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 Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:28 pm
The stretch of beach was relatively quiet, one lioness and a medley of sea birds above. The birds were singing and screaming, and the lioness was motionless. Watching the evening coming, she did little besides breathe and reflect. Her violet eyes give clues to her troubled heart. Having tried to teach her cubs that it was normal for some roguelands lions and lioness to come and go, she was being a poor example for wishing and hurting for him.
That is why she sat where she was; lost in thoughts as the ocean crept close enough to swallow her front paws. She paid no mind to it, finding peace with herself before how this affected her was perceived. Sewelo adored Thili, but she didn’t feel her other cubs liked him as much. It was another reason why she hid how it troubled her, if they were going to dislike the lion she loved, it wasn’t going to be because of her if she could help it.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:05 pm
Motsu stood on the rocks near the beach, crouched down as he stared into a wavepool with facination. He always loved these things, there were always so many creatures trapped in there, waiting for the waters to return and claim them once more. His paw batted out and he poked a large crab, chuckling when it tried to snap at him with it's large pinchers and missed. He poked it again, but this time yelped loudly and cried when it finally got hold...and wouldn't let go!
The little cub ripped his hand up into the air, the crab flying up with it, and slammed the terrible creature onto the rocks, only to cry louder as it seemed the grip increased. Blood began to drip and he growled and whimpered, stepping on the other claw to keep it from grabbing him and biting at the eye stalks, desperate to make the pain go away.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:48 pm
The calm she had was shattered by the sounds of her cub in trouble. Her head snapped up and she made a sharp turn before she was even sure where she was going. In the distance, her youngest cub was in pain, and momma was to the rescue. Kicking up stand, the lioness got to the cub while he was trying to eat the crab, "Motsu," her gentle tone was reinforced by a nuzzle and a lick to try and clam the cub.
Looking to the crab she told the little leopon wisely, "Put the crab back in the water, son. When you fight with a crab it hold harder, putting him back to where he feels safe, he'll run." Violence wasn't the only way to solve a problem, if it were; she'd crack it with her own jaw. The problem would be that the crab would not let go and there would be little way to make it let go.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:01 pm
The whimpering cub was shaking when he felt the nuzzle from his mother and heard her voice. He whined loudly, jerking his paw again before he stepped into the water, "Let goooo!" He cried, shaking his paw under the water. He finally went still, and the crab let him go, scuttling underneath of a rock. As soon as he was free, the cub flew back and against his mother's side, crying as he held his paw up, hobbling on three legs, "It hurrtttss!" He cried, blood droplets staining the rocks.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:17 pm
She was proud he listened to her, hiding her worry for her son as she watched him rid himself of the crab. He was probably harassing it, it would be a lesson if he chose to learn from it, but one she would never have wanted him to learn that way. Staying still, to allow Motsu to lean against her, she lowered her head to inspect the paw that was hurt. Giving the little would a few good licks to clean it and stop the bleeding; she added one to the top of the paw and another to a fuzzy cheek. "I know, my baby, I know, but the pain will go away."
Waiting a few moments more, she tried to comfort him with a bit more knowledge, "The crab didn't want to hurt you, he was scared." There was no lecture, just the idea that the crab didn't want to hurt him, and nothing did. She wouldn't allow something to harm her cubs; it was scared as he was after he was hurt. They both acted out the same way.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:27 pm
Motsu whimpered, though now his paw throbbed terribly, he felt better with his mother there. "I wasn't doin' nothin' ta hurt it." He said, pouting, "I just touched it." he said, ears falling, "I'm going to kill that crab if I see it again." He growled, fur standing up before he sighed heavily, "I'm sorry, Momma." He said, still favoring his paw.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:44 pm
She looked a little shocked, why was he so violent? Looking out to the ocean, she felt the guilt even more, was her lack of being able to keep a constant male influence to blame? She had no father, and that turned out great for her when she was young. It wasn't for lack of trying, she tried so hard.
"Motsu, the crab is so small and you are so tough, is it any wonder it would be scared when such a fearsome young li--on." There was something else she'd need to fix; she had been lying or omitting that his father was a leopard. She needed to talk about that, but wasn't sure if it was time for it. "Killing the crab won't make the pain go away, it won't help at all, and he is no longer a threat." Sighing, she lowered her head and nudged his check, purring lightly. While she didn't like how he was thinking, she still loved him like the world.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:10 pm
Motsu blinked slowly, considering what his mother had said. He apparently hadn't thought of it that way, and was slightly taken aback. "He wasn't that small..." He muttered, still not admitting he was wrong, but definately thinking about it. He nudged her cheek back, taking in her wonderful scent. He had no idea that he wasn't a lion, and the thought had never crossed his mind. "But...what if I wanna eat the crab?" He asked, curiously. Wasn't that what they did? Killed things... "We...have to kill things right?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:18 pm
Until Motsu started asking questions, wondering why he didn't look like her or other lions, lions being the only cats he has ever known, then she'd tell him. For now, she was just hoping Sewelo didn't beat her to it.
