He knew pretty quickly that he was different from his sister, Lixue. She was loud and vibrant and full of life and while he was most of those things too....he couldn't be loud even if he wanted to. As a pup, he had tried to whine when Lixue pushed him from a particularly full teat or when his mother licked him too much or when his father grabbed him by the scruff to move him and he didn't want to. He tried to protest the best he could but no matter how hard he tried, nothing would come out. And so he quickly figured out how to protest in other ways. He started nipping and slapping and kicking, actions to get his thoughts across when he didn't feel others were listening. He knew at first he could really only gum his sister or push at his mother's nose but eventually he could draw blood with his bites when his puppy teeth came in and he could deliver a pretty decent whap with his back foot when his dad tried to nudge him. He was satisfied with the grunts and exclamations of pain he recieved in return when he hit his mark and even when his sister yelped because he had bit her ear, he didn't feel sorry, only victorious.

Since he couldn't communicate as the others could, he was more extreme in his emotions, more extreme in his actions. It was all he knew. At least this way he was reacting back to their talking. When his sister spoke to him and he didn't like what she said, he would attack her as his way to show her. On the other side, when she said something that made him happy, he would smile and pounce on her in happiness, his tail wagging and licking her all over. He was the same with his parents. When his mother made him happy, he would lick her and nuzzle her and be a loving son. But when she got onto him, he would show his teeth and snap at her and kick her away. He ran away he didn't know how many times, though for the most part, running away consisted of him running to the other side of the den and moping in a corner until he felt calmer. He didn't know what was outside the den yet so until then, it was forbidden territory, even in his mind. He bit his father more times than he could count because his father told him no a lot. When he wanted to steal his sister's toy, when he wanted more food, when he wouldn't take a nap, when he bit mom. They were pretty patient with him, he had to admit, but of course he could never tell them that so instead he gave them moments when he would cuddle up as close as he could and lick their chins and let them know the only way he could that they were the best parents ever. When they weren't the meanest parents ever, that is.

But today he was in an alright mood so he was checking out the entrance to the den. He knew it was just a matter of time before Lixue found him out or someone else but he wanted to just look out of the den. He wanted to see what was out there, even if he wasn't quite ready to go out there and see. His ears flicked alertly, wanting to hear everything. Birds and squirrels and rabbits and everything else. He had heard his mother and father talk about all of it and it only made him more curious. He heard a rustling in the bushes not too far from the den and his nose quivered, eyes narrowing. What was that? He wanted to go find out but his paws toed the invisible line between the den and the outside world. Did he dare?