Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lily was happy to hear she could help plan. She mentally told herself she'd totally pitch in and get whatever Alice wanted for her wedding no matter how much it costs (well as long as she could afford it herself). Lily almost skipped down the hallway with glee as they went to gather the children.

Dray watched as his mother shifted and picked the little lynx up. She was so scared at first that she accidentally peed on the floor before Alex picked her up. Dray got up and got something to clean the pee up. When he came back, the little lynx wasn't shaking as much as his mother gave her a bath.

Dray tried to think if there were any other snow leopards in the tribe. Most of them were panthers, there were some cheetahs but he couldn't recall a snow leopard. He wondered if the lynx would adapt to her new surrounds or woud he have another new sister......but his father had said they wouldn't take these four as his own. Dray wondered what woud happen to her.

Dray washed his hands as Aaron came over with food. He set it all on the floor since the new kittens had calmed down. Now even the lyxn was calm as she received a nice bath from Alex. "Um, I don't know how to make the triplet's milks. Mrs. Church kept that secret to herself." Aaron said with a chuckle. Dray smiled and looked up at his cousin. "I know how." He said getting up and doing it. He'd watched Alex do it and knew how.

Aaron chuckled when he saw Alex Jr. "Hey there. I'm not sure if your mother wants you out to play just yet." Aaron said softly to the little one. Alex Jr. tried to get out but ended up on Violet's head. She cried out and he ended up sliding back down in the basket. Alex Jr. licked his sister's face in apology.

Meanwhile, Logan let out a commanding growl for the caged cats to come to him and follow. Most of them were females, so they were more likely to submit. It was the males that Logan felt he needed to keep his eyes on. Logan took the lead as he headed towards the woods. His mother had made sure to feed them through the cage by throwing meat in there, but Logan was sure they were still hungry. So this would be their first hunt.

Only one male was close to Logan size and he tested his strength after they had caught their first buck. Logan, being in charge, went first. The male that wanted to be in charge was the first to come to the kill after Logan. Logan noticed and decided to go ahead and state his command.

Logan's cat jumped the other. There was a fight and the other caged cats watched. It was necessary so everyone knew their place. Teeth and claws flashed and raked at each other's bodies. There was some blood; but soon the caged male submitted as Logan's teeth were at his throat. The male laid on his back, legs sprawled out and his body limp as he gave in. Seeing his submission, Logan gave a warning growl with his teeth at his throat before backing off of the male and sounding his roar loud and clear. The other joined in with their Semal-Ray.

Aaron was surprised when Alex put one of his little ones in his lap for him to feed. "Thank you, Rayah." Aaron said reverently. Alex Jr. smiled up at Aaron as he shifted partially. He opened his mouth for the bottle and wrapped his tail around Aaron's arm. Aaron chuckled, never seeing this before.

Dray had his little sisters in his lap, each had a head on his knee as he sat indian style. Their feet played with each others as they laughed and watched their brother twirl the bottles in his hands before popping them in their mouth.

The little lynx kept her eyes on her bather as he shifted. Seeing him shift before her eyes and realizing that it was still him, she remained relaxed. She looked at him curiously in his human form. She never recalled being in such a form, but as if follwing his lead, the lynx shifted to her human form.

Surprised at how she felt....cold and out of sort....she looked at her hands that weren't paws any more and at her toes before letting out a whimper before crying again. She'd never been in this form and she felt very vunerable. She clutched for her new caretaker for safety.

Rose looked at the lynx baby, but didn't concern herself since she knew the girl was safe. Rose turned her attention to getting the other to the food bowl Aaron had set down. Rose got to her feet and tested the food for show before getting Koko and the cheetah girl moving with a nudge of her nose to their hind ends. The little cheetah stayed right up under Koko as he went for food.

Meanwhile, Alice and Lily had the kids at the table eating. Yen felt uncomfortable before they were so quiet. The loudest thing besides her mother and Alice's occassional chatter and the sound of silverware hitting the plates was her brother Afacan. He started laughing, finding something his new little sister was doing, funny. Yanny had taken to him like a fish to water. Lily smiled at the two as she and Alice got their own plates of food.

The lynx baby calmed down at Alex's cooing but looked at the bottle strangly when he presented it. She clamped her mouth shut as it came towards here, but then she smelt something yummy and stuck out her tongue. A drop of milk landing on it from the bottle and she gave in her trust to Alex. Soon enough she was sucking on the bottle like it was her life source.

Dray laughed at her as he watched her eat when his mother brought her back. "It's like she thinks you'll never feed her again." He said....but then thought about her previous conditions at the zoo. She didn't come to them too skinny, so she had to been able to get some food....but how much?

