Good Lord, this bunch were rambunctious. Unlike their first litter, these pups were ready to get out. Explore. Do something other than be penned up inside the room with Modesty and Sakana. He could tell by the look on his wife's face that she was more than ready to let these pups out. Gil took it upon himself that morning to wake before the brood and make sure there was a clear pathway to the beach outside. Though it was winter and the sky wasn't exactly nice looking from what he could see, he was sure the pups wouldn't care. As he slipped back in, he stopped to look at them one last time. After today, he was sure they would grow up way too fast like the others had. A proud smile warms his lips as he tilts his head back and lets loose a chilling howl. Waking up not only his pups but everyone else on the isle. Today was the today and they needed to be prepared. "Up everyone, time to go out and see the world," he said as he stood in the doorway, lifting a paw to point them in the right direction.

She. Was. AWAKE!

Siduri didn't sleep much. The boundless energy within the girl prevented her from doing so. This would probably send her to an early grave, but she was still fresh and new and really, who cared? The more she was awake, the more things that she got to see and experience. Fear of missing out, or something like that. Imagine all of the things that happened while she was asleep!

When her father's howl rang out, Sid had been pretending to be asleep. The moment he called to them, the child's brilliantly colored eyes shot open. She was on her paws before her siblings even stirred and instantly began bounding circles around her father's legs. "Papa, papa! Is it time?! Are we going out now?!" Unable to contain herself, Siduri leaped out of the den and into the world where she promptly released a raucous screech that would have more right coming out of a velociraptor than a wolf pup. Then, as an afterthought, she raced back inside, wrapped her tiny forelegs around Gil's tree trunk of a leg, and gave him a huge hug. A cute little noise pulled from the pallid child as she squeezed and then she was gone once more. Only fools waited.

Tiny puppy paws sent the girl down the beach, trouble finding her like a magnet. By the time she reached the water, there was a crab pinching the tip of her tail and she had a few sand burrs in her coat. But water! LOOK AT THE WATER! With another whoop, Siduri dove into the licking waves. Thankfully they were just ripples and not huge whitecaps, but still... Puppy. Water. Great combo.

Calliope would gladly sleep in. For as long as she could manage. Sleeping was nice. Curled up under Urtur (the only animal thus far she'd taken any sort of liking to) and snoozing away. Until her father's echoing howl caused her ears to fold back and her paws to slap over them. A very loud groan leaves her sighing lips as she rolls her bright blue eyes. Blinking away the sleep, Calliope burrows further under Urtur to hide from the commotion that is her other siblings.

"LET ME SLEEP!" Cal screeches, though it is rather muffled under the fur and weight of her father's wolverine. Sid's thumping and velociraptor screams were enough to wake the whole damn island. Birds were now calling into the morning air as they took flight into the sky. While she wants to go back to sleep, there is no more sleeping. Rightfully sour, Cal crawls her way out from under Urtur, her brow furrowed and lips pulled up into a snarl as she looks to see who is left.

Well, they'd already lost Sid. Hope she drowns. Cal thinks to herself with a snort as she gets up onto her paws and gives her fur a good shake. While it seemed the rest of them were also probably making their way outside, she hung back for a moment. Better to not get caught up in the mayhem for now. Meanwhile, her bright gaze flickered around the room. Nothing new here. Nothing exciting to get into. Ugh, fine, I guess I'll go outside. The drawling thought passes through her mind as she begins to drag her paws past her father, an eye roll thrown in his direction, and then through the doorway.

Moseying down the hallway, it isn't long until the girl is distracted by shiny objects. Morning light picks up through the broken glass. The smell of burning wood made her nostrils sting. A crisp breeze wafted through the building, bringing to her a scent of salt and seaweed. That was right! There was water outside! Suddenly, against her will, her paws are picking up the pace and her long legs are stretching out into a ground-eating lope. Seconds later, Cal is bursting out of the building, down the crumbling steps, and tumbling into the sand. Head over heels, the colorful girl is fully covered in sand and salt by the time she is back on all fours.

Another growl rumbles in her out of frustration. Dang paws! Why was she always tripping over these big things? Fortunately, she has no time to sulk over being gangly when she sees Sid splashing around in the waves. Her eyes light up and her tail lifts over her haunches, sweeping back and forth excitedly. Without a word of warning, Cal races over to Sid, sand, and water now spraying up behind her, and goes barreling toward her sister. At the last moment, a devious grin spreads across her ivory lips as she aims to shoulder-shove Sid into the water.

Calliope, The Callous

He'd gotten used to sleeping under the crushing weight of his larger siblings, and at this point he almost didn't know that he could fall asleep without being partially smothered. So when the sudden booming of his father's voice signaled the start of a new day, and the pile of pudgy bodies began to shift and writhe, he grumbled quietly. It took a paw to the belly to fully awaken his ire, and the boy snapped mindlessly at the errant limb. Whether or not he even made contact mattered little, it was the principle of the matter. He wriggled free of the tangled bodies, his meager size serving him well in the endeavour.

