Post by Therdde on Jul 30, 2009 10:20:36 GMT -5
Characters:
Maul - Female Cougar Cub
Sweet-Rain - Female Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
Daddy told her something she only slightly understood. Something about them getting a visitor who was going to be giving them something. She would never turn down a present, but apparently Shade was less excited about it than she was, as Maul's sister fell asleep. Maul is by herself in the mouth of the cave, watching for her visitor and humming idly to herself.
It's hard to ever miss Sweet Rain drawing near. She takes her time to visit the newest cubs of Amaranth, bringing with her a heavy, full branch of leaves and tiny, soft, red, berries in her mouth. Though it isn't exactly comfortable, she doesn't mind it too much. As she comes closer, she sees one cub in the cave looking right back at her in the eyes. That's Maul, without a doubt. She motions her head, encouraging one or both of the girls to come see her. Though they may not remember her, she certainly remembers them. Sweet Rain drops the broad bush on the ground, and continues walking a bit to the cave. "Good morning, Maul. Are you and your sister awake?"
Is this her visitor? Maul tilts her head at the "gift". What is...? Before she can finish her question to herself, the cougaress greets her by name, and the girl stands up to approach Sweet Rain. "An'a sleepin'. I'm 'wake, though." Because, you know, that was part of the question. Maul remains very sedate as she approaches, and stops walking when she is just a few feet away from Sweet Rain.
"That's fine. I'll be here all day." Sweet Rain can't help but smile at the little cub. She remembers that *everyone* was that small at one point. "Well, did your dad tell you what I have for you, Maul?" She turns and walks back to her branch, giving it a little shake with her large paw. Not waiting for an answer, she shows of her shoulder to the girl. "You are growing quickly. So, like every other big Sister of the Tribe, you're going to get your Amaranth markings, like mine. I'm sure you've seen Nayeli's too."
That's really not the type of gift that Maul had been picturing, but after she hears what Sweet Rain says, she smiles brightly. "Okay!" Young though she is, she is old enough to know precisely how significant this present is, how it marks her as a member of something bigger than just their immediate family. Yes, she likes this gift. After prancing a couple steps closer to Sweet Rain, she turns so her shoulder is to the much larger cougaress.
Sweet-Rain hums. "Good!" By now she has already begun picking off several odd smelling berries. Most are a piercing, vivid, red color, some aren't ripe yet and show streaks of green on one side of the berries. Sweet Rain decides she's going to need a hole to smash them in; she stands and with a strong few swipes, sits back down and carefully brushes several berries into the hole. Looking into it, she decides that she will need quite a few more. "You seem quite excited, Maul. I admire that." Sweet Rain makes small talk while she works to the best of her abilities, and with her big paws, to remove tiny red berries from the branch.
Of COURSE she's excited. Why wouldn't she be? As Sweet Rain praises her for it, though, she purrs pleasantly. "Thank you!" She's not really sure why she is being praised, but she really doesn't care. Any praise is good praise. "Um... How long it takes?" Speaking skills. She doesn't have them. Still, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what Maul is asking.
Sweet-Rain continues picking more fruit before answering Maul, stalling as much as she guesses a little cub's patience can tolerate. Not much. "Once I'm done picking these little berries, it won't take long, I promise." She brushes what she's accomplished into the hole... just a few more. "But you have to do something for me when we're done. You have to make sure you don't mess up your fur until it dries, okay? No rolling on the grass, no wrestling with your sister. We want this to look nice as possible, right? I can see you know how important this is." Sweet Rain seems to talk to cubs more than adults, or at least feel more comfortable.
Maul watches Sweet Rain intently as she works and speaks. Not rolling in the grass will be easy, and not wrestling with Shade will be very easy... So after a moment, she nods eagerly. "Promise!" It's easily worth it if she gets a marking like Mommy and Daddy have, like she /should/ have. Like she seems to remember having.
