January 6, Year 6 - Villains

[Temp]

Dominants: Mzuri and Basilisk
Members: Asphodel, Diem, Elveera, Endymion, Falcon, Kitanda, Kiziah, Lizziekam, Militia (wild cat), Moze, Pacific, Paris, Penguin, Piper, Rebe, Rusami, Saffaron, Silvertongue

Due Dates:
MOZE + EL-AHRAIRAH, DUE ???
-Chickadee, female (Youssy)
-Titmouse, female (Shadow)
-???, ? (Moonbacon)
-Grackle, ? (Kat)
-x
-x

Ages of members under 1 year old:
**Kiziah
Born: June 22, Year 5
Age: 6 Months 14 days
Parents: Unknown Wild

**Penguin
Born: July 11, Year 5
Age: 5 months 26 days
Parents: Unknown Wild

**Militia
Born: August 20, Year 5
Age: 4 months 16 days
Parents: Unknown Wild Cats

**Asphodel, Elveera
Born: September 22, Year 5
Age: 3 months 14 days
Parents: Rio and HobGoblin

**Endymion, Silvertongue
Born: October 2, Year 5
Age: 3 months 4 days
Parents: Rebe and Falcon

**Paris, Rusami
Born: October 3, Year 5
Age: 3 months, 3 days
Parents: Mzuri and El-ahrairah

**Diem, Piper
Born: October 3, Year 5
Age: 3 months 3 days
Parents: Taylor and Prince (adopted by Mzuri)

[Shadoww]

[Post Removed.]

[TuhiAdmin]

(( remember, Moze isn't currently with the group. I believe we discussed Pacific being with her though, and going for help? Over the skip, she aborted her litter only to fall pregnant again, and ended up being separated from her family. ))

[Temp]

Mzuri awakes and heads above ground in the early morning light, yawning and blinking a couple of times. She reflects as she waits for her group to join her. The past few months have been trying times. The Villains grew so much - 3 months ago, they were at 60 members! It became too much to handle especially in a time of drought, and the group has dwindled a little bit through dispersals and group splits to a more manageable size. Not that Mzuri didn't want the group to stay at 60 members... it was hard to lead, but they would have zero competition from neighboring groups. Still, she's happy with what she has and she works with what she's got. Her latest litter is doing well at three months old. Of course, she was devastated at the disappearance of one of her children, Lee... It was the first time she had ever lost a pup. And shortly after that, her adult daughter Taylor went missing as well. The losses were hard, but Mzuri tried her best not to show it and stay strong for the sake of the group and her remaining children. With Taylor gone, she adopted her grandchildren Diem and Piper as well and incorporated them into her own litter essentially. But besides all of that, she's pretty happy. The ongoing drought has been a headache, but the Villains are managing. Every day she manages to find a foraging spot with just enough food to fill everyone's bellies for the day. There may not be extras to go around, but the Villains are hanging in there and she's grown more and more confident in her abilities as a dominant female.

Saffaron is still asleep below ground, always late to rise as usual. He's taken the changes to the Villains in stride. Though he isn't outwardly supportive or anything, he appreciates the fact that his sister still leads the group... Kiwi's legacy still runs strong. His relationship with the new dominant male, Basilisk, has been touch and go though. As an older native male, Basilisk has been understandably quite wary of him. Most males would have dispersed by now. But why would Saffaron disperse from a relatively stable group, led by his sister, to an unknown fate during a drought? It just wouldn't make sense; he's just too comfortable in the Villains. So for now he stays put and deals with Basilisk.

Lizziekam has been more and more of a nervous wreck the past couple of months. The whole situation with first Kiziah and then Pacific and Moze has left her feeling slighted, to say the least, and has kind of induced a sort of breakdown. She is constantly paranoid of others, staying to herself, but then it becomes a vicious cycle where she wants the company of others until she freaks out and isolates herself again... Her mother has noticed and tried to be a comfort to her, but with so much else going on with the Villains, Mzuri can't be there for Lizziekam 24/7. She has to eventually learn to stand on her own four feet and rely on herself. This morning, she lazily decides to take a few more minutes to sleep.

Asphodel is up early and soon emerges after Mzuri, a grumpy look on her face. Life hasn't been too kind to her, and at three months old she is starting to appreciate just how much she's been shafted in her short life. She was born to Rio, who disappeared shortly after... Her entire childhood was spent alone or with her sister, Elveera. Wandering the tunnels of the burrow alone, nursing off random females, no mother figure to hold and comfort her and give her warmth. She's had to do everything on her own. As such, she's become fiercely independent. Some might think that's a good thing... but Asphodel knows it isn't fair. It isn't fair that own mother abandoned her. It isn't fair that no one took her in and cared for her like a mother should. All the other pups have mothers, why shouldn't she She's downright resentful of Rio and of the Villains for treating her this way. A feeling that has left a cold temper and a bit of a mean streak available to show itself to anyone who gets on the wrong side of her. But she's too proud to let her spite show. She is determined to make a life for herself, to show her mother that even without her help she can be a strong individual.

Paris is awake soon after Mzuri, feeling her warmth leave his side. At three months old, he probably shouldn't still be cuddling with his mother every night... but it's just so comforting. Truth be told, Mzuri has worried about Paris. Her son seems, for lack of a better term, almost a little bit of a wimp. Mzuri has tried and tried to encourage him to be more assertive and to be more independent, but Paris just doesn't have it in him. He's just too quiet and meek, making him a target for bullying from others his age. He naturally seeks his mother's attention, mostly because she is quite protective over him and won't let anyone else mess with him. Paris emerges and goes to sit over by Mzuri. She sighs inwardly, wishing that he would branch out a little bit. But he's still her son, and she cares for him no matter what.

