2024-07-16 - Feeling like a someone (someone, someone)

Oh. Oh.

A sudden cacophony of sounds and sensations assaulted Auth and woke them from a deep sleep. Initially startled and perplexed, they almost immediately became enthused by this new situation.

Puppies!

They found the word within Mother's mind to describe the tiny balls of fur that were now rampaging through the clutch. With little interest in the conversation among the humans, Auth focused their attention on the inquisitive little creatures and delighted in the chaos they brought. The puppies were so haphazard in their movements and were accidentally scratching the shells of many of eggs as they leapt joyfully around. Auth knew they could not harm them and didn't think any of their siblings minded the mishaps.

The litter swarmed among the eggs. Their noses poked under and over each of them as they attempted to learn all about the clutch through sight, smell, taste and touch. Auth reached out to their minds and found them fuzzy, hard to read, but full of delight. This made the young dragonet immensely happy. These pups were full of life! They were taking on the world with no inhibitions and were being rewarded with new experiences! This was something Auth wanted for themselves too, to throw themselves head first into everything and delight in new discoveries. They loved the reckless abandon of the pups, the sheer joy emanating from them as they played.

All too soon the puppies ran out of energy and slumped in little clumps at the bases of the eggs. Their intense investigation of the clutch called to a halt by their youth and small reserves of stamina. Auth felt two of the litter close against their shell. One curled around them and the other barely touching them, maybe just a back leg twitching against them occasionally.

If Auth could've purred with contentment, they would have.

Such a bright reminder that this was some of what waited beyond confinement.