Post by Therdde on Oct 5, 2008 1:47:53 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Maulisho - Female Cougar
Kasim - Male Cougar
Scene:
Kein returns to the well to speak with his mother and tell her what he intends to do. While he is there, Kasim shows up.
- Eroded Well -
With every step closer to the well, Kein's mood has become more somber. He has experienced a wide range of emotions today, and it's having an impact on him, so while he wants to speak with his mother... He's not looking forward to it. He's not looking forward to how it could, possibly, go. It's all he can do do keep himself from walking slower and slower, and all too soon, the well is within his sight.
Maulisho is in the exact same spot she's been since the confrontation ended. Lying next to the edge of the water, it might appear that she's sleeping. But, as nice as sleep would be right now, the cougaress is merely resting, thinking, and otherwise too preoccupied with her thoughts to fall asleep. So much has happened since their return, and it would seem that stability has not returned yet; one can only guess as to when life in Amaranth will resume to a semi-normal state.
Kein spots his mother very shortly after he spots the well, and he can't bring himself to smile as he approaches her. He wishes he could know how she would receive him, but he has no idea. As he is getting closer, he says just loud enough to be heard, "Mom." He steels himself against what he thinks he might see in her expression. Disappointment? Maybe even betrayal?
"Hello, Kein." Maulisho hears her son approaching and gets up into a more or less comfortable sitting position. There's uncertainty written all over him, and she's fairly sure that her own expression mirrors that. She's not sure why Kein came back; perhaps he wants to apologize, or to explain, or maybe just to say goodbye? She was fairly certain that he had already left for good, either planning on a solitary life or attempting to talk Nayeli into joining him. Either way, there's a sudden awkwardness that seems to be present, as for the first time she can ever remember, Maulisho genuinely doesn't know what to say to her son. He's suddenly aged and become an enigma, leaving her at a loss.
Kein continues walking until he's within a few feet of where his mother is sitting, then sits himself. Like his mother, he has absolutely no idea what to say, but unlike her, it's not too uncommon, for him. Still, the idea that this might be one of the last couple times he sees her for a while brings tears to his eyes, and he has to look at the ground. He doesn't speak immediately, for the lump in his throat, and even when he does, his voice is choked with sorrow. "I need to talk with you." About /everything/. Everything that happened today, and everything they never got a chance to talk about.
For Maulisho, sarcasm was never something she used much; the temptation to respond with "Well, /obviously/" simply doesn't exist. Instead, she gives a simple nod and rotates herself so that she's facing perpendicular to the water's edge, allowing for Kein to sit down next to her if he wishes. "What's troubling you?" is her simple question. She knows that Kein doesn't need a prompt, but she also knows that sometimes a prompt can be a help when one is struggling to get words out, due to emotion, confusion, or another reason.
Kein breathes deeply as he sits there. There isn't too much delay before he says, "I'm sorry that we didn't have a chance to talk about it... Before I suggested that Yuma should act as the chieftain." He isn't sorry that he did it, just sorry that he had to spring it on her like that, after he had told her that he would accept the position of Amaranth chieftain. He remains where he is when he speaks, and he continues looking at the ground. He heard her move, but he hasn't seen it, and as much as he would love to curl up beside her... It doesn't seem like the sort of thing he ought to be doing anymore. He has to be strong without her help and comfort.
There's no smile, no laugh, no "You /did/ surprise me with that!"--only another small nod. "I'm sure you had good reasons for what you did." She's not being judgmental in the slightest. If anything, there's only a tiny hint of defeat in her voice, but it's more because of her own shortcomings, rather than anything Kein did that displeased her.
Kein takes a deep breath, then continues on. Talking is slowly getting easier, but he still can't bring himself to look up. "I don't want you to be upset. This is the right thing for me to do, and... I don't want you to stay here if-" If what? If she doesn't want to? If Yuma lets Chesmu regain his position? Slowly, he shakes his head. There are too many ifs, so he just rephrases what he first said. "I don't want you to ever be unhappy." And if there's anything he could do to ensure that she isn't... He would do it. If it meant swallowing his pride and staying here under Yuma's leadership? If she asked him, he would do it. He would hate it, but he'd do it. If it meant going against everthing he said during the confrontation, and challenging Yuma for the position after having given it to him? He'd probably do that too, even if it meant destroying a fair bit of what is good inside of him.
