Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lari had left the den early, when she first caught sight of the messanger bird her youngest daughter often sent. The black and red bird was a welcome sight, and Lari had to admit she did enjoy the conversations, no matter how delayed they were, between her daughter and her. She liked keeping up with what her family was doing, even if she wasn't part of the immediate circle anymore. Of course, when Sonali, the messsanger bird, told her the news.
"Your daughter says...that Aurelia, she said you'd know who that was, was...killed the day before she sent the message," the bird said haltingly, perching on a rock before her. "A...hyena...did it. She tried to stop it but she was too late, and had to protect the others. She said you might be upset, so...I'm sorry, dear!" Sonali said quickly and shot to the sky, as if she couldn't stand to see what would happen next.
Lari was now curled up next to the rock, not crying, not visibly upset, she was just...numb. Aurelia. She knew exactly who that was. Her youngest. Her youngest's youngest. Her baby granddaughter. Gone. Like Neculai, her...former mate. He'd been killed by hyenas and now they had taken her grandbaby! She launched herself to her feet and stalked away from the rock. Hyenas! Filthy, disgusting, evil creatures! How dare they take her loved ones from her? Neculai, Aurelia! Who would they take next? She closed her eyes in disgust. How could they do this to her?
A mournful yowl worked out of her throat, the first noise she had made since the news had arrived. She slumped now, her shoulders slouching immediately. Her baby! Her poor baby. Lari wished she had sent back a message with the bird, to let her daughter know she was thinking of her, but she couldn't speak.

Usually Rai had selective hearing when it came to Lari, he heard what he wanted to hear like 'lunch', or 'sleep', they were good words and words he could selectively pick out so he didn't have to listen to her other rambles. He had listened to her, though he doubt she knew it, about her family. Those outside of the pride facing the dangers of the world. Her family was clearly stupid, but oddly he kept this opinion to himself. It actually mattered, on some level, what Lani thought of him. Though he was seven thousand miles way from ever admitting that to her.

Her yowl though woke him from his sleep and he didn't miss the fact that it wasn't her usual, 'wake up the scoff is here', yowl, it was something different something desperate. It made the fur on his neck stand on end and his mane puffed out as a shiver rolled down his spine. "I'm Comin' lair!" He grumbles making a bee line out of the den his tail at an odd angle, he stumbles towards the bright female, his milky black eyes fixed on her shape. "Who did it? Where are they? Can't have you! Them damn shadows! I'll see um off!" He growls, his old rickety frame trembling with the burst of adrenaline it had taken him to move quickly to Lari's side, his once jet black eyes flicking around in search of the danger that had caused her to cry out so despairingly.

Lari hadn't expected Rai to hear her, she would have stayed quiet if she had thought he would. She didn't want company in her misery, she just wanted to be alone and mourn the loss of her grandbaby. She certainly hadn't expected him to come rushing after her, if he had heard her cry. She half expected him to laugh at her, for her show of weakness. Not cruely, but it was just his way.
However, when she heard him race over, stumbling and growling at whatever he thought had hurt her, the tears she had been fighting welled up in her eyes. She raised her head, staring at the trembling figure of the male she had shacked up with. She squeezed her eyes closed, the tears seeping from her eyes. He was acting so...nice and it was overwhelming. He shouldn't be nice! He'd make her cry! "R-Ra-Rai," she stuttered, her voice ending on a yowl, and launched herself up, but not to run, she barelled into his side, trying to bury her face in his fur, her shoulders heaving lightly. Weak, she yelled at herself, but she didn't care. She was, however, careful not to knock him over with her attempt to cuddle close.

"Oof" Sitting down as she barrelled in to him Rai's paws hung in the air, what was she doing, wasn't she in trouble? Why was she crying? Did a shadow already get her? He blinks owlishly slowly putting both his paws on her shoulders his scraggly old mane covering her head. "There isn't anything here Lari. Now I know you only just became an adult but you can't cry wolf all the time." He grunts feeling overly awkward as her tears flowed down his chest.

