<--frenn

The big wolfie gently laid the small wolfie on the floor before walking away.

Once more, the children and the handful of babysitters were left to their own devices.

The standings of the 'capture the cookie' game were as follows:

• Lucillia: 2
• Aurelya: 1
• Akira: 2

On the other hand, the team of maids were still in possession of the ridiculously large cookie jar that houses hundreds of sweet treats. Surely the addition of the newcomer would turn the tides, right? That is, if she could stop sniffing the little dragon and actually help out. 

Ever since the papa wolfie dropped her off, the child wolfie has been investigating the unknown friend in front of her. The little dragon, as can be expected, also took interest in the one investigating her and did some investigating of her own. 

Of course, the main area of investigation was the little wolfie's tail, and the main area of investigation for the wolfie was the little dragon's tail. The two of them would proceed to chase each other's tails and say not a single thing to one another. 

Most of the others watched the scene with either love, indifference, or a mixture of both. Most. That is, all of them except for one individual. 

This little hotheaded one was starting to feel a bit jealous, but it's not what you think.¹Insert annoying and overused AI voice here. With each revolution the wolf-and-dragon combo made around each other, one feather on the little birdie's head flared up.

By the time her patience ran out, the little birdie's entire crest of feathers was nearly in flames. The fishy maid was armed and ready to put out any fires that might pop up, but her services were fortunately not needed.

Just moments before the firey birdie jumped in to stop the tail chase herself, the little wolfie suddenly halted and got all up in the little dragon's face.

"HiI'mFennywhat'syournameYousmellniceIlikehowyousmellDoyouwanttobefriendsWeshouldbefriendsLet'sbefriends-ACK?!" [Woof]

The little foxie quickly grabbed the wolfie's tail to halt her increasing encroachment on the little dragon's personal space. 

But unfortunately for him, that only changed the target of her advance to himself. 

"YAYAKI'SHEREHIAKIIMADEANEWFRIENDYOUSHOULDBEFRIENDSWITHHERTOOWESHOULDPLAYWITHHERLET'SGOPLA-" [Fenny]

"I know, I know, just calm down first and then you can be friends. And stop wagging your tail so fast!" [Akira]

"*wagging intensifies until the wolfie starts generating enough lift to take off into the skies~*" [Fenny]

*le BONK*

"*wagging intensifies in the opposite direction such that the wolfie returns to the earth from her grand journey through the skies*" [Fenny]

She dodged it. And she managed to shake off her tail. Now she's free. Good luck, little dragon.

But the little dragon would not need such luck for a bird in shining feathers saved the days by intersecting herself between the overly active wolfie and the dragon in distress (not really). 

"I've, had, ENOUGH!!!" [Aurelya]

Exclamation point!

"Fenny, sit!" [Aurelya]

"*sits*" [Fenny]

"You!" [Aurelya]

"Me, smiley face?" [Lucillia]

"Yes, you!" [Aurelya]

"Watchu want? *om nom nom*" [Lucillia]

Sneaky, sneaky! While everyone was distracted by the incredibly hyperenergetic wolfie, the little dragon snuck into the ridiculously large cookie jar and snatched a few (dozen) bites for herself!

Sadly, the fishy maid immediately popped the countermeasures of putting the lid back on and storing it back in a safe place.

"Whyyy??!" [Aurelya]

"Y?" [Lucillia]

"Why would you do that to them but not me?!!" [Aurelya]

"Do what?" [Lucillia]

"The, the thing! The thing with the tails and, and, the chasing and the sniffing, everything! Why not me?!" [Aurelya]

"You have no tail." [Lucillia]

 Dun, dun, dunnnnn!!!

"Kuh! Y-yes I do! Look! See, isn't this a tail?!" [Aurelya]

With that, the firey birdie spun around and presented her behind to the little dragon. There was nothing to be seen, however, except for a grand total of some tail...feathers peaking out from under her skirt. Barely. And it doesn't help that despite the cold winter season approaching, the fire birb refused to switch to a longer skirt. Hurray for thick tights.

Meanwhile, the other warm-blooded compatriots had already prepared themselves.