Being ushered out by a less than thrilled father was about all the little gremlin needed to trundle off out the door, following his brightly hued sisters on their rampage out into the cool oceanside air. Oversized ears shoved forward to catch the nuances of the outside world, all the raucous bird noises and lapping waves that surrounded the secluded beach. Scraggly tail held aloft, the boy slipped and slid his way haphazardly across the sand. His sisters were wrestling in the water, and he wanted to be a part of it! As he picked up speed, the odds of Nim stopping without intervention became slimmer. Cal was ramping up to bowl Sid over, so it made sense that he could probably try and knock Cal over when her guard was down. His much larger sister always won their wrestling matches, but with the element of surprise he might be able to gain the upper hand.

Dropping his head between his shoulders, he charged at Cal with every intention of smashing into her flank and knocking her into the waves. Of course, as the frigid water soaked into the fur around his toes he couldn't help squealing with surprise and delight! Cold! So cold! If this didn't go his way, the rest of him would be very cold and soggy in a minute.

Ken took his time to stretch and roll, a smile already plastered on his face when Sid screeched and Cal grumbled. He rolled enough to let Nim out from underneath him and used his bear-like muzzle to poke at Nav, and Tar, using both paws to effectively give Wake chest compressions to try and rustle some life into his siblings. Finally, they were free!

There had been enough signs of life from his pestering that he felt confident strolling out the door and down the stairs towards the muted light that streamed into the lower-level foyer. Screeching and splashing off to the side made it obvious that his siblings had found the water, but he was less interested in that and more interested in the tall narrow curving trees that dotted the beach, seeming to stretch up and up into the sky before leaves appeared at their tops. He was so busy looking up that he overbalanced and flopped onto his back in the barely warm sand.

Well, at least his landing was a soft one.

“Speech”

Tarnish woke early before the sun rose. He flipped on his back and then rolled over onto his stomach as he tried to shift into a better sleeping position. Bah! One eye opened and he peeked at the rest of the litter, sight shifting to his mother. Was she awake yet? He scooted carefully on his belly, trying not to wake anyone up while positioning himself to get a better look at Modesty's face. He stared at her. Waiting. Ears flicked forward. Did she move? He could've sworn she moved! His little tail started to wag and not a moment later his father was at the door with the best news Tar had ever heard in his whole life. They were going outside!

"Yaaaaaaaaa! About time!" He scrambled to his feet then promptly tripped over his large and awkward paws. He lay there in stunned silence for a second before popping back up to his feet and careening out the den with a triumphant yell.  

Tarnish immediately started pawing the sand, sending it scattering into the sky before flopping over and rolling in it.

Raider Brats

Gil was not surprised when Sid popped up first. Her boundless energy was both humorous and exhausting. Keeping up with her was a challenge that he looked forward to. Looking down at her as she bounced around his paws, squeezing his legs and yapping a bunch of words, he barely had time to breathe before she was out the door. A quiet chuckle rumbles in his chest as he gives his head a shake. Oh, Sid.

Next is the screeching from Cal that leaves Gil sighing. His sour lemon of a daughter was always scowling, but at least she had taken to Urtur recently. He rolls his eyes back to her as he watches her slink out through the door to follow her sister. Deep down, he knew she loved them all, but her outward nature would say otherwise.

Then it was little Nimbus who wasn't quite the smallest, but small enough that he often wanted to scoop him up and carry him on his back. Giving a boy a smile and ruffle of his fur as he mosied on out, Gil then turned his attention toward the rest of the group.

He watched as Ken tried to wrangle the rest of the boys and Navis to wake up and get on with the show. Were the pups always this rambunctious? His gaze shifts to Modesty with a lifted brow and tender smile. When Ken walks by, Gil also ruffles his fur and pushes him out the door to follow the others.

When Tarnish woke up with screams of excitement, Gil looks to the boy as Tarnish trips over his own paws. "You'll get used to them," Gil offers as he offers to help Tarnish get up and out the door.

His eyes then turn to Wake and Navis who seemed to have been still sleeping with Modesty. "I suppose you wouldn't mind staying back with the slowpokes," Gil smiles at Modesty before walking over to plant a kiss on the top of her head. Before he leaves, he lifts a paw and nudges the last two of the pups to try and rouse them.

Making his way out the door and down the hall, Gil can already hear the echoes of laughter and screams coming from the new bunch. His ears perk as he picks up his step and moves across the beach. Already he can see Cal trying to knock Sid into the water, but before he can intervene, Nim is charging at Cal to join the ruckus. "Don't drown!" Gil calls out to the trio before wandering over to Ken and Tar. Both boys were playing or at least sitting in the sand and that seemed like a good thing to do while he watched the others to make sure they didn't actually drown.

"Mind if I join ya, boys?" He asks Ken and Tar before sitting down in the sand and making himself comfortable.

"speech"