Post by Therdde on Oct 19, 2008 9:52:00 GMT -5
Characters:
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Kasim - Male Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
It has been a couple hours since Kein and his mother stopped talking. She appears to have drifted off for a nap, after having been up most of the night keeping watch. Kein is still awake, though, and still thinking. The sun has not yet reached it's highest point, and the two are both lying within sight of where Kasim was resting when he first began speaking to Mom. Currently, he is thinking more about Nayeli than about what his mother told him.
The silence around them is soon broken up by a few annoyed grunts coming from Kasim as he starts to wake up from his nap. Any few hours of sleep he can get are helpful, but the tough part always seems to be waking up. He barely cracks open an eye and looks around as best he can, soon spotting Kein and Maul together. "Hey there Kein," he grunts out sleepily, stretching himself out and rolling over onto his stomach with his head in between his front paws, a small yawn escaping him.
Kein looks over as he hears a familiar voice. He takes a deep breath, then slowly scoots away from his mother. He had enjoyed being by her, but he also doesn't want to be waking her up. After he is far enough away that he can stand without fear of disturbing her, he does so, and with his first step towards the older male, he says, "Good morning, Kasim." The sadness that was in his tone when he said those same words to his mother is still there, but there is not nearly as much of it.
Maybe it's the fact that he's still a bit sleepy that he doesn't pick up on the small amount of sadness in Kein's voice when he normally would. As Kein approaches him, Kasim remains laying down, not wanting to get up until he really has to. "So how've you been feeling kid? Looks like those injuries are all healed up." At least now he can walk without looking like he's about to fall down. That's always good.
Perhaps they are all healed. Perhaps there will always be that twinge of pain when he moves just wrong. He doesn't know, but he does nod his head. Yep. He's all better, or at least good enough. "I'm well." There is still hesitation. Even with Kasim, it's not as easy as just saying, 'Bye. See you in a few months.' Instead, he says, "How did you sleep?"
Kasim looks up at Kein as he speaks, another yawn escaping him. How did he sleep? "Oh, well enough to get me through the rest of the day," he says with a small smile. It's not like he doesn't mind staying up later to help out wherever he can in this difficult time, but that can sometimes cut into his sleeping schedule. So, at this point, any sleep is good sleep. "It'll be nice when things start to simmer down." That is, /if/ they ever simmer down.
"It shouldn't take too much longer." That, at least, is easy enough to say, and it isn't /that/ hard to follow it with, "Nayeli and I are leaving either today or tomorrow." And things ought to calm down for Mom, Kasim, and Pel after that. If nothing else, they won't have to worry about hunting for and protecting him any longer. Really, they might not have to worry about it even if he were staying, but Kein will take the excuse to lead into the reason he is talking to Kasim.
Well that certainly gets his attention. Suddenly feeling slightly more awake, Kasim stays silent for a moment or two, looking straight ahead of him with a blank look on his face. Finally, he takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh. "I was wondering when this day would come," he says, getting up into a comfortable sitting position. He always knew that, once Kein got better, the question would be /when/ not /if/ Kein was going to leave. "So you've thought it all over and you're sure it's what you want to do?" he asks, not sounding doubtful but as if he were going over a 'to-do' list with the teen.
Kein gives a little nod of his head. He's even more sure now than he was before he spoke to his mother. Despite what he told her, this /is/ the right thing for him to do, and not just because there is no other option. "I'm sure. It's what we both want to do." The decision isn't /just/ his, after all. If it were just up to him, he would have at least asked his family to join him.
Even though he absolutely knew this moment was bound to happen sooner or later, it still doesn't lessen the hurt that Kasim feels. Sure, him and Kein may not have been the closest of family members... but what matters is that Kein is family and, blood related or not, it hurts to see one go. Still, he knows that Kein is old enough now to make his own decisions and carve a path out for himself and if that means leaving here, then so be it. Kasim's smile only gets wider as he thinks about all this. "Well... we'll certainly miss you Kein, and if you feel you have to do it, then good for you. I hope you come back and visit every now and then."
Kein lowers his head to look at the ground. He doesn't talk to Kasim often, but he /will/ miss the older male, at least sometimes. His almost dad, but never quite. "I'll miss you too. All of you. And I will visit, and you can visit me, once you know where I'll be living." It will be a while, but at least it isn't forever.
Technically speaking, no, Kasim can never truly be Kein's father. But he's helped raise him into the maturing teen standing in front of him and it's that reason why he sees Kein as a son to him. So when Kein droops his head down, the adult cougar steps forward and bumps his head under Kein's to perk it up again. "Hey don't be sad, be happy. This is a big moment in your life and I'm really proud of you for making the decision on your own. Yes leaving family is sad but... I can't even begin to tell you how lucky you are to be traveling with the one you love." Kasim takes a quick look back at his sleeping mate before continuing. "Traveling away is tough, but when you're with someone whom you truly love with all your heart it can make the trip that much more worth it."
