Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lucinanus had watched his home pride crumble. There was nothing left for him there or anyone for that matter. Even still it saddened the leopard to have to leave something that was such a large part of him. Atia and his family. Even though Atia was one you could not use the term loving with she was still his mother. That meant something.

But the pride was gone.

The cold teachings of Atia stayed deeply rooted in Lucinanus. He had been one of mind and spent many days and nights trying to follow the paw steps of his bitter old mother. Her bitterness infused with his own. He was a thin and ragged with a long face drawn out in a very defined frown. As a cub he had laughed and even played with his siblings. But the laughter and playing was always schemed behind the scenes of a long lasting rivalry. Love was not something the older leopard was accustomed to.

So needless to say. Lucianus was a little at war with him self how to raise these cubs. Memories of his youth and the mask he wore were still there but the feeling of youth was gone. The feeling of what little love he and his siblings grudgingly shared among them selves was gone. The older leopard felt hollow about this whole thing. But he wanted to be there for the female that bore such a burden and such a gift.

The seasoned bitter leopard loomed in the shadows of the den and meditated on the subject.

Lucianus noticed the young boy approaching silently. He watched his son stray from the warmth and approach the coldness. Even so, Lucianus did nothing to make his brave Cassianu feel any better about the approach. No smile or words of endearment were given. Only a cold and calculating stare from behind a refined and practiced mask. Admittedly, Lucianus relied a little to heavily on his son to break the ice.

Nothing was said.

Lucianus continued his cold harsh stare. Part of him entertained the idea of turning his back and wandering to a further region of the cave but something kept him pin pointed at that location. His paws were firmly planted. The silence continued. Lucinaus was not about to be the one to break that. What was he to say any ways?

Lucianus's features did not move from behind his mask. He was not surprised that one of his cubs would ask him such a question. Calmly he opened his maw in a very low gesture before answering his childs question.

"Should I not be over here?" He was calm and articulate in every word. After all, Lucianus was a practiced politician back in his old pride. Atia would never raise any of her cubs as anything less. The older leopard lowered him self to his sons eye level. His harsh stare still firmly upon the young one.

"My question should be the same. Should it not?" To the older leopards credit, he was trying.

The fact that Cassianu had nothing to say was unsurprising to the stern leopard. He merely watched as Cassianu chocked on what he wanted to say. His eyes never strayed from his boys eyes. The two eyes mirrored each other, unblinking. Both young and older male stared.

Atia would not approve of such behavior. Lucianus thought for a moment. Maybe he was being to soft. This thought semi agitated him.

"Your blood line would not permit such meekness. Speak boy." No sign of love could be traced from those words. They were as cold as he was.

Now very agitated the older male lifted a slender paw and lightly bopped his cub on the head. Even Lucianus was unsure why he did it. His features unchanging but behind that mask the older male was confused. It was amazing he had some how charmed a female with his thorns. These cubs were blessings to have even been conceived.