January 6, Year 6 - Vermilions

[Temp]

The first RP day for our new mob!

[Megan]

Willow emerges. Being used to being on her for so long, she has forgotten to wait for anyone else and begins sunning herself while bathing in her own depression. She's counted her blessings and is grateful for finding a new group made up of lost 'kats such as herself, but she can't get her children off of her mind, and probably never will.

The only one that clings to her thoughts as hope is her son, Toxic. She cannot confirm if he's passed or not. She likes to pretend that he's found another mob that has been successful in surviving this drought. Her fantasies like to think that he's even found a mate and will someday return..

[Temp]

OOC: I have some character introductions I will make, but I need to figure out their backstories first!

[YoshKatgirl]

OOC: I'd like to say Josephine and Lancaster joined the group over the extended skip. Josephine was supposed to be pregnant or already raising pups, but I'll wait and see what LM wants to do. :3

[little_maybelline]

Ooc: I am about Yosh I was just waiting to see what you posted. I’m happy if they joined over the skip and I am easy with when the pups were expected. You are more than welcome to message me or I’m on discord or Skype.

[YoshKatgirl]

OOC: Okie dokie. :3 I'm skimming through old posts on Desert Warriors and saw she was pregnant when they were in the Willows before the role play there ended. I imagine her being heavily pregnant in the new group. I was thinking it'd make things interesting for them with having to deal with the drought and the urgency to ensure the survival of their pups as they grow.

[TuhiAdmin]

(( I'd say just introduce her as being pregnant, regardless of the time.  DW was always behind of Linklu, so I don't think it would matter. ))

[YoshKatgirl]

OOC: Okie dokie ^_^

A pair of torqouise orbs gaze wearily at the chamber ceiling. Every now and then they'd nervously shift to a female individual with a large stomach occupying the same chamber sheltering the owner of the torqouise eyes. Shifting onto his stomach with an anxious chirr, Lancaster's heart rate increases as his mind replays a multitude of thoughts that have been plaguing him since the day he and the pregnant female, Josephine, joined this group of stragglers. He and Josephine originate from the Desert Warrior research area, where they were members of a prosperous group called the Willows. After the original matriarch disappeared, a new female named Lumina assumed dominance. However shortly afterwards conditions in the Kalahari rapidly deteorated, resulting in the once prosperous Willows dispersing. For Lancaster and Josephine it was a disaster as at that time Josephine started exhibiting signs of being pregnant. Lancaster did whatever he could to ensure his beloved would have a healthy pregnancy, even sacrificing his wellbeing by offering her his meals. Lancaster's altruistic act has resulted in him losing a significant amount of weight, to the point where his hip bones and spine are visible to all who view him, but he knows the suffering will be worth it. Lancaster has no doubt his offspring will be born healthy. Bringing them up in the Kalahari's currently abysmal conditions, however, is certain to be monumental challenge. No doubt Lancaster will be an absolute basket case once their litter enters the world. For these first time parents the next several weeks are sure to be incredibly perilous.

[TuhiAdmin]

One female in the small and developing Vermilion mob had been up since just before dawn.  Young Lucille didn't waste any time... she was only a few years old, but her ambition had given her plenty of experience.  Granted, she had never experienced a drought before, but she had been left in the cold enough times to know hunger.  At least then there was always the hope that joining a mob and hopefully rising to power would mean a better chance for herself as well as her various pups, a promise she didn't have in these trying times.  If anything, it only made her more desperate to secure the dominant female spot for herself.  The Vermilions were still strangers to one another, but they had been together long enough to realize one enduring truth: someone would need to lead, and Lucille was determined to make sure it was her.  She had tried and failed so many times, but this girl wasn't easy to knock down in the long run.  Her interests were mostly selfish, but they weren't only for her sake.  She had three pups in the mob... four month old Sohnii, and two pups who were only a week old, one of which was a runt.  There had been three other pups in the litter, but they had been abandoned when the ClawShades had come across them in one of the Shades' old burrows over the skip.  She had made a snap decision, and grabbed the strongest of her pups before fleeing.  Sohnii had grabbed the weakest, a fact she wasn't too pleased with... Lucille hadn't displayed a lot of empathy for her cruel act, but in truth, she had thought about her pups every night since she left them... but she figured she couldn't afford to worry too much about them now.  After all, the pups were probably killed. Lucille kept her sights on the burrow entrance, expecting a rival to make an appearance sooner rather than later...

