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 Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:30 am
Why couldn't she get it out of her head? It had been a good while since...since he'd called her a princess. She'd told her Mamma and her Papa, and they'd searched, but never found him, so he must've gone. Gone far away, with any luck. But she still couldn't shake off the nightmares or the shivers that accompanied them. The scary black and pink cheetah...she just couldn't get rid of him. Everywhere she looked, he was there, leering at her. Leilani shivered softly as she padded through the vegetation, golden eyes glancing around warily, making sure no-one was creeping up on her.
She was a juvenile - she should've have been as easily scared! She was a big girl now. She shouldn't have needed a cuddle from her parents every waking moment. But right now, what she wanted more than anything was a big bear hug from her Papa. Just for him to wrap his paws around her and squeeze her tight and tell her nothing was wrong. A small squeak escaped the leopard juve as something rushed past in front of her, and she attempted to calm herself down when she noticed it was just a rat.
She really had to calm down.
A light jungle mist covered the ground. Portions of it swirled and evaporated as Clotho stepped her pink and white paws down.
It was a lovely time of day for a walk. She needed the exercise after not having moved much for quite some time during her healing process in Kurai's cave. She had missed the trees, the almost always wet grass, the soft dirt, the vines, the flowers, the creatures who shared her home...
Clotho tilted her head up, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of the jungle. She sorted out each scent and placed each one with an owner. She inhaled again. This time, she smelled leopard. Heart skipping a beat, she pointed her head straight and moved her eyes around the trees. She had one small hope for a moment that her sisters had finally returned. But as she inhaled a bit more, she understood that the leopard she was smelling was very young; perhaps a juvenile.
Sighing with disappointment, Clotho continued walking. But she paused. She shouldn't have been upset that there was a young leopard in the jungle. In fact, she should've been worried and wanting to know if the leopard was hurt or lost.
Taking on a different, more positive state of mind, Clotho turned to the direction of the juvenile's scent and began searching for it.
...Where was she? Leilani had run into a tree that reminded her too much of the one she'd clambered up to show Sellion her 'magic powers', and had raced away from it in fear. She hadn't paid attention to where she was running, just how far away she was getting from the tree. Leilani craned her head to look behind her, checking that the tree hadn't turned into Sellion and that he wasn't chasing her. A small sob escaped her maw in fear, as she began to turn back to watch where she was going...
Too late. With a loud yelp she crashed full-on into Clotho, stopping her abruptly and sending her rolling backwards. Leilani laid in the mud for several moments to catch her breath, head sore, before she quickly scrambled to her feet, checking who'd she'd crashed into. Unfortunately for Clotho, however, she was partially pink. This was all Leilani saw as she peered at the female, and once again reminded of Sellion, she yelped, giving a loud sob as she dived under a hollowed-out tree trunk, head under her paws, pale blue tail sticking out as her hind shivered in fear.
The sequence of events happened very rapidly. Clotho barely had time to register that the juvenile leopard she had set out to look for had just bowled straight into her. Then she had dived into a tree trunk?
Blinking slowly, still shocked at everything that had just taken place, Clotho sat down in front of the trunk the juvenile was in. She rolled her shoulders back, relaxing, and took on a posture which she was sure was the opposite of threatening.
So, her intuition had been right; the juvenile was in some kind of trouble. She was obviously terrified of something, crying and running around like that. The poor dear. Head bending down a bit, Clotho peered into the hollow trunk, trying to get a better look at the girl.
"Do not fear, child." Clotho called gently, her strange voice calm and motherly. "I am not your enemy." She hoped the juvenile would understand that and come out. But things happened in their own good time. Clotho knew that well.
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:03 pm
Leilani shuddered with hysterical sobs, unable to stop herself as she awaited some scratching or some pain of some sort. She just wanted it over with! But...it didn't come. There was no pain. Managing to quieten her sobs a little, the juvenile became aware of a voice, speaking to her gently. A distinctly feminine voice, that certainly wasn't Sellion's. The voice was calm and motherly, a reassured the young leopard as she slowly withdrew her front from underneath the tree stump, turning slowly to take a peek at Clotho with amber eyes. The pink she'd seen had been much paler than Sellion's, and was accented with whites instead of blacks. This certainly wasn't the cheetah she was fearful of.
Amber eyes peered up at Clotho blinking as her pale blue paws came up tko try a wipe away the tears. She felt stupid now - stupid and silly. Growling softly to herself, avoiding meeting the older leopardess' gaze, Leilani instead watched her paws, cheeks burning a fierce red. "...Sorry. I...I mistook you for someone else."
