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 Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 11:14 pm
Yale'buana sat within the shadows of the temple, eyes narrowed slightly as his paw moved about on the stone floor. At first glance, one might take the cub for a simpleton, just pushing small stones back and forth. What they didn't notice, was that he was playing a game.
There was a line of ants traveling across the cool floor, in and out of the cub's peripheral vision. And he was trying to figure out their line.
When the fire-eyed cub had first com across the tiny insects, they had been traveling in a straight line. Since then, he had made a line of stones next to the line on either side and was slowly and carefully pushing the stones into various shapes. He had assumed that when he pushed a stone into the line that the ants would crawl over it, but what he found instead was that they instead walked around it. Curious over this phenomena, he pushed his rows of stones into waves and zig-zag patterns, and each time the ants marched on, heading through the stones rather than over them.
"Why?" Yale asked them softly, narrowing his eyes a bit. It had to be his favorite word. He had to know what cause everything, why one creature did one thing and another did the opposite. He couldn't help it really, he was convinced that he was born the way he was. And there wasn't any point in asking himself why he was what he was, for that would just create an unending cycle.
Besides, he preferred questioning things that could be answered.
Kam skidded to a halt and slunk over curiously, what could have his brother so enraptured?
"Yale?" He called curiously tilting his head and trying to see what he was missing.Yale didn't even bother to look up. He knew that voice as well as his own, that of his little brother Kamau. His eyes narrowed a bit as he used a baby claw to nudge one of the ants out of line. It flailed a bit at the huge thing pushing it, but when he drew away, it returned to the line.
"Strange..." he muttered before his eyes flicked up to his brother. They looked so much alike, he and Kamau. Same size, same color stripes. Only differences were in where he had cream fur, Kam had brown and where Kam had cream, he had white. And their eyes, of course. Of all his siblings, only Yale had been born with their father's eyes. Something he wondered about. Maybe it was because he had received nothing else from the unknown male.
The young cub had no idea how much like his father he truly was.
"Whatcha doin' this time, Kamau? Not hunting for more treasure, I hope," he said before looking back down at the insects only to find the line had ended. He was rather jealous that his brother and sister had such pretty treasures. But he'd never say so."Uh no..." Kamau said mildly guiltily as his gaze moved down.
"Momma was mad...I think these things were hers..." While he was happy to have the object he would have traded it in a heartbeat for his mothers love and approval.
"What are you doing?" He crouched curiously looking at the rock patterns Yale had arranged. Kamau was used to his older brother doing strange things, the explanations were always interesting."Seeing if ants stay in line if you put stuff in their way and if they go over or around it," Yale replied bluntly, his tail-tip tapping on the floor a bit as he gave his brother a look of mild curiosity, tilting his head slightly to one side.
"Why do you think she hates us?" he asked before he could censure himself. It was difficult for him not to ask questions, at least when he was around his brother. He did his absolute best when he was with others that weren't his siblings. They might not understand and might punish him if he questioned the wrong thing."She doesn't hate us!" Kamau responded with a hasty growl, he frowned and calmed.
"Don't say stuff like that Yale...Momma is busy thats all." He sat down and looked down at the rock patterns.
"Why do you think she...hates us?" The cub frowned trying to wrap his mind around the idea, but he couldn't. He wanted his mothers love so very badly, and he wanted her mate to accept them as if they were his own. A pseudo-father was better then no father and their mothers loath.Yale shrugged. He was smart, sure, but he didn't have all the answers.
"Maybe because our papa's not the papa she wants it to be," he replied somewhat offhandedly, waving a paw.
"Not like it's our fault or nothin'. Guess adults are just weird. When I grow up, I'm not gonna deal with girls. Seems like too much trouble, to me," he added with a shrug. He had no idea that that decision would probably change in the future, but for now he was still just a little boy, and girls were still trouble.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 1:03 pm
"Maybe..." Kamau sighed softly before looking back at his brother curiously.