With everything that must be going through his mind right now, with everything that's happened, and with all of the unknowns facing Kein right now, Maulisho finds it very touching that he's still so concerned for his mother. "I'm not upset, Kein. At least.. not at you. But don't worry about me; you have a lot to do and think about now. I'll be fine." It might take her a while to recover, but she'll get over all of this. Hopefully.
What she says isn't very encouraging. Kein accepts it, though. For now. And maybe assuring her that /he/ will be okay will help her. Hopefully. If not, there is nothing else he can think of to say. "Nayeli and I are going to find our own territory. But we'll come back. We'll visit." He draws a ragged breath, then says, "I'll miss you, Mom." He won't miss anyone so much as he'll miss her. Oh, sure, Nayeli would have ranked up there if she had said she was going to stay, but she isn't. This isn't what he'd wanted to say in this conversation, but he can't hold himself back.
She can't be upset at him. How could she? For a while now, she's been telling him that his independence is his own decision. The timing.. everything. The fact that, from her perspective, he chose the worst possible moment to exercise this freedom shouldn't diminish in any way that it still was his moment to choose. All of this is now jumbled up with the realization that she's about to lose another of her children. Not to death, and even with visits, Kein's departure will hurt as much as Ruut'h's did. How much longer before Pel leaves? She /wants/ to be happy for Kein's sake, especially with the knowledge that he'll be with his best friend, but it's difficult. Extremely difficult, even. It's because she's so exhausted in every capacity that Maulisho feels no tears coming. It's more of a dull ache than anything else. "I'll miss you too, Kein." Her words are mechanical and seem spoken from a dazed mind.
Kein slowly lies down in front of her mom, after which he raises his head. No tears have escaped, but he's still upset. Granted, in the last few weeks, he has actively avoided discussing his problems with his mother, but... That was more because they had to do with her mate than anything, wasn't it? What is he going to do the next time he has a problem that he desperately needs to speak with her about? Will Nayeli be any kind of acceptable substitute? "Tell me something. Anything. Please?" He wants to talk /with/ her, not to her. He wants to have a conversation, like any number of conversations they had when he was younger.
Did he not hear her? Maulisho isn't even aware that Kein has changed position. She's looking blankly down at the water's surface. "I said.. I said that I'll miss you too." Maybe she just didn't say it loud enough or something. So now what? She'll have to talk to Pelutho as soon as possible and see when he plans on leaving. The cougaress hopes that it's not soon; she's not sure if she could take both of her sons moving out within a short time of each other.
Kein shakes his head. This really isn't going how he wanted it to go, and he isn't sure how to fix it. Finally, though, he stands, and walks over to her, after which he lowers his head, trying to nuzzle against her gently. If she won't, or can't, talk with him, he at least wants a little more contact with her before he leaves. Maybe... Maybe when he comes back for the first time, she'll have recovered from all of this, but until then... He holds back a sigh.
Maulisho jerks suddenly at the nuzzle, and blinks as if realizing for the first time that Kein's right here with her. Some of the dazed look leaves her eyes, and she licks at the top of his headfur, as she did when he was a cub. She doesn't speak, but a small purr can be heard. "You've loved me ever since you were a cub, even when I did or said something that hurt you. Even when you didn't understand what was going on or why I was doing something." The purr falters. "I'm.. going to miss that."
Kein closes his eyes as his mother licks the top of his head. He lies down again, this time right against her. "That's not going to end, Mom. I will always love you, and if you ever need anything... You'll know where to find me. I promise I'll let you know where we'll be." He can only hope that she'll visit, but if she won't, he still plans on it.
He can say that it won't end, and while she knows that he'll always love her, his presence and visible love will be, practically speaking, gone forever. Even this kind of close moment that they're sharing right now will become a rarity. His words do sting a little, as the one thing she would have said she did need, Kein turned over to Yuma. She can't fault him for it, but it still does hurt. "I'd like that," Maulisho says after a brief moment of silence. What else is there to say? She's already told him that she'll miss him. Tremendously so.
Kein nuzzles against his mother again. He's not going to ask her to come with him, not like he did with Nayeli. Isn't part of forming his own territory supposed to be about making his own way? So, instead, he lapses into silence. He does feel a /little/ better... But he still wishes they had more time. No matter how long he puts it off, he would probably always wish they'd have more time.
