[PRP] Breaking the Mold (Xiu/Hu)

[Painted Moose]

It was rare to see Xiu in the trees. Up until that point most of her life had been spent on the ground, and it was only upon joining the colony that she noticed just how odd that was for a leopard. Xiu's steps along the thick branch were shaky at best, and positively chaotic. When one of her paw pads slid off the side she dropped down into a crouch, and wrapped her paws around the branch.

There were only two reasons why she was up there; Xiu had to be able to climb trees more efficiently to check up on Sche, and she had to get higher than Ai. She couldn't just keep sending others to do her errands in the trees, and if she could just get some height on that smug jerk....

If she didn't die first.

Velveteen Angel

 

[Velveteen Angel]

Hu was in a surprisingly good mood. It was rare that he was happy, but how could he not be, his mate; his gorgeous mate, was coming home. They would finally find some semblance of normalcy after all of the trauma that their family had gone through. He wasn't entirely sure where Scheherazade was at that exact moment, but she wasn't really the type of person you kept tabs on, it was rather that you just enjoyed her presence when she decided to grace you with it.

Hu was happy though, and he walked through the trees with the ease having been born amongst the foliage. He hadn't been born in these exact trees, but very similar ones.

He spotted Xiu, clinging to the branch like her life depended on it, and raised a brow. "Greetings Medic Xiu," he called out to her, his tone...amused. "Are you faring well?"

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Velveteen Angel

It was a fortunate thing that one of the pair seemed to be so gleeful. Hopefully the Gods would be forgiving and allow Xiu to share in some of his chipper nature. Otherwise it was just going to annoy her.

Looking up from her near desperate situation, Xiu tried to put on a semi-pleasant facade. Inside she was crying. "Greetings to you, Tutor Hu. I am...I have lost feeling in my paws." It seemed that while she had been intent on not falling, her locked claws had been drained of blood. It was a strange position to be in.
 

[Velveteen Angel]

Hu couldn't stiffle the smile that crossed his maw, a rare sight on the usual stoic male. "I see. Is there a reason why you are clinging to the branch as if it might fall?" He asked, with a raised brow. He crossed the branches, coming to stand closer to her, his paws seeking the branches without him even glancing at where they were. It was a fluid move, without hesitation.

"The tree won't move. Rise up," he suggested, tapping his front paw on the branch he stood on. The branch barely shook, even under his weight and the pressure. "These trees are sturdy."

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Velveteen Angel

"I wasn't raised in the trees. Actually, I've never even been in one until I joined." There was a moment where Xiu made the mistake of looking down. It felt as if her stomach had leapt out of her throat to it's death on the ground below. Instead of further traumatizing herself, she watched Hu. He's so graceful. She might not have even known he was there had he not spoken.

"...if you're sure." She tried to be brave and follow his instructions. Truly, she did. Xiu rose up part way, but her legs were shaking too much to keep her balance. She wobbled a little far to the left, squealed and dropped back down to grab the branch. "This is hopeless; I can't do it!"
 

[Painted Moose]

Hu
Hu raised a brow at her confession. It was odd to him, the idea of leopards being raised on the ground. It was in their blood - the trees were as much of part of their genetics as their tails or their paws. "Well this is the perfect time to learn," he remarked casually.

He watched as she raised herself up, watching her shake and wobble like she was a cub just learning to stand after birth. He wanted to laugh, but that would not be a wise idea. "Come closer to the ground," he commanded, stepping onto lower branches. "If you can't trust the trees, trust that the ground will catch you."

Xiu
Quirking her maw, Xiu laughed nervously under her breath. Perfect time to learn? The perfect time to learn would be never.

He had a stern voice, one that broached no disrespect and had it come from any other leopard she would have been edgy. This one though...she knew Hu was a good soul. She could trust him. Xiu nodded, rising up ever so slowly to move towards the lower branches. It was a terribly awkward process, made only more so by her murmuring. "No no, not there...oh no that's going to cramp...okay, this is-woah! not good..."

Hu
Hu was patient, watching her with a calm gaze. He didn't rush her, or complain that she was going to slowly. He just remained silent. This was similiar to how he had taught his own cubs to climb. It was an instinct, but first they had to learn to trust their own sense of balance and the sureness of their own paws.

After Xiu was closer to the ground, perhaps only a metre from the floor, Hu stepped closer to her branch. "Rise up now," he encouraged. "Don't try to move anywhere else, just stand there. Feel the strength of the branch under your paws."

Xiu
Xiu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled slowly as her body rose. While her claws still held the branch below her in a death grip, her legs were steadier; perhaps from a sheer overload of anxiety. She was so close to tears that her cheeks felt swollen. This was the first time that she could remember ever trusting a male fully, and Xiu still expected the worst.

Any minute now Hu was going to sweep her paws out from under her, and laugh when she fell. Then he would mock, belittle, and demand she climb back up.

But the longer time stretched on the more nervous she became. When was he going to do it? Why hadn't he done it yet? Cautiously, Xiu opened her eyes, and found...nothing. "I think I feel it...the branch, anyway. I feel steady."

Hu
Hu watched her, a tiny smile on his face. He was having fond flashbacks to teaching his daughters to climb. Ai, his only son, had taken to the trees practically before he could walk, but Hu had made sure all of the girls were confident. He had needed his daughters to be strong in the trees.

He was distracted by his memories, so he didn't feel the branch underneath him give a small crack. "See, the trees will carry you," he encouraged, shifting his weight. It was only then that he noticed the instability of where he stood, and his eyes went wide as the branch beneath him gave way. He slammed into the ground below with a large thud, his legs giving way as he landed so he laid on his stomach atop the broken branch.

There was years ago that Hu would be embarrassed, horrified even, of such an event but now? He laughed. A loud booming sound that surprised even him

Xiu
"Hu!" Xiu moved to the end of her branch, and looked down, mouth fully agape. She couldn't help it. Xiu laughed as well.

The whole situation was so comical that it couldn't be helped. Her nerves left her in a great wave, and the leopardess only lowered herself onto the branch to keep from falling off. She resisted making any sarcastic remarks, and instead showed him a truly brilliant smile.

Xiu had needed this in more ways than she could count. And accident or no, she couldn't have been given a better teacher.