[PRP] Playing Rough (Imbra, Kanie)

[FallenThroughMidnight]

Mother sometimes had friends for them to play with. Like today. It was nice, the little hybrid supposed, to have other cubs around. But she didn’t care for them all that much, not really. Like her brother, they squeaked when she played with them, but unlike Hikari they also started to wail and cry and be generally bothersome until their parents came to talk to her mother, and then mother was disappointed with her. Which made the youngster feel a bit guilty, though that was not fair in the least. She was only playing. How was it her fault if they whined and cried and were too fragile to play with properly?

Keikanei rose to her paws, attempting to imitate the fluid motions of her mother when she did. Of all of her siblings, she’d been pleased to note, she was the closest. Her steps were sure and fairly quiet, and her movements were growing into grace. She no longer fell over her paws, nor stumbled clumsily with any regularity. No, she was going to be just as elegant as her mother. But not in that sweet smooth way she interacted with the other males of the pride. No, no Kanie was far more interested in the way her mother had born fang and sent that stranger screeching from the den. That was power. That intrigued her, made her crave it. That was what she wished for herself.

But none of the others would play with her. How was she to get better if no one would play her games?

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Imbra frowned when Tomkrie told her and her siblings that they would be having a play date with Aiko's cubs. They were older, she and her sibs were warned, and looked a little different, but they must not be made fun of because of it. Imbra tried several times to tell the nanny that she'd met these cubs before, and she'd been perfectly well-behaved. Well. Maybe not perfectly, and she'd mostly played with that one boy, Hikari, but she'd at least seen the others.

Imbra tuned Tomkrie out and prowled anxiously around the den until at last the nanny finished speaking and she and her siblings were free to go. She burst from the den and bounded ahead of her siblings. She knew where they were going, she knew the rules, and she was so glad to be allowed to go out and play. She and her siblings were so carefully guarded, it drove her crazy sometimes, and she really didn't understand it. Her father was her hero, but she knew he was only a high grunt.

As Imbra leaped into the play area the first sight to meet her eyes was a dark cub with pale pink eyes. She definitely remembered seeing her before, though she didn't think they'd spoken. She didn't seem as overlarge this time as she had last time. Imbra marched up to her without hesitation, always being one to go after what she wanted without thought for the potential danger. She was a fearless cub.

"I'm Imbra," she announced. She didn't pounce on the other cub this time. Tomkrie had taken her to task for it last time, and she didn't want to be scolded again.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

Pale eyes shifted to the dark cub that bounded towards her, and Kanie tensed slightly, almost expectantly. But nothing seemed to come of it. Nothing happened at all. Huh. Frowning slightly, the young hybrid settled back on her haunches, eyeing the newcomer who'd bounded to greet her and then just...stopped. Without doing anything.

This one she'd seen before, talking with her elder brother. Was she meek and squeaky like Hikari was then? He was barely even fun anymore, he never hit her back. Ever. She began to doubt if he even could, though she knew Jiro could and would...and did. Other cubs tended to cry though, and mother scolded when other cubs cried. But it wasn't as though she made them cry on purpose. It wasn't her fault if they could not keep up with her.

It occured to her only belatedly that this strange fire-pawed cub had said something, introduced herself. The dark hybrid eyed her again, her tail flicking briefly as she tried to decide what to do about this. Did that mean this cub wanted to play with her? Curiously, Kanie lifted a forepaw and batted, lightly just in case, at the girl standing before her, wondering what sort of reaction she might receive.

It would be nice to have someone who wanted to try keeping up with her.

((I think I wanted to ask you about the rivals plot I had for Kanie? Imbra seemed more suited to it, since she also aspires to become a warrior. They wouldn't need to wind up enemies, more like training buddies who get a little rougher than really needed. Just a query.))  

[Princess_Feylin]

Imbra had expected some sort of response to her very polite introduction. Some sort of verbal response, that is. Being lightly batted at had not been something she'd thought to anticipate. She knew for a fact that it was not how greetings and introductions were carried out. Tomkrie had made very sure she knew that before arranging for Imbra and her litter to meet any more cubs, just in case Imbra got too aggressive or something stupid like that.

