[FIN] A Cub-like Connection [Vu x Mollie]

[Feral Mule]

There was just something about this rocky place Mollie liked. Maybe it was because this was where the first non-family meeting happened. She'd met a cub named Vu here, and she'd been coming back to attempt to see him again. Not that she was obsessed or anything; she just wanted to talk to him and possibly train with him.

She'd grown a little bit more, but was still very much a cub. The black female jumped up on the first rock and sighed, claws clutching at it carefully. She shifted around to jump on the second rock, then the third and looked around. The sun was just starting to rise, the last cool breezes of the night brushing over her. Opening her mouth to take in the air, she sighed at what she tasted. It was calm and quiet in the Pridelands, but something inside her was unsettled by it. Perhaps she wanted more action in her life, or she just wanted to go on an adventure. Either way, Molemogi shifted on the rock and scrambled to the fourth one. This was the highest she'd been in a long time.

Green eyes closed briefly as she remembered a time she was higher, or felt like she was. Her daddy was picking her up to bring her here, to the Pridelands. With a soft sigh, the silent female looked up at the next rock and bit down on her lip. It was high, very high. Could she do it? Would she? Probably not. Nope, she was to scared. Jumping down the rocks again, she laid herself down at the foot of them. I'll stay here until he comes back... She thought to herself with a firm nod.  

[Sergeant Sargent]

The scent of Vu’s family lingered around the great stones, masking what was actually there. Vu lay up in the branches of the tree, sound asleep. He had gone there last night in the hopes of running into a blue visitor with torn wings and shining armor on his legs and head and fallen asleep under the stars.

Dreams suddenly came to an end. Vu lifted his head and looked around groggily. There were no gods out here tonight. He let out a heavy sigh, standing and unsheathing his claws and digging them into the bark as he yawned and stretched from his head to his tail. That was when he noticed her. What was she doing out here again? Shouldn’t she be asleep with her family? He hopped gracefully onto a lower branch and landed on the ground with his eyes still half closed from sleep. “Hey,” he called, trotting over to where the younger cub was lying. “What are you doing?”

He wasn’t mad at her for being here again, just confused. Why was it that every time he came out here hoping to meet Mrost he found Mollie instead?  

[Feral Mule]

It was the voice that snapped her out of her almost meditation like trance. She'd been staring, waiting and thought she was focused on everything around here. Well, Molemogi was proven wrong once again. Shifting, she looked up to the bigger cub who came near and gave a little shrug. Why she was always here? "I.... wanted to play." Her voice wasn't near as bad as when they'd first met. It almost had a sing song quality to it despite the huskiness. Still, Mollie would rather rely on body language, but she knew this cub didn't pick it up so well.

She got up and grinned, attempting to tackle him when he wasn't expecting it. Attempting was the word there. Her timing was off and she ended up rolling next to him and huffing, upside down and looking at him with friendly, joyful green eyes. He was her first friend, and she'd treasure every moment they would end up spending together. "You're.... my friend. I want to play..."  

[Sergeant Sargent]

Vu side-stepped Mollie groggily and blinked as she rolled beside him. Then he smiled a little. “Hey, your voice sounds better…”

His smile died suddenly, remembering what his father said. To show weakness of emotions is a horrible way to start if you are going to become a warrior. He sighed and sat down. “I don’t think my dad wants me to have any friends.”  

[Feral Mule]

If she could have blushed, the comment about her voice would have been it. Instead, she laughed and straightened herself up, shaking off and then tilted her head. Why wouldn't he want his son to have friends? Huffing at that, she puffed her cheeks again and then moved over to him and nuzzled up against his side, then moved to chew on his ear. She'd seen a few females do this to other males, though she didn't know why.

The cub moved again and then pawed at his nose, claws hidden away to not hurt him. She could tell he was sleepy and then moved to make him lay down, even tugging on his front paws to do it. ".....Sleep," she said quietly, nodding as she moved to lay down beside him, tail flicking this way and that. If she couldn't play, she'd keep him company.

That's really what Mollie wanted right now. Company. Someone to talk to, someone that would listen to her, or let her listen to their problems. She wanted to gather information on everyone she met and lock it away for later. She felt if she didn't, she'd miss something very important and upset the other.  

[Sergeant Sargent]

Vu’s eyes widened as Mollie rubbed against him. He allowed the contact, if only because he wasn’t sure what else to do. The last time he told someone how his mother felt about him making friends (she had always been suspicious of other Pridelanders, even though Vu found nothing to fear) the other cub got upset and left. Her affection soothed his inner turmoil and, deep down, he liked her attention. When she tugged his ear he shoved her gently and smiled. She padded at his nose and he pawed her ear. Somehow he felt better for all this touch. Mollie clearly didn’t think he was weak, like his father did.

Vu shook his head but lay down in front of Mollie anyway. His tail swished gently from side to side. “That’s okay, I’m awake now,” he murmured, glancing at her paws. This whole experience seemed very strange in a good sort of way. “What’s your dad like?”  

[Feral Mule]

She opened her mouth to say something and then snapped it shut, blinking at the question. Mollie's head tilted to the side before she shrugged a little. "He's.... a hunter.." She said after a long moment of silence. He was busy, really, a lot of the time. "But when I do get to be with him.. He's kind and strong. Gives me lots of nuzzles..." She nodded at that and laughed, pawing at his toes and then ran a claw up his arm with a little smile. Her tail flicked a little before clearing her throat and grinning wider.

"Dad.. says one of my sisters went with mommy." Not that she knew her mother, but she intended on finding her one day. Puffing her little chest out, she leaned forward and nipped at his nose, just playing like a cub would. Ears flattened after a minute and then she sneezed, turning her head away. "....I like... my family. We chase mice, me an' my sisters... 'cause I woke up when... a mouse bit the pad of my toe. And I chased it, ran over one of my sisters while she was asleep," she said with a little puff.

Standing up, she shifted to stretch out widely, her back legs popping carefully. "Mn. ....Training... today?" Mollie's green eyes looked wide, like she wanted to join him today, too. She could get high, but she wanted to go higher. Wanted to go a lot higher so she could be just like him, just like Vu and her daddy. Nice and strong, kind to protect someone, or a bunch of someones.  

[Sergeant Sargent]

“I don’t see my dad much either. He always tells me to train hard so that I’ll become a strong warrior.” He didn’t say how he really felt, but Mollie might have guessed. He wondered if he would ever be good enough in his father’s eyes. That thought only made him work harder.

Mollie’s story reminded him of the time he caught a lizard with his sister Sira. The lizard bit him on the nose and hung on while he shook himself and squealed in pain, until Sira knocked it off his face. He didn’t tell that story either, but he smiled and listened.

“Mother wouldn’t want me training with strange cubs, even if you are my friend,” Vu explained, standing. “But we can train while she’s not here. If she finds us we’ll just pretend we were playing, okay?” He smiled, feeling proud of his little scheme.  

[Feral Mule]

She listened to him with a solemn nod and then grinned at his plot. Molemogi could definitely do that! Hoping up on the first rock when she got over there, she waited for Vu to hurry up with a little giggle. "We can... play and train!" Her voice squeaked as she said it and she whined, clearing her throat a bit with a sigh. Fearing her voice would never be normal, she should just stop using it again.  

[Sergeant Sargent]

Vu clambered onto the rock beside her with a grin, having almost forgotten about his father. Surely he could be friends with Mollie and still be a warrior if she wanted to be one, too. That made them allies. Yes, a warrior needs allies. With that thought firmly in mind, Vu began Mollie's training with the happy spirit of a cub at play with his best friend.

((End!))