Neverwinter Forest a lot of pretty girls outside

dad #2! @Mal

What a wonderful world! Blue blue eyes had opened, and there was so much to see. Caerus spent the past week wandering around the den, memorizing the features of his nameless guardian. Smelling the dirt of the ground, being blinded by the glorious white of snow. And himself! All he could see for now were his paws, and there was no mirror of water to see his face, but he wasn't disappointed. There were enough exciting things to see within the den- and he couldn't imagine what lied beyond. 

But he was a curious little thing, and once he was full of milk and Cupid was taking a nap alongside him, Caerus wakened. There were many times he would awaken and cry- but there were better things to do now. Stumble-walk on little stubby legs, he made his way towards the entrance of the den. He gazed out at the world- the snow, the grass that peeked through. The trees, towering over him and creating stability of home. Light filtered through the leaves, and even that was new to him- light, that brought the world to life.

Mal hadn't caught anything huge today, just a plump little vole, but he was bringing it to Cupid as he'd done quite a few times -- not every meal, but enough that Mal hoped it showed he was trying. He didn't linger long most of these trips -- regardless of what Cupid had said, Mal was still worried that he'd somehow piss him off enough that he'd abandon the pack and take Caerus with him. It was safer to be brief about it, or so said his logic.

When he spotted the den entry, there was a slight dappling that seemed to be floating in the air there -- no wait. Was that Caerus? He'd frozen mid-step but now moved forward with more urgency, tail wagging behind him and head lower. He didn't want to scare the pup, not that he had any idea if he would or not. And he still had that damn vole in his mouth, so all he could do was mumble a sort of happy whine at him as he got closer, slowing, nervous.

A jumble of shapes presents itself from afar, getting closer and closer and becoming something more recognizable. Shaped like Cupid- canine, as it were- but wholly different in color and pattern. If Caerus knew what he himself looked like, he might've been connecting some dots right now, but instead he simply marvelled at the spotty coat. 

And that smell!! Nothing like milk, no, not at all- but still causing drool to pool in his mouth all the same. Tiny black nose sniffs the air curiously as Mal mumbles through the prey. Sound, sight, and hunger, all joining to create a beautiful symphony for the boy. The curiosity of it all causes him to squeak out a little babble of buh!! He didn't know what it meant, but he hoped to demand some regurgitated whatever-this-wolf-has-in-his-mouth.

And he wasn't scared! That was the amazing thing to him. Mal's tail wagged more, and he sped up again, feeling like maybe for once he was actually invited to something. Another whine, a sort of happy skip in his stride.

But look Mal was also a dumb boy who had no idea what puppies ate or anything. He knew that what he carried could feed Cupid but the whole transition from milk to meat was a mystery to Mal. He had no idea what the pup really wanted -- or at least Mal didn't think he knew. He moved to the den entrance and set the vole to the side so Cupid could grab it, and turned back to Caerus, crouching down to him, trying to get a better look at his son now that he was out in the light and not huddled up next to Cupid's side.

The adult proceeded to drop off the tasty-smelling thing, before heading back over to look at Caerus. Well, Caerus was not having any of that. He reached up, batting up at Mal- but unable to reach him. A frustrated squeak of ah! exits him, and he flops backward onto his back...

...and uses that force to roll, soon pulling himself shakily back up onto his little stub legs. Making his way towards the piece of meat ever so slowly, nose twitching eagerly. Suddenly curious of the other factor, he turns his head around again, momentarily gazing up up at his father with round blue eyes. Wondering who he was, what he was, why he was here.

He was just so small still, it was kind of ridiculous. Even with how he crouched down Caerus still couldn't reach him. How did something so small turn into an adult wolf? But Caerus seemed active and curious -- maybe almost as curious as Mal was himself. Just Mal had the whole fear of somehow hurting him, so he was being, well, a little boring to start.