Smiling warmly at his action, she chuckled lightly and considered his question, "Yes, if you wanted to eat the crab, then killing it is alright. I don't know why you would want to eat a little crab, little meat for all the effort it would take. We do kill, but one should only kill if it is to eat, or in the defense of your life. Killing for revenge of any sort has a way of twisting the soul, turning a lion into a beast not safe to be around." Her mother had told her that once when she was really young, she had said that it was part of the reason things were bad, because lions become twisted. She also wasn't a pridelander, with the ideas of dead lions becoming grass and all that flimflam.
Barely remembering her mother and aunt, the lioness wished so much that her children could have had their grandmother around, she would have loved to see them.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:21 pm
"Oh." This seemed to be a lot for the little cub to consider, and he looked out to the sea, as if the waves helped move his thoughts along. "Then...it's okay ta kill to eat or..or protect. But...what if somethin' killed and ate me? Would that be okay?" He asked, padding slowly over to the sands, which were hot to his paw pads, but he wanted to try and get his paw wet, maybe it would help the throbbing.
((*chuckles* too bad it's salt water...))
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:30 pm
The idea of something killing her son and eating him was startling. Her first instinct was to say 'hell no!' because she was his mother and wanted to protect him. "No cat would need to kill another for food; things would have to be very, very bad for that to even be an option. If a lion or leopard or even hyena, nasty things" One of her many goals was not to teach her children to hate anything, but she couldn't help the comment said close to under her breath about hyenas. 'If any of them attacked you, eating would not be the reason, likely." Standing up, she followed beside him as he headed to the ocean's waves.
The salt water would sting, but might help the wound. Of her many talents, she wasn't a healer, all she could do for him would be to carry him back home and make him rest his paw.
"The ocean is a nice place to think, I am glad we managed to get you cubs here to grow up. Do you remember anything of the roguelands, Motsu? You were very young when Aunt Kamaria and Aten helped us come here and find a home." It wasn't often that she had a chance alone with her cubs, besides Sewelo that sought her out and stuck to her side, not that she'd complain.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:35 pm
Motsu seemed to be relieved that nothing would want to eat him, and walked into the waves, which washed over his paws, pleasantly cool. He carefully lowered the injured paw, whimpering as it stung, but something made him put it further into the water and keep it there, despite the burn. "I like the ocean...I don't remember ever not being by it." Once more, his naive curiosity showed through, "Hey Momma, how big is the ocean? Are there cats that live in it like the fish? I...had a dream once. About a big ole' cat. He was under the water and his butt was a huge fish tail. I remember..." He tilted one ear and the other flopped as he tipped his head to the side, looking down at the water lapping at his feet, "...it was the color of a rainbow. It was really pretty. I think he spoke to me, but I didn't hear anything." He said.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:44 pm
He didn't cry, so that was good, the water would help and it seemed Motsu knew that. His answer was about what she expected, and meant to her that he likely didn't remember Aten. In a way, that was a relief, it meant there was one less male that had abandoned the cubs, faded from their lives. Part of her thought something very basic within the young ones might remember the feeling even if they don't remember the faces or why.
Smiling, she said, "I am gald, it means the trip here was worth it." Anything, she'd do anything for her cubs. Her head had nearly gotten half way to looking towards the rogue lands before her son asked a baziar question. She knew little about the gods of the land, but what he saw sounded like a god to her.
"Well the Ocean watches over us, maybe she has others below that she watchs over. I don't think what you saw in your dream was a cat, something far different, and magical would be the only thing that coulded survive below the water. Maybe you even got a visit from a god?" Wouldn't that be something, a god taking an interest in her cub, speaking to him even if he was unable to hear. So long as nothing meant him harm, she was all for encouraging his imagination.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:30 pm
Motsu smiled, "A god?" He asked, amazed, "That would be totally awesome!" He lowered his paw onto the soft ground under the water, the wound not hurting anymore, though it was a bit tender. "I'm glad the ocean watches us..." He then leaned against his mother's leg with a goofy smile, "But I'm even happier that you are here, Momma." He sighed, then his stomach rumbled, "Hn...can I go find that crab?" He asked, apparently having forgotten the profound lesson from before.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:41 pm
Senatla purred at her son, there was never a moment she felt unloved around her cubs, especially little Motsu. Giving him a few affectionate licks, "I am, too." In truth, she didn't want to be here, stuck next to the ocean unable to wonder at will. However, it was for the good of her cubs, and them being around her made it all the easier to accept her fate. It would be even better if a certain lion came back, but she had all she needed in the cubs she birthed.
Hearing the sounds of an empty belly, she laughed at her son's choice of prey. "How about we try finding a nice baby warthog or rat before going after a little bitty crab, what do you say?" The lesson might have been too much for a young cub, but he was getting older, it would sink in sooner or later.
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