[PRP] Unnatural (Kestven/Mittere)

[Excited Apathy]

Thwack.

The sound of a paw striking wood resounded, but not as much as that from a larger paw might have. The angry cheeton facing a dead tree was still only a juvenile, after all, for all that he was taking out his frustrations on the inanimate object as though beating it to 'death' could chase away his own troubles. Unnatural... The word slipped through his mind again, and he snarled, lunging for the tree again.

Thwack.

His claws dug small gouges in the wood, and a few splinters followed in the wake of his paw. But no matter how hard he 'fought,' the words of the stranger plagued him. Unnatural creature...

Thwack.  

[mouselet]

Someone had mentioned seeing Kestven attacking a tree.

The pink lioness couldn't think of a reason why this would be, but she allowed that her...adopted son...did have a temper and might be taking out some of his frustration on deadwood. These things did happen occasionally. Mittere herself had better ways to deal with anger. Perhaps it might be time to share those.

It was the sound, more than anything, that guided her straight to the young cheeton. She stood silently for several long moments, watching, before finally speaking.

"I certainly hope you're not calling that "practice"," she informed him sternly.  

[Excited Apathy]

Freezing mid-swing, Kestven's entire body went rigid with startlement. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts, in trying to find an outlet for his anger, that he hadn't even noticed his adopted mother coming near. Not that he would have, if she'd really wanted not to be heard--she was good like that. Forcing his muscles to relax, his ears folded back as his mind raced for an answer. "...Maybe," he admitted slowly.

"I met a stranger today."  

[mouselet]

Mittere's eyebrows rose at the unexpected statement. The Kitwana'antara was not the biggest pride out there - not by a long shot - so a stranger was worth noting. Except...she had strict rules for the kids living in her den (Moto'nafsi had his own for the others which might or might not match up with her own) and they were not allowed near the border.

So this stranger must be here with somebody's knowledge for Kestven to have met them. Either that or...

"And how close were you to the border?" she asked in a tone that demanded an appropriate answer...or else.  

[Excited Apathy]

"I wasn't." His ears flattened further against his head. "I was doing my own stuff...when this stranger walked up and just started staring at me." Remembering that sent uncomfortable prickles up Kestven's spine. "He asked me what I was, like he didn't know or something."

His tail decided now was a good time to start slowly lashing again. "He started calling me names when I told him."  

[mouselet]

The pink lioness' expression didn't change as she listened. So there was a stranger who didn't know a thing about hybrids? It was very strange that such a creature had come to this pride, and stranger that she knew nothing about him.

"There are places where only one race is welcome," she explained to the boy. "So not only would they never mate outside their race, often times they do not know it is possible."

That didn't excuse the stranger's behavior, as her steely blue eyes indicated, but it was an explanation for it.  

[Excited Apathy]

"Like...only lions? Or leopards?" Kestven's brow furrowed as he grappled with this concept. Growing up in a pride where all races were considered to be useful in some fashion, it seemed impossibly odd to him that there might be places that restricted themselves so. "Is that why he called me a 'weird little beast' and an 'unnatural creature?'" By the time he reached the end of that question, his voice was a half-growl, but there was hurt and confusion mingled with the anger in his eyes.  

[mouselet]

"Possibly," Mittere allowed. She hoped that was the reasoning for insulting Kestven so meanly, but there was always the potential for something more sinister. Perhaps she would have to...discover the truth for herself.

"But yes, there are many prides, packs, colonies and coalitions made up of only a single race." The pink lioness rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "I do not say that one way of life is better than another, merely that there are many ways to live."  

[Excited Apathy]

"His way can't that great if he's that mean," Kestven muttered sourly, sitting down hard with a fwump. Tail curling around his feet, he looked up at his adopted mother. "I wouldn't want to live that way if it made me a mean stupid-head." His opinion of the weird-colored stranger had cemented pretty well by now. A mean stupid-head who had nothing better to do than go around being mean to 'unnatural creatures' like him. Hmph. He deserved the scratching the cheeton had given him.

Oh.

Right.

That.

He...really should mention that before Mittere found out some other way. He stared down at his paws with ears tucked back, beginning to hunch inward on himself.

"I...might have hit him."  

[mouselet]

Until that moment, the pink lioness hadn't actually been looking at the cheeton. She didn't need to stare at a person to be aware of them, their movements, their expressions.

But at Kestven's words, her head swiveled like a lodestone swinging to point north, and stayed there. Her blue eyes blazed, but no other part of her expression changed.

"Kestven."  

[Excited Apathy]

Kestven swallowed hard as his stomach suddenly found a very keen interest in burrowing down until it found the other side of the world. It was never easy being in Trouble, especially when he knew deep down that he really shouldn't have done what had him in Trouble. If only he'd been able to think of this when anger and hurt clouded his judgement! "I shouldn't have. He was so mean and I got angry and. I." Words failed him then, and try as he might, he couldn't bring his gaze up to meet those eyes. If he could have shrunken down to invisibility on the spot, he would have.  

[mouselet]

Well, at least he'd recognized what he'd done wrong. It seemed that she might have to begin educating the boys about the fact that there actually was a world outside the pride, and it was a very different place than the Kitwana'antara.

In the meantime, Kestven did require some punishment. And perhaps this mysterious stranger as well, though he could wait. Children didn't learn anything if you waited to discipline them.

"Come with me. We're going to have a...special...training session."

Mittere turned and led the way without even looking to see that the cheeton was following. She didn't have any doubts about it though. He should know by now that whatever the punishment was for being rude and attacking a stranger, disobeying the Master Warrior was a far greater offense.  

[Excited Apathy]

Kestven didn't have to be told twice. While his head was lowered and his tail nearly dragged the ground, his pawsteps were not in the least bit lagging as he slunk after Mittere. He really shouldn't have scratched up that stranger.

Even if he was a stupid-head.