[LOG] Take Me As I Am (Yale x Aulii)

[Reeshie Hack]

Yale'buana:
Yale lay within the shade of a tree, too annoyed to do much else but rest his head on his paws and stare at the jungle in front of him. How could Kamau have accused him that way? He didn't understand and he hated it when he couldn't figure things out. Especially when they were within himself. Damnit, he cared for his brother and sisters, more than anything else in his wretched world, but he was too young to take care of them when they needed it. He could teach and watch out for Aulii, she was younger than him and he had more knowledge, he wasn't still learning, himself. But she wasn't a part of him, wasn't his blood. He would look out for her, but she didn't hold a place in his mind equal to his brother and sisters...

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii'Naia was happily oblivious to her friend's confused musings, the small leopardess had been out in the forest surrounding the pride again, but this time she had given up on trying to climb trees, which she still hadn't quite got comfortable doing yet, and had instead been attempting to hunt. She had taken her place as a Hunteress in the pride recently, and been rather desperately trying to learn to hunt so she could be useful to her family, but had so far not achieved much, except capturing a bird. She hadn't killed it though, distraught at the idea of hurting the terrified creature, so she had 'accidentally' let it go. Sulking slightly, she had crept back towards the pride, glad no one had been around to see her mercy on the small, edible, creature. Out of the corner of her eye as she slipped through the fallen branches, she had spotted a familiar colour in the green and brown.
“Yale!” She called out, eyes lighting up as she hurried towards him, glad to spy a familiar face.

Yale'buana:
Yale's eyes flicked over to Aulii as she bounded towards him, but besides a slight turn of his head in her direction, he didn't move or say anything. He simply laid on his stomach where he was and watched the growing female as she approached. Normally he had started to smile a bit, but not today. His tail curled up against his side and he moved again, recrossing his paws and setting his head back down on them.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii took notice of the lack of smile in greeting, but shrugged it off. He was odd on a good day, so sometimes it was easier to just go along with it. Once reaching his side, she flopped down next to him. Normally, she would flop onto him, but with her growing size, she was more awkward and plus, she would probably get in trouble if someone saw her doing it. She rolled onto one side, almost on her back so she could look at him while lying. She frowned suddenly, as if realising his odd mood. “Are you okay, Yale?” She asked, sounding worried.

Yale'buana:
Yale debated on what to tell her for a moment, what to say, or if he should say anything at all.
"... My brother thinks I do not care for him, or our sisters," he replied lowly, his eyes narrowing a bit as the scene replayed itself in his mind, of Kamau yelling at him once again, the same argument over their mother and Yale's strange ways. Why couldn't they just get along like they should? Why didn't he know how to help his brother?

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii blinked in surprise at his statement, rolling onto her stomach and mimicking his pose of how he was laying. “But that's just silly,” she said simply and firmly, peering at him from the corner of his eye. “Sure, you don't show it like a normal person, but it's obvious you care for your family. Especially your brother.” She shook her head, remembering when she had been younger, the male had spoken of his brother, and while it hadn't been said particuarly fondly or with a lot of praise, but coming from Yale it had said a lot about his affection for his brother.

Yale'buana:
Yale shrugged a bit, actually letting a sigh out. Maybe he was becoming more relaxed around the younger female. That... bothered and intrigued him at the same time. She wasn't his blood and yet he could admit he did have a sort of affection for her, if anyone could call his moods anything like affection.
"Whether I showed it or not, it obviously wasn't enough. He didn't see it at all and I couldn't keep any of them safe. I wasn't enough." Why was he always deemed wanting? He could imagine how it could have been if there was someone with him in his "games", or if his mother encouraged him. He still would have done his experiments and whatnot, but probably would have been more... cheerful.
Why was he never enough?

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii looked saddened at his words. She hated how Yale's family was, and wished the male could have experienced family like she had. Sure, she didn't spend as much time with her siblings as she wished she could, but she knew that her family loved her and they knew the same. How had someone so nice like Yale ended up with a family as confused as his? It wasn't there fault though, she supposed, still wishing it was different. “It's not your job to keep them all safe though,” Aulii pointed out, and flopped to her side so she rested up against him, uncaring of whether he protested the familiar move or not. “You did your best, and you tried, it's not your fault they couldn't see it.” She frowned, her annoyance at the others for making Yale doubt himself was obvious, but she didn't voice it. “Have you tried just showing it more, or telling him outright?”

