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 Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 3:36 pm
 Kurosaki Tategami was usually a quiet, contemplative child who didn't disobey the rules. That was probably the reason his mother, Rukia, brought him on the patrol. Taru or Kaien would probably have run off, but Gami was expected to stick near authority most of the time. He was among the least ambitious of the pack.
But today was different. Mother said that they were going on a patrol to make sure that hollows wouldn't come into their valley. There was supposed to be a big pack of them in the area; it was putting the adults on edge. As interim commander, it was her job to check the borders. But Gami wasn't worried; if he had been allowed to tag along behind her, with her fully aware of where he was, then surely the threat couldn't be that great. These...Destrons, or whatever they were called, they probably weren't here. Probably just some other dragons who smelled similar in the area.
While Rukia had been distracted, Gami had gone off exploring through the woods, glad he had left his gloves back at their den. Doggedly determined to see where this supposed border was, he was braving the wooded slope of the valley. The ridge was just ahead when he started to catch a whiff, a strange smell he didn't recognize. It was...bitter. It felt like a black and brown fog in the nose, with the faintest underlying curve of copper--blood. Nearly at the top--it's probably just something rotting. The closer he got to the top of the ridge, the stronger the smell was, until, at the top, he passed a tree that carried the scent strongly. Was it a scent marking, then? Maybe it was some wild animal. Suddenly, the idea of leaving Rukia's side was sounding very stupid, something only one of his rash siblings would do. Tategami looked around nervously.((Soundwave's probably trying to get Feuervogel to stop doing something stupid. Feel free to make it up xDD)
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:02 pm
 Cabaret scrambled through the underbrush, more quietly than any good Decepticon should move. Soundwave was having one of his fits concerning Feuervogel. Maybe getting into a debate with Feuer on whether that yellow slug could be eaten or not had been a bad idea. Regardless of who had been at fault, Cabaret had slipped away, not feeling like being around an upset Soundwave, and was now...well...unsure of where she was.
She wasn't lost. She'd been lectured on the fact that no Decepticon ever got lost. She was just...uncertain of where she was. That seemed to be a halfway acceptable explanation of where she was that everyone else would accept. Hopefully. Maybe. Provided she got home safe and sound.
She shivered. It was early autumn, but still a little cold for a late summer sparkling, even a Northern late summer sparkling. Being all alone and unsure of where she was certainly didn't help her feelings of being cold. The big trees here, while they were certainly beautiful trees, and promised whole groves like them on the other side of the ridge she was approaching at her sparkling toddle, but, considering her situation, they looked forbidding and ominous. The ground was coated in evergreen duff and needles, and while it would be fun to roll in some other time, right now, given that the branches were high, they seemed lonely and exposed.
To be honest, Cabaret was getting scared. And Feuer and Eis weren't here to scare the fears away, and neither were either of her daddies. Sitting down, shutting her eyes, and lifting her head, she bawled unashamedly and in despair, fear, and loneliness, "Help! I vant my Vatis!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:21 pm
Tategami nearly jumped out of his skin at the cry from the other slope. He could see, just barely, in a little clearing of manzanitas, another young dragon--the one who was in so much distress. Forgetting all about the ominous scent markings, he charged down the slope to see what he could do, slipping and sliding on the pine needles dropped by the trees above in winters all but forgotten. Pine cones rattled past him on the steep and unfamiliar slope as he slid into the bushes and peered at the other dragon.
He had never seen one that looked so...strange! She was black--which wasn't unusual, his own mother had a black mane, but she was black all over. And her body was covered all over with strange pink markings. That wasn't even taking into account her odd build; she was much fluffier than any other dragon he had ever seen, and a large fang dripped down from her upper lip. Suddenly, Gami wondered about the wisdom of coming to the aid of a stranger, especially one who looked as if she could take care of herself.
But...when she called out, she sounded unhappy! No one could ever pretend to sound that unhappy and sound so...well, unhappy! I wonder what's wrong? Where are her parents? He shivered in the early autumn breeze that had picked up in the grove. My parents have fought hollows that wanted to destroy their souls. If they can do that, I can talk to a girl who's scared. "A-are you okay?" he asked, trying to sound as brave as possible.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:36 pm
Cabaret had been starting to cry, so tears were in her red eyes as she looked at the dragon who stopped before her and asked if she was OK. He was smaller and more streamlined than any other sparkling she'd ever seen, which counted five others beside herself, and the six Decepticon sparklings were all Northern. This had to be a Mountain sparkling, since he was built a lot like her Blitzy Vati. But that was where the resemblance ended.
