Sun Mote Copse let me see through your eyes, where there’s so much life
we are biding our time, for these myths to unwind
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#1
All Welcome 

Weejay had uttered her first word a few weeks back — and since then, had never once shut up. 

There were many words that children had an inexplicable affinity for in their formative years. Words like ‘NO!’ and ‘MINE!’ often topped that list, much to the dismay of parents. But the word Weejay fixated on wasn’t either of these words — it was “MOM!”

Any time she saw a stone that looked interesting, a new bug to sniff — MAWM! Any time Eljay came by, or  there was something of great interest to inspect, there came a loud and delighted squeal, followed by an expectant look to her mother for validation. 

Today, Weejay was sitting just outside the den. About twenty feet away, there came a great commotion from a bush — followed by a harsh cry from a crow. Weejay darted towards the bird, which promptly flew off by her approach. MOM! She yelled after it, watching forlornly as it flew away.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#2
I keep needing a thread so imma steal this one >>

Kiwi had reached both ends of the hot/cold spectrum when it came to her younger siblings, and now she'd landed somewhere in the middle of 'eh'.  Her previous excitement around training them was wearing down mostly due to how long it was taking them to grow up.

What if they weren't worth her time?  

It didnt help that, ever since Sequoia left, she'd been in a quiet funk.  She had even begun avoiding her mom, just because she wasn't really super keen on hanging out with her and Eljay when her mood was in the gutter.  Ugh.

Her sister's yells, though, were grating enough on her nerves that she  did make a detour to see what the hell was wrong.  Turns out she was just yelling at birds to scare them off.  Was she ever that dumb? Surely not.

That's not how you hunt, she said a little flatly, watching the bird fly away.
Kiwi will internalize lies and twist things to her benefit until this becomes her reality.  Her thoughts are not my own <3
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Wildfire was picking at her lunch—she just didn't have much of an appetite today—when Weejay cried her name. Despite hearing it over and over, Wildfire always looked up from what she was doing to acknowledge the child. Weejay wasn't her first by a long shot, yet the Sovereign never grew weary of this phase in her pups' lives, even if she did feel unduly tired today too.

"What is it?" Wildfire prompted, sweeping onto her feet and leaving the stiff rabbit carcass on the ground behind her. She tipped her head skyward to watch the bird's silhouette flap higher and higher, then disappear. "I think that was a raven," she said, black tail sweeping to and fro as she smiled down at Weejay.

Kiwi appeared rather abruptly, her words sharp as she spoke to the little one. Wildfire blinked, lips pursing, and shot the yearling a look. Her brows raised questioningly at her elder daughter's tone.
we are biding our time, for these myths to unwind
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#4
Weejay was about to yell a billionth MAWM!! after the rook, but it had flown away -- and was now quite beyond her eyesight. The little pup slumped to the ground, craning her neck as she stared confusedly after the bird just in time for Kiwi to appear. Wildfire was right behind her (and even gave her a new word to butcher for a later date, raven), but Weejay's attention was on the stern features of her sister.

Tilting her head sideways (and completely oblivious to Kiwi's austere mood), the little bird blurted: "where go?"
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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Kiwi had completely missed Wildfire's presence there, and it meant that the easy target (wow, terrible sister) wasn't so easy after all.  She lowered her gaze at Wildfire's questioning look, then turned, completely ignoring Weejay's question.

Nevermind, She said quietly, then began to walk away, back in the direction she'd come.  She might have been able to handle the child's company, but she was definitely not in the mood to do it under the watchful gaze of her mom.  Even that single glance had sent a surge of resentment through her, and she was afraid if she stayed, she'd slip up.  Best to avoid that and go chase a raccoon or something.  Fuck she was irritable.
Kiwi will internalize lies and twist things to her benefit until this becomes her reality.  Her thoughts are not my own <3
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The mother squinted after Kiwi as she mumbled something and departed just as abruptly as she had appeared, clearly in a sulky temper. Wildfire was tempted to call her back, ask her to explain herself, but she let her go. After a moment where her chestnut gaze lingered on her wayward daughter, she turned her attention back to the pup. At least Weejay was far too young to take any offense from her older sister's rude behavior.

