Thanks, Amy! I'm so happy to have them all back again. <3
And now, a bit later than planned but hopefully worth the wait: reunion party pictures!
AKA, Sappire uses this as an excuse to get more familiar with making gifs, but somehow still made them too fast. Whoops. I'll get the hang of it eventually!
First things first: I brought out Shadows because I was worried it'd be too much culture shock for the poor baby to be brought out with the others already loose.
Look at this poor boy! He's all alone and still went right into his anxiety pose!
Shadows needs to be protected at all costs.
I figured Enojo might be too much anger for the nervous little baby to handle, so Walter was next. The first proper reunion of the original trio!
Aaand for the most part Walter just ignored him.
Guys, c'mon! This is the first time you've seen each other in a year and a half! That should be worth more than a few glances!
... Sigh.
The good news is that Walter's indifference meant Shadows wasn't really afraid of him! And even when Shadows would annoy him, Walter just shrugged it off and moved on. Friends?? Maybe??
But with Shadows accepting Walter, that meant it was time for the last, but most important boy: Enojo!
Reunions make Enojo angry.
One thing that immediately struck me as odd, though: Shadows doing the little hopping "come interact with me!" thing! They generally look at the other pet they're trying to get the attention of, and it was pretty clear he immediately wanted Enojo's attention. I thought it was cute to see an oshie actually being sociable, especially after pretty much ignoring Walter, but then Shadows kept doing it.
It was hard to really capture in pictures or gifs consistently, but pretty much every few minutes he'd look at Enojo and start hopping insistently. Enojo was usually too busy being angry, but... I guess Shadows really likes him?? He rarely looked at the others the whole time they were out- he almost exclusively wanted Enojo to notice him.
It's the most often I've seen a pet trying to get noticed by another one, and for it to be an oshie? Interested in anger incarnate??
I wouldn't have ever expected it, but it was adorable to see!
Are they best friends? Does Shadows have a crush?? I don't know but I love them as a duo now.
And then this happened.
And it just kept going??
Shadows finally got Enojo to acknowledge him for half a second, and it triggered this hilariously long grooming session. The three sat there washing themselves for wayyy too long.
I don't know what my favorite part was: Walter going for long stretches of just staring off into the middle distance like he was reliving the great cyborg war, or Shadows watching Enojo the whole time and almost-but-not-quite mimicking him.
Then Enojo remembered he was angry and Shadows decided wrestling was next on the agenda. I didn't think oshies usually had the bravery to start wrestling matches but?? Shadows doesn't seem intimidated by Enojo at all?
I know he woke Enojo up last time they were out by wrestling with him, but I thought that was more of a fluke?
F-friends?
Then something hilarious happened:
Enojo and Walter started wrestling, and Shadows joined in only to be tossed back out.
But he got??
Angry
I think Shadows was actually jealous that Walter was hogging Enojo, but it was just so unexpected??
I suspect Enojo is setting a bad example for the scaredy boy. The anger is spreading.
But now that the three original advent boys had been reunited, it was time to introduce the newest member of the club: Lexi!
Would there be quarreling over her attention? Would she fit in? They're not adults yet, but would there be any hint of romance this early on?
Is Shadows just going to continue obsessing over Enojo?
She got everyone's attention, at least!
Naturally, she also made Enojo angry.
Then for a brief few seconds, I thought Enojo was actually afraid of her. Once she started paying attention to him, his sad/scared eyes came out so... maybe?
But nope.
Interaction makes Enojo angry.
And then this happened!
At first I thought Walter had knocked Enojo over and triggered some kind of wrestling animation but... no?? I think Enojo is just trying to kick and chew on an invisible something?
He just kept alternating between laying on his belly and trying to kick whatever he imagined was in his paws. I... do not understand.
Then he acted like nothing had happened.
But it made him angry.
Enojo got the chance interact with Lexi again, and it confirmed what I had been starting to suspect from their angry looks: they did not like each other.
What surprised me was how Shadows went from being somewhat friendly towards Lexi to SUDDEN ANGRY EYES the second she started swiping and growling at Enojo? Shadows has gone from being the most timid one to being almost protective??
While Lexi proceeded to terrorize Walter (read: look at him and cause him to panic like an oshie and run across the screen) Enojo actually got Shadows' attention to interact and Shadows was RIGHT THERE. No hesitance the second he realized Enojo was calling him.
And it couldn't be caught in picture form, but their entire interaction was just Shadows meowing/serenading him while Enojo looked on with angry eyes. But they genuinely seem to like each other?? I'm going to need to remember that they're a pair I can't ever separate. XD
Walter finally got over his fear of Lexi (mostly?) and decided he could wrestle with her, which scared Shadows.
But have no fear! Enojo was there to give him a peptalk! Shadows' lil shiver stood no chance against this odd little bond!
(Seriously, these two get along so well it's adorable aksjdfh)
Next it was food time! Lexi didn't trust the leftovers very much and the food as a whole scared the living daylights out of Shadows, but in a surprise twist... Enojo was afraid of the green bowl?
Unfortunately, he was too afraid of the bowl to help Shadows calm down. D:
(Lexi and Walter decided it was time to wrestle again.)
Enojo just... kept his scared eyes the entire time the green bowl was out, and Shadows kept looking to him for his cues only to see him being scared which made Shadows scared-
Poor babies. D:
I was originally going to leave the green bowl out to see if they ever got used to it, but then
Nope, the green bowl had to die.
