sweetest cheeks
Tempo had been growing more and more impatient, he wanted to spend time with his momma like Pitch and Beat had! So when it had finally been his time Tempo was eager to snuggle up to his mother's form, pushing his tiny face into his mother's chest. His father, brothers and aunt Shaye and everyone else he'd met thus far, well they were warm, their body heat easily shared with the small child. But his mother had never been like that, and someday when he was older he'd realize why she'd always been so cold physically, and he'd always sort of wonder if he'd simply understood sooner if he could have changed what was to pass in the next few days, but for now that child simply knew that as being how his mother was. Nothing wrong with that.
Vail's nose would reach the base of his neck and the pup would nod against her chest, he had been told that his mother, like Pitch, was blind. He had been told that that meant his mother and brother couldn't see, but the truth was the boy was still too young to really grasp that concept. He simply couldn't imagine anyone experiencing the world different from himself, so all that really meant for him was that his momma didn't really look at him the right way and that he and Beat had to be more careful when playing with Pitch. But he had quickly learned not to rely on physical cues with his mother, so even while he nodded against her, knowing she could feel it, he'd follow it up quickly by tipping his head back so his chin was pressed against his mother's chest and he could look up at her face. Afterall his momma was very very pretty.
"Uh-huh!" Tempo confirmed, his tiny body beginning to wiggle as he felt the excitement of the day rolling through him, his tail starting to beat frantically. "I got to go out an' explore with papa and Pitch and Beat!" He started, recounting the adventure he'd gotten to have. "We played with Aunt Shaye and 'splored more of the packlands than I'd seen before!" He paused for a moment as he thought about all the fun stuff he'd gotten up to. "I even caught a butterfly!" He said, his torso wiggling as he straightened his shoulders in pride. "I'll catch you one next time! Oh! But don't eat it, they taste yucky!" He was proud of that discovery too.
He paused for a moment, pushing his smaller form into his mother, trying to become as physically close with her as he could. "I hoped I'd get to spend time with you too, I didn't wanna feel left out, but papa said I had to be patient. I know you're sleepy a lot so I tried to wait, and be real real good!" He'd been jealous of his brothers, momma didn't leave the den as far as he'd seen but they were often hearded outside so he wanted to spend time with his mother as well... and he'd been worried he'd be shuffled off to bed without getting a chance to have playtime with his mother like Pitch and Beat had had earlier in the day. "Papa said we'd work on it, so guess I'm not too good at patience yet..."
| Art by LoupDeMort |
She smiled brightly as he recalled running around with Shaye and his brothers. ”I promise I won't eat it,” she told him as he proudly listed off his discoveries, and promised her a butterfly on his next adventure. He snuggled in closer and she shifted slightly so that he might be able to more closely lay with her. ”You can be impatient as you want when it comes to spending time with your mom.” She promised him as she aimed to tickle his little white belly. She needed her sleep, but with her time being so limited she wanted to spend every moment she could with her little family.
His momma said she wouldn't eat the butterfly he would catch for her next time and Tempo nodded emphatically. "Good. You can keep it!" He paused for a moment, imagining his mother with a whole flock of butterflies hovering around her, standing in the sun though he'd yet to see her do so. "I'll catch you a whoooole bunch, that'd be really pretty." He rubbed his face in her fur again, eyes closing for a moment as he drew in the comforting familiar scent of his mother. Later he'd try to cling to this memory, try to summon the vague milk scent of his mother but it'd never quite return to him.
His momma would reach down to nose at him and Tempo would roll easily onto his back and would giggle when her nose tickled his stomach, his hindlegs flailing while he tried to grab at her muzzle with his forepaws. Trying to lift his torso to lick at her muzzle, very happy to be given attention and wanting to return the affection ten-fold.
"Okay!" He said simply, accepting his mother's statement. "But I'm still gonna become the best at patience!" He wanted to make both his parents proud and happy. In the end, all he wanted was to please them both.
| Art by LoupDeMort |
His momma agreed with Tempo about the butterflies and the boy gave a little happy wiggle. He screwed his tiny face into an exaggerated thinking expression. Not that his mother could see it. He rolled a few ideas in his mind as he considered what else it was he wanted to become the best at.
"Uh... I wanna be the best at... Helping!" He said said with an emphatic nod. "I wanna help you and Papa and Beat and Pitch and aunt Shaye and everyone!" He lifted his forepaws from his mother's muzzle and stretched back, arching his back so his stomach pushed into her nose as he demonstrated "everyone." "Oh and I wanna be the best at making friends!" He paused for a moment to think. "And hide and seek! I like that game best! I'll let Pitch or Beat be best at tag though." He nodded emphatically again, so very sure in his generosity allowing his brothers to be best at the game he liked less.
| Art by LoupDeMort |