"Now come on stop crying." He grumps peeling himself away from her. "You'd think a shadow got you for crying out loud." He huffs a bit mumbling some obscenity under his breath he knew he would be feeling the pull of his run to her later and he would be in pain, his old rheumy joints would ache for days from that one little spurt. He clears his throat and reaches out to her slowly, carefully, he touches her shoulder, patting her gently. "Stop crying now I must have chased it off." He states, feeling proud of himself, obviously what waver was attacking Lari had been scared half to death of his charge.

Rai was uncomfortable to cuddle against, she mused inwardly, trying to take her mind off of...everything. He was too boney to truely be comfortable, and he didn't know when to shut up and stop talking, it seemed. She just wanted to be close to someone, didn't he see that? She didn't want words or reassurance, she just...wanted to forget for a moment, but he couldn't even let her do that could she.

She sniffled as he petted her, after pushing her away slightly so she wasn't curled up completely. She stared at him, her eyes already going red with tears and an annoyed expression on her face. He didn't get it! How could he think those stupid shadows had gotten her? There was more to life than being scared of shadows. She sniffled, and muttered, "You idiot." She had meant to say it with a growl, but it ended as a whine, and she turned away from him, her shoulders hunched. "This isn't something you can scare away! Call me a baby but I have every right to cry right now." So did her daughter. At the thought of her baby, the tears returned stronger and she let out another low mewl of distress. She felt...useless and old, and so damn tired.

Rai huffs, crazy woman, what was wrong with her? Padding up beside her, he rests his bony shoulder against her. "Well you need to tell me whats wrong then!" he growls sitting directly in front of her to stop her path his bones creaking as he did so. He knew he would be in pain in the morning and she didn't even care that he'd just raced to her rescue. "Thought you were being attacked, came as quick as I could." he glares at her and grumbles.

"Stop crying now…Please?" He mumbles, he never said please to Lari, It was the closest he could come to being, sympathetic, he held out a paw to her once again and with a frown on his face he pulls her towards him with a few inaudible complaints about females and their hormones.

As much as she knew he wouldn't know instinctively what happened, she unrealisticly hoped that he would. How could she explain it? She looked at him, her eyes sad and the ocassional tear still spilling out. Well, at least he had come to her aid. Rushing over to save her from whatever it was, even though it was nothing he could help with. She allowed him to pull her to him, a surprised look crossing her face before she tucked her head under his jaw and nuzzled into his mane. She didn't stop crying, but the tears slowed a little.
She opened her mouth several times, to find the right words. He deserved to know. He mighten even tease her about it once he knew. "My...my daughter, my youngest, I told you about her-" she was delaying. "-she lives in the rogue lands, with her six cubs, since the father took two with him, so she only has six." She was rambling now, and she hated rambling. Closing her eyes, she tried to bury closer. "She...sent me a messanger bird...her...her youngest, Aurelia, the sweetest little girl, she...wandered away from my daughter and-" she broke off. She felt so damn stupid, unable to say the words! She was stronger than this. "A hyena got her. She...My daughter said it was a fast kill b-but, she was my grandbaby! Barely a cub!" She yowled again, but tried to muffle it in his mane.

The old, bony male frowns, what exactly was he supposed to say to that? One less shadow in the world? Why does your daughter live in the rogue lands? No. he knew he couldn't say any of those things and his heart went out to her. It wasn't in him to not open his mouth and say something stupid so after opening his mouth and re shutting it again he simply, grooms her ears.

Holding her tightly against his chest he nuzzles the top of her head, his mooned working on words he should say to her to hopefully improve this situation for her. "i won't let you get hurt by a Hyena." Okay not the best thing to say but at least he'd said something and maybe, just maybe that would make her stop crying or at least make her shout at him. he just couldn't cope with this sadness, he was so used to her being the strong self reliant lady who shared his den and now she was almost broken and he didn't know what to do about it.