"Good girl." Sweet-Rain again brushes the berries she has into the hole and examines it. "Perfect." She smiles at Maul, who is wonderfully patient and very eager for the markings. There isn't a need for Rain to stand up to smash the red berries; she just simply does it. It feels like stepping on thin grass after a heavy rainfall. And sounds like it, too! "Are you ready Maul?" Dumb question, but Sweet Rain keeps up the conversation with the cub so her endurance doesn't run thin. She removes the paw used for smashing the fruit, then wipes it on the ground. Picking up her clean paw, she dips a single claw and part of her paw in the dye. Sweet Rain, applies it to the first part of her marking on Maul's shoulder. In her head, thoughts of her own marking, Nayeli's, Kein, Chandani, and Paoro's. "Hold still now..."
Maul holds perfectly still as Sweet Rain begins to apply the marking. She does twist her head to look at her shoulder, though, and after a brief moment, she shakes her head. "Nuh-uh. Wrong." There's no anger in her tone, but there is concern. It doesn't look right. It doesn't look like... What she remembers. After speaking, Maul turns her concerned look to Sweet Rain.
Licking his muzzle carefully to clear the last few droplets of water clinging to it, Qaletaqa is disappointed to find that he still isn't moving as smoothly as he could before. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, testing his body with a hunt now. But the twinges are all but gone now, and his wounds have closed. Well, if it's all too much for him, he can always just head back, it's no big deal. The young cougar may not make it to his goal, though, for the sound of voices distracts him. Something's going on. He stops, apprehensive, before deciding to investigate what's going on. No harm in looking, right? Well, maybe. He still isn't used to the fact that he's not an intruder. Not...entirely, anyway.
Sweet-Rain shakes her head, and stops. "What do you mean wrong, cub?" Her tone is surprised and confused, but only to some extent. "It isn't supposed to look *exactly* like mine, or Nayeli, just sort of alike." She smiles and continues the rather slow process of Amaranth markings.
Maul still doesn't move. She doesn't want to mess Sweet Rain up. Her enthusiasm from before is gone, though. "But... It doesn't look like... Before." She can see it in her mind, and closes her eyes to do so. She can feel the comfort that came with not having to run anymore. But she can't possibly know *how* or *why* she feels strange, like this. After a moment, she opens her eyes to affix that same concerned gaze on Sweet Rain again.
Qaletaqa tries to keep as quiet as he can, and lays his ears back as he peers around a rock. What's going on? Of course, he recognizes Sweet Rain, but Maul is new to him. Hardly surprising, since he really hasn't had much to do with the cubs of Amaranth. Curiosity gets the better of him and he perks his ears a little, leaning further out to get a better look. He's never been part of a ceremony like this before, but he hasn't yet realized that he as an audience may not be too welcome.
She plays along, but Sweet Rain is starting to get more concerned with the cub. She looks over her and checks her other shoulder, making *sure* somebody didn't already to this to her. "Before, Maul?" She licks her lips, smiling again, feeling more and more like she's falling for an ingenious prank. Either way, she halts dyeing, just for the time being.
"Before. When..." How to explain this to Sweet Rain? "When Daddy was little, and you were new, you saw it." Before. Why she is so convinced that the very adult cougaress she sees in her mind is her, or at least that she should have the same marking as that cougaress, she doesn't know. She "remembers" that Sweet Rain saw the cougaress with the marking that she should have, though. Before. Qale goes entirely unnoticed, as focused on this as Maul is.
Not having been chased off yet, Qale listens curiously to the conversation. Cheeky little cub, telling her elder exactly how she wants to be marked! Qale would snort, if he wasn't trying to be so quiet. Cubs. He wonders if this is one of Kein's, and at the thought of the Chieftain he looks about nervously as if expecting to be caught any minute now. But fascination keeps him in his place. This kind of symbol, of actually belonging somewhere...he can't help but feel a little jealous of the cub.
What is going on here? Sweet Rain looks around, wondering if Nayeli may have told Maul to say this, but only sees Maul's sister hard asleep. She stares at the cub, trying to figure out. She's being entirely serious, she can tell. "What do you mean I saw it? The marking?" Of course she remembers Kein as a cub, and of course she remembers when she became a Sister. Sweet Rain isn't even entirely sure she can expect a better answer from so young of a cougaress, but whatever it is Maul is trying to converse, she seems very adamant in trying to convey the point to her. She discontinues marking Maul, and places her paw back on the earth.
