HICCUP

He bounced on his paws a little more, his body spinning with each hop until he was turned back around again and practically skipping alongside her. Behind him, his dark tail flicked and curled over his hip, making the ivory tuft dance. The further they ventured away from the pond, the quieter his hiccups became and soon disappeared entirely as his anxiety washed away under the wave of excitement that filled him.

The hushed tone she spoke in had him checking himself. He followed her example and, mimicking her, took on a more serious look. The eager shine in his eyes persisted though when he looked to her, listening closely. So, they were still hunting birds, were they? It was going to require some stealthiness, which he was sure he could manage. He knew how to be sneaky!

His silver eyes were drawn to the grove of trees that she seemed to be heading toward — a hunch that she confirmed. A shadow of hesitation passed over his face. “I’ve never climbed anything that big,” he revealed, keeping up with her. Hopefully though, he could find some birds hidden in the bushes.

coded by flea

faevyre.( oop forgot to track me trade exp )

+5 Teach a cub something new [2/2]
+5 Take a cub on an adventure [2/2]
+5 Help a cub solve a problem [2/2]

She tracks him in the corner of her eye, keeping him watchfully in her sight. Curiously, she notices the jolts of his hiccups begin to fade. She hasn't quite connected the dots on that bit yet, but she tucks the information away for later, so that she can deduce medically if they're relevant. Maybe ask Ania about chronic hiccup attacks, and if they're anything serious.

She follows his gaze as it swings to the upcoming grove. She laughs lightly at his words. "We probably won't have to climb," she informs gently, "Around this time, these trees and bushes start dropping their seeds. The blackbirds love 'em, and will go on the ground to eat them..." As she talks, her words get softer and softer as they draw more and more near. Her posture lowers, inching back into the familiar creep they'd both been in at the flamingo pond.

Fae pauses a bit away. "You did pretty well at the pond," she compliments with a wink, "but just some general tips. Make sure you keep your tail and head down." She sweeps hers down to her hocks, lowers her head below her shoulders to exhibit. "And the more still you are, the harder it'll be for them to notice you." Her body slows to a steady freeze. Her paw raises from the ground and inches through the open space, almost agonizingly slowly, and then ever-so-softly sets to the ground. It's only when the paw is anchored does the rest of her body gradually roll forward after it, and the next paw advances. "Like that. Let's get close. Then we wait. Patience is important when hunting."

She proceeds as such, and they slowly come into view of the base of the trees and bushes. There isn't a bird on the ground like she'd predicted, but up above, the narrow branches wiggle as the birds hop between the stems. She stops behind a few layers of tufted grass, waiting. Her eyes dart over to her companion to see if he's following suit -- and most importantly, for how long. You can get a cub to be still, sure, but how long they stay that way is always a gamble. She's hoping that the exciting newness of their secret adventure will lend him at little bit of patience.

HICCUP

The cherry-red child was somewhat intimidated by the idea of climbing something so large. He’d only ever climbed some rocks, never trees. Fortunately, his partner reassured him, explaining that the birds would likely be on the ground, where the seeds had fallen. “Ohhh,” he breathed in awe, amazed by her brilliance. She was an adult, and adults knew a lot of neat tips, but that one was especially good. The seeds acted as bait ... ! He tucked that piece of information into the back of his mind. Later, he’d go back and think on it, maybe draw inspiration from it — but for now, he needed to focus on the other elements of her lesson.

He didn’t miss the way her posture shifted. Naturally, he mirrored his mentor, copying the way she made herself look flatter. The huntress paused some distance away from their destination and complimented his effort at the pond — words that made him grin with excitement. A little feedback came next, but he didn’t take it as criticism. Instead, he gave a big nod, demonstrating an eagerness to listen and learn. Briefly, an embarrassed look touched his expression — right, he was supposed to stay still. No nodding!

But they needed to get close — just while maintaining the illusion of stillness. It sounded hard. It looked hard too when she demonstrated it. Still, he gave it his best shot, even showing a bit of regard for his environment. The child watched his paws and where he placed them, avoiding any sticks and dry stalks of grass that might snap or rustle too loudly. He was doing his best to stay stealthy. To him, that seemed the most important key in all this: the sneaky approach.

Patience was also a decisive factor though. He made a face at THAT piece if knowledge and whispered back, “But waiting is so hard!” Still, he’d give it a shot. So he slipped alongside her into the brush, keeping his head and tail low as she’d instructed. It was difficult to keep his ears still — the rustling above had them dishing forward, displaying his sharp interest in the birds that bounced about. Several times he crouched even lower, as if he meant to try and jump at them, but each time he relaxed and fell back into waiting. He knew he couldn’t catch them while they were up there in the branches, yet the flurry of movement triggered something instinctive in him, and he had to fight back the overwhelming urge to pounce.

However, with each passing second, he found himself slipping more and more ...

