{Breed Lore} How do parents with a mixed nest deal with baby Snappers that never sleep?
Suggested by @catgame21234
Suggested by @catgame21234
The Snapper Dragons Encyclopedia Page wrote:
A Snapper does not sleep and rarely stops moving.
(Click here to read more!)
After the serious nature of Lorenieth’s last prompt, it would seem that the RNG believed we could use something a bit more lighthearted to discuss!
How might parents with a mixed nest work with baby Snappers that never sleep? Does the Snapper parent take full responsibility for them while their mate rests? What happens if the Snapper parent has to leave their mate alone with baby Snappers overnight (or, more darkly, what happens if the Snapper parent is permanently absent)? Does the mate get help from other Snappers in the clan? Is there a Snapper Support Network™ that offers babysitting services for non-Snapper parents of Snapper children? Tangentially, how might a clan or their caretaker work with this issue with an Eternal Youth Snapper?
Let’s bounce around ideas and go wild with possibilities! You can be purely hypothetical, or pull from members of your clan. If you have any mixed species pairings with a Snapper involved, feel free to share or brainstorm how they in particular tackle this issue! (You may share up to two such pairings, if desired). Additionally, if you have an Eternal Youth Snapper, you may share them and how their caretakers or their clan work with them!
And -- as always -- have fun!
{*}
Some Thoughts:
I haven’t considered this much before, but now that I am, I do think that Snapper parents are the ones in charge when their mate requires rest. Since they don’t need to sleep, they can handle the boisterous and restless young ones by leaving the den with them and going “exploring,” perhaps telling stories along the way to keep them entertained. Actually, in considering this prompt, I think I’ve come up with a fun little lore tidbit for my Snapper and Pearlcatcher pair, Cumulus and Heliconia!
These two both function as important members of my heavily WIP lore -- more specifically, as two of my clan leader’s three generals -- but they also happen to be fodder breeders. They have had a lot of children since I paired them together ages ago. Like... a lot. And, as to be expected, about half of them are Snappers, and most of them went on to eventual exaltation (which my clan helps others train for; so far I’ve decided it’s a bit of a haven and a training ground, though again, my lore is a WIP).
I’ve now decided that, while Heliconia sleeps, Cumulus takes his Snapper hatchlings on patrol around the territory with him. Since he does a nightwatch anyway, he takes this opportunity to teach them about being a good guard, relevant aspects of the history of Sornieth, etc.: things that will benefit them when they finish training and leave to serve the Gladekeeper. This allows Heliconia and the Pearlcatcher hatchlings to get their much-needed rest while also educating the Snapper hatchlings. Though of course, since he’s a bit of a goofball, he tries to make things as fun as possible for his excitable little beans!
As for a hypothetical non-Snapper parent of Snapper hatchlings working without their mate (or a non-Snapper caretaker looking after an Eternal Youth Snapper)... I like to think that they can pool for babysitting from their clanmates when they need to sleep. Adult Snappers would be preferable, of course, but willing night owls of any breed could work just as well. At least, that’s my opinion! This would obviously vary depending on the “makeup” of individual clans, but I feel like this could be a generally sound solution.
Also, @reotheleo, it certainly was! That was some truly phenomenal analysis on the creatures from Ancient Fascinations and how they could link both to the Gaolers and the habits of present-day Snappers. I’m especially fond of theory numero uno. :D Now I’m even more enamored with the headcanon than I was when I posted the prompt! Thank you so, so much for taking the time to analyze and share!
Pinglist was here.
Pinglist was here.