are you slow?

Another one for a couple of babies! @Swift @Pasha @Whittier @Allure II :) Set before the storm thread.

Bazi had no idea when children were supposed to start talking. She could not recall that Relonikiv and the others had ever been mute, but Bazi's memory had a tendency to drop things she deemed unimpressive. Even Kiv's lisp was difficult to summon to mind - her mental incarnation of him spoke as clearly as any other wolf.

That morning, the wind was picking up and the world was grey. Bazi gathered her pups in one location (for all of two seconds - they didn't stay in one place unless it was to feed) and faced them with stern, staring eyes. "Mooommy," she intoned. "Can you say that?"

The smallest Frostfur was holding onto his title. Even his sister was over taking him in size, though Whittier had expanded the most of all. It was becoming clear that Swift was not destined to match his father's build, but rather his mother. His fur was lightening by the day, and save for the inky black stripe along his spine it was evident that he would become as white as she was. Though he was still round, as puppies tended to be, the rolls of infant fat were beginning to shrink into a leanness that would stay with him through adulthood.

He had been dozing when his mother gathered them around, and he grunted with irritation at the disturbance. But his eyes met hers as she spoke to them. It was about time the pups started babbling back to her, but it was also about to become apparent that Swift was going to be having none of that, and he merely stared blankly at her. He chuffed to her, as if to make a mockery of her efforts, than sat on his rump. No dice, Mom.

Allure, groggy from a nap, blinked at her pale mother, whose gaze was rather intent upon them. Sitting upon a pudgy rear, the bi-toned babe wobbled a bit, stumbling in to her paler brother, Swift. Tiny ears, though still folded, swiveled forward as Bazi spoke, and canting her muzzle slightly, Allure’s lips remained firmly shut in intrigued but grim silence..

.. That was, until a stray fur from Swift began to tickle her cheek, and leaning over even further now, the little baby glomped toothless gums to her brother’s cheek and began to try to pull, a white-tipped paw lifting to push at his chest in turn.

Nope. Neither Swift nor Allure though their mother worthy of a response. Bazi discerned what could only be described as a derisive sneer in the former's expression, and that instantly soured her mood. She often had to remind herself that children were children, and that one of their primary roles in life was to test her patience.

But Bazi was short on patience today, and brimming with spite. When Allure turned her attention to her brother, Bazi dug her nose in between their two bodies and sort-of-kind-of-not very gently shoved the pups apart. If they weren't going to play with her, they weren't going to play at all.

His sister's mouth closed on his cheek while her paw pushed his chest. With a bark that was in some weird place between being grumpy and playful, he turned his head and clamped his jaws on her ear. But before their play had even started, Bazi shoved her muzzle between then and roughly shoved them apart. Swift, being oh-so-graceful, somersaulted backwards with a surprised yelp. When he gathered his feet, he barked at his mother, and this time there was no mistaking the irritation in the bark. He stiffly (sort of) paced toward her and growled. He stared at her.

With Swift’s attention gained, Allure’s tiny tail began to flick through the air in a playful wave, her own jaws seeking to glomp on to whatever she could catch on his face. Her brother just grasped her ear when Bazi’s snout appeared between both of them, and with a force Allure had not yet felt, the girl was pushed away from her brother and sent rolling.

Stunned more than hurt, her own yelp pierced the air, her form cringing as Swift’s own cry of surprise echoed. While her brother might have been tenacious enough to get up right after, Allure’s own instinct told her otherwise, and the girl’s face flattened closer to the ground, her tail tucking between her legs now as she stared wide-eyed at her mother – who now had her rapt attention.

The pups reacted very differently to her wordless scolding. Allure did what was expected of her, displaying clear signs of submission. Bazi rewarded her daughter by nudging her our of the way and a parting kiss, before turning her attention to Swift. His stance was dominant, his glare cold. Bazi countered with a silent stare of her own, every aspect of her posture saying "And, what?"

He painted a good portrait of the dominant and bold, but he was not destined to remain so. His mother's returned stare and her unyielding posturing was enough for him, and he softened. The stiffness seeped out of his muscles and he crouched with ears folded back as he tentatively crept closer. A soft whine passed his lips as he sought to press himself to her chest and to rub his crown against her chin.

She flinched slightly as Bazi moved her again, though relaxed noticeably when she was rewarded by her mother. Apprehension stirred the girl’s teeth to nibble at her lips, and blinking her eyes once more, she looked past her mother to Swift, who was attempting to stare down their mother. She was so young and had yet to understand the true depth of the hierarchy, and yet she was very subservient to her mother now – something that was drawn by instinct. Swift too, would give way to this pull, and while the bi-toned baby wanted to seek out the side of her brother, she dared not cross Bazi once more. Instead, she nuzzled her nose closer to her mother, her eyes gazing up at her, as if questioning whether or not they were okay now – and if snuggling was out of the question.

"That's what I thought," Bazi voice triumphantly, having defeated her own baby in a staring contest. Life didn't get much more exciting for a mother of four. Swift shelved his attitude and sought her forgiveness, which she withheld for a few more seconds before giving in to cuddles. It was rare that he sought out physical contact, and she had to savour those few occasions when he wasn't squirming to get away.

She nuzzled his fuzzy ear and slim throat, play-biting at his head - still small enough to fit whole into her mouth, but not for much longer. Like the multi-tasking superstar that she was, Bazi simultaneously freed Swift for just long enough to bowl Allure over backwards and aim a few playful bites at her tail - an invitation to play Mom VS Everybody Else Except Dad.

His mother was placated, and she nuzzled his ear and throat before playfully biting at his head. Swift's tail wagged and he rolled onto his back to bat at her face before she shifted her attention to Allure. He used that moment to escape entirely, skirting around her side toward her back end where he made a grab for her tail. Mom vs Everyboy Else Except Dad? He was game for that, and barked joyously.

Sorry for holding up! Last post from me.

Allure, in all of her black and white glory, was bowled over by her brother, though was quick to roll back up.. baby fat and all. Swift was playful – keen on aiming for Bazi’s tail, but the wind was out of the girl’s sails, and like a sulky lump, she laid down, her tiny muzzle resting on her white forepaws. Aqua eyes blinked at the scene before her, and rolling to her side then, the girl closed her eyes, knowing sleep wo9uld overtake her soon.

Concluding! Pping you, Mom, if that's okay! ;) Just figured we'd get some of these older threads out of the way.

He romped and wrestled with his mother for several minutes after his sister fell asleep, until @Bazi pinned him down and made it clear she was da boss. Swift was relatively quick to submit to this, letting his body relax. When his mother let him up, he laid down beside his sister and dozed with her, eventually rolling on to his back, belly to the world, before he fell asleep entirely.