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 Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 10:02 pm
The adolescent leotah moved slowly in the falling darkness, moving away from where she had tucked her cubs beneath exposed roots of the large tree. The rest of her family was nearby, watching out for them. Satomei had never been more grateful to her mother or her siblings than she was now that she had offspring of her own. Had her siblings and herself been this tiring for their mother? Satomei wondered. It wasn't that her cubs were difficult – no, they were all so perfect and Satomei didn't regret them at all – but the constant worry of where they were, if they were okay, and every jump of her heart when they cried out, normally in play but sometimes in fear or pain, that wore her down.
They were sleeping now, thankfully, so she moved towards the nearby pool to catch a few moments of rest by herself. Catching sight of the lightly glistening water, she smiled, and carefully stepped towards the edge, moving until her lightly aching paws were in the cool water. Perfect, she decided, and awkwardly tried to sit on the rock beside her, keeping her paws in the water but her clean white rump out of the mud.
Casting her gaze to the sky, Satomei smiled. It was lightly overcast – she'd been fearing it might rain all day, what if the cubs got sick from the wet? - but still stars peeked out between gaps in the clouds. With a pang of regret, she thought of her Uncle. Was he looking at the stars too? Her gaze fell to her paws. She didn't regret leaving to follow her mother, but she missed her Uncle – he had been her hero, until they had drifted apart.
She sighed, and tried to cast those thoughts from her mind, wiggling her paws in the water instead.
Yuuki peered out over the root of the tree, watching his mother's figure in the distance. What was she doing? Why wasn't she resting? Was she sneaking off? Yuuki had no doubt that his mother would never abandon them – plus, they still had their grandmother and aunt and uncles nearby, but still, he was curious. What was Mama doing?
He stifled a large yawn and wiggled, moving further up the root so as to see better, trying hard not to kick any of his siblings as he did so.
Tuuli fussed as his father tried to settle him and his other siblings. They were all being babies and actually going to sleep easily. Tuuli didn't want to be a hassle to his dad, but he wasn't tired.
“I'm not sleepy,” Tuuli protested to Ruu lightly, wiggling in his spot and peering up at him with wide eyes. Even as he spoke, his mouth opened in a loud, wide yawn, and when it closed again, he looked faintly sheepish. “Not sleepy at all,” he said firmly, hoping his father might ignore his body's momentary betrayal.
-
Ruu smiled down at his two sons. They were the only ones he'd taken away from the very odd situation he'd found himself in. All the otehrs had gone with their mother, and it made his heart ache to realize he might not see them again. She had been so strange, once things had begun to happen, and he wasn't entirely sure where she and the cubs would end up. But at least he had these two darlings, and he'd give his life to ensure their safety. The very intensity of that determination awed him often, never growing old or accustomed.
As Tuuli protested, he chuffed a soft laugh, so as not to wake his other boy, who had already nodded off. "Sleepy or not, it is time to rest, son." He reached a paw and gently tousled Tuuli's headfur. Such adorableness was beyond words to describe. It nearly made his heart burst. "If nothing else, stay to watch over your brother then. He needs a guard while I go get a drink." With an affectionate lick to Tuuli's cheek, he turned and padded away, to the enticing glimmer of stars on water not far away. The cubs had already had their fill, and now it was his turn.
Yuuli had been deeply asleep, delicate paws twitching with her dreams, when her brother had stirred. She wasn't aware of him exactly, but the movement infiltrated her dreams. Something was leaning over her as she slept! Something big, with nasty breath, and sharp teeth, and glowing eyes like stars that burned too bright! Her paws began to thrash in reality as she strove to get away in her dream. No, where was momma? Where was momma?! The face leaned closer, and closer... then her brother's paw slipped in reality and bopped her on the head, making her jerk awake with a gasp that was just barely short of a terrified squeak.
-
Satomei glanced up at the sounds of the night, casting pale eyes around her to watch out for anyone approaching where her cubs were tucked in. She knew her family would protect them, but the worry that gnawed at her stomach didn't seem to end. She sighed, and bowed her head to take a quick drink of the water.