Maul nods her head. Yes, the marking. "When-" The young cub closes her eyes. When Daddy was little, and Sweet Rain was new... Some things, she can't see. It hurts her to try to see them. Other than that, what she sees feels very much like a dream, but like one that she had hours ago, and she can just barely hold on to details, and only when she applies all her will. "When you were someone else, and you didn't want to leave. And you saw the other me." Maul opens her eyes again, reluctantly. There is frustration in her tone, as she doesn't even know why she feels this way, much less how to explain it.
"Hey, hey..." Sweet Rain is just as confused as Maul is at this point. The other Maul? Her sister? She lies down at her level, and smiles. "Take it easy, cub." Kein or Nayeli should really be here. "We'll just take a break for now." Maybe the poor cub was so excited for her marking that she didn't get enough sleep, and it showing now. It feels that way. Showing the cub, she wants her to relax, the big puma rolls on to her side. Still watching Maul closely, Sweet Rain takes a deep breath. "Ahhh... You have some..." She stops what she says right there, and shakes her head..... There's no *WAY* Maul could have guessed that Sweet Rain came to the tribe as a rogue and knew her father as a cub, or possibly know what she did or didn't see.. Suddenly her ears perk up and her head tilts. Dreams can't provide that kind of information... can they? Does the girl remember that well about Rain's past, if Nayeli told her about it?
Maul keeps her frown, but does not complain. Not out loud. She said something wrong, she was too picky, and now... "I'm sorry. I-" Tears sting at the small cub's eyes, and she looks away. Is it more important to her to have her marking, or to have the marking look right? "It's okay, if it's different. I didn't mean to make you stop. I'm sorry." She doesn't want to have to not get her marking. She wants it so badly, was so excited for it, and to have to go back into the cave with only a partially finished marking... She closes her eyes against the tears that threaten to fall.
Qaletaqa drops his ears, feeling very awkward. Obviously the cub's complaining has stopped the little ceremony, but he feels bad for her all the same. Maybe he should take this as a sign to leave, this might not be the happy occasion it should be if it continues like this. So Qale takes a step or two away, and manages to back himself right into a cliche - a loose rock shifts under his paw as he steps on it. The sound is tiny, the faintest scraping, but he freezes anyway. It wasn't loud. They probably didn't hear anything. He'll just wait to make sure of that before beating a real retreat.
Sweet Rain's ears flick at the sound. At these slopes, any rock can come sliding down and make noise. That isn't a concern to Sweet Rain, only an upset cub matters. "Shhh... Hey, relax, Maul..." The cub knows something somehow, that she shouldn't know. That, or she has a phenomenal memory of what her parents have told her. "Don't cry. There's nothing to cry about... I know you really wanted your markings... I want to talk to your mommy first, okay?" She has a few concerns and questions, but none, she feels, are urgent. She feels like she just has to satisfy what Maul feels is right for markings. Maybe she told her mother what she wanted, but is having difficulties describing it to Sweet Rain... Maybe, maybe, maybe. There are too many maybes right now. Hopefully that won't upset Maul too much.
But... Maul might protest, but when she looks back at Sweet Rain, she spots another cougar over Sweet Rain's shoulder. Not Daddy. Thankfully, not Daddy. How is Daddy going to react when he gets home? Maul swallows hard and nods to Sweet Rain, then looks back to the stranger. She's not supposed to talk to strangers. She's *supposed* to point them out to the first adult she sees that she knows. So, even with how upset she is, that's what she does. "There's someone-" Her throat is tight, so she stops speaking. Instead of whatever she might have said to finish that sentence, she nods with her head, toward Qaletaqa.
Qaletaqa thinks he's free to start making his escape when Sweet Rain doesn't appear to notice him. Turning aside, he begins to slink away carefully, low to the ground, but his escape route brings him over the top of the shelter the rock he was hiding behind provided. When Maul points him out, he has taken a quick bound or two away to slightly higher ground before he can stop himself. Running is his panic response. But after the jumps he forces himself to stop. After all, he has every right to be here, doesn't he? Well, sort of. Okay, not really, he admits to himself as he turns to look down at the pair sheepishly, but he can always claim ignorance.