Those birds needed to get down on his level. Like now.

coded by flea

faevyre.+5 Teach a cub something new [2/2]
+5 Take a cub on an adventure [2/2]
+5 Help a cub solve a problem [2/2]

The cub is is a rapt and attentive learner. Every swivel of his ears and blink of his eyes just burn with an eagerness to listen and learn and absorb everything about what she's telling him. It's endearing, the sort of gentleness she needs in her life right now to make everything feel okay.

He takes every bit of it to heart, and his effort shows as he mimics her stance and creeps quietly alongside her. She watches him place his paws ever-so-carefully, avoiding obstacles and noisy things. He's young, but she knows he'll make a great hunter if he keeps it up. His protest at the waiting bit draws a slow grin to her features, but she doesn't otherwise respond -- cubs will be cubs.

They wait. Fire-rimmed eyes flick attentively between the birds up above and her young pupil. Each second ticks agonizingly by. Faevyre hopes that one of the birds will make their way down soon -- one, she doesn't want to lose the child's enchanted interest, and two, it'd suck to look like a total lamer with an incorrect prediction on her prey. She has a reputation to upkeep as a cool aunt, after all.

The birds flit from branch to branch up ahead and her worst fears near fulfilment -- the striped boy's pelt practically vibrates with energy. Faevyre gradually brings her head close to the cub, trying to serve as a steady anchor and reminder of what he needed to do, the willpower he needed to command! She stares up at their prey with vibrant intensity, willing them to cooperate. Come on, come on. It almost seems like they won't do it, and then --

A single blackbird tilts its head at the seeds below from above. It looks to the others, and while they're busy hopping in other branches up above, it flutters down to snag a meal, landing with its back turned to them, leaning down between the roots of the tree to fish out the coveted seed.

"Go, go!" Faevyre whispers suddenly, giving him a quick nudge with her nose to try to spur him forward. She snaps to attention as well, prepared to make a lunge for the bird -- either in a last ditch effort to prevent it from escaping, or to help him keep it down if he actually managed to get it.

HICCUP

He was too young to have practiced considerable patience yet, so as time ticked by, the boy found it harder and harder to keep quiet. The fluttering above continued to incite the predatory instinct in him, making him want to rush out into the open, to scare and scatter the birds. He just wanted something — anything — to happen.

Fortunately, before he could give into that urge and blow his cover, a single bird flicked down from the branches to forage between the tree roots, causing the boy’s eyes to widen, his ears dishing forward on his head as he shivered in his excitement. This was his chance! He just needed to wait for that perfect moment …

His mentor helped him find it. He had picked up a paw, ready to spring as soon as he recognized the opportunity. And as soon as it struck, a voice in his ear encouraged him — now! The lioness’ urging and the quick nudge that followed was all he needed to launch himself from their cover, claws instinctively unsheathed to secure traction on the ground beneath him. Grinning widely, the little hunter dashed forward as quickly as he could, seizing his moment.

Above him, a chorus of warning beeps and whistles filled the canopy, accompanied with the flutter of panicked wings — but it came too late for the grounded blackbird. The youth darted out, rushing his prey as it cocked its head back. It saw him coming — he watched its wings spread when it noticed him. Before it could take off though, he was on it, a paw slapping down on it and squishing it — trapping it — against the ground. His teeth were quick to follow, capturing the bird and biting down.

It was still fluttering in his mouth when he turned back to his teacher with a beaming face. “Yuh ‘ee ‘at?” he laughed around the bird, giddily shifting back and forth on his paws in a little tippy-tappy dance.

coded by flea

faevyre. +5 Teach a cub something new [2/2]
+5 Take a cub on an adventure [2/2]
+5 Help a cub solve a problem [2/2]

! tw: animal death

The air between them is rife with the tension of waiting, the anticipation of the hunt. It's in a moment like this that Faevyre can truly appreciate the thrill that Narcissa derives from honing her skills in it. It's something beyond just survival. It's strategy, patience, calculation -- even in a scenario as rudimentary as a cub catching their first bird.

She springs after him, jaws open and muscles ready to launch herself into the air after an escapee as the bird spreads beautiful ebony wings -- but she watches with unrestrainable excitement as the fluff-ball-sized hunter upon the bird and uses his chubby little weight to pin it down. It struggles, even as he bites it and turns to her.

Faevyre skids to a stop, her damage-control maneuver averted. "Heck yeah, I did! You did great!" she answers to his muffled query. She gives a little excited hop to burn off the exuberant energy racing through her, all four of her limbs leaving the dirt briefly. The creature, clutched between the cub's jaws, gives a frantic squawk, still struggling, and she advances to help put it out of its misery.

For Faevyre, the taking of any life is always a necessary evil. She's not naive -- she knows that death is a part of life, and that it enables their own lives and the lives of many creatures like them. Each being serves its place and role in the land, as both hunter and prey. But... she sees the panic in fear in the eyes of the blackbird as it sees the larger lion stepping toward it; feels the air moved by its frantically-flapping wings. She thinks of the raid in the rainforest.

To die in fear, no matter the cause, is something Faevyre wishes they never had to put their prey through. And while the little one is excited about his catch, she doesn't want him to need to feel yet what it feels like to make it a kill. To feel the life of another snuffed between your jaws.

