Post by Therdde on Aug 30, 2010 5:40:15 GMT -5
Characters:
Nayeli- Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Wildflower Drop -
Looking somewhat pensive, Nayeli sits quietly in the shadow of one of the larger rocks on this part of the mountain. Her gaze is on her forepaw, which scratches idly on the ground in seemingly random patterns, echoed by the occasional twitch of her tail. There are surely better and more productive ways she could be utilizing this part of the afternoon, but the tribe's matron is doing nothing right now except... thinking? If nothing else, just passing the time. As if waiting for something. Upon further inspection, one might see additional clues to indicate that all is not quite right. Nayeli's pelt has seen better days, and her eyes have a tightness around them that didn't used to be there. Even her thin black lips are pressed together in an expression of disconcertion.
Kein doesn't have to look at Nayeli to know something isn't right. That's about all that is on his mind most of his days. Something isn't right. Still, with winter fast approaching, Kein has been doing his best to fight off his feelings of foreboding, doing his best to simply make sure that his cubs and grandcubs are well suited to survive the winter. And, with the cougars most important to him fed and cared for, Kein slowly seeks out the Matron, bringing with him the remains of a small deer. He has not seen her in days, and he is reluctant to follow her scent even now, but he still has a duty towards her. For how long, though? Perhaps if he were capable of giving himself an answer as he approaches her, he would not be quite so reluctant as he is.
Nayeli notes the distinctively heavier impacts of the approaching cougar's pawsteps, and slowly looks up to gaze at her mate. Though she peripherally notes it, her eyes ignore the carried deer, instead staring hard into his own eyes, should he look directly at her. She doesn't speak at first, simply watching him, until she suddenly and quickly gets to her paws. "Is the hunting getting any better?" she asks finally, trying to inject some humor into her tone, but failing to sound anything other than forced. "I was only able to catch a mouse earlier." She frowns, suddenly thoughtful again. She hadn't seen the irony then, but now...
Kein stops moving forwards when Nayeli stands. After dropping the deer remains, he takes a step back and, looking away from Nayeli, he answers, "It helps to know where to look." As well he should, given how he spends the majority of his time. Continuing to look off to the distance, Kein cleans his maw of the blood from the meat he was carrying as he tries to figure out what to say to her, or else to figure out how long he is required to stay before heading off again. It's not easy for him to reach any conclusions, though, and finally his gaze returns to her.
The male isn't the only one to feel the awkwardness of the silence following his remark. Nayeli has to admit to herself that although their youth wasn't exactly the happiest time ever, it was at least a lot easier to talk to one another. If it was on their mind, then it was talked about. Period. None of this conversational avoidance. She sighs, using a paw to sweep away any sign of the random patterns she had made in the ground. Finished with that, she looks back up at her mate, and for a moment isn't sure what to say. And if she remains silent? Does that make circumstances any better? Something needs to be said, or talked about, or discussed, or.. or even /argued/. Something. Nayeli doesn't understand why there's such a hindrance to communication between the two of them, but she really doesn't like it, regardless. And yet, where it would seem to be the obvious solution just to say something, or begin a conversation, figuring out /what/ to say has proven an elusive goal.
At least this is nothing new to Kein. Oh, yes, he used to be able to speak much more easily with Nayeli, but even back then, he always knew what it was to be socially awkward. It comes, after all, with being what he is. When she reacts with nothing more than a sigh and a swipe of her paw against the ground, there is a downward twitch that never quite becomes a solid frown before he responds, "You should eat. Winter is coming, and if it's anything like last year..." For not the first time, he wonders what will become of Amaranth if he is not here this year to help those less capable through the winter. But if he is ever to cut his ties to this place, excuses like that will get him no where. The best he can do is try to make sure evryone is well-fed before he does leave.