Yale'buana:
"I try showing as best I can, I tell him outright that I do care, even if it's convoluted, but he..." Yale frowned as he trailed off, once again trying to decide what she needed to know about the situation. Well, it involved her so...
"Aulii, he's mad at me now, over you," he added as his tail flicked slightly. His fire-colored eyes glanced her way to see how she would take that bit of information. Ever the scientist, Yale'buanna, but this was important than just another of his simple experiments.

Aulii'Naia:
Her eyes widened in surprise, having been caught up in her own thoughts of other suggestions to give Yale, she didn't immediately register what he had siad. She pulled back from her relaxed position, looking confused as she stared at him. “Me?” She said, sounding disbelieving. “Why? Did I do something to offend him?” She looked horrified at the thought, her emotions playing across her face, and the horror was quickly followed by confusion once again. “Wait. I haven't met him before.” She paused, realising it was true. She had heard about him, sure, but never met him. “Why is he angry at you over me?” The frown at returned to her face and she hoped she hadn't somehow offended or insulted the other male without even meeting him.

Yale'buana:
Yale stood, a little disappointed in himself at making her flustered, but she needed to know, didn't she? He reached out a paw to ruffle the fur on top of her head but paused, his paw held suspended in the air for a moment and then decided against it and instead just let the tips of his toes brush against her head.
"Nothing you did, I promise. I didn't..." He paused again as he paced away, shaking his head. "You're the only one to ever really show any interest in the things I do, beyond saying I was odd for doing so. So I figured I'd teach you some of the things, now that I was old enough to really do so. I didn't do that with my brother and sisters. I was still learning, myself. Because I seem to favor you, he thinks I care more for you than I ever did for them."

Aulii'Naia:
She continued laying down, peering up at him, with a curious look on her face as he brushed the top of her head, which was different to the usual ruffling he had done when she was younger. Another reason for the confused frown now, but she pushed that aside, concentrating on the main confusion for the moment. Aulii was relieved to hear that it was not her fault that other male was angry, but continued to frown.“You were just a cub though,” she pointed out lightly, “how could you have been expected to be interested in teaching them if they weren't interested in learning while you were learning too? Just because you put up with me following you around doesn't mean you care for me more then them! They're family,” she said, as if that had to explain everything. “Why don't you try and teach him now? Take him along on your next adventure, instead of me!” She would be sad to stay behind, but she didn't want Yale to be cut of from one of the few people in his family he actually like, not because of her.

Yale'buana:
"He doesn't always listen to my reason, but... maybe you're right. Next time I go out exploring and a hunt, maybe I will ask him to come along," Yale replied, having paced a bit away from her, looking off in thought. Yale had never been eager to learn his ways. Mostly he had just asked what Yale was doing, gave him an "oh," and then tried to change the subject.
"But is that fair to you? You at least enjoy yourself coming along and, you did like the climbing lesson, yes?" Aulii took him as he was, only asking for more of him when she wanted to help make his life with his family better. He didn't want to exclude her.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii smiled lightly to herself, her eyes a tad sad at staying behind but she was glad her suggestion could help Yale, even if it was just to give him an idea of how he could possibly help the situation with his brother. She looked at him, surprised, but not really, at his thoughtfulness towards her. Yale acted cold, but he had always been looking out for her. She smiled at him and shook her head. “It's okay,” she said, bravely, though she still wanted to come along. “I don't mind. I got to enjoy our adventures before, so he should get a chance to get confused by you too.” She grinned, playfully, then it slipped from her face. “He deserves the chance to get to you know again, the boy you've become now.” She wanted to suggest that she come along too, that all three of them could go, but she was scared of making it worse. She would never forgive herself if she hurt Yale, even if it was something simple like making his brother angry at him. She would just have to be happy with the adventures he'd allowed her to come along with him on before.

