Welcome to Canis Major

a wolf and animal rpg (role-playing game)

Canis is a writing community for play-by-post (forum-based), freeform roleplay set in a fictional dream world in the intrusion fantasy genre. Most characters on Canis are wolves; many play elements are focused around wolves and canids, but the world makes room for a large variety of other animal characters such as dogs, horses, cats, bears, deer, and many, many more.

Our community is focused on flexibility, creativity, and collaboration. That boils down to a few important features:

  • There is no set activity requirement to write
  • The setting and plot are member-created and staff-supported
  • The game is continuously improved to increase fun and decrease stress

Learn more in our Rulebook!

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Come on, let's get to it


Afternoon Sunny/Clear
#1
P
03-09-2022, 09:27 PM
 They had been traveling south for a while –alternating between traveling, resting, and eating-- and halfway through the next day of their meeting they’d crossed a natural bridge into the Temperate region. Not that Moosebellow knew the difference. He just knew that they’d passed into a plains-like area and it seemed like a good stopping point. They wandered through to a spot with towering stones and he walked underneath an overhang. It would be a good spot to rest for the day—

 As well as a good spot for their sparring practice.

 ”I think this is a good spot to rest. Don’t you?”He hopped up on top of a boulder and laid down in the afternoon sun, tail lazily swishing behind him. It was a stark contrast to the next words out of his mouth. ”Want to try that battle practice?” He grinned down at her, wondering how excited she’d be at that.

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#2
03-13-2022, 08:46 PM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2022, 04:38 PM by Quinn. Edited 2 times in total. Edit Reason: Tags )
Quinn was happily following the path that Moosebellow was treading. She tried not to think too much about where they were going, or what they would find along the way. Instead, she was living in the moment and enjoying his company. The areas they were moving through captivated her attention, as she simply wasn't used to it. She was used to a hot, mostly dry climate, not the cool, humid one they had just crossed in to. 

They walked through a stone doorway of sorts, and Moosebellow suggested they take a break. She was about to agree when he then offered to teach her the first lesson of fight training. His grin bewitched her, and for a moment, she didn't respond. But, refusing to be some damsel, she snapped out of and nodded. Show me whatcha got, she dared him.
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#3
Paladin
03-15-2022, 03:16 AM (This post was last modified: 03-15-2022, 03:33 AM by Moosebellow. Edited 1 time in total.)
 Amber eyes were locked onto her lithe form as Quinn walked closer to his rock. She stared up at him, not saying anything at first. It gave him time to study her golden eyes, the way the sun reflected off of her coat, the gentle tug of the wind at her fur--

 "Show me watcha got." That snapped him out of his thoughts and his eyes refocused. He let out a laugh and shook his head, "Oh no, we're not starting out with me trouncing you. What fun would that be if I just shoved you in the dirt? Us clan cats have a fuckin' system for traini'! We need to teach you the fuckin' basics first! You ain't an actual apprentice but we're treatin' you like one today. There was a method to this and he'd trained enough apprentices to know how and where to begin. "For these sessions you may as well consider yourself 'Quinnpaw'." He said with a bellowing laugh.

 "Before you can attack and defend, you need to know your vulnerabilities and your opponent's." He rolled onto his paws and then sprang to the ground, walking forward to Quinn so that he could sit in front of her. "For starters, I'm sure you know about the throat but there's also the neck, eyes, and belly. Especially the belly if you're fighting a larger opponent and they get you pinned, then you need to remember to flay the absolute shit out of their belly with your hind claws. When pinned, keep calm and rip their stomach to pieces." Not that he ever panicked but he figured it was good advice for her. Wasn't even a move that necessarily needed to be taught because all cats knew it. He continued, "Just because you're small, doesn't mean that it's always a disadvantage. Keep in mind your speed and use it against any-fuckin'-body that you fight." He paused, looking her over and thinking about the best way to train her. He'd never had to tutor an adult before but it was probably like fast-tracking a young cat.

