right down to the flame of this match

Aquamarine eyes peer out from the shadows of the den. Having spent the morning combing out his fur until it was just right, he knew he couldn't avoid the outside world for much longer. In private, his fathers have been working with him. Before the sun rises and after it sets, they watch and encourage him as he takes his first few steps. Only a few happen before he is hightailing it back inside. Everything about the world being so large compared to the den terrifies him. Forces a striking fear of anxiety through his heart until his lungs clench and he can't breathe. Not that he wants to get better, but it's difficult.

That morning, he really wants to try. Papa Nao had taken the others out for an adventure which left he and Ouchou-chan alone at the den. His head turns, peering over his shoulder at Mojito with those big puppy-dog eyes as if to say 'do I really gotta?' Inhaling a deep breath, he turns back to the entrance of the den and takes a few more steps. Lowering his body slightly until his belly fur is barely grazing the dirt, he inches his way outside.

Nearby, he can hear the rumble of the rapids. Water forced into a narrow pathway, furious that it is restricted and lashing out at the surrounding rockery. The grass beneath his paws is itchy in a way that he almost doesn't like, but just soft enough to be tolerable. Longer strands of it tickle his nose as he continues farther out from the den. He can see the bubbling river nearby, a slower section where fish can breech the surface and cause ripples in various spots.

As soon as his whole body is outside of the den, he stops and turns to look back at Mojito. "Am I doing good?" Bancha's voice is soft, wispy, a feminine lilt that betrays the genitals he was born with. Unable to stop the wag of his tail, he smiles up at his papa before giving himself some more courage to look around and even take another step toward a cluster of dandelions. Those flowers were pretty! Could he do something with them?

BANCHA