Yale'buana:
Yale turned his head to look at her as she spoke, seeing and hearing more than she was letting out. She seemed almost sad over this decision and he had to wonder if she thought that he was replacing one for the other. Yes, he wanted to try and fix things with his brother, but he didn't want to ruin what he already had. It was... nice, having someone who was interested, who in returned cared about him, who didn't want him to change for her own benefit, simply for his.

He turned and walked back to her, leaning down to bump his forehead against Aulii's.
"This does not change anything, okay? I'll still teach you to climb and anything else, if you wish," he said, tone almost soft and something of a small smile, a slight upward twitch of his maw and a light narrowing of his eyes.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii was surprised at how perceptive he was, but supposed she shouldn't have been. He was the cleverist person in the pride, after all, and she was not good at hiding her emotions. Of course, he was wrong this time, but at least he was trying. She smiled up at him, relieved to see that soft look back on his face. On anyone else, it would be practically insignificant, but to Aulii, it was wonderful to see, because it was Yale's smile, as small as it was. She wondered how many people had missed seeing it before, because it was very easy to miss, if you weren't paying attention.
“Of course things are going to change, silly,” she said, smiling back, “but it's okay, 'cause you'll get to spend more time with your brother.” She crinkled her nose, giggling to herself. “And I think my learning to climb is a bit of a lost cause,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Yale'buana:
Yale let out a soft snort and rolled his eyes.
"You did fairly well the first time, I do not know why you would doubt that you could still learn," he retorted before straightening up and looking down at her. The smile fled his face for a confused frown, then, his head tilting just a bit.

"Things don't have to change. I seem to enjoy teaching, of a sort and... I want to keep doing so and taking you with when I explore the boundaries." Wow, did he really say all of that? It was the truth, yes, and he had always prided himself as a very truthful male, but never an emotional one, only rarely asking for another to do something that would make him happy. At best, he would ask his siblings to show him something they had found, so that he could see and know it too.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii lookeed as surprised as Yale at his words, but she was pleased. He wanted her to keep coming with him on his adventures? She glanced at the ground, stiffling a grin and the urge to get up and dance around like a loon. She didn't want to loose Yale, and it looked like he wasn't going to pull away from her, because his brother was going to be a bigger part of his life and his adventures. She raised her head again, smiling at his frown, as familiar to her as his smile. “I'd like that, if it didn't change,” she said quietly, eyes sparkling with delight. Sure, she didn't quite believe him that it wouldn't all change, but she was willing to wait it out, and see if she would still have a place in his adventures.

She focused on the other comment he had made, adding, “I'm old enough to hunt, and still can't climb? I don't think I'm going to learn,” she said, passing it off as a joke with a slight giggle, but she was worried. Chiyo had called her defective, for her inability to climb. Perhaps she was, but she would just have to be better at hunting, to make up for her lack of climbing.

Yale'buana:
Yale's frown left for a more relieved, then relaxed look, inwardly glad that she didn't wish to end their time together, either. He hated being wrong, and if he thought for a moment that he had misjudged Aulii's interest... It would hurt, he knew that for certain.
"That's because you only had the one lesson. It takes time, and practice. When I was first learning, it was a very slow process, and I fell. A lot. With practice, you can do anything, I'm sure, Aulii," he replied and tapped her nose with one claw, like he used to do when she was little.

"And your hunting? How is that going?"

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii seemed to sit a little straighter, smiling up at him at his reassurance, before scoffing playfully. “I doubt anything related to learning is a slow process for you,” she teased, before seeming to shrink a little. “I tried to practice on my own too, but I can't seem to get it.” She paused, and gave a suspicious glance at her paws, “maybe I'm not really a leopard?” She grinned lightly, but it was a worrying thought. Her family was nice enough to have addopted some hapless cheetah or something, maybe she wasn't a leopard...well, now she was just being silly, she thought, shaking her head.

“Uhh,” she said, slightly sheepishly, pleased at the familiar gesture. “It's...alright...uh, I'm practicing lots?” Learning was an extremely slow process for Aulii, but she was determined to be useful somehow, and hunting seemed like a better use of her time then just learning to climb.

