Redhawk Caldera Insane I know

I'm backdating this post so I can feel like I didn't totally skip Phox's key developmental points.

First trip outside the den

If Phox had been enamored by the contents of the cave, getting outside of it was a religious experience for the young, curious boy. He was overwhelmed by the brightness of the outside world, even though he had gotten a few tastes of it when venturing close to the opening. He did not recall the time going from his first home to his second, nor would he ever. This he would later recall as his first solid memory.

Name recognition

It was not the first time he had heard the combination of sounds from his guardians, nor would it be the last. In fact, he had come to recognize two names that they said when they looked at him. One was shorter, the other longer. Both started the same, but ended differently. "Fidget!" called out Raven, and the boy turned his head, smiled, and wagged his tail. It was feeding time, and Phox never missed that opportunity.

First word

There were plenty of sounds that he heard day-in and day-out, but something about today was different. Phox wasn't quite as talkative as some of his siblings, at least when it came to babbling. Aside from his own name, which he had begun to respond to about a week ago, there was another near-constant word that he had picked up on. So when Elwood was cooing one of his siblings—his favorite sibling—Fidget sat nearby with his head tilted. "'Oh-ee 'oh-ee 'oh-ee!" he repeated, looking quizzically at his sister. Elwood, picking up on it, looked mildly amused and somewhat impressed.

Longer excursions

Something exiting going to happen today. Fidget had no idea what was going on, but he had been chosen by Finley. When they got outside (which was a common occurrence now), she continued beyond their normal boundary. Fidget balked, whined, and tucked his tail. They weren't supposed to go further, even though he wanted to. Finley reassured him, coming back and nudging him along beyond the boundary. Tentatively, he accepted this new idea and began to further expand his lust for exploration. Once beyond his initial hesitation, he was leaping and bounding all over the place, making himself quite the chore for his guardian.

Weaning begins

While Phox did eat the partially digested meat that his caregivers brought home, much of his diet was still supplemented by Raven's milk. When he went in to feed, however, she pushed him away. Fidget gave her a confused look, then tried again. It was the same result, and he whined pathetically. He was hungry, and he wanted milk. Persistent, he tried again, but this time, she air-snapped at him. Huffing, he went to sulk in the corner, only to be greeted by a pile of regurgitated meat a few minutes later, courtesy of Elwood.