"Hmm," the Sovereign replied, pursing her lips and casting her eyes skyward, "she probably went to her nest. I bet she's a mommy with her own cute babies." As Wildfire said this, she thrust out a paw and made to tickle little Weejay's ribs.
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#7
It was no surprise that Kiwi’s stormy mood and abrupt departure went waaay over Weejay’s head. She was too young to understand the turbulence of emotions, and even when she got older, she might be sensitive, but not so selfless that she easily deciphered the mood of others. 

Weejay did, however, know that Kiwi had come and then left. Her long ears looked absurd as they fell back, listening to her mommy’s explanation for the bird’s reason for leaving. Since her mommy was an indefatigable source of knowledge, maybe she would know why Kiwi had left too! Fixing Wildfire with a solemn gaze, Weejay then looked after where Kiwi had gone and said, Kiwi go?
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Next, her little one wondered about where Kiwi had gone, which wasn't surprising; the yearling had popped up just to vanish a moment later. Wildfire peered in the direction her older daughter had gone, wondering about all of that. The Regent could be moody at times, so perhaps she was just not coping well with Sequoia's recent departure. If there was anything else going on with her, she'd surely tell her mother, who liked to think she doubled as one of Kiwi's confidants.

"She'll be back," the Sovereign said reassuringly. "Hey, are you hungry, Weej?" She couldn't quite stomach her lunch, yet Weejay suffered no affliction worse than being as easily distracted as any kid her age, so no reason for the food to go to waste. "Why don't you come over here and have a bite with your mama?"
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#9
Weejay had no reason to doubt Kiwi's sudden disappearance, and thus, no reason to think of it further. It was forgotten the second Mommy mentioned food: her ears flew up and her features brightened. Very much like Elfie in that moment, Weejay yawped a loud and joyous "FOOD!" before scampering off where her mom had been a few minutes before.

It was still much too early for Weejay to realize not wanting to eat food was a bad sign. Galloping over to the meal, Weejay excitedly tap-danced around it, awaiting her Mommy's go-ahead that it was okay to eat (and maybe play) with said meal.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#10
Both her children had healthy appetites, for which Wildfire was grateful. Not only did it mean they would grow strong, it also meant that she didn't have to worry about leftovers going to waste. That thought made her lips twitch as she watched Weejay zoom to the picked-over spoils of her meal. The mother padded much more slowly after her, nodding as she went.

"Dig in, it's all yours!" she encouraged, folding herself into a seat beside the girl. As the pup ate, she reflected again on Kiwi's too brief cameo. She'd said something a little sharp to her little sister: "That's not how you hunt." The yearling's tone had rubbed Wildfire the wrong way a bit, though the offhanded remark gave her an idea.

"Once you're done, would you like to go on a little hunt with mama?"
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#11
Little Weejay thought nothing any further of Kiwi; in fact, Kiwi was far from the girl's mind as she dug into the spoils of her new meal, chewing only the best bits with incautious glee. A few times she had to slow down, because she was almost choking -- but once she had eaten her fill Weejay emerged with a sunny smile and bound right for her mother's flank.

"We go!" Weejay cheerily announced, excited to "hunt" with her mother. She knew hunting was something of grave importance and to be asked to hunt was an honor; adopting an excited little dog-trot, Weejay bounded around Wildfire in place as she waited impatiently for her mother to get up. "S'go go go!" Oh, Elfie was going to be soooo jealous when she told him the news!
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#12
With her first litter, a choking noise might have sent Wildfire into a panic. By the second, she'd probably reigned in the alarm and offered her child a thump on the back. By now, she only rolled her eyes, smiled and reminded Weejay, "Chew your food."

It wasn't long before she finished and bounded to her mother's flank, clearly enticed by the idea of a hunt. "Okay, let's go!" the Sovereign declared, pivoting and adding, "I love your enthusiasm, Weej, but I'll need you to be quiet. Do you think we should maybe yell it out before we go?" She laughed as she suggested it, wondering if her youngest daughter would take her up on this offer to simply scream at the top of her lungs to get it all out before they got down to business.
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#13
Unfortunately chewing was something busy puppies just didn't have time for. It was a miracle Weejay managed to not die while she scarfed her food, but the esophagus was a resilient tube of flesh, apparently. She was totally fine. Miraculously.

Very excited to go hunting, Weejay only slowed as her mommy said she had to be quiet. Weejay was a lot of things, but quiet? Hmmm.. Nope. Not that. Her ears fell and her brow scrunched in confusion: if she was going to be quiet, how would they talk? Clearly she had so much to learn about hunting.