Yale'buana:
Yale circled her when Aulii pondered if she really was a leopard or not, a hard, thoughtful look on his face.
"Well, you look like a leopard, and smell like one and sound like one. Hmm, oh, yes, I was here when you were born and my mother wouldn't stand for there to be non-leopards in the colony, besides birds and whatnot, so by my considerations and study, I would say that makes you a leopard," he said in a very scientific-y sounding manner, but his small smirk had returned and he even gave her a quick wink.

He sat down again across from her and listened intently as she spoke of hunting.
"To be honest, I'm not an exceptional hunter, really. Perhaps we could practice together?" he asked, catching the tone in her voice that might have hinted at hunting being problematic for her. He was telling the truth, he wasn't a very good hunter. Tracker, yes, maybe even exceptional if he put his mind to it, but he wasn't powerfully built enough to take down too large of prey-beasts. And he didn't have a taste for birds, so the options were continuously narrowing for him.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii giggled lightly, glad the male hadn't just called her an idiot but had almost played along with her paranoia. She was surprised when she received the wink and her smile grew. “I suppose if you put it that way, I have to be a leopard,” she said consideringly. She would hate to call him a liar, anyway, and she knew of the colony's dislike of other species, so she had to be a leopard. That silly idea was easily pushed aside.

She glanced up hopefully at him. “Really? You'd come hunting with me?” With Yale helping her, she knew she would be able to master hunting, he always knew the right way to do things, and she didn't really believe him, that he wasn't good at hunting. Yale was the type of person who was just...good at everything. “I'd love that!” She said, with a faint childish squeal, then paused, looking down. “I've only ever been able to catch birds so far though.”

Yale'buana:
To his own surprise, and probably Aulii's, Yale made a disgusted face, his eyes closing, head shaking backwards, and even his tongue stuck out just a little bit.
"Ugh, birds, horrible things. Too many feathers and usually not even worth the effort," he replied, regaining some of his composure.
"I am better at tracking things than I am actually taking them down. I can help you with that part of the process." And, deep down, he wanted to. It seemed like... Hunting for him was a solitary time. His siblings seemed to preoccupied with hunting at their mother's orders, so when he went out for food, he was usually alone. He would get something for himself, usually a hare or some other small prey-beast or even fish, and then get something to take back to the colony, something larger, the latter of which took the more time. If he had help... things might be different.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii was shocked at the childish gesture from her usually very mature companion, but only grinned, afraid to mention it in case he didn't do it again. She had spent a very long time, trying to get him to lighten up, just as he had spent time trying to teach her. It was a two way street with them, it seemed. She nodded, agreeing with him about the birds, though she was slightly ashamed to think that she had never actually caught one to eat, too nervous when it came to actually killing them.

She wasn't surprised at his good tracking. It seemed like a skill he would possess. “I'm not very good at tracking yet,” she admitted, “I find it hard to keep quiet at times, when hunting. Last time, I stepped on a snake who rustled the bush I was hiding in.” She looked a little embaressed about admitting it but she knew Yale wouldn't tease her about it, at least not cruely. “I'm good at pouncing, though! Just not, you know...” she paused, not wanting to admit she hadn't actually killed anything yet. That was something to be ashamed of, she knew.

Yale'buana:
"You stepped on a snake? It didn't bite you did it? There are dangerous snakes here, you know," Yale said, the part about the snake being the first that he jumped on. In his exploring, he had met one of the dangerous ones, but it had been a pleasant enough fellow, glad Yale had no intentions of eating him while Yale had been glad the snake didn't wish to bite him, after he had learned how deadly the venom in their bite could be. He had learned a good bit about venom from that snake, and what to watch out for.

"I remember you were good at pouncing back when we first met, too," he added after calming a bit, giving a short chuckle.
"I'll admit, it is a lot more difficult to kill the smaller ones. They seem more... innocent I suppose, or as if my size makes me a bully."

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii looked surprised at his question. “Well, no! Of course she didn't. She was very upset with me though, and kept yelling at me until I left. I felt like I was getitng in trouble with Mama,” she said, blanching at the thought. She didnt' seemed to see the danger in the snakes, as the one she stepped on had been more concerned that Aulii had disturbed her resting spot, rather then wanting to attack her.

