the world might do me in, it's alright 'cause i'm with friends

So much had been occurring that it took Cleo a little while to process. Her way of processing seemed to be throwing herself into things such as training, which lately for the most part she did alone. In a family so supportive, Cleo did not know that she feared being a burden to them... and not being able to place any what or why meant that it was not something she could really explain. She hated feeling dumb, which made things worse.

Her mother, blessedly, was not around to see this. Any day now, she would have new brothers and sisters to protect and care for.

Her father... well, she knew she could go to him with anything. It helped to know this, but it was all the more frustrating for her to not be able to name what felt awry. And was it something that felt awry?

Cleo did not know it, but it was all of the changes at once that weighed on her. She was simply overwhelmed, but had no name for it.

And so she awoke this day with the idea to train in mind. It usually wore her out to the point where that feeling did not feel so prevalent. This time, though, she supposed she ought to be more present with her family. Could they tell? Perhaps not; Cleo was not a loud girl by any means, taking more after her mother there. Not quite so stoic, though, Cleo was unaware that she had been far more frowny than usual. Sniffing after the scent-trail of one of her brothers, who seemed to be closest, Cleo hoped it was him she came across rather than a stranger.

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The boy as per usual was on his lonesome, taking to another summery walk to notice the fruits being born upon some of the trees he once consumed their blossom. He already tried to taste some of the bulbs that were in their infancy. And they tasted rather sour, so he thought he'd wait until they were mature and primed ready to be eaten and enjoyed at the right time. 

He found a golden raspberry bush, rich with the gold delights spread around. He plucked at some, like little gummy bears, chewing each and savouring every mouthful. He'd bloomed, himself, into a garden lover, and he was in his natural habitat when his sister arrived. 

Renn turned to look at her, a warm smile appeared as it was the more placid of his two sisters. One always wanted to brawl, and this was never his cup of tea. 'Oh hello Cleo', he gulped down the two berries he'd plucked from the shrub.

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While Cleo enjoyed the more physical trades, she had a healthy curiosity for all things. And though she had come here with a run or a spar in mind, seeing the red-lipped Renn gave her pause. Her first initial thought was blood????, but the fragrance in the air was far more saccharine than that. Cleo was distracted enough that all of her initial plans were derailed, though right now this was no problem. Though things not going according to plan would normally bother her, her curiosity dominated all else.

“What are you doing?” She asked, her voice flat (which was not abnormal; Cleo spoke always in monotone). Her ears pricked forward, and her tail swayed, revealing her interest in whatever it was going on here. She darted nearer to him, nostrils flaring as she extended her muzzle out toward his whiskers to see if this was where the sweet scent was coming from, or if perhaps that was blood after all.

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His curious sibling grew closer. And then even closer than he thought she would. Recoiling slightly and pushes his head back intending to ask the same question. 'Uhm.. eating berries', he drew away slightly. Apprehensive.

Thinking maybe she was going to ridicule his newfound hobby, he tried to intrigue her instead, 'Try one'. Just as he had encouraged their father that one time.

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When he recoiled, Cleo withdrew with a slow, apologetic blink while lowering her head. The girl was definitely one to ignore even the idea of personal space when intrigued, and had forgotten that it could be at the expense of others comfort. In the case of her brother, she definitely cared. It seemed he wasn't upset with her though (her intense gaze searched for any obvious signs of this, but there were none that she could then see), and so as he spoke she was all too quick to forget about that... especially in light of what he said.

Too inexperienced with life to think his comment weird, Cleo was inclined to put mostly anything into her mouth to see whether or not it was edible. Cleo loved food far too much to miss out on any of it; many a rock, blade of grass, and mound of dirt had been sampled by her (only to be spat out. Well, except for grass, since that did not taste terrible... but, well, it wasn't the best either).

Looking past Renn and lifting her crown once more, she looked to him and then the bush before them.

Cleo trusted her family implicitly. It could cost her greatly one day. She stepped toward the berries and grabbed a mouthful. Her eyes widened with delight as the flavors came to life in her mouth, and forgetting all lessons taught about manners, Cleo marveled with her mouth full, “Renn... berries... are delicious,” and though her tone was ever flat, the cadence at which her tail wagged behind her would show rather than tell just how enthusiastic she was about his discovery. Swallowing, she looked to him and said, “what other tasty treats have you been hiding?” the corner of her lip lifting in a half-grin.

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Renn knew his sister would not bring any harm to him, as she had stretched herself to investigate his mouth. Opting to move since he was uncertain what exactly his sister's chosen intentions were. The young gardener was one that definitely loved his siblings, he loved his family really. But he most enjoyed his own world, rarely would he seek out anyone else. So keeping to himself and avoiding such social interactions was his norm. 

His eyes grew wide, full of intensity as he scrutinised his sister's actions, watching her unhesitantly grab a mouthful. And then he waited. He knew what would come, because, who wouldn't enjoy the sweet taste of the small delicacy?

A smile broadened along his lips, and his tail thumped excitedly at her reaction. 'Good aren't they?'. She was asking for more, for others, he had foraged and tasted. 'I'm waiting on the fruits on that tree to ripen. I think they'll taste good too'. His head bobbed toward where apricots sprouted. Their plumpness not quite ready to feast on yet.

They were an autumn brood, and this was their first experience with summer, fruits and all the vibrancy nature had to offer.

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To his first question, as Cleo moved to grab a second helping, she could only nod as she chewed, a satisfied expression settled on her face. As he gestured to another item, she listened. After swallowing, she repeated in question, “ripen,” though from the flatness of her tone he might think she was only repeating him. It was difficult for Cleo to make any other intonation or speak with any amount of varying inflection, and when she did, she often did it wrong.