Like his mother, Sohnii is also above ground. Life for a pup in the Kalahari is never easy, but he in particular has had it rough. From the minute he was born, the poor boy had been moved in and out of mobs constantly, whether by Lucille's own will, eviction, or mob ext. Because of his mother's bad reputation, he was never really popular with the other pups, and Lucille's ambition had led her to neglect her son on an emotional level. She always made sure he was fed and safe, and raised him to be strong, but as far as maternal care and socialization was concerned Sohnii had always been given the short end of the stick. Her habits had also left him without any siblings to speak of, especially recently, when she had willingly left them behind as fodder to ensure their escape. He had never quite acted like a pup... Sohnii had to grow up fast. But he hadn't always been so bitter and lonely. Sohnii had a friend once... more than a friend, really. The only time he had stayed anywhere for more than a month had been fairly recent, and it was there that he met a male pup that had been the closest thing to a brother he'd ever had. It had made his life tolerable. That is, until his mother fell pregnant and grew too aggressive for the dominant pair to tolerate anymore. As a punishment, not only was Lucille evicted, but Sohnii was cast out as well, leaving the two of them alone once again. Even the birth of his little siblings wasn't enough to cheer him up after the separation, but it hadn't stopped him from rescuing his tiny sibling from the jaws of death. He loved both of them, but he found himself particularly attached to the weaker of the two. He was sure that his mother would treat them the same way she treated them, and he didn't want them to grow up the same way he did...

(( I'm waiting on Asante for her characters before I post with Mata Nui and Rintan, as well as a new character, Flufficus. I might post with the former two if she doesn't mind. ))

[Megan]

Willow frowned at the greed some of the females here were beginning to show. Even if a small group was started by desperate 'kats, she knew it was only a matter of time before at least one started displaying power, whether it be kindly or cruel. For the time being, she refused to submit to Lucille. Not to say she wasn't competing for dominance—goodness no, Willow could never lead a group—, but after being on her own for so long, she had gotten used to being her own boss. Lucille was too young for her taste. Not to mention she was definitely no Pear.

She sunned by herself, making sure her back was to anyone emerging from the burrow, especially Lucille.

[TuhiAdmin]

Lucille was, quite frankly, unconcerned by how any other meerkats in the Vermilions felt about her, especially adult females like Willow.  She hasn't really made any moves yet... she had yet to find any competition, although she was sure that there would be takers very soon.  Until then, she was keen to watch and wait... She might be young, sure, but Lucy was no newcomer to this game... and rivals weren't the only thing on her mind.  There was more to leading than a little muscle, after all.  Every dominant female needed a mate... and unfortunately for her, no males in the small group had shown interest in the spot, either.  It was only a matter of time... she would find someone.

Sohnii had disappeared below ground.  Although still in a foul mood, and he certainly didn't want to observe his mother playing her little games, the one thing that could cheer him up were his little siblings.  They were still too young to do much, but it didn't matter to him... he would keep them safe.