There wasn't much time for her to consider this "fallacy" before Wildfire serenely suggested yelling.. something that was very enticing to the girl, only she didn't want Elfie to know and come crash their hunting party. Masking this particular possessive jealousy with a tilt of her head skyward, Weejay's eyes fluttered self-importantly and she shook her head. "Nnnoo." She would be good, promise!!
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#14
Her daughter declined the offer, earning a quirked brow from Wildfire. She had her suspicions as to why Weejay might like to stay mum and smiled conspiratorially at the girl. "Okay. From here on out, we must stay quiet. We can talk a little bit until we find a game trail, but when that happens, we must be silent. Do you know the difference, Weej, between being quiet and being silent?"
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#15
Weejay was trying her little heart out to be quiet, but she couldn't help the delighted giggle that tickled her throat as Wildfire shared with her a conspiratory look. Elfie would be so jealous, he would! Weejay would brag about them hunting all night, she was sure of it.

But wait, she was supposed to be quiet.. or, silent. Weejay's face scrunched in confusion; weren't they the same thing? She shook her head in a quiet no, her lips pursed exaggeratedly as if to show her Mommy how dedicated she was to being quiet.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#16
Weejay's face scrunched endearingly and Wildfire explained, with a smile, "You can make some noise when you're only trying to be quiet. I can speak quietly, for instance, but I can't speak silently... except with my body. When you're silent, you're trying to make no noise whatsoever." She wondered if that had gone over the girl's head and decided it wasn't important now and finished with, "Just do your best to be quiet for now."

Nudging the youngster's cheek, the Sovereign finally moved off in search of a game trail. Her head dropped as her nose began to skim the ground, myriad scents leading her away from the den and deeper into the copse at large.
we are biding our time, for these myths to unwind
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#17
Weejay followed exactly one part of what Wildfire said, coincidentally the last part. She nodded demurely at that command - that she understood. Being quiet was not her forte, but she would try her hardest if it was what her mother commanded.

She watched somewhat complexed, the way a foreigner might watch a heated exchange in a unknown vernacular; her eyes tried to follow where her body did not, but Wildfire's actions were mostly Greek to Weejay. After a moment where it looked like she had powered down and entered standby, Weejay followed after her mom at a perplexed and very slow crouch.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#18
I vote that we wrap up our sad one and keep this one going a bit longer: one last happy mother/daughter thread? :')

Wildfire glanced sideways to catch sight of her little girl's almost painstaking crawl, which brought a smile to her lips. She said nothing, resuming her search for a scent. Although she felt a little sapped of her usual hunting energy, it wasn't as noticeable, not with the slow pace her company set. And Wildfire hardly minded that.

She came upon the fresh spoor left by a rabbit, yet moved on. Although Weejay wouldn't be the one hunting, Wildfire wanted to find prey that moved a little slower, so her daughter had more of a chance to observe it. She discarded a few other trails before deciding to follow the ripe odor of a groundhog. They could move quickly yet often they were fat and ungainly, at least compared to a rabbit.

"C'mere," she said quietly to Weejay, motioning the pup to come up beside her. "Smell this." She pointed her nose at a patch of grass laid flat on the ground, saturated with the smell of Marmota monax.
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I'm down! Sad is hard to write LOL

Weejay followed excitedly after her dam, noticing that occasionally Wildfire would stop and inspect something. Not until her mother moved off would Weejay pounce upon the invisible area Wildfire had scented; she would often thrust her face into the grass or clover patches, inhaling exaggeratedly. There were so many scents to sort through she did not know where to start, and she was an excited bundle of grey fur as she wriggled her way after her carefully tracking mother.

Drawn to a stop by Wildfire's studious examination of a new trail, Weejay tilted her head and stared intently at the ground. It was bare save for a cluster of pine needles and some dry grass.. She did not need to be told twice to smell it - no sooner had Wildfire suggested it, Weejay was upon it, inhaling roughly while her tail wagged a mile a minute.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#20
She needn't have even asked, as Weejay excitedly thrust her snout against the flattened grass. Wildfire smiled, giving the pup a moment to take in the scent, maybe even catalog it. Likely she wouldn't know what to make of it, at least not yet. When they were done here, the pup would hopefully associate this particular odor with fresh game and a full tummy.

