vatheon | Dey's gonna go huntin' dere, eh?

Entry tags:

Dey's gonna go huntin' dere, eh?

Who: Nepeta Leijon and The Disciple
When: Current
Where: Starting near the Elevator
What: Disciple and Nepeta go hunting up on the Island.
Style: Prose
Status: Closed

One final check of her winter gear before the Disciple heads out the door. It had been getting increasingly cold up on the island, as winter entered full swing. It definitely made for a more difficult hunting trip. Most game grew scarce during the cold months, it was a trait shared by many different worlds. As food sources for the grazers disappeared so did the grazers themselves, most opting to hibernate through the hard times. Some beasts were not made to sleep through and could still be hunted, but it was certainly much more difficult.

Having a second will help remedy some of the more difficult aspects of hunting during the winter. At the very least, two can cover more ground, and allow them to attempt more complex methods of hunting, other then sneak up and pounce. Plus there was the very added bonus of doing something with her Daughter. Any method of bonding with her and getting closer to her was something she would relish doing.

One last check, all her winter gear was in place, there was just two things she was missing. A very special kitty hood that she dons as she is heading out the door. She would not be able to hunt in it, but the first part of the trip she wanted to show her daughter she loved her gift. The other was the very intricate set of fighting claws made for her by Darkleer. The fit over the back of her hands, and due to her practicing with them she knows the basics of their special abilities; Retracting, Super-heating the blades to burn flesh, or surrounding themselves in electricity. They were marvels of engineering.

The trip to the Elevator was a quick one, excited as she was. Now, all she had to do was wait for her daughter to arrive.

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Little does she know that a particular kittytroll is already there! Hiding up in a tree and waiting to ambush her favourite Mamacat. She sneaks along the branches until she's right above her, and then she leaps to tackle her in an enormous hug!

Such a deadly ambush! Which would have worked if Nepeta's target was not someone with as good a sense of hearing and scent as the little oliveblood. Not that she was not going to step out of the way, or anything. In fact, she turns and catches her daughter mid pounce, letting her momentum carry her around in a circle as she brings her closer for the enormous hug.

"Very good, Kit! You almost had me." Remarks as she is firmly pressing her would-be daughter close.

"Yay! One day I'll catch you purroperly, I will!" Nepeta says, in the most cheerful of moods at nearly having managed a successful pounce on as skilled a huntress as Disciple. She's even more cheerful at being so properly and thoroughly hugged.

"I know you will, little hunter. Now, ready to show me what you can do?" The elder oliveblood gives the younger a final squeeze, before releasing the embrace, and letting her go.

Disciple then carries out a visual inspection on her daughter to make sure she is equipped for the cold weather up top.

"I am! Ready as efur!"

She stands up straight, giggling, letting Disciple carry out her inspection. She is indeed wrapped up well against the cold, while allowing for her to be able to move as easily as possible when hunting.

Disciple finishes the inspection with a smile, as always proud of her daughter. Hunting had always been a solitary act for her, and she was really looking to the company. Sharing something like this with Nepeta was having a bit of a bigger impact on her then she thought it might.

"Then let us do this!" Disciple excitedly says as they make the quick trip to the bounds of the forest. The rhythmic crunching of snow underfoot accompany them as they walk. It would almost be a little hypnotic if it did not remind her of how much more difficult it made her hunts.

"So, little one, have you been hunting while here in Vatheon? Or just back on Alternia?" She asks as they draw close.

"Yes! Lets go!" She keeps up with her quite easily, her stride smaller but hurrying a little more to make up for it. She slips her hand into Disciple's as they run along, knowing they'd have to separate once they started hunting in earnest but for now enjoying the fact that they're going on an expedition like this together.

"I've hunted a little bit here! Not too much, though, and a lot of times I just pounce and catch things and then let them go, for practice. It upsets Equius and Tavros when I hunt a lot, and Tavros and Summoner are connected to a lot of the animals. I don't want to hurt them by mistake. And besides, there's lots of food here! It wouldn't be very nice to kill animals when I don't need to eat them. But I have to keep in practice somehow."