She should get back to her cubs, she reasoned, stretching and shaking the water from her paws. It was then that the sound of paws approaching made her freeze. Was she imagining them? They were only the faintest noise, but they were too large for a cub – and she could not see her sister or either of her brother's approaching her from their sleeping spot.
Yuuki panicked when his paw slipped and he jerked when he managed to hit his sister's head – Yuuli, not Yuumi, not that it matted who, he had just smacked his sister in the head, either way.
“Shhh!” Yuuki immediately hushed, scurrying back down to his sister's side. “You'll wake grandma!” He really didn't want Grandmother Aiko fussing over them. “You should be asleep,” he pointed out, frowning at his sister. She was little-er than he was, she should be sleeping. Plus, then he could sneak off.
Tuuli watched his father disappear off towrads the watering hole with a pout. Why did he have to stay and protect his brother? He was big enough! They weren't babies, they were young men! He huffed and wiggled, eying his snoozing brother with some annoyance. If he was awake, then they could go and follow their dad, but noooo, he had to sleep.
How boring. Tuuli sighed, and paused. Well, his dad said to watch him, not that he had to be right next to him. Tuuli grinned and bounced to his feet. He turned around to face his brother and began to follow his father – walking backwards - so as to keep 'watch' over his brother and follow his dad.
-
He broke through the screen of brush into a beautiful scene. The water rippled softly beneath a breeze, making the reflected stars shimmer like dancing glowbugs. And there, poised alertly on a rock at the water's edge, her reflection but a pale shadow of her beauty, was a familiar face. How that face had haunted his thoughts and dreams since they had last met! It was strange how such things happened. It took him but a breath to call to mind her name. "Satomei!" he exclaimed softly, his voice brimming with delight and awe. So sudden and so beautiful was her appearing that he was unable to mask anything of what his heart had held for her. Perhaps it was just as well that they met on a cloudy night, so that she might not clearly see his feelings.
Her heart pounded and her squeal of fright was safely muffled by her brother's paw. Panting, she stared up at him unseeing for a moment, then her whole body relaxed, going limp under his. "Oh Yuuki, don't scare me like that! It isn't nice!" Her fear drained away immediately, to be replaced by indignance, both at his rude awakening of her, and then scolding her as if she was a baby that had insisted on being awake in the first place. She shoved lightly at him to get him to back off of her so she could sit up properly.
"I can too be awake, I'm the same age as you!" Despite the vehemance of her protest, she too kept her voice very low and soft, so as not to attract adult attention. She paused to yawn widely, tongue curling. It wasn't a sleepy yawn, but a waking-up yawn. After that nightmare, she was good and awake now, no question. "What are you doing up anyway?" she demanded to know, lifting her chin defiantly. Generally speaking, Yuuli was a very sweet and gentle girl, but her brother somehow always managed to be the only one who could get a rise out of her. He was just so horribly over-protective! She wasn't a baby, and didn't need him to coddle her!
-
She had been tense when the noise came closer, and even as the figure broke through the brush, she was prepared to bolt back to her family and alert them to run if they were a dangerous foe, but she was stunned to recognise the male.
“Ruu?” She called back, surprise colouring her voice and momentarily distracting her. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. Well, she knew he was dangerous, so there was really no reason for her to be scared, she realised and shifted. “What are you doing here?” She asked, sounding curious – but pleased to see him. She hadn't seen him since she was young! He had grown, she noted and cast him a smile.
“I didn't mean to scare you!” Yuuki protested, with a frown. “I slipped!” He didn't want his sister to think he had purposely hit her – that would just be mean and anyway, he wanted to protect his sister, not hurt them. He was even training in fighting so he'd be able to protect them from all the nasty evils of the world.
“Nuh-uh!” He retorted. “You might be the same age as me, but you're little-er, and that means that should be sleeping when it's dark out!” He frowned, but her question reminded him of what he had been doing before he woke her.
He scuttled back over to his original spot and peered over the root, his eyes going wide at the sight of another figure with his mother. “Oh no!” He whispered, scrambling to see better. “Mama's in trouble!” What if that figure was some dangerous guy out to hurt pretty ladies like his Mama? Ohno!