Endymion is still asleep below ground. If anyone is the polar opposite of Paris, it's him. For one, he's the son of Rebe, Paris' mother's arch nemesis. But he doesn't care, he acts like the dominant's child anyway. He is quite large in size for a three month old and uses his stature to his advantage. He can actually be a bit of a bully sometimes, and he definitely has a huge ego. He's not evil by nature or anything, but he does act like the world is his to an extent. He continues sleeping, knowing he can get away with it.

Diem is awake and emerges. She calmly begins to groom herself and wait for the rest of the group to awake. Despite losing her mother at an early age, she has grown into a sweet, charming, and refined young juvenile. She has demonstrated great care for the others around her and seems to want to be a model subordinate. She cracks a greeting smile at Mzuri, her adopted mother. Diem is so grateful for everything Mzuri has done for her and her sister. And Mzuri in turn is grateful for how poised and endearing Diem has come. She can tell that when Diem grows up, she's going to be a great addition to the Villains.

[TuhiAdmin]

(( I can't remember what I had planned for Nemo, so I'll post with her when/if I do. ))

No matter how slim the Villains might have been at that time, they had strength in numbers, a luxury that one female couldn't afford.  When we last saw them, the drought was just beginning to show its ugly face.  Moze had aborted the next day, only to fall pregnant again to the same male later.  once again, Moze's belly began to swell, and she was even more ashamed than before.  Despite her mother's warnings, despite everything that happened, she fell for the advances of a rover twice.  She was just too gullible, but truth be told, after losing her first litter she wanted more than ever to be a mother.  It was a dangerous game, keeping that promise to herself as a subordinate in a drought... and that was exactly what had gotten her separated in the first place.  She and Pacific had managed to survive so far, in their little bolthole, but who knew how long that luck would last? She wondered if her sister and mother had looked for her... if they were still looking for her.  She wondered if they could even recognize her, truthfully.  It's a large litter - even larger than the last one.  Her large belly made it harder to get around in such a desolate environment, and every day she grew more eager to bring her little ones into the world.  Luckily, it wouldn't be much longer, and it looked like today might be the day.  A jolt of pain woke her up, with a startled squeak.  She'd felt them kicking before, but this was different... knowing the dangers of giving birth, Moze froze for a few minutes... when nothing else happened, however, she began to settle down.  Sitting up, the mother to be nuzzled her tummy, cooing to her unborn pups gently.  She... she was hoping her mother and sister would be here for this moment... but she and Rebe hadn't really gotten along, not like they did when she was a pup herself.  She loved her mother, of course, but was a little frightened of her now.  But she missed her all the same...

---

Never far behind either of her sisters, the next one to emerge was the swift subordinate, proud sister Kitanda.  She's worried about the disappearance of her niece, Moze, but she's still very loyal to the Villains as a whole.  She's quick to begin working on the burrow entrance... most times, she stands sentry in the morning, but both are important jobs.  She's been a very present figure in the lives of her little nieces and nephews, though... she looks forward to spending time with them today.

A new figure in the mob is young Venom.  There had been a snake attack... the Lavas had successfully chased it off, but unfortunately, little Venom had run in the wrong direction and Poison had no interest in looking for her disfigured daughter.  The Villains found her later that day.  There was something eerily familiar about their scent, but she was too focused on missing her mom... not her real mom, of course.  She was referring to her adoptive mom, Firework, but it was no secret that she had always wanted Poison's approval.  But she was no innocent victim, that's for sure...

[Shadoww]

Sleeping without the luxury of a large mob felt empty and cold. However, Pacific was somewhat used to the chilly nights due to being a rover in his earlier days. Those times of hoarding lush food and trying to captivate the females were long gone.

He had settled down in the life of a mob; though his mellow nature was contrast to Meerkats hard-working tempo and need for teamwork. One could say he had low standards with living. However, with his lackadaisical lifestyle came with friendliness. Pacific wasn't scared to greet and interact with allied Meerkats; making sure that they were okay and he could act as an emotional support if they wanted. Moze was one of those Meerkats that Pacific gravitated towards. She seemed so... Meek? Maybe even a bit lonely.

When the drought began, tensions rose for everyone. Food was scarce, and Meerkats were bound to their plots of territory preventing them to travel ungodly long distances in search for food. Mobs broke up, multiple meerkats were lost to the desert. Moze's first unborn litter was one of the casualties. And Pacific was there to help her cope with the loss. But now Moze was expecting a second litter-- a bigger one at that, it seemed. Pacific was still there to stand beside the gullible female, even when they moved to one of the Bolt-Holes that the Villains had control over. They were lucky so far to not run into too much trouble. Moze managed to carry this new litter of pups... But how much longer would this luck last? A Bolt-Hole wasn't the best place to give birth, especially without the rest of the Mob. The drought didn't help either. Plus, Moze was a subordinate; most subordinate females were cast out in favor of the Female Dominant litter. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Moze alienated herself from the group.

At the time that Moze woke up to the pain in her belly, Pacific was at the entrance way to cast a brief glance of the outside world before retreating back into the darkness. The scruffy male looked a bit thinner than he liked. But that's what a deadly drought did to you. Through his growling stomach, whatever food he managed to dig up was given to his expecting companion.

Weaving around the dusty construct of the small burrow, the male made his way back to the room that Moze resides in. When he heard that the mother was already up, he offered a kindly smile and a gentle chirp. He didn't expect her being up just yet. His warm expression turned into a slightly concerned look. He chirped again, this time in a more worried tone. Was she doing okay?