Cleo would never make for a good singer, that was for sure.

“Why do you wait for them to do that,” she asked, multihued gaze turning to him. They looked good. And then, “they do not taste good if they do not... ripen,” she half-asked and half-surmised with a squint. “How did you learn all of this?” She wondered, rather impressed.

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His sister's intrigue lead to more questions, and the usually silent brother would turn to answer them with an eagerness that only materialised when speaking of foliage, herbs and flowers. But without an answer, on this occasion, he gave his sister a smile that spoke of his intentions. 

He moved away, to the apricot tree he had aforementioned. Wanting to provide an example rather than an explanation, since this was how he learnt to begin with. Through trial and bitter error. 

His bi-toned eyes glimmered with a brewing excitement, gazing between the branches and sourcing what he was looking for. A smaller, unfascinating green bulb. Finding one, he pushed onto his back haunches and stood unnaturally, reaching like an outstretched giraffe and gripping hold of the unripe fruit, giving it a few tugs since it was averse to leaving its roots just yet, and when it was free, he brought it down and plopped it in front of his sister. But he didn't wait, if she chose to try the fruit in his absence, he wouldn't oppose it, since this is what he aimed for anyway.

He returned to the tree and this time he could find very very few that were at that sweet ripeness stage, they wouldn't be as honeyed as they should be, but they wouldn't have that resentful sourness that the first fruit would offer.

He brought it back to her, and nudged them to her, for her to spot the difference between the two. And try each. This is how he learned. 

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Cleo observed him. He played tug-of-war  with the trees as she did when practicing by her lonesome, and Cleo had half a mind to move after him and play in that way. But he was already heading in her direction with something in tow. As he dropped it at her feet, Cleo sniffed at it, unable to detect anything either appealing or alarming. The berries had smelled immediately sweet. This smelled... interesting, but not in a way she was adverse to. Her gaze returned to him as he made his way back to where he had found what he brought to her.

In the meantime, she placed a broad paw over the item and again bent down to sniff at it. She licked the exterior of it, getting no taste from its skin. Looking once more back to Ren as he brought her another, Cleo raised her head and tilted it.

There was some sort of difference between them... that must be why he brought another. Cleo sniffed again, no new odor coming from this that the other did not have. She held it in place once more before licking its exterior and... nothing. She withdrew, and noted only the coloring seemed to be different. Cleo stepped toward the first one he brought and began to gnaw at it. This one was firmer, and soon she grew impatient and bit down, hard; the unpleasant sourness caused her to tear away from it and grimace, trying to clean her tongue with her teeth and emitting a “blech,” with a shake of her head.

She looked warily to Ren, who had brought her another. Not so willing to experience something so unpleasant twice, she was hesitant to sample that one, too. “Not ripe,” she surmised, but then, “how can that one be?” For that must be the case, ...right? Or was this a prank?
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Sitting proud as punch with his errands in front and patiently waiting, he watched all the emotions that she soared through, her expression contorting to different shapes as she went through the experiences he once trialled himself. 

He couldn't resist the little bubble of giggles when she twisted her face in repulsion. His tail brushed from side to side behind him, enjoying being part of her first experience. 

Cleo then seemed, rightfully, reluctant to trial the better of the two pieces. 'That's how I learnt. By taste', his bi-coloured eyes then glanced at the more lush, and healthier-looking fruit. 'I promise you, that one is better though', his eyes pleaded with her to carry on. He knew they were a delicacy she would enjoy just as much as the raspberries she unhesitantly grasped at upon her joining him.

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Ordinarily, Cleo would have laughed along with him... but she felt in that moment like perhaps this might have been a prank. First she frowned, and then her expression echoed their mothers when disappointed. Cleo had hoped to learn something from him, truly... and this was her reward. But before she could get up in arms about it (and her being quite slow to bring to a boil, anyway), he spoke. He learned the same way... by taste. Which meant he had experienced the same thing she just did.

It probably would have been a funny sight to see... The thought did inspire a slight grin. “You are brave,” she remarked. “I would be finished with these things, were it not for you. But you tried again,” Cleo was pleasantly surprised. “...I will trust you, but if this is gross too...” she paused for a beat, before playfully threatening, “þú áttir betur von á því að þú sért fljótari en ég.” — you had better hope you are faster than me, That it was playful was only made obvious by the sway of her tail, as her voice was perpetually flat.

And then, she dipped her head, eyes watching him as she took her first bite from the untouched one...
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He was watching, still giggling at the amusement it brought to him. But when she warned him, oh he dropped his smile like a dead, wet fish.

He took a few meaningful steps backwards just in case. But he was certain she would enjoy it as much as she had with the berries. So he still remained. His confidence is what kept him from fleeing, from keeping his sisters trust. If he had, she perhaps wouldn't have tried the second one and believed he was pranking her. But the boy wasn't so minded. 

This was his passion, and he was at his happiest when he was sharing this newfound hobby of his.

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This one tasted... good! And at once, understanding blossomed across her features. Cleo could scarcely help herself from devouring every bit of it that she could, licking the remnants from her paws and her mouth. “Woah,” she marveled, though her voice was as flat as it ever was. “That was good. Do you... do you have any extras?” she asked with a wave of her tail, stepping toward him. She would not be upset if he didn't, but she'd be happy if he did!

“That... with rabbit... that could be really tasty,” she thought aloud, looking to him to see what he might think of that idea. Maybe he would hate it, or... maybe he would want to try it!
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