In the end, Mal lay down, sphinxlike, his tail sweeping on the snow behind him, he dropped his head to his paws for a moment, wanting to tempt him forward again, So how are you, little guy? That's probably a bit big for you to eat right now, huh? It was impossible for him not to smile. But the vole probably was pretty interesting, he had some pretty stiff competition there.

The adult lays down onto his stomach, head goes down, and more noise comes from his mouth- this time further from anything Caerus was capable of. Whines, he could do that, but complex sentences were another deal. And so in an attempt at imitation, he sputters out a quiet little huh? There! That sounded right! Stubby tail wagged side to side however it could, and for the first time the boy experienced something like pride. 

He pays another glance back to the vole- which still held his attention, and then another back at dad. Whose snout now rested on the ground, and whose nose he could perhaps now bat at. Giving up on his expedition for meat, he waddles back to the new wolf, stopping in front of his face and bumping his nose with his own snout. And almost immediately twitching backwards in surprise at the cold and wet texture he found there.

Was 'huh' even a real word? Like did it count? He had no idea if it did, or if Caerus had said anything else vaguely recognizable. But the little kid seemed so proud of it, so Mal would be too. It was a different feeling than he was expecting, his life had more frequently been full of anger and disappointment so this was a whole new universe. The wide smile on his face was entirely honest.

And then Mal got a tiny little boop on the end of his nose! He stifled a chuckle as Caerus backed up in surprise. Hi, Mal stretched forward a bit to nuzzle the boy's cheek (or probably half of his face, given the size difference) if he was allowed.

The adult smiles- if Caerus knew how to smile on command, he would've reflected Mal. But all he knew for now was instinct and reflex; whatever came to him naturally in the moment. He could not yet prompt himself to smile, laugh, or cry, he could not wag his tail whenever he so desired. But the part of him that was programmed by mother nature knew somehow that a smile meant joy. Was he the cause of that happiness? Only one way to find out...

Soon Dad is leaning down to nudge his face, which elicits a natural giggle to bubble out of him, and a real, genuine smile. Little stubby tail wags from side to side in the momentary aftermath of that contact, and as Mal speaks another babble, Caerus tries his best to echo. H.. hai... He squeaks. Anything to please dear old dad, anything to see more of that smile. He did not know this was his father, but he knew in this moment he was the jester, and his job was to entertain in one way or another.

This little boy! The smile, the giggle -- so pure and innocent, it twisted at his heart. He wasn't even sure why. If anything, it made Mal feel more broken. And Caerus was babbling at him too, and Mal replied, Yeah, you've got it. A small shake in his voice. No end to his smile. He stretched forward again, but didn't quite touch him, just up nice and close, So whatcha wanna do, Caerus? It wasn't like he was going to respond properly, but it felt weird to not talk. Had Mal's tail even stopped wagging at this point? Probably not. How did someone play when they were so small? He was out of his depth.

Dad smiles and Caerus's tail wags a mile a minute like a helicopter. He believed in this moment that life would always be this way- simple, easy. Happy. A world without priority or responsibility, a world in which he could babble at strangers and they would smile together and there were no worries. This was life to Caerus. 

The man's face comes close to him again, and yet there is no more of that sweet contact. Still, Mal's eyes are so close now, and- the pretty colors! ooOooOoo! He hums with enthusiasm. One golden, the other silver. Did Caerus look like that too? The stranger was making noise again, but Caerus couldn't really be bothered to care, too busy staring wide-eyed into his gaze. wuh, he whispers quietly, some baby language expression of awe.

Okay, this time Mal had no idea what he'd done to totally fascinate the kid. Hell, the pair seemed to be almost hypnotized by their opposite. Except if Mal thought too hard maybe he'd end up wrapped up in the thoughts that had been dredged up a few moments prior. He needed to stay away from it.

He inched forward again again moving to nuzzle him again, speaking as he did so, Huh? Whatcha gonna do? It had worked so well last time, gotta try again. Wolf equivalent of a tickle attack sorta? Something like that!