[TuhiAdmin]

Moze looked up, a little startled by the chirp.  She was always a little jumpy, but even more so these days.  Her nerves were quickly settled, however, when she saw her companion, Pacific.  It was nice to be alone with him, without Lizziekam around, and she had really grown to trust him.  There was a spark deep in her heart whenever the two interacted... she had never felt this way about anyone before, not even her best friend and sister Lucky.  She recalled the way that Rebe used to look at Stripe, when he was still around.  Was this how her mother had felt, too? Or maybe her pregnancy made her feel this way... she may never know for sure... regardless, Moze smiled softly, and shook her head.  No, she was fine.  Everything was fine.  The temporarily plump female looked rather strange compared to her skinny comrade, but as soon as she finally popped, she would be revealed for what she really was: skinny and malnourished, even more so than Pacific.  He might have given her his food, but most of it had gone to her growing young ones, and was barely enough to sustain her.  A strained body will likely put added pressure on her during her pregnancy, leaving her more exhausted than usual.  For now, however, Moze has other concerns.  There were foraging grounds just outside, and she had food on her mind.  She had yet to realize that this bolthole was on the edge of the Lavas/Villains border, and right in the path of their growing rivals...

[Kat]

Emerging from the depths of the burrow complex, Rebe's slender form finally made it's appearance above ground. In the past, she might have waited for her two boys, Endymion and Silvertongue before leaving the sleeping chambers, but the short leash which she had grown so used to keeping on her precious children was beginning to slowly disintegrate as she realized the pointlessness of her tight hold. In spite of her best efforts to watch over and protect them from harm, Rebe had only two children left to her. Her latest losses were Lucky and Moze, who had both gone missing. Had the drought taken them from her, or had her overbearing nature pushed them away? Poor Moze had been pregnant the last time Rebe had seen her. She didn't like to think about the grandchildren she could have had. She felt almost certain that her daughter and the pups she carried had perished, and it was too miserable of a thought to dwell upon. Shaking the sand from her tan fur, Rebe took a brief moment to stretch before standing up onto her hind legs to warm herself in the morning sun. The rebellious female had always been sleek and lithe in stature, but the only word to describe her now was 'thin'. She was not starving, thanks in part to the mob's diminishing size and resulting availability of food, but she'd been giving a good share of her foraged prey to her two sons. Rebe's tight reign on them might have been loosening, but her love for them was not.

Awake within the burrow was Silvertongue, the smaller of Rebe's two sons. He'd seen his mother exit the burrow, but had not followed. He was still with Endymion, waiting rather impatiently for his brother to wake. Unlike his sibling, Silvertongue was slender and relatively weak. He wasn't a timid pup by any means, but there was a distinct lack of bite to his bark. He rarely went anywhere without Endymion as a result, trailing after his larger bully of a brother like a second shadow in hope that Endymion's mere presence would keep the other pups from picking on him. Perhaps if he were kinder to his fellow youngsters the precautions he took with his own safety wouldn't be necessary, but behind Silvertongue's mask of innocence, he'd grown to be quite a little pest. Now glaring at his sibling's sleeping form, Silvertongue slowly lifted his paw and gave Endymion's side a hard poke before scampering a few paces back to avoid any retaliation that the abrupt waking might provoke. The wide and gentle eyes that he now stared at Endymion with were clearly supposed to convey to his brother that the harsh jab did not come from him, despite there being no one else around to have done it.

[Shadoww]

Pacific's worried frown didn't falter. He slipped against the edge of the entrance way to give space for the expecting Meerkat, if she desired to move out of the sandy room. His eyes traced back towards the hall he just came from; pondering.

Moze seemed so far along. Was it safe for her being above earth? What if she gave birth outside of the Bolt Hole? Shaking his head, he quietly barked, inquiring what she desired to do. Did she want to sleep a little longer? Or did she even want to leave the burrow today? Or perhaps she wanted to forage for some sort of substance. The latter was probably preferred.

Regardless of what she wanted to do, he trusted her judgement.

[Temp]

Endymion, prodded by Silvertongue, awakes with a start. He sees Silvertongue's innocent expression and looks around wildly, trying to find the culprit. But seeing no one around, he assumes it must have been Silvertongue anyway... But Endymion doesn't care. Normally, if it was anyone else he'd growl and shove them back, but he's fine with his smaller brother's antics. He just shakes his head and gets up, starting to head to the entrance. He beckons with Silvertongue to follow with a toss of his head.

Upon seeing Rebe emerge from the burrow, Mzuri hits her with a sharp glare. However, her expression softens when she sees who is right behind Rebe, her daugher Lizziekam. She can tell that Lizziekam has been having a rough time lately, for whatever reason. She's been trying to comfort her daughter as much as possible, but with so many other duties it can be hard to find time for some bonding. But right now there's nothing pressing to do, so Mzuri calls out to Lizziekam, temporarily forgetting about Rebe.

Lizziekam emerges and hears her mother's distinctive call. Looking around, she spots Mzuri and bounds over. She chatters gleefully, always happy to spend time with her mother who is one of the few meerkats who can temporarily calm her nerves. Other meerkats can think what they want about Mzuri, but there's no denying that she's a dedicated mother who forges a close bond with her children.

Paris emerges after Rebe and Lizziekam. He begins to go over by Mzuri where he instinctively feels safest, but is dissuaded by the affection between Mzuri and Lizziekam going on. Not wanting to interrupt, he awkwardly sits off to the side by himself.

Seeing Paris sit by himself, Diem trots over, greeting him with an exuberant chirp. He returns a quieter one in response. She knows Paris is sometimes pretty shy and reserved, but Diem enjoys his company and wants to get him out of his shell. She invites him to play, which he gratefully accepts, and they playfight quietly while waiting for other juveniles to emerge.