His brilliant plan was not working out so brilliantly. He had already tripped over several rocks and backed into a small thorn bush – and he'd already lost sight of his brother so walking backwards was quite useless. He sighed. Well, no one would hurt his brother, he thought firmly. After all, no one even knew he was there, so he was perfectly safe, he reasoned.
He turned so he was walking normally and cast a regretful look at where he'd come from. He'd be fine, he thought to himself, before scuttling after his father earnestly, making a lot of noise as he wiggled through the bushes.
-
"I'm traveling, with my cubs," he answered slowly, reminded of reality and how that impacted his sudden dream-come-true situation here. Having children surely would ruin her image of him. It would mean perhaps that he was unfaithful, or irresponsible, or some other disreputable thing. He also didn't finish the statement... that he was looking for a home to take them to, a safe place to raise them. Somehow, that detail seemed to further implicate his failings.
Instead, he paced a few steps closer to her. "And what are you doing here?" he coutnered, eager to hear what life was like for her. Though if he recalled right, hadn't she been in a pride or something? He mentally searched his memory for the location, and was reasonably sure this wasn't anywhere close to it. "Is everything alright?" he added with concern.
But right on cue, he heard all too familiar steps and brush-wrigglings. He looked back to see his all-too-awake son trotting towards him. "Ah Tuuli, why are you still up? Didn't I tell you to look after your brother?" Though the words were exasperated, the tone was fond and affectionate. He never could manage to be angry at his boys.
Yuuli's nightmare came back to haunt her as her brother exclaimed about momma being in danger. With a frightened bleat, she charged over the root her brother was peering across and bolted across the open ground towards her mother. "MAMA!" she yowled, "LOOK OUT!" And with that, she threw herself at her mother, missed entirely, and landed with a splash in the shallows of the water, pretty near where Satomei had just been cooling her paws. Spluttering and terrified, she clawed her way to her mother's rock. "Look out mama!" she burbled around coughs and swallows, her ears flattened and fur dripping, making her look entirely pitiful.
-
Satomei would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised to hear that Ruu had cubs. Not that she didn't think he should have cubs, but just that he seemed – ironically – like he was too young to have them, but she really couldn't judge. She was younger, and she had three of her own. “That's nice,” she told him, with a small smile.
She paused, thinking of how to answer the question he'd ask. She'd opened her mouth to respond, when his son padded into view. She hid a grin at the sleepy looking cub who looked determined to make it to his father's side. He looked rather obviously like Ruu's little boy, she thought. It was obvious that Ruu cared for his son too, even if he was growing slightly exasperated.
She startled when a familiar voice cried out to her, and she spun, narrowly missing crabbing her daughter as she barelled out, jumping again when she heard her son's voice join in.
Watching his sister barrel off, Yuuki's eyes went wide. Oh no! Now both his sister and his mother were in trouble! “I'll save you!” He bellowed, and charged after his sister, sliding in the mud as he drew closer to his mother. Unlike his sister, he didn't go into the water, but he did slide and fall into the mud just by the water's edge. His pale fur was soon stained brown.
As soon as he gathered his bearings, he jumped to his feet and growled at the males before him. He had to protect his family!
Tuuli cast the female his father had been talking to a curious stare, before hurrying to his father's side. “I'm not tired,” he protested again. “And brother is just sleeping!” He said 'sleeping' like it was an offense. Knowing his father would probably just try to send him straight back to sleep, he turned his eyes wide and stared up at his dad.
“Can I just have some water?” He asked, trying to prolong being sent back to bed. He startled at the loud noises of the cubs, drawing back into his father's legs, though pretending that he wasn't afraid. He knew they were just cubs, but what were they doing? They sounded crazy.
Satomei stared at her waterlogged daughter, hurrying to assist her to climb onto the rock with her, and then casting her gaze towards her hissing and growling mud-covered son. She heaved a sigh, amusement in her gaze and a smile twisting her mouth, she glanced up at Ruu.
“It looks like your son wasn't the only one who didn't want to sleep,” she remarked, drawing Yuuli closer to her to try to warm her up a little. The water was cold after all.