"I have already called summoner and let him know we were going on a hunt. He said he would make sure to stay away from us. Maybe you should let Tavros know if you have not already, Just as a precaution." Disciple smiles as she speaks to Nepeta. Holding hands with her as they walked was rather nice, but she was still a little on edge. It may just be a rudimentary hunting trip, but there was still the chance of someone getting hurt. Such was nature.

"Good, I am glad you have kept up some, too. We do not want anything going wrong, so it is good that you have been practicing." She really was happy her little hunter had been keeping up, even if it was catch and release. The important part was that she had been doing it.

"The food provided here is nice, but it can seem a little... stale almost. Sometimes you need the satisfaction of a beast caught by your own two hands. We will not take more then we need; I am hoping for a single antlerbeast, if we are so lucky. We will make sure to use all of it we can, and be thankful to the light for providing it to us." As was her way since she learned to hunt.

Edited 2013-02-14 06:15 (UTC)

"I did! I left him a note at least so he'd know where I was. I don't think he's connected to the animals up here like Summoner is, though, not all the time. He's too busy keeping tabs on all our chocobos. He's going to train one up for me to be able to ride it, he promised!" she informs her Mamacat with pride, grinning at her. Her matesprit is awesome, and she doesn't mind sharing this information at all.

"Pounce would have been very disappointed in me if I didn't keep up my hunting. Especially after all the time she took to teach me! She always thought having fresh meat in my diet was impurrtant." Something which she often argues with Equius about. She can't believe that a diet of just vegetables is good for someone with so much strength to keep up with. "Oh, oh, will we make a big feast for us and all our friends? And we can use the skin to make some hunting bags with, purrhaps."

"He certainly sounds like quite the catch, Little one. You are quite lucky, there." Disciple wholeheartedly approved of her little one's chosen matesprit. He was adorable.

"She sounds like a perfectly wonderful Lusus. Quite like my own, when I was young. Oh, and I had not thought of that. That certainly sounds like a great plan. A feast for everyone. I am glad I have been learning to cook and bake as much as I have been, then. I do not think I could invite Darkleer, though. He does not eat meat." Nepeta was not the only one with... acquaintances with special dietary needs.

"I also have a deal with Kanaya for the furs, but only my extras. If you would like to make bags, I think that is another marvelous idea." They were approaching the border of the forest as they continued to talk, soon would be time to part ways once they found the game trails.

"I am! He's grown so much more confident lately too! I loved him before just as he was, of course, but being confident makes him happier and I like seeing him happy! He's really cute when he smiles and laughs." Yup, totally head over heels over here. Nepeta knows Tavros worries over losing her still, but there is absolutely no reason in the world for it.

"She was the best lusus," Nepeta agrees, thinking fondly of her lovely white Pounce. Her Pounce plushie is, unusually, back in her hive instead of on her today. She doesn't want anything to happen to it in the hunt. "...oh, we couldn't invite Equius either. Purrhaps it wouldn't work too well, if we can't even invite our quadrants."

Disciple gets a sly, sideways look. Someone has been suspecting something for a long while, and is being sneaky in trying to find out just where things are between her Mamacat and her Dadleer. Darkleer himself is difficult to pump for information, but Nepeta thinks it may be easier to coax Disciple into spilling the beans.

"It is good to hear. The way you talk about him, I know you have made the correct choice. It is good to hear you have found someone so special." Disciple knows the importance of finding a perfect matesprit. Granted she was luckier then most...

Disciple could tell her daughter was fishing for information. The elder oliveblood had expected as much. Nepeta probably already knew and was just looking for confirmation. Still, she wished she could just out and tell her daughter, but she had told Darkleer that she would not spread it around that they were moirails. He was pretty adamant on keeping it quiet as long as possible.

Nepeta was smart though, especially in the ways of the quadrants, so there was only one hope for getting away from the topic of Darkleer; A subject she liked talking about even less, but maybe her daughter might help in some way. Disciple coughs awkwardly to hide the barest hints of a smile that form when pressed about quadrants.

