Moonspear a spoonful of sugar

Open to anyone at the Nasamik'Chakliux den or perhaps a packmate stopping by to play with babies :)

It was a gloriously sunny spring day. Seal and @Orca II had been left in @Nasamik’s care while @Meerkat and Njord, both tired and a little sleep deprived, took time alone for a river walk together. Each day the puppies were growing more active as they morphed into curious toddlers.

Seal played duck-duck-goose with Orca and @Raiyuk, took a small nap, and then explored the outside of the den.

It felt like every day her world became larger! On this Monday, Seal had the sense to look up for the first time in her life. There, she spied a songbird with a red breast perched on a branch. When it whistled, she cocked her head to and fro in an attempt to make sense of the peculiar animal.

Fennec was drawn in by the birdsong. She wasn’t at all expecting puppies at the end of it.

So far she’d been successful at avoiding her younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, etc - all to the detriment of her relationships, of course, but she didn’t count it as her fault entirely when the onus was always on her to visit. Clearly the feeling was mutual.

Except… now here they were. One of them, at least. Fennec could tell this one was Meerkat’s immediately, though there were others nearby who weren’t.

Hi. She couldn’t ignore it completely, but she didn’t plan on sticking around. Except… shit. Who was here watching them? She didn’t hear anyone, at least not outside. Fennec might be stuck here after all.

The sandy adult caught Seal’s attention. A new friend! Seal, wholly innocent and naive, waddled over to Fennec immediately. No sprig of danger or threat existed in the little pup. Every adult, no matter what they looked or smelled like, had always been friendly and kind.

“Hi!” she parroted and then giggled, liking the word but not really understanding what it meant just yet.

“Hihihihi,” Seal’s little tail wagged low and she rolled onto her back to show her pink belly at Fennec’s paws.

Well, this was… unexpected.

You’re being cute, aren’t you? I can hear it. Fennec’s tone was slightly accusatory, but she couldn’t help the small smile that began to twitch up the corners of her mouth. Well, shit.

Listening to ensure no one was around to watch, Fennec leaned down where she heard the unmistakeable rolling of a little dirt monster and gave the pup a soft nuzzle on whatever was facing skyward… belly or side, it didn’t make a difference.

Auntie won’t curse you today, but only because it wouldn’t stick. They’d hear you and curse me for trying it. She added, her voice dropping to an affectionate and playful pattern.

Seal merrily giggled when Fennec booped her rotund belly. She just loved it when adults spoke to her. As she grew, her brain clung to new words. The pups’ vocabulary quickly expanded and although she didn’t exactly know a word’s meaning she could infer a sentence’s tone pretty well. However, one particular word stood out like a shiny new penny.

“Auntie curse, Auntie curse!” She squealed aloud, loving how the phrase sounded. Fennec’s low and playful tone made the pup feel frisky and she practically jumped into her aunt’s arms, wanting to wrestle.

The puppy giggled just as cheerfully as Killdeer had when he was that age. Fennec was instantly taken back to time spent wrestling with him, just like this, within their small den in the Caldera. He'd been the one light in the darkness of that time, and it occurred to her that even if she hadn't been able to enjoy her pregnancy, she'd fully gotten to enjoy the benefits of motherhood. Until he chose to leave, there'd never been a time she'd passed on an opportunity with him. Even if she never got the former, she would always have the latter, and that counted for so much more in the grand scheme of things.

Auntie Curse. I kind of like that. She retorted quietly, catching her niece and then falling sideways so she could gently wrestle her more easily. Appropriate, though she wondered what would happen if Meerkat heard it. If I'm Auntie Curse, then you must be a little frog. All aunties capture little frogs and keep them for company. She blew playfully on Seal's stomach, then loosened her hold so that the little girl could wiggle free and gain the advantage.

When Auntie Curse flopped to the side Seal became ensnared in her arms and writhed to escape! “Widdle fwohg, widdle fwohg!” she giggled. ‘Frog’ was actually a familiar word to the toddler - her Da had once pointed out the green amphibian on an excursion to the creek. She kicked out her back legs and mimicked one. “Hawp, hawp, Ribbot!” she hooted.

But when Fennec blew a big fat raspberry on her tummy Seal just about lost it. She hysterically laughed and screeched to the point Seal thought she would wee herself! Thankfully, no piddle was puddled and Seal managed to escape her Aunt’s grasp. Then, like a little revved engine, she growled and shouted “Widdle fwohg HUNGREE! NOM NOM NOM!”

Seal pounced onto Fennec’s shoulder, pretending to eat it, her back toes barely touching the ground.

She would wrastle with Fennec for a few minutes, until @Meerkat rescued her sister from the little hungry frog.