RP Areas for Hoofed Tribe - 11.

[Incognita Ninja]

Meyaira Firespring

Large Forest – Borders of Feline Tribe

Eralin nodded; he understood. At least there was some lead as to where his sister was. He bowed again to the two nekos, his loose hair covering his face.

"I thank you for your assistance in my search. My companion and I will go in the direction that you've suggested." He straightened back up and nodded towards Peridot. "Is there a stream in that direction where my companion and I can fill our water skins? We're starting to run dry."

He started towards the direction that they suggested, but turned around as if he was waiting for Peridot and the neko-jin males.

 

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Incognita Ninja

Viper 9000

Large Forest - Hoofed Tribe

Tulip and Dahlia looked at each other before Tulip spoke up "Well, we do have more of them at home. I'll bring a package of them around to your house to drop off" she said. "We dyed the wood in different colours on the new ones so they are a bit more pretty than the plain wood ones"

Dahlia nodded "Of course. I'd be happy to show you how to make the pacifiers. Just get back to me with the best time and day and I'll show you what I did. We gathered the sap of the rubber trees first and then boiled it up and put it into moulds to set and attached them securely to the wooden binky shield. It's fairly easy, it's just time consuming".

Tulip looked at Morning "Ah, old Johann has given you some work, that's good. It's getting harder for him to chop down the lumber he needs for making furniture and such. That will keep you busy for sure. Someone big and strong to chop the trees and prepare them would help him a lot. We always need more wood to repair our homes after tribal attacks and monster attacks"

****

Dusk managed to grab a good chunk of Floss' hair as well as the rattle, and he shook around both of them uncoordinated, pulling Floss' hair as he fell forward but used her hair to stay upright. Floss yelped and squealed, "Ouch ouch ouch! Oh no I forgot. How could I forget? I guess it's been a long time since I've been around little lambs" she laughed, trying to extricate her hair from Dusk's hand. "Dusk, that hurts honey!"

Judy, Tulip and Dahlia laughed. "I could see that coming a mile off" Judy chortled. "I didn't say anything because I thought this would be funny and I was right!"

Floss sent her a dirty look "Why, you! Ow!" She had sticky drool and crumbs smeared in her hair from Dusk's little hand. She quickly reached for another toy, a stuffed lamb, and grabbed it before squeezing it, and a large squeak came out. Hopefully that would grab Dusk's attention away from her hair.

Riven had walked closer, curious about the babies. He stepped over to Judy to look at Noon. "Ahh, she's so small!" he gasped, looking at her in wonder.

****

"Well that's good. But you might want to get some of that numbing cream from M'rala's clinic if Noon is going to gnaw on you like that. It makes me wince just thinking of it. I'm lucky, as a centaur and hoofed tribe person, my babies would not have sharp teeth but then again it would still hurt to be bitten when their teeth do come in" Judy said, smiling as she played gently with Noon. She covered her eyes with one hand and played peekaboo. "Peek a boo!" she said playfully, hoping to get a nice reaction from the baby as she removed her hand quickly to show her face again.

M'rala had given Midnight some powder which had extra vitamins and minerals in it, that would enter her breast milk and go into Noon's body when she fed. So hopefully the littlest triplet would start to catch up on her growth milestones soon, especially not having to share the milk supply with her hungry siblings.

Judy noticed Riven's curiousity and grinned "Would you like to hold her?" she offered, and snickered as he immediately turned red and stuttered.

"Oh, no, no that's okay...!" Riven blushed and waved a hand, careful not to spill the hot chocolate he held in the other hand. "I would probably drop her or something"

The three clucky women looked at Riven "Oh go on, Riven. We'd like to see you holding her" Dahlia said. All three of them thinking of grandchildren. Their eyes had that gleam in them. "Or why don't you hold Dawn, she's sleeping"

Riven eeped "I'm not really a good baby holder!" he stammered, blushing more. He didn't tell anyone about the centaur Misty that he had a crush on. But he wondered what it would be like to raise a child with her. She was pregnant last he saw her but she had been with the wilder centaurs that roamed the free plains and hills since he brought her here, and he hadn't seen her for a while.

*****

Large Forest – Borders of Feline Tribe

The calico cat answered gruffly "Yeah, there's plenty of streams that branch off the main river and feed the forest. You'll be able to find one easily in any direction" he said, a bit pacified by the elf's polite language and bowing.

Peridot smiled "That's great! Thanks, we'll leave right now" she promised, and started to walk with Eralin towards where a stream hopefully was. She listened for running water and they soon found the stream. It was clean and clear and trickled over rocks and boulders, making pleasant burbling sounds and little waterfalls. Green moss and water plants grew around it. It was autumn nearing winter so it was icy cold. But it was drinkable.

