Post by Therdde on Jul 20, 2009 21:37:56 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Cougar
Shade - Female Cougar Cub
Maul - Female Cougar Cub
- Deep Crevice -
His children are growing quickly, just as his first litter did. They're talking better with each passing day, and Kein has made a genuine effort to spend some time with them every day. It's not enough to just sleep with them near. He wants them to know him, and to know that they are loved by /both/ their parents. As such, knowing that he has a busy day ahead of them, and that he's not sure he'll be back before they are asleep for the night, Kein has remained here through the early morning, watching them as they sleep. Nayeli has gone off for a while. He's not sure why, and he doesn't care. She deserves to spend however long she needs doing whatever she wants, the few chances that she gets.
One of the two cubs, who had previously been deeply asleep, is now facing a difficult decision. Should she continue to doze, or should she direct her attention to the waking world? Her eyes split open, but remain for now in a half-lidded state. Even through the initial blur, she makes out the unmistakable figure that is her father. Of course, even before seeing him, she knew he was there. She's learned his scent, and the sounds he makes as he breathes. "Daddy." Shade purrs. Not out of a desire to command his attention, merely to voice her satisfaction that he's right here.
She's so beautiful. Even more beautiful when she speaks, and Kein stands to take just a couple small steps to close the very small distance between himself and his daughter, after which he lowers his head to rub against her and whisper to her, "Good morning, cubbie." There is the soft rumbling of a purr in his own voice as he speaks, and his tone is filled with love. This as-of-yet unnamed cub who they have only occasionally referred to as Anya may or may not be the returned soul of his mother. He doesn't think she is. But even if she were, there is no way he could love the girl more.
With a soft 'umphhh', the cub pushes herself up, onto her haunches. She sways and wobbles, but uses the added height to rest a tiny paw on her father's nose and groom his forehead. "Good morning." She repeats, amused by the way the syllables in the latter word roll off her tongue. "Morning." She repeats, and then a few times more, her voice woven with laughter.
Kein dips his head very slowly, as to avoid making Shade's paw fall off of his nose, in an attempt to make it just a little easier for his daughter to groom his forehead. How can he not think she's the most adorable thing ever? Chuckling softly at her repetition of the phrase he used, he says, "Very good. Morning." Kein waits for his daughter to finish grooming him before he lies down before her and asks, "Did you have beautiful dreams?"
After assuring herself that he father is spotless, she shift so that she might look into one of his eyes, fascinated at it's appearance from this close up. "Morning." She says to him once more, in her sweetest voice. "Yes. Many lovely dreams." Although they don't all make sense to her. With her limited knowledge of what the world looks like, the imagery that would flit through her sleep was strange and foreign, but undeniably intriguing.
It is only a few minutes of them talking and laughing before Maul follows her sister's suit and wakes up. She cannot, after all, allow others to have all the fun. She rolls over, first thing, upon waking, and yawns widely. In that time, she realizes that the deep chuckling and voice is not that of Mommy, which means... Hmph! You would think they'd have learned, by now, that she likes Mommy much more than Daddy, and acted accordingly, but as she opens her eyes, it is confirmed that Mommy is no where to be seen. Hmph. Well, at least her sister is here, and Daddy /doesn't/ get Shade all to herself. "An'a!" After she speaks, she jumps up to join her sister, a bit stumbly as she does so.
They have learned. They don't know why, but they have learned. Maul is the only child who has had a very obviously favorite parent for no good reason, or at least, no apparent reason. But regardless of whether they have learned, /Maul/ will have to learn that she doesn't always get to pick which parent takes care of her. Kein looks in the direction of his other young daughter and greets her with a smile and a purr, and just as he did with Shade, he says, "Good morning, Maul."
"Maul!" 'Anya' chirps delightedly when her sister joins them, although oblivious to Maul's disapproval at their current parental company. "Morning." She adds brightly, stepping back off Daddy's face. Despite her insistence on doing so with care, however, she ends up flopping down onto her side with a tiny squeak of surprise. She recovers quickly enough, giggling to confirm that she's just fine.
Her sister! /Hers/! Like any young child with a favorite toy, Maul stakes her claim on her sister quiet effectively, by leaping at her and, of course, falling short. She may have failed to actually touch Shade, but at least she put herself much closer to her sister. Not Daddy's sister-toy. Her sister-toy. It is only after she pounces at her sister that Maul greets her father, and she only does because she knows how important it is to use her manners, to not be rude. Mommy says so. "Morning, Daddy." She says it without bothering to look at him, instead keeping most of her attention on her sister.
Kein takes a step back as Maul makes her desire to play with her sister very well known. He still smiles, even if Maul does all but ignore him. Whatever this phase is that she's going through, they are still both absolutely adorable, and even when he is barred from playing by moody cubs, he finds it relaxing to just watch their carefree playing.
