Moonspear Lets play nice

open for anyone, but would love littles @Pauk, @Treepie, @Kaujumaq. And of course @Acrux and @Maggak. Alaric wouldn't forget them <3

Alaric moved quietly near the den. Offering to give @Sialuk a moment of respite. She was handling nursing 3 babes like a champ. He'd even brought her a small snack of hare and berries. Keep her strength up.

Gathered near him were big bones for the older children. The little ones as of yet still too little to chew, but he had put aside some deer hoof leavings for when they were ready.

He watched with kind eyes whoever decided to greet him.

Footsteps thrumming on the earth heralded someone’s arrival. Tiny Tiuttuk raised their little head, nose twitching as they drew in Alaric’s familiar scent, accompanied by the fragrances of berries and meat. It would still be some days before the pups were weaned, though Pie’s mouth watered, particularly at the sweet smell of the fruit.

On stubby legs, they scooted forward to greet the visitor like a proper little host. Treepie even looked him in the eye—as much as they could, given theirs were only half open and muzzy—and offered a gummy smile. One day, their two-toned tail would be a magnificent plume, though presently it resembled a rat’s as it twitched in greeting.

Kaujimaq enjoyed the people coming and going from the ulaq, and she couldn’t help her excited display as a masculine presence entered. Limbs outstretched, little tail wagging as she wriggled on her belly. Yips and whines of excitement burst from her, hoping he would see her first.

She couldn’t see very well, and it was such a bother, because she so badly wanted to know these people; who they were and what they were all about.

Alaric shifted and scooped both children closer if they allowed. Greeting thrm each with a tiny nudge to their heads.

His smile stretched and a gentle hum of laughter in his chest. 

Hello little ones.

He made sure to greet them both individually as well. Making sure to look each one in the eye and lower his head so they could see him with their poor eyesight.

He would let them sniff and peruse to theihearts s content within his reach.

sucky quick before work post

The visitor reached out and scooped Tiuttuk closer, prompting a soft eeeee! noise. They hadn’t realized their sister was alongside them until now and cheeped at Kaujimaq before refocusing their attention upon Alaric.

They pushed their nose against his cheek when it came within reach, getting familiar with his scent and the shades and textures of his coat. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, there was a tiny blade of grass stuck beneath his eye. It tickled Pie’s nose, prompting one, two, three, four, five sneezes!

Alaric chuckled and shifted so he could look at treepie.

Hey there little one. Got the sneezes.

He ghosted a breath over their tiny head and settled them both down. A large stick was placed nearby for them to explore amd he watched with close eye for any choking hazards.

They emphatically wiggled their nose once the attack passed, then looked up at Alaric when he spoke. Pie couldn’t possibly parse his words at their age, though something about the word “sneezes” evoked a chirp from the child. The word buzzed, sort of like a bumblebee.

Zzz, they tried to imitate, though the councilor distracted both pups with a stick.

They watched Kaujimaq move to explore the toy. Treepie contemplated going with her, then decided to turn back toward Alaric instead. They gazed up at him with curious eyes, his blurry yet familiar features making their heart smile.

The lips curved too, as they dropped their gaze and pounced on his nearer paw—or tried to, at least, as Tiuttuk was still very bumbly.

Alaric felt his heart melt at the sweet little baby that gazed so nicely up. Treepie was adorable. They both were. 

He chuckled and imitated the Zzzz back, but he changed his pitch so they sounded different.

But as all littles do they were distracted with a new game. One that caused Alaric some discomfort.

But rather than remove his paw. He turned it into a game. Wiggling his paw as well as he could without thumbs while singing

Itsy bitsy spider went up the rain tree.

words were changed in pursuit if the wilds :p

Rather than pounce it head-on, the pup sort of tumbled into his foot broadside. Treepie peeped when his toes began to move in time with his singsong voice. The child tried to peer up at Alaric’s face again, the angle so severe now they stumbled backward a few steps before falling onto their bum.

They no longer cared about his paw. They wanted to hear more of the song! Tiuttuk trilled, the noise somewhere between a giggle and a shriek.

Alaric smiled at the child's attempts at his paw. A loud earsplitting shriek of delight curled out of the child. Alaric laughed out loud then. Pressed his nose to Tiuttuk's head.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water tree. Down came the rain and washed the spider down. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain. And the itsy bitsy spider went up the tree again.

He moved his paw about and sang for the little ones. His tail thumping in time.

