[PRP] The Talk

[Atheare]

The normally dull, eerie graveyard did not seem to affect the bright, cheery hyena as she padded around in the dust, dancing between the bones and wagging her tail in time with her steps. Even for Zua, one of the graveyard's most upbeat residents, this display of energy and pure joy was a bit much.

But Zua, being the hyena that she was, did not care.

The last few days had been perfect, in her opinion. She had seen her friend Ilizi for the first time in what seemed like forever, and enjoyed herself immensely. Equally as exciting, was the fact that she had caught a young gazelle effortlessly afterwards! After her first success, Zua had been well fed, considering that she now lived on her own and was determined to stop relying on her parents for food. She had managed to catch a hare and several rats since the gazelle, so the blue hyena had even more energy than usual.

Smelling strongly of her friend Ilizi, as well as a hint of blood from her kills, Zua made her way toward her parent's den. Now convinced that she was self sufficient, she wanted to share the good news with her parents, and perhaps her siblings if they were around.

Yaku saw Zua coming from a good ways off. He sighed. Couldn't Zua at least try to be a little discreet? Granted, he knew how difficult that could be when your pelt was a dead give away, but she could put some effort into it.

This thought was immediately replaced by one more urgent, however, as she drew near enough that he could smell her. She had been with that male again... And his scent was strong this time. A low growl echoed in his throat as he thought of his little girl being used, and by someone he didn't know no less! While he knew that he would have to let her go eventually, he was having a hard time. His mind wandered to Ophos, who was also seeking to mate, and he realized that he needed to speak with them about love. The idea of Ophos possibly using a female frightened Yaku even more than that of Zua being used, and when afraid Yaku became angry. Fear was weakness, and weakness was unacceptable.

"Shira." He barked, rather more harshly than he intended, "I think we need to talk to our children."  

[PhiferWolf]

Ophos was spoken to earlier to come back home to have a 'nice family lunch'. Seeing as the messenger was his mother herself, this 'nice family lunch' was another way for his parents to get the family together and lock them into a lecture of some sort. He knew what was gonna come, or at the feeling of it. The way his mother spoke to him was a dead give away. And the usual snarl and discipline was the usual farewell for him now it seemed. Ever since he grew of age and was able to get on his own, his mother made sure she still had a firm grip over him.

Reluctantly he just moved toward the den. Through the side of his eyes he could see another blue form, one way too small to be his father. ... Was it Ace or was it Zua? With a smirk, he pressed on, determined to get to the den before she, or he, did. Competitive bugger.

It just seemed like he wasn't the only one invited.

However, as he approached even closer to the den, something made him snarl. A scent of a male and it was not his nor was it Yakuti's. Who was it and where was it coming from? Ophos knew his mother would be with any other male but Yakuti and any other would be dead before they touched her... so then... this blue one...

"Either Ace is gay or Zua found a male..." a snarl passed his maw at the latter. He did not really mind if Ace sought out males unless he was submissive, otherwise, he would be more concerned. However, if it was Zua, this male will be visited by a grumpy big brother.

He was only a few steps from the den before he entered.

"Mother, Father, you smell-"

"We do..." the tawny female got to her feet and moved to her mate's side. A snarl passed her maw as a single glance made Ophos entered inside who quickly found out this wasn't a 'nice family lunch'. There was no food...

"You may give the talk, Yaku. But it seems we have a bit of parental intervention if our little girl is been with a male..." If Yaku had no idea about this male, Shira would likely know even less. She did her best to avoid males recently. With her litter fully grown, she was receptive once again, had been for a while but made it so Yaku wasn't around during her heats or made herself less noticeable. A snarl passed her maw again as she looked at her mate.

"Do you know where the other two are?..."  

[Atheare]

Zua grinned as she saw Ophos, and bounded over to him, oblivious to the generally unpleasant mood that everyone else seemed to be oozing. "Hey bro! How are ya?" She swatted at him with one of her paws and settled herself down at the far end of the den. Her smile quickly faded as she saw her parents snarling. This wouldn't be good.

"Hey, what's with the sour look?" She flattened her ears sadly as she watched her mother. "Wait, the other two? Is this a family thing?" Once again, Zua displayed her lack of knowledge, and managed to further the impression by adding, "I haven't seen Ace or Auri recently." Along with a shrug.

Yaku grunted and tossed his scruffy mane out of his eyes. Leave it to Shira to have him explain something that he himself had known nothing about when he first met his love. Before that, though he wanted to know why Zua smelled of a male stranger.

"Zua." He huffed, making sure he had her attention, "You smell of male. Who?" It was unlike him to make such short, choppy sentences, but he was having a hard time controlling himself.