In a nearby bolthole, one male sits outside on guard.  He's in a bit of a predicament, unfortunately... one that's left him with a broken heart.  His name is Mata Nui, and the last time he had been seen, he had been with the Linklus, with his mate Soultouch.  Things had only begun to whirl out of control then, but when Soultouch had been separated in a predator scare.  As much as it pained him to leave the mob he now called family, he had no choice but to abandon his post as the Linklus' humble guardian to search for her.  She was pregnant, after all, and wouldn't survive in the desert alone.  Besides, he couldn't bear to lose her... that was what he had told himself the day that the Linklus went head to head against the Savages, when their relationship was made official.  He finally found her... which would have been fine if he hadn't gotten lost in the process.  They were alone together, two stray meerkats with nowhere to call home, destined to stumble through the drought together.  They both kept searching, desperate to find the Linklus again... In the process, a few other loners had joined them, in an effort to expand their survival rates, but it was all in vain... they were too late, and before long, Soultouch was in labor.  It should have been a happy moment; Mata Nui knew that giving birth was a painful process, but after it was over, the storm cleared, all that pain was lost in a sea of joy when new life was brought into the world.  But not this time.  Something went wrong.  Even now, Mata Nui went over it in his head time and time again,  trying to figure out what went wrong.  Was it something he had done? Had the drought put too much strain on her body? Or had it been disease, or even something genetic? He would probably never know the answer, but there was a part of him that felt like, somehow, there was something he could have done to stop it... there were a couple times when he doubted whether they should have decided to have pups at all... but of course, seeing their adorable little faces was enough to melt away such dangerous thoughts.  He could remember how Thunder and Draco had looked at their pups... now he could understand.  Mata Nui was broken, but his four children were the tape that so delicately held him together.  He had been lucky... there had been two lactating females and a single male with him when Soultouch had died.  One of the females, however, had recently been predated, and the second had died of starvation only yesterday.  The male seemed to have abandoned them overnight.  The pups were now three weeks old... ready to emerge, but still too young to be weaned.  He was sure that the Linklus were too far away by now to go looking, especially with four little ones in tow, without another adult to help him.  He didn't want to admit it, but there was a chance that the Linklus might not even be around anymore... No, he couldn't risk another search. He would have to move them today, regardless of the consequences. They would need to find a new home. But he wasn't ready to wake them and set out... not yet. Emergence is another important milestone as a meerkat parent, and he wanted this day to be special. Even if his kids didn't have a mob to welcome them into a new world, or a mother to lead the way, he would make sure this would be a day to remember... he only wished that Soultouch was here to see it, too. They should be cherishing this moment together...

Rintan is still sleeping. After several attempts at leaving the burrow, it'll be nice that he won't have to try and sneak around the grown ups this time. He's never far from his sister, Alayla, except when he's up to something.

[Shadoww]

The fairly hardy, tiny mob was something Morgan could grow used to. Larger mobs were overwhelming to her for multiple reasons.
Lack of sanitation... Over Crowded living conditions... And little food during the harsh winter months. This drought didn't help, either.

The scruffy female strutted out of the main entrance way with head held high... But the sleepy glint in her orbs betrayed any confidence the icy gaze usually had. She hadn't slept very good due to the uncomfortable feeling of hunger and thirst, but at least she wasn't cold at night.  Morgan's sight rolled around, passing brief glances over to each Meerkat that was already above the surface. None had caught her attention-- what a shame.  That's when a loud rumble in her stomach made her pause. An annoyed growl rumbled from her parched throat. Stupid drought.

Without a proper leader to guide this rag-tag mob; who would stop her heading out to forage? She could very well depart in search of food-- however, the dangers outweighed the possibilities of finding substance. She should wait a little while longer for more faces to appear before heading out. But waiting was boring! Next best thing to do way tidying the area up. Once she had scurried outside of the entrance way, she turned heel and began to clean up the surrounding hole with violent movements of her front claws, causing a shift of the dusty sand to cloud the cool air. She didn't care if it caused irritation for someone enjoying the morning sun. They could find some other place to sunbathe.

[YoshKatgirl]

Lancaster gently presses the tip of his snout against the sleeping Josephine's swollen belly, a sense of immense excitement flowing through him as he felt one of the pups kick. He can't believe it...he's finally going to be a father! What a precious moment it'll be when he watches their offspring enter the world for the first time. Lancaster is looking forward to supervising and teaching his next generation as they inherit the blood of his birth mob, the Zeta Mob. Since they've gone extinct, the death of his niece and nephew at the murderous claws of Ghost and the disappearance of his brother Tank and the rest of his litter it's extremely crucial Lancaster ensures his litter makes it to adulthood to spread his birth mob's legacy throughout the Kalahari. Lancaster is determined to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens, even if it means sacrificing his life in order for them to survive. He wishes Tank was here to witness the arrival of their little relatives. He would've been absolutely ecstatic to learn he's going to be an uncle. A melancholic sigh escapes Lancaster's mouth. He misses his litter brother terribly. He possessed such a great personality, often putting the needs and safety of others before his own....He inherits a strong spirit. Surely he's fine where ever he is. Someday he'll appear on the horizon and they'll share an emotional embrace. Lancaster just has to stay optimistic about his brother's fate and have faith in his ability to pull through the drought intact. Out of the much worse things they've been through together, there's no way Tank would let a stupid drought strike him down! Nope. The sound of paws making contact with the tunnel floor draws Lancaster's eyes to the chamber's entrance. It crosses his mind to emerge with the others but he chooses to remain by Josephine's side a little longer, wanting to cuddle with her until she awakens.