Dad's touch sends another wave of happy little butterflies through him, good vibrations up and down his spine and all through his little bones. Laughter, more of it, one of the only sounds that seemed complete at this age. His giggles were that of a baby, his innocence untouched by the cold and instability of the world that surrounded them. There was nothing beyond his guardian's milk and this stranger's nuzzles and the wonder of gazing into two-toned eyes. 

Through the laughter there is little room for words, and with his giggles comes hiccups, a few that float up and out of his throat, surprising even himself. Once the giggle fit is over though, he imitates the wolf again- huh? and his tail begins to wag proudly, before he lets out another hiccup- no wait... it was a little burp, right in dad's face.

Could he just forget all the awful stuff out there and just hang out with his kid forever? It dredged up a pile of mixed emotions, most of them good. Even the hiccups softened Mal's expression. Yeah! Burp. He sort of snort-laughed, Eww, you burped in my face! Then he booped Caerus on the nose with his own.

But there was only so much he could do just laying there. Mal got to his feet then ducked into a play bow, curious to see if Caerus would understand. Was it something learned or something innate? Who the heck knew! If it wasn't, he'd figure out something else. But no matter what Mal was pretty sure his neck and shoulders were going to hurt later from trying to stay within reach of the pup, but he was going to enjoy this time before Cupid woke up and played spoilsport which was what he was expecting.

Another touch to his face- and more laughter! He was quite the predictable little thing, and his joys were simple. It took little to make Caerus happy, and there was nothing he seemed to love more than being the center of anyone's attention. 

ew! He imitates Mal in a squeak. The adult drops into a play-bow- which is something Caerus has never seen before. But somehow the pose felt distantly familiar, like something from a past life, and so he does the same, dropping his front half to the ground. The distance was not much; he was a tiny thing, but the pose felt natural. His hindquarters wagged back in forth excitedly in the air, not even sure what was to come next. Meanwhile, @Cupid was slowly beginning to wake in the background.

If there's one thing he learned about parenthood it's this: sleep with one eye open. Little Caerus wasn't just a ball of fluff anymore; he's a ball of fluff with legs. And man did that boy use them. He couldn't go two seconds without trying to run off somewhere. It was nice to see him moving around, but the escape attempts scared the shit out of Cupid. The overprotective, highly alert dad mode was starting to kick in, so of course the noise woke him from his slumber.

He glanced down at the spot Caerus was supposed to be. The pup had finally managed to get out the den without being stopped. Cupid immediately shot up and made his way towards the entrance. His son was there (thank god) with Mal. He couldn't say he was a-ok with the playdate  going on here. Sure it was cute and all but Mal was ten times that baby's size!

Cupid chuffed to make his presence known. Hey Mal? If you crush my kid you're a dead man. If he wanted to play with him he better be super fucking careful.

Mal didn't notice the shadows shift, he was too focused on Caerus and whatever game he was going to be making up here. From the bow, he sort of pounced to one side, an exaggerated sort of thing. It wasn't like a game of chase would be a good idea, but bouncing around in front of the den would probably be fine, right?

That was when Cupid cut in. From Mal's perspective, he'd just apparated out of nowhere -- Caerus was going to ditch him and run right over, wasn't he? The joy faded from Mal's face quickly, replaced with this muddled expression that probably was pretty familiar to Cupid from the last couple times he'd run into Mal -- bits of desperation, really wanting to please, and fear of what might be. His ears folded back slightly as he stood up straight, probably looking kind of scolded as well. But -- he's my kid too. I wouldn't hurt him. Maybe he said it a little too plaintively, but it was true. He was still scared of somehow pissing off Cupid enough that he'd leave, and seemed to err on the side of overreacting the other way.

Mal nearly had Caerus entranced as he pounced from side to side. The boy could only gaze on in dual wonder and confusion, before a chuff from behind distracts him. Caerus turns, wide eyed, to gaze upward. buh! He chirps with excitement at the sight of his dad. Dad babbles some more of that foreign language, and then more is coming from the other side- 

-and so Caerus whips his head back at the pale stranger who he had been playing with. Not so playful anymore- the smile was entirely gone from his face. Caerus was not sure how to frown, but his tail slowed its joyful wag, as he sensed a loss of the prior happy atmosphere. Wondering if he could make the stranger smile again, he shouted out hee! in a grand imitation squeak, presently ignoring Cupid.