"Huh?" Zua was surprised that he cared so much about her new friend. "Do I really smell that much like him? Wow, that's neat." She sniffed her paw, and found that she did, indeed, smell like Ilizi. "Why? What's wrong with males?" She deliberately avoided saying his name, for his own safety. She did not want her parents to hurt him, though she didn't know why they would. All she did know, was that they were angry with him, or at least with her for smelling like him.

Zua appeared to be as ignorant about the opposite sex as Yakuti had been so many moons ago.  

[PhiferWolf]

Ophos smirked and scoff.

"You're so clueless, sis," her brother just laughed to himself. Before the big, tawny male could say anything else, he got a snap of his mother's jaws close to his ear causing him to flinch, motioning his head away. The snap was responded with a snarl that quickly died. He knew his place, but he had a bit of defiance in him.

"Ophos, not a word. We shall speak to you after this, until then, you best keep your maw shut," she snarled before returning to Yakuti. She had just admitted that she had smelt of a male. She seemed so happy about, almost even excited that it disgusted her a little. How could something born from her and Yaku be so... clueless?

"Yes, you smell like that mutt. Tell us who he is now if you know what is best for you. And I can give you a long damn list about what's wrong with males and why I avoid them!" she turned to Shira who just smirked a little to tell him that she did not mean him. After their last conversation, she assumed he knew that she cared about him. She was his after all.

"You are too young and that is all I am going to say on that..."  

[Atheare]

Yakuti merely glared at Ophos, and allowed Shira to do the scolding. "Enough, son." Was all he said on the subject, intending to give him a long, stern talk about this later on.

"Zua, who is he?" He said through clenched teeth, "Tell us who he is. Now."

"But mo-ooom!" Zua whined, as if still a pup, "He's my friend!" She growled, not out of aggression but out of frustration. What was wrong with having males who were friends?

"Don't even!" She snapped, having a sudden flash of anger. "I'm just as old as you and dad were when you had us." She glared at Shira, "And don't lie, because I KNOW." She sounded so childish, but determined none the less. "There is nothing wrong with me being friends with Ilizi!"

Oops.

"Little lady, you'll shut that trap of yours if you know what's right." Yakuti barked, standing up and towering over his daughter menacingly. "You are not to see this Ilizi ever again until we meet him, understood?" He snapped, "I won't have my daughter being used by some stranger."

"Dad, this is so unfair!" She whined, "He won't hurt me, and he won't use me either!" Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, as she spoke, "Why can't I just have one friend?"

Yakuti softened slightly. "Zua, do you know what kinds of things males will do to someone like you if they get the chance? Do you?" His voice had gone from furious to caressing faster than ever, and when he saw her look of confusion he sighed.

"No, you couldn't know. You're too innocent."  

[PhiferWolf]

Shira sighed and nudged him. "You could tell them about yourself, you know. Perhaps if they knew, they knew how bad a male can be," She'll have to apologize for bringing this up again. She was horrified, scared, and angry when she was used by Yakuti. If Yakuti wasn't so loyal, loving, caring, and protective, plus the extended apologies, these pups would have not survived. If he did it again, she may not be so kind and spare their lives. However, she thought things have changed since. He was still all of that and ever so more loving that it seemed like her heart was slowly melting for him, but when angered it was just frozen up again.

"So it is Ilizi that we have to find then. Good, then we will have to find him soon," a glance to Ophos received his own smirk. He got the signal's meeting. This male was not going to escape until he was evalutated by the three of them, their sister and daughter deserved a male who would help her in the long run.

Shira sighed as she laid down beside Zua.

"Listen, little one, perhaps you may not have noticed but male's are naturally stronger than females," Ophos gave hoot in agreement which received a snap of her jaws again. "Males can do whatever they want to do if they baser instincts get the better of them. How can we trust this male if we do not know who he is?"  

[Atheare]

Yakuti nodded, "Yes, I think you're right." It pained him to continue to think about what he had done, let alone to speak of it, but if it could help protect Zua and perhaps control Ophos around females... It was worth it.

"Listen, Zua." He said softly, "You too, Ophos. You two may know little of love as of yet, but it can cause some to do things they regret." He paused, "I have always loved your mother, but there was a time when I tried to force my love onto her, and I will never forget it." His voice shook slightly, but he plowed forward. "I lost control, and I raped Shira. I can't let that happen to you, Zua, after seeing how much anguish it caused to Shira, and I can't let you, Ophos, do such a thing to a female." He huffed, and fell silent.

"Dad..." Zua was speechless. Had he really done such a thing? Surely not, but then again, she knew he couldn't be lying about it either.

"But Ilizi isn't like that." She protested, "Besides, he's just my friend." She shook her head again, "And I trust him, that's what matters." How could they not understand? Sure, Zua enjoyed Ilizi's company, but LOVE? She wouldn't say that.

"Just because I'm a girl you think I can't take care of myself? Is that it?"  