*Waiting for LM to post with Josephine* :3

[Temp]

Several hundred yards away from the slowly-growing Vermilions mob, an elderly female painstakingly emerges from a long-abandoned bolt hole, her joints creaking with age. At eleven years old, Satsuma is practically ancient in meerkat terms, and she has the life experiences to prove it. She's been through it all - births, deaths, droughts, abundance, fights, evictions... you name it. She's just writing another chapter in her long life, even though she may be on her last few pages.

The events that took her to this bolt hole are unfortunate. Her own mob had been dwindling in numbers due to the drought. It was difficult watching her nieces and nephew and cousins start to thin out and struggle to find enough food to sustain themselves. A week ago, Satsuma decided she had to try to give them the best shot of survival. She was old and slow. With her in tow, the mob could only cover so much ground in a day and had to make sure not to lose her or leave her behind. Satsuma knew she was only slowing them down and making it harder for them to survive the drought. So she decided that she had to leave. With her gone, they could focus on themselves. She would be gone soon anyway, but they had their whole lives ahead of them. If her absence could make things easier on her family, then she was willing to make that sacrifice.

Satsuma had never really been on her own before. She had been evicted before like most young females, but that was when she was two or three years old, and she didn't remember it much. But despite being new to this predicament, she did know a lot about survival. Keeping her wits about her, she has been able to stay away from predators or hostile mobs so far. But she could tell that this could not go on forever. Probably not even for another week. Her body was withering away. The meager meals she is able to find aren't enough to sustain her... she is skin and bones, her energy zapped, making it a task just to get up and go foraging.

She's okay with it. She's led a good life. Most meerkats don't get to live to see eleven birthdays, so that's certainly an accomplishment. Everyone's time will come, and Satsuma is accepting that hers will probably come soon. She stares into the clear Kalahari sky, completely oblivious of her neighbors that weren't too far away.
--
Tiptoe is excited. Today is the day that he and his siblings can finally see the outside world! His whole world thus far has just consisted of a few meerkats deep in the underground layers of darkness. Now, it's reduced even further to just his father and his siblings, but he doesn't yet understand where the others have gone. But that's not what he's thinking about right now. He pats the ground with his front paws enthusiastically, watching his siblings and waiting for the moment when they can all run above ground.
--
Another meerkat is lurking in the vicinity of the Vermilions' burrow. It's a large-bodied male with very bold, distinct stripes. Four-year-old Tijoux is on another roving trip. His natal mob lives far away from here, and he's never been to this part of the Kalahari. But as the drought rages on, he's forced to move further and further away to try to pinpoint any females willing to mate. This casanova normally has a good reputation with the ladies, but no one seems to want to have pups at the moment... Bummer, but that doesn't stop Tijoux. He is very coy and determined to accomplish his mission.

On this morning, he stands at his bolt hole, situated conveniently upon a hill. He can spot a lone meerkat only a few hundred feet away, but by the way she moves he can tell she's old and looks like a sack of bones at this point. No use going up to her. He looks around a little more to make sure the coast is clear before taking off into the bushes.
--
Parakeet is terrified. Two weeks of being on her own in a strange new territory has left her normally-unshaken self constantly worried. With no other companions to help look out for her, she feels vulnerable to all the horrors the Kalahari can throw at her. Luckily, she's been fortunate enough to avoid any predator scares so far but her luck can't go on forever. She knows she has to find a family. Preferably her own, but... that may just be a long-lost dream at this point. She doesn't recognize her surroundings and can't begin to figure out how to get back to them.

Just two weeks ago, she was living happily with her family, the Avians. There were rough patches, of course - the dominant female was no-nonsense and regularly evicted all the adult females in the group. But they were always allowed to rejoin once her children were old enough to fend for themselves. Life was good in the Avians. She was surrounded by friends and family and never had to worry about going hungry or feeling vulnerable. Then, all of that changed. The drought hit which made things harder, but the Avians were pulling through like always. Until a massive fire struck... chaos ensued, and in the confusion Parakeet was separated from her mob, her family, and the only life she's ever known.