 "Now, if you can help it, you need to keep from being pinned. So, you should use your speed and strike from a distance with your paws and claws to keep your opponents from grappling you. Towards that end, I'll teach you your first fighting move. You ready? Or am I goin' too fast?"

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#4
03-15-2022, 12:49 PM
Their eyes locked and they gazed at each other for just a few moments. Quinn thought it was the first time she had ever seen him look anything close to serious. But it was a fleeting moment, and they moved on to the task at hand: teaching her how to properly fight. Quinn, being a wildcat, had been in her fair share of scuffles, but the majority of those were over food and short-lived. Nothing that came close to her needing to fight for her life. The males in the clan on taken on those roles, especially when a queen went into heat. 

She thought they would simply get into it, but he was quick to let her know how they would start off and why. Quinn listened intently, and then look absolutely appalled, jokingly, of course. A demotion?! she exclaimed. How rude, she said, her voice giving away that she wasn't actually upset. A playfulness in her eyes sparked up momentarily, but Moosebellow got down to business, and so did she. 

Everything he was saying made sense, Quinn just needed to learn how to apply it to a real fight. She shook her head, Nope, just right, she said when he asked if he was going too fast. She flicked her tail and watched him in anticipation, wondering when the physical part of the lesson was going to begin.
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#5
Paladin
03-15-2022, 02:23 PM (This post was last modified: 03-15-2022, 02:23 PM by Moosebellow.)
 Her comment about a demotion had him laughing, with whiskers trembling in amusement. ”Don’t worry, you pay attention and do a good fuckin’ job, maybe we’ll get your promotion back in a few moons.” He winked, teasing as well. Maybe. He rose to his paws, standing tall above Quinn… not because he tried to but because he just… was.

 It seemed that she’d gotten a hold to all of the information. Good. ”First move: Front Paw Strike.” He crouched down a bit so that he could bend his knees and get a bit more maneuverability. He stepped back a bit so he wouldn’t accidentally hit her and then demonstrated slowly for her the move by bringing his right front paw up and then down with claws unsheathed. ”It’s simple, just bring your paw out to strike at your opponent. It can do some damage and keep you out of range of retaliation. Both of which are good for you. It’s a quick move, done wherever you can strike your opponent.” He talked through this while he demonstrated again, a bit more quickly. He stood straight again and pointed at her with his paw. ”Now, you try.”


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#6
Paladin
03-15-2022, 03:14 PM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2022, 03:06 PM by Quinn. Edited 1 time in total.)
Quinn huffed her laughter, as usual. It didn't bother her when Moosebellow towered over her; she had gotten used to it quite quickly. No need to give it, she announced. I'll earn it. She had no doubt she would. Quinn didn't feel anything had ever been bestowed upon her, and she didn't think it would be now. She was happy earning what she got, and this would be no exception. 

She watched as he demonstrated the quick-paw strike. She had done it before, recently even on that young wolf, so she was familiar with it. She liked watching him, though. Her tail flicked as his paw passed in front of her, and she could feel an internal smile forming when he told her to try it out herself. If he thought she was going to do it as safely as she did, he was about to be proven wrong. She knew he could handle himself, so she didn't hold back. He was already far enough away that she knew she wouldn't hit him. So, she braced her rear on the ground, and quickly, claws out, swiped the air between them, not bothering to move slowly. She even added in a hiss for effect. She brought her paw down to rest beside the other and waited for him to grade her.
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#7
03-15-2022, 03:41 PM
 He smirked at her comment, pleased at the confidence it exuded. ”Now that’s what I fuckin’ like to hear!” He almost purred with pleasure. That was a leader, one to motivate the masses. He was already convinced that she’d do fine but with that, he was even more confident in her abilities.

 He had expected her to perform the strike slowly, to warm up with it. To get used to it first… but no such thing happened. Instead, the she-cat swiped the air quickly. In fact, the brown tomcat leaned back a bit on reflex with the speed and precision of the hit. ”Whoa!” He breathed as she neatly tucked her paw back next to the other one.