"Yes, it might be best if we cannot. Signless might enjoy it, but..." A small sigh, Darkleer this was for you. "...I rather do not even want to invite Dualscar to anything. If you could even classify us as in a quadrant..." Then Disciple was focusing very intently on the approaching forest. It sure was interesting.

Nepeta freezes, hand locked in Disciple's, and she stares up at her in something close to horror. "Oh my paws, it's true?!"

Yep, guess what? That smart little observation troll that Di calls daughter has been noticing all the conversations between Disciple and Dualscar and has been suspecting - with dread! - that something is going on over there.

...don't think she doesn't know a distraction technique when she sees one, though. This only confirms some of her thoughts on Darkleer and Disciple!

But the new news can't be ignored. "What happened?!"

Disciple stops a second after her daughter freezes. The distraction, or whatever it might have been, may not have been her best course of action, after all.

"It is a rather complicated mess. A certain troll has been playing matchmaker, it seems. Planted the idea in my head months ago, and more recently put the idea in Dualscar's head. I confess I am very inexperienced with the black quadrant, I have led a sheltered life in that regard. I am uncertain if it is something I want to pursue, but am trying to keep an open mind."

There was a lot more to the story, but she was unsure if it was appropriate for her little one's ears. Needless to say, Curse hijinks and bad decisions have been a hallmark of Disciple's last few months here.

"No! No no no no no. Who was it?! No one is allowed to play matchmaker but me! Dualscar is awful, Mama! Well...I suppaws that's the point, and I know that Signless does like him, but...but I can't! Not after how he treated Misrer Psii! And I don't want him to do anything to hurt you!"

She is so unsure about this. She's usually happy to speculate about hate affairs and even includes them on her wall at times, but it's not something she's really ever felt herself either! Or even particularly wanted to feel.

Nepeta doesn't want to ruin a potential relationship for Disciple, but it's rather obvious from her clinging that she's worried now.

"I know he is awful, he certainly can stir up my hatred in him... which I am still trying to come to terms with. Do not worry about me, either, I have been given a special weapon against him if he tries anything I do not want. Your mama knows how to take care of herself, almost too well. It will only go as far as I am comfortable with, okay?"

The comment about Psii catches her a little off her guard, as she had not really heard about it before. "So wait... what is it that he did to Psii?" A cock of one of her eyebrows, before she bends down to scoop her daughter up into her arms. A reassuring hug was in order, it seems.

Edited 2013-02-19 07:29 (UTC)

"I know you can look after yourself, but I still worry a lot. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, not now that you're here and happy..." She eagerly wraps her arms around Disciple's neck and allows herself to be picked up and hugged. She doesn't say no to cuddles at the best of times, and it was a good call on Di's part to realize that her little kitten needed the reassurance just now.

"It was a while ago now but he was treating him like...like a pet, making him sit at his feet and it was just awful to see and I tried to get him away once and it almost ended in a bad fight. I had to call Darkleer and Signless to try and settle things. Poor Mister Psii."

Disciple had not heard this before, and it sours her stomach to hear one of her oldest friends being treated this way. She was going to have a carefully worded conversation with Dualscar about this, oh yes.

"I... see. That is terrible, and if he tries anything like that again he will certainly regret it." The elder oliveblood's voice takes slight tone of anger. The protective voice of a Mama-lion finding out someone has been hurting her pride. Anger wells up in her, and she was glad she had gotten a much better hold over herself these many months, or else she might try to go and find him right now.

She had Nepeta in her arms, though, and that was enough. She hugs her daughter tighter to her.

"You can be certain, that he or anyone else tries to treat Psii like that again, regardless of who it is, they will not get away with it."

"It was a while ago," Nepeta repeats, wanting to be fair, "And maybe he's changed since then. But that's why I find it so hard to like him at all now, I can't stop remembering the way he used to treat him." It had really made her uncomfortable, especially since Psii had allowed it and not done a single thing to stick up for himself. In her eyes that made it even worse for Dualscar to treat him that way.