Whether or not she'd thought to anticipate it, Imbra was a cheetah through and through, and her actions and reflexes were extremely good. When the larger cub went to bat at her one of her own forepaws came up in a semi-defensive sweep designed to keep Kanie's paw from actually coming into contact with any part of her body. It wasn't that Imbra so much objected to being touched, but she was a fighter to the core, and the action had been instinctive.

If Tomkrie had seen it, she probably would have made mention of it to Mana the next time they spoke and suggested that maybe his firstborn should be trained as a fighter when she was old enough. Not that Imbra knew that. She was certain that if Tomkrie caught her getting feisty she'd get in trouble again, and Imbra was getting awfully tired of getting in trouble. It was so unbelievably boring to be lectured.

"You didn't tell me your name," she pointed out, unaware that she'd shifted her weight to her hind paws in readiness to spring if necessary.

That sounds like it could be fun.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

She’d hit back? Kanie blinked at the other cub, new interest piquing her curiosity. It wasn’t a hit exactly. More like a light swat. But still. It was more than most ever did. Her dark tail lashed as she tipped her head to study this stranger a bit more closely. She looked a little like mother’s friend, the fire paws and all. Actually, she looked a lot like him. Kanie wasn’t sure how much she liked that cheetah, he’d relocated her against her will once and she still felt rather disapproving of that. At least he hadn’t tried to do it again, though she’d not allowed him the opportunity either.

One paw still slightly raised, the young hybrid crouched, muscles tensing slightly as she watched this other cub eagerly. She was a bit smaller, true, but that was alright. Size hardly mattered. After all, mother was smaller than the dark cheetah she’d come to learn was ‘uncle’. And Uncle Nana had been very frightened of mother. She could tell.

“…Kei…” she finally spoke, her voice rough and squeaking and small from lack of use. That wasn’t something she’d expected to happen. She coughed, frowning as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her throat. “Mother…calls me…Kanie.” That was better, just a bit. Her ears twitched back, then forward again as though she struggled with a decision. “Do you…want to…play?” she asked after a moment.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Imbra watched the other cub's motions very carefully, preparing herself for some sort of counter attack. She wasn't sure one was coming, but it was best to be prepared. Within her own litter her defensive reaction would have been sure provocation to a full-out battle.

Of course, Imbra observed, that might not be entirely desirable in this case, given how much larger the other cub was than her. Those were silly thoughts and she ignored them. Well, they weren't silly, but they were definitely the thoughts of a cowardly cheetah, and Imbra knew herself to be fierce and brave, and certainly unafraid of that other cub. Size didn't matter that much, did it?

Her readiness proved unnecessary, however, as the other cub was trying to speak. And not doing particularly well at it, either. Imbra didn't even bother trying to smother her smile, though with any luck Kei, or Kanie as her mother apparently called her, would not realize that Imbra was amused at her inarticulate reply.

"Well, I don't want to just sit here talking. That's boring." Imbra slanted a glance at her nanny before continuing. "What do you want to play?"  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

"...play..." Kanie repeated, her tail curling thoughtfully around her paws. It was difficult to speak, not something she was accustomed to doing. But it could be done. Abruptly a grin spread across her features. Maybe this cub would not cry when they played. "Run. You...run...I... I chase. I run... you...chase." It was probably the longest single sentance she had ever uttered in her lifetime. But not everyone could intuitively understand her.

Perhaps Hikari was more useful than she thought. Her brother made an interesting squeaktoy but he always knew what she was trying to say even when she could not say it. She did not talk often. She did not need to. Mother had said once that actions spoke more loudly than words. Keikanei would be very loud indeed when she'd grown.

Eagerly now, she shifted, dropping to crouch on all fours. Her body tensed as she watched the cheetah, her ears pricked forward and her tail lashing expectantly. They would play now, right?