Shade blinks, staring at Maul as she falls just short of her. She could easily take advantage of her sister's failure and pounce /her/. But... well, that wouldn't be right. "Try again!" She scurries backwards, then turns and eyes Maul daringly. Although she doesn't have precise control of it yet, her still tail flicks and twitches about playfully.
Could any child ask for a better toy than a playful sibling? Maul giggles as she gets back up to her feet, then she crouches in preparation for pouncing at her sister again. This time, when she leaps, she is starting out much closer, and she has a much better chance of actually landing on her sister. Her mindset is every bit as playful as her sister's, though, and Maul has learned about claws and teeth. Hers remain far away from her sister, tiny claws sheathed and mouth far away from her littermate.
Although she knows Maul wouldn't even hurt her, there's always an unconscious fear of things sailing through the air at her. So even if the original goal was to encourage her sister in her own strange way, Shade can't help but try and dart away. Of course, there's not much room to maneuver, so Maul would manage to land right on her tail. Shade mews, but she's not in pain. Maul is not nearly heavy enough to really squish her. She rolls onto her back, trying to bat at her sister's ears.
Maul giggles again as she catches her sister's tail. It takes some effort to not nip at it, even if she has it in her mind that it is horribly rude to nip, even in play. Batting, however, is absolutely fair game, and as her sister bats at her ears, she giggles harder and releases the tail to hop around her sister and try to bat at the other girl's legs and shoulders. Ha! She can do it too!
Shade repositions herself on one side, trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. She's rather ticklish, and the assault to her shoulders is an /agony/ to bear, for sure. She kicks lightly at Maul with her hindlegs, attempting to fend her back. Although her resolve is crumbling, and a few short chuckles escape her maw.
Though playful, Maul is not highly competitive. It is more important to her to keep her play partner than to win, and so, as Shade attempts to push her away, Maul makes absolutely no effort to not be pushed, simply making it easier for Shade to push away, at which point she 'stumbles' onto her side. Were she obviously losing, she might try harder, but at it is, she's just having fun, and on her side as she is, she just stares at her sister, daring her sister to come near her.
Kein continues to watch, but he can tell that the game remains all in good fun, so he doesn't interrupt. He simply sits at the mouth of the cave and watches, smiling at the playing between his youngest cubs. It's fundamentally different than the fighting his first litter did. Is it because they're both girls, or are they both just more relaxed? Either way, it's a welcome break from the actual fighting his first litter did.
Even though Shade's main interest is just seeing Maul happy, unlike her sister, there is some innate motive to prevail. One she's not even /aware/ of. As the other cub is 'pushed' back, she springs up to topple her sibling over. If only just to be on top /once/ during their game. None of her motions are harsh, granted, as their father observes. It is only a game, after all.
Maul giggles more and grabs at her sister as the other cub winds up on top of her. She doesn't attempt to roll or anything else. No, she only tries to hold onto her sister, combined with the enthusiastic statement, "My sister!" Despite the actual words she uses, her tone suggests she might just as well be saying, "I love you!"
As the playing seems to be winding down, perhaps just a little bit, Kein approaches his cubs again, and again lays down on the ground near Maul and Shade. "My daughters." His tone is similar to Maul's, if just a little less enthusiastic. It still contains a great deal of love and affection.
And what does she do now? Shade stares down at her sister, perplexed. But then Maul's voice brings her smile back again. She leans her head over to lick at her sibling's ears, in her own odd display of affection. "Fun!" She remarks, even as fatigue starts to set in. She sees their father approach, looking up to greet him with another purr. She wonders where her mother is, but Shade is one to be content with the present circumstance, so long as everything seems to be going well.
Maul gives her father what might be misinterpreted as a critical gaze. After only a brief moment of looking at him like that, though, she smiles and attempts to roll over, still holding onto her sister, to rest against her father. He was smart enough to not try to interfere in the actual playing. She'll try, for the next few minutes, to ignore the general discomfort she feels around Kein, to snuggle with both her sister and her father.
And once in a while, Maul does somethign really cute to make up for all of the times she makes it clear she likes Nayeli much more than she likes him. Kein remains where he is, but once his daughters get close enough, he will snuggle with them both quite happily for as long as it takes for Nayeli to return.
"Daddy. Maul." Shade seems to sense that Maul is not altogether comfortable. She gives her father a nuzzle, before nestling up especially close to the other cub, resting her chin on her sister's cheek. Thankfully, Shade manages to avoid purring at her usual thundering volume, to go for a more sleepy tone, and spare her littermate's eardrums.
Once they are both near Kein, Maul nuzzles up against Shade, returning the purring exactly in kind. She may have just woken up, but they played hard, and she wouldn't might resting until Mommy returns, especially with the pleasant purring sounds that surround her.
