The young pup was excited. Even though she had been introduced to the outside world, Pandora was still eager to see everything outside of the comfortable den. She didn't want to wander far from her parents or siblings, so she decided to remain within barking distance of her home. The forest area surrounding the family house was big enough for her to keep her satisfied, so her puppy knowledge thirst would be contained for the time being. Golden-dipped front paws stretched out in front of her and with a squealing yawn, she pranced outside. Her turquoise eyes searched the "large world" that was the contained piece of forest she chose. It was overwhelming, but with a silent gulp and apprehension in her gaze, she told herself that it was okay. Her tail wagged softly behind her and she took a couple of steps forward, but it was all too much. Pandora sighed and lowered herself to the ground. She couldn't go ahead any longer. The beautifully detailed furry pup curled up into a fetal position and curled her tail around her small feet. Depression set in and she sighed again. What was she going to do if she couldn't even take a few steps outside of her den without worrying? She needed an adult, but she didn't want her parents. Pandora wanted to show them she was fearless! No...she needed someone who wouldn't be disappointed in her fear. Talk like this

She had not seen the pups since the day they were born. She decided it was the to give the new family space and time to settle in. But it was not uncommon for the woman to pass the den from time to time, to check in and see if anything was needed. The pups had been growing rapidly, their curiosity growing, nearly insatiable. Maija must be growing crazy with their near constant energy. The thought had a smile tiffin at her creamy lips. Today she make her way towards the family, deciding it was time to formally introduce herself to her nieces and nephews. Paws would kiss the earth, her large bodice moving lazily. Nostrils would flared, taking in the distinct smell of puppy. A frown would pull at her features, had one ventured off alone? It would not take long for her to come across a tiny she wolf, her pelt dark, adorned with distinct gold markings. It was certain that this was one of her nieces. Her pace would slow, a smile on her face."Hello little one, what is your name? I'm Sibelle, your aunt." she would lower herself to the ground, coming to eye level with the girl, not wanting to frighten her, it seemed as though she was already frightened, being out by herself. Talk like this

The fear she had clinging to her small frame mounted in size when a stranger approached. She had russet fur and vivid green eyes, similar to the intensity that shined in her mother's set of leaf green opts. Pandora's turquoise blue eyes slowly looked up from the ground to the lady as she started to speak. Her head rose a bit as she took in the full effect of how big the female was. She quivered in fright from the way she loomed over her, but when she lowered herself to meet Pandora's eye level, calmness seeped in the pup's tiny body. Their eyes met and Pandora's posterior golden-dipped ears perked in the direction of her words. So, this lady was related to her somehow. Pandora knew that aunts and uncles were connected to the parents of puppies, but she didn't know how exactly. Her breath shuddered when she inhaled and quickly asked, "Are you my mama's aunt or daddy's aunt? I mean-" Her dark face turned a deeper shade of blue by the flush that swept across her cheeks. Pandora licked her lips and curled her body tighter in its current position as she tried to steady her words. "What-what do you mean by 'aunt'? I don't understand." She blinked gently in curiosity and the golden tips of her eyes became more obvious. "I-I'm Pandora. Selene. Artenie." She paused between each name for the emphasis, hoping her aunt would be impressed. Maybe it was a sign of trust slowly opening up, for Pandora hadn't spoken with anyone outside of her litter mates and parents. Talk like this

The girl would first cower away from her, intimidated by her size, but soon enough she kept forward, her puppyish curiosity getting the better of her. A smile would play on creamy lips, a soft bubble of laughter spilling forth as the pup tried to figure out how they were related. The russet queen would settle herself down, folding her limbs neatly under herself before answering the girls questions. "You're father is my brother, and because your parents are married, your mother is sorta like a sister to me, which makes me your aunt and you my niece." She hoped it wouldn't confuse to young girl to much trying to explain family dynamics, which were complicated enough. Her niece's name would breach russet audits, Pandora Selene Artenie. "Thats a very pretty name." She would praise the dark girl for her confidence in giving her full name and slowly beginning to relax in her presence. "What are doing out here by yourself?" It was an innocent enough question, she could only imagine that the girl would want to explore, to see the expanse of her new home. Already her curiosity was growing, and it was clear that the girl was incredibly smart, wanting to understand things she didn't know. She couldn't help but start to become attached to the dark girl, already she loved her niece, and couldn't wait to meet the rest of them. Talk like this

She gave a look that was mixed with curiosity and confusion as Sibelle explained how they were related. Slowly, she listened and tried to get it all sorted in her small brain, but the information seemed to be too much. Pandora decided to try talking it out; maybe that would help. "Ooookaaaay," she said, sounding out her vowels as she began to work out the knots in her mind. "Sooooo. You are Daddy's litter mate, his sister, like Freya and Bella are to me. Since Daddy and Mama had puppies, we are all related to you. You're Daddy's sister, and I call you 'Aunt'...That right?" It seemed to make more sense as she talked, causing the mental block to be lifted. Pandora became happy that she figured it out on her own and looked at Sibelle with bright turquoise blue eyes. "Aunt Sibelle...that sounds right to me!" Her tail uncurled itself from around her hind legs and she let it thump against the cool ground beneath her. Sibelle voiced how pretty her name was and she shyly bowed her head. "Th-thank you, Aunt Sibelle," she said, flushing slightly in her cheeks. What a sweet family she had! Then, Sibelle asked why she was outside of the den by herself. Pandora raised her head and she looked at her aunt with a blank stare. "I wanted to explore, like my parents do when they leave the den. They're not afraid of anything, so I wanted to be afraid of nothing, too. Except..." She sighed and her whole body heaved with the motion. "That didn't happen. I ended up being scared and everything is soooo big! I couldn't walk anymore." Defeat was evident in her voice and she said, "I just wanted to see what was around those two trees." She nodded to the large trees that were enrooted to the ground a few feet away from the den's opening. "I can't do it, though, but I don't want to tell Mama or Daddy...can you help me?" Talk like this