Sweet-Rain is about to continue her effort to help Maul feel better, when she calls out somebody. Not expecting any trouble, but ready for it, she sits up, stands up, and begins walking to where the cub pointed before even looking who's there. "...Qaletaqa." She mutters to herself more than anyone. Briefly Sweet Rain looks behind her and calls to Maul. "Stay..." She was going to say more, but seeing an upset cub makes the adult feel almost the same way. The jog to Qale is quick; she wants to know what he's up to. While he is allowed in the Tribe, she doubts Nayeli would be exceptionally happy having him so close to her cub. With all the time she has spent with Qale as a student, perhaps she is much more trusting of him. "Good morning, Qaletaqa. Nice to see you." She hopes nothing is wrong...
Maul flattens her ears when she is ordered to stay, but she nods obediently. Yes, she'll stay. That's probably what Mommy or Daddy would have her do, anyway. The flattening of her ears doesn't last long, though, as she perks them up again to try to listen in on what might be said. For as long as she has something else to occupy her, even if it is a bit of eavesdropping, perhaps she won't be quite so upset about her own troubles.
It says something about Qale that even the approach of a cougar like Sweet Rain has him putting his ears back guiltily. "G'morning...um, look, I didn't mean to interrupt anything," he says quickly, looking from Sweet Rain to Maul. He thinks he's been caught out, and like Sweet Rain he's having some very worried thoughts about what would happen if he were caught near one of the tribe's cubs. "Um, I was just going to, um, leave...leave you alone..." He waves a paw in a circle, in a general indication of the marking.
"... Yeah, it isn't a bad idea..." Sweet Rain isn't implying that she would ever leave a sad cub alone, she just doesn't like she's saddened because of her. Honestly, she doesn't feel like sharing what she thinks with her teacher; not because it's private, but because he wouldn't believe some of the ideas going through Rain's head. "We'll talk some other time, Qaletaqa, I promise. It's just..." She forces a laugh, "Just an odd morning... Next time you see her, she'll have her markings."
"Of...of course," Qale says, looking at Maul. Even though he is thinking it, he wouldn't ever dare tell Sweet Rain that Maul might just be being a picky brat. After all, it's not his place at all, and Maul does seem quite upset by something...though that might just be because she isn't getting the marking she wants. "Um, good luck, I'll get out of your way now, then." Qale backs away awkwardly before turning aside. A hunt would be most welcome now, even if he didn't manage to catch anything.
With a nod, Sweet Rain watches Qale exit. She departs him back for Maul, who still didn't look too pleased. As she comes closer, she looks at the small hole with the berry dye in it. "Are you okay, cub?" She does feel guilty for not marking Maul, but she wants to find the missing pieces to her puzzle before she continues. It still makes little sense to her, how Maul would know something about back when she called herself Nium?
That distraction didn't last very long at all. Maul is not at all angry with Sweet Rain. If anything, she feels a little guilty herself. How can she not, when she feels like she is being punished? Something she said had to have been wrong. With a timid nod of her head, she says, "I'm okay." At least she no longer feels like she is going to start crying.
"Good. I'm glad. Look, I can see you aren't happy about not getting your marking today." Sweet Rain sighs, giving it one last honest attempt. "But it isn't a bad thing. Don't worry, Maul. I just want to speak to your mother briefly before I dye you, okay? Don't feel sad, okay?" Sweet Rain has probably not said so many words at one time in her life than to this cub.
Maul looks back to the cave. The way that Sweet Rain speaks... Well, she can hope that she'll get her marking soon, right? Nodding her head, she asks, "Do... Um, I can go tell Mommy you want to talk to her?" And, no doubt, Maul will be eavesdropping in on that conversation too, if she can. The last one was just a distraction. This one, if it happens, she actually cares about.
Sweet-Rain shakes her head. "Yes, please. Tell her I will come back tomorrow morning, after sunrise. I'm going to leave for a while, don't leave your den, okay?" She does sincerely care for the poor girl who probably had her day ruined by only getting a meager start to the marking. That doesn't feel great. The cougaress doesn't want Maul to feel like she's just leaving her, so she waits for Maul to return to her den before heading off herself. Somewhere.
