Daddy Daughter Time

[Arete]

She had strayed, a bit too far this time. Although she was still within the Chamoru Plains, she had wandered a bit too far east and managed to separate herself too far from her parents and siblings. Her brothers, although usually causing trouble for their parents at her side, were not with her, and today she found herself all alone in the very tall grasses of the Aveline. She was sure she would get a lecture once she returned home, but for the time being, she was enjoying the feeling of freedom that only a loner's offspring could possibly imagine. See, the majority of the pups on the island, at least from what she had heard from her parents, belonged to packs. Their lives were already planned out for them and their loyalties already decided. But she was different. Her, Ren, and Everest could do whatever they wanted, and be whoever they wanted to be. Now, she believed that they would always be together, just because that was how it always was. Why would that change?

They made each other strong, they were best friends, and they were family. She smiled at the thought, glad that she had such a strong little unit to fall back on if she needed them. But, right now, they were far away. To her it was likely much farther than what it would be when she was an adult, but right now, she could not help but feel at least somewhat alone in her new found freedom. This would be so much more fun with Ren here to wrestle, or Everest to chase her through the tall grasses. But, thanking her mother for her incredibly imaginative mind, she yipped and leaped forward, chasing some imaginary foe that he led her this far to begin with. Of course, she was defending her family's territory, though they had no right to claim one, even here. Still, a pup could play, could they not?

She squeaked as she pounced down on a large patch of grass, yelping in surprise as she was knocked backwards by an unsuspecting hare that she had accidentally surprised during a late afternoon nap. The creature had been expertly hidden, and now it bounced away, leaving her laying on her side in the tall grass, just as confused and surprised as the rodent likely was. She would have given chase, and she attempted to, but she had managed to lose sight of the creature almost the instant that she had gotten back onto her feet. So, of course, this led her off on another blind chase, swerving through the tall grass and making it bend and sway from her tiny body as her awkward paws that she still had to grow into stumbled and thundered lightly across the soft earth that was the very foundation of the Aveline.

Words: 475
Tags: @summit
Muse: Low
Notes: n/a

[Deleted]

The feeling of panic had chased him across the plains, sensitive sense of smelling guiding him eastward from where the rest of the family remained. His gait was wide, hurrying through the field of golden grass. His eyes searched every crevice, but still, he couldn’t find his errant daughter. The pup’s scent trailed across the plains, empty save for the dried reeds that swayed in the wind. She couldn’t have gone too far, he assumed, but already, he had traveled a long way away from the others, his mate and the three other pups they had created. Katari worried, and Summit did, too – he was just better at keeping his anxiety to himself. They were still new to this whole parenting thing.

It would be a different story once the pups were old enough to follow their parents in their travels, but for now, their wandering was rather limited due to the young age and the dangers of being a loner in a big, unfriendly world. He was excited to see how they would grow, what their personalities would be like, but he didn’t want them to change. Summit wanted his pups to stay little and sweet forever, just the way they were now at two months of age… Which seemed to be the case for Ophelia, the smallest of the litter. She had barely grown since her birth. While her brothers and sister seemed to get bigger every time he blinked, Ophelia remained dainty and small, a white puffball of sweetness and empathy and love.

The missing pup, however, was less delicate, but too young to go off by herself without nearly giving her father a heart attack. When he finally spied the pale pup, he heaved a heavy sigh of relief. She was weaving through the grass, blissfully unaware of her surroundings. ”Dandelion, you really had me worried this time. Why did you have to wander off alone?” If someone else had discovered her first, someone less kind and a lot more hungry.… He shook the thought from his head and trotted over to Arete, heavy paws creating tiny dust clouds as he approached. ”You’re lucky you were born so cute or I’d haul you back by your tail, teach you a lesson for scaring your mom and dad,” he chided in a voice feigning seriousness, but he was smiling all the while, relieved that his search had been brief, even if the pup had wandered a little too far on her latest adventure. Summit would never dream of harming a hair on their tiny little bodies. The very thought of something bad harming his pups was unbearable. They were his whole life, the best things that had ever happened to him.

