Willow Ridge princeling

Deep amber gaze watched intently and patiently as Niles' tiny lips formed around the name he wished to pronounce. A gentle Teeeee rolled off his tongue first before a quick Eeee followed suit, neither of which being quite the right sound to voice Enoki's childhood nickname. Any letter that held that harsh click was no doubt a challenge for the growing cubs who's vocal chords remained raw and under developed still in the passing moons. More exercise and surely the newest litter would be chatting the pack's heads off in no time leaving most scouring for a remedy to silence the yappers. In the mean time, practice made perfect.

Adjusting her neck to momentarily relieve a portion of the strain to her vertebrata from craning down at the young lad, her optics followed in the line of his noticing him glance away for the briefest of seconds. Was the boy growing starved and in need of the dark queen's nourishing teets? Regardless of his reasoning those powdery blue eyes came back soon enough to adorn her with undivided attention. Leathery lips cast a reassuring smile down to Niles as he attempted a third try and nailing the difficult name, tongue releasing another soft Eeee causing her audits to swivel forward. Clearly the boy was distraught in his attempts as his own face contorted into a wince of uncertainty. "Almost, little one. Let's try again." The smile on her lips widening in size to keep the boy from giving up entirely while her ivory dipped tail thumped lightly at her side. "K- eee k-eee." Pronounced in a slower momentum to allow his ears to truly grasp that hard click.

Apparently there was a new item on his agenda. Tiny paws rose to press their pads against the scarred side of her muzzle causing Enoki to blink for a moment until it dawned on her what he could possibly be so infatuated with. Long since healed since the incident involving an angry wolverine and Deacon; older sibling to Niles, three ragged claw marks now marred the left side of her maw. "Those are called scars. I got them from protecting your brother, Deacon." The femme informed regardless if the child would comprehend spare a few words uttered.

"Almost, little one. Let's try again." Her patience and tenderness would be something that Niles would forever remember. He had watched the way her tongue had curled up at the back of her mouth, producing that distinct click to make the 'k' sound of her name. Niles would try it for himself a little later on, but for now he was much too engrossed with the unique and interesting features of her face. His right paw came down but lifted back up as he gently attempted to tilt Enoki's muzzle back down when she was done explaining to him what those three ragged lines on her face actually were. He would have asked for another tickle if he had known the right word for it.

The name Deacon provoked a little "Erf?" from him. He knew that name, just as he knew Greer and Morganna and Castiel. Skoll, for the most part was still referred to as something scary - like "munst'r" or just "scare" - but he knew that name too. They were among the first that he had learned after "Mama" and "Dada." "Kiki" was the next one he had to master.

Relinquishing his hold on Enoki's face, he continued being silly by covering his little masked face with his right paw, leaving the other pads up by his left ear. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he peeked out from underneath his forepaw. "'Gain, again?" he asked quietly, prompting his larger playmate with a plea for something more. Whether it was another touch of her nose to his underbelly or a new word or more explanations of things was her choice. All the little Archer-Lyall wanted was more of whatever Enoki had to offer.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

A soft chuckle was uttered as the boy made it clear he was far from done investigating those three lines across her maw. A single paw lifting to bring her snout back down to his level after her explanation was finished, his own mouth making a soft noise in response to the muttering of his older brother's name. Yet, as soon as the boy had her face in his paws it was released only for Niles to adopt a silly appearance with his face covered partially by his large right paw yet to be grown into. Edging the woman on for more interaction with a prompted again.

Another light laugh passed over her inky lips at the sight below, tiny salmon tongue dangling between partially parted jaws. How could she refuse such simple demands from a face like that? Lowering her coal black nose back into the exposed plush of his belly, Enoki gave him a quick tickling before slowly rising to her feet. All the while careful not to accidentally step on the young lad in the process. "How about we play another game of tag, little one?" Smoldering amber optics focusing on Niles' facial expression for a more adequate answer to her question than words. Slowly the corner of her lips rose into a warm smile, ivory dipped tail swaying with joy at her rear before her torso lowered into an inviting play bow. Perhaps she could wear the boy out enough that he would seek the warmth of his sibling's sides for a nap, satisfying the temporary needs of the young Archer-Lyall.

A bit of baby babble that was mostly borne on the emergence of spit bubbles at the side of his mouth replied to her snicker. The nudge of her nose to his chest and belly provoking a squeal of laughter as she get up. The little prince clumsily rolled back over onto his belly and he looked up at her with an expectant wag of a tail. He stuck his tongue out at Kiki and let out another boyish giggle.

He was up on his feet in no time and he eagerly spun about to face her. Of course he wanted to play! What kind of silly question was that?

Instead of yapping at her, however, he pretended to merely stick to her side, lingering by her forepaws for a few and feigning interest in something that she had probably almost stepped on. His puppy blue eyes focused on a bent grass blade and just as he thought that she had taken interest in what he had seen, he made a bolt for it across the grass and in and out of the nearest willow's branches. On still such stumpy legs and a romp that carried him across the ground in what could have been something like rabbit hops, Niles wouldn't get too far for an experienced traveler such as Kiki.

At some point, he thought to hide somewhere behind a veil of willow leaves, unaware that his little puppy paws were showing since the sapling had yet to touch the ground with its branches. The boy spied on her through the curtain, slobber dripping down his lips as he let out a teasing shriek before taking off again... in a circle around the spindly tree, touching the roots with a paw before scampering away from his piebald playmate. Little Niles wouldn't always be this way, but for now the late afternoon filled with rolling storm clouds was meant for the young prince and his guardian. A game of tag, a bunch of kisses to her scarred maw whenever he was caught, and a chance of giggles and one very sleepy little Archer-Lyall come bedtime...

(Fade.)

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!