Maul - Female Cougar Cub
Sweet-Rain - Female Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
Daddy told her something she only slightly understood. Something about them getting a visitor who was going to be giving them something. She would never turn down a present, but apparently Shade was less excited about it than she was, as Maul's sister fell asleep. Maul is by herself in the mouth of the cave, watching for her visitor and humming idly to herself.
It's hard to ever miss Sweet Rain drawing near. She takes her time to visit the newest cubs of Amaranth, bringing with her a heavy, full branch of leaves and tiny, soft, red, berries in her mouth. Though it isn't exactly comfortable, she doesn't mind it too much. As she comes closer, she sees one cub in the cave looking right back at her in the eyes. That's Maul, without a doubt. She motions her head, encouraging one or both of the girls to come see her. Though they may not remember her, she certainly remembers them. Sweet Rain drops the broad bush on the ground, and continues walking a bit to the cave. "Good morning, Maul. Are you and your sister awake?"
Is this her visitor? Maul tilts her head at the "gift". What is...? Before she can finish her question to herself, the cougaress greets her by name, and the girl stands up to approach Sweet Rain. "An'a sleepin'. I'm 'wake, though." Because, you know, that was part of the question. Maul remains very sedate as she approaches, and stops walking when she is just a few feet away from Sweet Rain.
"That's fine. I'll be here all day." Sweet Rain can't help but smile at the little cub. She remembers that *everyone* was that small at one point. "Well, did your dad tell you what I have for you, Maul?" She turns and walks back to her branch, giving it a little shake with her large paw. Not waiting for an answer, she shows of her shoulder to the girl. "You are growing quickly. So, like every other big Sister of the Tribe, you're going to get your Amaranth markings, like mine. I'm sure you've seen Nayeli's too."
That's really not the type of gift that Maul had been picturing, but after she hears what Sweet Rain says, she smiles brightly. "Okay!" Young though she is, she is old enough to know precisely how significant this present is, how it marks her as a member of something bigger than just their immediate family. Yes, she likes this gift. After prancing a couple steps closer to Sweet Rain, she turns so her shoulder is to the much larger cougaress.
Sweet-Rain hums. "Good!" By now she has already begun picking off several odd smelling berries. Most are a piercing, vivid, red color, some aren't ripe yet and show streaks of green on one side of the berries. Sweet Rain decides she's going to need a hole to smash them in; she stands and with a strong few swipes, sits back down and carefully brushes several berries into the hole. Looking into it, she decides that she will need quite a few more. "You seem quite excited, Maul. I admire that." Sweet Rain makes small talk while she works to the best of her abilities, and with her big paws, to remove tiny red berries from the branch.
Of COURSE she's excited. Why wouldn't she be? As Sweet Rain praises her for it, though, she purrs pleasantly. "Thank you!" She's not really sure why she is being praised, but she really doesn't care. Any praise is good praise. "Um... How long it takes?" Speaking skills. She doesn't have them. Still, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what Maul is asking.
Sweet-Rain continues picking more fruit before answering Maul, stalling as much as she guesses a little cub's patience can tolerate. Not much. "Once I'm done picking these little berries, it won't take long, I promise." She brushes what she's accomplished into the hole... just a few more. "But you have to do something for me when we're done. You have to make sure you don't mess up your fur until it dries, okay? No rolling on the grass, no wrestling with your sister. We want this to look nice as possible, right? I can see you know how important this is." Sweet Rain seems to talk to cubs more than adults, or at least feel more comfortable.
Maul watches Sweet Rain intently as she works and speaks. Not rolling in the grass will be easy, and not wrestling with Shade will be very easy... So after a moment, she nods eagerly. "Promise!" It's easily worth it if she gets a marking like Mommy and Daddy have, like she /should/ have. Like she seems to remember having.