Peridot started to fill her water bottles with more water. She didn't think about boiling it first or anything. Hopefully it would be okay. She looked at Eralin with a smile "Well we got good news. Looks like we'll reach the hoofed tribe soon and get horses and then go to the Paw Paw Valley where the other cat tribe lives. I hope Nabelin is still there for us. And I hope she's okay. The flying tribe is attacking them. That must be scary. We'll have to be really careful so they don't attack us too"

 

[Viper 9000]

Meyaira Firespring

(BTW MF if you wanna add me as friend on Discord, my name is Viper#5796)

Large Forest - Hoofed Tribe

Morning nods. "I figure thats part of the reason he offered the job. I have the potential to be big and scary as well as having the motivation to work hard to take care of my family."

With only two hands and three things to play with, Dusk's eye flicked back and forth trying to choose. In short order his hand released Floss' hair and made grabby motions towards the new toy.

"I doubt I'll have much trouble with Noon, she suckles without issue and the powder M'rala gave me definitely worked some magic. I swear my breasts doubled in size after I started using that stuff..." Midnight said, slowly drinking her cup of tea while keeping a motherly eye on all three of her children. Noon lazily mirrored Judy's peek-a-boo motions and made happy baby giggles. While still not as big as Dawn or Dusk, Noon was putting on some healthy weight now.  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

((I have sent a friend request on Discord. Thanks! cat_smile I have so many rps to keep up with these days that I don't have much time for Discord RP as well, but it's good to have it there for the future when I do have more time.))

Large Forest - Hoofed Tribe

Tulip looked at Morning. "Yes, well, being big and scary has its benefits at a certain place and time, especially when it comes to scaring off intruders. And I'm glad to see someone that's not afraid of hard work. Village life means lots of manual labour, mostly. And while we miss the modern conveniences of past lives, we all keep much fitter and healthier for it" she said with a smile. "Johann will probably show you how to plant new trees to replace the ones cut down as well. Replenishing the forest is important. I think Kilcarn uses magic to help the new trees grow faster. They seem to spring back within a few months"

Floss gave Dusk the toy, and went to go and clean her hair. She tied it back into a plait before returning to the living room and sitting on the floor with Dusk. She watched him play, and picked up different toys to show him. She picked up a wooden cow "Moo, moo, says the cow. Mooooo!" she said, and wiggled the toy, playfully butting it against Dusk to tickle him. "Can you say mooo?"

Riven shifted in slight discomfort as he watched his mother play with the baby. "Muuum" he complained "That's embarrassing"

Floss laughed. "Oh Riven. You're just not used to being around babies. Dusk likes it, doesn't he? Yes he does!" she cooed at the baby some more, tickling and playing with him, making silly sounds to make him laugh.

Riven then heard Midnight's conversation with Judy and couldn't help stealing a glance at the woman's supposedly Double Sized Boobs. "Huh? Really? Uhh, I'm gonna go get a drink!" he stammered, and hurried out of the room blushing brightly. His hot chocolate in hand.

Judy laughed at Riven's reaction. "Poor Riven. He's so easy to wind up and so sensitive. I can see why Bess loves teasing him all the time" she shook her head. She let Noon playfully hold her finger and moved it up and down as she talked to the baby. "He's silly isn't he Noon? Running away from boobs" she chuckled. "Silly, silly, silly!" she said, her voice higher pitched and affectionate towards the baby girl. She looked back at Midnight. "I take it you and Morning aren't going to leave the village until the cubs are old enough to walk. But with Morning having a job now and you having some craft activities and friends, I hope you both won't be too bored here"

Tulip spoke up "Oh there's plenty to do. You just have to make your own fun. We do have a dance at the inn every month though. That's always fun. And there's always chores to do. Repairing homes, harvesting food, gardening, tending animals, working the farms, making clothes, and so on. Not to mention all the fighting"

Dahlia chimed in "Not to mention all the housework like laundry days, dishes, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms...a good bit of housework will keep anyone busy, especially with tots running around!"

 

[Viper 9000]

Meyaira Firespring

Morning nods in agreement. "I was a sailor prior to finding myself here on Purri so manual labor is nothing new to me. I wish I could have paid better attention to the lands around me but I was so worried about Midnight, all my focus was on finding her. Working with Johann will be a chance to get back to nature."

Dusk compares the wooden cow and the wooden sheep for a moment before mirroring the ramming motion. He giggles happy baby gibberish and returns Floss' affections but makes no attempt to moo.