"Now we must be silent," the Sovereign said in a low voice. "Stay close to me, beside me but not quite behind me," Wildfire instructed, gently guiding Weejay into position beside her rear hind leg. "There, right there. Okay. Follow me and try not to make any noises." She exchanged a final glance with her daughter before facing forward, crouching slightly as she prepared to prowl after her prey.
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#21
Weejay had no hopes of cataloguing the scent; she was so excited that nothing would stick in that moment -- at least not for a while. Later she might think back on this, and she might learn something from her new experience -- but for now all she noticed was the grass smelled exciting, and they were about to do something even MORE exciting!

She tried to mimic the crouched form of her mother, but the ease in which Wildfire molded her body into a skulking crouch was not transmutable; at least not for an inexperienced babe like Weejay. All the same she stuck close to her mother's hocks, breathing roughly in loud, excitedly heavy breaths.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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#22
Weejay did an excellent job staying quiet, save for her heavy breathing, which made Wildfire's lips twitch in amusement. Schooling her expression, she nodded approvingly at her little girl, her expression the equivalent of two thumbs up. She knew that the pup's presence might foil the hunt, though the Sovereign wouldn't be too bothered by that. It was a learning experience, after all. But hopefully the pup's breathing would calm and they would have a fighting chance at ambushing their prey.

Stealthily, she crept forward, in stops and starts. Every time she stilled, she motioned for Weejay to do the same. Despite her own distraction at guiding the youngster, the experienced huntress managed to keep most of her senses tuned to the trail. It was getting hotter, the scent thickening in her nose. Surely Weejay smelled it too, though now Wildfire stayed facing forward to keep her eyes out for any sign of the groundhog. Her ears and nose participated too.

There! she thought, freezing suddenly and flattening herself to the grass, just hoping that Weejay knew by now to do the same. Still far enough away that it was only just visible, the groundhog was foraging in a patch of long grass. Wildfire felt her blood heating as she slowly faced Weejay and now mouthed a command: "Wait. And watch."
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#23
The thing about breathing excitably is that it usually gets worse. Weejay sounded louder than a honking goose with asthma as she stalked after her mother, barely able to keep her wheezing mouth shut. 

She was so so focused on being a GOOD hunter and matching EVERYTHING Wildfire was doing (albeit clumsily and delayed) that when Wildfire froze Weejay walked right into one of her mother’s bent hocks. The abrupt slamming into her mother, combined with her heightened adrenaline (which made her quiet nervous) made Weejay issue a quiet squeak of surprise. Much to her horror it came out unintended, and she looked to her mom with wide apologetic eyes — SORRY!!
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone
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When the pup bumped into her with a loud squeak, Wildfire's chestnut eyes flicked back to the groundhog. She saw a flash of pale fur before it vanished into the brush. She winced a little, albeit only on the inside. By the time she turned toward Weejay again, there was a smile playing about her lips.

"That's okay. That happens sometimes. More often than not, to tell you the truth," the Sovereign said before elaborating, "Even master hunters fail much more often than they succeed." Hopefully that was enough reassurance that her daughter avoided feeling too badly for foiling the hunt.

Truth be told, Wildfire was feeling a little woozy at the moment. She took a moment to ponder the strangeness of that... but was it really that odd, considering she hadn't eaten much today? Brushing it aside, she looked speculatively at her child and said, "Let's go find the closest cache so I can show you how we store food. On the way there, let's practice being quiet."

With a twitch of her black tail, Wildfire swiveled on a lithe red paw, facing the direction of the nearest stockpile. She then grinned down at Weejay, waiting to see if her daughter was ready to try being stealthy again.
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#25
Well, Weejay had done flubbed up. The groundhog shot upright like a stepped-on rake, and immediately was gone — leaving Weejay with the very same feeling you’d get when you stepped on said rake: overarching, humiliating failure. 

Her mother didn't seem so taken aback. A smile held to her lips, genuine and warming. Weejay’s sense of total defeat melted away, replaced by a tenacious ambition to be vindicated. Practicing her stealth best she could, the girl nodded dumbly — but padded after her mother as quietly as her clumsy paws allowed.
so hold nice and close the ones who get to your soul,
so that when it is cold, you wont feel so alone