Once the green bowl was gone, I replaced it with some more leftover plates and I think Walter and Lexi were confused by this decision, despite being fine with the other plates.
Obviously these plates were different somehow.
Unfortunately, it seemed like Enojo was the only one really interested in eating anything, so it was time to bring out the bottle.
And, of course, the bottle made Enojo angry.
His hogging it seemed to make everyone else angry, too.
Thankfully they're all old enough to hold the bottle on their own so I didn't have to, but uh
Enojo was definitely hogging it.
It took way too long for him to get done- I think he drank until he was completely full again- but at least I finally got it away from him.
... Or I had gotten it away from him. e_e
Shadows just wanted to go eat off the plate, but when I tried to feed Lexi Enojo intercepted it and proceeded to drink even longer.
Walter's turn!
I... I don't know why that plate went shooting off. I didn't even touch it, it just went ZOOM of its own accord. Lexi went running after it.
And Shadows seemed fine with eating off the plates (one that wasn't possessed) while he waited in line.
Lexi decided to join Shadows, and I guess he... broke out his show pose to assert dominance?
T-posing for dominance is out, Petz show posing is in.
I wasn't taking pictures or anything, either! He just seemed to realize Lexi was there and decided to pose.
This made Enojo very angry.
Maybe Enojo was jealous like Shadows had been earlier??
Walter didn't seem to care about any of this drama and was content with his bottle.
Then it was Shadows turn but- Enojo no!
The poor scared baby has a hard enough time being brave enough to eat. ;w;
I did finally get Shadows settled, at least! I had to chase him around the screen a bit with the bottle because he was scared of it, but he eventually decided it was safe.
I will protect this tiny shaky baby with my life.
Lexi really just wanted to do tricks at the bottle, so it took way too long to get her drink, but then Enojo happened.
This was actually their second full-on fight, but it came out of nowhere. At least the other one they had been hissing at each other, this time they were bot doing their own thing, being calm, when Enojo just swooped in.
I'm... I'm sure they'll eventually work it out, right?
Attempt two at feeding Lexi failed because she decided she suddenly really hated Walter.
Walter, as he's wont to do, didn't really care.
GUYS PLEASE, YOU NEED TO EAT.
Attempt three at feeding Lexi: failed because she hates Enojo.
Also look at Shadows!!
The precious bab was trying to do a lil hop and get Enojo's attention, then got angry when he went up to Lexi instead. I am fully convinced Shadows is jealous.
And Walter uh... spontaneous got terrified of nothing and ran by.
Attempt four finally succeeded and Lexi was able to eat- even if her leg kind of... popped in and out of place?
But most importantly, I think Enojo was telling Shadows that Lexi is the enemy. Look at those synchronized angry eyes! Partners in anger!
But progress was made! Lexi and Enojo were able to wrestle without it becoming a fight!
Success?
Enojo hijacked the bottle again and I brought up his sliders just to prove that he was already full.
Look at him! The others are still hungry and he's hogging all the milk for himself. >:[
I eventually did get everyone full- despite the fact Enojo stole the bottle several more times- and then it was playtime!
My favorite game to play with Petz is settling the auto rolling ball loose and whoever catches it and brings it my cursor is declared the winner!
This... ended up kind of awkward because the playscene I'd been on (made via the editor) didn't actually let the ball roll. It just sat stationary. I left pretty much all of the settings on default when I made the scene, so I don't know what would have caused that??
But either way, it was time to go to the living room!
... As soon as these two got done wrestling again.
Aaand the second the ball came out, so did a mouse. The whole group was immediately on the hunt.
Aaand just as quickly the mouse was gone. Please appreciate these beautiful synchronized jumps as they all simultaneously turned their attention back to the rolling ball.
Enojo was the first one to catch the ball! I think the rolling ball automatically brings out the angry eyes in cats, but I'm going to assume Enojo was particularly angry because he's Enojo.
Enojo also decided to try and balance on it??
But Lexi was on it the second he let it go.
Walter was bored.
Enojo caught the ball a second time, and Lexi just kind of... spaced out. I'm not sure what she was looking at, but nothing was going to break her concentration.
Then Walter just uh... fell asleep? I'm not even sure when that happened since I was watching the other three, but when I looked for him again he had just decided it was nap time. The ball was unimportant.
... Walter's a heavy sleeper.
But to the victor go the spoils!! Enojo was the winner of this round and was the first to bring the ball back to my cursor.
... Which you can't see, but that's where it was.
I think Walter got disqualified for sleeping during the game.
I let them all chase it around for a while longer after Enojo had won the competition, letting them get their energy out after a long time stuck in limbo on my old laptop, but finally they tuckered themselves out.
Sleepover time!
Pillows first!
(Don't look at them like that, guys, you've all seen and slept on these pillows before.)
Now add some sleepy kitties!
Shadows sleepy wiggles woke Enojo up. ;w;
Lexi sleeping made him angry.
Enojo please-
But!! Finally!!
All of them dozed off after an eventful reunion. <3
I absolutely love this little group, even if Lexi and Enojo seem to be... less than best friends, and I definitely plan on keeping them together as they grow up!! Shadows and Enojo, especially, are adorably inseparable and I'm so glad I was able to bring them back together.
I'll probably save the excessive gif spam for special outings and update more with pictures, but I had a ton of fun putting this monster post together. It
was a reunion, after all! No such thing as going overboard!!
Here's to a lot more playtime with these guys in the future. <333