She hugs back, wanting to comfort her after the bad news. "I'm glad. I try to look out for him but I'm too small for some things... And Mister Psii doesn't deserve that, not after everything he's been through."

"Exactly Kit, which is why if anyone tries anything that will hurt him, they will have to answer to me. I may not be the largest, or most scary troll ever, but Light help whoever hurts Psii, Signless, You or anyone else I care about." More steel in Disciple's voice as she speaks. She would fight the Highblood himself if it came to it... though she really hoped it didn't.

Disciple starts walking again, with Nepeta in her arms. They still had a little distance to go until they hit the treeline, and they were supposed to be hunting, after all.

"I do not even know the full extent of what they did to him, but seeing Psii like that... it... breaks my heart. He used to be so lively, so bold... and now..." Like that her voice had gone from steely resolve to one of bleak sorrow.

"When you were turned little he was made younger too! I got to meet him like that. He was different, it's true - but he was still Mister Psii underneath it all."

She pats Disciple's arm, not liking that look of unhappiness on her Mamacat's face. "You've all changed, but you're still the same people who loved each other very much, you and Signless and Miss Rosa and Mister Psii. And you're all together and that's the most important thing, isn't it?"

"It is a shame I was not able to see him like that. At least not that I can remember. I am glad that he got to be who he used to be, even if it was only for a little while." Disciple gave her a weak smile, but it was growing stronger.

"That is right. I keep telling myself that, that we are together, and that is what is important, but I find it a harder thing to believe with in reference to Psii. He is here with us again, though, and we can help him remember who he once was. Its what us rebels do, stick together through it all, no matter the circumstances."

"Do you think there's anything more we can do for him to help? He seems happy enough, but it's like you said, he's still not quite exactly the same and if there was any way to make him happier..." Nepeta is incredibly fond of Psii and it shows in the concern on her face and in her voice.

"We just need to continue to be there for him however we can. Try to remind him of who he once was. Other then that, we cannot do too much. Whatever they did to him changed him so fundamentally that it is going to take awhile for him to return to any semblance of who he was. But, that is what we will do. Be here for him however we can. Do not worry, Kit, he is strong, we just have to help him remember." The fondness for her friend in her daughters voice warms her heart. It was comforting to know that there were others that wanted to help him.

Disciple's walking had finally carried them to the treeline, and she stops for a bit to examine their surroundings, but was not going to let her daughter down unless she wanted to. Otherwise, she was still going to be hug-carried.

Nepeta shows no sign of wanting to be set down. She's not quite sure she's in the mood to set off hunting right this instant either. Disciple has given her a lot to think about, especially about Psii.

"Do you think there's anything we can do right now that'll cheer him up? A surprise! Something that will make him happy."

Disciple is quite fine with keeping hold on her daughter. Even if she wanted to start hunting for the same reason Nepeta did not. She had become well versed in ways to worry about her friends, especially when She was by herself and had too much time to dwell. She was here with Nepeta though, and that was far more important then her own well-traversed paths of worry.

"I think a surprise sounds wonderful, Kit. Just having us there will help make him happier, I think. Maybe a picnic or something similar?" Disciple offered as she pressed further on into the forest, her daughter still firmly hugged against her.

"We'll tell Signless and get him to help out too! That will make it even more special - you don't know when Mister Psii's wriggling day is, purrhaps? We could have a little party just for him, and get him presents. Just a few of us so that it's not too overwhelming! But it'll let him know we care about him very much."

Her voice brightens up as she speaks - yes, she's liking this idea a great deal!

"I suppose. I know his wriggling day, I am just not sure how it matches up to the day/night calender they have going in this place. But, if I can figure it out, we are definitely on for that. I am sure Signless would be behind this plan one hundred percent. I can even make some of those honey cakes he really likes." Disciple was relaxing a bit more, now that Nepeta's spirits started to raise back up.