-
Ruu chuffed amusement at his protesting son, but before he could respond, a ruckus broke out behind Satomei. First one little cublet, then another charged out. One ended up soaked and shivering, and the other was muddy and... hissing? The grown male blinked down at the aggressively growling youngster, so tiny and adorable in his fierceness. His own son was peering out from behind his forelegs. But rather than laugh or scoff at the bristling little mudball, Ruu suddenly decided to play along.
He gave the small male a cautious look and took two long steps backward, dragging his son with him. He then laid down, making himself smaller and less threatening. "Peace, little warrior," he said in serious tone, with not even a sparkle of laughter in his eyes to hurt the cub's feelings. "We come as friends, I promise. Please, spare my son and I your wrath." He flashed a single glance at Satomei, nuances in his expression showing his adoration of cubs as well as a warmth of the shared experience of being parents. He then returned his whole attention onto the brave little male. "Do we have your permission to stay?"
Shivering almost immediately, Yuuli leaned gratefully against her mother's offered comfort. For all her brave words, she was not an aggressive cub by any means, and now stared at the strangers with wide eyes. She watched as the grown up cheetah laid down and spoke to her brother like he was a grown up too. She found that curious and almost nice, but very soon she wasn't watching the grown up male any longer. No, it was the smaller form next to him that got her attention. Her eyes grew rounder. She'd not yet met any other cubs that were not her family, and to her youthful and dreamy heart, this brightly colored male was amazing. Why, he was just her age! She leaned forward from the shelter of her mother's paws, very nearly falling off the rock into the water again. What was his name, she wondered? "Mama, who is that?" she asked vaguely, not indicating if she meant either or both of the newcomers. Her previous fright was clearly forgotten entirely.
-
Yuuki was susprised when the big male laid down, seeming to make himself look far less threatening than he had only moments ago when Yuuki was facing him and growling. He gave the male a suspicious look, looking for signs of arrogance or a joke, but saw none. He relaxed slightly. Well, he didn't seem to want to attack them, which was good.
He cast a look back over his shoulder at his mother, and she nodded encouragingly towards him. He hesitated. “Yeah,” he said firmly, puffing out his chest. “You can stay, but don't try any funny business!” He didn't even know what funny business was, but he'd heard it said before and it sounded grown up. He didn't think danger was funny but whatever.
Satomei was trying so hard not to laugh at her son, and managed to keep her face completely serious as he threatened Ruu – a male who was several times larger than he was. She was very grateful for Ruu for playing along. Yuuki hated being thought lowly off, and laughing at him would have only made him madder.
“See?” Satomei soothed, reaching out to grab the back of her son's neck and hoisting him back towards her. “No one is in danger here, love,” she told her son lovingly, pulling a face as she released his fur and came away with mud on her tongue. “Though someone needs a bath,” she mumbled.
Glancing down at Yuuli at her whispered question, she glanced back at the duo of males. “Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves, have we, sweetie?” She asked her daughter, straightening up and cuddling Yuuli close. “This is an old friend, Ruu and his son. I'm Satomei,” she introduced, for Ruu's son's sake. “And this is son Yuuki, and one of my daughters, Yuuli.”
Tuuli didn't think that the young male looked all that dangerous, but his dad backed down pretty quickly, so maybe he was scary. Tuuli was glad when the hissing stopped and he straightened, peering at the three before him. He blinked.
The girl was...staring at him. It distracted him, so much so that he almost missed the introductions. “I'm Tuuli,” he said, by way of introductions, casting them a small, shy smile. He didn't mind meeting new people. After all, this meant he didn't have to go to sleep yet! He counted that as a success.
[to be continued]
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:38 pm
Ruu smiled at the family before him. A son and more than one daughter in her litter! His heart again squeezed at the thought of the babies he'd left behind. Gently he turned his mind from that sorrow to this joy. What an interesting family she had now! "How nice to meet you both, Yuuki and Yuuli." He glanced questioningly at Satomei, steeling himself for the answer. "Have you found yourself a mate then? And are you now rogues, or merely traveling like last time?" His smile was warm and familiar, completely without the small ache he kept locked up. Truth be told, he only wished Satomei the most happiness she could have. If she was happy, so was he, regardless of any glimmer of hope that he might have had.