[PhiferWolf]

Ophos got up and stood up beside her.

"That's exactly what it is. You are so stupid, sis, that you'll welcome him to rape you," Ophos scoffed and sneered.

But that was the last word he could get out before he was tackled by his mother. Her powerful jaws grabbed around his neck as her heavy paws pressed into his gut. With a violent shake of her head, she let go, kicking him to the side. The message was clear. She meant for him not to talk. She simply snarled and stood beside Yaku again.

"What your father said was true. When I first met him, he was very much like you are now, Zua. He was kind and very loving . . . Something that I did not like. he said he loved me but I cannot fall for such a... Twit," Something else to apologize about. "So he did what he was told to please me. He trained day in and day out to train himself to become what you see," she sighed and looked at him. "I loved your father, I just loved him even more when he became stronger. He was one to be respected and demanded it. But of all the times to see him as such, I fell into heat. It is the only time a female can have pups and mind you it is a very dangerous time for females when they are in heat. It attracts all sorts of males and trust me when I say their emotions are just made stronger too. Your father was only acting like his instincts told him to."

She snarled.

"But it was horrible. I felt so useless. I could do nothing to stop him and even worse, I was not ready. I hated him for it, I almost killed all of you because of it," as her anger grew, she snarled and jumped at Yakuti to the ground and took his ear into her maw, but it only appeared that she would hurt him. She was only pretending to make the impact even more devastating than it appeared to be. Shira just snarled and remained over Yaku.

"It doesn't matter, Yakuti was just as nice as you are now and he turned into the a monster in only seconds. Things can change in an instant. Friend or not, love or not, male's are dangerous."  

[Atheare]

"No no no!" Zua shrieked at Ophos, but Shira was already punishing him. "He's not like that." She screamed, furious, "He's not like YOU."

"Zua." Yakuti said softly, and she fell silent, though her glare at her brother made her emotions quite clear. "You have to listen to us. We are only trying to protect you." He insisted, but was soon tackled by Shira. It only took him a moment to realize that she wouldn't really hurt him, and he grunted as she pretended to bite his ear, as if in pain.

"Stop, all of you!" Zua whimpered. She felt like a pup again, having no power and being told what to do. She felt as if nobody was listening to her, "Ilizi wouldn't do that to me! Why don't you get that?" Not only was she feeling young, she was acting it as well.

"I don't want you three anywhere near him!" She snarled, "Just because Ophos would rape someone like me," She flashed him another dirty look, "And just because dad lost control," She snorted, "Does not mean that he will." Denial, some would call it, but she was completely sure of it. Ilizi was meek and quiet, shy and gentle. There was no way in heaven or earth that he would do such a thing, but she dare not tell her parents. No, they would see it as weak and probably be just as angry for it.

Yakuti groaned and pushed Shira off of him, sitting beside Zua. "I just want you to be careful." He lied. He didn't want her anywhere near him, but until Zua calmed down, he'd have to try to be gentle.

"Trust me when I say that anyone, no matter how they may seem, can be dangerous if you're not careful."  

[PhiferWolf]

Shira sighed and remained where she was. She had nothing else to say. She loved Zua and she worried about her, however, her stubborn pride would never allow her to speak it publicly. She would gladly say her love for Yaku, everyone knew that one. He was an ideal mate to any female, she thought. However, she gave a glare at Ophos.

"Now you may speak, whelp."

Ophos shook and walked to his sister and father.

"I don't rape, I can make females fall for me. Unlike some," he glanced at his father. "I have some control over myself, thank you. Besides, I have a female on my mind and I am not about to tell who. Ask and I will not hesitate to hurt any of ya."

The way he said it sounded so sarcastic it was hard to even believe he had a female on his mind or about hurting the family. He scoffed and licked his sisters head.

"I won't hurt the female I love, Mother, father, if you are going to do this to me too when I find her, make no mistake I won't come so willingly as Zua did." He just laughed.  

[Atheare]

"Ophos, you are young and foolish." Yakuti sighed, "Make no mistake; you are not so perfect as you think." With that, he huffed, and shook his head dismissively. He would have no more talk about such things. The past was the past, all that mattered now was preventing the old mistakes from being made in the future.

"Shut up, Ophos." Zua snapped, "That's it, I'm done here. I'm leaving." She grumbled, dashing out of the den defiantly as she choked back tears.

I'll show them, I'll show them that I can handle myself. She thought to herself angrily as she scampered to her den. Ilizi wouldn't hurt me, he's too nice. He's too good of a friend.

Yakuti growled, but did not chase her. "Not exactly the best way to end a conversation." He shook his head, "Ophos, learn to use some tact when you speak, will you?" He hated having two children so different from each other. Zua was clueless, and Ophos was stubborn. How was a parent to deal with two who were polar opposites?