Whitebark Stream the view from the summit

Sleeping in the warmth of the sunlight, the grey figure of Kiyoshi moved only in the form of twitching puppy paws and the gentle rising and falling of his chest.
 
The sound of the creek trickling its way across the rocky bed had been enough to lull the child into a much-needed slumber. The growing figure would require a great deal of sleep in his youth. Time would temper the need for naps and would give him an abundance of energy to expend in other ways. Until then, the child was still discovering his limits.

It was too easy to get distracted these days. Her eyes had begun the process to a copper color and she no longer required to be at her mother's side for every meal. Which meant more time was put into exploring. Some days that meant trailing after her father. Some days, like today, that meant a little solo excursion.

However it seemed she wasn't the only one to have thought of this. There was actually someone who looked rather close to herself. Yet they slumbered unlike her.

Why sleep? She asked as she halted a safe distance from him. Her tail a whipping banner behind her.

The voice startled him – Kiyoshi jumped physically – and turned his head toward the figure that had approached him. The female seemed close to his age and shared many of the same coat colors. The puppy blue of her gaze had started to fade way to a glimmering bronze. These things were noticed in a few moments while his eyes searched her frame.
 
She had asked a question.
 
“Nap,” the young pup remarked simply. The tone he spoke in was genuine, earnest in its sound. As though the singular word was adequate enough to quell her query. He supposed that it may have been less obvious. The sun had shifted from where it had originally been when his slumber had started. The warmth had helped to lull him quite easily.

Nap.

Oh. She understood that very well! Sometimes she was often forced into taking one and other times she seemed to force someone into taking one with her. Usually it was a group thing. Yet here was this boy napping alone.

Why no nap with Отец or матушка? Asked as she lowered to her belly. Wiggled across the ground in a crawling manner to get closer to him. Need nap friend?

When she spoke in another tongue, the boy’s ears were pulled forward and cupped. It was unfamiliar to him, but it did not lack pleasantness. While the child did not understand what she meant with her words, he simply focused on the portions that registered clearly in his mind.
 
She was inquiring whether or not Kiyoshi would like a nap friend.
 
The pudgy young boy lifting his head up and nodded his head. “Yes. Nap friend,” the child confirmed and then motioned to the spot beside him so that she might join. The premise of a nap friend was too tantalizing. It seemed as though it was a situation where Kiyoshi could only win; he would find himself with the companionship of an interesting young girl, and they would be able to nap together. What more could a young thing ask for?

At his confirmation, her belly crawl would lead her to his side. Content to flop down next to him with a happy little sigh. It was very warm here in the sun. Not to mention the babble of the creek soothed her busy mind.

Although, the very best thing of all had to be her nap friend. He did not kick or bite. Didn't even shove her around for the best spot next to someone. He seemed plenty happy to just have her here.

Good nap friend. Praised with a toothy grin and feverish beat of her tail.

The stormy girl continued her crawl until she had closed all of the space between them and had placed herself at his side. Kiyoshi leaned into her frame welcomingly – there was little hesitation in the child’s frame.
 
After a moment of existing in each other’s company, the girl turned to him with a toothy expression and a few faps of her tail against the dirt. She complimented his ability as a napping friend. Kiyoshi felt his own tail wiggle softly in return. The mixed color of her eyes had caught his attention. Knowing what he did about interactions, the stoic pup reached out with an interested attempt to touch his nose to her cheek.
 
“Kiyoshi Draconid,” the puppy told her his name. His voice was slow against the difficult portions, but he had managed the introduction, nonetheless.

Kiyoshi Draconid.

It was a very pretty, albeit big, name. The size of such words would not stop her from testing it out for herself. Ki-Ki-Kiyoshi! Very confident even with her rocky start. There was something very fun about the name. Perhaps easy to babble it or maybe even howl it. However she'd try to maintain her energy levels. This was nap friend, not howl friend. Not yet.

Storm Whitebark. Hummed in response as she scooched against him a bit more. Attempted to wiggle her own nose through his monochrome fur. Very comfortable with the closeness and warmth. It was appreciated to have someone who didn't seem to mind her lack of boundaries.

The girl fumbled through his name but managed to make an impressive exclamation of it. The stoic young boy was not phased by this, but he did bob his head to her as a sign of confirmation. While she hummed her own name and scooted herself closer to his frame. The greyscale child did not seem bothered at all by the movement or bustling of the girl.
 
“Storm White…bark,” the boy repeated slowly.
 
It seemed fitting – she was colored like a stormy sky. The name of their pack seemed suitable enough for a name, as far as names went. Kiyoshi waved his tail against her haunch four times before it rested. The thick young pup continued to watch the girl with a stony, unmoved expression. Internally, he had taken quite an interest in her moving about.

There was something nice about introductions. Her nap friend now knew her and who she was and she him. Which meant they were practically best friends now. Especially if the beat of his tail was any indication.

Her nose would work to try and find something familiar about his scent. Not that it was very unfamiliar in general. She just wondered what might set him apart from someone else. Although she knew this didn't exactly follow the ritual for a nap.

Want story before nap? To hopefully make up for her prodding.

’Want story before nap?’
 
The puppy blue of his eyes locked onto her almost feverishly. Kiyoshi leaned toward the girl, pressing his nose to her nose unapologetically. The thick young pup’s figure wiggled for a moment before snuggling tightly to her storm cloud frame and finally nodding his head.
 
“Storm Whitebark… yes,” the child answered her. A story would be lovely to share with his newfound companion.

She took comfort in all of it. Greatly pleased to have found someone who seemed to share her fondness for contact and lighthearted gestures. All the more eager to tell such a good nap friend a story now. Except she had not prepared a story so she would most certainly be winging it.

Big bright come from outside. She started off with a bit of flustered go. One day go explore. Hummed before a toothy childish grin broke her story telling features. No matter how disjointed the story was, she felt she was doing her absolute best. No story could be greater than hers.

Find друг. Good friend. Her tail would begin a rapid beat against the ground as she pressed into him. Kiyoshi. The name was thick and unnatural on her tongue, but it is still the same important thing to her. A new friend to be cherished by the stormy child.

Kiyoshi was deeply invested in the idea of a story from his new companion Storm Whitebark. When she began, his ears cupped forward, and he trained his sights on her features. Throughout the tale, he did not seem to shift in features, but when she had finished, he seemed rather pleased with the entire experience. This was shown by beating his tail against the ground a few times.
 
The word that had been spoken in another tongue had been strange to him. Kiyoshi looked to Storm with a small tilting of his head. The boy was curious about the terminology behind that saying and whether or not she would teach him what it meant and how to repeat it.
 
“What that?” Kiyoshi asked her and then attempted to repeat the word she had used. “Say again.”

His happiness only spurs her own. Although it was mixed with a bit of pride. She was not sure how great her story would be, but he liked it and that was what mattered most. However she had not anticipated his question.

друг? She offered once more, a bit slower this time around. Friend. You друг. A bit of a lazy smirk sprawled over her face. There was confidence to be found in being able to teach someone else something for once.

Try. The girl promted softly.

“друг,” he stated plainly.
 
The sound of it against his tongue was foreign and peculiar, but he repeated the word three more times before nodding his head in a stoic sign of triumph. друг was friend; this was simple enough to remember.
 
“друг Storm Whitebark,” Kiyoshi then confirmed to her. The young pup’s features remained relatively placid. The girl had proven herself to be a valuable companion to him. She had taught him the taste of a new language, and she had provided him with the presence of someone his own age for a short while.