Maulisho remains silent as well, savoring this time alone with her oldest son. It might be the last time she ever has with him, one-on-one. The next time she sees him, he might be bringing cubs to visit. Or he might die before she ever gets to see him again. Or Chesmu might become Chieftain again and prevent Kein from ever seeing her again.
It never lasts long, though. After a few minutes, Kein says, "I want to know that you're happy for me, Mom. If you don't think this is the right thing to do..." Then he'll come up with something else to do. He doesn't know what yet. But, except for that Mom is staying here... He /is/ happy for himself. He is happy with the idea of living with Nayeli, away from Chesmu. He is happy with the idea of spending time exploring with her before they claim their own territory. And he wants his mother's blessing, regardless of whether she has told him he can do whatever he wants.
Once again, it's a long silence before Maulisho speaks, as it takes some work on her part to cut through the sluggish aura her mind seems to be stuck in. "Sometimes the right thing to do isn't the thing that will make us happy." She manages a smile, mostly for Kein's benefit. "But don't worry about me. I'm happy that you and Nayeli have a beautiful future together." She'll manage without him, though it'll probably take a long time to get used to. At least there is the encouraging thought of seeing her grandchildren one day.
It's not quite the answer he was looking for, but he can live with it, so he continues speaking. "I'm going to talk to Yuma before I leave, but... I hope you'll keep me informed about what is going on here. Everything." If things get bad, he'll come back. He'll come back anyway, but if things get bad, he'll come back /sooner/. Hopefully, though, the conversation he'll have with Yuma will go well. He has already decided that he has to be as absolutely calm about it as possible.
"I will." Maulisho doesn't doubt at all that things will remain in turmoil here, at least for a bit. But she'll do her best to keep Kein informed, whether through a personal visit or a messenger of some sort. There are always avians who are willing to trade something for a quick messenger task. There's one last thing that she feels compelled to say, though she's sure he'll do this anyway: "Kein.. please be careful. Azriel's still out there, and if Chesmu leaves Amaranth, there's no telling what he might try to do."
Kein's shoulders slump as Mom mentions his father, not to mention Chesmu, if Chesmu leaves Amaranth. Nevertheless, he answers with no hesitation. "We'll be careful, Mom. Both of us." He no longer carries the delusion of youth, no longer fools himself into believing he's a formidible force to be dealt with. Not yet. Someday, but not /quite/ yet.
Maulisho smiles. "I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't surprised at your decision a little earlier. I won't even say that I was glad or enthusiastic about it. But I /can/ say that I am still just as proud of you as I've always been." That's at least /one/ small load lifted off of her shoulders. "Take care of Nayeli as best as you can. Treat her as though she's the most precious thing in the world, and that will become your best protection from hurting her."
/This/ is what he wanted. He wanted his mom /talking/ to him, offering him advice, and he purrs a little bit. "I will, Mom. I promise." How could he do anything but that? It was one thing when he was younger. Now, not only does he know, or believe, that Nayeli would not do anything to intentionally hurt him. She is so beautiful, though, and even now, after /everything/, she has agreed to be there for him. He owes her so much. She /is/ the most precious thing in the world, to him if to no one else. How could he treat her as if she weren't?
There really isn't anything else to say, at least not from Maulisho. She knows Kein is probably anxious to be off, or at least to be back with Nayeli again. "I hope your talk with Yuma goes well." She grimaces a little, then adds, "Remember that he is not his father."
If Kein had suspected that Yuma were exactly like his father, he wouldn't have given up the position to Yuma, especially not as readily as he had. He nods and says, "I know, Mom." It's just a matter of whether Yuma will give the position back to his father. "He is the new chieftain here, and I will treat him with all the respect he deserves, I promise." Unless Yuma proves himself unworthy, as Chesmu did.
After the entire talk was over, Kasim had decided to get away from everyone to clear his mind as best he could. Feeling like you have somehow failed your family isn't exactly the easiest weight to carry on your shoulders. Does it make him a bad cougar and 'father' because he slightly differs on his family's opinion on the matter? It sure feels like it. Still, he knew that he couldn't avoid the subject for long so he decided to head back to the well and hope that someone was still there to talk with, despite the almost certain cold shoulder he is set to receive.