Asphodel watches Paris and Diem play with a surly look on her face. But while the adults may have shunned her to an extent (or at least forgot about her), the pups sure haven't. Growing up with the Villains has meant that she's always had lots of peers her own age to get along with, at least. So she shakes her grumpy mood off and dashes over to join in the play. She's starting to get a little old to be so childish, but she's not quite there yet.

OOC: I just imagine the Villains pups as this like gang of pups who just like roll together LOL

[Kat]

ooc- Oh my gosh. Yes. lol

bic-
After having been found out, Silvertongue gave Endymion a sheepish smile that only barely concealed the impish expression which threatened to overtake his features. He loved his brother dearly, of course, but he also found it incredibly amusing to press his buttons to see just how far he could go before his charming innocence could no longer pardon the more irritating side to him. The sharp and abrupt wake up was just payback, he reasoned, for all of the times that Endymion had accidentally kicked him in their sleep. Silvertongue was very quick to follow Endymion after he’d motioned for him to do so, though. That was what he had wanted in the first place, after all. He always felt eager to meet the day, but he never really wished to do that without his brother at his side. Silvertongue wasn’t necessarily afraid of the outside world, though he figured that if things ever did go south, Endymion would make for a bigger target than himself.

Mzuri’s sharp glare had not gone unnoticed, though Rebe did not react to it in either alarm or open hostility. She simply blinked in acknowledgement and then looked away with an expression of mild contempt, as if any other response would have been beneath her. While being pushed out of the mob at this time would have been equivalent to a death sentence, which was a good enough reason for anyone to kiss up to the dominant couple, Rebe didn’t fear being evicted in the slightest. She was not pregnant and Mzuri’s pups were old enough now that she was no longer a threat to them. As well as holding the current position of a relatively harmless subordinate within the Villains, Rebe didn’t think that her sister would choose to be rid of yet another member after losing so many to the drought.

[TuhiAdmin]

(( Piper will come in my next post... I'm debating renaming her to Fiddle Nip, idk ))

Moze chirped softly to Pacific, her smile soft and sweet, just like it used to be. I'm fine... really.  Just hungry... ha... She always seemed to be hungry these days... she wasn't sure if it was the drought or her pregnancy... probably both.  Regardless, Moze kept her grin as she passed her companion and made her way outside.  The harsh Kalahari sun seemed more blinding than usual, but it was a change she had become accustomed to.  Rather cumbersome, the expecting female made her way to a patch of earth as promising as any, and began the task of digging for her breakfast.  She was careless; not even looking to see if Pacific was keeping an eye out for danger or not.  They had been lucky... too lucky, perhaps.  She would need her wits about her, if the two of them, and her future litter, were to have any chance of survival.

---

One female was strangely quiet all of a sudden.  Kitanda, usually so full of energy and life, had suddenly froze, and fallen silent.  She was watching Rebe's newest litter, particularly Silvertongue.  There was a haunting look in her eyes, as if something had jogged her memory of times long past.  Aside from the few who had been born in the Villains long ago, such as Mzuri, Rebe, and Saffaron, no one ever would have guessed that Kitanda had been a mother herself.  Silvertongue, for some reason, reminded her a lot of her son Jana -- he had been here when she had gotten lost, but sadly, he was not here waiting when she finally made her way back home.  She had spent months with her two nephews -- why did they trigger her memories now? And why did her heart ache more than when she had first discovered her son to be missing? It took her a moment to recover from the shock, but when she did, Kitanda returned to the burrow without a sound.  She had wanted to greet her sisters, but didn't want to break down in front of them... she needed to be alone right now.

Venom gazed at the pups cautiously.  She wanted to join them, but... he thoughts went back to her experiences in the Lavas.  She wasn't sure if they'd want to play with a 'defect' like her, and her hind limbs were very weak compared to other pups...

[Shadoww]

Even with Moze's gentle expression, it didn't make him feel anymore at ease. Once Moze slipped out of the Bolt-Hole Pacific followed close behind-- only to pause when they walked into the hot sunny day.

He glanced up, passing a cautious look at the clear sky, then to the horizon. Nothing seem to pop out at him as immediate danger; just an open dust-bowl of terrain with dry towering grasses flickering in the faint breeze. Even the earth was splintering apart in some portions. This was all a familiar sight.

So he just shrugged it off, trotting towards the patch of land that Moze began digging in.
Nothing but tiny ants raced across the surface. A disappointed frown curled up in his features. What a shame. Giving Moze one last glance before he, too, began tearing through the earth.

[Temp]

Upon emerging from the burrow, Endymion spots Paris, Diem, and Asphodel playing and immediately runs over to join. He dashes straight for Paris and meets him with front limbs outstretched, knocking the smaller pup over but not enough to hurt him. Giggling, Endymion dashes away before Paris can get up.

Paris lets out a small yelp when Endymion rams into him and he's thrown to the ground. With nothing bruised but his ego, Paris gets back up, wincing in case Endymion is nearby to push him again. But he spots Endymion's back end dashing to the other side of the burrow entrance. Immediately not wanting to play anymore, he looks around for Mzuri, who didn't seem to notice the incident, and trots back over to her. He's used to this type of commotion when playing with Endymion, but that doesn't make it any more fun.

Diem frowns when Endymion pushes Paris. Why did Endymion have to be such a bully sometimes? She almost follows after Paris, but stops when he goes up to Mzuri. He probably doesn't want to play any more. Diem turns around, ready to continue the game, when she spots Venom. The pup seemed to be staring at everyone play longingly. Diem dashes over to her, with a friendly smile on her face and chirping an invitation to play.

Asphodel darts after Endymion, eager to catch up to him. He may be the biggest pup in the group right now, but she's determined not to let him win this game of chase. As he slows down a bit, unaware that Asphodel is right behind him, she pounces on his back and throws her weight onto him. Surprised, Endymion drops to the ground, and Asphodel hops off, smirking at him triumphantly. Endymion shakes his head and gets up, ready to continue the game.