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Imbra frowned as she struggled to puzzle out the meaning of Kanie's oddly-ordered words. Relatively new to the whole speaking thing herself, Imbra wasn't particularly well-practiced at deciphering unusual syntactic patterns. It took her several moments, during which time her tail twitched.

Ah! That was it! Her frown dissipated as she reached the realization that Kanie was describing a game of tag. Imbra wasn't as well-coordinated as her father, who ran amazingly well, even with all those scars on his one paw. She didn't know how he'd gotten them. Seemingly no one did, or no one would tell her at any rate. Nevertheless, she was a very good runner, she thought.

"Yeah! That sounds fun. I'll run first, okay?" She thought it would be a really good opportunity to show off how fast and flexible she was. Not that Tomkrie or her siblings would be surprised, but Imbra always liked to show off for an audience, and she doubted there was anyway Kanie could catch her, so she'd have no choice but to watch how awesome Imbra was as she left her in the dust.

Imbra, too, dropped and prepared to dart away at a word.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

This one understood. Kanie's paws danced in a small silent cheer of excitement. Nodding her head eagerly, the black hybrid took several steps back, giving the other cub more room to run. It was no fun if she caught them before they could even start. And this cub was smaller than she was. She could have a little bit of a head start, it would not be fair otherwise.

Still, her whole body quivered in anticipation, and the look in her pale eyes, while still excited, had gotten somehow sharper. Meaner. There was something serious in playing the games she played. It was probably why the others tended to not play with her.

"...go..." she insisted after a few moments, her flicking impatiently from side to side. This talking thing was hard. She wished every cub would be like her brother. If they were going to cry about everything, they might as well understand her a little bit.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

That was all Imbra needed to hear. One word, two letters, and the young cheetah was off in a fiery flash. Her lighter paws seemed almost to flicker over the ground as she darted away. She was too young and uncoordinated to make an attempt at the elastic running stride she'd seen her father employ on one or two occasions, that gait which made it look almost like he was flying. Her run was actually more pedestrian, though it was clear she had an innate talent for it.

Unfortunately, Imbra's natural ability wouldn't mean too much if she didn't pay attention to her surroundings. She had already learned that lesson the hard way, but sometimes there was so much to pay attention to, she didn't know how to tell what was important and what was trivial. At least she was in familiar territory, which meant she didn't have to worry about encountering too many unexpected obstacles. She was counting on that, since she guessed her speed would only be superior as long as she could maintain a steady pace.

Not that Imbra was built for prolonged running. No cheetah, or feline of any sort for that matter, is built for such a thing. The fact that her father pushed himself and made himself run far longer than a cheetah ought to be able to do was a testament to his willpower and a vestige of a very bad memory he would never share with his cubs. It did leave an impression on Imbra, however, and gave her an almost unattainable goal to work toward.

Much to her frustration, Imbra could feel her limbs tiring after what seemed to be only a short time. She didn't want to spare the breath to curse, and she didn't really know how to curse anyway, but she was definitely frustrated with her body. She could feel herself slowing, and had no idea how to overcome it, except to hope that Keikanei was feeling similarly exhausted by the pace she'd initially set.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

Imbra truly was fast. No sooner had those slender paws flashed away then Kanie stood and began to lope after her. She could not catch her. She knew that much, for all this cheetah girl was younger than she was, she had so much speed that the hybrid did not think older, longer legs were going to help much. But so long as she could keep the girl in sight, perhaps she could still catch her.

It was more difficult to do so that she had originally believed, and that thrilled her. Someone who was hard to chase, would she also be hard to catch? Kanie certainly hoped so. The game would be more entertaining if she were hard to catch. She had to push harder to keep the cheetah in sight, it would not do to lose her. In spite of her attempts at a careful pace, she felt her paws growing heavier as she began to tire as well. This was unacceptable, but luckily enough the fiery flash was also starting to slow. She might catch her now.

