Dear Diary,

On the one hand, Lancaster seems like a really conservative type of General, and that makes me think he's gonna be super careful about not wasting resources. On the other hand, the slow-burn buildup before marching the troops off to war? Just as bad as the slow-burn bedroom buildup is good.

So this morning I awoke to a wolf in our room. Like, not a real wolf, but Isnomi sitting tailor fashion by Vulcan's case, as is her new habit, but with her hands palm down on the floor in front of her knees, with her head tilted back as far as it could go, howling at the ceiling. Not, like, completely tunelessly either, which was as neat as it was weird. After a few cycles I low-key joined in, but a moment after I did she stopped, shook her head, and said, "na. Na, mama." Then she stood up, tiptoe-sprinted over to our bed, grabbed my hand and started pulling.

I asked, "do you want me to come over there with you?" She nodded vigorously enough I worried a little bit that she'd rattle her brains, so I wormed my out between a lounging Marie and a still mostly asleep Saffron, then crouched to let her guide me over to where she'd been sitting beside her toddler bed. She patted the floor by her bed, so I plonked my ass down, legs in front of me. She slapped at my calves until I tucked them in front of me tailor fashion, then nodded and sat down in my lap, pulling her chubby little calves atop mine. Then she tugged my arms until I put them on the ground in front of me, then nodded her head, bonking me in the tits a little as she did. She'd gotten bigger over the past few weeks.

Then she shook herself and shrank down until, when she leaned her head backward, she could look right up at me where I stared down at her. She reached up and poked my chin with her finger, then put her hand back and started howling again. She ran through her little howly-tune twice before she opened one eye a slit and glared at me. I joined her on the next chorus, and we sat there howling rhythmically until Saffron grumped, "why do I live with the world's smallest wolf pack again?"

"Because she's cute and I can hold my breath for a surprisingly long time?"

"Ma! See! Mama see, ma see!"

Saffron pushed herself up so she could lay her arms on Marie and look at us. "What did you want me to see, my girl?"

Of course the menace shook her head and said, "na see, ma, see!"

Saffron looked at me for help. "I think she wants you to sing."

"That was howling, not singing."

Isnomi heard that and her lip shot out. I wouldn't have said anything, but the waterworks felt real this time. Maybe I was getting suckered, but this wasn't exactly something I minded being suckered about. "C'mon, Kitten. Come over and purr rhythmically with us!"

Saffron rolled her eyes, sighed, and crawled over Marie to get to us. She settled down next to me; after Isnomi got her properly positioned for howling, we went through a trio iteration of the lupine chorus. Then Isnomi stood and tiptoe-sprinted over to Marie and, putting her little palms on Marie's thigh and shoving, said, "Mawa! Mawa! See! See!"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"No."

That flat rejection wasn't the answer any of us expected, and Isnomi slumped. I could tell even looking at the back of her head that she'd started her whole blubbering thing. "Won't, or can't?"

Marie sighed, "Can't."

"Pese? Mawa? Pese?"

Marie sighed, then slipped off the side of the bed into a startlingly smooth tailor seat. The menace climbed into her lap, leaned forward, but before she could get her howl on, Marie pressed her hands against the floor, threw her head back, closed her eyes, and roared.

Rhythmically. Not that it mattered. I mean, yeah, some definite lyrical sounding stuff there, but Saffron immediately clapped her hands over her ears, and after a second of surviving Marie's sonic assault, I put my hands over Saffron's. After one verse, Marie went silent, purring quietly, hunched over and looking a little sheepish. Isnomi let out squeeing baby-giggles and clapped her hands, not that I could really hear it. The door in the armoire slid open and our son said, "is everyone alive in here?"

"We're fine, son. Just an impromptu singalong. Thank you for checking." The door slid closed.

When everyone's hearing returned to normal and Saffron assured me she'd suffered no permanent harm, I went over, sat on the edge of the bed, and put my arms around the sheepish, still seated Marie. I put my arms around her and asked, "can't do that any quieter, can you?" She shook her head. "It's okay, Marie. It's hugely cute that you'd do that for the Menace, but give us a little more warning next time? I think Saffron might need some ear plugs. Maybe some armor, or soundproofed padding." She slumped down further, until Saffron came over and put her arms around Marie as well.

"I'm terribly impressed that you managed to keep the tune at that volume, dear Maenad." She pulled away a little and lifted Marie's face with one hand on either of her cheeks, until she looked her straight in the eyes. "Just because I physically cannot survive your musical talent should not be a reason for you to be embarrassed, Marie." Marie blinked a little. "Now stop it. Just because I would die if I attempted to copulate with Loki in his native form and size is no reason for him to be embarrassed, so why should you be so simply because you are," she stopped, unable to hold her giggle in, "extremely vocal." Marie's mouth dropped open. "We don't blame Tabitha when she gets vocal, so why should Tabitha and I blame you?"

I'd never seen Marie try to tickle someone before. Apparently, she's good at it, and apparently, Saffron's particularly susceptible to it. I played tickle with Isnomi on the bed while Marie and Saffron did the same on the floor. Overall? I'd say Saffron wound up overall tickle recipient of the day. Pretty impressive, what with a bit of tag teaming leading, eventually, to her lying on the bed wheezing while Isnomi 'tickled' her by poking her in the ribs, and I squirmed under Marie's gentle yet irresistible tickle-assault.

Eventually we had to get up and get to work. Over the past couple days I'd gotten used to The Dress; between being able to clean it with a thought and an application of will (and Marie stealing it to hand-wash it twice now), and being able to get The Dress itself on in, like, two seconds without any Divine shenanigans, I kinda preferred it to my uniform. Of course, getting the boots on could be a little bit of work by myself, but even there I'd come to enjoy the affectionate manhandling of whoever had 'get Tabitha's boots on' duty for the day.

Today the troops working with me had an extra handicap. Sort of. 'Good training', I guess.

Lancaster had officially distributed armor to all of them, so as of today they started training in it.

Every step closer terrifies me a little more. I'm not sure what I'm most terrified of.

That something will happen to Saffron.

That whether Saffron's hurt or just threatened, I'll snap and go full on Mimic Incarnate on the 'Damn Army.

Or that I'll enjoy that last one way too much.