Dray finished feeding Violet and Ivy. He put the empty bottles down and turned them both over on his thigh with their heads on each of his knees. He patted them both on the back to get them to burp. They both let out a burp that made them squirm and laugh. Dray picked them up and sat them in his lap before they both squirmed off him and hit the floor.

Rose and Leo sat up. their ears standing up and listening. Instinctively Koko gathered the little cheetah girl next to him. She gave a lttle squeak since she hadn't expected to be covered in the middle of eatng. She looked around a the older kits and waited, listening as well. Dray stopped and listened too.....but then he smiled. He looked at his siblings and spoke softly. "Good ears. But it's just father taking the new cats past the house." He said. The kits relaxed some, but looked to their mother for confirmation of their brother's story.

Outside Logan had lead the group along the perimeter after they had all eaten. Even after being thrown meat through the cages, all of them had eaten a total of four more bucks. Logan hoped over time some of the could shift to their human forms and eat regular food or he'd have to have some deer flown in.

But with Kaeden there, Andrew, Uriah and some of the other guards mingling in with the pack, it was easier to get the group moving. Logan lead the way. The male cat that had challenged him earlier and lost started to head for the main house when they were passing. Logan let the male get to the first step before giving him a warning growl. The male stopped but touched his paw to the step. Logan knew he was being tested again and would need to show his dominance as Semal. Logan proceed to trot over to the main house and claim in territory as he peed all along the front. The male cat backed off. Logan eyed the other cats, but they didnt' seem to care about the house like the male did.

Actually, since alot of the cats were females, they were interested in his guards. At least no fights had been started....yet. Logan continued with the perimeter tour. His land actually extended down to the glass works, but Logan didn't want to let the new cats out of the large gate just yet. It was a ways to town, but he didn't want any of them getting shot or hunted down by animal control.

"Hey mom? What is Alice? I've never seen her shift?" Dray asked still thinking about what to do with the little lynx girl. And also in the back of his mind wondering why he hadn't sensed father first.....he knew he wasn't a real Semal....only adopted by one.

"I think I got it." Aaron said turning Alex Jr. over a little akwardly. He wasn't used to holding little ones and he was being very careful. Alex Jr. let out a burp before Aaron could even give the first pat. Aaron chuckled. "Thanks for helping me out, buddy." He said with a chuckle. Alex Jr laughed and put all his fingers in his mouth.

The kittens finished eating and licked the bowl clean. For some reason Koko went ahead and climbed in the bowl to lay down. The little cheetah that was keeping close to him climbed in too. Dray laughed and Aaron took a picture. "That's so cute."

"Well, I can keep them with me until we find them mothers, Rayah." Aaron offered. Koko started purring. Rose got up and started checking on every one along with her brother Leo. She went to each of her siblings and the little kits and gave them a lick.

Dray realized he didn't do that......and for some reason he didn't care to. He wouldn't have minded, but he didn't think to do that. That's when he understood he didn't really understand being a Semal. He didn't have those desires to constantly protect others.....just his family. He wasn't a Semal...only training to be one.

"Mom? Where are father's brothers?" Dray figured he could talk to them and see what it was like to be the brother of a Semal and what it felt like. Dray figured that might be the direction he'd have to go.

Logan stopped the group to settle by the large pond. Andrew didn't mind the attention and it was a nice reminder that he was wanted. But he knew where his heart lied.... and that was towards Alice.

Koko purred when a paw was placed on him. He didn't seem to mind at all. The bowl was big enough for three of them since it was mean to feed eight little kits. He shifted slighting so the next kit could climb in, but the first panther girl slipped between him and the cheetah and she protested with whimpers. The cheetah girl got up and proceeded to crawl over the first panther kit so she could be by Koko.

Dray chuckled at the attention Koko was getting. Rose didn't care one way or the other as she laid next to the bowl and looked around. Koko licked the cheetah girl's face to calm her down before licking the others. He chirped for his brother Rayah to join them.

Aaron nodded to his Rayah and Dray looked up at his mother. He was hesitant to say, but he knew he'd have to answer his question. "Do you see them, mother. Rose and Leo. They are true Semals. They have the desire to be constantly protective like father. They sensed father before I had. I don't have that drive or connection since I was adopted. And......well, I wanted to talk to his brothers to see if they felt the same thing and how they feel about serving their brother and Semal-Ray. I don't see them fighting to get on top or hear about them someplace else plotting to over throw their own brother." Dray sighed not sure what to do. As his sisters wiggled over to Rose on shaky feet.

"I can get strong, I can learn what I'm suppose to do, I can fight.......but I'm not really a Semal." Dray said looking at his mother as Rose got up and gently picked up one little sister at a time and carried them to the basket. Since her brother had watch over those in the bowl, Rose stayed with the basket and laid next to it.

