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Painted Moose
Celes lounged in the lowest branch of the Big Tree, allowing his long foreleg to hang off the side. He figured this was a safe enough spot to watch out for danger and keep an eye on his little sister. Little sister. It was weird to think, since he was so used to being given the run around for being the little brother. Not that any of it bothered him. Sisters, brothers, a father be barely knew; it was all relatively in the grand scheme of things. They were family, and family watched out for it's own. He yawned wide, and licked his lips, looking out over the lands until he spotted a familiar shape and a not so familiar one.
Even though Celes could see Gaige, Gaige couldn't see him. He was too busy dragging his feet and pouting. "How come we have to go so far to see Pen-pen? Why didn't you bring her with you?" The young cub looked up at his father, his burning fire eyes so bright on such a gaunt face. He flicked his tail irritably behind him, purposefully kicking every little pebble and stick.
Seaki
Mpenzi was splashing at the edge of the water, batting at the little fish that swam near the surface. Her paws were already wet from when they left the pride, having splashed through the puddles on the way. While she wasn't terribly keen when she had first arrived in the Koti pride, but she had gotten used to being in a constant state of wet and she didn't mind it much anymore.
She did look prim and proper though, despite it. She wasn't a drown rat after all. She'd also gotten used to the random meetings of others in the pride - some she had tried to bite, and others she hadn't like.
She liked Celes though.
Chozi was on his way back with little Gaige, practically kidnapped from Tikoto for the day. He wanted to spend him with his babies though, and if Tikoto was around he was sure to get... distracted...
He couldn't do that to his children...
So he took Gaige to the Big Tree, giving instructions to Celes to meet them there. Despite being one of the eldest of his children, Celes was growing quickly, and his heart swelled in sadness and joy. He had missed all of his oldest boy's childhood, and he'd be damned if he was going to miss Gaige's as well.
Painted Moose
Celes watched the young cheeton with a crooked smile. He liked that she wasn't clingy and didn't ask a lot of questions. It was easier to focus on enjoying their time together that way. The down time was nice so that he was able to get a break from chasing tails and singing until his throat burned. He lived his life on a lot of extremes, but sometimes letting it all go was just as thrilling.
"Mpenzi." He waved his paw in the direction of Chozi and Gaige. "They're back." As if she couldn't see herself.
Gaige kicked his large paws ahead of him, stomping and stopping for a pause to chew on his shoulder. Fleas were nasty! They bit and chomped, making his fur dirty and matted. He looked like a swamp monster half the time, and this was no exception.
"Hmph." So his father hadn't answered him. It wasn't like he'd been expecting one, since his mother ignored his questions as well. He'd just thought this was going to be different, was all...since his father was so soft and all...
Gaige walked straight up to Mpenzi and just...stared. "What are you doing?"
Seaki
Mpenzi looked up when her big brother spoke, exposing her white throat. She gave a small giggle and looked in the direction that her father had disappeared off to. She saw her other bother - her lion brother appear.
He looked a little ratty, but that was okay. She gave him a wide grin, baring her sharp teeth. She rocked on her toes at the question, gesturing towards the water and the fish the danced below the surface. If he didn't understand, well - she might just have to give him a closer look is all.
Chozi frowned a bit, attention focusing on his son. He had heard the question, but his mind had simply wandered - only realizing he had stayed silent when the cub huffed. He wondered if he could get the itching to stop on his poor child. Maybe cake his fur with mud till the fleas suffocated against his skin and give him a nice, thorough cleaning and some cuddles.
"I didn't want to upset your mother by bringing your brother along, little one," he told the little lion cub. The adult cheeton made his way over to the lake, edge and up to his eldest son. "I hope Mpenzi was alright for you?"
Painted Moose
Gaige nodded along with his father, accepting it as an unquestionable truth. Mother could be harsh at times. She wasn't all that nice to strangers, even if she wasn't all that nice to begin with.
So he quirked his brow and looked into the water at the small fish swimming around. Was she hungry? He rotated his mouth a around, twitching his nose like a hare, before slipping slowly into the water. Gaige had every intention of getting the fish for Mpenzi, but the cool water on his dry fur shocked the boy, causing him to become paralyzed.
Celes shifted to make room for his father, should he choose to share the branch with him. His bright eyes took in the boy with a mixture of disgust and pity. A part of him hoped he wouldn't have to touch the thing, and another wanted to douse him in the water until all of the mud came off. And was that dried blood on his fur?
"Self-contained as usual, " He smiled, then motioned to the boy. "So...did you have any trouble?"
Seaki
Mpenzi giggled, a cheerful sound as Gaige stopped moving with his paws in the water. It thrilled her to no end, but she nudged him anyhow, seeing if he would move from the frozen position. She gave a huffed whine - how were they supposed to play if he couldn't move in water.
Chozi scaled the tree with a little difficulty. He wasn't a leopard after all, but he had some experience. He was afraid he was a bit rusty though.
He settled onto the branch next to Celes. "Trouble?" He asked after a moment. Getting Gaige for the day wasn't a hardship, nor was seeing Tikoto. He very nearly stayed, in fact. Being around Tikoto always made him weak in his knees in an entirely good way. "Perhaps a bit, why?"
Painted Moose
Seaki
Painted Moose
Seaki*
Painted Moose
Seaki
Painted Moose
Seaki
Painted Moose
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