She could see the girl trying to process the information, but it seemed to be too much for her. Words would flow from the girls lips as she tried to put it into her own words. And she did, successfully. Slowly, the russet woman would nod, "That is correct, very good." She would praise the dark girl, who was clearly excited that she had figured it out herself. Easy laughter would flow as the girl spoke her name. Aunt Sibelle. Immediately a sense of shyness took over the girl at the compliment of her name. Pandora would begin to explain what she had been doing, stating that she wanted to be just like her parents. For such a young age, the russet queen admired the pup, striving to be like two amazing wolves. Emerald gems would turn, looking at the two trees that the pup had spoken of. "How about if I go with you?" Briefly she remembered back when she was a pup, and how big the world seemed, it was scary at first. The woman would rise, turning and gesturing for the girl to follow her. Talk like this

She accepted the praise with humility and her tail lightly thumped on the ground again. To have figured out something on her own without needing someone to go into detail to help her was...rewarding. Sibelle's words were nice to hear on her golden backed ears and she smiled to show her appreciation for being noticed. Maybe this russet-furred lady would be a bigger part of her life than she expected. After she explained her dilemma, Sibelle offered to go with her. Pandora's attention was fully given with perked ears and focused eyes as evidence. Slowly, she rose from the ground on wobbly legs and took a few steps forward to Sibelle's face. Pandora looked into Sibelle's left green eye as she took a deep breath and softly asked, "Do you swear to be beside me and help me if I get into trouble?" It was an oath that held the upmost importance! Talk like this

The girl moved with purpose, rising and coming to face her directly. The woman was surprised by the girls intensity as she spoke, demanding an oath of loyalty. Seriousness took over the womans face, wanting her niece to see that she just as serious. "I swear." Long limbs would begin the trek, moving slowly to keep beside the girl. She would stay close, the pup nearly disappearing in her shadow. They would approach the trees, side by side. The russet queen would cast a glance at the pup, a look of question, making sure she was ready. When the girl would give the all clear, the woman would lead the way, walking around the side of the trees, peering around them, making sure all the clear. "It's all clear." She would look back at the girl, letting her know that she was free to explore that other side of the trees. She would step forward, stepping across the familiar terrain of the island. One day she would take the girl to the beach, let her see the ocean and play in the sand. But for now it would have to wait, she was still small and wobbly on her legs, undoubtedly easily exhausted. Talk like this

Pandora gave a solemn nod, her turquoise eyes sparkling with determination as she saw Sibelle stepping up and about. She eagerly followed her newly discovered aunt, more than ready to see what the adventure would bring. Her focus was on her aunt as Sibelle checked around the trunk of the tree for safety reasons. Pandora remained politely still, little tail wagging behind her as she waited for Sibelle's signal. When she stated everything was all right, Pandora gave the perfect reaction. The gold and blue pup had her hind paws digging into the ground as she kicked off to race around the large trunk. She abruptly stopped at the same level of Sibelle's front paws before looking around it herself. The self-check was worth it, and the slight bit of panic that was rising in the pup's chest disappeared just as fast. She lightly pranced around the root she found to her left and looked up at Sibelle before she continued to explore. The greenery that stood out around the bases of the two large trunks stood out and she silently wondered where they had come from. Her prancing was in small steps, so she was able to take more time covering the ground that surrounded her and Sibelle. "Wooow..." she said, as her eyes looked up to the canopy above them. Sunlight spilled through the branches, illuminating the leaves and showing off the veins of the larger ones that were closer to Pandora's level. She had never seen something so wonderful and breathtaking. It was something she hoped would continue to happen to her as she grew. An ear twitched in Sibelle's direction as she asked, "Aunt Sibelle...why are leaves so thin? How come we can see their veins?" Talk like this

The small pup would launch herself forward, racing around the trunk only to stop at her side. A smirk would tug at pale lips as the dark pup pranced around, bright eyes absorbing everything around her. A question would fall from the curious girls lips, causing the russet woman to glance up towards the trees. It was something she had never really thought about, or knew anything about. Limbs would stretching, moving with slow steps as she trailed after her niece, thinking over the question. "It helps them survive." It was the only answer she could give, the only answer she knew. It was a question she never expected to have to know, or need to answer, but it appeared as though her niece was very observant and curious to the world around her. Verdant gaze would drop down, hoping it was an adequate answer for her, one that would satisfy her thirst for knowledge. ooc- crap post D: Talk like this

Pandora raised her eyebrows and blinked a couple of times. It was an answer she hadn't expected, but then again, what answer was she looking for? Her curious mind would have accepted any answer, except they would have to be analyzed by her dear mother. As she tried to figure out how the leaves survived by being so thin, she took a few steps towards her aunt and rested at her front right paw. "Oh, okay...but why?" She looked up to meet her aunt's gaze again, curiosity still obvious in her eyes. ooc: Sorry so crappy. ;; Talk like this

But why? It wasn't a surprise. The russet woman would think for a moment, haunches slid down to the earth, tail thumping idly against the ground. She would look up to the trees, watching the rays of sun light shine through the branches. "Well, plants survive by the water in the earth, like when it rains everything turns green, and when theres a drought, everything dies. When all the leaves absorb the water, the sun gives them energy to use the water as food." She spoke slowly, thoughtfully, trying to figure out how to explain to the girl how plants survived. "Without the sun, everything would die." It was the truth and would be the simplest answer. Her gaze dropped, looking at the girl pleasantly. She had no problem answering all her questions, the russet queen enjoyed her curiosity and her desire for knowledge. OOC: inner biologists came out XD Talk like this