The young foxy boi was dressed in a very fuzzy coat made from last year's fur sheddings²I guess you could say it's a winter coat made from his...WINTER COAT. AHAHAHAHAH and his tails have been growing extra fuzzy the last few weeks.

The hyperactive wolfie lives in a taiga to begin with, so winter is but an ordinary day for her. Shorts and long socks for her.

Everyone else who had warm blood were adults, more or less, so they could take on the cold completely fine, just like everything else.³Surely, :). Plus, they fired up the heater. 

Ahem, back on topic. 

All of the children gathered to collectively observe the firey birdie's behind in search of her alleged tail.

They found nothing. 

"No tail." [Lucillia]

"Nope." [Akira]

"You smell nice." [Fenny]

One, two, three hits is all it takes, aaand she's out! Down for the count with no sign of getting back up!

In an effort to preserve whatever dignity remained, the fire birb plunges onto the bed and constructs a fort within the blanket. But those efforts would be in vain as the fort walls instantly crumbled under the might of the goated maid. The fire birb is once again revealed to the world!

"G-Gertrude! It counts as a tail, right? Right?!" [Aurelya]

"If it did, I am afraid it would be the world's most disappointing tail." [Gertrude]

"GUHH?!!" [Aurelya]

"Don't worry, my lady, it's still cute!" [Jackal that apparently was only mentioned once and doesn't have a name]⁴I swear gave her at least one proper appearance, but after flipping through the chapters, that was not the case. I could've sworn she had a name!

"Don't encourage her, Safiya. And definitely do not wag your tail in her face while saying that." [Gertrude]

"b-blehh..." [Aurelya]

Suffering from a second round of attacks, the fire birb has fainted! Victory to literally everyone else in the room!

"Alright, party's over! Follow me if ya wanna eat, kids!" [Caelenia]

""Kayyy."" [Kids minus the birdie]

The children had worked up quite the appetite after all that playtime earlier, so they very quickly (and totally orderly) funneled out of the bedroom while the fishy maid guided them to the food.

Just as the goated maid and jackal were about to scrape the birdie off the floor, the little dragon turned quickly turned around and dragged her over to rejoin the group.

.....

The children were led by their babysitters to the outside for a rare outdoors meal. Even though it was a bit chilly, the sun was still nice and warm at the peak of noon.

Somehow, someway, despite having gone to the top of the mountain, the parents were already seated by the time the children arrived. 

The dragon mama, the dragon papa, the bird mama, and the fox mama were all seated at one large picnic table. The wolf papa, on the other hand, preferred to stay in his wolfie form and took a seat right at the fox mama's feet. 

Beside the parents were another two picnic tables with plenty of room for all of the kiddos to squeeze into. Just look at the dragon twin and fox sister duo; any closer and they'd be occupying the same position in space. 

The small children, however, opted not to sit at those tables and instead went to their parents while the big siblings enjoyed their freedom. 

The little dragon went to the dragon mama's lap, the little birdie sat between the dragon papa and bird mama, the foxy boi tried to sit next to the fox mama, but she picked him up and plopped him onto her lap regardless, and the little wolfie, who happens to also prefer her papa's fluffy form, simply sat next to him on the ground.

However, such behavior would not slide by the wolf papa, so he grabbed the child wolfie, plopped her onto a seat at the table, and sat himself right next to her, still in the wolfie form. 

The remainder of the guests, that is the whaley family, also claimed some seats with the older siblings while totally not abducting the fishy maid in the process.

Before she forgot, the dragon sister with a green tail tapped an empty bowl repeatedly, calling over the three adventurous floofers⁵Disclaimer: These three floofers have absolutely no relation whatsoever to the papa wolfie. for their meal and water. They would arrive within minutes.

Finally, the meal could begin. 

The day's lunch menu started with some roasted pumpkin bites, a few loaves of banana bread, heaping piles of cornbread, and piping hot pumpkin risotto made with the leftover pumpkin.

For the main course, smoked ham with toasted bread and lots of butter alongside roasted turkeys with extra delicious gravy and mashed potatoes. Plus a bit of macaroni and cheese, grilled vegetables, salad, and corn on the side. 

