By dawn the days half over

Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori was perfectly happy snuggling into his dad’s paw and then shifting himself around till his head lay on one of dad’s giant legs and body shoved up alongside it.  Kotori was thrilled he was going to follow his dad around the next day and his excitement had made it take that extra bit of time to fall asleep. Kotori had no inner clock yet and looked up half-awake at his dad then felt the paw he’d been leaning up against moving away as dad stood.

It was still dark.  Why were they up?  The muzzy memory remembered he was going out with his dad and the sense of being tired faded fast, pushing himself up to a sit before standing to do his own deep stretch and yawn.  He didn’t have any giant fangs or claws but it certainly didn’t stop his own large yawn.  That yawn over he was quick to bound to the den entrance, stopping partway through looking at Sirius with the excitement that denied he had been in a deep sleep only a moment ago.

He was going to go learn how to be a mighty fighter and leader just like his dad!  Kotori recalled his new pet had also stayed outside last night and hoped his mongoose was loyally waiting for him out there.  It didn’t matter too much right now though.  Dad was much much much much better than a pet. Kotori was good about staying quiet, not so much not wanting to wake his sisters from sleep for their benefit, he didn't want to wake them so that they wanted to also come and interrupt it from being just him and dad.