"Good girl." Sweet-Rain again brushes the berries she has into the hole and examines it. "Perfect." She smiles at Maul, who is wonderfully patient and very eager for the markings. There isn't a need for Rain to stand up to smash the red berries; she just simply does it. It feels like stepping on thin grass after a heavy rainfall. And sounds like it, too! "Are you ready Maul?" Dumb question, but Sweet Rain keeps up the conversation with the cub so her endurance doesn't run thin. She removes the paw used for smashing the fruit, then wipes it on the ground. Picking up her clean paw, she dips a single claw and part of her paw in the dye. Sweet Rain, applies it to the first part of her marking on Maul's shoulder. In her head, thoughts of her own marking, Nayeli's, Kein, Chandani, and Paoro's. "Hold still now..."
Maul holds perfectly still as Sweet Rain begins to apply the marking. She does twist her head to look at her shoulder, though, and after a brief moment, she shakes her head. "Nuh-uh. Wrong." There's no anger in her tone, but there is concern. It doesn't look right. It doesn't look like... What she remembers. After speaking, Maul turns her concerned look to Sweet Rain.
Licking his muzzle carefully to clear the last few droplets of water clinging to it, Qaletaqa is disappointed to find that he still isn't moving as smoothly as he could before. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, testing his body with a hunt now. But the twinges are all but gone now, and his wounds have closed. Well, if it's all too much for him, he can always just head back, it's no big deal. The young cougar may not make it to his goal, though, for the sound of voices distracts him. Something's going on. He stops, apprehensive, before deciding to investigate what's going on. No harm in looking, right? Well, maybe. He still isn't used to the fact that he's not an intruder. Not...entirely, anyway.
Sweet-Rain shakes her head, and stops. "What do you mean wrong, cub?" Her tone is surprised and confused, but only to some extent. "It isn't supposed to look *exactly* like mine, or Nayeli, just sort of alike." She smiles and continues the rather slow process of Amaranth markings.
Maul still doesn't move. She doesn't want to mess Sweet Rain up. Her enthusiasm from before is gone, though. "But... It doesn't look like... Before." She can see it in her mind, and closes her eyes to do so. She can feel the comfort that came with not having to run anymore. But she can't possibly know *how* or *why* she feels strange, like this. After a moment, she opens her eyes to affix that same concerned gaze on Sweet Rain again.
Qaletaqa tries to keep as quiet as he can, and lays his ears back as he peers around a rock. What's going on? Of course, he recognizes Sweet Rain, but Maul is new to him. Hardly surprising, since he really hasn't had much to do with the cubs of Amaranth. Curiosity gets the better of him and he perks his ears a little, leaning further out to get a better look. He's never been part of a ceremony like this before, but he hasn't yet realized that he as an audience may not be too welcome.
She plays along, but Sweet Rain is starting to get more concerned with the cub. She looks over her and checks her other shoulder, making *sure* somebody didn't already to this to her. "Before, Maul?" She licks her lips, smiling again, feeling more and more like she's falling for an ingenious prank. Either way, she halts dyeing, just for the time being.
"Before. When..." How to explain this to Sweet Rain? "When Daddy was little, and you were new, you saw it." Before. Why she is so convinced that the very adult cougaress she sees in her mind is her, or at least that she should have the same marking as that cougaress, she doesn't know. She "remembers" that Sweet Rain saw the cougaress with the marking that she should have, though. Before. Qale goes entirely unnoticed, as focused on this as Maul is.
Not having been chased off yet, Qale listens curiously to the conversation. Cheeky little cub, telling her elder exactly how she wants to be marked! Qale would snort, if he wasn't trying to be so quiet. Cubs. He wonders if this is one of Kein's, and at the thought of the Chieftain he looks about nervously as if expecting to be caught any minute now. But fascination keeps him in his place. This kind of symbol, of actually belonging somewhere...he can't help but feel a little jealous of the cub.
What is going on here? Sweet Rain looks around, wondering if Nayeli may have told Maul to say this, but only sees Maul's sister hard asleep. She stares at the cub, trying to figure out. She's being entirely serious, she can tell. "What do you mean I saw it? The marking?" Of course she remembers Kein as a cub, and of course she remembers when she became a Sister. Sweet Rain isn't even entirely sure she can expect a better answer from so young of a cougaress, but whatever it is Maul is trying to converse, she seems very adamant in trying to convey the point to her. She discontinues marking Maul, and places her paw back on the earth.