"You've all been so kind and helpful to us all, I would find it hard to leave just because the children are walking. However I understand how uncomfortable some of the others are around us so we wouldn't want to overstay our welcome." Midnight replies. "If nothing else with Johann's help, perhaps we can build a cabin of our own on the outskirts of the city. Like Morning, I have no problems getting my hands dirty and doing some hard work."  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

Tulip, the pale purple deer fawn, smiled amicably at Morning. "I could tell already. You seem to have some muscle in your arms and torso" she said. "Sailing is something I'd never do. I'm too scared of the ocean. My sister Dahlia doesn't like large bodies of water either. And that's very sweet that you were so focused on your wife. You are a good husband!" she praised him.

"There's always time to explore the rest of the world once your triplets get old enough. Or you could leave them here while you go adventuring, but I think it could be fun to adventure as a nomadic family, setting up camp in different places. Purri has a wide range of lands of different kinds. And yes, getting back to nature is what this tribe is all about. We have such a beautiful big forest to enjoy"

*****

Floss chuckled as the baby boy copied her actions, letting the sheep toy ram into her gently. She listened with delight to his giggles and gibberish as she tickled and cooed at him. "What does the sheep say? Baa baa baa!" She then started to sing Baa Baa Black Sheep to Dusk, gently clapping her hands as she sang. She reached over and helped take Dusk's hands and clap them together lightly while singing the nursery rhyme. She was clearly in her element, enjoying being around a baby again.

*****

Judy the miniature centaur smiled warmly at Midnight as she thanked them, rocking Noon gently in her arms. "Oh, it's no problem, love. We look after our fellow tribe members here. We just want to help you feel welcomed and at home here despite the feelings of other hoofed tribe folk. Their fears are indeed understandable and I'm glad you can see that without getting offended, though I do apologise for the cold shoulder and negative chatter. Some people just aren't comfortable around carnivores. I'm sure their animal instincts are partly to blame"

Floss looked up from playing with Dusk, looking at Midnight. "Well, you don't have to leave if you don't wish to, of course. I'm glad that you are starting to feel at home here.And you're never going to overstay your welcome with me, and my friends! But as for overstaying the welcome with other members, well, yes...I can see how our tribe members might feel that way" she sighed. "All it would take is for one or two incidents over the years and some folks will start petitioning to turn you out of the tribe. A baby bite here, a sight of them eating meat, damage to property, transforming into werebear forms...it wouldn't take much, unfortunately, to scare and alarm people. I have to admit, though I am fond of you all, I still feel instinctive fear of your were-forms that I have heard about"

Tulip added her two cents, the pale purple deer fawn speaking up "I'm sure Johann would help you with that! He's good at making floor plans for building homes. You guys are already in a cabin on the farthest outskirts of the tribe's borders though. Moving to a bigger place can certainly be done but if you move outside the borders, you'll not receive protection and help from the hoofed tribe. We only act within our domain. To prevent people getting lost or separated in the forest and being easy targets for monsters and attackers. That's how Riven's brother was captured by the labs"

Dahlia spoke up last, the light orange deer fawn "Of course, we can come visit you if you do move out of borders but it's dangerous for us to do so"  

[Viper 9000]

Meyaira Firespring

"You can go sailing on small bodies of water like lakes as well. While professional sailors might be limited to the ocean, as a hobby it can be taken just about anywhere..." Morning adds. "These past couple months running through the wilds looking for Midnight has done wonders for both our bodies. I shed probably twenty pounds of belly fat." Midnight muses over the thought of being a nomadic family. "That wouldn't be a bad idea when the kids are older, but for now we'll be staying here with all our friends."

Dusk, once showed what to do, clapped happily along with the song, babbling and drooling like a baby.

"You know back home people would have gotten around those protection rules by placing just a corner of their building within the Hooved tribes boarders..." Morning comments with a smile. "But with Midnight staying home with the children, we hopefully wont have any incidents for a couple years at least."  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

Tulip chuckled nervously with a self deprecating smile, waving her hand to dismiss the idea "Oh no, I really couldn't. I'm all hooves on boats and watercraft of any kind and so is my twin sister Dahlia for that matter. Even as a human, I used to fall overboard. The most I've ever done is the little boat race on the forest river in Summer. And I fell off then, too!" she laughed. "I'm not a good swimmer either, most hoofed tribe members aren't. We tend to be bottom heavy because of our hooves and our legs really aren't made for swimming in water. Most of us would drown in water that we can't touch the bottom of, without some sort of flotation device"

She paused in her talk, considering. "Still though, it does sound like a form of freedom being able to sail wherever your whims take you. I admit that does sound nice. I wish we could travel around Purri so easily but it's just not safe enough these days.Not unless you're werebears" she chuckled. "I'm sure you no doubt would be able to hold your own against lab monsters and other tribes". She listened to Morning some more. "Aye, aye, running through the wilds is good exercise!" she laughed "I'm not surprised you both shed the kilos, just a benefit of living a more manual lifestyle. And of course dear, you all stay as long as you like! Me and Dahlia enjoy having you here and so do Floss and Judy. Some of us might like to come with you if you leave but I guess we will see. Our loyalty to our tribesfolk is strong".

