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 Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:04 pm
Sendiri couldn't believe it. He was a father. And not just a father, but a father of two beautiful little girls. And Ratanjali was his mate. His kits' mother. He couldn't wait for Aiden to meet the cubs. In fact, that's where he was leading Ratanjali and the two kits to now. Their nice little tree house, where he and Aiden lived for most of Aiden's life and a very long portion of Sendiri's.
Really, he was carrying one of the kits. Little Kecilaku, the kit who more resembled her father than her mother. She was half-asleep, as she had been, and curled up comfortably in the nook of Sendiri's arm. It made walking for the adult a little awkward, with only three legs instead of four, but that was okay.
They were on the ground solely because Sendiri was worried for the kits, and when they arrived at the tree house, he looked at Ratanjali. "That's the tree house." He said, grinning at her. "Just straight up to the big hole." He pointed at it so Ratanjali could see, and then started to climb up with Kecilaku in one arm to get to the the hole where Aiden would be waiting.
Waiting for them to come home. Not for what they were bringing.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:33 pm
Ratanjali paced along beside Sendiri, no less stunned for all that she'd been present for the whole process. Potentential was a lot easier to deal with; reality took her breath away.
Sometimes literally. "Just up there, eh? All right." She nudged Wani a bit and murmured, "Hang onto my back," waiting for the little swirled cub to get a firm grip before she started climbing.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:20 pm
"Yep." Sendiri grinned back at her, and led the way up the tree to the hole. Once he'd got there, he climbed his way in, and turned back to help Ratanjali and Wani climb in as well. "Are you and her okay?" He asked gently, smiling at her.
Kecilaku looked around in her father's arms, and yawned, rubbing her eyes blearily and then nuzzling into the warm fur of his chest and side, where she was being held. Sendiri blinked and looked down at her, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, Kecilaku." He mumbled, petting the little cub.
He turned around then, and realized that Aiden was there. Staring outright at them. "... Hello, Aiden!" He beamed.
Aiden didn't respond, staring not at Sendiri, or Ratanjali, but the cubs. "... What're those..." He didn't mean to sound as rude as he probably did, but... Sendiri never mentioned any females! Least of all one he was mating with! And now there were babies, and... and... "... Sendiri..."
"You're an uncle. Congratulations." Sendiri beamed, and went over, dropping his free arm around Aiden. Aiden stared at him, then at Ratanjali, and then at the cubs again.
"....... Oh..." Poor Aiden. It was just so much easier to go with it than question it, it'd give him a headache. "Well... okay..." He got up, and shrugged Sendiri off him, rolling his eyes. "It's nice to meet you..." He hadn't caught her name. He held out his paw, sheepishly.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:44 pm
"Fine," Ratanjali promised with a smile. And she was. They were. She watched Sendiri and his brother, and vowed not to interfere. Her family now, yes, but she was still the newcomer. So she encouraged Wani off her back, tucker the cub into her arms and sat, tail curled around them both.
When Aiden came over, she shook his paw gently. "Ratanjali," she answered. "And you're Aiden. Sendiri talks about you often."
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:10 pm
Aiden had the decency to be a little embarassed about that. Yeah, Sendiri did talk about him a lot. He knew better than to think otherwise. His ears ducked against his head sheepishly, and he smiled. "I apologize for him. He talks a lot." He shot a rueful grin back at his brother, who scoffed indignantly, and then looked at Ratanjali.
"Welcome to the family." He said, voice sheepish now because yes, he was aware of how corny that sounded. "What're their names?" He asked, glancing from Wani to Kecilaku and back again.
Sendiri smiled wide, and nodded to the cub tucked up into his chest. The cub looked up, and smiled sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She didn't speak, but she did wave a little paw at Aiden. Aiden grinned a little, ears ducking again. "This is Kecilaku." He said, walking over and plopping down next to Ratanjali and Wani.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:30 pm
"And this is Wani," Ratanjali added, smoothing a paw over the little one's head.