She looked embaressed but grinned at him, “I did that a lot when I was younger,” she said, sounding sheepish. She knew, if she pounced on his now, it would be highly inappropriate, as her mother would fuss, but when she was younger it had seemed like a really fun idea, and it had been. “Yes!” She agreed hurriedly to his description. “I can't kill something smaller then me...but I don't think I could take down something bigger than I am.” She paused, looking annoyed at her reasoning.

Yale'buana:
Yale was glad she hadn't been bitten by a venomous snake, and was even partially amused that the snake had scolded Aulii like her mother might have. It was an amusing mental picture.
She looked embarrassed over his talk of her pouncing and wondered what might be the cause of it. But, better to leave that be for now. His curiosity wasn't as peeked as it usually was, not enough to really be interested in what could have made her uncomfortable about the subject (And of course he was too much of a scientific male to have the level of common sense to come to the conclusion of it being inappropriate).

"Then we have a common problem. Perhaps together, we can work around it."  

[Reeshie Hack]

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii's eyes lit up at the thought of getting to spend more time around Yale, even if learning to hunt wasn't going to be nearly as much fun as going on adventures together usually was. At least she wouldn't be pushed out of his life completely? She was content with that.

“I could teach you to pounce and you could teach me to sneak?” She suggested, almost shyly even if her smile was as large and as bright as ever. She wasn't great at pouncing, but it was fun and she wanted to be able to pay Yale back somehow, because she had a feeling he would likely end up teaching her more than she would teach him.

Yale'buana:
Yale smirked back and nodded his head. He liked Aulii's enthusiasm at working with him, learning under him. It was... refreshing, he supposed. No striving for affection or hiding oneself. She was, for the most part, open and honest with him, a trait he admired.
"That sounds like a fine plan. Maybe you'll turn out to be a better teacher than I am," he added the last part with just a small teasing edge.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii was enjoying this lighter side of Yale which seemed to be showing more, he had perked up from his earlier state and she was glad to see him back to mostly normal. It was mostly normal, because Aulii wasn't sure if Yale even had a 'normal' state, it was just...Yale.
“Maybe I will,” she teased back, “then I will take over being the brainy one.” Well, that would likely never happen, the female just didn't have the same mentality as he did, to want to examine everything.

Yale'buana:
Yale reached out and ruffled the top of her head, like he was used to doing.
"I doubt that, but you're a very clever female when you put your mind to it," he said, an almost fond hint to his tone. The small smile-thing remained on his face as his paw stilled, remaining where it was to see how long he could keep it there before she shoved it off or did something of like action.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii smiled at the familiar gesture, though was mildly surprised when he didn't move his paw away again. Reluctant to move and dislodge it, she was careful to stay still enough that it wouldn't slip off on it's own, or be forced of by her, so it would be his choice when he moved it. She was confused as to why he hadn't moved it, but didn't think too deeply on it.
She began to giggle as she realised something. “Wait, if I become brainy, does that mean you have to become like me?” She grinned at the thought of Yale being all smiles, and pouncing on her instead of the other way around, or cuddling up to her like she did to him sometimes.

Yale'buana:
Yale gave her an incredulous look and decided she wasn't going to give in to his experiments, so he removed his paw.
"I doubt even the gods could get me to act like that," he replied in a fairly confident and slightly amused manner. It finally sank in how much better he felt, after Aulii's counsel and distractions. He tilted his head a bit in thought as he watched her.
"How do you do that?" he asked, just a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Aulii'Naia:
She was a little disappointed when he removed his paw but didn't let it show, instead reaching up to try and smooth down the fur on her head which had been displaced due to his paw. She grinned at his comment and knew it to be true. Sure, he was lightening up, but Yale, acting like she did? It was pratically impossible. Though, it would be amusing to see, she thought with a secretive smile, trying to imagine his actions. It sent her into peels of laughter, which she quickly stiffled as she noticed him watching her.
She looked surprised at his question and tilted her head in response. “Do what?” She asked, equally curiously.

