4/5/2026, 5:31 PM
He was delighted to hear his mother was also special—and of course, that meant Muchen was dear to them, too! The little pup beamed up at her. When she agreed the feather he had picked out was beautiful, he smiled even more. He had chosen it thinking it would look nice in her fur, but his smile fell when she tapped her chin and suggested that perhaps Muchen keep it.
This suggestion confused him at first. He wanted to give it to her, surely she would keep it safe, too? She was notably clean and smelled so good, he was sure the feather would survive in her care. However, when she introduced herself as Princess Lian, his eyes grew wide. So... so she was someone important!!
All of the things his parents had told him in his brief life so far suddenly collided together in his mind. He was supposed to bow, right!? And talk to her politely, and—! Oh, then she couldn't just receive some random gift from some kid! Muchen felt a rising heat flush his cheeks and he sputtered something that might have been words, scrambling from his position laying before the feathers and hurriedly bowing to her. It was a little sloppy, but the thought was there.
But she said he could just call her Lian for now. His blue eyes peeked at her from under his brows before his rump fell back to the ground, still looking up at her with his nose in the dirt. Well, if they were friends—which they were!—then it would be okay for him to call her Lian. There was a word for princess he had been taught, but it was lost in his scrambled thoughts.
Muchen blew a soft rush of air from his nose and then inhaled, puffing his chest and sitting upright. He had nothing to be afraid of! She may be a princess, but he clocked her as pretty and nice and special from the moment he saw her! That changed nothing except that it confirmed his intuition, and for that, he felt proud of himself.
He pushed the ibis feather closer toward her.
This suggestion confused him at first. He wanted to give it to her, surely she would keep it safe, too? She was notably clean and smelled so good, he was sure the feather would survive in her care. However, when she introduced herself as Princess Lian, his eyes grew wide. So... so she was someone important!!
All of the things his parents had told him in his brief life so far suddenly collided together in his mind. He was supposed to bow, right!? And talk to her politely, and—! Oh, then she couldn't just receive some random gift from some kid! Muchen felt a rising heat flush his cheeks and he sputtered something that might have been words, scrambling from his position laying before the feathers and hurriedly bowing to her. It was a little sloppy, but the thought was there.
But she said he could just call her Lian for now. His blue eyes peeked at her from under his brows before his rump fell back to the ground, still looking up at her with his nose in the dirt. Well, if they were friends—which they were!—then it would be okay for him to call her Lian. There was a word for princess he had been taught, but it was lost in his scrambled thoughts.
Muchen blew a soft rush of air from his nose and then inhaled, puffing his chest and sitting upright. He had nothing to be afraid of! She may be a princess, but he clocked her as pretty and nice and special from the moment he saw her! That changed nothing except that it confirmed his intuition, and for that, he felt proud of himself.
He pushed the ibis feather closer toward her.
Lian... jiejie ,he said, finding the courage to catch her golden eyes.
You keep, jiejie. For you to wear.He couldn't remember the title for princess but if they really were friends, then he'd address her like he would the older wolves he had grown close to—like family. And then his smile returned, toothy and genuine, full of warmth! It grew so wide that it creased his eyes nearly closed. The image of her laying here and sharing in his treasures would become a soft memory for him.
"Speaking Mandarin" (Default), "Speaking Common"