His muzzle nudged the young female, and once again, he was amazed by how small she was, though nowhere near as tiny as her sister. Arete was practically the same size as his head. She needed him to be there, protecting her, keeping her safe and sound. He was just no good at discipline or punishments – one sad look from any of the pups was enough to wear away his convictions when it came to teaching them a lesson. They weren’t bad pups. In fact, they reminded Summit of himself when he was young, with a thirst for everything the world had to offer. But Summit had grown up in a pack. He had been relatively secure in the jungle he once called home. His own little ones didn't have the same luxury. All they had was one another. And that was enough for Summit. He nuzzled the girl softly, anxiety forgotten for now. ”You know you shouldn’t be doing that. At least bring your brothers so you’re not alone. Or better yet, bring me, I’m always up for a little wandering myself.”  He smiled in his characteristic way, a little goofy but lacking any real hint of anger.

Words: 666

Tag: Arete

OOC: I decided Arete needed a cute nickname from her Dad <3

[Arete]

She was bounding, leaping forward as if there was nothing in the world that could stop her. But, just as she pretended she was about to pounce onto her invisible foe, a voice behind her made her stumble and fall right on her face. "Ooof." The sound was obviously disgruntled, and after a few moments she righted herself in order to turn around and look up at her father. Had he been following her? She tilted her head slightly, frowning up at him as he threatened to pull her back by her tail. But, unlike many other pups - at least she assumed they were like that - his comment only made her curious, and it made her laugh slightly. "What if you pulled my tail off? Could you do that?" She asked, her tail wagging and her head tilting to the side. She still had to grow into her ears and paws, so the pointed appendages on her head flopped over to the side as she looked up at her father. "Good point. With Ren and Everest with me, I might have made it to the ocean!" She said, already knowing that her father would not appreciate her over-eager ambition to get as far away from the safe place he had provided her with as possible.

She loved her family, that was for sure, but she had already learned how to cause trouble for her parents, even if it was just for fun. She had gotten the lectures, she knew of the dangers of the island, but she had not smelled any wolves anywhere near this place when she had been chasing her enemy. He had gotten away from her, but she could feel his eyes on her back, mocking her for her lack of skill. She would get better some day, and she would get bigger some day, too. Maybe if Ren and Everest were here she could have caught him. She looked up at her father, knowing that he was not particularly pleased with her, and gave him a sweet smile. "I'm hungry." She said, jumping up onto her feet and moving back in the direction of home. It was amazing how she knew exactly where to go, but she had been practicing her tracking skills on her invisible foe. True, he was an expert at covering his scent, but she always managed to find him somehow.

But, instead of passing her father, she smiled up at him, wagging her tail and nipping at his chest. Then her tiny little teeth closed around his leg and she playfully gnawed on it. It was enough to probably pinch, but she was not biting hard enough for her sharp little puppy teeth to actually hurt. The whole time her tail wagged, hitting her sides every now and then as her ears flopped over and her paws spread to keep her balance. A soft, playful growl rumbled in her throat, but she knew that it was nothing near the ferocious growl that she would one day utter once she was fully grown up. But that was the future. Right now she was free and she had her father to play with. What more could she ask for?

Words: 536
Tags: @summit
Muse: Low
Notes: n/a

[Deleted]

"What if you pulled my tail off? Could you do that?" He watched, still grinning, as his daughter’s head tilted questioningly. Just when he thought they couldn’t get any cuter, they always did – how could he ever be upset with them? They were pups. Pups did naughty things sometimes. Summit understood. He made no further attempt to be serious in his conversation, shaking his head with a bubbling laugh. ”I’ve never tried to pull off someone’s tail, but they’d look pretty silly without one, wouldn’t they? I’ve never seen someone without a tail, but I guess it may be possible, if one wolf is really big and the other, really small.” Arete was average sized for a pup – though in comparison to the giants who roamed nearby, she was a mere pebble in a landslide. Ren and Everest were more stocky, stronger and heavier like their Arctic father, while the girls were both petite – though no one was as petite as Ophelia, who seemed more like a fluffy bunny than an actual wolf. It hurt his heart to see his tiny daughter struggling to maintain the pace of her siblings and parents. The life of a loner was hard enough, but for Ophelia, everything was much more difficult.