Kein - Male Cougar
Shade - Female Cougar Cub
Maul - Female Cougar Cub
- Deep Crevice -
His children are growing quickly, just as his first litter did. They're talking better with each passing day, and Kein has made a genuine effort to spend some time with them every day. It's not enough to just sleep with them near. He wants them to know him, and to know that they are loved by /both/ their parents. As such, knowing that he has a busy day ahead of them, and that he's not sure he'll be back before they are asleep for the night, Kein has remained here through the early morning, watching them as they sleep. Nayeli has gone off for a while. He's not sure why, and he doesn't care. She deserves to spend however long she needs doing whatever she wants, the few chances that she gets.
One of the two cubs, who had previously been deeply asleep, is now facing a difficult decision. Should she continue to doze, or should she direct her attention to the waking world? Her eyes split open, but remain for now in a half-lidded state. Even through the initial blur, she makes out the unmistakable figure that is her father. Of course, even before seeing him, she knew he was there. She's learned his scent, and the sounds he makes as he breathes. "Daddy." Shade purrs. Not out of a desire to command his attention, merely to voice her satisfaction that he's right here.
She's so beautiful. Even more beautiful when she speaks, and Kein stands to take just a couple small steps to close the very small distance between himself and his daughter, after which he lowers his head to rub against her and whisper to her, "Good morning, cubbie." There is the soft rumbling of a purr in his own voice as he speaks, and his tone is filled with love. This as-of-yet unnamed cub who they have only occasionally referred to as Anya may or may not be the returned soul of his mother. He doesn't think she is. But even if she were, there is no way he could love the girl more.
With a soft 'umphhh', the cub pushes herself up, onto her haunches. She sways and wobbles, but uses the added height to rest a tiny paw on her father's nose and groom his forehead. "Good morning." She repeats, amused by the way the syllables in the latter word roll off her tongue. "Morning." She repeats, and then a few times more, her voice woven with laughter.
Kein dips his head very slowly, as to avoid making Shade's paw fall off of his nose, in an attempt to make it just a little easier for his daughter to groom his forehead. How can he not think she's the most adorable thing ever? Chuckling softly at her repetition of the phrase he used, he says, "Very good. Morning." Kein waits for his daughter to finish grooming him before he lies down before her and asks, "Did you have beautiful dreams?"
After assuring herself that he father is spotless, she shift so that she might look into one of his eyes, fascinated at it's appearance from this close up. "Morning." She says to him once more, in her sweetest voice. "Yes. Many lovely dreams." Although they don't all make sense to her. With her limited knowledge of what the world looks like, the imagery that would flit through her sleep was strange and foreign, but undeniably intriguing.
It is only a few minutes of them talking and laughing before Maul follows her sister's suit and wakes up. She cannot, after all, allow others to have all the fun. She rolls over, first thing, upon waking, and yawns widely. In that time, she realizes that the deep chuckling and voice is not that of Mommy, which means... Hmph! You would think they'd have learned, by now, that she likes Mommy much more than Daddy, and acted accordingly, but as she opens her eyes, it is confirmed that Mommy is no where to be seen. Hmph. Well, at least her sister is here, and Daddy /doesn't/ get Shade all to herself. "An'a!" After she speaks, she jumps up to join her sister, a bit stumbly as she does so.
They have learned. They don't know why, but they have learned. Maul is the only child who has had a very obviously favorite parent for no good reason, or at least, no apparent reason. But regardless of whether they have learned, /Maul/ will have to learn that she doesn't always get to pick which parent takes care of her. Kein looks in the direction of his other young daughter and greets her with a smile and a purr, and just as he did with Shade, he says, "Good morning, Maul."
"Maul!" 'Anya' chirps delightedly when her sister joins them, although oblivious to Maul's disapproval at their current parental company. "Morning." She adds brightly, stepping back off Daddy's face. Despite her insistence on doing so with care, however, she ends up flopping down onto her side with a tiny squeak of surprise. She recovers quickly enough, giggling to confirm that she's just fine.
Her sister! /Hers/! Like any young child with a favorite toy, Maul stakes her claim on her sister quiet effectively, by leaping at her and, of course, falling short. She may have failed to actually touch Shade, but at least she put herself much closer to her sister. Not Daddy's sister-toy. Her sister-toy. It is only after she pounces at her sister that Maul greets her father, and she only does because she knows how important it is to use her manners, to not be rude. Mommy says so. "Morning, Daddy." She says it without bothering to look at him, instead keeping most of her attention on her sister.
Kein takes a step back as Maul makes her desire to play with her sister very well known. He still smiles, even if Maul does all but ignore him. Whatever this phase is that she's going through, they are still both absolutely adorable, and even when he is barred from playing by moody cubs, he finds it relaxing to just watch their carefree playing.
