Hushed Willows You need to let yourself be happy.

@Minnow, perhaps?

Soft morning sunlight broke through the willow branches, and Sundance blinked his powder blue eyes open to greet the new dawn. He pulled himself up onto his elbows with a lazy groan and stretched a slender hind limb out behind him before he gathered to his paws. His gaze found the slumbering forms of his mothers and, reluctant to wake them, the silver cub crept quietly from their resting place.

An ivory butterfly lingered on the petals of a pastel flower, and Sundance slowed his pace to watch. He thought fondly of his uncle's tale of the peony and the bee and wondered where this particular insect might fit, what her purpose might be.

She sun had peered into the den and woke her up with it bright rays. This was a perfect time to explore especially since her dad wasn’t awake yet. She snuck out like she had many times before. Maybe she’d meet those new pups that were let in or she’d see her grandpa somewhere. He was new but she liked him. 

As she trekked through the grass she saw a wolf who seemed to be close to her in age. “Hi.” She said happily with a short wag of her tail.

So fascinated by the movements of the butterfly as she flexed her lovely wings, Sundance didn't hear the approach of another. Only when a voice broke the silence with a chipper greeting did he tense, startled, and jerked his head to the side so he could fix his gaze to the soft features of a light-coloured cub.

"Oh," he said, relieved, and offered a few beats of his alabaster-tipped tail in return. "Hello." Sundance knew the other pups of Elysium, but not particularly well - he couldn't pair each face with a name, and thus he looked upon his newest companion with a shy little smile. "Come see," he invited, stepping aside to allow her space to better look upon his ivory butterfly if she wished to.

Finally someone who didn’t completely ignore her entire existence. With a smile she carefully walked over to him. She knew the flappy creatures got startled easily and then fly away so she was extra careful. “It’s pretty.” She said simply as she watched it.

She didn't gawk at him, or appear to think him ridiculous. Instead, Minnow smiled brightly and moved in carefully alongside him, muzzle extended to investigate the delicate little creature as it roamed the wildflowers in search of something. Sundance puffed out his tufted white chest, proud to share his discovery with someone, while remaining naive to the possibility that she could be totally uninterested.

"We should give her a name," he suggested softly, as though his very words might spook the butterfly. "Any ideas?"

It seemed that he was happy with what she chose to do and she couldn’t be more excited however she held in her excitement because of the butterfly as he spoke she listened to him and thought. “Hm I’ve never named anything before.” Well except giving her brothers nicknames but what could she and him name this creature. She sat down, looking at the butterfly as she thought.

It only seemed appropriate to name the butterfly, for she was sure to stick around. He couldn't maintain a friend if he didn't know their name, but it seemed his newest companion was all out of ideas. Sundance blinked at her, then shifted to peek down at the pale insect with quiet curiousity. It lingered for only a moment longer, however, as she abandoned her hunt for nectar and fluttered around the boy's muzzle before assuming the search for more receptive flowers.

"Well," he started, taking a seat alongside Minnow as his gaze followed the tiny creature until it settled on another nearby plant, "what kinda things do you like?" He made to exchange a glance with her, offering a shy little smile as his white-tipped tail gave a happy little swish across the ground

He looked at her for a brief moment then his attention went back to where the butterfly was. She kept thinking however, then he asked her what she liked and she said the first thing that came into her little head. Her gaze went from the butterfly and then looked back at him. “Berry? My dad showed me edible ones from a bush the other day. I like those.” But was berry the right name? She could only wait and see what he thought of her name suggestion. Although it sounded goofy in her mind.

Berry, she said, though didn't seem overly convinced by her own suggestion. Sundance's smile brightened in attempt to show her that he approved, and nodded his head to support. "Yeah," the boy agreed, "I like it!"

While the butterfly's pale hue did not match the rich shades of the berries he'd seen, he found them incredibly sweet. He bet Berry the butterfly was really sweet when you got to know her, too.

Flicking his tongue over a lip, Sundance wondered where he might source some real berries with the reminder of his sweet tooth. Wanna go find some?"

He smiled at her and her tail swayed back and forth and she too gave a big smile. He also liked her suggestion on the name that made her beyond happy. Berry had a nice ring to it when she put much thought to it.

She thought of where the berries had been when her dad gave her some and looked at the boy. “Yeah! Come on I’ll show you. Their over here.” She trotted over in the direction of the bush.