She nods, giving a quick glance to the corpse but making no move toward it. Why doesn't she appreciate him sharing his kills with her as much as she used to? Maybe it's because it seems to be too much of an excuse not to talk to her. Almost as if it's an apology offering or something similar. Nayeli glances back at Kein, then looks back at the deer. "Where have you been these past few days?" she asks suddenly, sounding just shy of suspicious. The cougaress sits again, eyes looking up at her mate once more, gauging his reaction to her question.
Kein matches her gaze without blinking. For a couple of long moments he is silent and completely still, even his expression, as a number of things that he could say occur to him. Perhaps driven by the tone of her voice, by what she just barely keeps from it, he finally says, "If you'd wanted me, you could have found me." There's an edge to his own voice as he gives Nayeli his non-answer. Maybe the anger that manages to slip, just barely, into his tone is as much at the idea that she doesn't want him anymore as at the idea that she is accusing him of becoming lax in his duties. Regardless, he bites his tongue quickly enough, then simply stretches his neck out to move the offering a fraction of an inch closer to her. She is too right, after all. He would very much like for her to start eating so that he could slip away without feeling much, if any, guilt.
"That's not what...!" Nayeli bites off a protest and gives the other feline an irritated look. Why can't he just simply answer her question? She wasn't meaning to imply that she'd been desperate to be near him or anything, only that... what? She just wanted to know where he'd been, is all. Nothing more. Okay, and maybe who he'd been with, and why he'd been avoiding her, and... "If you don't want to tell me, then.. fine. Forget I asked." Her gaze is deliberately averted from him to look down at the ground, where she once again begins clawing random patterns, only this time with evident frustration in the motions.
"What does it matter to you where I've been?" That, of course, is cruel. Even for such a socially inept creature as Kein. He does hurt, though, and if being cruel is what he must do to keep himself from showing how hurt he is, then so be it. "I haven't left Amaranth. What else matters?" Kein shakes his head, trying to clear off his own thoughts before adding, "I'll try to bring you something more soon, Nayeli." So he won't get to leave without guilt. That doesn't stop him from turning and starting to walk away.
Nayeli- Female Cougar
Kein - Male Cougar
- Wildflower Drop -
Looking somewhat pensive, Nayeli sits quietly in the shadow of one of the larger rocks on this part of the mountain. Her gaze is on her forepaw, which scratches idly on the ground in seemingly random patterns, echoed by the occasional twitch of her tail. There are surely better and more productive ways she could be utilizing this part of the afternoon, but the tribe's matron is doing nothing right now except... thinking? If nothing else, just passing the time. As if waiting for something. Upon further inspection, one might see additional clues to indicate that all is not quite right. Nayeli's pelt has seen better days, and her eyes have a tightness around them that didn't used to be there. Even her thin black lips are pressed together in an expression of disconcertion.
Kein doesn't have to look at Nayeli to know something isn't right. That's about all that is on his mind most of his days. Something isn't right. Still, with winter fast approaching, Kein has been doing his best to fight off his feelings of foreboding, doing his best to simply make sure that his cubs and grandcubs are well suited to survive the winter. And, with the cougars most important to him fed and cared for, Kein slowly seeks out the Matron, bringing with him the remains of a small deer. He has not seen her in days, and he is reluctant to follow her scent even now, but he still has a duty towards her. For how long, though? Perhaps if he were capable of giving himself an answer as he approaches her, he would not be quite so reluctant as he is.
Nayeli notes the distinctively heavier impacts of the approaching cougar's pawsteps, and slowly looks up to gaze at her mate. Though she peripherally notes it, her eyes ignore the carried deer, instead staring hard into his own eyes, should he look directly at her. She doesn't speak at first, simply watching him, until she suddenly and quickly gets to her paws. "Is the hunting getting any better?" she asks finally, trying to inject some humor into her tone, but failing to sound anything other than forced. "I was only able to catch a mouse earlier." She frowns, suddenly thoughtful again. She hadn't seen the irony then, but now...