Cupid: The rain on everyone's parade.

As soon as he took notice of him, Mal deflated. Smile turned upside down, ears fell back. If that didn't make him feel like an asshole, then Caerus did. Poor little guy noticed the change in tone as suggested by his body language. Even still he tried to lighten the mood with a gleeful squeal.

Yeah, I know. Cupid sighed and let his shoulders droop. Then he added with a dry laugh, Because you know I'll tear you apart if you do. He was only have joking.

Caerus' response tore at him. It made the smile start coming back, his tail sort of wagged but he tried to make it not. Cupid spoke next, and Mal looked up. Despite the fact he, too, had faltered a bit, in a sense the damage was already done. His whole expression was split between joy and desperation. There wasn't a particular winner out of it, and it kept him pretty much rooted to the spot.

He just kept feeling like Cupid really didn't actually want Mal here, help or not. What do I need to do? his voice wavered. Okay, he wasn't being particularly specific. Mal was so good at talking. What did he need to do to make things not like this? Not that he knew what he wanted, but just... not this. I want to be here for him -- and -- what do I need to do? more desperate again. Train of thought sort of lost, not that he had it in the first place, he looked to the boy again, trying to keep himself from going too far off the rails.

His antics worked for only a moment, but soon the stranger looked all pained and droopy again. Caerus frowned. What had happened? Cupid laughed, but it sounded funny- like it wasn't real. Caerus reluctantly makes his way towards dad, seeing no more fun in the stranger- although dad didn't seem like much of a ray of sunshine either. He settles beside one of Cupid's paws, now watching the stranger shyly with big blue eyes and an unreadable expression.

Ok jokes weren't working. Mal had taken things a bit too seriously, but who could blame him. Cupid didn't convey sarcasm very well. And honestly he harmed Caerus in any way he would kill him. No questions asked. But he believed Mal would never do that, especially wirh how he was acting now.

Hey, hey, chill out man. Before he continued he gently patted Caerus on the back with a paw and smiled. It's fine. It's just- How could he put this in a way where he wouldn't freak out even more. I don't think you realize how big you are and how small he is. And how paranioid I am. What if you accidentally step on him while you two fooling around?

And Caerus moved away. Like some sort of awful metaphor off the whole thing. But Mal couldn't look at him much more or he might actually crack a bit more visibly. No, that isn't -- he exhaled sharply. I was being careful. I wouldn't hurt him. He searched for words again, a false start, but at last he said, Let me actually work with you. This doesn't -- I don't -- I don't want to be like this.. That was about as specific as he could get -- he didn't have the vocabulary, literally or emotionally to express anything. But he didn't like acting the way he was now. It needed to change. Wasn't sure how, but something had to. He needed to be able to be snarky and smile, but Cupid held the power to make him not.

Dad pats him on the back- and although it doesn't spark a smile, his tail wiggles from side to side in response to the touch. The adults babble on, which he finds utterly boring- though occasionally he hears a sound he likes and whispers it to himself under his breath. too...hee...yoo... Wide eyes eventually get bored of staring at Mal and waiting for him to do something funny, so eventually his gaze wanders around them- to Cupid's soft fur, to Caerus' own paws.

What? Cupid didn't understand this evergrowning desperation. This wasn't much of a big deal. He said he wouldn't hurt Caerus, and that should be that. Everything was fine, everyone understood eachother. But this is something more to Mal and Cupid had no idea why.

I am letting you work with me. He was here, first of all. He could've stayed on the plateau or go anywhere else on this planet, but he chose to stay here in Mal's forest. That equated to Cupid letting him help right? He thought that was clear, maybe it wasn't clear enough. What do you mean by that?