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 Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:35 pm
"I'll be okay, I promise. I just... think this might be better if it's just me, okay?"
Those were the last things Hana had said to Garai before leaving him some ways away from where she hoped her parents still denned. She really needed to talk to them, though she wasn't too sure which one. Her mother would probably be the best bet, being another female and all that, but... She had always felt more connected to her father. Maybe she had been.
She had confessed her suspicion to Garai several days ago and was still feeling a little light-headed over his acceptance at the prospect of cubs and of her. Her heart was quickly filling with love for the calm cheetah male and, well, she really wanted to tell her father about it, to know if he approved.
Though, in truth, if he didn't approve, her heart might break, but she would not be leaving the father of her cubs.
So as she walked slowly and with a little bit more care than she might have days before, keeping an eye out for his green and white pelt.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:54 pm
But the past was past. The present was what he was living, and the future was what he would look forward to.
With a fleeting smile, Kauli wondered what his children were doing in that exact moment. It had been a while since he'd seen them. Did they have mates? Were they doing alright? Kauli flashed a grin at the ground, suddenly feeling ridiculous at his old-maid-like thoughts. But he couldn't help it. Maybe that was how all fathers were?
After that thought passed through his mind, a shockingly-familiar scent crossed his nose. Kauli snapped his eyes open wide, tail freezing mid-sway.
Could it really be...Hana? He looked over his shoulder.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:10 pm
Hana had stopped when she saw her father's back, lounging more or less on a rock, and took a few breaths to steady herself. It had been some time since she had left, it felt like a lifetime since then. She never would have thought as a cub she would later run into the scariest creature she could imagine, be tended by a blind cheetah, fall in love with said cheetah, and soon have his cubs.
In retrospect, it was rather fanciful.
When he turned to her, she let out a long breath and her face broke into a small, yet just a tad tired smile.
"Hi Daddy," she said across the two or three leap distance between her and her father, suddenly finding her paws locked to the ground.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:26 pm
Her words rang in his ears, but Kauli still could barely believe it. His daughter, his little girl was standing right there. Here he'd been just thinking about her and the others, and she shows up. It was hard to comprehend. Yet there she was.
Hana.
"Hana..." Kauli breathed, eyes wide and lips parted. She didn't move.
But he did.
Claws scraping against rock, the adult male threw himself to the ground and raced towards his daughter. He clamped a paw over her back and clutched her to him, pressing the side of his face against hers just as he used to hug all his cubs. He didn't care where she'd just come from, or what had just happened. Good or bad, it didn't matter.
He was her father, and she was his daughter.
"It's so good to see you!" he said, voice nearly cracking with happiness.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:40 pm
Hana gasped in surprise when her father hugged her tightly, and just a little in pain.
"Careful, Daddy," she said with a bit of a giggle in her voice as she flinched a bit. "I had a bad run in not too long ago and I'm still a little tender."
It was true, the wounds the crazed cheetah had inflicted on her side still ached when pressed or strained, but she was almost good as new. Plus, like any mother-to-be, she was insanely worried about her entire abdominal region.
Still, the tears in her gold eyes were certainly not from pain nor surprise as she hugged her father back.
"I missed you, Daddy," she added, still haven't gotten out of the habit of calling him more "aged" parental names like father. To her, he would always be her daddy, and it was completely appropriate for her to continue calling him such.
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:13 am
Kauli pulled away to get a better look at his daughter, both because he hadn't seen her in a long while, and because she said something about a "run-in".
"What?" he asked, frowning, concern etched on his face. "What happened?"
Hana seemed different, somehow. She no longer seemed...Well, young. She had matured, it seemed. But why? How? He wanted to know everything. He wanted to know what type of life she was making for herself. Well, he'd find out soon. It wasn't like she was going to disappear suddenly. She'd be there for a while. At least, he hoped...
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:02 am
Hana sighed and her shoulders slumped a bit.
"I... I heard the most awful screams when I was out hunting several days ago. When I followed them to see if I could help, I found this small cub... He... He was holding a rabbit. He'd broke its legs, and then its jaw to stop it screaming so much. And he was cuddling it... When I asked him what he was doing, he said something sick and killed it," she stopped there, looking away somewhat ashamed at what she had done after that.
"I thought he was insane, so... I figured to put him down before he grew up and began hurting even more people. But his father showed up and... was formidable," her head hung a bit, ears down. In retrospect, she wondered how she could have attacked a sub. It was so dishonorable and yet... The way it had looked at her as his father tore into her... She pitied any who crossed paths with him as he grew...
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:15 am
Kauli watched his daughter as she explained the story, his face solemn and attentive. A strange coldness surrounded his heart as he listened to Hana. He had seen so much bad in his life; so much wrong. He wanted to protect his children from the dark things in the world, but of course...That was mostly impossible. His children had to grow up sooner or later, and as they grew they would leave to find their own lives. That is what Hana had done. And now she was experiencing things he wished she hadn't. But that was life. That was what it meant to live and become wiser. You had to take the good with the bad, no matter how frightening or painful.
But what if she had been killed?
Kauli suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and gave his daughter nuzzle, as if to cheer her (and himself) up. He nodded over to the rock he had been lying on previously and said, "Come and sit down, Hana. Make yourself comfortable. This will always be a home for you." Kauli smiled and began making his way towards the rock.