Yale'buana:
"You are usually so happy and seem to be skilled at lifting the spirits of others simply with your words and presence. How do you do that?" His voice was lower now, softer, a curious, thoughtful look upon his face. How did she manage to make him feel better in what seemed like an almost effortless way when he, himself, could lift his own spirits? He didn't understand it, because he didn't experience it. He hated letting others know when he was troubled, preferring to be left alone at those times.

But he had let Aulii in, let her stay and try to make him feel better, accomplishing this act. Why had he allowed her to stay when he would have turned most others away, or at the least ignored them?

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii frowned at the question, looking confused. How? It wasn't a question of how, not really. It wasn't a conscious thought for her, to make someone feel better, unless she was purposely making a joke so they would smile. Other than that, it was just acting like she normally would, and ignoring the bad feelings which were trying to make them sad. She had discovered that people had a hard time staying in a bad mood, when there was something good to focus on.

“I...don't know,” she admitted, frowing at him as she tried to puzzle through her own thoughts. “I suppose, that I guess that if I act happy, other people will eventually be happy to.” She shrugged, frustrated that she couldn't explain it better. “I don't really do anything, not really. I just go around...hoping that hapiness is contagious.” She smiled at him, “and it seems to work occassionally.”

Yale'buana:
Yale pondered over her words as she said them, not sure he really understood. Feelings were just too difficult for him to really understand. They weren't tangible, nothing he could really test or observe. Yet he acknowledged their existence, just deemed them too much of a bother to try to deal with. Look at him, the hurt his brother had caused him had disabled him until Aulii had come along and helped to mend the ache.

He turned his head away and one paw rose to rub his face in something of a frustrated action, trying to dissipate said frustration. He let out a sigh and shook his head a bit, paw still covering most of his face. He would never understand feelings.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii watched as he rubbed a paw on his face, and frowned when he didn't remove it from his face. She began to worry, had she given him a headache or annoyed him with her bad explaination? Really, he should have been used to it, she thought, since she was not great at explaining actions, not like he was. She got to her feet and moved over to stand near him, peering at him worriedly.
“Are you okay?” She asked, a little disappointed that just after she had managed to make him happy, she had made him feel bad again. “Is something wrong?”

Yale'buana:
"I'm fine. Just reminded why I don't like to deal with feelings," Yale replied simply, shaking his head once more before letting his paw fall again to see she had gotten closer to him and looked worried. He sighed again and put his paw on her head, brushing it down the side of her head to let it rest against her cheek. When he had gotten comfortable with the little touches, he couldn't remember. It just seemed like the right thing to do sometimes and who was he to ignore what his subconscious mind deemed the right thing?
"Remember? I get to questioning and it's rather frustrating if there's no way for me to figure something out," he said with a small shrug.

Aulii'Naia:
“Everyone has to deal with emotions at some point,” Aulii pointed out, unconsciously leaning into the paw he had placed at her cheek. It was an unfamiliar gesture, but a familiar touch and Aulii found nothing strange about it, and instead found comfort in it. “You can't avoid them forever, else your life will be very dull.”
She had often wondered how strange it was, someone with so little need to express emotions, why would he want to stay around her, someone who tended to jump from emotion to emotion easily and quickly. She hated to bottle up how she felt, though she had done it occasionally and hated how it felt.
“Do you really have to figure everything out?” She asked, sounding curious. “Can't you just...enjoy not knowing?” What a silly question, she thought to herself, but she wanted to know anyway.

Yale'buana:
One of Yale's toes moved slowly back and forth mostly of its own accord when Aulii leaned into his paw. He considered her words and question for a long while, wanting to find the right answer.
"I suppose I must. It's something I have always done. I think, I figured, if I could make sense of everything in the world, I could someday understand the things in my own life that I cannot seem to explain. A coping mechanism, I suppose," he tried to explain truthfully. And it was the truth. He did have an innate sense of wonder and an inner drive to understand why things were as they were, but a good part of it was as his explanation said. If he knew why things were the way they were, maybe he could figure out why he was different, why his family was different.