Maul nods her head. Yes, the marking. "When-" The young cub closes her eyes. When Daddy was little, and Sweet Rain was new... Some things, she can't see. It hurts her to try to see them. Other than that, what she sees feels very much like a dream, but like one that she had hours ago, and she can just barely hold on to details, and only when she applies all her will. "When you were someone else, and you didn't want to leave. And you saw the other me." Maul opens her eyes again, reluctantly. There is frustration in her tone, as she doesn't even know why she feels this way, much less how to explain it.
"Hey, hey..." Sweet Rain is just as confused as Maul is at this point. The other Maul? Her sister? She lies down at her level, and smiles. "Take it easy, cub." Kein or Nayeli should really be here. "We'll just take a break for now." Maybe the poor cub was so excited for her marking that she didn't get enough sleep, and it showing now. It feels that way. Showing the cub, she wants her to relax, the big puma rolls on to her side. Still watching Maul closely, Sweet Rain takes a deep breath. "Ahhh... You have some..." She stops what she says right there, and shakes her head..... There's no *WAY* Maul could have guessed that Sweet Rain came to the tribe as a rogue and knew her father as a cub, or possibly know what she did or didn't see.. Suddenly her ears perk up and her head tilts. Dreams can't provide that kind of information... can they? Does the girl remember that well about Rain's past, if Nayeli told her about it?
Maul keeps her frown, but does not complain. Not out loud. She said something wrong, she was too picky, and now... "I'm sorry. I-" Tears sting at the small cub's eyes, and she looks away. Is it more important to her to have her marking, or to have the marking look right? "It's okay, if it's different. I didn't mean to make you stop. I'm sorry." She doesn't want to have to not get her marking. She wants it so badly, was so excited for it, and to have to go back into the cave with only a partially finished marking... She closes her eyes against the tears that threaten to fall.
Qaletaqa drops his ears, feeling very awkward. Obviously the cub's complaining has stopped the little ceremony, but he feels bad for her all the same. Maybe he should take this as a sign to leave, this might not be the happy occasion it should be if it continues like this. So Qale takes a step or two away, and manages to back himself right into a cliche - a loose rock shifts under his paw as he steps on it. The sound is tiny, the faintest scraping, but he freezes anyway. It wasn't loud. They probably didn't hear anything. He'll just wait to make sure of that before beating a real retreat.
Sweet Rain's ears flick at the sound. At these slopes, any rock can come sliding down and make noise. That isn't a concern to Sweet Rain, only an upset cub matters. "Shhh... Hey, relax, Maul..." The cub knows something somehow, that she shouldn't know. That, or she has a phenomenal memory of what her parents have told her. "Don't cry. There's nothing to cry about... I know you really wanted your markings... I want to talk to your mommy first, okay?" She has a few concerns and questions, but none, she feels, are urgent. She feels like she just has to satisfy what Maul feels is right for markings. Maybe she told her mother what she wanted, but is having difficulties describing it to Sweet Rain... Maybe, maybe, maybe. There are too many maybes right now. Hopefully that won't upset Maul too much.
But... Maul might protest, but when she looks back at Sweet Rain, she spots another cougar over Sweet Rain's shoulder. Not Daddy. Thankfully, not Daddy. How is Daddy going to react when he gets home? Maul swallows hard and nods to Sweet Rain, then looks back to the stranger. She's not supposed to talk to strangers. She's *supposed* to point them out to the first adult she sees that she knows. So, even with how upset she is, that's what she does. "There's someone-" Her throat is tight, so she stops speaking. Instead of whatever she might have said to finish that sentence, she nods with her head, toward Qaletaqa.
Qaletaqa thinks he's free to start making his escape when Sweet Rain doesn't appear to notice him. Turning aside, he begins to slink away carefully, low to the ground, but his escape route brings him over the top of the shelter the rock he was hiding behind provided. When Maul points him out, he has taken a quick bound or two away to slightly higher ground before he can stop himself. Running is his panic response. But after the jumps he forces himself to stop. After all, he has every right to be here, doesn't he? Well, sort of. Okay, not really, he admits to himself as he turns to look down at the pair sheepishly, but he can always claim ignorance.