"But I'm going to try and be the best for our new father, he'll see that we aren't bad, he'll want us. Then mama will want us too." He nodded certain that this plan would work to gain him his mothers love and the love of her mate.
He looked at Yale curiously and shrugged "Females aren't so bad, sometimes they just need help."
Yale shrugged a bit.
"Eh, I'm just gonna be me. If he doesn't like me than I don't think I need him," the slightly older male replied, but he showed mild irritation by swiping his paw at the stones, sending them flying down the hallway. He stood and started walking in the direction he sent the stones in.
"Do you think one day we'll see our real father?" he asked, glancing over his striped shoulder at his brother.
"Well...I want him to like me." Kamau replied softly curious what made his brother so confident. He watched the stones slide into the stone ruins and jerked back startled slightly by his brothers question. He hadn't thought of their true father, well perhaps in passing moments, but why think of a male who wasn't there and probably had no desire to be. It was their mother and colony that Kamau cared about now.
"If we do ever meet him, how will we even know? He's probably much happier without us around, I don't want to bother him." Kamau shrugged his freckled muzzle giving a slight twitch.
Yale liked to think he'd know. Liked to think that he'd hear the male's voice, see his eyes, catch his scent and just know that it was his father. Kamau might have been right, but what if he wasn't? What if the male didn't even know he and his brother and sisters even existed? What if he knew and cared? If he didn't, well, Yale figured that was his problem. But the cub hated not knowing things.
"Eh, I don't think I really care if anyone likes me. Just as long as I know it," he replied, walking farther into the temple. He had no idea how much like his father he really was. He hated lies and subterfuge, preferring others to be truthful with their opinions and he strived to be such himself. He also cared little for what others saw in him. If they thought he was odd, than that was their opinion. To him, he was just himself.
"I don't want Mama or her mate to like me if they don't want to. I'd wanna know why, but in the end that's just how it is."
Kamau followed his brother with watchful green eyes, he had tried not to go into the ruins much anymore, playing on and around them lest he upset his mother again.
"Well, there are just some things you may never know Yale..." He tipped his head wondering how his brother managed to be so inquisitive and not frustrated by the lack of answers that so much of the worlds mysteries held.
"I like you brother..." He smiled the honesty and devotion in his eyes, he loved his siblings, his mother, his colony and he knew he would do anything for them.
Yale actually smiled for once, nodding his head.
"And I like you, Brother," he replied, bumping his shoulder against the other cub's playfully. Of all his siblings, he figured he did like Kam best. Koko was always so distant and Kesha was really too loud for him. He and Koko were more kindred spirits and they got along when they were together, but the fact that they were both usually quiet kind of repelled them from one another. Kamau was just enough to cancel out Yale's reclusive and quiet personality.
"And just 'cause I may not know, doesn't mean I won't try an' find out," he shot back, his smile turning into a confident grin. He didn't have the fear of getting in trouble that Kam had. It wasn't like he'd take anything fro the ruins, anyways. He'd yet to see anything that captured his fancy, and in truth he doubted he ever would. The things he had seen in there were odd-looking, strange to him. And to wear one of the things he found just seemed silly.
"Why do you wear that thing, anyways?"
Kamau grinned as his brother bumped away him, he paws at his brothers nose and chuckled before looking down at the ivory carving hanging from his neck.
"It reminds me of mama..." He nodded softly, the slight weight and pressure against his chest reminded him of the colony and his mother, always close to his heart.
"I think it was hers, and her mates...they must have found it together in the ruins, and Ko and I found it..." He remembered the exploration, the scent of his mother and the strange new smell of her mate. It had been a comfort to curl up there and pretend that it was family, together. He avoided the place now, it was clear that his mother was protective of the old den.
"Oh..." Yale replied softly, looking away from the thing. He guessed that made sense. Kam seemed really determined to get their mother's favor. It wasn't like Yale didn't understand, he just... Didn't see much of a point, that was all. He just wasn't the type to strive for another's favor.
