Bearclaw Valley Can't Take Me Home

helloooooo immediate family members <3

Life consisted of only a few things, and yet that was enough for the little sprite. She slept, but knew no dreams; her brain developed, her body grew, and her mind- not yet knowing sound or sight- was dark and quiet while she slumbered. When she awoke, she learned the feeling of hunger, the taste and smell of her mother, the smell and....lack of milk from her father, the touch of her siblings' fur and the sharp rake of their needle-sharp claws. Her insides had feelings too- cramps, digestion, gas, and of course, the foulest-smelling stuff that came from her hind end. She disliked that process very much, but had no idea how to make it stop. 

She'd pulled up to the milk bar and consumed as much as her belly would hold- and then a bit more for good measure, before she turned over on her side, wriggling so that her bulging milk-belly could get a bit of rest, and then burped loudly. 

Milk-breath; that wasn't a bad smell. It wasn't a bad taste, either. That, she could deal with.

there comes the resounding noise of footfalls. paws crushing earth, uprooting snow where it packed against the ground. he comes to the entrance of the den, careful not to wake towhee from her rest.

there, tucked at her belly; their children. he watches with soft eyes, emotional eyes, that betray him. his nose comes closer, scenting at them. three sons, and a daughter. she squirms now, flopping over onto her side, where her large belly full of mother's milk protrudes.

her father laughs gently, where his breath warms her. hello, little one.

Milk breath.
She exhales, and breathes it back in- reassured. 
More milk breath.
She savoured the taste of her own breath, until all of a sudden, there came a flood of warm air, making her splay her toes kittenishly in delight, though her gaping mouth opened wide to realize that this breath wasn’t milk breath at all.

Not that she knew what it smelled like, but it certainly wasn’t milk. So many scents and flavours all at once caused the child to stiffen in surprise, before she reached blindly with grappling paws for her father’s muzzle so she might smell it again.

this feeling inside that bubbles up whenever she does... anything, is incredible. it is a mixture, a calamity, of many things. joy, euphoria, sadness, anxiety. so much is riding on the line. he looks at her and he sees his future. she presses her paws to his nose and he feels his heart melt.
you are... he murmurs against her round belly, brows softening, perfect. a whisper.
bringing a large paw to scoop her closer, to tuck her into the groove of his thick foreleg. cradling her, watching her, admiring.
careful to not disturb anyone else.
he inhales a soft breath. my periwinkle.
he knows that he cannot, and will not, ever fail her.

Warm breath was inhaled with small whiffs; Tvar nurtured his daughter’s interest in blood though she would not know yet that that was what it was. The thrum of his voice was something she could feel, even through the paws she touched to his muzzle. 

She felt his whiskers tickle the tip of her nose, prompting her to open her mouth, revealing pink gums. For a moment, it looked as if she smiled, and drew in an excited breath-

And then she sneezed abruptly, the force of it causing her whole body to (metaphorically speaking) take a screenshot. She sniffled afterwards, surprised by the new sensation- she’d never sneezed before, but something about it was oddly refreshing!

For her, anyways. But for her father, with his mouth hovering so close by…It might have been a different story.

the little sneeze catches tvar fully in the face, misting his muzzle in a fine spray. he blinks sharply, pulling back in abrupt surprise, expression caught somewhere between amusement and mild disgust.
he snorts, clearing his nose, eyes narrowing gently as he peers down at his daughter, the very image of innocence and mischief intertwined.
hmph, he huffs quietly, lowering his muzzle again, nudging her softly despite himself. you are lucky you are cute, little one.
he then nudges her with his nose, back into the fold of her siblings at their mother's belly. sleep. and her father moves, carefully, to exit the den once more.

such a cute interaction owo <3

She felt him draw back, and squirmed slightly, reaching out and batting at the air between them with her little paws. His voice was still there, and his breath close enough; when he came within reach, she did what any greedy child would do- she tried to grab him with her forepaws, and tried to chomp down on the wet tip of his nose so that she might hold him near to her. 

Instead, she felt herself being moved along the floor, and scooted closer to the other pups, and then her father’s muzzle was pulled out of her grasp, leaving behind nothing but a wisp of cool air from the wave of his tail as he turned.

She wasn’t so easily convinced- and cried out for him, disappointed by his absence.