Sweet-Rain is about to continue her effort to help Maul feel better, when she calls out somebody. Not expecting any trouble, but ready for it, she sits up, stands up, and begins walking to where the cub pointed before even looking who's there. "...Qaletaqa." She mutters to herself more than anyone. Briefly Sweet Rain looks behind her and calls to Maul. "Stay..." She was going to say more, but seeing an upset cub makes the adult feel almost the same way. The jog to Qale is quick; she wants to know what he's up to. While he is allowed in the Tribe, she doubts Nayeli would be exceptionally happy having him so close to her cub. With all the time she has spent with Qale as a student, perhaps she is much more trusting of him. "Good morning, Qaletaqa. Nice to see you." She hopes nothing is wrong...
Maul flattens her ears when she is ordered to stay, but she nods obediently. Yes, she'll stay. That's probably what Mommy or Daddy would have her do, anyway. The flattening of her ears doesn't last long, though, as she perks them up again to try to listen in on what might be said. For as long as she has something else to occupy her, even if it is a bit of eavesdropping, perhaps she won't be quite so upset about her own troubles.
It says something about Qale that even the approach of a cougar like Sweet Rain has him putting his ears back guiltily. "G'morning...um, look, I didn't mean to interrupt anything," he says quickly, looking from Sweet Rain to Maul. He thinks he's been caught out, and like Sweet Rain he's having some very worried thoughts about what would happen if he were caught near one of the tribe's cubs. "Um, I was just going to, um, leave...leave you alone..." He waves a paw in a circle, in a general indication of the marking.
"... Yeah, it isn't a bad idea..." Sweet Rain isn't implying that she would ever leave a sad cub alone, she just doesn't like she's saddened because of her. Honestly, she doesn't feel like sharing what she thinks with her teacher; not because it's private, but because he wouldn't believe some of the ideas going through Rain's head. "We'll talk some other time, Qaletaqa, I promise. It's just..." She forces a laugh, "Just an odd morning... Next time you see her, she'll have her markings."
"Of...of course," Qale says, looking at Maul. Even though he is thinking it, he wouldn't ever dare tell Sweet Rain that Maul might just be being a picky brat. After all, it's not his place at all, and Maul does seem quite upset by something...though that might just be because she isn't getting the marking she wants. "Um, good luck, I'll get out of your way now, then." Qale backs away awkwardly before turning aside. A hunt would be most welcome now, even if he didn't manage to catch anything.
With a nod, Sweet Rain watches Qale exit. She departs him back for Maul, who still didn't look too pleased. As she comes closer, she looks at the small hole with the berry dye in it. "Are you okay, cub?" She does feel guilty for not marking Maul, but she wants to find the missing pieces to her puzzle before she continues. It still makes little sense to her, how Maul would know something about back when she called herself Nium?
That distraction didn't last very long at all. Maul is not at all angry with Sweet Rain. If anything, she feels a little guilty herself. How can she not, when she feels like she is being punished? Something she said had to have been wrong. With a timid nod of her head, she says, "I'm okay." At least she no longer feels like she is going to start crying.
"Good. I'm glad. Look, I can see you aren't happy about not getting your marking today." Sweet Rain sighs, giving it one last honest attempt. "But it isn't a bad thing. Don't worry, Maul. I just want to speak to your mother briefly before I dye you, okay? Don't feel sad, okay?" Sweet Rain has probably not said so many words at one time in her life than to this cub.
Maul looks back to the cave. The way that Sweet Rain speaks... Well, she can hope that she'll get her marking soon, right? Nodding her head, she asks, "Do... Um, I can go tell Mommy you want to talk to her?" And, no doubt, Maul will be eavesdropping in on that conversation too, if she can. The last one was just a distraction. This one, if it happens, she actually cares about.
Sweet-Rain shakes her head. "Yes, please. Tell her I will come back tomorrow morning, after sunrise. I'm going to leave for a while, don't leave your den, okay?" She does sincerely care for the poor girl who probably had her day ruined by only getting a meager start to the marking. That doesn't feel great. The cougaress doesn't want Maul to feel like she's just leaving her, so she waits for Maul to return to her den before heading off herself. Somewhere.