"And remember that he's almost certainly as surprised at what happened as the rest of us. He might be a little wary of you." Probably because how Kein spoke out against Yuma's father, if nothing else. But then again, he might be very grateful and treat Kein as a good friend. Maulisho really has no idea at this point.
Kein nods again and takes a deep breath. He knows he needs to speak with Yuma, but like, with so many other things that have come up today, he is not looking forward to it. Not in the slightest. "I'll remember. I already planned on sleeping outside of Amaranth tonight." He /is/ thinking about these things. He wants his mother to know that. This isn't like his confrontation with Chesmu, which happened unexpectedly and caught him off guard.
Kasim stops in his tracks slightly as he hears the voices of his 'son' and mate. Although he wasn't expecting anyone else besides them to be there, it's still an uncomfortable feeling. The thought they might turn their backs on him is a tough thought to swallow, but he knows that he has to get this talk over with before Kein leaves the territory. So Kasim resumes his walk towards the two and in no time emerges from the woods. "Hey there," he says to announce his presence, trying to give off a smile to the two.
Before she can respond, she hears a familiar voice from behind her. Maulisho turns and gives her mate a small smile. She's not terribly happy with him right now, but in front of Kein, and especially considering what's going on, she won't be /too/ hard on Kasim right now. "Kein is.. well.." Maulisho trails off, turning to look at her son. "Why don't you tell him what your plans are?"
Kein is not terribly happy with Kasim either. Nevertheless, he does not scowl at Kasim or do anything of the sort. He just turns his head to look at Kasim, then takes a deep breath as his mother tells him to tell Kasim his plans. He looks away from the other male before he answers, glancing off to the north, where he left Nayeli. "Nayeli and I are leaving. We're going to form our own territory."
Kasim was prepared for a less than warm welcome, but it still somewhat hurts him. Oh well, maybe he deserves it for not seeming supportive of his own mate. He listens carefully to Kein as he approaches the two, taking a seat next to Maul when he reaches them. "Well, I had a feeling that that's what you were going to do," he tells Kein with no hint of disappointment in his voice. In fact, he's actually happy for the teen. There's nothing in the world better than being alone with someone you really care for. "Do you have any idea where you're going to go son?"
Kein holds himself back from saying anything about Kasim calling him son. Rather, he just shakes his head. "Not yet. We're going to look around for a while before we settle on a place." He's really not pleased with Kasim, and that translates in his tone, but his words are civil enough.
Even if they aren't blood related, Kasim has always thought of Kein as a son. He's always felt this way ever since he saved Kein from that wolf all those months ago and found out who he was. To hear the small amount of disappoinment in Kein's tone hurts Kasim a bit, but he keeps himself colleted with a small smile on his muzzle. "I'm sure you'll find a great place to stay and be happy with each other. I hope you come back and visit every now and then."
There's some definite tension between Kein and Kasim--that much is obvious from the way the younger speaks to the older. Maybe it's only felt one-way, but Maulisho hopes that Kein's prolonged absence will help to smooth things over in their relationship. Kasim isn't his true father, but surely it's not too much to ask that they still share somewhat of a father-son bond? Maulisho is glad to hear Kasim speak of wanting Kein to visit.
Kein nods his head. "We plan on it." He doesn't mention how he asked Mom to visit him too, eventually. Right now, he's still upset over the way Kasim spoke to him earlier. With time, Mom might get her wish, but for now... He stands slowly, and says, "I need to see Nayeli before I leave for the night. I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" He's not leaving for good yet. They don't have to say their goodbyes.
Kasim's smile widens a bit when Kein says that the will visit. It would be a shame to have him be off and never check back in with them. He gives a small nod to the teen when he says he has to see Nayeli, saying, "Alright then. We'll see you then Kein."
Maulisho gives her son another nuzzle before slowly standing up and backing away from the edge of the well. "Give our greetings to Nayeli, and enjoy your night. We'll see you tomorrow." She's curious as to when he plans on meeting with Yuma, and whether the new Chieftain will reinstate Kein's former banishment.
Kein purrs lightly when he nuzzles his mother back. He doesn't entirely ignore Kasim. He does glance at the other male when he says, to both of them, "Good night." Then he turns to head back to the north. His mood is a little lighter now than when he came, but he doubts he'll be as relaxed as he was earlier until he and Nayeli both leave.