If he ever met the one who harmed his daughter, he would kill him.
"What else has happened since you left?" Kauli asked interestedly. Hopefully, mostly good things.
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:39 am
Hana followed her father back to the rock and sat down next to it with a small, nervous smile.
"Well, when I was hurt, this other cheetah found me. I met his when I was younger, helped him find water. He took care of me when I was hurt, he even went out and got food. He's blind, so... that's really a gesture for him. Despite his quiet demeanor and how he kinda dislikes being around others, he's really very kind. I... I care about him," she finally got out and looked up at her father with a small frown of consideration on her face.
"Is that... right?" Oh, how she wanted her father to approve. Garai could meet her father and everything would be alright. She wouldn't feel so horrible as she let her father know he was also going to be a grandfather. Would he be pleased over that?
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:55 am
Kauli sat beside his daughter, making sure to give her plenty of space. She was still a bit hurt, after all. And she wasn't a cub anymore. That meant he couldn't be babying her all the time. She was almost fully grown.
Time was going by so fast...
Upon hearing Hana's story, Kauli's eyes widened and his lips parted. A blind cheetah? His little Hana had fallen for that type of male? It was...It was...
Kauli's eyes were shining and a warm smile stretched across his face, chest visibly swelling with pride and joy. Then he laughed out loud. "Of course it is!" he said firmly, putting a paw on Hana's shoulder. "Love has no boundaries, Hana. Never forget that." he said wisely. "I broke many, many rules when I ran away with your mother. I risked my life, and hers. But what would've happened if I hadn't taken that chance?" he asked. He hoped his daughter would understand what he meant. He didn't care who she loved, as long as she was happy. And that was all she should care about. It was no use going through life as if walking on hot rocks.
Kauli's boyish curiosity began to surface, and his mind was whirring with thoughts on the cheetah who had helped his daughter. "You must bring him to meet me something; me and your mother." he said, unable to wipe off his smile. His cheeks were starting to hurt.
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:18 am
Hana relaxed as if a large physical burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.
"Oh, I'm so glad. It seems I've become really paranoid on how others will take my revelations, lately," she replied sliding over to him and pressing herself against her daddy's chest, sighing and closing her eyes. It felt so much better to know that he completely approved of her relationship with Garai. A tension was gone from her, replaced by a happy contentment as most of her stress was eased out of her.
"I was so worried you wouldn't approve. I don't think Garai's parents do... And I really want our cub or cubs to know at least one of their grandparents," she sighed, and started and blinked. Well, that certainly wasn't how she wanted to tell her father but what was done was done, so she merely glanced up at him, giving him a somewhat sheepish half-smile.
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:32 am
Yes, he could see that Hana was a bit more conscious of her innermost thoughts now. But hopefully his discussion with her would help her to realize how to let go of fearing the opinions of others, and to speak her mind openly. Saying nothing when you wished to speak wasn't the way to go. Nothing could come from nothing.
But then...
"...You..." Kauli began, pupils thin as he stared at his daughter.
Were his ears CLOGGED? First she tells him she's in love, which was a huge deal, and now...Grand-cubs?
Then he grinned, fangs flashing. He threw his arm around Hana's shoulders again, laughing, forgetting about the fact that she was still a bit injured. But then he remembered; she was pregnant. He pulled back and looked her up and down, scarcely believing all the new things he was being told.
"I can't believe it!" he said, unable to contain himself. "My little cub is going to be a mother! And I'm going to be..." he choked, gazing up at the sky, unable to speak anymore.
It was a good day.
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:05 am
Hana couldn't help but laugh as her father hugged her again. She nodded her head slowly and smiled broadly at her father.
"Believe me, I was more surprised than you were when I found out. It... wasn't really a planned thing. We... didn't even know that was possible, but I guess life surprises you, huh?" she asked, tilting her head to one side as she smiled up at her father.
She returned herself to snuggled up against her father, amused at his inability to speak due to her confession.
"Do you think Mama will be happy, too? I don't know what Garai will want to do when the cub, or cubs, come, but I think it would be really nice to have yours and Mama's help, at least for a little while until we get used to it," she added, looking up at him with questioning eyes.
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:40 am
Kauli nuzzled his daughter and let out a loud, happy sigh. He pulled back, eyes still shining.
"Yes," he agreed. "Life surprises me every day. You still have a long life ahead of you, with many more surprises to come."
He was truly happy for his daughter. Her news made him wonder about his other children even more. What if they had all taken up mates and had cubs? Well, they'd come back to see him one day. They'd come to miss their first home sooner or later, and he would look forward to that day. For now, he was content to see his daughter again. Just as she said, life was full of surprises. And seeing her was certainly a pleasant suprise.
"Of course she will, Hana!" Kauli laughed, quickly getting to his feet. He realized that he had been so absorbed in seeing his daughter again, that he had forgotten all about his beloved. She'd want to see Hana, too, naturally. The sooner his mate heard the news, the better. It was all so exciting.
"She's in the den," the male said, nodding his head behind him to the dusty cave. With that, he turned and led his daughter to the place they all used to sleep and spend time together. He could just imagine Taka's face once she heard the news...
The clouds had cleared from the sky, and the sun was beating down strongly on Kauli and his daughter. Kauli squinted and smiled up at it.
It really was a good day.
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