[PRP - Doma] I Brought Souvenirs (Usahtiel & Kshitji)

[MangoMeow]

This was among Tiel's favorite times of the day. The setting sun cast a orange glow across the land and made the river glimmer beneath it. Said river was where she was heading at the moment, intent to get a drink and perhaps a bath while she was at it. With a happy hum, she trotted down the slop and dipped her front paws into the water, sighing at the chill between her toes.

The cheetah didn't move for a moment, more interested in collecting her own thoughts. The festival had come and gone, and life was moving forward as usual. At least, as usual for her. She supposed that it wasn't quite so for those who had originally lived here.

Lifa was busy now too, with the birth of her cubs, and as her retainer, Tiel tried to help when she could. She secretly enjoyed it though. Truthfully, she was getting the urge to have cubs of her own to care for, but with the pride as small as it was... that didn't seem likely anytime soon.

Ah, well. She'd have to settle with doting on Lifa's.

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

MangoMeow

Kshitji wasn't sure how his life had landed him here but it had he had followed Tiel's advice and had relations with a rouge female and he had seen her again for a moment long enough for her to tell him that the two cubs she was dropping off were his and she didn't want them. Kshitji didn't know much if anything about raising cubs but it was clear that being with a rouge was a risk since there was no guarantee the other in the fling would have a care towards the cubs that might happen and he had decided never to do it again. He wanted a stable life for his cubs who were so beautiful he couldn't even hold it in his heart how much he loved them both. He went looking for Tiel to tell her about his cubs and beg her to help him take care of them, he knew now that he had never loved the other female then again he knew that to begin with the only good thing to come out of the joining was his two cubs who were a gift from the sky.  

[MangoMeow]

With a sigh, she shuffled in the water before opening her eyes and moving just a bit further in to dip her back paws in as well. Maybe she would take a soak in the river as well today. It was nice enough, and if she did it soon enough, she could dry out her fur before the chill of night washed in. Although, it'd been a while since she had gone out to the other end of the border, where the ocean was. Perhaps a salt water dip would be better.... No, she shook her head, that would just make her fur salty. This would be better.

Before she could enact her thoughts though, Usahtiel paused as a familiar white form meandered towards her. Well, well! It'd been a while since she had seen Kshitji. Not since the festival, she was pretty sure. She wondered how he was doing, though his return did tell her that he may have made up his mind about where he would go in life.

She was about to walk over to him, when she realized that he seemed to be carrying something... somethings, actually, and was stumbling along. With a creased brow, she trotted out of the water and made her way over to him.

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

MangoMeow

Kshitji put the two little wiggling fluff balls down behind his legs and looked at Tiel he was afraid what she would think of him, when the female had brought the cubs to him so tiny it was like spitting in his eye she didn't believe he could keep them alive and that they would soon die. Another male might have left them to their fate but Kshitji wasn't that male he loved them both and named them Daichi and Sumiko. He had thought of the names thinking of the naming tradition of the Duma pride. He was determined to protect them and get them to adulthood. He had requested entry into the pride and he hoped that Tiel wouldn't be angry with him for taking her suggestion to see if he was ready to commit to her and he felt like her was if she would be his mate.  

[MangoMeow]

As she got close, she watched him put the two bundles down... and her eyes widened in surprise. Those were... those were cubs. Where in the name of kami.... Though, on closer inspection as she leaned down to sniff them, she realized that they smelled a lot like Kshitji himself. In fact, if you ignored the green and blue fur, they sort of looked like him too.

Usahtiel had always been quick to pick up on things. It was one of the traits that made her a good retainer. These were very clearly his cubs, but hadn't he been asking her if he could stay with her? He'd clearly gotten together with another girl at some point.

That said, for all that she was confused and unsure, she had to admit that... her heart melted at the little faces mewing at her. She'd just been thinking about her yearning for cubs, after all.

She would hear his side of the story first. Things weren't always as they seemed, and she wasn't the type to judge someone out the gate.

With a soft chuckle as the brother started nibbling on his sister's ear, Tiel glanced back up at Kshitji, "They're beautiful. They're yours?"

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

MangoMeow

The little cream and blue cub fussed and she was chewed on and Kshitji nosed them and licked them. "Yes they are mine I can scent the truth of that, I did as you suggested and it meant nothing there was no spark with the female and my heart already belongs to you as I told you. I went and wandered a bit more then she found me and thank the sky that she did. She thinks they will die because she refuses to care for them. But I won't let that happen I will figure out a way for Daichi and Sumiko to live no matter what I have to do." He leaned down and licked the cubs again. He looked up at Tiel "I hope you will not be angry with me I didn't know it would happen like this but I can't let them die.. Will you help me Tiel? If you can forgive me perhaps you would consider being my mate and I will never wander from you again." He said firmly "But I won't let them die they are of my heart just as you are."  

[MangoMeow]

She was silent after he finished speaking, doing nothing more than eye him as she thought. There was still some uncertainty for her - of course there was, how could there not be? - but she had to admit that she had missed him. She had often wondered what had happened to him after their last conversation, and alright, yeah, now that she thought about it... she had been the one to tell him that he should explore before settling. That was perhaps her own fault.

Besides, his commitment to his cubs was incredibly endearing. There weren't very many rogue males, let alone cheetah males, who cared that much.

Finally, Usahtiel gave a sigh and a soft smile at him, "You truly do sound like you've made up your mind, haven't you? Of course I'll help you with them, and..." she paused here, considering her words carefully as she glanced down at her paws, "I'm certainly not against starting a family with you."

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

MangoMeow

Kshitji would have jumped for joy if he didn't have two tiny cubs to protect he leaned forward careful of Daichi and Sumiko. He brushed his cheek against hers. "Then the cubs are yours just as they are mine, you are their mother if that is the choice you wish to make and we can tell them of their I don't know what to call her. She left them to die." It had shocked and hurt Kshitji that the female cared so little for her own cubs from her own body that she would leave them at his feet and leave. Sadly it was not anything new there were females that could not connect with cubs. Perhaps she was too young and that was the reason she failed to bond with her own cubs. "Come would you like to carry one? We could find a place to rest as a family." He said in a soft loving tone.  

[MangoMeow]

Tiel nodded in response, "Of course." She chuckled, "It looked like you had your mouth full carrying them earlier."

The female paused to glance up at the sky. It was getting darker now that the sun had dipped below the horizon. She would have to hold off on her bath, which was just as well, she had other things to attend to at the moment anyway. She hoped the three new additions to her life would be happy here, but she would do her best to make sure they were comfortable.

"Let's get them settled somewhere warm." She leaned down to grab one of them - the girl - and then gestured with her ears before walking back the way she'd come here from.

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

MangoMeow

Kshitji smiled and then picked up their little boy it felt good to think of Daichi and Sumiko has theirs and it wouldn't matter that the female had rejected them because Tiel had accepted them when she didn't have to. They would be loved by the entire pride and would grow to be strong beautiful creatures. Kshitji was sure of it. He nodded his head and followed Tiel to seek a warm place for their family. (Fin?)