This dragon had sunset hair and twilight eyes. His coat was extremely pale without being white, and he had absolutely no markings. He also had something on his paws, some piece of red cloth with white and bright blue flames. And he was honestly the handsomest sparkling she'd ever met. Easily above Zephyr and Zzyxwe's sparklings.
She flushed, a little embarrassed on SO many levels. "I'm...I'm not sure vhere I am," she said, just managing to keep her voice even, "and I vandered off from my Vatis and my sisters and my pack, and vhile ze trees are lovely here, zey are so scary right now...and...and...and I'm all alone...and I vant my Vatis!" This last bit was bawled out, Cabaret having lost the little emotional self control Soundwave had hammered into her from hatching.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:44 pm
Gami slipped in between the branches and sat down next to the stranger, feeling awkward next to her. "Hey, calm down," he said soothingly. "It's okay! I don't think there's anything out here. It's safe." We haven't seen any hollows all day! Mother and the rest are just getting excited. He gave her a smile and scooted a little closer. He could barely understood what she said with her thick accent--but then again, who was he to say anything about speech impediments? He had had a speech impediment until a few days ago, and he still occasionally slipped into it. But still, there was one or two words he didn't understand at all.
"What's a 'fah-teess'?" he asked. It was some sort of possessive---or maybe it was a type of relative? She did mention sisters...And a pack. He frowned. For some reason, at first he hadn't heard that word. A pack? The possibility flickered in the back of his mind. But no. That was impossible. Soulless creatures attacked soul-full creatures instantly. A hollow would not let him get this close--besides, she was so sad and alone! Hollows would never act like this. She was normal. Like him. She just...looked different. She was bigger than him, for one thing. It wasn't a bad thing.
"You're not alone, either," he added. "I'm here." He grinned and flicked her side gently with the tip of his tail. "My name's Kurosaki Tategami, what's your name?" Just keep her talking, and maybe she'd calm down...
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:59 pm
Cabaret took a big swallow of air. Blitzy Vati in one of his rational moods had said it helped her to stop crying. Vati...how to explain it...he had a vati, right? Maybe a different word? What had everyone else called her vatis? Ohhh, yes. "A vati is a fahzer. You haff one, right?" she asked, hoping that this was helpful.
Happy that she wasn't alone anymore, she buried her dark face in the pale coat of his neck, to what extent she could. "I'm Cabaret. I'm happy to meet you, Kurosaki Tategami," she replied, stumbling over the long name. Being with Kurosaki Tategami was...strange...it was nice and very pleasant and she wasn't scared or lonely anymore. How odd. She'd have to ask Blitzy Vati about this later, when he was in one of his random moods.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:04 pm
Ooooooooooooh! "Oooh! Yes, a father! I know what a father is!" he said with relief. For some reason, not knowing what she was talking about had worried him. "Yes, I have a father, and a mother too. I'm supposed to be with her, but I was bored and I wanted to see what was over here. We never go over here."
Once again, Gami felt startled, but this time it was because she--Cabaret, he reminded himself--had buried her face in his fur. Awkwardly he curled his tail around her, like he'd seen his father do sometimes when she leaned against him. He was certain it was to comfort her, or to make her feel better or something. Being a parent was very stressful, apparently, and so was being the interim commander. "It's nice to meet you, too, Cabaret," he replied. "You can call me Gami for short, everyone does. It's my nickname," he added. "So, where's your pack, Cabaret? How did you get separated from them?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:17 pm
Cabaret snuggled close, feeling the rare feeling among the Decepticons of security and happiness resulting from that security. "Vell, Gami" --Gami, yes, that was a very easy way to refer to him and to say his name-- "Vell, my sister Feuervogel and I vere having a discussion about vehzer or not one could eat zose yellow slugs, and she decided to try to eat vun, and I didn't vant to get in trouble, and...vell..." she finished lamely and helplessly. "I vandered off...and I'm not really sure how to get back."
A mother. Gami had a mother. She'd often wondered what that was like. "I vould like to meet your mohzer someday. I don't have vun. I only have two vatis, zough ze ohzer sparklings in ze pack have a mohzer and a fahzer." She cocked her head. "Vhat is it like, having a mohzer? Does she love you, or does she ignore you? Ze mohzer in my pack doesn't take good care of her sparklings vhen she sees zem, and I've heard zat mohzers are supposed to love and care for zeir sparklings." It occurred to her he might not know what a sparkling was. "A sparkling is a little vun in our pack."
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:26 pm
Gami couldn't help but giggle. "Those yellow slugs? You're not supposed to eat them. Renji says they make you sick." He wondered if she had someone in her pack like Renji, who was like an uncle to them, whether he admitted it or not. What was it like in other packs? Were they organized the same way? Did they hunt the same way? How long had her pack lived there? Why had he never heard of it? He wanted to know more about his new friend.