Kein's anger with Kasim was never lasting. After the conversation he had with Mom, he even began to understand why the two of them were together. And now this... No, he may not be able to relate to the older male, but at least he can feel reassured about leaving his mom here with Kasim. He looks to the sleeping cougar, then to Kasim, and says, "I really am glad you're her mate. Take care of her, okay?" It's really not half the command, or even request, it might seem to be. In reality, Kein is complimenting Kasim the only way he knows how, by using a female they both have ties to, both care about. He can't do what he did with Mom, can't rub against the older male, fight back tears, talk, laugh, and remember until no more words are forthcoming. This is how it has to be, but at least Kein gives a genuine attempt at making sure his feelings are known.
And even if Kasim doesn't fully recognize it as a compliment, the statement really means a lot to him. Lately, it seemed that he had been lacking Kein's approval but now that's all swept off the table. "You don't even have to ask me to do that," he says to the adolescent, leaning in to give him a warm nuzzle. "I'll take care of things here, you just worry about looking after yourself and Nayeli, ok? Sometimes it can get tough out there, but if you two stick together then I have no doubt you'll be fine."
Kein returns the nuzzling briefly, then answers with a nod of his head and by saying, "I will, and we'll send word as soon as we know where we're going to live." Kein wouldn't feel right about leaving Nayeli alone somewhere or about letting her return alone, so it'll have to be an avian messenger, because he doesn't imagine they should leave their territory for a while, once they find it.
"I can't wait to hear from you two," Kasim replies with a wide smile. Kein really isn't that cub anymore who said he could take on fully grown wolves with only one paw; he's grown up in a big way. "And Kein," he says after a short silence between them, "I know that I can never be your real, true father... but ever since the day I first met you, I've always thought of you as a son... and I'm really proud of you."
Will Kein ever think of Kasim as his father? Maybe, before he learned about Azriel. Regardless, he does think of Kasim as /family/, and that's what matters. "That means a lot to me Kasim. Thank you." Mom has told him that all of them are proud of him, but hearing it from Kasim himself makes it mean just a little bit more.
Kein - Male Adolescent Cougar
Kasim - Male Cougar
- Sloping Gradient -
It has been a couple hours since Kein and his mother stopped talking. She appears to have drifted off for a nap, after having been up most of the night keeping watch. Kein is still awake, though, and still thinking. The sun has not yet reached it's highest point, and the two are both lying within sight of where Kasim was resting when he first began speaking to Mom. Currently, he is thinking more about Nayeli than about what his mother told him.
The silence around them is soon broken up by a few annoyed grunts coming from Kasim as he starts to wake up from his nap. Any few hours of sleep he can get are helpful, but the tough part always seems to be waking up. He barely cracks open an eye and looks around as best he can, soon spotting Kein and Maul together. "Hey there Kein," he grunts out sleepily, stretching himself out and rolling over onto his stomach with his head in between his front paws, a small yawn escaping him.
Kein looks over as he hears a familiar voice. He takes a deep breath, then slowly scoots away from his mother. He had enjoyed being by her, but he also doesn't want to be waking her up. After he is far enough away that he can stand without fear of disturbing her, he does so, and with his first step towards the older male, he says, "Good morning, Kasim." The sadness that was in his tone when he said those same words to his mother is still there, but there is not nearly as much of it.
Maybe it's the fact that he's still a bit sleepy that he doesn't pick up on the small amount of sadness in Kein's voice when he normally would. As Kein approaches him, Kasim remains laying down, not wanting to get up until he really has to. "So how've you been feeling kid? Looks like those injuries are all healed up." At least now he can walk without looking like he's about to fall down. That's always good.
Perhaps they are all healed. Perhaps there will always be that twinge of pain when he moves just wrong. He doesn't know, but he does nod his head. Yep. He's all better, or at least good enough. "I'm well." There is still hesitation. Even with Kasim, it's not as easy as just saying, 'Bye. See you in a few months.' Instead, he says, "How did you sleep?"
Kasim looks up at Kein as he speaks, another yawn escaping him. How did he sleep? "Oh, well enough to get me through the rest of the day," he says with a small smile. It's not like he doesn't mind staying up later to help out wherever he can in this difficult time, but that can sometimes cut into his sleeping schedule. So, at this point, any sleep is good sleep. "It'll be nice when things start to simmer down." That is, /if/ they ever simmer down.