Unlike her sister, Wani wasn't content to just wave. She squirmed a little, frowned in thought and then reached a little paw toward him.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:15 pm
Aiden blinked when Wani reached out to him, and carefully held out one of his paws to hers, grinning a little. "They're cute." He muttered, ears flat against his head sheepishly. He was at a complete loss for cubs, even when he was one himself he was an awkward little thing.
Sendiri grinned, and watched the interaction. "They're going to stay with us, Aiden." He said cheerfully. Aiden looked back, arching an eyebrow, and he couldn't help the deadpan expression on his face.
"Really?" He grinned, and rolled his eyes. "I figured that out, Sen." He smiled at Ratanjali, amused. "Are you sure you wanna be stuck to this one? He's a little..." He leaned in, whispering. "Crazy isn't a big enough word to describe it."
"I heard that!"
Aiden grinned at him innocently.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:41 pm
Glee flashed in Wani's eyes. When Aiden reached out, she grabbed hold, then used it to start pulling herself out of Ratanjali's arms, and up Aiden's.
"I think you're right," Ratanjali agreed. "You're clearly the sharper, cuter broth--Wani, what are you doing?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 7:20 pm
"Well clearly--" Instinct, and instinct alone, propelled Aiden forward when Wani started pulling herself to him. He caught her, and looked at Ratanjali sheepishly. "I didn't want her to fall." He said, smiling meekly at Ratanjali. He was, in his own little way, trying to get Ratanjali's approval. If this was his brother's mate, they should at least like each other.
Sendiri grumbled a little. "I'm still here, y'know." He said in a soreness that was pure act. Yeah, so what if his brother was cute? That didn't mean Sendiri wasn't a sexy beast.
Kecilaku watched her sister, and arched an eyebrow at her curiously. Then she yawned, and stretched out languidly, curling up against contently. She was warm, and she was sleepy. She'd be crazy like Wani later.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:06 pm
"Good instinct," Ratanjali praised, letting Wani complete her crawl into Aiden's arms. The kit tucked herself against his chest, grabbed a pawful of fur, and closed her eyes.
"I didn't say you weren't sharp or cute," she pointed out to Sendiri, grinning as she leaned against him a little.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:54 am
Aiden grinned sheepishly and nodded, holding Wani. "She's cute." He mumbled. Then he looked up, and rolled his eyes at Sendiri, grinning. "You're such a brat."
"Nuh uh." Sendiri stuck his tongue out for good measure, moving one of his arms around Ratanjali and grinning at her. "I know. You just said he was cuter and sharper." He said, sticking his tongue out again.
Kecilaku looked over at where her sister had wedged herself, and frowned, debating. Then... she wiggled down out of Sendiri's arms, and scuttled over to Aiden. She started to crawl up, to get at her sister. Aiden blinked, and snorted, picking her up. "There, there..." He muttered, sheepishly.
Kecilaku gave a big, cheeky grin, and curled up on the opposite side of her sister.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:12 pm
"Mmhmm. Because I know how to get your attention," she teased. And snapped her teeth at him when he stuck his tongue out. Not that she'd really bite him. Probably.
"They like you," she then pointed out unnecessarily to Aiden. "Careful, though. If you let them, you'll never see the end of being climbed."
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:04 pm
"I have a feeling--Ow!" Kecilaku kicked him in the ribs when she was getting herself comfortable. Aiden grimaced a little, and snorted. "... I have a feeling I'm already going to be their climbing post." He muttered dejectedly, grinning.
Sendiri snorted, and nudged Ratanjali, smiling a little. "We should take a cue from them and get some rest." He said, already heading over to his side of the treetop, where a bunch of soft leaves were made into a crude bed.
Aiden nodded, and went over to his little nest. "I'll keep an eye on them while you two rest." He offered, smiling at them. "Doubt they'll move any time soon anyway." He looked down at Kecilaku and Wani, both were curled up in his fur and Kecil was already half-asleep again.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:48 am
Ratanjali looked briefly uncertain. "You don't mind, Aiden? If they give you any trouble or you don't want to..." She yawned and went on somewhat sheepishly. "We'll be right over there." She stood, stretched, and padded after Sendiri, toward his nest.
Wani squirmed around so she was butted up against Kecil, heaved a tiny sigh and settled again.
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