Finally, dessert. Lots of pies and cookies in various flavors. To wash it all down, some nice and juicy...juice. 'Twas quite popular with the kids while the adults enjoyed some white wine and cheese. And jerky. And whatever else people eat with alcohol.

The meal was a success, not that there was any doubt it wouldn't be. No leftovers, happy customers even though they're actually the employers, and a bunch of sleepy children fighting off the food demons. 

A very chilly breeze settled in, prompting the parents to delicately relocate indoors to not wake their dearest children. They chose the family room for their destination. Meanwhile, the whaley family released the fishy maid to make the journey back home in the land of the Fairy Queen.

Pop and crackle went the fireplace as the logs slowly split apart under the gentle flame. Though near-immortal entities they may be, the gathering of mystical creatures at the apex of existence would never forget nor forgo the simplicities of reality. Such is why they eat and drink and bathe and sleep. 

In their slumber, the children revealed their preferences in cuddle-buddies. The little dragon and the tiny bird made an obvious pair. They lay upon the sofa, seating themselves between their two mothers. 

On the next sofa, the wolf and fox pups snuggled against the fuzzy backdrop of the father wolf's fur and the mother fox's tails. 

Next, the fox and dragon couple occupied a large armchair together and simply gazed into the relaxing flame, all while enjoying each other's company to the fullest.

On the floor by the fireplace, the remaining three dragon sisters each paired themselves with one of the three-pack of floofers and engaged in activities ranging from grooming, belly rubs, and head scratches.

Finally, the father dragon sat peacefully by the fireplace, gently rocking the open-back chair with his tail and enjoying a few tastes from his pipe.

The maids, on the other hand, stood by the door, ready to accept any order their masters may give them. They all knew that none would come, however, so they instead silently observed and enjoyed this rare moment of peace and quiet.

For the rest of the afternoon, the scene continued. It would only end when nap time ended, and the children all simultaneously awoke.

Lucillia

Zzzzz...

ZZzzzzzz...

ZZZ-HWAH?!

Eh, wat? Who am I? Where am I? WHY AM I?!!

Something about this seems fishy.

Whatever's in front of me feels reaaaaally warm and nice and I wanna keep hugging it. But then, here's what's up, but then there's something touching my head that feels reeeeeeeally familiar and comfy and familiar and it feels like I should be familiar with it since it feels really familiar.

It feels like Mama and smells like Mama and-

*NO-*

"Hey, stop that." [Corinna]

-sounds like Mama, but the thing in front me isn't Mama and that's confusing me! I don't wanna let go, but I also wanna hug Mama because I always wanna hug Mama, but that means I have to let go of this thingie and I don't wanna.

Grrrrr, I can't decide! I need someone to decide for me!

"Mama!" [Lucillia]

"Shhh. Use your inside voice. You don't want to wake up the others, do you?" [Corinna]

"mama!⁶yells in lowercase" [Lucillia]

"Yes?" [Corinna]

"gimme hug!" [Lucillia]

"Is there anything else you want to say first?" [Corinna]

"uhh, i wanted to hug mama first, but i also want to hug this thingie in front of me, so i thought if mama hugged me while i hugged this thingie it would feel nice?" [Lucillia]

"...First, that's not a 'thingie' you're hugging, it's an adorable child. Second, you can have a hug anytime, sweetie." [Corinna]

"*happy tiny dragon charging sounds*" [Lucillia]

Wait a minute. What'd she just say?! This thingie isn't actually a thingie at all?!!

How can this beeeeee-

Wait. 

What if Mama's just lying to me to test me if I can tell when someone's lying to me by lying to me in order to see if I can tell she's lying to me, GENIUS!!

Mwahaha! Time to show Mama how smart I am!

"LIES!!" [Lucillia]

"Shhhh." [Corinna]

"lies!!!" [Lucillia]

"And why is that?" [Corinna]

"cuz you're lying!" [Lucillia]

"I see. If you really think I'm lying, why don't you check for yourself?" [Corinna]

"how?" [Lucillia]

"With your eyes, silly." [Corinna]

My eyes? I have eyes? Then why can't I see anything?

*LET THERE BE LIGHT~*

Oh, it's because I didn't open them. Oopsies~.