 He laughed and said, ”Nicely fuckin’ done! I take it you’ve had plenty of practice in the real world with that one?” Likely since most cats could strike with a paw but few did it with any professional training. ”Alright, we’re gonna fuckin’ fast track you. Next move. Like the strike except you specifically aim for the head with your claws sheathed. Like so.” He stepped forward quickly and raised a paw to bring down on top of her head. There was no force in it just a simple “boop” to the top of her head if she didn’t move. It was teaching because he demonstrated it correctly… but it was also messing with her. ”It’s called the Front Paw Blow, no claws to disorient your opponent and focus on knockin’ some sense out of’em to quickly move to another attack. Got it?” He knew she would, this were likely refreshers or adding names to things she already knew.

 ”Try it. Do a good execution and we’ll do some in-motion practice.” He stepped back to give her some space as he watched her carefully. Wondering what and how she’d do.

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#8
Paladin
03-15-2022, 04:32 PM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2022, 04:39 PM by Quinn. Edited 1 time in total. Edit Reason: Tags )
Quinn was never one to need the approval of others, but when she received it from Moosebellow, her insides swelled with satisfaction, and her eyes beamed with it. How could she get more of that? She needed to know. 

She got more satisfaction out of his surprise of her swipe. It was intended, and she liked that he was thrown off, even if for just a moment. She nodded when he asked if she had experience with that move. Yes, recently with a young wolf, she explained. I got her nose, and she sure didn't like that, Quinn added, the memory coming forward in her mind. Maybe the situation would have ended differently had Quinn shown more restraint, but when up against a much larger predator, she couldn't say she'd do anything different. 

She was pleased when he said they were going to fast-track her training. The Front Paw Blow was pretty straight forward, though in Quinn's opinion, it was used for less-serious situations. Still, very good to know. Her eyes crossed as she looked up when he placed a gentle boop on the top of her head, then nodded her understanding. 

As he retreated, she regarded him thoughtfully, thinking on exactly how she wanted to give him his boop. She thought about pouncing him, but decided against it. That would be too much, right? But, she couldn't just go straight at him, that would be too obvious. When she decided on what she wanted to do, she stood with a gleam in her eyes, sauntering to come up to the side of him instead of straight on. She briefly attempted to rub her tiny body against his large one, and when their heads were side by side, suddenly brought her paw up to bop his head with it, claws carefully sheathed. She might have done it a bit harder than he had her, but not actually hard. She then bounded a few feet away and came back to her sitting position facing him.
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#9
03-15-2022, 04:54 PM
 ”A wolf, eh? You’re brave as shit! I usually just run up a fuckin’ tree if I can avoid fightin’ a fuckin’ wolf!” He was confident in his abilities, yeah, but not enough to go toe-to-toe with one of those monsters. Fuck that shit! Of course, he hadn’t realized she meant a “pup”, he thought “young wolf” as a yearling or something. Yearling wolves were still pretty huge.

 Quinn watched him and he her, waiting to see what she would do. He wondered if she’d come straight at him or try to dodge around. He wasn’t the fastest cat but anticipation of an opponent’s actions could mean the difference in dodging or not. What happened next, he was not expecting at all.
 There was a gleam in her eyes as she came forward but she wasn’t running, she was just strutting up to him… with those golden eyes. He was confused as she didn’t try to hit him, she just was going to rub against him?
 He wasn’t displeased by that just excessively confused. And strangely overjoyed and excited. Was she done with training for today? Had she gotten bored? He couldn’t fight the purr that had started to rise in his throat as he leaned closer to her and—

 Boop.
 She got him right on the head.
 ”Huh?! Wha--?’! That little sneak! He bounced away from her and bellowed out a laugh. ”You sneaky fuckin’ mouse! Haha! Nicely done! Unorthodox but it fuckin’ works!” If he was a person he’d have been doubled over in laughter.
 He finally managed to get his giggles under control. ”Alright! Alright! We’ll go again! This time I’m gonna fuckin’ come at ya, and you dodge out of the way. I’m slow, you’re quick, should be a snap.” He stood a small pace from her, slightly crouched, tail lashing back and forth as he studied her with pent up energy. ”Watch me carefully, anticipate where you think I’m gonna hit and react.”