Floss went through the Baa Baa Black Sheep song a few more times, letting him clap along, before switching to another one. "Well now that you've mastered that one, how about we try something else. Do you know how to find your head, shoulders, knees and hooves? Look, Flossy will show you!" she said. She demonstrated for him, singing "Head, shoulders, knees and hooves, knees and hooves, Head shoulders knees and hooves, knees and hooves - and eyes and ears and mouth and nose, head shoulders knees and hooves, knees and hooves!" she laughed and then started singing again but this time she helped Dusk reach for and touch each body part, or she booped it with her finger, like his little nose. She had a soft and pretty singing voice. She held Dusks toes and wiggled and tickled them when she sang the word 'hooves'.

The women laughed at Morning's loophole idea. Dahlia looked at him "Well I guess you could try it, that might work!" she grinned. "You seem to be very clever at finding ways around things! No doubt that's helped you out on other occasions. You'll have the tribe up in fits if you do that but honestly I think they need something to gossip about to keep life interesting" she snickered some more.

Judy laughingly agreed. "Oh yes! Got to keep those gossip circles well greased and rotating!" She quieted down as she tried not to wake Noon, who she was still cuddling. "Yes, hopefully those kinds of incidents will be kept to a minimum. I am certain you both will keep the cubs in line. Now don't you just leave Midnight to do all the work and child raising now will you, dear?"

Floss, Dahlia and Tulip all murmured their agreement. "Oh yes, needs must work together as a team if you don't want an angry, upset wife"  

[Viper 9000]

Meyaira Firespring

"Its not save for us werebears either... I mean both us got captured as well, we just ended up with the larger predators that are more likely and capable of breaking out of such situations." Midnight added. "If the tribes could unite for one cause, it should be to destroy that lab and burn it to the ground..." Morning nods in agreement.

With her guidance, Dusk followed the song up until they reached the part about hooves. He looked at Floss in confusion as he noticed the difference between his own foot and Floss' hooves. (Now I'm just picturing him making noises like Jack-Jack in the first Incredibles movie)

"Bad habit, sailors are known for being a rough and abrasive bunch. I try not to exploit such things or go against the grain too often as it has a way of rubbing people the wrong way." Morning says, shifting the sleeping Dawn to his other arm. "And I'm sure Midnight will set tasks aside for me to handle when I'm home. I should hope to remain on her good side as I like sleeping in a bed beside my loving mate." Morning clearly directs this last part at Midnight with a smile.

"Considering our last escapade resulted in these three, more fun will have to wait." Midnight returns, untangling her fingers from her botched sewing project. "The hooved tribe needs our help more than they need me making more werebears..."  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

The hoofed tribe members looked at Midnight when she spoke up, saying it wasn't safe, even for Werebears. They went quiet, nodding solemnly. Tulip opened her mouth to reply, "Of course. How could we forget? Of course you started out being captured and held by the labs. That's where most of us come from after all" she said sadly.

"We all are very glad you were able to break out and reunite with each other, not many people do. It just seems like you both would stand more of a chance at fending off other tribes or lab monsters than us hoofed tribe folk. We tend to be a gentle sort and our best offense is safety in numbers, plus tactical thinking. That's why we have so many traps set up around our village. Forgive me for assuming though. I know it's still plenty dangerous for you and didn't mean to imply that it isn't".

Her sister chipped in "Yes, that would be great if the tribes would unite! Some of us try really hard to make that dream come true but the other tribes seem to have different ideas. They are so stubborn! They think 'We can do this all on our own because we're the superior races'" she said, in a mocking, sarcastic yet humorous tone that made fun of that way of thinking. "Or they say 'You're weak, let us control you as new leaders, just give us your lands and we promise there will be peace'. Pah, as if Kilcarn would ever fall for that!"