Kanie slammed forward, ignoring the way her shoulders burned from the effort. She would catch this cub. She would. Closer and closer, the other cub’s exhaustion slowing her just enough for the hybrid to entertain the thought that she might be within range. Tensing tired muscles, Kanie lunged to pounce upon the other cub, her forepaws lined up with Imbra’s back. If she was too slow, she might hit the girl’s haunches instead or maybe at least grab her tail. Hopefully she would not simply land in the dirt.

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Imbra had not been aware that her pursuer was so close behind her until a chance glance behind had shown that she was not only very close, but about to pounce on her. There was a possibility, Imbra thought, that this was a game like tag where one touch would reverse their positions, but she wasn't one hundred percent sure. This child of Aiko's was not easy to understand, and she had really been guessing for the most part when it came right down to it. That she'd so far guessed correctly was more luck than anything else.

That wasn't the most pressing matter at the moment, however. The most pressing matter was that the cub chasing her was pouncing and her lunge forward seemed inescapable. That was absolutely unacceptable, to Imbra's way of thinking. It was immaterial that Keikanei was older than Imbra, with longer legs and probably more stamina. What was important was that Imbra beat her at this game she'd agreed to. She had to be the best. She had to.

She uttered a soft cry of frustration as her hind paws failed to find the purchase she needed to push herself forward in a last-ditch attempt at evasion. Instead they slid on the ground and sent her sprawling to the right, her left paw evidently having found better purchase than the right one. The unexpected spin and subsequent loss of balance didn't phase the young cheetah for long, and she was back on her feet quickly, trotting a short distance away with her sides heaving. She couldn't keep this up too much longer, but she would never be the first to admit it.

"Good jump," she said instead. "You almost got me."  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

This was unacceptable.

Kanie landed on her feet. She landed on her feet much harder than her feet could possibly be happy with, but at least she had landed on them. Which meant she could pounce again. This cub was smaller than she was. This cub was probably younger than she was. This cub was probably less experienced than she was. It was not only unlikely for the younger smaller feline to totally defeat her, it was utterly unacceptable.

Hissing low at the sting in her paws, the young hybrid lunged forward once more, gaining in the time it took the cheetah to rise to her feet again. She looked tired, at least that was something Kanie had guessed rightly regarding. But she did something Kanie almost never did, barely could. She paused a moment to talk.

Perhaps having a broken ill-used voice could be a benefit at times. While the cub started her sentence, refusing to allow the other time to catch her breath for all she badly wished to catch her own, Kanie lunged for her again. This time...surely this time...surely...

 

[Princess_Feylin]

Imbra was tired enough that she wasn't able to articulate the bad manners of pouncing a person while they're still talking, but you can be sure she was indignant that Kanie had done so. She scowled and squirmed once more out of the hybrid's way, though she did so without much grace or alacrity.

Instead her motion was accompanied by a tiny snarl and a hiss that was much more fierce than she had expected it to be. Her ears were flat to her skull and her teeth bared in readiness to bite if need be. She was not going to go down without a fight, and just because fighting hadn't been part of the rules of the game to begin with didn't mean the rules couldn't change.

Of course, there was a distinct possibility that one of the grown-ups might become wise to their game and take Imbra to task for showing her temper if she was caught like this, and there could really be no explanation which would be acceptable, even at this early of an age she knew that. It was a bit of a quandary, but one she was unafraid to deal with. She was Imbra, fearless.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

The other cub was squirmy and quick, but she was not as quick this time. Perhaps next time success would be hers. That a younger and smaller cub had so successfully evaded her twice now was growing on her nerves. Had she not learned pouncing and sparring from mother? Had she not practiced for months? Granted, most of the practice had been on her brother Hikari, but he was still bigger than this cub was.

Imbra's hiss was met by a silent snarl, Kanie baring fangs and bristling as she pressed her attack. The only thing she was being cautious of was keeping her claws sheathed. Even mother would not believe she had only been playing if she clawed this frustrating squirmy cub. But if she stepped on her tail, or hit her in the face, well, that was the cheetah's own fault for being squirmy.