 He wouldn’t be clever, he’d try to be quick but he knew that she should be able to outspeed him easily enough if she paid attention and anticipated where he was going to hit. He lurched forward and struck out with a paw in an attempt to strike her shoulder –claws sheathed—if she didn’t move.

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#10
Paladin
03-15-2022, 05:47 PM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2022, 04:40 PM by Quinn. Edited 1 time in total. Edit Reason: Tags )
Yeah, I had to, she said, regarding running up a tree. I told her she just needed to let me be and I would leave, but she didn't, Quinn explained, and shrugged. It was what it was now. Quinn couldn't see doing anything different because of the aggression of the wolf. She certainly couldn't have turned her back to her. 

The purr that Moosebellow presented gave Quinn a level of satisfaction she hadn't had before. She made a mental note to try out what exactly made him do that. But, right now, she needed to focus on the task at hand. She huffed her laughter and flicked her tail playfully when she realized she had "won" this round. 

Next up, he said he was going to come at her. He said he was slow, but Quinn rejected that statement. He could be fibbing to throw her off her game. She eyed him carefully, and as soon as he lurched, she jumped up and to the side. But, instead of leaving it there, she quickly turned went up on her hind legs, her front legs open as she tried to pounce him. He was a lot bigger than her, though, so it was like she could really come down from above. Instead, it was mostly from the side.
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#11
Paladin
03-15-2022, 07:18 PM (This post was last modified: 03-15-2022, 07:19 PM by Moosebellow. Edited 2 times in total.)
((I managed to get a phone post in at lunch ❤️))

He came at her, paw swiping downwards as he came forward. The quick she-cat dodged out of the way. His paw came all the way down to ground while he turned to see Quinn springing at him. Not content to end the bout there, she had brought her front paws towards him... And he let her.

He allowed himself to be pounced as her smaller weight was easy to hold, and with the position. He would pause the lesson here, coming to a standstill. "Not bad, not bad at all. But you've left yourself open to retaliation." He said sweetly as he turned his head to playfully nip at her cheek. "I could bite your leg, or body slam you, or throw you on the ground. Whatever takes my fancy." Although he did none of the sort, instead he'd just use this as a teaching moment.

"With someone larger than you, you can pounce on their back and rake it to pieces. From there you're free from direct countermoves. Works well with things as fuckin' large as wolves too." If he had to fight one and couldn't get away, that would be his go-to move. "The only counter measure is to roll and try to crush you. If that happens and you feel that cat or wolf or whatever dropping, then you leap immediately and get off and away. If it's a cat you can determine your next attack, if it's a wolf, fuckin' run." With that he would smile at her cheekily and say, "One more round, then we'll take a break!"

With that, if she were still holding him, he'd extract himself and give a little bit of distance between them. After setting himself into a slight crouch, tail lashing, he'd come at her. This time he'd feint to the left as if he were going to swipe there but then he'd switch and aim a Front Paw Blow to the right side of her head.
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#12
Paladin
03-15-2022, 07:48 PM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2022, 04:43 PM by Quinn. Edited 1 time in total. Edit Reason: Tags )
Yay!


He praised her, but also let her know what the position she put herself in meant. It was good knowledge to have in the future. He playfully nipped at her cheek, though she could tell he wasn't inviting her to play. He was showing her what he could do if they were in a fight. Quinn lifted her legs and set them back on the ground as he explained how she could maneuver herself next time to not be so vulnerable. She kind of liked the idea of jumping on that pup's back and giving her a good scratching. Quinn believed she deserved it. 