Judy piped up "It seems like we really need someone, maybe outsiders who don't really fit in with any tribes, to make a stand and start preaching unity for all races and species, to unite in the single cause of destroying the labs and their monsters" she paused. "But, that's easier said than done. We kind of need someone to go around and just, persuade the different tribes to make truces and agree to all band together as one. People already aligned with a tribe can really only work within that tribe and their allies. Someone who's not biased and is an outsider would have more success than one tribe trying to convince another, I think".

Floss had finished her sing-along with Dusk and was now showing him her hooves. They were neat, clean and painted with clear gloss enamel made from a kind of tree sap, the edges rimmed with gold leaf. "Oh okay, you have feet. See, these are feet too! But they are called hooves. I am a sheep fawn. These are my sheep fawn legs, and these are my sheep fawn hooves" she tapped them lightly, showing him and letting him reach out and touch if he wanted to. "Can you say hooves? Or maybe hoof? Hoof...hoof!" she tried to teach him the word, pointing at her hooves.

Dahlia looked back at Morning, smiling as she watched him shift Dawn to his other arm. "I see. I didn't know that about sailors. Well you seem smart enough to know when to find loopholes and when not to push your luck. That's probably helped keep you and your kin alive" she chuckled.

The women looked at him when he mentioned Midnight setting tasks and remaining on her good side, which made them laugh some more.

Judy grinned "That's the right attitude, young sir, and we are glad to hear it!" she nodded. "Some of our menfolk had to learn the hard way but it seems you understand the true meaning of working together as a couple".

Floss giggled at Midnight's reply. "Well we wouldn't complain if you made some more cute babies for us to love and spoil. But I doubt you'd be very welcome in the hoofed tribe with that many werebears. People might start to think you're making your own tribe. Still, in case you didn't know, talk to M'rala, she does give out items for birth control, to prevent unwanted or extra pregnancies. That lets you continue to be intimate with your partner when you please, without adding more kids to the mix. I'm sure Bess forgot to mention those items as she currently has no need of them but us who are married know about those things. Every tribe has them". Floss said.

Riven had gone out on a stroll, to clear his head. He tended the farm and the flock of sheep. There were too many clucky women inside his house currently. He just couldn't get comfortable around them. And he had no idea about babies. They were kind of scary to him.  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

The family had spent some nice hours with the sheep fawn family and her friends from the sewing group. It wasn't long before Midnight had to take the children with her and leave back to their cabin, but Morning had promised to help Bess crushing Purplum pods to make numbing salve in the healer's hut/infirmary with M'rala. He'd earn respect for helping out, plus a bit of coin too.

Midnight would likely be kept busy the rest of the afternoon, taking care of the three newborn Panbers (panda werebears). And perhaps making dinner for when Morning returned to their basic home on the outskirts of the hoofed tribe borders. There were plenty of dried, smoked, salted and preserved things to use over the winter period when nothing was growing but cold loving plants.

*****

-------TIME SKIP------

The next day, as he had promised Johann the carpenter, Morning was kept busy roaming the forest in search for hardwoods to cut down as a lumberjack.

Johann showed him the best way to cut and how to use the tools for doing so. Once a tree was cut down, they would re-plant a sapling in its place, and the sapling overnight would have almost regrown into a large tree. The felled tree would still have to be hacked up into smaller pieces, and then those were cut and sanded and carved to make items with. It was a slow process.

It took a couple of weeks for Johann to make the toys as Midnight and Morning had asked for. Morning was kept busy enough with cutting trees down and then cutting them into smaller parts. And Midnight and Morning could do odd jobs around the town to help out and get paid. When they weren't busy being full time parents that is.

The hoofed tribe avoided the cabin on the edge of the border, all except for their friends, Bess, Riven, and his family. But perhaps that was for the best. The forest was nice and peaceful despite the cold frosts and winter weather.

****
------TIME SKIP-----(sorry I had to jump forwards a bit more)

The two weeks ended rather quickly, with everyone going about their busy lives. When the third week begun, Bess was asked to babysit the Panber triplets to give Morning and Midnight a bit of a break to recharge their batteries and do whatever they wanted. They had said something about talking to Kilcarn regarding ambassadors and plans.

The boar girl had come to their cabin at the edge of the border, because she thought it would be more comfortable for the babies to remain in familiar surroundings with all their items close by. She was a little nervous about tribal attacks and monsters, or even wild creatures. But she was a warrior and could defend the kids when push came to shove. Since it was winter, it was cold, and she made sure there was a warm fire going in the stone fireplace, and that the guard gate around it was locked and firmly in place. So no little panbers could get into it.

