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 Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 3:42 pm
A lone Kuniku watched the sun sinking down to the horizon, giving a soft sigh now that the heat of the day began to retreat. While he found the island of Kyushu a gorgeous place it was still hard to adapt to the temperature. Masao had lost a lot of his bulky fur since he had arrived, but he was still built for the freezing weather of Hokkaido and in high summer he could barely manage to move throughout the day.
Masao had hoped to move onwards back towards Shikoku within the next few months but recent events meant they would not be going anywhere... at least until the eggs had hatched and grown a bit. The elder Kuniku gave an almost sheepish smile towards to ocean. He had never really thought of having more children. It had not been his intention, but over the last few months his friendship with Sazanami had become something more.
“Grandfather?”
“Chokichi? I’m coming.” Masao lifted himself up, stretching his powerful body before trotting up beside his grandson. He gave the younger male a playful swat with his tail before taking the lead. Many of his family had already moved on, taking their own steps into life. Even Sanyu had left to follow her heart; taking with her Kohana and Addanaya. He missed them greatly. His daughters had been a great light in his life.
His relationship with Sazanami had grown slowly; as they spent long hours simply talking. Vidar’s leaving had cut the female right down to the core and in her pain; Masao had done his best to support her. It hadn’t been her fault and yet guilt still plagued her. Not everyone stayed together in the end. That was life. You could not let it destroy you.
He followed the path to the old abandoned fisherman’s hut they had taken as their temporary home, Chokichi just behind him. At the entrance to the hut Yasashiku lifted his head off his paws, giving his father a nod, keeping silent vigil. Bells jingled within, Suzuki no doubt bouncing around.
The cheerful female was ecstatic over the thought of being an auntie again. Masao admired her innocence. Finding out that Masao and Saza, her two favourite Kuniku in the world, has her dancing in circles. Everyone else had mostly been shocked by the development (or at least a little surprised).
Masao slipped into the cool space and smiled.
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:17 pm
A pair of small black ears pricked forward at the sound of approaching pawsteps. Very curious about everything going on in the world around her, Seika jumped up from where she'd been laying on the floor by her mother's side and ran to the door to see just who the visitor was. "Oh, it's you Daddy!" she cried with an excited laugh, her tail fluff wagging like crazy at the sight of her father. Seika nuzzled her head into Masao's forelegs, quite a lot smaller than him in size. "I'm glad you're home... I know you weren't gone long, but I missed you!" Giggling again, Seika whirled around to face her mother. "Mommy, look! Daddy's back! And Chokichi too!"
"Yes, Seika. I know." Sazanami said with a pleasant tone, her tail thumping softly on the floor; the youngest of her new litter of pups never ceased to amaze her with all the wonderful little discoveries she made each day. "Did you enjoy your walk, Masao?" she asked, a warm smile falling onto her maw at the sight of her closest, most trusted friend and father of her second litter. She was fairly certain that she knew what he'd been thinking about while he was out of their temporary home: this new family. Sazanami often found herself thinking of the same thing whenever she wasn't doting on the four little ones. How did this happen, again? The litter hadn't really been intentional, but a blessing nonetheless. After suffering a deep depression at the disappearance of her son Vidar, Sazanami had been so weak and insecure that she'd had no hope other than to confide in Masao in order to become well again.
Now that she had more children to pay attention to, the hurt of losing Vidar was pushed away to a far corner of her heart. Sazanami wanted to prove to herself that she was a good mother and could raise a family properly; she wasn't the one to blame for what happened to her second son, and surely this opportunity was a second chance given to her by the gods. Turning her head slightly, Sazanami gave a soft lick to the cheek of the sleeping little pup sprawled out across her back, Isamu.
"Mmm..." A soft whine was emitted from Isamu's throat as he opened a single, golden eye to figure out just what was happening. He'd been napping for just a few minutes, but the combined sounds of Seika laughing and the jingle of his Aunt Suzu's bells had been enough to wake him. Releasing a yawn, he realized that his father was back from... wherever he'd been. His feathers fluttered a little, but that was the only real sign of recognition and care he gave. Today, he'd been more oriented toward his mother so it didn't really matter to him what anyone else was doing, so long as they weren't taking Sazanami's attention away from him. "Mom." Isamu licked his mother's muzzle in return as he spoke a single word affectionately; the most important thing for him at the moment was that she was with him right now and no one was bothering them.
