Morningside Cuesta cupcakke is not family friendly

@Grayday @Lavender @Easy @Dauntless + maybe @Dawn

It was a bit cooler than usual, but that didn't bother Khoe. Any break from the summer heat was one graciously accepted. She'd gone out to visit the nearest cache, then quickly made her way back to the den. Everyone seemed to be in order, as far as she could tell; no broken bones and no missing parts generally meant there was nothing to worry about. Good afternoon, she cooed through a full mouth. She hadn't brought back much, but she had just enough to practice some hard feeding with the pups. 

Khoe sat down just outside of the entrance, her teats exposed but gaurded by the small hunk of flesh in front of her. It was a test of sorts; she wanted to see who would get the memo and who would need a bit more encouragement. I've brought you something!

Dauntless had cried and cried when his mother left the den. She did this frequently and came back every single time, but all he knew was that he felt a strange emptiness when she was gone. Later, he would learn that this empty feeling was called loneliness. He did not go after her, though. The first thing the pups had learned when they started becoming aware of their world was that they were not to leave the den.

After what had seemed like forever, but was really only a few minutes, Dauntless got tired of crying and laid down at the back of the den to await Khoe's return. He watched his sisters play and then napped for a while, forgetting all about his earlier upset. When Khoe finally arrived, Dauntless scampered to his feet with several loud yips and rushed to her side, jumping up on her over and over as she inspected her offspring for any changes during her short absence. Dauntless was not much interested in what she had in her mouth, but it was getting in the way of his trying to lick and nip at his mother.

When Khoe turned and walked toward the den entrance, Dauntless rushed to stay by her side. After their adventure out of the den a few days ago, he was not hesitant to follow if he was allowed. He gave some delighted yips when his mother assumed her usual nursing position. The pups had had a few tastes of regurgitated meat, but they also continued to nurse occasionally and it was what Dauntless personally preferred. Before he could latch himself onto a teat, however, he found the hunk of meat placed before it like a barrier. He tried to scrabble around the meat, but could not find a way through. He sniffed, unimpressed, at the meat and then looked meekly toward his mother with wide blue eyes, searching for direction from her.

Grayday was nearby, watching the den while Khoe was out. He had heard Dauntless's cries, but the male wanted his son to grow more independent, and so he let the boy soothe himself. A moment later, he was gratified to hear the sounds of sadness taper off. The male laid his head on his paws until his mate returned, and then, feeling curious, he followed her into the den.

He held back a chuckle when she tried to offer them fresh meat.

"You gotta chew it for them, first," Day said gently. "Its best to cough it up for a while, too. The acids from your own stomach will help them digest it while their bellies get used to solid food."

He wondered if Khoe's mother had done things differently - if so, it was no wonder she was so small. Poor nutrition during formative months could lead to smaller statures and poor fertility. At least, that was what Lark had always preached.

There was something about cacophony that always seemed to soothe the darkest of the litter. Loud noises - no matter where they came from - made her think happy, excited thoughts. However, she also happened to like Dauntless, and didn't like it when her brother was sad. The girl had added her own noise to the racket, hoping that her own happy yips and yowls would help buoy her brother's spirits.

This seemed to work, eventually. Easy filed this information away for later use. It was helpful to know that making more noise was always a valid option.

Like her brother, the dark girl was also highly please when her parents arrived. Mom had something very smelly and exciting in her mouth, and Daddy seemed to be in a good mood. When the smelly object was proffered, the girl wasted no time and immediately began to investigate. Although it was nothing like her usual fare, something about it smelled vaguely... hungry. Easy began to lick at it with gusto, though she did not yet understand how to go about eating this new-fangled treat.

Slight PP of Lav, just cause Pom is absent right now.

I know that, Khoe sighed, I just want to see how they react. Mirza, as Khoe had expected, made a beeline for her belly, though he was stopped before he could make it. Ishara and Arushi were a bit more interested, though only one of them made the move to actually taste the hunk. It made Khoe laugh to see just how baffled they all were, though she wasn't planning on letting them sit confused for much longer.

Luckily, she'd already had something brewing inside of her, so it took little strain to cough up a pile just big enough for the three of them to share. That should do, Khoe commented in a pleased tone, her posture one that communicated her pride.

As soon as Khoe's eyes slid from Dauntless over to his sisters who were investigating the hunk of meat, Dauntless charged her with more jumping and yipping for attention. It took him only a few seconds, though, to realize that his mother seemed pleased with the behavior of the girls. He quickly turned and ran back to where his sisters were, eagerly sniffing and trying to sort out what was expected of him. In all of his puppy seriousness, he did not realize the three of them were being lightly teased. The sudden regurgitation of meat, though, got his attention and he hurried to get to the pile before his sisters did...

Grayday looked on approvingly (and with no small amount of relief) as Khoe regugitated meat for their cubs with very little difficulty. It certainly looked as though she knew what she was doing, and the male was able to stop worrying that she'd been trying to feed the kids fresh, solid meat in his absence. He didn't think of Khoe as a bad mother, but certainly an untried one - not that he'd ever say that to her face!

"I'll keep an eye on them for a sec, if you wanna run down to the creek to wash out your mouth," Day offered, knowing that it could sometimes leave your throat quite dry. He'd been the only one feeding Sunny and Dawn once Amber left, and he'd only been able to give them regurgitated food for some time before they were able to eat solids.