Now above ground, the late riser Saffaron absent-mindedly watches the pups run around and play. Good, he thinks... it's great that they are honing their athleticism and combat skills as pups, because they're going to need them to help defend the Villains when they get older. Hopefully all these pups make it to adulthood.

Mzuri and Lizziekam continue grooming each other, with Mzuri occasionally pausing to nuzzle Paris as well. Though she wants him to stand up for himself more often, she didn't witness this morning's Endymion incident and thus doesn't know that Paris doesn't want to play any more because of that.

[TuhiAdmin]

(( Ok, I think I've decided to keep Lee xD I'll say he got lost, but he's been staying with his cousin, Moze, if that's ok with you, Shadow? Only for maybe 5 days so far. He's going to be somewhat stoic and have a harder time relating to others, but have a good heart regardless.  I was inspired by Rilu posts. Might give the rescue party added incentive, too. I've decided that it's ok to add pups, I can always kill them later xDD But we really will need more players to adopt pups, eventually. ))


At first, Venom was a little confused when Diem approached her.  No one had ever bothered with her before.  From the time she had developed all of her senses, she'd always been treated as a second rate pup, despite being the daughter of the dominant female.  It was probably no different than how her aunt Ivy had been treated, but unlike Ivy, Venom was not truly deformed; her defect had been a mortal injury.  For a long time, she could do little more than crawl.  Even now, the muscle tone in her back legs was weak, and although she could walk, she couldn't run for more than a few seconds and she had to be careful.  Luckily, she could get around ok (even if the burrow slope posed a challenge) and her front limbs had grown significantly stronger to make up for it.  This meant she would be able to feed herself, at least.  The albino pup turned her pink-eyed gaze back to Diem... she hadn't been in the Villains long enough to get to know anyone, but she had to start somewhere.  She was still confused, but decided that she might as well try to play.  Of course, her idea of 'playing' was quite a bit different from what Diem had in mind... Whenever the other Lava pups would 'play' with her, it was with teeth, claws, and more aggression than usually acceptable.  So, when she batted and nipped at Diem, it was a little too strong - and any adults watching her may wonder if she was playing at all, if it weren't for her happy expression.

It only took a moment for Kitanda to compose herself.  You'd think that she'd be over the changes her family has undergone over the years, but truth be told, it would probably be a long time before she really came to accept that the family she once knew was gone.  Her daughter, Satami, and her son, Jana, were no exception to that.  It was hard to see the similarities between her nephew and her son, but when she thought about it, perhaps that was a blessing in disguise.  She didn't want more pups... that was her sister's job, after all.  She'd give anything to have her Jana back, but perhaps she could be happy again someday through her other sister's pups.  When Kit showed her faced again, it was beaming with curiosity.  She sat down beside Rebe, giving her sister a quickly nuzzle before turning to watch the pups.  They weren't small anymore, but they were still young and adorable, and a pleasure to watch.

Piper was the next one above ground.  She was an interesting character... at first glance, she seemed quiet and innocent enough, but her sister Diem no doubt knew who she really was.  She wasn't unlike her paternal grandfather, El-ahrairah; clever and scheming.  She inherited a bit of his charm, too, but wasn't quite as good hearted underneath her shell.  She wasn't exactly mean spirited, so to speak... but she was selfish and ambitious, with a driving desire to make herself known.  Of course, that was her little secret for now.  Taylor's pups might have been adopted by Mzuri, but that wasn't enough for her.  She wanted to be just as important as they were.  Still being young, and having inherited her father's nervous disposition (if only slightly...) her bark could be worse than her bite sometimes, but that was bound to change eventually.  She was nothing, however, if not observant.  There was nothing she wanted more to be just like her idol, Mzuri, and it had become quite clear that her grandmother disliked Rebe.  She could do her part, too, by giving her uncles a bad time.  Ruffling her fur, Piper ran at Endymion.  Rebe was watching, so she couldn't be too bold, so instead opts for a calmer approach.  She glared at him for a few seconds with a blank expression, before suddenly snarling and nipping him behind the ear.  She took a few steps back, and sneered, almost daring him to fight back.  It was only a play nip, but she made it perfectly clear that she didn't intend to be nice, in her own discrete way.  She was baiting him, but she hadn't hurt anyone yet.

---

Moze realized that Pacific was worried about her... she couldn't say that it didn't give her a happy feeling to be getting attention from her crush, but at the same time, she was really grateful for his kindness.  Not every meerkat would stick around to look after a pregnant female like herself, especially a male, but despite everything, here he was, and she probably wouldn't still be alive otherwise.  As she began digging, her desperation began to show, but Moze remained rather calm.  She was in a good mood today, and tried to remain optimistic despite her situation.  She was typically a meerkat who saw life as half empty, but it was a new day, after all.

(( Youssy, let me know if I got something wrong about how Mzuri treats her granddaughters, I can't remember exactly what you told me and I'm kinda improvising >.< ))

[Shadoww]

[That's fine.~]

[Temp]

Diem reels backward as Venom bats and nips at her, the area of contact stinging a little. But she can see on Venom's face that she didn't mean to be rough at all and is just trying to have fun. Maybe she just doesn't really know how to play? Diem hides her surprise and throws on a genuine smile, batting back at Venom, only this time very softly and without claws. She'll just have to teach Venom how to play!

Endymion is taken aback when Piper nips him behind the ear. He is fine with Asphodel getting the best of him - he knows he can rough house with her. But Piper was a different story. He never really played with her that much, and he didn't appreciate the sneer she gave him. He marches up to her, looking down on her and just scoffs in her face. With all the adults around the burrow right now, he doesn't want to try anything, but he isn't going to let anyone mess with him.