She had little snacks prepared for Dawn, Noon and Dusk; hard rusks/bars for them to teethe on made from blended grains and some fruit paste/yoghurt made from rehydrated berries and mixed with goat's milk (strawberry yoghurt). The babies were still technically newborns but since Dusk had already shown they were able to consume solids (shortbread cookie, lollipop), she didn't mind making a few treats for snacks, using recipes from Floss and co. It made her think about her own parents. How they were, where they were. If they were still back on Earth. She missed them but she shook her head to dispel the thoughts. It only made her sad and wasn't helpful. One day she could get back there. Maybe.

She did one last check around the small cabin house. The windows were closed to prevent drafts, the front door was locked. The house was baby proofed. She had laid out cushions and a baby blanket or two on the floor for the cubs. Johann had finished making the toys their parents commissioned, so she had placed toys down on the blanket and tried to make them look appealing.

The toys were all made of hardwood to withstand any kind of gnawing and clawing the kids could dish out. There was a little wagon that was deep and filled with blocks. The blocks came in different bright colours and had ABCs, 123s, colours, animals and the like on them. They also had been carved to have different textures; some silky, some rough, some bumpy and so on. The blocks were also a variety of shapes.

There were wooden rattles, some a simple bar with knobs on either end and coloured rings between the knobs- these would rattle when shaken, plus were fun to teethe on. Other rattles being round on one end with something inside to make noise when it was shaken. There were activity toys such as a shape sorter with holes for different coloured shapes; and the shapes to go in the holes (big enough not to swallow), a wooden train with carriages that could be attached and pulled off again, little wooden boats with small wooden popple people, for water play (they would really float!). Wooden activity toys with beads to thread around, knobs, buttons and other things to twist, grab, pull, push, lift, turn, hit, feel and ect.

https://www.knockonwoodtoys.com.au/babies-toddlers/activity-toys ((Look at: Ever Earth 7 in 1 Garden Activity Cube, the pound a peg, Everearth My First Multi-Play Activity Cube, and the Hape Early Melodies Pound and Tap Bench to name a few of what Johann's activity toys look like))

There was also a wooden stacker with rings, each one a different size and colour of the rainbow. They were all big enough to not be swallowed and hard enough to survive a thorough gnawing. There was also a wooden play gym the babies could lie under and bat at dangling toys https://www.google.com/search?q=wooden+play+gym&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiyn5HBkPbaAhVDvrwKHbW6DHEQ_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=654

Outside in the front yard, as it were, Johann and Morning had worked together to make a small fence to enclose the area, really only just past knee height to adults. The fence circled the front of the house, making a neat little play area. Inside that was a small play gym the carpenter had made. It looked like a tiny play house, with a small ramp that had protruding wooden ladder rungs to climb. The child could then slide down the small slanted slide that came out the front, or crawl or walk to the wall on the left, where they could pretend to drive a ship with the wooden steering wheel while looking out the small peep window, press buttons, pull a lever, twist a knob and so on. To the right of the house/gym was a round wooden tunnel where they could crawl through and onto another platform. This platform had stair rails around it. Plus a curved slide came out the front that went round to the left. The roof looked like a little slanted house roof same as the other part and there was a small hideout the kids could go in to play that had windows with shutters and a small half door. A rail connected to the side of the hideout, which had swing sets on it made for babies to sit in. It was all hardwood and very sturdy and well made. The leaf litter and plants of the forest floor were likely soggy and frosty (if not under snow) at this time of year so the thoughtful Johann had placed down a wooden patio floor made from weather treated boards and the cubby/play gym sat upon that.

Bess walked into the nursery where the panbers were waiting in their cribs, where their parents had left them. They had all had breakfast of yummy mummy milk from Midnight and were already changed and dressed in warm, knitted clothes. She smiled at them as she walked in quietly. "Hey there guys. You want to play with me for a couple of hours?" she greeted, going over to pick up Dawn and carry her out to the living room/play areas.

"Oof you are pretty chunky for a baby, little girl" she giggled at Dawn.

She then went back and got Noon, and placed her down on the baby blanket next to her sister but lying under the play gym with its dangling toys above "You're light and tiny, better make sure your sister can't bully you or steal your toys" she joked.

She then went to get Dusk and placed him down on the soft thick blanket with his siblings. "Hey look, it's playtime!" Bess said cheerfully, with enthusiasm, showing him the toys. Dusk looked at her and immediately startled to babble as though having a conversation. Bess laughed softly. "Oh, is that so? I see. Huh I didn't know that? Really?!" she played along, pretending to understand his gibberish. Sure was a talkative little guy, for someone who didn't know words yet.  

