that came from her were easily drowned out by those of hungry littermates.

It was the way of newborns: the strongest took from the weakest in order to survive. They were not to know any better and lacked the ability to care for the other small bodies they'd been forced to share their mother with. Each one carried on only for themselves and for tiny Luli, there was not much fight left to give.

She worried for the smallest. Luli was a little thing, and adorable- but smallness was not always good, and without a medic around, she could only do whatever she thought of to sustain the girl, to hopefully push her towards being stronger, hungrier. Her siblings were rowdy, little Haoming especially so. She wound not restrict any child from nursing- but she could feel it, when one pushed the other away. It was not their fault. They were children who knew nothing of their world, of their siblings. But she would not stand to see Luli get pushed this way and that- and so once @Xiaoqing suckled his way to sleep, she made quick work of moving him aside gently, hoping to nestle him between her front paws. Meanwhile, she nudged pale Luli forward with the end of her snout, hoping the girl would have enough room. Praying hungry Haoming, who was still drinking, would not push her aside.

If there was anything Haoming had learned in her first twenty four hours of life, it was that milk was good. The infant knew nothing of the issues her littlest sibling was going through - though they were all premature and small, it would seem that Luli simply was destined to struggle the most. 

Haoming had done a good job defending her nipple from the three other wriggling, warm bodies next to her. She might be among the smaller of her siblings, courtesy of who her father was, but she was certainly among the more tenacious. As time would go on and she learned that hey, she actually liked the other leeches she found herself next to, she'd come to learn to share with them. But for now she lived on warmth and food and that was it. 

Tiny, mottled paws pressed against her life-giver's stomach as she suckled, letting out a complaintive groan when she felt another little body pressed up against her side. But Haoming was filled with single-minded determination, and she did not push at her sibling, instead laying one foreleg over the sandy little body and sucking noisily on the nipple that she'd claimed for herself.

Single-post from me!

Where his sister faltered at the milkbar, Xiaoqing thrived; oftentimes he miraculously avoided knocking his siblings around, taking comfort in the one teat he deemed his favourite. He nursed until he had his fill, lulling himself into a deep sleep—during which he continued to nurse, the action second nature. But today the boy would not continue to cling on even through the depths of his slumber, as he was gently moved away from his place. There were minor protests that escaped him in the form of confused squeals, unable to understand where he was or what was happening. He wriggled and squirmed, seeking out the milk source—and instead, he found the plush fur of his mother’s breast, against which he nuzzled up and, as swiftly as he awoke, fell back to sleep.

Movement of the others close to her, and the tiny seadragon felt fear creep into the cavity of her chest. Their wriggling and shoving meant her suffering. She parted her jaws to mewl softly in search of attention, which did not come in the way she hoped. Instead of mother's delicate little peppered kisses or the careful workings of teeth at her fur in a grooming session, Luli was guided along in the direction of something that smelled delightful.

A teat was presented to her, and the newborn practically vibrated with excited anticipation. She shifted against the littermate who pressed to her flank, eager to stuff this source nourishment into her gaping mouth but as soon as she did, something draped itself over her tiny shoulders. Luli stilled herself, afraid to indulge should her sibling decide to rob her of a much needed find.

can be skipped from here just thought to get a post in

beside haoming on the other side, nüwu had fallen asleep indulging herself on the drink. she lay quiet, mouth still wrapped around the source... occasionally in her sleep she shifted, pawing slightly against the stomach, but ultimately her rest was dreamless and therefore there was little need for her to do much. and so she would remain contently where she was.

Xiaoqing began to stir... oh no no no no. Huā watched him, hoping he would not cry, hoping he would fall back asleep- he squealed and mewled for a bit, but soon he was snuggled against her again. A breathy sigh. She turned back to gaze at her own tummy when she felt little paws pushing. Luli had found a spot- but Haoming's arm rested atop her. Huā smiled and sighed, leaning forward to nudge at Haoming's arm gently- hoping the prompt would push the girl to place it back on her mother's stomach, rather than on Luli.

Haoming felt herself be nudged by a large shape - warm and sweet smelling, like the milk she indulged on. A soft pop sounded as the pup dislodged from the teat and bumped her little nose against her mother's massive muzzle, trying to sniff and gather some kind of information for her puppy brain. Perhaps this part provided more food. But a few moments of mouthing and sniffing told her that no, that was not the case. The infant huffed out a sigh and wobbled slightly as her mother urged her off of Luli. Little dappled paws returned to her mother's stomach and she sought out a nipple again, though luckily not in Luli's direction.

Mother intervened, finally allowing Luli some time to suckle undisturbed. Free of competition at least for a little while, the tiniest of Huā's sea dragons at last managed to free some milk into her hungry maw.

She did not drink for long, nor deeply, but what she managed was better than nothing. Without any real strength to nurse as enthusiastically as her siblings, Luli tired swiftly. Grip loosened, the speckled newborn was quick to lose herself to the urging of sleep, and she snuggled in close with a more satisfied belly.

wrapping if that's okay with yall!

 

Haoming sniffed curiously at mom's muzzle, and the woman had to hold back an amused chuckle- instead keeping her breathing even so as not to overwhelm the pale girl. The girl backed off soon, seemingly satisfied with her discovery- at least from the siren's perspective- before moving back to her stomach. And out of Luli's way- good. Seaglass eyes flickered toward the rose calico pup, who finally began to sip down her full. As she soon drank what she desired and fell into sleep, Huā smiled gently, content to do the same as she lay her head down.