Aulii'Naia:
As she waited for his response she simply enjoyed the nice sensation of his paw against her cheek as she watched him gather his thoughts. Yale was one of the few people she was fairly sure wouldn't lie to her, mostly because she just hoped he wouldn't.
She blinked as he began to talk, and frowned, slipping out from under his paw. Instead of moving away, she moved closer, cuddling in like she would have done as a cub or a juvenile, though as she was larger now, it was harder to find a comfortable spot cuddled up close. She didn't know if he would find the same comfort in it as she usually did, but she wanted to try. “I hate the fact you need a coping mechanism at all,” she muttered, “but it makes sense...I hope you can figure it all out one day.” She tilted her head so she could look up at him, “just...please don't loose yourself, trying to figure out the world?” She smiled slightly.

Yale'buana:
Yale rested his head on top of Aulii's when she cuddled up to him, letting his paw fall to the ground. He'd gotten used to her pouncing and cuddling and didn't really mind it. In truth, he hadn't minded it in the beginning, either. It wasn't uncomfortable, and not problematic, unless he had been doing something when she decided to pounce him.
"I guess that's my greatest trait. I'm like a mountain. No matter how the wind blows or the sun shines or the rain falls, I'll never bend. I decided long ago that I was who I was and no one would change that, that they would just have to accept me as I am," he admitted, proud of his steadfastness, even if it was only in his own personality.

"So do not worry for that. I may get distracted for a time, but usually I can still see the bigger picture in the end."

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii smiled lightly as he didn't push her away, and instead allowed her to stay close to him. It was nice to think that he didn't hate her cuddling, because it was quite nice to be allowed to do this even now she was older and it probably wasn't proper. Ah well.
“I like that about you,” she said, pressing her cheek against his furr happily. “It means that you won't change. It's a nice thought, that you'll stay the same. More people should like who they are, like you do.” She wished she was like that. She liked herself, sure, but she knew she would change, or bend, it if meant someone else would be happy.

Yale'buana:
"Would you change, Aulii? Just to make someone like you? Mold yourself to be what they want, not what you are?" It was a deep question, and so very important to him. From his interactions with others so far, he was alone in his principles. All of his siblings changed and molded themselves to be something their mother could notice and take interest in. He could never understand it. Why couldn't they just be themselves?
Did acceptance really have to be so difficult to obtain?

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii stared at her paws, and sighed. “I want to say no...but I would be lying.” She gave a smile that had a slightly bitter twist to it. She didn't want to lie to Yale. He would probably see through it anyway. “I want people to be happy...to...to care about me...I want to be important and worth something.” It was something she hadn't told anyone before. She tried to hunt, so she could be worth something to the pride. She wanted to climb, so she could be called a proud leopard. She just wanted to be good at something, so she was worth something. “I don't want to change...but what if I hurt someone, because of how I am? What if nobody wants me as me? I would bend, under that pressure.” She sighed. “I'm not like you Yale, not a mountain, though I wish I could be.” She hated the somber tone that the conversation had taken, so she joked lightly, “I'm more like a twig. Just wanting for someone to bend.”

Yale'buana:
Yale listened and watched Aulii, his face showing little of what he was thinking as she spoke. When she finished, he moved his head and leaned down a bit so that he could look properly at her.
"You have lots of worth, Aulii, just as you are." He paused there and brought his paw up under her chin, pushing upwards slightly. "You always seem to brighten the darkest of my moods and you have a strong determination in all I've seen you do. Isn't that something of value? If others see you and find you wanting, then they are without sight and hearing." All truth, and yet there was a conviction to his words that may have come from a different part of him. He disliked the idea of any creature finding his little friend wanting, when she was fine the way she was.

Aulii'Naia:
Aulii smiled, though it was slightly wobbly with emotion, as she looked at Yale. He had pushed her chin up, so she was forced to look directly at him, when she would have looked away in embaressment. She was pleased at his words, but she didn't believe him, not completely. “What if you can see it...but no one else can?” She asked, sighing. She carefully slipped her face free of his paw, and ducked out of his reach for a moment. She took a moment, before glancing back at him, smiling just as brightly as before. “Not that it matters! I'll just hang around you if they can't see it.” She was doing what she always did, pretending to be happy in hopes happiness was contagious. With any luck, by pretending to be happy, she would become happy in a little while. It was a sure-fire way of getting out of a bad mood, and she absolutely hated being in a bad mood.