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Maulisho - Female Cougar
Kasim - Male Cougar
Scene:
Kein returns to the well to speak with his mother and tell her what he intends to do. While he is there, Kasim shows up.
- Eroded Well -
With every step closer to the well, Kein's mood has become more somber. He has experienced a wide range of emotions today, and it's having an impact on him, so while he wants to speak with his mother... He's not looking forward to it. He's not looking forward to how it could, possibly, go. It's all he can do do keep himself from walking slower and slower, and all too soon, the well is within his sight.
Maulisho is in the exact same spot she's been since the confrontation ended. Lying next to the edge of the water, it might appear that she's sleeping. But, as nice as sleep would be right now, the cougaress is merely resting, thinking, and otherwise too preoccupied with her thoughts to fall asleep. So much has happened since their return, and it would seem that stability has not returned yet; one can only guess as to when life in Amaranth will resume to a semi-normal state.
Kein spots his mother very shortly after he spots the well, and he can't bring himself to smile as he approaches her. He wishes he could know how she would receive him, but he has no idea. As he is getting closer, he says just loud enough to be heard, "Mom." He steels himself against what he thinks he might see in her expression. Disappointment? Maybe even betrayal?
"Hello, Kein." Maulisho hears her son approaching and gets up into a more or less comfortable sitting position. There's uncertainty written all over him, and she's fairly sure that her own expression mirrors that. She's not sure why Kein came back; perhaps he wants to apologize, or to explain, or maybe just to say goodbye? She was fairly certain that he had already left for good, either planning on a solitary life or attempting to talk Nayeli into joining him. Either way, there's a sudden awkwardness that seems to be present, as for the first time she can ever remember, Maulisho genuinely doesn't know what to say to her son. He's suddenly aged and become an enigma, leaving her at a loss.
Kein continues walking until he's within a few feet of where his mother is sitting, then sits himself. Like his mother, he has absolutely no idea what to say, but unlike her, it's not too uncommon, for him. Still, the idea that this might be one of the last couple times he sees her for a while brings tears to his eyes, and he has to look at the ground. He doesn't speak immediately, for the lump in his throat, and even when he does, his voice is choked with sorrow. "I need to talk with you." About /everything/. Everything that happened today, and everything they never got a chance to talk about.
For Maulisho, sarcasm was never something she used much; the temptation to respond with "Well, /obviously/" simply doesn't exist. Instead, she gives a simple nod and rotates herself so that she's facing perpendicular to the water's edge, allowing for Kein to sit down next to her if he wishes. "What's troubling you?" is her simple question. She knows that Kein doesn't need a prompt, but she also knows that sometimes a prompt can be a help when one is struggling to get words out, due to emotion, confusion, or another reason.
Kein breathes deeply as he sits there. There isn't too much delay before he says, "I'm sorry that we didn't have a chance to talk about it... Before I suggested that Yuma should act as the chieftain." He isn't sorry that he did it, just sorry that he had to spring it on her like that, after he had told her that he would accept the position of Amaranth chieftain. He remains where he is when he speaks, and he continues looking at the ground. He heard her move, but he hasn't seen it, and as much as he would love to curl up beside her... It doesn't seem like the sort of thing he ought to be doing anymore. He has to be strong without her help and comfort.
There's no smile, no laugh, no "You /did/ surprise me with that!"--only another small nod. "I'm sure you had good reasons for what you did." She's not being judgmental in the slightest. If anything, there's only a tiny hint of defeat in her voice, but it's more because of her own shortcomings, rather than anything Kein did that displeased her.
Kein takes a deep breath, then continues on. Talking is slowly getting easier, but he still can't bring himself to look up. "I don't want you to be upset. This is the right thing for me to do, and... I don't want you to stay here if-" If what? If she doesn't want to? If Yuma lets Chesmu regain his position? Slowly, he shakes his head. There are too many ifs, so he just rephrases what he first said. "I don't want you to ever be unhappy." And if there's anything he could do to ensure that she isn't... He would do it. If it meant swallowing his pride and staying here under Yuma's leadership? If she asked him, he would do it. He would hate it, but he'd do it. If it meant going against everthing he said during the confrontation, and challenging Yuma for the position after having given it to him? He'd probably do that too, even if it meant destroying a fair bit of what is good inside of him.