Asphodel rolls her eyes at the incident. Just when she was having fun, of course drama had to go down. She shakes her head and trots away to the edge of the group to go sit by herself.

[Kat]

Sitting near the other pups without getting in their way, Silvertongue smirked slightly in amusement when his brother was pounced upon by Asphodel. The slim pup didn't really enjoy playing with the others when they were being so rough with each other. Having a more delicate build meant that it wasn't exactly a challenge for everyone else to get the best of him, and being tackled at every turn wasn't really his idea of fun anyway. He mostly preferred to watch, analyzing his peers to better understand their strengths and weaknesses. It wasn't for any particular reason, except for perhaps learning how to better avoid the aforementioned tackling whenever someone decided to involve him in their games, but he almost found the other pups' differences in play-fighting styles to be rather fascinating. His own style, whenever he did choose to play, could be best described as agile. He had very little weight to throw around, but he had still managed to find a way to use the flaw to his own advantage.

Still quietly observing the others, his smirk turned into a frown when Piper chose to cause some drama by antagonizing his brother. Silvertongue immediately stood up and trotted over, taking his place at Endymion's side. He didn't think that Endymion would be foolish enough to take the bait and start a real fight with so many adults around, but just in case, he chirped for him to ignore Piper. She was just jealous of them anyway. They may no longer have their father, but at least they still had their mother, unlike her. His tone was sympathetic, but the smug look that he flashed Piper was quite the opposite. Two could play at baiting, and he knew that if Piper was the first to lash out in a non-playful manner, then she'd be the one getting reprimanded by their elders rather than Endymion.

In the past, an overprotective Rebe might have balked at the idea of her own children participating in the roughhousing that the Villain pups were becoming known for. However, change was a part of life and she no longer felt the need to watch over her pups in such an overbearing manner. It helped that Endymion was the largest of his friends. He wasn't at much risk of being bullied, and though Silvertongue was disappointingly frail, he was a clever little thing who had learned to stick to his brother's side. She loved them both dearly, but they did not need her as much as her sweet Julian had. So, she gave them their space, knowing now that it wasn't wise to smother them with ceaseless attention. Still, even while visiting with Kitanda, she couldn't help but keep an eye on them. Just in case. She'd taken notice of the small bit of tension between her two sons and Piper, but she would not become involved unless their nips turned entirely unfriendly. It wasn't that she feared for their safety against Piper. It was honestly the other way around. If a fight did break out, then she doubted that Piper would be the one coming out on top, and Rebe wasn't exactly sure what might happen if her two sons hurt Mzuri's grandchild. Her tail flicking slightly, she returned Kitanda's quick nuzzle.

[TuhiAdmin]

Piper was a little disappointed when her target didn't take the bait; she was so sure that he would, and she was looking forward to seeing his reaction.  However, she didn't let her surprise show too much.  She merely smirked, a sly expression on her face.  Ever so quietly, she chirped, What, are you scared? Her body language was relaxed and discrete, but her expression was ever so slightly taunting.  Maybe you're not as tough as you look.  She gave a smile that was almost sweet.  In her mind, this was a win-win situation.  If he decided to fight her, she got what she wanted.  If he didn't, however, she could still attack his pride, especially if he decided to walk away.  

Venom tilts her head, surprised at Diem's gesture.  This pup fought a lot more gently than she was used to.  In fact, this seemed nothing like the 'play' she had experienced back home.  The little albino tried to mimic the other pup's action, and swatted more softly.  There was... something different about this level of playfighting.  It was more... fun! Her forelimbs were also a little stronger than average, too, but already she seemed to get the idea, despite not being very intelligent.  Playing like this didn't hurt, and Diem didn't say mean things when she played, either.  Maybe... is this how you made friends?

Kitanda narrowed her eyes, glancing over at her sister's expression.  In combination with her littermate's flicking tail, she started to pick up on the nervousness a bit, and chirped quietly.  You seem tense.  She turned her attention back to the pups, noticing the tension rising between Rebe's son and Mzuri's granddaughter.  Normally she would have said that fighting is how pups learn, but didn't want to upset her sister.  And Kitanda knew better than most the long term effects a rivalry in puphood could have... regardless, Kitanda loved both of her sisters equally, and would be unlikely to pick sides in this situation.  She she simply yawned, stretched, and chuckled to her sister.  Pups these days... we sure got a lively bunch this time around, eh? She tried not to think of her own children at their age, but for some reason, her son and daughter wouldn't leave her mind now... she tried to ignore her maternal drives and nostalgia, however.  Mzuri was dominant, not her.  The desire to get pregnant again could get Kitanda in serious trouble, the kind of trouble both of her sisters had fallen victim to one too many times...

- - -

Speaking of maternal instincts...

A while later, and a certain female was absent from the world visible above ground.  Not long after she had reassured her companion that she was fine, the time had finally come, and Moze had rushed into the bolthole to prepare for the moment she had been waiting for.  Moze was like any new mother-to-be... nervous, but if nothing else, she was glad that she wasn't alone... Although she had wanted her mother and Lucky to be there in that special moment, at least her friend and secret crush Pacific was there, and she was happy for that, if nothing else.  Nothing, however, could have prepared her for the moment ahead.  But, before long, it was all over... and six little pups were at her side.  All her fears and insecurities were gone in an instant, as her heart melted and maternal instinct kicked in.  She cleaned each of them carefully and tenderly.  A couple of them were small, but she loved them all the same.  Exhausted, she pulled the bundles close to her and closed her eyes.  She didn't have enough energy to consider the most important question of all: how were two lone meerkats supposed to care for such a large litter by themselves, and in a drought, no less?

