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 Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:30 pm
 Tamu had grown into quite the man, and was essentially turning into quite the father. Though he hadn't had much alone time with one cub to the next, he still babysat, romped around worriedly as the little ones scampered out and about, doing their playful things--or otherwise antics.
Today was not unlike the others, or so he believed as he lounged daintily in the den, still dosed with fatigue from the previous nights slumber. In and out of sleep, did Tamu struggle as he fussed over whether to awaken to the dawn, or take another five minutes.
He grumbled, gentle movements rippling over the mass. Finally, his eyes fluttered open and two brown eyes gazed out into the dunes, dazed and glassy. The grown upon his head, his mane, stood on end, its soft appearance torn by the wrestling nights slumber.
Quietly, his body shifted and his head lifted off the dirt and into the air, sagging just so. He didn't look around, but just sat there for a while, blinking occasionally, sniffing the air, testing for Azula or the cubs. Tamu debated, and pondered, and debated some more.
'Ahhh.' he groaned, flopping to his side in a flurry of dirt that scattered in the air. 'More sleep.' Just five more minutes of it.
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:43 pm
Sitting just to Tamu's left, out of his field of immediate vision, was Zari, who had been choosen to stay behind while Azula took the other children out to begin hunting lessons. Her disobedience in following Azula's instruction the day before (wandering away from the den where she had been explicitly told to stay put) resulted in her punishment of missing out on today's outing.
Zari, needless to say, was very upset.
Ocassionally a soft sniff could be heard as she stared almost unblinking into the harsh heat waves over the sands. Big girls, especially not Firekin, didn't cry. Big girls, especially not Firekin, didn't cry. The mantra was uttered shakily in her mind as she tried hard to hold back the disappointed tears and be strong like mother would've wanted, but it just wasn't fair!
Azula had come back in a fairly good mood, but upon finding she'd been disobeyed she was quick to act on a punishment. Several swats, a stern glare, reduced portions at dinner, and then of course today's punishment... All because she'd wanted to go out and have some fun instead of sleeping all day?
Definitely NOT fair.
She finally seemed to give up when she found she couldn't see past her tears anymore, and her eyes ached and burned with the effort. Zari padded over quietly to the large male (who had already begun to stir, she'd just not responded) and pushed herself in against his chest where his mane grew the thickest, hiding from the world it seemed. Her own black and white streaked tail thrashed once before curling about her hindquarters, and a soft whimper was the only sign that Zari wasn't sleeping, even if she was being unusually quiet.
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:56 pm
Granted, Tamu was a good father given that he cared for his cubs as any humane creature would, however it wasn't always that he was capable of handling the lot, or worse coping with their groans and fusses and overall tears.
His body did not jerk, did not jolt in shock as the cub placed herself upon him. Honestly, he felt it little, and breathed in at first before Zari's smell lingered close to his face. His eyes slit, peering to his daughter in quiet suspicion.
‘Sweety…’ His voice was hoarse, rich with the raspy tone that he had grown into since his teen months. He faded slightly, in the way one does when they are drifting off, but managed to tilt his head, rubbing that large chin against Zari's head.
‘What’s the matter…’
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:10 pm
"Momma and the others left without me...!" She whined pitifully, sniffling again and only moving to hide herself further as Tamu's chin rubbed against her in an effort to comfort. Nevermind that it was her own fault for misbehaving! "And my stomach hurts... m'hungry, papa!"
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:22 pm
So nice...
Zari's whines and whimpers only seemed to ease the male into a thicker want for sleep. Her, just being pressed against him, wrestling with his mane to hide deep within its covering; seeing papa as the wall that would separate her from her disappointment pleased him. He thought fondly of this daughter, Zari, often because she was always trying to be the strong one. It at times failed, for instance at this moment they shared now, but for the most part Zari really tried to please her parents--or further more her mother Azula.
Tamu'meka flexed gently against Zari, slapping his jaws together for a quick yawn, before sighing a heavy breath.
'Mom left? Where to; do you know?' He scanned the land just past the mouth of the den, and sniffed for any trailing scents. There was a distinct path following out towards where Tamu knew of a frequently used hunting terrain, but was iffy on following down it. If Zari was hungry, they'd go the opposite direction, find something small, and return even before Azula knew they were gone.
Tamu liked to do stuff like this for his kids. Spoil them behind mom's back, or do things that otherwise Azula would frown upon. Parenthood was caught on quick by Tamu, but the Youth he shared with these kiddies bore an even closer bond.
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