With everything that must be going through his mind right now, with everything that's happened, and with all of the unknowns facing Kein right now, Maulisho finds it very touching that he's still so concerned for his mother. "I'm not upset, Kein. At least.. not at you. But don't worry about me; you have a lot to do and think about now. I'll be fine." It might take her a while to recover, but she'll get over all of this. Hopefully.
What she says isn't very encouraging. Kein accepts it, though. For now. And maybe assuring her that /he/ will be okay will help her. Hopefully. If not, there is nothing else he can think of to say. "Nayeli and I are going to find our own territory. But we'll come back. We'll visit." He draws a ragged breath, then says, "I'll miss you, Mom." He won't miss anyone so much as he'll miss her. Oh, sure, Nayeli would have ranked up there if she had said she was going to stay, but she isn't. This isn't what he'd wanted to say in this conversation, but he can't hold himself back.
She can't be upset at him. How could she? For a while now, she's been telling him that his independence is his own decision. The timing.. everything. The fact that, from her perspective, he chose the worst possible moment to exercise this freedom shouldn't diminish in any way that it still was his moment to choose. All of this is now jumbled up with the realization that she's about to lose another of her children. Not to death, and even with visits, Kein's departure will hurt as much as Ruut'h's did. How much longer before Pel leaves? She /wants/ to be happy for Kein's sake, especially with the knowledge that he'll be with his best friend, but it's difficult. Extremely difficult, even. It's because she's so exhausted in every capacity that Maulisho feels no tears coming. It's more of a dull ache than anything else. "I'll miss you too, Kein." Her words are mechanical and seem spoken from a dazed mind.
Kein slowly lies down in front of her mom, after which he raises his head. No tears have escaped, but he's still upset. Granted, in the last few weeks, he has actively avoided discussing his problems with his mother, but... That was more because they had to do with her mate than anything, wasn't it? What is he going to do the next time he has a problem that he desperately needs to speak with her about? Will Nayeli be any kind of acceptable substitute? "Tell me something. Anything. Please?" He wants to talk /with/ her, not to her. He wants to have a conversation, like any number of conversations they had when he was younger.
Did he not hear her? Maulisho isn't even aware that Kein has changed position. She's looking blankly down at the water's surface. "I said.. I said that I'll miss you too." Maybe she just didn't say it loud enough or something. So now what? She'll have to talk to Pelutho as soon as possible and see when he plans on leaving. The cougaress hopes that it's not soon; she's not sure if she could take both of her sons moving out within a short time of each other.
Kein shakes his head. This really isn't going how he wanted it to go, and he isn't sure how to fix it. Finally, though, he stands, and walks over to her, after which he lowers his head, trying to nuzzle against her gently. If she won't, or can't, talk with him, he at least wants a little more contact with her before he leaves. Maybe... Maybe when he comes back for the first time, she'll have recovered from all of this, but until then... He holds back a sigh.
Maulisho jerks suddenly at the nuzzle, and blinks as if realizing for the first time that Kein's right here with her. Some of the dazed look leaves her eyes, and she licks at the top of his headfur, as she did when he was a cub. She doesn't speak, but a small purr can be heard. "You've loved me ever since you were a cub, even when I did or said something that hurt you. Even when you didn't understand what was going on or why I was doing something." The purr falters. "I'm.. going to miss that."
Kein closes his eyes as his mother licks the top of his head. He lies down again, this time right against her. "That's not going to end, Mom. I will always love you, and if you ever need anything... You'll know where to find me. I promise I'll let you know where we'll be." He can only hope that she'll visit, but if she won't, he still plans on it.
He can say that it won't end, and while she knows that he'll always love her, his presence and visible love will be, practically speaking, gone forever. Even this kind of close moment that they're sharing right now will become a rarity. His words do sting a little, as the one thing she would have said she did need, Kein turned over to Yuma. She can't fault him for it, but it still does hurt. "I'd like that," Maulisho says after a brief moment of silence. What else is there to say? She's already told him that she'll miss him. Tremendously so.
Kein nuzzles against his mother again. He's not going to ask her to come with him, not like he did with Nayeli. Isn't part of forming his own territory supposed to be about making his own way? So, instead, he lapses into silence. He does feel a /little/ better... But he still wishes they had more time. No matter how long he puts it off, he would probably always wish they'd have more time.