The grooming was nice. It was...unusual, since he had never been quite this touchy-feely with her, and never this nice! So it was an interesting turn of events. He probably just didn't like the tears, she thought, sniffling a little, as most men didn't seem to like them. She was surprised that he didn't say something immediately, as he usually was quick-witted enough to reply fast to any of her comments. This time, it seemed she had stumped him.
His words, while they were not what she expected, made a warmth swell in her chest. She laughed, quietly and it was interupted with a hiccup, but it was a laugh none-the-less. "You're such an idiot," she told him quietly, but it was said with affection and she tilted her face up, licking his chin in thanks. They weren't the most well thought out words, or the most appropriate, but it was better than false promises and declaration of lies. "Thank you," she said, quieter than before, as if she hoped he wouldn't hear her. She hid her face in his mane again, hoping to hide her wet face and red eyes from him, sure she looked a mess. Even horribly depressed, Lari was self-conscious enough of her image to not want to look ugly in front of her denmate.

Rai cleared his throat roughly, his dark eyes looking down at the pretty female who shared his den. The lady who was keeping him damn well fed and made sleeping at night so much warmer, his den was tidier and much more comfortable, all in all she had made his life better. "Come on, back tot he den with you. Have asleep and you'll feel better." he coughs, his answer to everything sleep then eat, okay he knew that a sleep probably wouldn't solve the heart break she felt but he wouldn't leave her alone, he'd even go without a meal or two until she felt better.

"No need to hunt today, we can both manage to miss a meal." He chuffs nudging her to her paws and pushing her towards their den though his bones audibly cracked as he got to his feet.

Lari resisted the urge to sniffle again, reaching up a paw to rub off any obvious wet patches on her fur, though it only seemed to make her fur a little more matted than it had been before. She hated the dark mood she was in. She was usually bright and bubbly, and always had been. It just wouldn't be right to be so sad. She forced a smile, as she got to her feet as well, her own bones cracking, though less audible than his. It made her smile a little more real, realising they were in the same situation. Old. Even though she'd deny it to her last breath.
"Are you trying to tell me I'm fat again?" She asked, her tone light to let him know she didn't take offense. In reality, she was grateful. She didn't have to think, or plan. She would just follow him to their den and sleep, hopefully with him at her side. She paused in her movements, just outside of their den. "Are you going to sleep too?" She asked, not wanting to be alone at that moment. If he didn't plan to nap or lay down, then she wouldn't feel right trying to sleep.

Keeping his shoulder to hers as they walked back to the den he let his mind wander, he didn't want to tease or taunt her right now, something that was very unusual for him, not that he ever really meant what he said, he just said them because he should and because he could. "Don't be soft of course I am going to sleep, had to bloody run after your fat butt, thought you were being eaten by a hyena." He snorts, his dark eyes looking deep in to hers he licks the tip of her nose.

"Just get your arse in, bloody aching from head to toe with you!" he huffs, trying to make light of the fact that he was trying, realllllllyyy hard to be nice to her, he nudges her inside and settles as close to her as he could though he knew that his hard bony body was hardly comfortable to lean against. he knew she needed him.

The comment of the hyena hit a little too close to home, but instead of making her flare up, it soothed her. He wasn't being overly nice anymore, though he was certainly softening his words. It was...nice. A nice balance, she decided, hiding a tiny smile as he licked her nose. She allowed him to nudge her inside the den and quickly found her favourite place to lay, curling up and cuddling as close as she could when he settled nearby. He wasn't the best pillow, but he was good company.
She should have protested the fat comment, or said that she wasn't aching like he was, because she wasn't as old as he was, but instead she stayed quiet, just relishing the comfort he offered. Although still sad, the loss didn't feel quite as crushing, because at least she wasn't facing it alone.

Rai mumbles quietly as he nestles up close to Lari licking her ear one last time, this was as affectionate as he got, she better appreciate it! He did feel a real ache in his heart, or maybe it was just a bit of heart burn. Either way he felt sorry for her and he wanted her to be the way she usually was. Sassy, commenting, retorting, not this sad little broken lady. He felt sorry for this broken lioness who's heart was clearly torn because of this unexpected death. He only had so much tact in him and it had clearly run out at the door. Closing his eyes he rests his cheek against hers, letting her know he was there, even if he didn't speak any more. After all, he was fairly useless at the speeches. Hopefully she would just be fine with him simply being there for her.