An Attempt at "Family Bonding"

A potion stall? Rune stared down at the collection of liquids that swirled in front of him, one of his pups on his hip while the other slept dutifully in the sling around his front. The other was off with their father, no doubt finding something far more interesting than a wooden stall that was two large gusts of wind from falling over.

 Somehow, it seemed fitting that this was the first thing the scholar had arrived at during this “Carnival of Terror”. It was the first time the newly bonded pair, and their newly hatched pups, had ever attended any kind of festival, especially together. The night was already shaping up to be an interesting one, even if Rune was fairly certain that these kinds of things hadn’t been…. Prominent the first go around.

 His star magic floated uneasily below his skin, and he watched as the pups’ eyes wandered over the offered ingredients. His eldest smacked the youngest with his tail, reaching forward and sniffing greedily at what lay before him. 

 Rune was quick to lean back with his son, gently jostling the pair as they woke and stirred. He only had two hands, which were currently occupied by a child, so it was a rather difficult process to navigate them both to the ground as the raspy potion seller laid out the “game”.

 Pick three of the ingredients, and perhaps they would win… something? 

 Frowning, Rune’s immediate instincts were to turn and leave. At this point, he was partially convinced that one or all three of them were going to end up Shiji-napped by the time the event was over. 

 However, his pups certainly had a different idea. Rising up on their back paws, each of them nosed the offered choices eagerly, no matter the face their Papa made. Seeing that there was no way out of it, Rune sighed. 

 “Alright then, I suppose pick one.” He murmured quietly. This event was supposed to bring them together as a family, what was a little.. Creepiness amongst family members? “Don’t touch.” The reminder came as one curious paw reached for what appeared to be a bleeding skull, nearly causing the new father a heart attack.

 Eventually, each pup used their burgeoning star magic to carefully light up their chosen ingredients: a feather, and a crystal. Neither of them looked like they were natural, but regardless Rune indicated both carefully. Then, he selected the blossom as the final ingredient. Lifting each of his pups to each of his hips, the Shiji took a not-so-subtle step back, warily watching the potion crafter with unease and that natural scholarly curiosity that infected him.