[Viper 9000]

Meyaira Firespring

Likewise dressed for colder weather, Midnight showed Bess where she'd been storing the various baby supplies like clothes and diapers.The babies were getting bold enough they'd started digging through cabinets so most the supplies were high up on the shelves to keep outta reach.

"With luck we'll be back in an hour or two..." Morning said, buttoning up his jacket. "We'll pick up lunch for you on our way back but help yourself to any other food you find."

The werebear parents gives their triplets hugs and kisses before disappearing out the front door and heading towards the village proper. Ever the attention span of small children, they barely noticed mom and dad leaving, their attention focused on the array of toys scattered before the warm fireplace.

Dawn happily slams the toy blocks into the against the board of shaped holes, currently trying to force a triangle to fit into the square slot. Noon flails her tiny arms and legs at the assortment of toys floating above her for a couple minutes before deciding to chew on the leg of the play gym. Dusk continues babbling at Bess before crawling under one of the couches. He returns shortly with dirty ball of fluff and proudly presents it to Bess.  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

Bess paid attention to where everything was and reassured her friends that everything would be fine. She thanked them about the lunch offer before they left, and wished them a good day.

The cribs, changing table and rocking chair in the triplet's nursery were all donated from other families who had not been able to use them for years. No one was really breeding in the hoofed tribe much. Misty the centaur would be adding some new centaurs out in the rolling hills and grass plains but apart from her, there wasn't anyone else pregnant. Bess was thinking about these things as she got the babies out of their room to play.

"An hour or two is gonna be a breeze, right guys?" Bess said cheerfully, crouching down with one arm wrapped around her knees. She smiled and tilted her head slightly as she watched the panbers. "I don't think I'm going to need snacks but it was nice of your mommy and daddy to offer" she told the babies, watching them play. "They give good hugs and kisses, huh?" she asked the babies with a soft giggle.

She looked around the simple cabin. Morning and Midnight had been given furniture from people's attics or spare rooms. They had two sofas, a coffee table, a kitchen table and chairs, a queen size bed for their room, and a book case and some side tables for the living room. The bathroom already came with a big wooden bath tub, a toilet and shower. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. The bath at any rate, could fit the whole family in it with no problems. But probably not when the babies got older.

Bess focused her gaze back on the babies, her eyes flicking from one to the next. They didn't seem to notice their parents leaving and were pretty happy right now - good. The boar girl watched Dawn slam the shape sorter blocks on the cube with cut outs. She grinned and chuckled, shuffling over to be closer to her. "That one won't go in hey? Look, why not try this" she pointed to the triangle cutout and gently grabbed Dawn's hand to guide it over to that hole. "Here, you put it in" she encouraged. "This is a triangle"

She glanced over at Noon and the toys that were swinging around above her. Bess leaned forwards and sideways, lightly hitting the toys, making them dance. "Look Noon, what's this? What's this?" she cooed, her tone bright and bubbly. "A deer, a bear and a sheep!" She shook the sheep and it rattled. She then pulled the bear's legs and it growled softly. The deer was holding a mirror that showed Noon her own face. Noon seemed pretty content teething on the leg of the play gym more than anything. "What does that taste like?" Bess wondered aloud, laughing a bit.

Bess then turned back to Dusk as he was chatting away in baby babble. She watched him get onto all fours and start crawling. "Ohh, very clever, you're already crawling!" Bess clapped for him, celebrating his achievement. "Where you going, little guy?" She watched him crawl off the blankets and under the couch. It was a pretty big gap underneath it actually. The joys of retro furniture. She waited for him to come back out, hoping he wouldn't get stuck. When he returned with a large dust bunny, she took it and acted surprised "Ohh! A dust bunny! Thank you sweetie. I'll just put this away" Bess got to her feet and walked to the kitchen, where she sneakily put the dust bunny in the bin. She returned to the play area in the living room and picked up a toy. "Hey, you wanna see what else is under there? Here, fetch!" Bess slid the toy across the floor and under the couch for Dusk to go hunt and find.

"You know, don't tell your parents I said this, but I've wondered what a baby from me and Kilcarn would look like" she spoke, airing her thoughts "If we had a daughter or a son, I'd name them Brandy" she smiled. "Who's ever heard of a pegacorn boar? What would we even call that? A pegaboar? A pegacornboar? A Cornboar?! Ahahah!" she laughed at the silly names, putting her hand on her belly as she did so. "Either way I'm going to have to quest to get a Felia flower. That's the only way our dna would combine" she said. "When we were humans, we would have been compatible, but not now" she sighed sadly.  