Living on her own wasn't too much of a problem. She had experience from her previous evictions, and so while it was a struggle she was confident that she could do it. But after weeks of wandering, she still hadn't been able to orient herself to her old territory. She was completely and utterly lost in a new land, which made her terrified. But she wasn't one to be held down by her fear. She used it to her advantage, pushing her forward every day to a new life (or hopefully her old one).

Sitting in the morning sun and calmly grooming herself, Parakeet suddenly freezes and looks up. She can hear voices - meerkat voices. They could be friendly, or they could be a threat, so she needs to figure out where they're coming from. Cautiously, she gets up and starts heading in the direction of the Vermilions... trying to stay as hidden as possible in case it really is a hostile rival mob.

OOC: Meh, not a great post, but more detail of their pasts will be revealed as I play them more.

[Megan]

As the time passes and more members show eagerness to forage, Willow has the impulse to get up and encourage everyone to start finding food. She even gets as far as standing up and chattering, only to freeze and realize her great error—She had just shown a display of power. It wasn't at all meant, for she was only wanting to persuade movement finally, but she didn't know how Lucille would take this. She tenses, almost digging her claws into the sand with anxiety.

[Kat]

Shaking a bit of sand from his fur, Torch had made his way above ground just as Willow rather impulsively gave a display of dominance. He blinked curiously, glancing at the white female and realizing from her body language that her actions weren't exactly meant as a move for power, but of simple eagerness to head out. He was in no mood for drama and chirped to the others to see if they were also ready to head off, hoping that the other females of their small mob would also see Willow's blunder for what it was and leave it at that. Living in a mob without established dominance was sometimes frustrating in that the tension was almost palpable on occasion. He could tell that Lucille and Morgan in particular both wished to claim the role of dominant female, and Torch almost dreaded the day that the conflict inevitably came to a head. He himself did not crave for dominance or fantasize about having a mate and leading the mob. If anything, he viewed the place of dominant male as simply another job that would need to eventually be filled. If it was to be him, then so be it. If not, then he'd still do his part to ensure the mob's survival. Love and power were trivial things, after all. What really mattered was keeping everyone alive during this damned drought.

Having heard Willow's chatters, Blue Moon stumbled outside with a tired expression plastered across his still-gaunt face. The poor young male had actually gained a bit of weight in the days since he and his companions were lucky enough to cross paths with the rest of the Vermilions, but while no longer in immediate danger of dying from starvation, Blue Moon was still shockingly thin. His eyes glanced between each member already above ground. Were they going to go foraging now?

[TuhiAdmin]

Lucille narrowed her eyes, but looks away.  This was the first time that anyone had shown ANYTHING akin to dominance behavior... but it would take more than any single act to pose a real threat.  Lucille knew this, and for this reason, was uninterested.  Willow was worth keeping an eye on, sure, but she certainly didn't feel THREATENED by her in any way.  She wasn't, however, about to give anyone else the chance and started to make calls of her own.  With the drought in full swing, they couldn't afford to waste any time, and neither could she.  After her lead calls, Lucille turned around to watch the group, waiting to see what they would do.

[Shadoww]

The bony golden-brown meerkat sat back, gazing over the proud work of excavating the opening and the surrounding area. She sneezed. Thin body covered in gritty sand. Ugh. Another sneeze. Ahh!


Their right paws rose to gently rub their dirty face. It didn't seem like anyone else was indicating to begin departure for today's - probably - fruitless forage. Their stomach roared; begging for something to fulfill it.

Morgan heaved up on to their thin limbs just as Lucille emitted some lead calls. Finally! Someone was taking action!

Morgan furiously barked in response to the calls, bolting towards Lucille, and then passed them. She couldn't wait for someone to lead. She wanted to try and find something to eat. Now!

[Megan]

Willow kept her pink eyes to the sand. When Torch came near, she moved closer to him, feeling a layer of security around the male that didn't exist when she was by herself dealing with the other members. She hopes he doesn't mind, though she feels a bit of shame—after all he was young and she was older; Shouldn't SHE be the one to induce a secure and comforting atmosphere?

[Kat]

Torch eyed Willow with a hint of confusion for a moment once he realized that she had intentionally moved even closer to him, mildly surprised that anyone would view his presence as a source of security. He'd barely even managed to protect the two pups in his charge while out on their own, but he didn't mind the older female sticking close by, if she did truly feel comforted by his neutral and unbiased company. To let her know that she was welcome to hang around with him while out foraging, he gave her an amiable chirp before heading off to follow both Morgan and Lucille. He didn't care which of them were technically leading. He just cared about getting everyone out there so that each of them could find at least one decent meal for the day.