"Good point. With Ren and Everest with me, I might have made it to the ocean!" He tried to suppress his amusement, but failed to do so as he lowered his great, snowy head to the same level as his daughter’s hazel eyes. ”You’re trying to get to the ocean, hm? I’m more of a mountain lover, myself. And besides…” He gave her a nudge in the direction she had traveled before rising to stand at his full height once more. ”The ocean is that way. Well, technically, the ocean is in any direction, since we’re on an island. But the fastest way, and the place you were born, is toward the east. That’s where the sun rises.” Perhaps it was a bad plan to correct her, since the next time, it was entirely possible that the pup would attempt to make that journey. Like so many pups, her thirst for adventure seemed unquenchable. The Arctic brute was not entirely surprised, for he had been the same way.

The pup complained of hunger, and paternal instinct overtook Summit, his hazel eyes immediately scanning the vicinity for any hint of movement. ”Then we should go for a hunt, maybe bring something home to Mommy and to Lia? I’ll bet they would like that.” He smiled as he spoke of his mate and his other daughter, Ophelia. It was never too early to learn how to hunt, whether male or females, large or diminutive in size. The ability to hunt could be the difference between living to see another sunrise, or an anonymous death in the wildness. For now, though, it seemed Arete was more interested in practicing her pouncing on her father’s foreleg. He would never be able to picture Arete as she imagined her own future: strong and independent, fearsome in her own right. He couldn’t bear to shake her off, so instead, he licked the mottled forehead of the little femme.

words: 557

tag: Arete

[Arete]

Had she been older, the little female likely would have easily been able to realize that she had her father wrapped tightly around her finger. But, of course, she was just a pup, and just as easily distracted as a magpie. She gnawed on her father's paw playfully for a few more moments, but as he licked her head, she let go and nipped at his face as it pulled away from her. She missed, of course, but her little body jumped up from the ground slightly in the attempt and by the time she had all four paws on the ground again, she was already distracted. "I wasn't looking for the ocean. I was chasing an enemy. He got away, though." She said, jumping back to their earlier conversation as if it had never been completed and had happened only seconds before. ""He is still hiding somewhere. I'll catch him someday, when I'm big, like you." She said, looking up at her father, the gesture causing her rump to lower behind her and touch the ground in a sitting position.

All the while her tail wagged, swatting back and forth in the grass behind her and smacking against her side every once in a while with her excitement. Her mind was all over the place, and as if fate were simply enjoying the sight of the pup bouncing off the walls, a colorful butterfly fluttered between the two, instantly throwing the little female into another chase. She bounded around her father, swatting at the bug as it fluttered just out of reach of both her paws and her sharp puppy teeth. Of course - as she still had some growing to do - she tripped over her over-sized paws and landed face first into the grass, her body following suit and tumbling her right into her father's front paws as the butterfly fluttered away to safety higher up in the air. ""You got lucky this time!" She called out to the colorful creature, threatening it for when she was bigger and more coordinated.

She scrambled up from the ground as she shouted the threat to the butterfly, though seconds later she was looking back up at her father. ""What are we going to hunt?" She asked, tilting her head and ignoring the grass that hung from her fur all over, that is, until a piece strayed in front of her eyes and made her shake her head. Her body followed the motion, shaking back and forth until she was standing on all fours and the movement made it's way all the way down her tail and her paws. ""Are there wild boars here? Or bears?" She asked, her eyes wide and excited, even though she had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Sure, she had heard the animals talked about, but she really had no idea what they were. Hell, they could be smaller than rabbits for all she knew. But she doubted that was true. From what she had heard, bears sounded like they were huge, even bigger than her dad. Were there bears here? What if she had found one while she was chasing her invisible enemy? The thought of caution, however, had briefly skirted through her mind before it was wiped away by the excitement of hunting with her father.

Words: 554
Tags: @summit
Muse: Medium
Notes: n/a

[Deleted]

"I wasn't looking for the ocean. I was chasing an enemy. He got away, though. He is still hiding somewhere. I'll catch him someday, when I'm big, like you." The Arctic male smiled, nodding in agreement, though the brute doubted that Arete would ever rival his own size, given her gender. But the very thought of his little girl all grown up was equal parts gratification and horrifying. It was his duty to make certain the pups survived into adulthood, but it was hard to imagine them being anything other than sweet, dependent babies. Summit was a wolf born for fatherhood: patient and gentle, full of wonder in spite of the troubles in his life. His mate was…. definitely an interesting she-wolf, with quirks that Summit had learned to accept in their earliest days of their relationship, when they were nothing more than lonely wanderers. He found it endearing now, even named one of their pups after Ren. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder… what if their pups had the same quirks? What if the enemy that had lured Arete away was, in fact, invisible? Katari’s mental issues were harmless enough…