Shade blinks, staring at Maul as she falls just short of her. She could easily take advantage of her sister's failure and pounce /her/. But... well, that wouldn't be right. "Try again!" She scurries backwards, then turns and eyes Maul daringly. Although she doesn't have precise control of it yet, her still tail flicks and twitches about playfully.
Could any child ask for a better toy than a playful sibling? Maul giggles as she gets back up to her feet, then she crouches in preparation for pouncing at her sister again. This time, when she leaps, she is starting out much closer, and she has a much better chance of actually landing on her sister. Her mindset is every bit as playful as her sister's, though, and Maul has learned about claws and teeth. Hers remain far away from her sister, tiny claws sheathed and mouth far away from her littermate.
Although she knows Maul wouldn't even hurt her, there's always an unconscious fear of things sailing through the air at her. So even if the original goal was to encourage her sister in her own strange way, Shade can't help but try and dart away. Of course, there's not much room to maneuver, so Maul would manage to land right on her tail. Shade mews, but she's not in pain. Maul is not nearly heavy enough to really squish her. She rolls onto her back, trying to bat at her sister's ears.
Maul giggles again as she catches her sister's tail. It takes some effort to not nip at it, even if she has it in her mind that it is horribly rude to nip, even in play. Batting, however, is absolutely fair game, and as her sister bats at her ears, she giggles harder and releases the tail to hop around her sister and try to bat at the other girl's legs and shoulders. Ha! She can do it too!
Shade repositions herself on one side, trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. She's rather ticklish, and the assault to her shoulders is an /agony/ to bear, for sure. She kicks lightly at Maul with her hindlegs, attempting to fend her back. Although her resolve is crumbling, and a few short chuckles escape her maw.
Though playful, Maul is not highly competitive. It is more important to her to keep her play partner than to win, and so, as Shade attempts to push her away, Maul makes absolutely no effort to not be pushed, simply making it easier for Shade to push away, at which point she 'stumbles' onto her side. Were she obviously losing, she might try harder, but at it is, she's just having fun, and on her side as she is, she just stares at her sister, daring her sister to come near her.
Kein continues to watch, but he can tell that the game remains all in good fun, so he doesn't interrupt. He simply sits at the mouth of the cave and watches, smiling at the playing between his youngest cubs. It's fundamentally different than the fighting his first litter did. Is it because they're both girls, or are they both just more relaxed? Either way, it's a welcome break from the actual fighting his first litter did.
Even though Shade's main interest is just seeing Maul happy, unlike her sister, there is some innate motive to prevail. One she's not even /aware/ of. As the other cub is 'pushed' back, she springs up to topple her sibling over. If only just to be on top /once/ during their game. None of her motions are harsh, granted, as their father observes. It is only a game, after all.
Maul giggles more and grabs at her sister as the other cub winds up on top of her. She doesn't attempt to roll or anything else. No, she only tries to hold onto her sister, combined with the enthusiastic statement, "My sister!" Despite the actual words she uses, her tone suggests she might just as well be saying, "I love you!"
As the playing seems to be winding down, perhaps just a little bit, Kein approaches his cubs again, and again lays down on the ground near Maul and Shade. "My daughters." His tone is similar to Maul's, if just a little less enthusiastic. It still contains a great deal of love and affection.
And what does she do now? Shade stares down at her sister, perplexed. But then Maul's voice brings her smile back again. She leans her head over to lick at her sibling's ears, in her own odd display of affection. "Fun!" She remarks, even as fatigue starts to set in. She sees their father approach, looking up to greet him with another purr. She wonders where her mother is, but Shade is one to be content with the present circumstance, so long as everything seems to be going well.
Maul gives her father what might be misinterpreted as a critical gaze. After only a brief moment of looking at him like that, though, she smiles and attempts to roll over, still holding onto her sister, to rest against her father. He was smart enough to not try to interfere in the actual playing. She'll try, for the next few minutes, to ignore the general discomfort she feels around Kein, to snuggle with both her sister and her father.
And once in a while, Maul does somethign really cute to make up for all of the times she makes it clear she likes Nayeli much more than she likes him. Kein remains where he is, but once his daughters get close enough, he will snuggle with them both quite happily for as long as it takes for Nayeli to return.
"Daddy. Maul." Shade seems to sense that Maul is not altogether comfortable. She gives her father a nuzzle, before nestling up especially close to the other cub, resting her chin on her sister's cheek. Thankfully, Shade manages to avoid purring at her usual thundering volume, to go for a more sleepy tone, and spare her littermate's eardrums.
Once they are both near Kein, Maul nuzzles up against Shade, returning the purring exactly in kind. She may have just woken up, but they played hard, and she wouldn't might resting until Mommy returns, especially with the pleasant purring sounds that surround her.