A happy hum rumbled out of them when Alaric’s nose touched their forehead. The skin there tingled from the contact, a pleasant sensation to accompany the welcome sound of the counselor’s throaty song. Then there were the gentle swishes of his paws, miming the spider’s movements in the air.

Tiuttuk was so enchanted by the show, they sat back on their chubby, tricolored haunches and pedaled their own tiny forepaws in the air. They simultaneously mimicked Alaric’s motions and tried to capture his larger paws in their grasp. Before they had a chance, they started to lose their balance and list backward.

The little one was happy with the song. Alaric couldn't quite keep his own smile from his face or his voice. This was one of the things he lived for. Making all the little ones happy. Singing. 

Alaric chuckled at the Tiuttuk's paws. Even helping them with their paws. Alaric shifted and bounced his muzzle behind the little one to attempt to catch him. His larger paw grasping the child's small ones.

Heyo little one. We almost had a pup down.

Alaric caught them before they could fall flat on their back. Unaware they’d been in any danger of such a thing, they just beamed and cooed at his touch. His snout pressed against their back, the rough scrape of his paw pads curling around their much tinier feet.

The puppy sank back into a squat, allowing the counselor to release them. Their bottom wiggled a little before they turned their head, suddenly catching the scent of the berries again. Pie’s mouth watered at the sweet smell. They glanced inquisitively at Alaric before trundling toward the source to investigate it.

This one was gonna be an inquisitive happy little one. Eager to explore and learn. Alaric chuckled to himself. They were all in for a treat here in the spear with this one. He was already imagining all the things Tiuttuk would get into. 

Alaric followed behind the child. Eyeing the meat and berries. Hare and berries. You want to try some?

Tiuttuk was fairly older now. They wouldn't be able to handle much of it. But he could offer a very small piece that there was no chance of choking and a couple berries. With deft claws he speared a piece, slicing it into small pieces and placed a few berries beside it. Pressed it near Tiuttuk's little face for them to try. 

I think they can have a little piece if i read the appendix right. 

I think they were ~2 weeks old during this thread (I also totally forgot they were that young, lmao). I figure they can safely sip on some syrup though! ;)

The rumble of Alaric’s voice earned another curious glance. They had no clue what he was saying—that he was saying anything at all—but they enjoyed his speaking voice nearly as much as his singing one. Their little tail waved.

But the meat and berries recaptured their attention. Treepie feasted their eyes on the small repast meant for their mother, while continuing to drink in the myriad smells. When Alaric sliced into the meat with a deft movement of his claw, it released even more rich redolence.

They bent their head and pressed their tongue to the little cut of meat, tasting the juices. They were delicious, though the child was drawn to the fruit. Remembering what the counselor had done to the meat, they brought a paw forward and pressed the closest berry. Juice welled up between their tiny toes.

They brought their paw closer to their face for a sniff, then a lick. Soon, Pie was slurping eagerly at their own fist like the world’s tastiest ice cream cone.

works for me

Alaric couldn't even with the cuteness oozing from this puppy. He found himself excited for other puppies that would find themselves born on the spear.

Tiuttuk couldn't eat the meat, but they could certainly taste it. The berries would mash enough that they could also probably be eaten. Which was proven as Sialuk's little one bent to investigate. 

Alaric laughed out loud at the sight that befell him. He pushed some berries a little closer. Smashing them himself so more juices came out. All Treepie would need to do was press paw into the mush and suck. They would be fine.

They gorged on the berry juice to the point where a pink milkshake would surely erupt from one end or the other soon enough. They were so full, Pie couldn’t even move. They sprawled right there beside the mess of squashed berries and sliced meat, their ratty tail resting in a puddle of what might be blood or juice—more likely, a blend of both.

Treepie let out a happy sigh, bleary eyes shifting around to idly search for the faces of Alaric, Sialuk and their siblings. They sort of wished to be closer to one or all of them but they simply couldn’t budge. Their eyelids began to flutter, then drift closed. Soon the little gourmand fell into a proper food coma, complete with tiny snores.

Alaric was momentarily worried that Treepie would get sick all over the floor on the berry juices, but they hadn't. For which he was relieved for. But it seemed that they had entered a food coma. A soft chuckle.

He moved closer to the little one. Curling himself around them. But keeping a careful watch on the other's. Sialuk would return soon and he hoped to have the little ones, specifically a certain little Tiuttuk bathed and napping.