He watched Arete, still wondering about what thoughts swirled around in her young mind, as a butterfly caught the pup’s wandering attention. Trying to catch the insect, flitting in the air in a colorful blur, was like trying to capture a cloud: beautiful and alluring, but always just out of reach. His daughter’s voice was music to him: "You got lucky this time!" Within seconds, the butterfly was forgotten. Summit had always been a distractible wolf, and Katari was no better, so he wasn’t surprised to see his daughter’s ever-changing focus.

"What are we going to hunt? Are there wild boars here? Or bears?" Bears were merciless killers, and he had personally seen the damage a boar’s sharpened tusks could do to a wolf. Gaping wounds, oozing infections… The thought of them made him instantly nervous, but he suppressed the emotion. He couldn’t appear weak in his daughter’s eyes. “I’m not sure if there are any boars or bears around here,” he responded honestly, though he didn’t mention that meeting either species could end in unmitigated disaster for the wolves. ”We can look for something a little smaller to start, something that doesn’t have sharp parts. It’s easier if you have someone else to hunt with. Start by sniffing for scents. The most recent smells are the strongest, and those are your best bets. So let’s go, we’re a team now!”

He thought of his mother, the most spiritual wolf he had ever known. If she was still watching over him, as he had long suspected, he knew that she would be proud of her son and her grandpups. His snowy fur tousled in the warm summer breeze, like a gentle caress… He was certain she was still there, even if he couldn’t see her anymore. Her wisdom still remained, and Summit decided it was only right to pass down the same knowledge to his own pups. He matched his pace to Arete’s, only a few steps behind as she darted ahead. ”You know, Dandelion, hunting can be fun, but it’s more than just a game. Everyone has to eat, but that doesn’t mean we should take joy in killing. The gods dictate that we eat meat. We can’t survive on grass like the deer. Every life is sacred, including the ones that we must end so that ours might continue. We don’t kill for pleasure. We aren’t monsters.”

A gentle smile appeared as he continued.  ”Always be grateful for what you’re given. Appreciate the sacrifices of others, even those who aren’t wolves. Without those sacrifices, we wouldn’t stand a chance, no matter how big or tough we are.”

words: 678

tag: Arete

[Arete]

She could hardly contain herself. They were going to go hunting, he thought she was big enough to actually teach her how to catch something. Sure, the chances of her actually succeeding in this were very low, but she had to start somewhere, right? She smiled and pranced around her father as he spoke, and though his words were somber and serious, she could not manage to make herself focus. ”We can look for something a little smaller to start, something that doesn’t have sharp parts. It’s easier if you have someone else to hunt with. Start by sniffing for scents. The most recent smells are the strongest, and those are your best bets. So let’s go, we’re a team now!” Her little tail wagged in eagerness, though she finally managed to look up at him and stand still for a moment while she listened. But, of course, as soon as he stopped talking - or paused, really - she was prancing off into the tall grasses once more. ”You know, Dandelion, hunting can be fun, but it’s more than just a game. Everyone has to eat, but that doesn’t mean we should take joy in killing. The gods dictate that we eat meat. We can’t survive on grass like the deer. Every life is sacred, including the ones that we must end so that ours might continue. We don’t kill for pleasure. We aren’t monsters.” She heard his words and though she pranced forward and sniffed eagerly at the ground, she managed to at least somewhat listen to him.

”Always be grateful for what you’re given. Appreciate the sacrifices of others, even those who aren’t wolves. Without those sacrifices, we wouldn’t stand a chance, no matter how big or tough we are.” A lot of times, her father was too serious for her, too thoughtful and too boring. At least for the young pup she was right now. Surely, in the future, the words would properly sink in and she would think of the older male in a more serious light. But right now, she was far too easily distracted by everything to think about it right now. No, she was much too focused on the smells around her. The newest one, the one that her father had told her to look for, had been the hare that she had frightened off when she had been chasing her invisible foe. The other scents were there, but she could not quite pick them up. It would take a bit, but she was determined to find something, to impress her father and have fun while doing it.

Words: 434
Tags: @summit
Notes: Ok if we end it here?