Unagi sat in the corner of the room furthest away from the new babies, the older adults, and two of the sons from Masao's first set of offspring, a scowl on his face. He could hardly connect to anyone in the room anymore... He still hardly even understood how his mother had another litter in the first place! How could she just turn a blind eye to her first family and start over, like nothing was wrong? Practically unforgivable! Unagi flicked his tail as he looked at the young pups in displeasure, not liking any of them in the slightest despite them being his half-siblings. Yeah, he'd seen Sazanami and Masao getting closer after Vidar "ran off"; he respected the older male because he was a natural leader and not to mention wise, so he could understand well enough why his mother placed so much trust in him, but... he was just making things worse by giving her more to lose!
"You're just making another mistake." He mumbled to himself, his gaze moving from Seika's cheerful face to his paws. He hadn't told anyone, but he was considering going back to Honshu just to get away from all of this... His Uncle Yasuragi was probably right when he'd said that their family's blood was filled with despair; that's all Unagi could feel right now, next to his anger and confusion.
"Welcome home Father, Chokichi." Sho said with a bright smile, glad to see his father and nephew back safe and sound. He'd been the one to ask Chokichi to see if he could find Masao outside before it was truly dark; he would have gone himself if he weren't so busy playing with Ajani and Ran. The two had been racing in circles around him and Suzu, so he'd made their run a little more interesting by occasionally blocking their path with his outstretched tail or forelegs. He absolutely loved having the little ones around him, and was very relieved to know that his Auntie Saza was getting better from being 'sick at heart' as he had decided to call it. Surrounded by friends and family that loved her, he was already assured that everything would be alright for both her and Unagi, but only the latter if he could also see the horizon past his personal storm cloud.
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 6:59 pm
The cheerful greeting brought an instant grin to Masao’s face. He bent his head towards his youngest daughter, nudging her with his nose and nuzzling her cheek lovingly. “I missed you too Seika.” He told her with a deep chuckle, taking a few more steps into the room before taking a seat, tail curling around his legs. He shared a warm glance with Sazanami and then inclined his head to Sho. “Yes I did. The ocean looks beautiful at this time of day.”
He stretched, managing to look graceful as he flopped over and spread himself out. His gaze flickered to Unagi for a moment and he gave an internal sigh. It was clear to see that the male disapproved of the pups having been born. Masao had tried talking to him, tried explaining that one could not remain locked in the past, but Unagi had a wall of anger around him that nothing could penetrate.
Suzuki bounced over to Masao’s side, giving the male a lick on the nose as a greeting. Having the pups around was like a dream come true. Masao and Saza were her two favourite Kuniku in the entire world and their children would have all the love Auntie Suzu could give them. Tail wagging she trotted back over to Sho and the two other pups, collapsing at his side and putting her head against his shoulder. She gavea very wide yawn, having spent most of the day chasing the babies around.
Yasashiku listened to the others from his post outside. Night was closing down around them and he smiled up into the starry sky, wondering where his other children and first love had gone to. Chokichi was the only one that had stayed behind. Kyou had vanished one night when they were all just eggs, leaving Yasashiku heart broken but determined to care for his four babies.
He was glad that his father had found such love and respect with Sazanami. They worked well together... and their pups were a delight. Hearing Seika’s voice Yasashiku smiled fondly.
Chokichi idly scratched at his side as he watched the rest of his family. When his other siblings had all left, Cho had felt like it was his duty to stay behind and care for his pack. He looked to his grandfather for guidance, following his every example as best he could, though perhaps with a bit more bite than Masao would ever give.
“Hey Ranrin! Come give me a cuddle!”
Ran peeled off from her game with her brother, charging over to Chokichi and headbutting him with all her might. The purple furred baby flopped back and gave a loud laugh, wings flapping. “Got you!”
