Lotus actually managed to do some socializing on his own. He had actually met this Yumiko before. Her and another wolf. It had been some time since then though. It had been a bit since he had met others, spending his time exploring the land instead. Actually it had always been during his explorations that he had found others. Only once had he ever actively searched out someone and that had been his Daddy. Or at least the wolf that he still thought of as Daddy. Sure, he had a warped sense of perception and it grew increasingly worse. Those he called family really weren’t. Even the image of himself was skewed. But these things were what made Lotus what he was. They made him the loveable and cute pup that he was. And who would have him any other way?

Currently Lotus was too young to do the hunting on his own but he was eager to learn. Just like he wanted to walk like his Mommy was walking now. The way that everyone seemed to walk. But again he was only told that he was too young to do such things. It really wasn’t fair and he couldn’t wait to get older. Couldn’t wait to get big enough to do what everyone else was doing. And what a day that would be. A time when he could make his Mommy really proud of him. He wanted to show her what a big girl he was. That he could manage things on his own without help. Even at a young age he favored himself to be independent.

The pup tilted his head to look up at the older wolf as she talked to him, walking along at her side. “Will the snow come back Mommy? It was pretty and fun when there was snow. What will I play in now?” The only thing he knew of was winter so he couldn’t exactly understand the appeal to the change of seasons that others had. He missed his snow. He missed making his angels. But now he couldn’t make his angels anymore.

Well then Lotus had slipped up. Unknowingly he had told Dawali of Ember’s feelings for him. Not that he had known of Ember’s feelings really being there. Instead he was trying to express why whom he assumed was his Daddy should be staying with his Mommy. He just said something to try and convince the other that they should all be living together. That families should share a single home. He didn’t imagine that Ember might have already hinted at feelings already being there. The pup had just been guessing at things when he had said that Mommy missed having Daddy at home. He just assumed that the Daddy would be missed. He had no idea that he could have been potentially opening a whole new can of worms for his Mommy. Especially if his Daddy decided to bring it up at some point.

The pup perked up at the mention of baby animals. “Where are the babies? I want to play with the babies! Do you think there will be more puppies too? I think you and Daddy should have more puppies and then I can have a baby sister or brother.” At least Lotus hadn’t bothered to mention that much to Dawali. At least Ember would be saved that embarrassment. But could the pup really be blamed for not really knowing any better? It wasn’t like he was trying to get Ember in trouble. Instead he just spoke what was on his mind, like any child might do. He would just have to learn how to bite his tongue as he grew older. That some things weren’t appropriate to say. Not that he was using naughty words or phrases or anything. He just said the wrong things under the wrong circumstances. But surely he can be forgiven for it.

“Hey! I remember this place!” He had seen it when Yumiko had first started working on it. Eagerly the pup ran forwards. And seeming to forget his manners the pup dashed straight into the den.
“Did you find the fur?” The words were obviously meant for the occupant that was assumed to be inside. After all Yumiko had told him that she would look for some since she didn’t seem to want snow. So of course he was curious to see what had been found. If she had really listened to him and had gotten furs.

“Do you think we could go out looking for them later?” Lotus was actually curious as to what these babies looked like. Were they like him? Could they walk like his Mommy did or did they walk like him? He didn’t know and it would take finding the babies and seeing them in order to find out. “You should go to Daddy and tell him he has to come home. He has been away too long.” Right, like Lotus was in any position to give relationship advice. But everyone else had two parents living together so why couldn’t he? Of course even that was a misconception. “Hey Mommy, do you think there will be more puppies to play with? I haven’t seen any puppies.” He couldn’t be the only pup in the tribe now could he? But that seemed to be the case. The only pup that he had met didn’t live within AniWaya. Still, that didn’t mean that there wasn’t any. Their Mommies could just be hiding them like his Mommy said the animals were doing with their babies. Maybe his Mommy knew about them and could point them out to him.

After arriving at Yumiko’s home he hadn’t thought about manners at all. He had been rather excited to see the older wolf again and see what she had done with the place that he had only caught a glimpse of before. It was certainly a lot nicer now. But then again the blonde wolf had turned the place into an actual home. Though he had to say that he liked the one with Ember the best. But then again all of his toys were there. Of course he would like the place where Velvet was at. It was a surprise that the boy wasn’t toting the bunny around with him now. He laughed and his tail wagged happily at the other’s words. “Yeah, I get to see your house now.” It was such a simple statement but pretty much summed up everything that he felt. He was a curious little tyke after all.

The boy grinned as his idea was praised. Who would think that any would listen to the ramblings of a pup? So for his ideas to have been put into play made him feel special. As the fur was held out to him he rubbed his head against it. “This almost feels like Velvet but Velvet is softer.” Not that Yumiko would know who Velvet was. But his Mommy did. Actually it was his Mommy that had named her. “Mommy! Come feel!” He called out towards the entrance where he had left Ember behind. But it wasn’t like he had run off into a dangerous place so it shouldn’t cause too much of a worry. Not when they were to eat here after all.

“She did. You were busy with leader stuff. I told her fur was soft and she got fur just like I said.” He ran through a brief overview of the encounter. Or at least the part that highlighted himself and why the fur was so important. At least he thought the fur to be important. He did just want to make his Mommy proud after all. Wasn’t that just what every child wanted?

Lotus nodded his head as he was questioned. “She is. She’s the best. She always brings home lots of good stuff to eat.” But then again the pup thought his mom was the best at absolutely everything. There was nothing that his Mommy could do wrong. Of course this was entirely his biased opinion. But that was just to the degree that he loved and admired his Mommy. But what child didn’t look up to their parents? What child didn’t think that their parents were the greatest in the world? Lotus wasn’t that different from any other child.

“I think she is really nice too Mommy.” Lotus had enjoyed the small amount of time that he had spent with Yumiko while the other had been working on her den. He had even added in his own small bit of help with his suggestion. And now he got to see the product of his suggestion. That he had actually been a big help when he had only been musing at the time being. He had only been naming off soft things at the time. After all that is what she had been asking for. He had simply supplied an answer for her.

He smiled and nodded his head as his Mommy explained who Velvet was. “Velvet is really pretty and soft but she is sleeping right now so I had to leave her home. Mommy brought her home for me. Velvet likes to cuddle and snuggle every night.” Oh yes, he treated his stuffed bunny as if she were real. He talked to her and she talked to him, at least in his own mind. But that was just normal behavior for a child. It was someone for him to play with since there was no one else in the tribe that was his age. After all sometimes the adults were just too busy to listen to him and to dote upon him. Velvet was the solution for all of that.

“Not a boy!” He pouted, looking up at his Mommy for reassurance and back up. He didn’t understand why he had to continue to explain the exact same thing over and over to everyone. Lotus wasn’t a boy’s name. It was a girl’s name. The boy got up and moved to sit down behind Ember, leaning his head against her leg. He didn’t understand why everyone always got that simple little tidbit wrong all of the time. Though it had clearly squashed his good mood. Why was his Mommy the only one able to tell the difference? What was wrong with all of these others? But at least he had his Mommy that he could trust. At least his Mommy knew the truth. Still it bothered him that everyone else had such a hard time with something as simple as gender. Why was their first assumption that he was always a boy? Would he always have to explain himself to everyone? Maybe when he got older things would be better. After all he wanted to grow up to be as pretty as his Mommy. He couldn’t do that if he was a boy.