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Excitement! Adventure! The day urged Seraphim to go out, do things, see places, and he wasn't keen on ignoring it! The sun streaming inside the cave was bright, and gold, and warm, and wonderful! Even the breeze that danced inside was pleasant and cozy, bringing with it the scents of salt, flowers, and that of his kin. Though it was Raisa and his sisters he spent every single waking moment beside, there was no shortage of family around them to dote upon him and thus be smothered in his affections. Dyadya Carnifex, Tetushka Serafina, Babushka Shreya, Pops - common faces in the den, and in the ravine, now that they'd begun to be allowed outdoors mostly at will. Even at night! As long as someone was awake, as long as there was adult supervision, Phim had largely figured out -by trial and error- that he could do whatever he pleased!
Well, inside the ravine. Мать said 'time for that later', each time he asked. Later, later, later. Sometimes, at his most annoying, he could get her to say he was too young for that. But didn't she know he was so much bigger than he was last week? (He was not, being amidst the 'frozen' period of puphood) Still, he obeyed, partially because he had no capacity for lying (yet) and because he had learned that one: someone was always watching and two: he would only be brought back anyways! This was always what happened when he dared roam too far from the den.

This was life, and Seraphim loved it. He knew there was more outside the place Raisa so keenly guarded, especially because he had seen the adults coming and going themselves, but there was plenty to see and do and learn right here at home where it was safe and the nest was cozy. Mummy, for instance, was always telling stories or teaching them new words!

Мать! Phim's determined cry came as a forewarning as his afternoon zoomies turned towards the dazzling den mouth, Ou-side!

As expected, there was a shuffle of fur that told him she was following, and a: 'stay where I can see you!' called after. Sometimes, she walked with them and she taught them things. Others, she took to scouring along the edge of the ravine or otherwise at a distance, head up, observing the world around her with one eye on the whelps at all times. The same possessiveness was already ingrained into his very nature, too. He appreciated her ever-present gaze.

The dark grey child burst outside with a yip of joy and a kick of his heels, screeching Scarrrrrrrrrrr! 'Stasiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Ou-side!

EVERYTHING WAS PURPLE!!

Okay, not everything, but there were flowers! Everywhere! That Phim couldn't recall seeing ever before, but hey, he noticed new things every day! He jogged for one, his curly tail wagging and floppy ears bounding around his face. LOOKIT! He wasn't even sure anyone had followed him, but it didn't matter. HE was looking at it.

The calls of his sister followed him out to the flowers, and he stopped at the edge of a patch to twist in place to grin over his back at her. Hurry up, his very gaze seemed to plead. He could hardly stand waiting!

But he did, like a good brother.

Together, they inspected the blooms - more vibrant even than Mummy's pelt! Scar' poked at one, and with bated breath, Phim watched it bow under the pressure of her paw.... then spring back up! A happy little squeak left the boy, and he hopped in place with a little wiggle, falling into a play-bow as she sung about it being bouncy!
He could be bouncy, too!

Two little wolf-dogs flopped among the flowers, pollen coating them; Phim sprang about like a little rabbit from patch to patch, giggling wildly as he came in and out of view of the ravine, of Scarlett doing the same. His head spun, but with all the moving about, flailing, it hardly seemed strange!

Scarlett sneezed, and Phim sat up at the summons, his head barely clearing a long patch of the purple foliage. A goofy grin split his maw, and he swayed in place even settled on his haunches. Scarrrrrr, he sing-songed back at her, blinking several times. They did match! And they matched Mother too! YES, he declared joyfully, watching as his littermate wobbled his way with a flower clasped in her jaws before proffering it.

Drool and all, Phim took it from his sister and beamed. Yuv it, he spoke, muffled, around the flower, tongue rolling against the strange, powdery texture. It didn't TASTE very good, frankly, but they smelled delightful! So good, the more he breathed, the more bubbly his head felt.

Smell pwetty, he agreed, belatedly, with a drawn-out giggle.

Was that what he'd said? Didn't matter, indeed - Phim loved her, too, much more than the flower! The boy wriggled at her pronouncement, mind fogging with almost overwhelming joy. The smell of the flowers was all about him now, covering him, even his drool flavored with it now as the petals lay between his jaws and over his tongue.
Scarlett called his name again, and Phim realized he'd been staring off into space at one of the lovely blooms. The squishy-faced wolfdog grinned at her, at the way her voice seemed…. Floaty. Was that the way she was talking, or the way he was hearing?! It was funny, either way, and prompted a giggle. Already amused, he watched with increasing mirth as his littermate tipped and tipped and tipped her head to watch the flowers, too, and said they were…. Dancing. ah see it! Crowed like the discovery of some long lost secret. She tried to poke it, too, but missed, and missed!
She gave up, but Phim would do this deed for his sister! Scar rolled to her back and lay draped in flowers like the little princess she was, and he came barreling forward on instead paws to charge head-first into the bloom. It…. Wasn't his head that hit it, but at any rate, another burst of pollen was released into the air as it struck his shoulder, and he went rolling and tumbling just past his littermate (rather closely!) to land with a huff on his side. The flower she'd given him popped from his mouth with the gasp of air that left him, but as he wriggled about on the earth amongst the flowers, he did seem aware of it laying between him and Scarlett. (Or it got lucky. The fact would be up for debate forever.)

He only stopped rolling when she mentioned that the clouds looked like Mama… fluffy and big! Seraphim nodded eagerly, agreeing - that summed up Mama pretty well, and the cloud too! Scarlett was so smart, he thought groggily, flipping to one side to look back at her, and up at the sky too! It was pretty up there, wasn't it? The sun was warm on his face, the breeze stirring through the ravine just enough to keep it from being too terribly hot, and only a few lazy clouds drifted across the sky. The fresh field of purple flowers was just the dollop of honey on a strawberry!

Scarlett suggested they go find butterflies, and ask them why the flowers taste so nice. ‘es, he agreed readily with a slight hitch in his breath that ended up being another sneeze, his head arching to chest so quickly it left him lightheaded and giggling.
Then he was turning, scrambling, finding his paws beneath him again to stand… but lunging forward to grasp the wet flower by it's stem, first.