Rose didn't mind being away from the others. Her little sister would be crushed, so she kept them in their own baskets. Being a male, Alex Jr. automatically was born with a stronger frame. Rose continued her purring as well next to the basket. It vibrated the basket some and her little sisters calmed.

The little cheetah gave a little squeak at being tumbled on, but she didn't protest as she gave Alex Jr.'s ear a lick. She snuggled into Koko, her new friend and closed her eyes.

"Thanks mom. It can wait until tomorrow. I've not seen them around the house today and we can't leave with father trying to get those new cats to mind." Dray said.

The lynx baby however wasn't so fond of sleeping. She shifted by to her cat form. She started to grow nervous again and crawled up under Alex's shirt. She peeked out with big worried eyes and started to shiver even against his warmth. "Oh, that poor thing." Aaron said looking at her. "I can't imagine what's she's been through." He said slowly holding out his hand to her with a palm up in a sign of submission and trust. But that only seemed to make matters worse as she released her bladder. Aaron withdrew and gave the Rayah a sorry look. "I didn't mean to scare her so." "I think they all need a nap anyways. How about I take them across the hallway to the game room and you can tend to your soiling?" Dray offered his mother.

Dray scooped up the twins and placed them in the basket, put Rose on his shoulder, picked up the bowl of sleeping kits and then got the basket without any trouble. He was to his feet in moments and smiling down at his mother and Aaron. Aaron had to admit he was impressed. "I'll bring a snack to you both. You've barely eaten. My Semal-Ray will be displeased with me if you've not eaten." Aaron said getting to his feet and holding out his hand to his Rayah.

Outside at the pond, one large female had chased away the other females trying to Kaeden's attention. The rest fled to the other guards while she stayed near Kaeden. She didn't want his attention like that...or that's what she was letting be known since her scent was different.

She moved where he moved, stood between Kaeden and the other females and kept at least three feet between her and Kaeden. Logan noticed as he watched over them all. He had a strange notion that she was a Flower Cat and Kaeden's scent mixed with Lily's had drawn her.

Logan wanted to make sure tho. Flower Cats were heard up....just few and far between. Logan got up and padded over to her. Submissively she rolled on her back with her paws in the air and her throat showing. Logan sniffed her and found she had that distinctive flower scent that couldn't be mistaken. He licked her ear and went back to his spot. She rolled back over and looked at Kaeden as she rested her head on her crossed paws. A Flower Cat was the female version of Uri and his position to the Rayah.

While Uri was bound to protect his Rayah because it was ingrained in his dna, a Flower Cat would attach herself willingly to someone and be the protector or whatever they needed for that person or family. It can even go so far as her becoming a lover our concubine. It just depended on the rules laid down by the family.

Logan wasn't sure if Kaeden knew what he had laying next to him, but Logan was happy for him. He wouldn't need to worry about Lily needing to protect their children alone should he need Kaeden to go with him someplace or if something happened to Kaeden. This new female would stand by his sister's side until death.

Lily turned when Afacan began crying to the point where he was screaming. Yen leaned back while Yanny slipped under the table. The other children in the dinning room turned and stared. Lily quickly grabbed up Afacan to see what was the matter. He was holding his arm out as if he was afraid of it! Then Lily saw why. He was their son now....and though it had taken a few days, the markings that the priest had given her and her husband that had transferred to their daughters was now transferring itself to their son. He could see the markings crawling up his fingers to his hand, to his arm and all the way up.

Afacan buried his face in his mother's chest and held onto to her for life. Lily tried to sooth him. She rubbed his back as she slipped to the floor and gently rocked him in her arms. "It's alright. Mommie's got you. I'm right here. You're safe." She said softly over and over again. It took a long time, but Afacan finally calmed down. Exhausted, he fell asleep. "What happened?" Yanny asked. "He is truly your brother now. He's bares our family markings just like you both do." Lily said softly as she turned and showed them Afacan's arm and hand. "I'd be scared too if magical markings showed up on me and I didn't understand where they came from." She responded. Lily smiled gently.

One of the little girls that had been scared but hadn't made a sound, peeked out from behind Alice.

Uri followed his Rayah to Kaeden's room. He went in and checked and stood outside the bathroom door protectively.

The lynx baby mewed softly as she was picked up and carried away. She wasn't used the floor in the bathroom. It was hard and unfamiliar. She quickly scurried for the carpet. She tried to growl at the floor as she pawed at it, testing to see what it was. She looked up at Alex and actually gave a smile. She rolled over on her back and purred. She felt safe with just one other mother cat.

Aaron went with Dray and the kittens to the play room. He put on a cartoon and sat down. Aaron then returned to grab some snacks before coming back.

The little girl behind Alice looked up at her. She didn't answer except to lay her head on Alice's side. She had messy long brown hair, big brown eyes and she stayed next to Alice.