Now what am I lookin' at here? It's someone who's very hot, smells really nice, and I really like her, and, and, I wanna keep hugging her so that's what I'll do.

*hugging intensifies*

"Hey, what happened to my hug? Do you not want it anymore?" [Corinna]

"shh! mama's too loud!" [Lucillia]

"Eh, it's too late for that. Everyone else woke up already." [Corinna]

Hweh? I'll see about that. There's Beeg Sis and Beeg Foxie over there. There's other Beeg Sis and Big Sis' over there. And there's other Foxie and Woof over there. 

Oh. That is everyone, except IT'S NOT!! KWAHAHAH, MAMA CAN'T FOOL ME THIS TIME!!

"That's not everyone! There's one more!" [Lucillia]

"Yeah, the one you're hugging right now. Also, you're using your loud inside voice again instead of your quiet one." [Corinna]

"!!!" [Lucillia]

"Don't worry about that too much, dear. My daughter is quite the heavy sleeper. I used to have so much trouble waking her up when she just hatched." [Big Birdie]

"She gets it from Cyra.⁷Cheers to Atomic_Pyro for the suggestion (even though it's been like half a year since then, but still!)" [Corinna]

"Who dat?" [Lucillia]

"That's me~. Also, that is not true at all." [Big Birdie Cyra]

"Really now? Then how come you were still asleep when we threw you into the volcano that one time?" [Corinna]

"Is that what happened? I thought my mom brought me home." [Cyra]

"We were halfway across the solar system from her." [Corinna]

"Meh." [Cyra]

"Don't you take that tone with me." [Corinna]

Hmm, Mama and Bird Mama are talking about something I don't really get, so let's go on an adventure! I see some tails over there that I haven't seen before. Let's investigate!

Oh, well this is awkward. I forgot I was still hugging the birdie, but I don't wanna let go. I'll just bring her along then. Surely she won't mind~.

"Beeeeg Sis, watcha doin'?" [Lucillia]

"Mornin', sunshine~. You wanna pet the dogs?" [Solestia]

"Dawg?" [Lucillia]

"Yup. This one's Madeleine, she's kinda like the leader of these three. That one's Beignet, he's fun to cuddle and play with and full of energy. And that last one is Tarte, he's the silent but deadly type. He's great with kids, though." [Solestia]

Waaahhh, so fluuuuffy~. This is nice~.

"mmmm...hwuhhh...HWAH?!" [Aurelya]

Oh lookie, she's awake. How come she only wakes up after I stop hugging her? That seems a little suspicious.

"!!! MINE!!" [Aurelya]

"Uwahhh." [Lucillia]

This...hug...too...tight...blehhh...

"It's okay, honey. Calm down. The puppies won't steal your friend this time. Right, Maddy, Ben, Tar?" [Cyra]

""Woof."" [Doges]

"Hm, still. Quite the bold move there, young lady, claiming your territory in front of everyone like that. Sniffle, they grow up so fast, T_T. *extra large puff from the pipe*" [Helios]

"Guhhh..." [Aurelya]

"She did that earlier, too." [Akira]

"Mhm, mhm!" [Fenny]

"...*plop*...blehh." [Aurelya]

Eh? Why u die first? I wasn't done dying yet. Come back to life so I can finish dying!

"Hey, stop dying over there, it's almost time for dinner. You can die after you eat and take a bath." [Corinna]

"FOOD!" [Lucillia]

Did someone say food?! I can't die on an empty stomach, that's bad for your health! 

*dragon zoomies engage!*

Fishcat

It's very slightly late for New Year's but close enough. Let's just pretend it's still the 1st of January. Happy New Year, everybody. I don't know if anyone's noticed, but it's been almost a year and a half since I started writing. It may have been shaky at times, trying to balance this, social life[modern_footnote]Kek, what's that?[/modern_footnote], and school, but it's always been a fun ride. I love reading your comments, and they bring me joy each time I see one pop up. Speaking of which, cheers to that one person who wanted the fox; you get not only a fox girl, but a fox boi, AND, a fox mama, too! Anyhow, thank you all for existing, stay safe, and remember, always, to drink water.

 

https://discord.gg/EjacVNmFRs<--Surely more people will click this totally not suspicious link, riiiight, winky face?