Redsand Canyon Denimclad baboons.

There was a small body of water a stone’s throw from the married housing, tucked in the northeast corner of the canyon. Towhee led @Leona and @Jack Snipe there after lunch to cool off during the hottest part of this late August day. She lounged on the shoreline while they splashed about, wondering if this oversized puddle had a name.

Tags are invitational, not obligational, and this is open to anyone! :)

Jack trotted after his mother happily. There was a boyish bounce to his steps. He chattered mindlessly to Towhee, who could not hear him but might capture a few of the spoken words by looking at her son. He didn’t mind. He just liked that someone might listen to him without any follow up questions. Jack shared his adventure with Princess Kono and told his mom that he would visit Akashingo to see her. 

When they reached the water, the boy sprung toward it and entered with a great big splash. He turned toward his mom and barked happily. Come sploosh mama!

wiggles in for family thread

he had much to think about and learn. as he trained his body in spars, he too tried to train his mind. find the thinking of a tactician.

that was not why he had arrived here. although the sound of splashing certainly held an allure. a bit of shoving around had him finding none other than towhee and the children!

he barked out warmly to leona and jack, eyes crinkling with further delight at the relaxing form of towhee.

Maybe they could give it a name, Towhee thought right before Jack’s invitation caught her attention. She cocked her head at him as if she didn’t understand what he meant, then promptly swept to her feet and cannonballed right in between the kids.

When she resurfaced, she saw Maxim had arrived, completing their little family of four. Naturally, there was only one correct response to her mate’s arrival.

SPLASH ATTACK!!! she hollered so loudly, it bounced off the nearby canyon walls, right along with the sound of her foreleg slapping the water in Maxim’s direction.

Cannonball! Towhee entered the water with a wooshing slap. Jack felt the ripple of waves reach him and he giggled to Leona, who he hoped was having as much fun as he was. He splashed at her once before Towhee turned his attention with the promise of showering dad in a wave of water. The boy was delighted. He would absolutely partake in this event, finding the wet to be thoroughly enjoyable. 

Jack jumped and slapped his paws down as hard as he could. Water splashed up to his face. He squinted to see if his big splash had even reached his dad. Towhee made another big wave with her movements. Jack laughed and splashed a small amount at her, too. There was plenty to share.

no fair! he barked as they splashed him in full force. maxim stood little chance against the trio before him.

so he relented and splashed into the water himself. intentionally slapping his paws against the surface in the most obnoxious paddling ever, really full force splashes here.

i'm going to get you! aimed at no one in particular, just any of the three he could get first.

And my little dog too? she jeered playfully at her mate, randomly motioning to a squealing Leona.

With a cackle, Towhee bounded out of the water as abruptly as she’d entered it. She made a point to sidle alongside Maxim, then stop and shake. She pressed a smirk to his cheek, tongue lapping up some of the droplets there as she kissed it.

Turning her head to watch their kids splashing around, she found herself saying, You know, we did pretty damn good. Think we’ll make more of them next year?

Mom seemed like she had a good handle on dad, so Jack Snipe turned on Leona with a happy yip and a sloshing wave was sent her way. The young boy enjoyed their time in the water. It was cool and it helped to relieve the warmth of the summer sun. Little did he know, winter would be upon them within the next few months, and he would get a true taste of the cold.

Jack wanted to see if he could get Leona to gang up on their parents with him. He nudged her and motioned toward the lovey dovey pair (barf) with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. Let’s get ‘em, he whispered conspiringly to his sibling. Without waiting to see if she was game, Jack lunged toward Maxim with a devil’s glint in his eye and a big splash.

towhee's words endeared him pretty deeply. if only he had known at the start he end up some sort of goofy love-sick father — or perhaps it was so special because he hadn't known.

i would love — a sudden splash of water surging up his backside. thoroughly soaked there now. the two children worked well enough together to cause a splash.

he was stunned.

his own children had already proved to know the element of surprise!

It was kind of a rhetorical question. Why wouldn’t they have more next year? Towhee snorted at her own inner monologue. She hadn’t thought she would have any more this year, now her future was teeming with puppies.

Maxim’s reply was cut off when the kids chose that moment to tag-team him, soaking his entire rear end. Towhee guffawed at the sight, eyes glowing. Had Leo and her brother just “velociraptored” her mate, like she’d taught? Gods, she was so proud!

Dad deffo needed a bath, she shouted approvingly to the two Pupuses, especially a butt bath! Thanks!

Some parents would’ve taken this turn of events to joke about cancelling their plans for more. But watching her offspring torture their father brought only delight to Towhee’s wretched soul. Yeah, she wanted some more of that right there.

Target struck! Jack laughed wickedly at the splash he and Leona had caused on their dad’s backend. Maxim took it like a champ, standing with an expression of shock on his face. This was especially pleasing to the boy. He liked that look of surprise and hoped that he might inspire it again.

Towhee cawed that they had done a good job, saying that their dad’s butt needed a good washing. Jack Snipe giggled childishly, sloshing his way to where they were standing. He offered a play bite to his father’s leg before he chuckled again.

Yeah, dad! Stinky BUTT!

Jack thought that was the funniest thing in the world.

jack was quick to keep up the attack. leo seemed to round his other side. he truly was captured!

laughter erupted when his son offered a bite to his leg, following it up with an insult. if it could even be called that. regardless he dropped his head down to bump it gently into his son.

right before he offered back —

oh, so that is where you inherited your stinky butt from!

Towhee rarely thought about all the things she couldn’t hear, having never possessed the sense in order to miss it. All the same, she found herself wishing she could properly hear her husband’s (ugh, lol) and children’s banter. There was no way she could conceptualize the sound of laughter, but she imagined it was like the sun breaking through clouds.

That thought was entirely too poetic given the setting. Towhee snorted and took a seat, throwing a foreleg around Leo’s shoulders when her daughter bumped up against her and plopped wetly on the dry ground. The elder Redhawk bent to lick the wet fur between her daughter’s ears, swirling her tongue to give Leo a bit of a mohawk.

We should give this place a name, she said to nobody in particular, gesturing toward the water. It kinda reminds me of the caldera, only on a miniature level. That’s where I was born and where I lived a lot of my life, Towhee explained to the kids, if they were listening. We could call it Mini Redhawk Caldera? Or Redhawk Caldera, Jr? Or maybe Redhawk Caldera the Remix?

@Towhee care to fade us out? or we can even fade here <3

his attention easily rolled to his wife, her voice carried ideas. a name for this place.

mini redhawk caldera, he echoed back, a slow wave of his tail. quickly he nudged jack in his mother's direction. i like it.

but he would allow them to decide, as a whole family unit. especially towhee, who the name might matter to most.