[Kat]

((Aw, Moze.))

Silvertongue's eyes widened slightly and he glanced between Piper and Endymion with an expression that was very oddly torn between amusement and concern. He didn't doubt that his brother could squash Piper in an instant and there was a part of him that was eager to see it happen, but he also didn't want Endymion to get into trouble with the adults. He took a small step in front of his larger brother and hissed at Piper under his breath. Why don't you try to pick a fight with him when your granny isn't around to save you, or are you the one who's afraid?

Rebe glanced at Kitanda and smirked slightly, her muscles losing a bit of their previous tension. They certainly were a lively bunch of pups, and she knew that her two sons enjoyed having such a large group of peers to socialize with. She did on occasion still worry for them, but for different reasons than she had with her other kids. Endymion was a bit of a bully sometimes, and though she felt an incredible surge of pride whenever she looked upon him and his strength, she didn't want him to accidentally hurt one of the other pups. Thankfully, the three of them seemed to be working out their differences verbally rather than resorting to violence this time. Or at least that was what she assumed to be happening, since she couldn't hear what they were chirping and hissing about from the distance she was at.  She wasn't aware that they were basically egging each other on. Something about Kitanda had captured Rebe's attention and she turned away from the small squabble. Is something... wrong? She gave her sister and small nudge.

[Shadoww]

Pacific stood proud: though he was absolutely covered in chips of compact earth and sand. He had scurried around until he found a suitable area to dig: an interwoven shrubbery stood like an overhead tower behind him. It offered temporary protection and less than decent shade from the relentless sun above him. In front of him was an absurdly deep hole... But that wasn't what he was ecstatic for finding.

A sandy centipede hung in his jaws. A rich find out here --- especially during a drought. Casting a long gaze up into the sky - and seeing that it was presently clear - the scrawny male charged out into the open and towards the bolt-hole Moze rushed back into.

It took him a couple of minutes, but after trailing the echo of -- He blinked. Cries? -- sounds, he turned into a room--

Moze was in here...with... He sniffed the stale air. Pups? The soft chirps nearly made him bark in surprise -- however he managed to suppress it. Instead he slowly wedged himself around the new family. Once he was close enough, he tenderly nudged the new mother, careful to not touch the new lives. Perhaps he should wait to offer his centipede to her?

[Temp]

At Piper's taunting, Endymion felt a surge of indignation. You do not insult his pride! He bares his teeth and begins to take a step forward towards her, but is stopped by Silvertongue interrupting with a taunt of his own. His brother's intervention gives him just a moment to relax his hackles and think about not getting into trouble. He - and everyone else - knows he could squash Piper easily but the adults are around. Still, he isn't going to be the first one to back away from the altercation. Slightly torn, he just nods and grunts in affirmation at Silvertongue's sneer.

Diem nods enthusiastically at Venom. Yeah, that's how you do it! She jumps backward a little bit, her front half low to the ground and tail high in the air in a playful position. She darts to the left and right, inviting Venom to romp with her.

On the outskirts of the group, Asphodel, put off by the drama happening with the other pups, begins to wander around the periphery of the burrow. She's used to meandering about by herself; with no littermates left and no parents to look after her she's kind of done her own thing her whole life so far. And since they're not going foraging yet, she figures she can explore a little by herself too. She jumps onto a large log, and stares around at the wide open Kalahari. As far as she can see, it looks brown, dry, dusty. She hops off the other side of the log and starts sniffing around, perhaps seeing if she'll get lucky and catch some pre-foraging grub.

Saffaron yawns and impatiently scratches his ear. The pups are arguing, but it's clear that they probably won't end up fighting. So... no morning entertainment, which means they should get a move on soon.

Mzuri notices Saffaron's yawn and nods. It's definitely time to go in order to make sure everyone can eat enough to fill their stomachs. She stands up and makes loud lead calls for a minute, gathering everyone's attention.

Paris scurries to his feet when Mzuri calls out and runs over to his mother, eager to stick by her side. He looks over at Piper, Endymion, and Silvertongue who seem to be arguing. He shivers a bit and clings to Mzuri's leg. Mzuri looks down on him with a face he can't read, but in her mind she's looking at him with a little bit of worry and a dash of pity. She hopes her son will grow up soon...
--
Chickadee can't see and can't hear but she instinctively knows where her mother is and where her food lies. She moves toward her mother, struggling to use her newfound limbs and once she feels her warmth surround her, quiets in satisfaction.

[TuhiAdmin]

After nuzzling her pups, trying to encourage them to feed, Moze stared at them for several long minutes.  She was just so captivated by them, and she couldn't help but chrr happily as Chickadee began feeding.  When she was nudged, the new mother turned her head slightly to look up at the arrival.  She blinked, simply gazing at Pacific for a moment before smiling softly.  She didn't know him as well as she might have liked, but truthfully, Pacific had been her first friend.  She trusted him completely, and while being surprised would usually make her jump, for once Moze was relaxed.  Being with her pups calmed her nerves, and after all the time they'd spent together, he didn't bother her at all.  She gave Pacific a chirp.  Are... aren't they beautiful? 


It was a very special moment... Moze was a first time mother, and she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by happiness in this special moment.  But eventually, that happiness would inevitably fade away, and she would be brought back to reality.  This was a very large litter, and they were in the middle of a drought, alone.  How were two adults supposed to care for six pups? Such thoughts were far away for the moment, but ultimately, the two would have to face them...