[Viper 9000]

Meyaira Firespring

Dawn muses over the new information Bess just provided her with by chewing on the edge of the triangle shape. After a moment of nibbling on it, she follows Bess' suggestion and attempts to plant the triangle in its proper spot. It takes her a couple tries to get the angle right eventually the shapes match up and sink together.

Noon pauses in her nibbling to look at the moving figures but quickly deems the leg more tasty than the figures were interesting. While the smallest triplet remained small compared to her other siblings, she had managed to put on some weight and over all appeared more healthy than when she was born.

Dusk's head swivels to follow the toys movement and see where it lands but makes no move to chase it yet. Instead he sits and politely listens to Bess' conversation. While her words were a mystery to his small brain still, he knew she was talking and paid close to her body language. Following the movement of her hand to her belly, Dusk crawls into her lap and presses his head against her stomach, seeming like he was listening for something. Hearing nothing from Bess' stomach, he babbles gibberish up at her.  

[Kasumi Roseglimmer]

Viper 9000

Bess was enjoying watching the triplets. They were so different from each other, their personalities already apparent at such a young age. She watched Dawn chew the triangle block contentedly then have another go at putting it in the shape sorter.

Bess had reached her hand out to help guide Dawn's hand to the right angle to put the shape in the box...but she found Dawn did it on her own before she could even touch her. Bess clapped and cheered for her "Yayyy! Well done Dawn! You did it!" She looked around at the other shapes and picked up a square "Here! You wanna do another one?" she asked excitedly, showing her the shape. "Square. This is a square"

"You know, I think you're already bigger than your brother and sister, baby girl. I guess we'll see if that's baby fat or bulk as you get older" she observed, playfully poking Dawn's belly a few times. "You might become quite the warrior like your mother. You have a determination about you. You try and try until you get the desired result, and that's good"

She knew that Dawn couldn't understand her, but she wanted to chat anyway. To let the triplets hear a friendly voice and know that they were being paid attention to.

Her gaze shifted back to Noon. "And you little darling; you're a mystery full of surprises. I think we'll have to watch you; the quiet ones are always hiding something" she chuckled, reaching out to stroke her hand through the fine baby fluff of hair on Noon's noggin. "Soft! Ahh, your hair is so cute!" she squeed, "When it gets longer, we're going to have to put it up in pretty hair styles. That's what little girls are fun for"

She took a teething rusk and placed it in Noon's hand. "Here, this might be nicer to chomp on than that leg; it probably tastes better too" She noticed how healthy Noon was looking these days and how much she had grown since her birth. "I'm glad you're doing better, Noon. You had us worried for a while there. But look at you now!~ Soon there'll be no stopping you" she said. "I wonder who you'll take after most; Midnight or Morning? Or maybe you'll be your own person and surprise everyone" she reached out to play with Noon's feet, grabbing them lightly and helping her kick her legs. "Kick kick kick! Kick kick kick! Come on, kick those legs!" she enthused, gently playing with her. "Maybe you'll follow Dawn around everywhere and idolize her! Or will you form a strong bond with your brother and be a tomboy? The possibilities are endless"

She switched attention back to Dusk. He wasn't going after the toy. When he crawled up and listened to her belly, she looked surprised and then amused. "What ever are you doing, funny boy? What do you think's inside there?" she asked him, stroking his head. "I'm sorry, all that's in there is my breakfast!" she laughed. She'd have to tell his parent's about this. It was priceless.

She watched him sit up a bit and start babbling at her. Bess looked at him with curious eyes, "I'm sorry, I wish I could tell what you're saying. You seem to have a lot to say!" she smiled. She playfully gabbled some of his sounds back at him and tickled his sides. "What are you trying to tell me huh? What is it? Do you want to know if I'm hungry? Are you hungry? Or maybe you want to become a doctor, is that it? Hey I know; let's read a book together. Teaching you words can only help matters" she reached for a baby book and opened it, showing it to Dusk. "Look! This is an Apple!" she said, pointing to the bright big apple in the middle of the page. "Apple. Apple Apple" she repeated the word clear and careful, tapping the picture with it. She didn't really expect Dusk to talk so soon but reading books was good for developing brains anyway.

Bess wondered what Midnight and Morning were up to. They'd mentioned wanting to speak to Kilcarn at some point. Maybe today would be a good chance to do that.

And they could let their hair down and have some fun. Go dance in the forest dance square, share a meal at the tavern, play darts, listen to stories of other tribes and monster encounters in Purri, ride the ziplines in the highest trees, swing on the tree swings, make snowmen, have a snowball fight, have a bonfire and tribal dancing, go shopping, soak in the springs, get missions from Aidenna, whatever they wanted. There were no electric things like TVs or computers but people could make their own fun.