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:18 pm
Eyes softening at the sight of tears on the face of the juvenile, Clotho smiled warmly, emanating an aura of kindness. Resisting the urge to place a white paw on the small back of the one sitting before her, Clotho cleared her throat gently, thinking of something comforting to say. But the words of the juvenile distracted her. Clotho blinked, tilting her head to get a better look at the girl.
"Well, you are safe with me." she said, smiling. "Was it someone very frightening, my child?" Clotho asked, voice calm and still slightly hoarse from the damage she received not very long ago.
Of course...Clotho could "see" it. It was someone pink, like she was. Someone large, pink and frightening. Not a female, certainly. This creature had done mental damage to the juvenile.
Eyes closing, Clotho allowed herself to sink deeper into her "vision".
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:23 pm
Safe? She wasn't safe anywhere! Leilani began to shiver a little, looking up to watch Clotho, just to try and get rid of the image of him that wouldn't go away! And so that she was more sure that Clotho was actually here, and not just in her imagination. She tilted her head to the left curiously as Clotho asked if said someone was frightening. Leilani was unable to answer with anything more than a sharp nod. Almost as if confirming it out loud would definitely make it real.
Clotho went silent, and Leilani looked up to her face, frowning. She'd gone...blank. Almost as if she wasn't really there, not in her mind. Leilani licked her lips steadily, daring to voice a question, "What're you doing?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:29 pm
Clotho's eyes snapped open. She shifted her gaze down to the juvenile. Her smile was gone, but her eyes were still soft, as if with pity. Whatever she had "seen" had most likely not been pleasant. But Clotho didn't want to scare the poor girl any further. Then again, she didn't want to cloud the truth she had "seen", either. It was best to be honest. Honesty was the greatest trait any one being could ever possess, in Clotho's mind.
"I have Seen something, child." Clotho said solemnly, eyes downcast. "The one who you fear...You have not seen him for the last time."
Clotho's shoulders felt heavy as she spoke those words. It was a very hard life, being a fortune teller. But it was who she was and she wouldn't change it.
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:38 pm
Leilani jumped when her eyes suddenly snapped open, shuffling backwards a little. She was...looking at her. And her look scared Leilani. It was a sadness...but that wasn't all. Worry? Pity? It was a look that freaked Leilani out, at any rate. Her bottom lip began to quiver a little, threatening that the young child would burst into tears again.
"S-Seen something?" she spoke reluctantly, unable to her her inquisitive nature. But then...Clotho spoke again. Of the one she feared. His face flashed in front of her face once more, and Leilani's expression froze in one of horror. He...he wasn't gone? She found herself petrified, rooted to the spot and unable to move, her body forcing her to continue listening.
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:47 pm
Sighing, Clotho glanced to the treetops, eyes dancing over the swaying leaves and branches. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scents, and closed her eyes.
"The pink male you fear..." she murmured. "He will visit you again. This time, it will not end...In the way you wish. This time..." she breathed, claws digging into the earth as if it were hard for her to speak those strange, prophetic words. "...This time..." Clotho's eyes darkened and she stared at the juvenile. "...He will not leave."
And that was all she "saw" in her mind's eye; her imagination. The damage had been done and she could tell. The juvenile was never going to be the same because of it. But one's future was not always sunshine and butterflies. Sometimes one was faced with hardships and trials. This cub was not free from the harshness of the world, nor was Clotho.
"I am sorry..." the leopardess apologized humbly, indeed sorry for what she felt was her purpose in life. But it was just what she was.
And she wouldn't change it for the world.
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:53 pm
The pink male...she was talking about Sellion! Who else could it be!? Was she one of these seer people, who could see the future!? Or maybe she was a Goddess in disguise! But then why was she saying this!? It had to be a lie - it had to be! Her shivering became more violent, turning to shudders then ful out shaking. A single tear left her eyes, soon followed by more. He was going to come again, and not leave? He was going to hurt her! Unable to stop herself, Leilani let loose a sob. She didn't want him to come back - she didn't!
Sory? Why was she saying sorry!? Anger clouded the juvenile's mind as she bared her teeth, growling fiercely. "You're lying! You big liar! I hate you!"
She was still sobbing, but the angry message was clear, the leopard juve turning and racing back off into the undergrowth, in the direction of what she thought was home. She had to go find Momma, or Papa. She really, really needed a cuddle.
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