"I hope Mama's mate comes back soon," he said randomly, pausing to look at his brother for a moment.
"She'll feel better then, I think."
"I hope he comes back soon too, momma will be happy...and we'll get to meet him. What do you think he's like?" Kamau asked curious of his brothers mental image of the male that would either accept or reject them.
Kamau could only picture a large strong male, perhaps his mothers opposite in color, but he had no idea of what the male would truly be like or look like. Hopefully they wouldn't look too blatantly different then him, it might help better their odds of gaining his fatherly love.
"I donno. I wanna think he's browny and white, like Mama, but we won't know until we see him. Unless Mama tells us what he looks like." Yale avoided adding that he didn't see that happening. He didn't get the feeling she would like answering that question any more than she would like telling one of them what their real father looked like.
"Bet he's big and strong, though. He's Mama's mate, after all..." he trailed off there, frowning a bit in thought.
"Hey, Kam... THink you could show me the place you and Ko found?" he finally asked, flicking his gaze at his youngest sibling.
Kamau nodded in agreement of his brothers idea of their mothers mate. It was jsut as he envisioned it too, but he knew better then to ask. Mama would not take kindly to them mentioning her mate until he arrived, and even then she might not appreciate it.
He frowned at his brothers request, "I don't think she'd like that Yale..." He hesitated before nodding. "but I'll show you...I'm just not gonna go in there again..."
Yale nodded slowly. He wouldn't ask anything of anyone that they didn't want to do. He didn't know why he asked Kam to show him, why he wanted to see the place for himself. He didn't want to take anything, didn't ever really want to bask in the scents of the two adult leopards like his brother might have, pretending they were a perfect, loving family. He guessed...
"'m not gonna hurt anything, Kam. I just... I just wanna see it, I guess. With my own eyes."
"Okay..." Kamau nodded and moved to lead his brother, the deeper into the ruins the more shade and peace. Still his green eyes flicked upwards wondering if their mothers bird wasn't watching, or their mother herself.
Finally they reached the place, the opening was a beautiful carved entrance images of leopards running and sitting were all around. "This...is it..." He looked back at his brother.
Yale followed his brother in silence, eyes taking in the direction and sights slowly, converting it all to memory. When they reached the entrance, he nodded slowly and stepped inside, stopping just within. He turned his head slowly, taking in the whole of the room. He mostly ignored what was in the room, simply taking it in. And when he was done with that, he closed his eyes and took a slow breath, taking in the scents of the room.
His curiosity should have been appeased and yet he still didn't feel complete for some reason. Like there was still something missing. Frustration mounting slightly in the cub, he shook his head and turned away, returning to his brother.
"Thanks, Kam."
Kamau waited patiently for his brother, he wondered what it was that Yale sought within the deserted den. Still he smiled and relaxed as yale exited and came over, "No problem Yale, did you find what you needed?"
He looked at his brother curiously before turning to head back away from the ruins and out into the open sunlight.
Yale sighed as he walked beside his brother.
"No, not really. Guess it would have helped if I knew what I was lookin' for in the first place," he mumbled in response but shrugged nonchalantly. There wasn't anything he could currently do about the feeling within the back of his mind, so there was no use dwelling on it. He might come back to it later, but not now. For all he knew, he had simply been looking for insight into the ways of his mother and her wayward mate. Yeah, that was it. And that feeling was simply because he hadn't found those answers he so zealously sought.
Kamau shook his head with a wry smile, how odd his siblings all were, yet he loved them. Yale perplexed him so often that it barely registered anymore, he just answered what questions he could for his brother.
"Lets go home..." He finally murmured and headed towards their babysitter, how he longed for the day when home would be beside his mother and father.
"Sure..." Yale responded in a similar tone, similar voice, walking with his brother back towards their nanny. He could use a nap anyways...
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