She listened as he explained, and then nodded to agree that they would take a break after this next lesson. He moved away from her, and she stayed put while she watched him face her, and get into a crouch. She thought he would do the same as before and come right at her, and she prepared for it. Instead, he jumped to the side, and before she could think of what to do next, she felt a paw hitting the right side of her head. No claws, and not nearly enough to make Quinn think it was anything more than training. Still, she didn't like the surprise. Who would? 

She growled in response and turned open jaws at him, and attempted to pounce on him again. It was all in good fun, especially since he said training would be over. Quinn had never really "played" before, but it was coming out now.
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#13
Paladin
03-15-2022, 08:07 PM (This post was last modified: 03-15-2022, 08:07 PM by Moosebellow.)
 Ha ha! He’d caught her off-guard this time. His paw connected with the side of her head with the successful “attack”. ”Always expect the—“ He didn’t even get to finish as the “unexpected” thing happened to him. The she-cat didn’t stop for further instruction, instead she pounced straight at him. He could tell this was playfully intended as opposed to training.
 Well, he did say a break afterwards and she’d more than earned it with how well she was doing.
 ”Oh! It’s on!” He said with a teasing growl in return. When they’d first met, she seemed like more of the serious type. Now though, he wondered if she was more prone to play than she let on… or maybe it was because of him? That thought had him feeling butterflies in his gut as he would allow her to pounce at him but in return he would reach out with his forepaws in an attempt to wrap them around her in a hold.
 If he got her, he would fall to the ground and lightly kick at her with his rear paws, a tickle more than anything.

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#14
03-15-2022, 08:47 PM
She huffed her laughter at having caught him off-guard—one of the very lessons he had just taught her. It was answered in kind, however, as she didn't expect him to wrap his forelegs around her in a hold. She rather liked his playful growl, however, and reveled in it. They hit the ground, though not too hard, and she could feel his back legs kicking like a rabbits would. She attempted to use her own back legs to defer his while at the same time aiming her open jaws towards the thick fur at his neck. She didn't intend to bite hard, and his fur might defect what force she brought into it anyways. She gave her own playful growl, fully enjoying herself with the roughhousing. 

It was highly likely that Quinn wouldn't let anyone else be so familiar with her. She hadn't ever experienced a friendship, or anything more, like she had with Moosebellow, especially in such a short amount of time. Had anyone else attempted to play with her like this, she would have likely tried to set them on their ass instead of returning the play.
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#15
03-16-2022, 03:29 PM
 They devolved into a game of rabbit-kick as he kicked at her and she responded in kind to throw off his playful machinations. It worked in deflecting some of the hits which only made him laugh. He could feel her teeth nipping at his neck scruff, lightly biting and pulling the fur there. It didn’t hurt at all, it was nice actually because she was returning the play. He felt quite accomplished at getting her out of her little bubble. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had ever played with him like this. It had been a long time… maybe since when he was an apprentice.

 Now though, he would attempt to roll over and flop on top of her. Using his superior weight to squish her beneath him. His tongue was poking out of his mouth, teasingly licking it out at her as he did his magnum opus “attack” of absolutely nothing but lying down on her. He wouldn’t try to use his full weight, that might hurt her, but just enough to keep her from doing anything.

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#16
03-16-2022, 06:38 PM
The kicking continued until Quinn felt him shifting, and her body went along with it. She released his neck and stopped kicking as she found herself under the weight of Moosebellow. It was a new feeling, and she might have taken it seriously if he wasn't above her, playfully threatening her with his tongue. She rolled her eyes and attempted to bite his tongue, but purposely failed, as she didn't really want to hurt him. 

Feeling the play was over, she used her legs that were currently trapped under him to shove against his underside. Since he was well twice her size, no movement would happen unless he moved. But, she trusted him and didn't feel trapped. Get off, ya big oaf, she teased.
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#17
03-16-2022, 07:19 PM
 Pffbbbttt. He blew a raspberry at her I don’t know if cats are physically capable of this but he is today when she purposefully missed his tongue. When she pushed against him, he pretended to move for a bit and then settled back down. He smiled, eyes closed and whiskers lifted in a rather silly face. ”I don’t know… I’m pretty comfortable. Might take a nap.” He probably wouldn’t be so silly with someone else but… hell, he didn’t know what it was with her.

