Larksong Grotto I'm a blank page in a notebook waiting to be filled with countless drawings of cocks

Tis the season. In honor of it being Christmas Eve, I wanted to post a quick thread for the family. This one's for @Astik and @Tapat -- and @Jhala can pop in too!

After the incident, things around the grotto had been somewhat quiet. His family deserved that much, Hiram thought. Some peace would do them good. Still, despite the status-quo of silence, winter made its slow creep into the Taiga. The rocky terrain was blanketed in a fresh layer snow and spirits were as low as the falling temperature. Especially for young Tapat, who had been deeply shaken by Laurel's violent fit. Hiram tried his best to make his son feel safe and to bring a smile to his face again. It was a hard thing to do, but he was determined not to ruin them too.

When he returned to the grotto's mouth, slipping inside to escape the frigid cold and the falling snow, he carried with him the skull of a doe recently felled in the last hunt. Flesh being stripped completely, all that remained was white, dry bone. Hiram remembered long ago his mother giving him a toy similar to this when he was a boy himself. He had loved it, and he played with it until it cracked and fell apart. He hoped his sons would enjoy playing with skull just as much as he had when he was their age.

"Boys?" Hiram called after setting the doe's skull down at his feet, his voice echoing through the deepest reaches of the cave.

Tapat stayed within the back of the cave for most of the time. He was starting to become more mobile now his neck was less bruised and he could move it more frequently. However he had not been outside since the attack. Luckily for the pup here was a small stream running through the cave. However with the incoming snow the water was starting to freeze. Soon the pup would need to go outside if he wanted water.

Tapat stayed close to Astik if his parents were gone. He rather wanted them around so they could protect him. His father returned which made him slightly relieved. The pup walked forward instead of his normally neck breaking speed. He watched what his father placed down. Tapat grew uncertain and looked at his father with a questionable expression, not sure what to do with this. He didn't feel like playing. He moved with a big curve around it and then watched it from between Hiram's legs. "Was is it?"

Jhala cameo! this'll probably be my only post <3

the boys were good. Tapat was still shaken but his fears were quickly forgotten whenever he was with family-- something she was thankful for. this was okay, not great, but okay. they were healing, all of them, and that would take time-- emotional wounds especially took more time. she was watching her babies closely when Hiram came in, a bright, shiny skull in his mouth. she moved to nose both of her goslings forward, making sure Tapat knew he was safe to go towards him. he would've known though that Hiram was safe, and she didn't have trouble convincing him. otherwise, she rested her head on her paws and closed her eyes, letting her husband pay them a bit more attention and letting herself get a bit of rest-- maybe.

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Boys? Astik’s ears perked, his interest piqued when his father’s voice echoed through the cave for him and Tapat. Astik turned his attention from the new piece of bone he’d taken after giving Tapat his old one, letting it fall from his lips covered in saliva and teeth marks. He shifted slightly, squinting over his shoulder before he let the bone, held stationary between his paws before the shadow boy hefted his pudgy self up to investigate his curiosity getting the better of him (only after Jhala's nose to get him moving). Tapat and Jhala had beaten him to greet Hiram, but having brought up the rear hadn't dampened Astik's spirit any. Astik’s gaze touched them in turn before it came to rest upon the giant bone Hiram had sat down. At least, that was kind of what it had reminded him of. He kept a skull of a particularly runty squirrel at a messy corner of the den with his other treasures. His eyes widened and his tail wagged back and forth like a propeller, the motion causing the shadow Larksong’s butt to wiggle. “Woow!” He breathed, excited by it. “Is so big!” Astik let out a low yip, prancing in place, wanting to rush forward to investigate and smell it, but held back until his father gave him the go ahead.

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From what he could tell, both boys seemed to enjoy their gift. Tapat was perhaps a bit more reserved than Hiram had ever seen him, but he thought he saw the boy stir with curiosity. In the hopes that it return his son's bright spark, Hiram answered. "It's a deer skull," he said before licking the forehead of the boy who sat between his forepaws. "You guys can play with it. Do you like it?" Hiram then looked to Astik, who seemed overjoyed. The boy didn't stop moving, and it seemed he was using all his self restraint to not start playing now. Hiram nodded and motioned for the boy to

"Go ahead. Have fun." Please. After everything, after Laurel, all Hiram wanted to do was bring his family happiness. This was a small gift, but it was something/ A little bit of fun would do both boys some good. "My mother gave me a skull just like this when I was your age," he explained warmly. "I hope you two like it as much as I did."

Tapat was confortable between his father's front paws as he explained. A deer skull. Ah. As soon as he thought about it, it seemed to slip from Tapat's mind. He stepped forward as his father encouraged him to do so. He sniffed it before trying to bite into it. It was not soft as meat. Though then he knew there were hard and soft parts when they were eating. The soft parts were nice the hard parts had a nice inside. Did these bones have nice insides too?

He pushed his nose against the orbit and tried to sniff inside. His tail was gently wagging. Tapat nosed over it and tried to sink his teeth in again. It was kind of a repetition from him where he would sniff it out, trying to bite into it, then be reminded that there was bone marrow somewhere to then bite into it again. Quite a curious thing to look at.