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:11 pm
A small little heart thumped hard in a slim, feathery chest as its owner shivered in the corner, not from fear or excitement... But only from the cold of stopping running in circles so quickly. Not that the small pup minded at all, anyway. He was just so thin and so bony, the cold went straight to his insides. But it didn't bother him. Not at all. He rather liked the numbing feeling, even though it was still pretty warm outside. From his little corner, the lanky Ajani watched his family walk in on the scene, all of their scents blurring into a familiar one: Home. It was absolutley lovely to see all of them so happy... Of course, his half-brother Unagi refused to take part in the family's joy, though, the thin pup adored him most. Really, though, why was that? Maybe it was because Unagi appealed to the innermost workings of the unsuspecting Kuniku. Maybe it was because he was the most wounded in the room, and needed someone to be there with him.
Most likely not. But Ajani crawled over to the eldest son, belly low to the ground in respect, anyway, determined to know this troubled soul as his eldest sibling-- half or not.
Splayed out like he was next to the aqua Kuniku, he could have easily been mistaken as a young Vidar... Minus the colouring, of course. The young pup was silent, taking everything in just like the half-brother he would most likely never know. It didn't hurt that his body type was incredibly similar to the tall, dark Kuniku. Ajani's legs were almost disproportional to his body, they were so long, and his large paws were almost the size of a full-grown butterfly, making him incredibly awkward on his feet. His long tail thumped slowly on the ground as he peered up quietly at Unagi with his shimmering golden eyes. There was an innocent adoration there that used to spark within the young V's orbs, but now, wherever he was... It could be guaranteed that that love was no longer held with his gaze.
Several times, the young pup opened his maw to speak, but nothing came out. Only awkward glances down and paw shuffling came from his attempts before he just gave up altogether. Maybe silence was a good thing. Or, at least, Ajani thought so until one of his favourite Kuniku came trotting to the entrance of the abandoned hut, water still dripping from his slick, teal fur. The Kunifish paused to shake himself of the droplets in order to keep from getting everyone wet, and he immediately moved in, greeting everyone as he went. Ah, yes, the most social Kunifish in the seas: Sangokai.
"Kingfish, Mama Typhoon. Glad t' see your family's growing healthy..." Kingfish, of course, was Masao, and Mama Typhoon was Sazanami, respectively. Kai always had nicknames for the land Kuniku. It was his own little way of extending his friendship to others, and it seemed to work quite well, so far. Peering around the hut with his sandy eyes, the Kunifish smiled when he spotted the young ones: Tempest (Isamu), Koi (Seika), Water Lily (Ran), and Shark Bait (Ajani). Said Shark Bait suddenly bolted from his laying position on the ground and tackled Sangokai with his long limbs, barking excitedly. Sangokai was his play buddy, and he was always fantastically nice. Always so happy...
"Sangokai!" The male howled, nuzzling underneath the wet Kunifish like a cat. His tail was wagging hard, slapping against the other's shoulder excitedly as Sangokai lifted his front paw to peer down at the pup underneath him.
"Hey, Shark Bait. You havin' fun with my Butterfly over there?" Kai lifted his gaze to Unagi, eyes heavy with concern and love. Ever since Vidar had left, Sangokai had been the one to support the other male through the rough patches and his broken heart. He had been angry and violent at first, the Kunifish couldn't lie, but the teal male had been damn persistent with the eldest of Sazanami's boys, and had broken through that steel-bolted exterior to get to Unagi's fragile heart. And now... Kai couldn't help but love the other male, even if he knew deep within his soul that there was no way that love could ever be returned. It was Unagi they were talking about. Nudging Ajani over back to Unagi, Sangokai took a seat next to his greatest friend, pressing up close to him, his fur quite dry already. He touched his maw to his spotted companion's shoulder in a greeting, smiling quietly. "Hey you." he sighed in a soft voice, knowing how hard seeing these new pups truly was for the male. Ajani, not understanding the weight of the situation nuzzled himself in between Sangokai's front legs, shutting his eyes in happiness.
He was lucky.
He had no idea what Vidar had done to his family. He had no idea of the scars the dark Kuniku had left.
But the way Sangokai saw it... It was better that the young pup not even know his name.
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