Blue Moon hobbled after the group, also very eager to start hunting for any source of food. He was slowly regaining some strength and had lost the tremor he'd developed before. Any little morsel helped.

[TuhiAdmin]

(( Ok, so I know that Stefanie and Asha are Lucille's pups, but I can't remember which one is the runt.  Maybe Youssy and Shadow, could you two remind me? Or we could redecide.  If that's even a word xDD I'll hold off until then. ))

[Shadoww]

[I honestly don't remember. But I don't mind with whatever you two choose.]

[TuhiAdmin]

(( The reason I ask is because I wanted Sohnii to be especially close to that pup.  He rescued his little sibling (see my intro post) and doesn't want them to grow up like he did.  So I can't post until I know ^^ ))

[Temp]

OOC: I believe Stefanie was supposed to be the runt? But if Shadow wants Asha as the runt I don't mind!

Just taking count, as of this current post, the Vermilions currently contain:
Willow
Lancaster
Josephine
Lucille
Sohnii
Stefanie
Asha
Morgan
Torch
Blue Moon

And intending to join are:
Mata Nui
Alayla
Rintan
Tiptoe
Satsuma
Parakeet
Tijoux


BIC: Satsuma groans and gets up, her joints creaking a little bit. She better start the day and get to foraging. Her sore muscles complain and her mind goes a little foggy, but she pushes off the tiredness and musters all the energy she can to slowly amble away from the burrow toward an open area with sparse brush. She knows it's a huge gamble because if a threat were to arise, she won't be able to run quickly away from it, but maybe she'll find some morsels in a place that hasn't been disturbed very much.
--
After taking off in the bushes, Tijoux finds himself in a rough patch of brush. Snarling and snagging his way through the branches, he blindly moves through the undergrowth as thorns occasionally scratch along his fur. After a few minutes of struggling, he finally exits the labyrinth with a sigh of relief. His ears, free of all the rustling, pick up the sound of footsteps in the sand. Perking up, he looks around. Could it be a lone female or, better yet, an entire mob of females? He scans the area until he zeroes in on the sound... oh, just the old meerkat he spotted earlier this morning... great. It doesn't really seem as if this area has that many females for him to mate with. With a grunt of frustration, he takes off in the opposite direction.
--
(waiting to post with Tiptoe and Stefanie)
--
Like Tijoux, Parakeet also hears footsteps in the sand. However, unlike him, she has encountered a full-fledged mob: the Vermilions. She catches sight of them in between bushes and gasps, lowering herself to the ground quickly. She knows from experience from previous evictions that rival mobs are typically hostile towards unknown intruders such as herself. Still, it's not looking likely at this point that she'll ever find her home mob, the Avians, again, so her best bet at this point might just be to attempt to integrate herself into a new group.

Thinking to herself, she decides that instead of being hasty and showing herself right away, she needs to study this group and try to understand their dynamics. She especially needs to figure out their dominant female and if she seems to be one who could potentially accept her into the group. She sneaks closer, making sure to stay well-hidden.

[TuhiAdmin]

(( ooc: I think I do remember it being Stefanie. ^^ Also Youssy, Soulseer is another of Mata Nui's pups, a male played by Moon.  Also, Asante is still pretty busy so we'll assume she's here xD ))

Lucille casts an eye on Willow and Torch, wondering if it was perhaps mate-seeking behavior, a sign that was concerning to someone like her, who had her eye on the dominant spot.  However, seeing as Willow hadn't shown any other signs, she decided to let it go.  She has noticed Morgan however, and growls aggressively.  There are two other things that come to mind for Lucille.  One is that no one appears to be staying behind to babysit.  The second is that her four month old son, Sohnii, was nowhere to be seen.  If she had to guess, he was probably below ground with his two tiny half-sisters.  As... unconventional as her parenting style was, Lucille did care about her son even at his age, what with the drought and the circumstances it created.  Normally she wouldn't care less whether he stayed or came, but she wanted to make sure that her oldest offspring had the energy needed to survive... after all, in a few months, he would be expected to support the group in the same duties as any other adult.  Either way though, action needed to be taken.  Lucille stood up on her hind legs and gazed at the small group.  She chirped; someone would need to stay behind to look after her pups, preferably and adult female who could feed them.  She followed her chirp with a stern bark.  And while you're at it, why don't you send my son out here to join us?  There was unmistakable hostility and irritation in her voice; Lucille and Sohnii did not have the best of relationships.  It was a sight that the Vermilions would have to get used to, because they fought quite often and their arguments were hardly ever private...