Two fathers? Well...he thought he had heard a story about females who had children with each other...it couldn't be that different for males, could it? But who would lay the eggs? "Maybe you could, Cabaret," he said slowly. "I like having a mother. She's protective of us and likes to teach us things. The mother in your pack doesn't sound like a very good mother. Who takes care of her children if she doesn't? Does the father do that? In my pack, both parents take care of the children." He realized he was babbling and grinned bashfully. "Sorry. I'm rambling. And you're right, mothers are supposed to love and care for their children."
Sparkling. What a funny word. He sort of liked it, but he wasn't sure why. Why did sparkling mean "child"? What was so glittery about childhood? Cabaret's nice--I hope she doesn't take it wrong when I ask. "Why 'sparkling'?" he asked. "I mean, no offense, but...children aren't shiny, so why do you call them sparklings?"
((Because sparklings are so cute and heart- spark-warming, of course!))
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:49 pm
Cabaret floundered. She didn't know, either. "I...I don't know...vhy little vuns are called sparklings in our pack," she admitted with some consternation. "Little vuns are taken care of by an adult whose job it is to vatch and care for ze little vuns in my pack. Ve know our parents and spend time vis zem, but our parents don't have a lot of time to care for sparklings, so Soundvave does it." For the first time, the concept of Soudwave raising the sparklings sounded dreadfully lonely and sad, and so tears came to her eyes again.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 6:10 pm
((Awww, poor Cabaret! D8 I'd love to have an RP between her and Soundwave after this. And we need one with Xue and the rest... [Shot]))
Gami didn't blame Cabaret for crying--their pack sounded completely heartless. Why did some other dragon care for them? Had this Soundvave kidnapped her? She was obviously unhappy and wanted to be with her parents, so why did she have to live with some other dragon? Poor Cabaret...I wish I could bring her home with me! Mother and the rest of our pack could take care of her...Though I guess she wouldn't be able to see her Vatis again.
"Is...is he nice?" he asked. He tried to keep the shock out of his voice. "Or she? Why can't your parents take care of you, Cabaret? Are they okay?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 6:17 pm
Cabaret shook her head. "Soundvave isn't mean, he's nice...he just vorries a lot. My vatis are very busy, and so are ze rest of ze adults in ze pack. Because everyvun is so busy, ve have somevun take care of ze little vuns at all times, so zey are all right. Soundvave takes care of little vuns in our pack." The only thing that was wrong right now was the concept that being raised not by your parents but by someone else while your parents were busy was a dreadfully sad and lonely thought, even if it was a logical answer, and the rational side of Blitzy Vati liked logic, and so did Eis.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 6:39 pm
That did make some sense, though Gami still wasn't certain. It raised even more questions--like what did her vatis do all day that they couldn't take care of her? Did they hunt? Cabaret's pack was completely alien to Gami. He couldn't understand it at all, but he wanted to. He felt like there were so many other things he could ask to find out more about her. But I sound like I'm being overly critical... "In my pack," he said slowly, "one parent takes care of the children while the other parent hunts or goes on patrols. Usually Mother watches over us, except when she has to go on a patrol. She's the in-ter-im commander of our pack," he explained, "so she goes on the really important patrols. Like today she's looking for hollows. But I don't think there are any here," he added quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. "She took me along, so there probably aren't any in the area."
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:25 am
Cabaret didn't have to swallow jealousy, since she wasn't the jealous type. But she did have to chew on regret, and that wasn't very nice, either. She missed having at least one parent around all day to play with and talk to, even if everyone always did blush when she asked questions. That confused her; she thought she asked good questions, so why did they blush?
As for the "hollow" thing.... "Vhat is a 'hollow'?" she asked, curious. "I know zat a hollow can be an empty space in a tree or part of a forest, but I don't sink you are using ze vord zat vay."
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:19 pm
What was a hollow? Maybe she's never heard of them. Makes sense--living dragons don't have to worry about them. It's us shinigami's job to take care of the hollows so that dragons like Cabaret don't have to worry.
"Hollows are souls that haven't yet passed onto the Soul Society. That's the place you go when you die," he added. She probably knew that, but it didn't hurt to explain, did it? Unless she took offense, of course, but there were some things you just couldn't help. "Well, not souls per se, but they're sort of...born from souls that couldn't pass on for some reason, so now they run around eating other souls. They're really evil, so us shinigami track them down and give them a burial to purify them and let them pass on. Like I said, Mother and the rest of the adults think there's a big pack of 'em in the area, but she's probably just overreacting."
((Keep in mind that Decepticons never use the word "soul." [Shotstabbed]))
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