 He’d open one eye, still grinning down at her. ”But maybe I could be enticed to move. What’s the magic word?” Her pretty golden eyes, the stripes on her face, the way the yellow met the gray. Fuck, he was happy. He was… he was really happy. He had been with Moir but it felt different now. He wanted to go and start a clan and be a part of it. He wanted them to find other cats.

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#18
03-16-2022, 08:31 PM
She narrowed her eyes playfully when he blew raspberries at her, but she felt him shift to move, and anticipation of having her freedom back, began to shift her muscles to move. But, suddenly, the weight of Moosebellow returned and she was stuck again. She eyed him suspiciously as he declared that he was comfortable and might just take a nap right on top of her. 

Quinn lost the look of suspicion and couldn't help but roll her eyes again. It would most likely become a habit in response to his "endearing" qualities. He asked for a magic word, and she narrowed her eyes. Quinn would be damned if she was going to give a magic word to get what she wanted. But, did she really want him to move? She felt safe, protected, under him. While she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, this new feeling was growing on her. She got lost in his eyes as he watched her, and completely forgot what he asked for.
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#19
03-17-2022, 03:51 AM
 She rolled her eyes in what he thought was a cute display of "annoyance" at his insistence of staying in place. He grinned while he awaited for her to yell at him or say something sarcastic but it never came. Instead, she stared back up at him just like he stared down at her. He hadn't accounted for the fact that she wouldn't want to move... He was usually pretty confident in himself but for a moment he felt his bravado peeling away. Should he move? Should he stay? His tail flipped back and forth as he tried to decide while being entranced by her amber gaze.

 "You've got real pretty eyes." It slipped out as he'd never been good at concealing what he was thinking. Once it was on his tongue he usually spilled it out. He didn't usually care and went with it...

 But this time he felt like he wanted to melt into a puddle.

 He shifted his weight, moving slightly so that she could wiggle out if she so wanted. His paw pads were sweating and he wanted to desperately whipe them off but he also didn't want her to know about the nervousness. Granted, he didn't completely move just shifted slightly so that part of his weight could be supported by the ground while he looked at her. He gave a crooked grin and covered his nervousness the only way he knew how, "I guess I can let you up. As a favor or some shit." Because she was so pretty.

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#20
03-18-2022, 01:50 PM
Moments ticked by, and then he spoke. "You've got real pretty eyes." If cats could blush, Quinn might have. Her eyes and expression softened as she glanced away, a little uneasy because she had never been complimented like that before. She had no idea how she was supposed to respond. 

He shifted, and went back to joking. Something familiar. Oh, gee, you're so kind, she said teasingly. She maneuvered out from under him and went into a sitting position, facing him. Thanks for the lesson, she said sincerely. You're a good teacher, she added, meaning it. He was easy to understand. 

She went down onto her belly, and stretched out her front legs, basking in the afternoon sun. Her eyelids were relaxed, though her ears, always on alert, swiveled with the sounds of the grasslands. 


We can fade with your post, unless Moosebellow wants to chat more <3

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#21
03-18-2022, 02:17 PM
 Did… Did he offend her? He felt the nervousness bubble in his gut and for one of the first times ever, he was afraid of what someone might think of him. He didn’t want her to not like him which was a shocking revelation in and of itself. Fortunately, she didn’t growl at him or anything and went to relax near him. He stretched out as well, hiding his inner feelings behind that carefree smile of his.

 As he always did.

 ”And you’re a good apprentice.” He said with a wink. ”Before long you’ll be kickin’ my ass, I bet.” And then he tucked his forepaws under him and relaxed as well. They had a long journey but they were in no rush. They could do what they wanted and take it slow. Perhaps in a bit he’d head out to hunt something for them both.

-fade out- so much fun ;.; I love them


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