Maulisho remains silent as well, savoring this time alone with her oldest son. It might be the last time she ever has with him, one-on-one. The next time she sees him, he might be bringing cubs to visit. Or he might die before she ever gets to see him again. Or Chesmu might become Chieftain again and prevent Kein from ever seeing her again.
It never lasts long, though. After a few minutes, Kein says, "I want to know that you're happy for me, Mom. If you don't think this is the right thing to do..." Then he'll come up with something else to do. He doesn't know what yet. But, except for that Mom is staying here... He /is/ happy for himself. He is happy with the idea of living with Nayeli, away from Chesmu. He is happy with the idea of spending time exploring with her before they claim their own territory. And he wants his mother's blessing, regardless of whether she has told him he can do whatever he wants.
Once again, it's a long silence before Maulisho speaks, as it takes some work on her part to cut through the sluggish aura her mind seems to be stuck in. "Sometimes the right thing to do isn't the thing that will make us happy." She manages a smile, mostly for Kein's benefit. "But don't worry about me. I'm happy that you and Nayeli have a beautiful future together." She'll manage without him, though it'll probably take a long time to get used to. At least there is the encouraging thought of seeing her grandchildren one day.
It's not quite the answer he was looking for, but he can live with it, so he continues speaking. "I'm going to talk to Yuma before I leave, but... I hope you'll keep me informed about what is going on here. Everything." If things get bad, he'll come back. He'll come back anyway, but if things get bad, he'll come back /sooner/. Hopefully, though, the conversation he'll have with Yuma will go well. He has already decided that he has to be as absolutely calm about it as possible.
"I will." Maulisho doesn't doubt at all that things will remain in turmoil here, at least for a bit. But she'll do her best to keep Kein informed, whether through a personal visit or a messenger of some sort. There are always avians who are willing to trade something for a quick messenger task. There's one last thing that she feels compelled to say, though she's sure he'll do this anyway: "Kein.. please be careful. Azriel's still out there, and if Chesmu leaves Amaranth, there's no telling what he might try to do."
Kein's shoulders slump as Mom mentions his father, not to mention Chesmu, if Chesmu leaves Amaranth. Nevertheless, he answers with no hesitation. "We'll be careful, Mom. Both of us." He no longer carries the delusion of youth, no longer fools himself into believing he's a formidible force to be dealt with. Not yet. Someday, but not /quite/ yet.
Maulisho smiles. "I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't surprised at your decision a little earlier. I won't even say that I was glad or enthusiastic about it. But I /can/ say that I am still just as proud of you as I've always been." That's at least /one/ small load lifted off of her shoulders. "Take care of Nayeli as best as you can. Treat her as though she's the most precious thing in the world, and that will become your best protection from hurting her."
/This/ is what he wanted. He wanted his mom /talking/ to him, offering him advice, and he purrs a little bit. "I will, Mom. I promise." How could he do anything but that? It was one thing when he was younger. Now, not only does he know, or believe, that Nayeli would not do anything to intentionally hurt him. She is so beautiful, though, and even now, after /everything/, she has agreed to be there for him. He owes her so much. She /is/ the most precious thing in the world, to him if to no one else. How could he treat her as if she weren't?
There really isn't anything else to say, at least not from Maulisho. She knows Kein is probably anxious to be off, or at least to be back with Nayeli again. "I hope your talk with Yuma goes well." She grimaces a little, then adds, "Remember that he is not his father."
If Kein had suspected that Yuma were exactly like his father, he wouldn't have given up the position to Yuma, especially not as readily as he had. He nods and says, "I know, Mom." It's just a matter of whether Yuma will give the position back to his father. "He is the new chieftain here, and I will treat him with all the respect he deserves, I promise." Unless Yuma proves himself unworthy, as Chesmu did.
After the entire talk was over, Kasim had decided to get away from everyone to clear his mind as best he could. Feeling like you have somehow failed your family isn't exactly the easiest weight to carry on your shoulders. Does it make him a bad cougar and 'father' because he slightly differs on his family's opinion on the matter? It sure feels like it. Still, he knew that he couldn't avoid the subject for long so he decided to head back to the well and hope that someone was still there to talk with, despite the almost certain cold shoulder he is set to receive.