Kein stops moving forwards when Nayeli stands. After dropping the deer remains, he takes a step back and, looking away from Nayeli, he answers, "It helps to know where to look." As well he should, given how he spends the majority of his time. Continuing to look off to the distance, Kein cleans his maw of the blood from the meat he was carrying as he tries to figure out what to say to her, or else to figure out how long he is required to stay before heading off again. It's not easy for him to reach any conclusions, though, and finally his gaze returns to her.
The male isn't the only one to feel the awkwardness of the silence following his remark. Nayeli has to admit to herself that although their youth wasn't exactly the happiest time ever, it was at least a lot easier to talk to one another. If it was on their mind, then it was talked about. Period. None of this conversational avoidance. She sighs, using a paw to sweep away any sign of the random patterns she had made in the ground. Finished with that, she looks back up at her mate, and for a moment isn't sure what to say. And if she remains silent? Does that make circumstances any better? Something needs to be said, or talked about, or discussed, or.. or even /argued/. Something. Nayeli doesn't understand why there's such a hindrance to communication between the two of them, but she really doesn't like it, regardless. And yet, where it would seem to be the obvious solution just to say something, or begin a conversation, figuring out /what/ to say has proven an elusive goal.
At least this is nothing new to Kein. Oh, yes, he used to be able to speak much more easily with Nayeli, but even back then, he always knew what it was to be socially awkward. It comes, after all, with being what he is. When she reacts with nothing more than a sigh and a swipe of her paw against the ground, there is a downward twitch that never quite becomes a solid frown before he responds, "You should eat. Winter is coming, and if it's anything like last year..." For not the first time, he wonders what will become of Amaranth if he is not here this year to help those less capable through the winter. But if he is ever to cut his ties to this place, excuses like that will get him no where. The best he can do is try to make sure evryone is well-fed before he does leave.
She nods, giving a quick glance to the corpse but making no move toward it. Why doesn't she appreciate him sharing his kills with her as much as she used to? Maybe it's because it seems to be too much of an excuse not to talk to her. Almost as if it's an apology offering or something similar. Nayeli glances back at Kein, then looks back at the deer. "Where have you been these past few days?" she asks suddenly, sounding just shy of suspicious. The cougaress sits again, eyes looking up at her mate once more, gauging his reaction to her question.
Kein matches her gaze without blinking. For a couple of long moments he is silent and completely still, even his expression, as a number of things that he could say occur to him. Perhaps driven by the tone of her voice, by what she just barely keeps from it, he finally says, "If you'd wanted me, you could have found me." There's an edge to his own voice as he gives Nayeli his non-answer. Maybe the anger that manages to slip, just barely, into his tone is as much at the idea that she doesn't want him anymore as at the idea that she is accusing him of becoming lax in his duties. Regardless, he bites his tongue quickly enough, then simply stretches his neck out to move the offering a fraction of an inch closer to her. She is too right, after all. He would very much like for her to start eating so that he could slip away without feeling much, if any, guilt.
"That's not what...!" Nayeli bites off a protest and gives the other feline an irritated look. Why can't he just simply answer her question? She wasn't meaning to imply that she'd been desperate to be near him or anything, only that... what? She just wanted to know where he'd been, is all. Nothing more. Okay, and maybe who he'd been with, and why he'd been avoiding her, and... "If you don't want to tell me, then.. fine. Forget I asked." Her gaze is deliberately averted from him to look down at the ground, where she once again begins clawing random patterns, only this time with evident frustration in the motions.
"What does it matter to you where I've been?" That, of course, is cruel. Even for such a socially inept creature as Kein. He does hurt, though, and if being cruel is what he must do to keep himself from showing how hurt he is, then so be it. "I haven't left Amaranth. What else matters?" Kein shakes his head, trying to clear off his own thoughts before adding, "I'll try to bring you something more soon, Nayeli." So he won't get to leave without guilt. That doesn't stop him from turning and starting to walk away.