Sun Mote Copse i’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket

He was incredibly curious about the new presence in the den. She smelled vaguely familiar, though Skipjack had never heard anyone speak in such a distinct voice. She hadn’t said much, though, and just now she was sleeping. He kept trying to sneak closer to investigate, though ma kept guiding him back toward the front of the cottage and, eventually, outdoors.

Skip forgot all about his prodigal grandmother as he nosed around the little dooryard in front of The Taigh. While most pups’ vision would’ve become clearer and sharper by now, his world only grew dimmer. He could still make out light and shadow, though details were increasingly lost in the murkiness. He hardly noticed, exploring the world with his senses of smell and touch.

Sometimes, he didn’t bother opening his eyes at all. They tended to get irritated, particularly when he was outside. He paused and raised his head to rub at them now. Skip blinked a few times as if to clear vision that barely existed, then resumed his bumbling. He sensed something—no, someone—looming in his path and slowed, wee nose wriggling.

vague bc of ongoing things!

Even after leaving, and having nearly the entire trip back alone to contemplate, Fennec’s mind was still with @Killdeer. This still felt like where she wanted to be, but it hadn’t felt right leaving him. She had stayed a little longer than her mom had, since Towhee had expressed a desire to roam anyway, but only a few days. Meerkat would probably need help with the kids and Fennec wanted to be around for that.

Since returning she’d done little aside from babysit whenever she was needed and worry about her mom and her son. Fennec had wanted to fight Towhee harder on leaving, but there was no way her mom would ever be shifted from something she had her mind on. Now she was back, seemingly sicker than before, and Fennec wasn’t going to shy away from enjoying a private I told you so.

She was on her way to check on her when the rapid patter of something quickly approaching made her stop in her tracks. Luckily they slowed before the imminent crash, but she still took a careful step back. She knew that clumsy step.

An escape! Or did the warden let you out on good behavior? Fennec listened, but didn’t hear anyone around to watch. Well, they were close to the den, and the kids were getting old enough to manage so long as they didn’t go far.

This voice was slightly more familiar. Skipjack’s whole body wriggled as he arched his little snoot to sniff noses with his auntie. He took a step forward until his nose pressed against her left foreleg. There were so many other smells alongside her familiar scent. Skip’s tail whipped back and forth as he took his time reading them all.

When she spoke from somewhere just above his head, Skip didn’t pause in his cataloging, though he did parrot back, Cape din goo yer!

Exactly. She didn’t know exactly what he’d said, but it sounded like an attempt to mimic her, which meant he had to be speaking sense. Fennec gave him (and the air) a quick smell to make sure nothing was wrong, then relaxed. No, she was just a little closer to the den than she’d thought.

Fennec nosed at her nephew gently, locating his scruff, then picked him up and deposited him back a little closer to the entrance. I can stick around, but we’ll play a little closer. Don’t want mom or dad having a heart attack if we can help it. She huffed a small laugh. Meerkat and Njord were probably more comfortable now that this was round two, but they were definitely attentive parents, and she could imagine the panic of waking to find one too few beside you.

He fell the telltale press of a nose and the accompanying puff of air as his auntie sniffed him in turn. Skip’s tail wiggled in approval. It went limp along with the rest of his body when her teeth pinched his nape.

Wheeeee! the boy chimed as Fennec carried him, though he was only airborne for a handful of seconds before she plopped him on the ground again. Gin! Gin! he cried, talking right over her.

He flailed out a forepaw to bat at her, missing on his first try but using her voice to guide him. Eventually, his tiny forepaw slapped her leg. It filled Skipjack with a great sense of achievement.

GIN! he demanded insistently.

Being this cute is its own form of extortion, you know. It was definitely a statement, not a question, which was fitting because he was way too distracted to notice, let alone recognize a word of it. Fennec smiled though, giving in and picking him up again.

This time she spun a couple times, slow enough not to need to tighten her grip, but not so much that it would make a boring ride. She took a couple rotations, then set him carefully down, checking the space with a paw out of habit beforehand. She’d set Killdeer on a stick once and, funny as it was to hear the immediate trip and fall, probably not the best parenting move.

Now that he knew the location of her foreleg, Skipjack butted his head against it as he persistently cried, GIN!

His auntie didn’t disappoint him. Skip squealed when she felt the telltale pinch at his nape. He naturally relaxed his body so that he swung freely when she revolved. The lights and shadows swirled and he batted at them, giggling boyishly.

Too soon, Fennec set him down again. The bairn tried to jump to his feet only to weave to one side, his tummy doing a funny lurch as he stumbled and face-planted in the dirt. When he sat up a moment later, there was a puddle of vomit spreading beneath him and a bib of it down his little chest.

The smell tipped her off immediately. C’mere kiddo. Fennec nudged him away from the puddle, then summarily cleaned him up. There was a time when she would have hesitated, but that was before becoming a mother. Now it was second nature.

We’ll work on it. She added with a smirk, settling down with a foreleg on either side of the pup. He’d escape if he wanted to, no doubt, but at least she’d know where he was headed if so.

Before he could even register his chunky, wet cummerbund, his auntie fastidiously cleaned him. Soon Skip found himself between her outstretched forelegs, which he only knew were there on either side of him when he assumed all fours again and bumbled between them like a bowling ball against bumpers.

GIN! he cried after a moment, though it was halfhearted this time.

He plopped to his bum and nosed at Fen’s chin, making his way toward the corner of her mouth. Now that his stomach had been emptied, Skipjack was suddenly extraordinarily hungry.

Fennec let out a snort of amusement as she felt his head bump against her leg and heard the hesitancy in the request. Kids really were just like that. Otherwise she might worry she’d scrambled his brains.

You’re going to have to wait for mom, she said with a smile as he poked at her mouth, referring to Meerkat rather than Towhee with the comment. She thought he might be old enough, but unfortunately, she hadn’t eaten much today yet either. The old familiar ache settled into her chest, thinking what it might have been like, raising her kids here the same way Towhee and Phox had raised them. Sibling and cousin blurred indistinguishably. It just hurt to consider it now.

Mur! came Skipjack’s slightly indignant reply when Fennec produced words rather than food.

After another hopeful poke, he gave up and plopped onto his bum with a sigh. He considered crying—it seemed to have a powerful effect on the adults in his life, particularly when he wanted something—but without food, he had no energy for it.

Instead, he curled up in a ball against his auntie’s chest. Skip let out another loud sigh as he settled, his head draped over one of her forelegs. She hadn’t fed him but she made a pretty good pillow. And she’d twirled him! That definitely swayed his opinion in her favor.

He yawned, stretched a little, grunted, and then closed his eyes—not that it made much difference.

Fennec felt him settle in and also breathed a sigh of relieved content. She didn’t mind chasing her nieces and nephews around the territory, but it was nice when they settled enough to enjoy a good cuddle instead. She would need to make up for her empty stomach later… if he was anything like Killdeer, he’d be eating more than enough to keep him growing!

Fennec smiled and settled her head down next to him, her cheek against his soft fur. For the first time since coming here, she felt genuinely glad to be present. Despite missing Penn, and despite everything else, this had been the right call.

we can fade here if you like!! <3