everybody's crazy for pretending they're not

open for family <3

 

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Being home had settled Ries somewhat. He doubted that he'd ever lose his adventurous streak, but it was nice to have somewhere to return to, and even nicer that the place was filled with his favorite people in the world. Though he'd initially been nervous, his family had welcomed him back with open paws, and Ries honestly couldn't be happier if he tried.

The last couple of months had been spent with them, catching up and helping out with the younger ones. The gang was larger now, with new faces among the familiar, but Ries loved them all with everything he had.

He'd spent the majority of today exploring the territory rather aimlessly, trying to become accustomed to traveling the rougher terrain without splitting his paws open or faceplanting into a poorly-placed rock. It would take some time to get used to, he figured, but he liked to think he was getting better at it!

At least, until some looser stones underfoot shifted and he tumbled gracelessly down a (thankfully) gentle slope. It stung his pride more than anything, and for a moment he could only sit there and laugh at himself.

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Katja had been following him at somewhat of a distance today; at his return, everyone had been happy, her family overjoyed and energetic. Katja, however, while welcoming, had been confused. Where had he been? Why had he gone? What had made him come back? What had he seen? The younger Boesch was curious, and wanted to ask him but by the time she had finished her early morning routine Ries had already been on the move.

His scent was getting stronger though, which meant that the little iceling was finally closing in on him. She arrived just as his tumble came to an end, the girl trotting over to where he had ended up. Ears perked as he laughed, she watched him in continued confusion. She and Ries were certainly not cut from the same section of the family cloth but that didn't really mean anything. She was unlike most of her siblings. “Why are you laughing? You fell.”

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A little voice surprised him out of his laughter, and Ries glanced up toward its source. He recognized the pup immediately, cracking a smile at her very serious face. It was a fair question, he supposed, and for a moment, he didn’t have much of an answer.

“I guess it’s a little weird to laugh after a fall like that, huh?” he offered, getting to his paws and shaking his fur out before (carefully) making his way back up the slope to Katja’s side. “But I’m not hurt or anything, so I thought it was more funny than anything else.”

The little girl reminded him of a miniature version of their mother, and it drew another smile onto Ries’ maw. She was so serious. “Have you been followin’ me around all morning?” he asked, tail swishing back and forth.
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Weird? Her little brain churned, trying to apply what she would come to know as context to the word and understand what he meant. Undoubtedly, she came close but two plus two did not quite equal four just yet. He dark silver head tilted, ears flopping slightly as that had not yet firmed up. “What weird?”

Watching him as he scaled his way back up the hill, her small paws shuffled her back a touch, keeping the distance between them -- she had only just met him and while he smelld like mother and father he was an unkown to her just yet.

“Yes,” She answered plainly, not knowing how to explain why she had been on his trail this entire time. Just that she did. Her body was still and pensive, as it almost always was.

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Oh, that had probably been too many words, spoken too quickly for a pup that young to understand, huh? Ries cringed inwardly - he admittedly didn’t have a lot of experience with pups, but he was trying. He wanted to be a good big brother to them.

“Me. I’m weird,” he told her with a grin, taking a few steps back when she decided to put distance between them. He was reminded that they had two parents and had clearly taken after the opposite ones - himself more after their father and Katja more after their mother. “I’m a weirdo who falls off cliffs and laughs about it.”

It seemed Katja was a lady of few words, which was fine. Ries could talk plenty for the both of them. A small smile overtook his features. “That’s very smart of you,” he praised, tail swishing back and forth. After a moment of thought, he leaned in a little, angling his ears forward. “Do you wanna play a game? To see if you can find me if I hide?” Tracking was a good behavior to encourage, he figured, and it was even better if they could make a game of it.

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“No.” Her head shook, exasperated in the way that only a child could be when they could not yet connect with the ways of the world. “You is Reez. Father and Mother said. What weird?” His follow up statement had been disregarded by the young female, as she was more interested in getting her question answered — properly.

His praise did strike her in a particular way, the very first layer of ice melting away from her heart. She was reserved in all things, her emotions too, and it took quite some time for the young girl to warm up to an idea, or a person. In time, those layers of ice would be even thicker but for the moment, their thinness would allow Ries to wiggle his way in beside all the other siblings she knew and loved in her own way.

It was the game that he proposed that caught her attention the most. Her ears swiveled instantly, in tandem to focus on him now. “Yes,” She said, her answer instantaneous. She wanted to play. Mother and Father were so gentle. Made her be so gentle. And Katja was already not quite so soft. She wanted to play, and was excited that he would allow her to.

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