"Quickly, now," she murmurs softly. Her jaws open and she steps forward to place her grip on the bird's neck. It ends quickly -- her powerful maw clenches in one swift snap around its vitals and its struggle fades. Blood lightly coats her teeth as she releases, but doesn't yet pull away. She presses her nose into it dark plumage. "Thank you for your sacrifice, little one," she murmurs. I hope you find peace, wherever your soul may go. The last part she doesn't say, not wanting to make the cub feel bad about his kill -- he would come to understand, in time.

She raises her head slowly, turns to look down at the cub. The somber expression on her features warms back to an excited grin. She sits next to him, her tail swaying against the dirt. "Here, want me to show you how to get the feathers off? They'll keep ya' from the good parts if you don't pull at least some of them away."

HICCUP

Indeed, the cherry-colored boy was too young to understand what it meant to catch and kill his prey — that his survival depended on the death of another creature. He only knew that he was hungry. He’d never before considered his prey’s death, and he didn’t then. Someday, once he was older and wiser, he would reflect on it — for now, he was just excited that he’d caught his first bird.

The lioness moved in to finish it, and he let her. The bird stilled, indicating a successful hunt, which only delighted the child more. He’d really managed to bring down his own food! They needed to pluck it though — something he wasn’t very experienced at. So, when she offered, he nodded and seated himself next to her, placing the bird at her paws and licking his lips, his stomach growling over the blood that speckled his little fangs.

“This is gonna be so much better than bugs!” he happily piped, revealing his diet had mostly been insects — it was all he had been able to catch, given how small he was. “They always get stuck in my teeth.”

coded by flea

faevyre.As she watches him respond to her offer, the tension in her heart is soothed. These are troubles for another day, another time -- when he's older and better to process them. She's glad that they don't plague him now in the same way they burden her. Besides, seeing his excitement is completely infectious, permanently plastering a smile upon her features.

Her ears wiggle at his mention of bugs -- ah, so that's how he's been subsisting. It's not ideal, but it's kept him alive, and it's a good source of food. Perhaps not as nutritious as someone his age needs, but better a little malnourished than dead.

She smiles and leans her head down to the bird at their paws. "Alright, so," she begins, placing her paw on the upper body of the bird to anchor it in place. "You can use your mouth or your claws. Mouth is easier but you get feathers stuck in your mouth sometimes; claws are harder but less annoying than the feathers in your teeth." She reaches down with her teeth, starting at the base of the wings. She clenches a small cluster of feathers in her maw and tugs sharply to the side, toward the bottom of the bird. The feathers snap away from the skin. She shakes her head a little as she opens her mouth to drop the feathers. A couple stick to her lips, but she goes back in for another batch next to where she started, working her way down toward the belly, pulling it away. These tear a little, but no matter.

"You wanna work toward the soft spots, like the belly. That's where you'll get to the good stuff where you can dig in." She uses her paw to dislodge the feathers sticking to her lips and looks expectantly over to him, letting him try.

HICCUP

As another lesson started, his attention was drawn down to the bird. He watched with a curious shine in his silver eyes, listening to her instructions while he studied her technique. She said he could use either his teeth or his claws, but cautioned that his mouth would be easier, even if it came with the occasional inhaled feather. Since she used her mouth, he decided that he would try it her way first. The lioness was wise and awesome, so he trusted her enough to mimic her method.

When it was his turn to try, the boy put his paw on one of the creature’s wings to keep it pinned down and leaned in. He pinched the feathers between his teeth, keeping his lips peeled away from them to keep them clean as he plucked the bird. As she’d warned, a few feathers did get stuck in his teeth, and he nodded to stop to shake his head and lick at his teeth, spitting noisily. But once he got back to it, more and more of the bird’s skin was revealed to his waiting fangs.

Once he was satisfied with the work, he bit in and took the first bite. “You’re really good at this!” he proclaimed with his mouth full, chomping childishly as he looked up to her with a smile. “How’d you get so smart?”

coded by flea

faevyre.She watches him try it himself. He seems emboldened by her shown method, reaching to get in with his own jaws the same as she. Because of her warning, he isn't surprised by the feathers getting caught in his teeth. His perseverance is reinforced by his first warm bite.

Faevyre laughs at his question. "Practice, and with others helping to teach me. Like I'm teachin' you." She gazes down at the child, assessing. If they want to eventually hunt a flamingo, there are other things they'll need to practice. It's not something they can do in a day, that's for sure.

With her own almost childish excitement wearing off, Faevyre takes this time to think about the more serious implications of the cub being out here. Now's a good time to ask and see where he's staying, and if he actually has someone else with him. It seems that he trusts her, too, so she's mostly certain his answers will be honest.

"So, where have you been staying? Got anyone looking after you?" she inquires. She keeps her paw gently planted on the bird so that he doesn't have to worry about it flopping around while he eats, giving him a good anchor to be able to rip into it.