"We can purrobably work it out. Or just pick a day that seems appropriate!" Nepeta is squirming about in excitement by now, the thought of making Mister Psii even a little bit happy very pleasing to her. "We will make honey cakes, and honey sweets, and have tea with honey in it, and get him lots of cute presents!"

Wow, now all she can think about is party planning.

Which was fine, as Disciple's intent to continue the hunt was draining away the more she thought of Psii and everything else surrounding that particular scenario.

"I believe we will have to talk to Signless and get him in on this as well. He has spent the most time with him recently. They all live with Dualscar at his hive, anyways." Why did all roads keep leading to that damned sea-dweller?

Dualscar... Still needed to talk to Signless about that. That was a comm message she did not want to make.

"Let's talk to him about it soon, okay? So that when Mister Psii wakes up we'll have almost everything ready!" Nepeta frowns a little at that - she's not sure what to think of them staying with Dualscar, even if he's Signless' moirail. She knows Signless can look after himself, but Psii...

She sighs a little. "How have you and Miss Rosa been getting along in your hive?"

"That sounds perfect, Kit. As soon as he wakes, he will have such a wonderful party ready for him." She says as she comes to a stop on the trail she had been taking.

"Oh, She is wonderful. It is great just to have someone to keep me company. The fact that it was Rosa is all the better. I missed her so much, I am glad this place deemed to bring her to us. Our little rebel family is all complete now. I am counting you in there now, too, Kit."

"I'm really glad you don't have to live on your own any more! Even if you have Pounce and Leap too, of course. Oh, oh, Mama, I meant to ask!" She bounces about some more, good mood more than restored by now. "When they're older, can we bring them up here and teach them how to hunt too? Smaller things of course."

"I am glad to have the hive be more busy, certainly. As for Pounce and leap, I certainly think that would be good. They are natural-born hunters after all. Who better to teach them then the best two hunters in all of the bubble?"

"Yessss!" Nepeta beams, already imagining her tiny darlings as fiercely ferocious hunters, the terrors of all the forest! "I wish Pounce could get to see them - my Pounce, I mean. I think she'd have loved to have more kittens than just me." Nepeta, you were not a kitten.

Never give up on your dreams, Nepeta. You will always be a kitten, even if only to Disciple. "I am sure she would love them, especially with how you have helped raised them so wonderfully. She would be proud, I know I am."

Best Mamacat ever.

"Do you really think so? I always wanted her to be proud of me..." She turns wide eyes up to Disciple - it means so very much to her to hear that she makes her Mama proud. But she can never stop missing Pounce.

"I really do. You are quite the talented and strong hunter, and you are helping to raise to very adorable and bouncy kittens with me. You are amazing, and I thank the Light every day that I got to meet and have you here with me." This talk was bringing up thoughts of her own long-missing lusus. It seems like so very much time has passed since she was taken from her.

Nepeta burrows her face against her ancestor, all the praise quite too much for her to take. It means nearly as much as anything Pounce could have purred in approval.

"Love you so much, Mama!"

Burrowed as she was, she would not see the delighted smile etched on Disciples face. She will feel it, however, when her mode of conveyance turns around and starts walking back down the path she took, taking her outside the bounds of the forest.

"What say we adjourn this little hunting trip for now, and go get cocoa or tea and some tasty baked goods, instead?"

She nods quite vigorously, and it's a good thing her horns are still on the short and rather blunt side or she'd probably have skewered Di's chin by now. "That's a good idea! ...I'm sorry we didn't get to go hunting, but we'll do that soon, okay? We'll have cuddles and tea time now instead!"

"Oh, there will always be more time for hunting. I confess hunting in the winter has been more trouble then it has been worth. If we reschedule for when the island starts warming back up, It might be for the best. Plus, this way we can cuddle and have tea, like you said."

There really isn't much more to add to that! She's in perfect sympathy with her mamacat's feelings, and cuddling in her arms as she's carried off to the elevator seems to be all that's required from her just now.

Well, that, and perhaps a tiny bit of purring.

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Dey's gonna go huntin' dere, eh?

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I have been having internet issues. -_-

nuuuu :(

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Disciples only chance: Distraction

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