"It shouldn't take too much longer." That, at least, is easy enough to say, and it isn't /that/ hard to follow it with, "Nayeli and I are leaving either today or tomorrow." And things ought to calm down for Mom, Kasim, and Pel after that. If nothing else, they won't have to worry about hunting for and protecting him any longer. Really, they might not have to worry about it even if he were staying, but Kein will take the excuse to lead into the reason he is talking to Kasim.
Well that certainly gets his attention. Suddenly feeling slightly more awake, Kasim stays silent for a moment or two, looking straight ahead of him with a blank look on his face. Finally, he takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh. "I was wondering when this day would come," he says, getting up into a comfortable sitting position. He always knew that, once Kein got better, the question would be /when/ not /if/ Kein was going to leave. "So you've thought it all over and you're sure it's what you want to do?" he asks, not sounding doubtful but as if he were going over a 'to-do' list with the teen.
Kein gives a little nod of his head. He's even more sure now than he was before he spoke to his mother. Despite what he told her, this /is/ the right thing for him to do, and not just because there is no other option. "I'm sure. It's what we both want to do." The decision isn't /just/ his, after all. If it were just up to him, he would have at least asked his family to join him.
Even though he absolutely knew this moment was bound to happen sooner or later, it still doesn't lessen the hurt that Kasim feels. Sure, him and Kein may not have been the closest of family members... but what matters is that Kein is family and, blood related or not, it hurts to see one go. Still, he knows that Kein is old enough now to make his own decisions and carve a path out for himself and if that means leaving here, then so be it. Kasim's smile only gets wider as he thinks about all this. "Well... we'll certainly miss you Kein, and if you feel you have to do it, then good for you. I hope you come back and visit every now and then."
Kein lowers his head to look at the ground. He doesn't talk to Kasim often, but he /will/ miss the older male, at least sometimes. His almost dad, but never quite. "I'll miss you too. All of you. And I will visit, and you can visit me, once you know where I'll be living." It will be a while, but at least it isn't forever.
Technically speaking, no, Kasim can never truly be Kein's father. But he's helped raise him into the maturing teen standing in front of him and it's that reason why he sees Kein as a son to him. So when Kein droops his head down, the adult cougar steps forward and bumps his head under Kein's to perk it up again. "Hey don't be sad, be happy. This is a big moment in your life and I'm really proud of you for making the decision on your own. Yes leaving family is sad but... I can't even begin to tell you how lucky you are to be traveling with the one you love." Kasim takes a quick look back at his sleeping mate before continuing. "Traveling away is tough, but when you're with someone whom you truly love with all your heart it can make the trip that much more worth it."
Kein's anger with Kasim was never lasting. After the conversation he had with Mom, he even began to understand why the two of them were together. And now this... No, he may not be able to relate to the older male, but at least he can feel reassured about leaving his mom here with Kasim. He looks to the sleeping cougar, then to Kasim, and says, "I really am glad you're her mate. Take care of her, okay?" It's really not half the command, or even request, it might seem to be. In reality, Kein is complimenting Kasim the only way he knows how, by using a female they both have ties to, both care about. He can't do what he did with Mom, can't rub against the older male, fight back tears, talk, laugh, and remember until no more words are forthcoming. This is how it has to be, but at least Kein gives a genuine attempt at making sure his feelings are known.
And even if Kasim doesn't fully recognize it as a compliment, the statement really means a lot to him. Lately, it seemed that he had been lacking Kein's approval but now that's all swept off the table. "You don't even have to ask me to do that," he says to the adolescent, leaning in to give him a warm nuzzle. "I'll take care of things here, you just worry about looking after yourself and Nayeli, ok? Sometimes it can get tough out there, but if you two stick together then I have no doubt you'll be fine."
Kein returns the nuzzling briefly, then answers with a nod of his head and by saying, "I will, and we'll send word as soon as we know where we're going to live." Kein wouldn't feel right about leaving Nayeli alone somewhere or about letting her return alone, so it'll have to be an avian messenger, because he doesn't imagine they should leave their territory for a while, once they find it.
"I can't wait to hear from you two," Kasim replies with a wide smile. Kein really isn't that cub anymore who said he could take on fully grown wolves with only one paw; he's grown up in a big way. "And Kein," he says after a short silence between them, "I know that I can never be your real, true father... but ever since the day I first met you, I've always thought of you as a son... and I'm really proud of you."
Will Kein ever think of Kasim as his father? Maybe, before he learned about Azriel. Regardless, he does think of Kasim as /family/, and that's what matters. "That means a lot to me Kasim. Thank you." Mom has told him that all of them are proud of him, but hearing it from Kasim himself makes it mean just a little bit more.