He figured he probably should explain himself as well. "I'm afraid I wasn't so lucky as to find someone to share my life with." His rueful half-smile held regret but no anger or pain. "A moment's weakness equaled more than I'd bargained for... and yet I wish I could have kept all my children with me. I am grateful for the two boys that I was allowed to keep, though." Allowed probably was the best word, though it wasn't as if he'd been threatened. She just... had a way of getting what she wanted. "The night is still young, if you'd like to put the cubs back to bed and catch up some?" He had promised her to do so, after all, so long ago.
Yuuli watched the proceedings with wide eyes, glancing from mother to the strange male who was named Ruu, and then to the bold cub who called himself Tuuli. She hoped Yuuki would stop being so mean and make friends instead. She didn't want these new people to go away so soon! Even so, she pouted when it was mentioned that they should go to bed while the adults stayed up. "But mama," she protested, "we just got up!" Despite the protest, her jaws suddenly spread wide in a huge yawn, tongue curled and all. Then again... maybe it was time to curl up with her sibs. It certainly was likely to be warmer that way! With another shake of her pelt, she began to groom the wetness from her fur. She didn't dislike water, but it was no fun at night!
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:03 pm
Satomei smiled at the cubs, knowing Yuuki would be thrilled to be greeted like an adult, before glancing up at the question. “Ah, no,” she admitted, glancing down at her paws. She always felt a bit…ashamed, like she had done something wrong getting pregnant. “The cubs were conceived in a momentarily lapse of sensibility.” It seemed like a very formal thing to say, but she smiled down at her cubs lovingly. “But I had my mother to help me, so the pregnancy was not daunting, and I received three wonderful cubs, so it was worth it.” She paused, to think of how she could phrase why they left, before laughing lightly. “It’s a long story, Ruu, but in short, things happened, and my sister and brother were going to leave, and my mother wanted to follow. I was pregnant, so I followed her and my other brother followed also. We’re rogues, for now.” It was so much more than that.
She cast him a sympathetic look, no pity in it, at his situation. “It seems we followed a similar path, Ruu,” she remarked, but nodding. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.” She smiled warmly at him. “You can tell me of all the sights you’ve seen, like you promised me all that time ago.” She wanted to let him know she hadn’t forgotten their last meeting.
“Do you want to put your cubs with mine?” She asked, “my mother and siblings are with my other daughter, and they wouldn’t mind watching over your two while we talk.”
“I’m not tired though,” Tuuli protested loudly, pouting up at his dad, though catching sight of Yuuli yawning, he scrunched his face up in a yawn of his own. He pouted, but lent against his dad’s leg, looking decidedly annoyed at his body for betraying him.
“Neither am I,” Yuuki protested as well, still standing protectively in front of his mother and sister. He was the man of the den when it came to his mommy and sisters, so he’d have to protect them, especially from the two strangers.
He looked concerned at the idea of the strangers sleeping near them. “But not near Yuuli and or Yuumi!” He added, huffing. Two strange cubs sleeping near his sisters? Never! He’d put himself, and his uncles between the other cubs, if they were to sleep near them. Otherwise, Yuuki would simply not allow it.
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:13 pm
How Ruu beamed when she accepted the idea! He kept himself in check though, reminding himself to be the perfect gentleman that she deserved. He refused to accost her or make suggestions that might embarrass or turn her affection away. Oh no, he'd not risk his private crush by acting upon it. She was too valuable to him, being the perfect individual as she was already. He nodded at the suggestion to move his own cubs with hers. "That would be wonderful," he replied in relief. "It can be tricky, keeping track of the two little ones on my own." It was said wistfully, but lovingly, with his eyes on Tuuli and a paw wrapped around him. "Why don't I go fetch my slumbering one and come join you where your family is? Then we can step aside to talk." It sounded like a lovely way to spend the evening, no question.
Yuuli reached out a paw and bopped her brother. "Yuuki, be nice! They are just cubs, like us. Not snarling monsters that want to eat us!" Her brother's rudeness was appalling to her. How could he be so unkind? "They are our friends now. Curling up together sounds nice." She yawned again and allowed herself to be herded back to their sleeping nest, as the adults made plans for the rest of the evening. The murmuring talk was pleasant to her ears, and the nearness of family and now friends made her feel warm and blissful. It was with a contented sigh that she closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
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