"And remember that he's almost certainly as surprised at what happened as the rest of us. He might be a little wary of you." Probably because how Kein spoke out against Yuma's father, if nothing else. But then again, he might be very grateful and treat Kein as a good friend. Maulisho really has no idea at this point.
Kein nods again and takes a deep breath. He knows he needs to speak with Yuma, but like, with so many other things that have come up today, he is not looking forward to it. Not in the slightest. "I'll remember. I already planned on sleeping outside of Amaranth tonight." He /is/ thinking about these things. He wants his mother to know that. This isn't like his confrontation with Chesmu, which happened unexpectedly and caught him off guard.
Kasim stops in his tracks slightly as he hears the voices of his 'son' and mate. Although he wasn't expecting anyone else besides them to be there, it's still an uncomfortable feeling. The thought they might turn their backs on him is a tough thought to swallow, but he knows that he has to get this talk over with before Kein leaves the territory. So Kasim resumes his walk towards the two and in no time emerges from the woods. "Hey there," he says to announce his presence, trying to give off a smile to the two.
Before she can respond, she hears a familiar voice from behind her. Maulisho turns and gives her mate a small smile. She's not terribly happy with him right now, but in front of Kein, and especially considering what's going on, she won't be /too/ hard on Kasim right now. "Kein is.. well.." Maulisho trails off, turning to look at her son. "Why don't you tell him what your plans are?"
Kein is not terribly happy with Kasim either. Nevertheless, he does not scowl at Kasim or do anything of the sort. He just turns his head to look at Kasim, then takes a deep breath as his mother tells him to tell Kasim his plans. He looks away from the other male before he answers, glancing off to the north, where he left Nayeli. "Nayeli and I are leaving. We're going to form our own territory."
Kasim was prepared for a less than warm welcome, but it still somewhat hurts him. Oh well, maybe he deserves it for not seeming supportive of his own mate. He listens carefully to Kein as he approaches the two, taking a seat next to Maul when he reaches them. "Well, I had a feeling that that's what you were going to do," he tells Kein with no hint of disappointment in his voice. In fact, he's actually happy for the teen. There's nothing in the world better than being alone with someone you really care for. "Do you have any idea where you're going to go son?"
Kein holds himself back from saying anything about Kasim calling him son. Rather, he just shakes his head. "Not yet. We're going to look around for a while before we settle on a place." He's really not pleased with Kasim, and that translates in his tone, but his words are civil enough.
Even if they aren't blood related, Kasim has always thought of Kein as a son. He's always felt this way ever since he saved Kein from that wolf all those months ago and found out who he was. To hear the small amount of disappoinment in Kein's tone hurts Kasim a bit, but he keeps himself colleted with a small smile on his muzzle. "I'm sure you'll find a great place to stay and be happy with each other. I hope you come back and visit every now and then."
There's some definite tension between Kein and Kasim--that much is obvious from the way the younger speaks to the older. Maybe it's only felt one-way, but Maulisho hopes that Kein's prolonged absence will help to smooth things over in their relationship. Kasim isn't his true father, but surely it's not too much to ask that they still share somewhat of a father-son bond? Maulisho is glad to hear Kasim speak of wanting Kein to visit.
Kein nods his head. "We plan on it." He doesn't mention how he asked Mom to visit him too, eventually. Right now, he's still upset over the way Kasim spoke to him earlier. With time, Mom might get her wish, but for now... He stands slowly, and says, "I need to see Nayeli before I leave for the night. I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" He's not leaving for good yet. They don't have to say their goodbyes.
Kasim's smile widens a bit when Kein says that the will visit. It would be a shame to have him be off and never check back in with them. He gives a small nod to the teen when he says he has to see Nayeli, saying, "Alright then. We'll see you then Kein."
Maulisho gives her son another nuzzle before slowly standing up and backing away from the edge of the well. "Give our greetings to Nayeli, and enjoy your night. We'll see you tomorrow." She's curious as to when he plans on meeting with Yuma, and whether the new Chieftain will reinstate Kein's former banishment.
Kein purrs lightly when he nuzzles his mother back. He doesn't entirely ignore Kasim. He does glance at the other male when he says, to both of them, "Good night." Then he turns to head back to the north. His mood is a little lighter now than when he came, but he doubts he'll be as relaxed as he was earlier until he and Nayeli both leave.