They turned to look towards Hunter, ears flopping to one side as his head turned to the side. Words- he blinked in a semi-understanding of what they meant. But although the syllables came together in noises that he was unable to draw meaning from, the tone was something they understood. It told him this was someone who could be trusted. And the gesture- invitation? They stared at the hand for a few moments before accepting the offer, instinctively knowing what it meant despite their less than a minute of experience of worldly, cavely?, mannerisms. The child reached out towards Hunter, wanting to feel touch, the embrace of a parent.
"Mom?" the words slipped out, naturally, smoothly, without any effort at all. They came without his even knowing their meaning.
Then he looked towards The Sentinel as a hand extended to meet their face. Was this another they could trust? Yes, he decided. It was. But the large alien hound gave him a different aura than that of Hunter. They could not place a finger on what it was exactly, but something was there. Despite this, they trusted him just as much. It was strange how one could form such a deep connection in such a short amount of time. But that was love. Love that came from family.
"V. Onyx. Three." they managed to get out, with emphasis on each word as if it were a sentence instead of a name. It felt weird to say. But names were not meant to be said by the bearer. He knew it was his name. Somehow. A slow nod at the idea of parents, the information processing in his head.
"Good? V. Onyx. Three. Is. Good?"
His head turned to investigate the the smallest of the group, which was clearly different from the rest of them. In what way he couldn't quite figure out. The newly named V-Onyx-Three didn't want to leave their mother's embrace, instead stretching out with his head to try and touch the small fingers that reached out with the tip of a nose.
"Two." now that thoughts were starting to form, he knew enough about numbers to know that three came after two. Was there a One then?
"Like... Two." V-Onyx-Three attempted to lick the hand, a way of investigation through taste.
@Hunter
Note: Decided on he/they for pronouns, felt more fitting