---


Kitanda's smirk quickly faded when Rebe nudged her, and glanced at her litter sister in surprise.  One minute their focus was on the pups, and the next it was on her.  If anyone knew Kitanda best, it was Rebe, so it didn't really surprise her that her sister had caught on to her uneasiness.  Kitanda chirped a bit nervously.  It's nothing, Silvertongue just... reminds me a bit of Jana... It was quite easy to admit this to her sister, although the weight of her emotions dug a deeper pit in her heart.  Jana had been here, in the Villains, the last time she'd saw him.  By the time she got back, he was gone.  There were no words to describe how that felt.  She thought admitting it to her sister would make her feel better, but it only made Jana's absence feel more real.  I... I miss him.

Piper sneered when she saw how angry Endymion was, amused and satisfied with his reaction.  She was disappointed a little when Silvertongue stepped in, but tried to regain her composure with a deep breath.  If she's going to prove herself someday, Piper will need to learn self control when faced with brutes such as these.  She circled the two of them with a sly expression.  Oh, but you ARE scared, Silvertongue and Endymion... Just not of me.  She flicked Endymion's nose tauntingly with her tail.  You're scared of the grown ups.  You can make up all the excuses you want, but that doesn't change your fear.  You may be strong, but that can't always save you.  She turned to sneer at Silvertongue.  Or you.  With that, the pup smiled innocently, and hearing the lead calls, turned around to follow Mzuri.  She knew she wasn't getting anywhere here, and she was satisfied with the outcome, anyway.  She couldn't stand up to bullies like Endymion now, and honestly, had never shown much negative behavior before now, but someday things would be different.  


Too engaged in her first real playfight to hear Mzuri, Venom barks happily and darts after Diem.  Her hind legs are still weak, and probably always will be, so she isn't as fast as Diem.  She hasn't fallen behind yet, however, so for the moment, doesn't care.

[Nightspeller]

(OOC: Okay, time for me to join back in. XD I mainly want to keep Kiziah, Rusami and Elveera. Penguin and Militia can be adopted by someone else if needed, I don't have any more interest in them. I don't know any plans here but I'll just do a starter post and catch up when I can.)

Kiziah slowly emerged from the burrow. She had been growing up quite a bit. No wonder a small pup. She briefly shut her eyes from the sun's rays as she wasn't fully awake. She managed to walk out and shook herself a bit. For her, she still was mostly quiet still. But she had began to talk a bit more. She mainly answered in short sentences, rarely speaking beyond that. Still, it was a good sign. She briefly looked around. Since Rebe had her legit pups, Kiziah felt like she had been reduced into the background. It... did bother her a bit. But... Rebe seemed much happier with pups who did share her blood... Not just some random pup who had no blood ties whatsoever. She sighed softly but began to sun herself. What would today bring, she wondered..? She does briefly looked over at her "brother", appearing to be getting into an argument with a different pup. She wanted to go ove r and stop their fighting, but she was hesitant. Much like how she felt Rebe was perhaps not wanting her around, she wasn't sure how Enydimon and Silvertongue felt toward her, personally. She lowered herself and sighed again. She wanted to make an attempt to reconnect with the only family she's had since her mother had been killed and having no luck with finding her biological brother... But for some reason... She just... felt like she wasn't welcomed... Maybe it was paranoia... But who really knows... She heard Mzuri's calls and walked toward her, her tail dragging behind her.


Unlike Kiziah, Eleeva ran out like a bullet. She was quite the hyper little one. She began to jump around a bit and giggled, she quite enjoyed getting up, it meant something could happen! She was certainly a pawful for the adults with her seemingly endless energy. Until... She collided against someone. It was none other than Rusami, Mzuri's other pup. Both were always on odd ends... Rusami could barely stand Eleeva and her energy. She bore her teeth at the other pup. Watch it, scatterbrain! She growled. Eleeva puffed up but soon snorted and walked away, she wasn't going to let Rusami drag her down! Rusami rolled her eyes before going over to her mother upon hearing her calls, joining her brother Piper to stand next to Mzuri. Maybe Eleeva will end up being left behind if she didn't listen! But much to her annoyance, the other pup bounced over, ugh, why was she in such a good mood? Rusami decided to ignore her, and watched as Piper, Endyimon and Silvertongue were appearing to be arguing. Tch, who cared about their needs? They were just second rates anyways. She watched her brother as he cowered, clinging to Mzuri's leg and rolled her eyes again. Was he really related to her?

[Temp]

After a moment to gather everyone up, Mzuri begins to head off towards the center of Villain territory. She wants to focus on the Villains right now and raising these pups up to adulthood, and not worry about the threat of encountering other mobs and potentially having to fight. She makes a quick check that Rusami, Diem, and Piper are following, and well... she doesn't even need to check on Paris, who sticks close by her side.

Saffaron rolls his eyes. Finally, time to eat. He gets up and heads off after Mzuri.

Endymion growled under his breath at Piper. Truth be told, she did get under his skin a little bit because she had a point. She had her grandmother, the dominant female, to protect her but all Endymion had was Rebe. He still loved his mom, but she, well, isn't the dominant female and thus his place in the mob is slightly downgraded, even despite his broad stature for a juvenile. He just throws Piper out of his mind and turns to Silvertongue. Let's go.

Diem hears the group starting to move off and motions to Venom. Come on, let's go! She dashes off to walk next to Piper, expecting her new friend to follow just as quickly.

There's one member that Mzuri has overlooked. Asphodel has wandered a little further from the burrow, winding her way through the tall grass. She hears Mzuri's calls and the group start to move off, and turns around to head back to the burrow, but realizes that in the maze of tall grass, logs, rocks, and shrubs she's become a little lost even this close to the burrow. Too defiant to call out, she decides to find her way back on her own. She begins plowing straight ahead, trying to follow the sounds of the group moving away.

Lizziekam sticks behind for a second, making sure all of the pups are accounted for.

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