He was too far away to hear her, but Sohnii could have guessed what his mother was saying, anyway.  When no one had volunteered to babysit, the juvenile had decided to stay with them himself.  Truthfully, he probably would have done it anyway.  It had been so long since he'd had sisters... He apparently had older siblings, but when Lucille had been kicked out, they didn't follow.  When he was born, his mother was still a subordinate, and her litter was neglected by the group as a result, leaving him as result.  Her next litter was killed by a dominant, and her most recent was born without a mob - which is why, when an unknown group came calling, she abandoned them.  There was nothing Sohnii had ever wanted more than a brother... his real brother died in his third week of foraging, when undernourishment caused him to fall behind, where he was taken by an opportunistic predator.  In the last mob they were in, Sohnii had made a friend whom he had begun to see as a brother.  As short as their time was together, it inevitably ended when Lucille was kicked out, and Sohnii with her.  Asha and Stefanie might not be the brothers he had been hoping for, but after everything he'd been through, he felt drawn to them, especially Stefanie, who he had rescued much to his mother's disappointment.  He curled around her tenderly; if there was one thing he wanted now, it was to make sure she didn't live the life he'd had to lead.  A life of instability, and needing to learn to fend for yourself long before you were ready... if there was one thing his friend had taught him, it was that everyone deserved to be loved, and he would make sure his sisters, especially Stefanie, had that.  Sohnii never had the best social skills, due to the lack of attention he recieved early in life, but he was more than capable of caring for his sisters.



Mata Nui gave a weak smile.  His mind went back to his days in the Linklus - how he missed them - when he had appointed himself the role as their humble guardian.  He remembered when he had, despite his vigilance and determination, lost sight of Violet's two pups, Amethyst and Skarmory.  Such memories haunted him now, as he watched over his own four children, alone.  Would he lose them as well? He couldn't afford to.  They were all he had left, of Soultouch and the Linklus alike.  He would probably never see his friends again, but at least he had them.  With a gentle chrr and a soft nudge, Mata Nui poked each of the pups' backs with his nose and chirped.  It's time.  Waiting for each of the pups to wake up, the gaze in Mata Nui's golden eyes was soft and caring.  

Rintan is one of the first pups up.  He's an energetic one, unlike his calm and gentle father.  He had his mother's spirit, and more than anything, Rintan was always asking questions.  He was outgoing and the burrow really was too small to contain him now.  It was a relief that he was finally old enough to leave his underground home (although at this point, Rintan saw it as more of a prison) but there was no telling what kind of trouble he would get into on the surface.

Mata Nui couldn't help but blink whenever he witnessed his son's enthusiasm; it was so unlike either of his parents, after all.  He probably took more after his fiercely loyal, determined mother, however.  It was just hard to see through all that puppish energy and playfulness that he had never had the chance to see in his dear Soultouch... He couldn't help but smile, however.  Deep down, he had always wanted to be a father, ever since witnessing his adoptive father, Willy, interact so lovingly with pups when Mata Nui was still just a yearling.  That's why he'd never gone roving... he wanted a real relationship, and the chance to have a family, not a fleeting encounter that left him a little empty inside.  Granted, this isn't exactly what he had in mind, but there was no escaping it now.  He was a father, and just as old faces like Willy, Draco, and Thunder had, he had to do his best to keep them safe.  That meant finding a new mob, but he didn't want to forget that this was a special day.  He wanted it to be just as important as it had been back in the Linklus.  Ushering lead calls, Mata Nui began leading his children through the dark tunnels.  It pained him to know that it was usually the mother doing this, but as hard as it was to play the role of two parents, he was proud to do Soultouch's job in her absence, sure that she was watching him somewhere.

Rintan jumped up and chirped excitedly.  The eager pup followed his father without a second thought, chrring loudly the whole time.  Finally, they got to go outside!

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