Dragoncrest Cliffs Freedom can numb you, when there's no place to run to.

"Urf!" Dacio barked from within the family's hollow, having roused last from naptime to find it void not only of siblings - but parents too! He looked around, blinking sleep from his stormy blue eyes as he gathered onto wobbly over-sized paws to toddle toward the cave's entrance in search of his den-mates.

Summer sunshine caused the boy to squint, and he felt his initial anxiety disappear with the welcome sight of his eldest sister. Fuzzy tail springing to life, it lashed the air at his rear as he whimpered happily, stepping boldly from the threshold of Portia's den and into the daylight. Wth a twitch of an ear he noted with comfort the sound of his mother's voice from nearby and, figuring she might have ventured further between the trees with Sequoia and Opalia, little Dacio was glad to spend time in the company of @Dalia.

Inviting himself into her personal space, the ashen youngster pawed his pallid baby-sitter's flank in a clear desire for attention. 

dalia had accidentally begun to nod off. portia had left with two of her younger siblings, leaving her with dacio. dacio was the neediest of the three babies, meant in the nicest of ways. he craved attention always-- especially from their mother-- and so to say he was low maintenance was... a bold faced lie. dalia should've known better than to think she would be able to catch some z's.

he pawed at her side, causing a gentle jolt in the pale kru. her multi-colored gaze turned to focus on the grey pup, blinking at him curiously for a moment. "what's up, buttercup?" she asked, lips finally turning up as her brain processed the situation.

Unlucky for a sleepy Dalia, Dacio's energy supply had been fully re-stocked. After pawing at his sister's sterling flank enough to rouse her from her daytime nap, he sat back to impatiently await her to look in his direction. When she did, he beamed up at her, baby blue eyes alight with joy.

She spoke to him, and he cooed with an excited "rurrurooo," before lurching forward onto his paws. Tail swishing merrily, the boy thrust his darkened muzzle against Dalia's shoulder before rearing onto his hind limbs. He pushed at her, eager to play-fight despite her obvious advantage of size.

christ i'm so sorry

sleepily, but not at all truly bother, dalia smiled. "ooo are we fightin?" she play-growled as her little brother rammed into her. dalia rose into a playbow, rump swinging playfully as dacio attacked her shoulder. she used her nose to nudge him, friendly little growls escaping her throat as she nudged and toothed (gently!!) at her menace of a sibling.

She responded as he wished her to, pulling herself upright to sweep into an inviting play bow that Dacio could not resist. His lips pulled back, revealing new milk teeth as to beam up at his big sister, and with a comical little growl he moved in to shove his ashen forehead against her.

Dalia bumped him with her muzzle and, with his tiny stature, the little Goufa was easily forced aside. He did not accept his obvious defeat, however, and charged in to attempt another attack. "Rrrr," Dacio rumbled, his scruffy tail swinging excitedly at his rear as he rose a tiny charcoal forepaw and made to bat at the adult's snout.

he tumbled backwards-- the little cutie-- only to come back again full fledged force! he batted at her muzzle and dalia feigned whimpers and cries-- "ouch, dacio! you're such a strong little wormana." she ducked her head to avoid exposing her throat and to hide her muzzle, still feigning little cries and growls as dacio presumably continued to bat at her face.

and then, knowing how easily he'd fall (he was a puppy, afterall!) dalia gave him a soft little headbutt.

Dacio's delicate little paw bopped his sister's pale muzzle, and he grinned as he withdrew it to aim for that same spot. The ashen wolfess whined in response and, knowing her cries were feigned, the little Goufa parted his jaws in mischievous laughter. His scruffy little tail flagged proudly over his platinum hindquarters as, once more, he successfully swatted at Dalia's muzzle.

She writhed away, ducking her head out of his reach, and Dacio scooted forward in attempt to butt her cheek with his forehead. Dalia was one step ahead of him, however, and used this same move to effortlessly shove him away.

Dacio flopped to his side, landing among the grasses with a soft "mph!" as he glared playfully up at his baby-sitter. He simply continued to lay there, watching her with his tongue lolling as he huffed to catch his breath.

"oooo," dalia mocked so sweetly, her eyes glimmering as she shifting to sit above her kid-sibling, "you're not gonna give up so easy now, are you?" no way! dalia knew her little brother was too stubborn to just give in, but she also knew he might pout until he got his way. she used her nose to prod at his exposed tummy.

Fading here.  :)

Dalia moved in again, sitting up to loom over him, but he was far from intimidated. The ashen cub eyed his big sister with a mischievous glint in his eye, waiting until she pressed her nose to his exposed belly before wriggling to better position himself to strike her.

In his excitement, he made to connect her milk teeth to the sterling yearling's tufted cheek, but his aim was poor and he missed entirely. His mother stepped beyond the den mouth in time to notice, and barked out to scold him for his roughness. Dacio regarded her briefly with a confused blink, before he returned his focus on Dalia to attack her again - this time to smother her in affectionate kisses and nibbles.