Neverwinter Forest do you miss me?

tags for reference!
attn: @Hide

naoyuki’s newfound fondness for exploration grew stronger each day. he didn’t want to be confined to their den anymore, and would often argue (using baby babble) with either @Minori or @Takara for permission to leave.

there were days when they refused to comply, but he left anyway. this evening, unlike the others, there was no rainfall — only the distant rumble of thunder, too far for him to touch.

naoyuki didn’t know what to do, now that his main activity had been cancelled. so he waited patiently below the canopy for the rain to return.

Oh, thank god the rain had stopped. Hide was not a fan - navigation was infinitely more difficult through the territory, and the thunder rumbling in the air was ominous. Perhaps it was mostly that he just hated the rain in general - he'd never enjoyed storms. 

There was a faint scent of Yuelong and baby in the air, and Hide's tail set to a wag behind him. He hadn't met any of the puppies yet, not really, but he'd been looking forward to. 

He took slow pawsteps, unsure exactly where the puppy was, but he had a remedy for that. "Hello?" he called, offering a small smile - trying his best to look friendly, not that that would matter with this particular puppy. He'd learn that soon. "I'm Hide. What's your name?"

it was an unfamiliar voice that pulled him from his trance. naoyuki turned in the culprit’s direction, his head tilted lazily to the side as he tried to discern what this stranger wanted.

he introduced himself as hide, which was an easier name for yuki to pronounce than most of the others. nao - nao, he replied, hi.

Aw, that was such a cute name! Hide wagged his tail and crouched down, approaching the owner of the voice. "Nao-nao, huh? I like your name," he complimented, still offering the child a small smile. He had no idea how old the child was, or if they even spoke much of the same language. "What're you doing out here?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

naoyuki shifted himself slightly away from hide, if only to keep some space between them. then, he began to think about how he might best answer such a complex question.

hm, yuki sighed, good. his vocabulary was too limited to elaborate, but for anyone keeping track, he was trying to say that the rain felt good, and that’s why he was out here.

Good? What did that mean? Hide was beginning to suspect that this kid was either younger than he thought, or perhaps there was a sort of language barrier here. He needed to learn some of it, to communicate better with the pack. Maybe he would go to Hua.

It took a few seconds of deliberation for him to come up with what the pup might've meant, and maybe he was a little off the mark, but he was trying. "You're having a good day?" he asked, offering a smile he didn't know the boy couldn't see. "Me, too! It's not raining today."

SORRY omg, they'll get more when he's older and like, more aware LOL

naoyuki frowned. no? he asked, referring to the rain — was it seriously not coming today?

then there was no point in waiting for it, he thought. yuki stood and began moping back in the direction of his den.

It's okay! ^^ fade here?

Well... this was a disappointing first meeting with one of the pups. Hide frowned when the boy walked away, tiny pawsteps retreating into the distance. Had he said something wrong? He wasn't sure. But... he could at least make sure the kid got wherever he was going. 

So, he would walk him to the den. At least, he'd follow at a distance, just to be sure the kid was safe.