indra

Every day he was stuck in the oasis, the more and more Indra hated it. Everything had been fine until those troublesome sisters had popped up like ugly, stupid moles. … okay, so truthfully it’d been pretty boring, but it’d been quiet too. Everything was loud now and he was stuck playing inside the family den with the toys his mom had brought him, like the serval skin he liked to wear. Indra was too worried to take it outside and have it stolen — or worse, destroyed.

He’d been expecting another boring day in the den when his mom had announced they were leaving. Not leaving in the way he wanted — you know, permanently — but he was nonetheless excited. Like, REALLY excited. He’d never explored the dunes beyond the oasis, so he had no idea what lay beyond the horizon. Today though, mom showed them.

Perched on the lioness’ back like a monkey, Indra gazed out across the rolling prairie with widened eyes. There was a look of wonder on his young face as he took in the view. Grass spread in every direction, and there was the distant silhouette of a mountain that he wanted to encourage his mom to carry them to. For now, he excitedly asked, “Where are we?” Indra’s sour mood had been left behind in the oasis. Here, he was happy.

@Aarani @Sana @Jiera @Naveen

Like @Indra, Jiera was getting a little too overstimulated with the recent chaos that had been happening in the Oasis. But unlike her brother it was for a different reason why she didn’t like it. Too much stress was causing for her flare ups to become more frequent than they already were and the girl couldn’t go more than several hours without having to take the yucky medicine momma always made for her, keeping plenty on hand for times like these. Even though it helped her breath and made her eyes not gunk up as often or her chest to hurt it still didn’t help that the stress was building. And it seemed to be from a certain few cubs…

When momma proposed that they head out the chartreuse girl was more than excited. She had thoughts and daydreams on venturing further out than Andal territory but she knew her body wouldn’t be able to handle it on her own. Making sure she took a dose of medicine before heading off would Jiera follow closely behind momma, green eyes wide as they took in everything that they passed. And it wouldn’t be until she felt softness under her paws instead of the gritty sand she were used to that she would let out a surprised and happy squeak, her tail swishing high up in the air. This was cool!

table by ferus, lineart by ale-tie, design by lars, background from unsplash

It was a strange experience, to go from almost complete isolation to being surrounded by a family that had grown exponentially in her absence. It was a strange and chaotic experience, and in an effort to process this new development, the young palomino had kept some distance. She remained close like a shadow but had not yet attempted to interfere or insert herself in any of their routines; it was for everyone’s benefit, she thought. After all, if she needed time to process her new life, surely her brothers and sisters needed time to process her presence – right? Yet when it came time for mother to take the littles out for an adventure, Bhavani found herself unwilling to hold herself apart from the excursion and followed after the unit with enthusiasm. Blue eyes would sweep from the cubs to their surroundings, with a surreptitious eye on @Jiera to ensure that she remained well during this adventure. She still wasn’t sure what specifically ailed her youngest sister, but she knew enough to be aware of the situation. Nevertheless, their spirits seemed to have lifted once the oasis was behind them, and the cheer infected Bhavani as well. She grinned towards @Indra when he spoke. “This is one of the best places on the continent to find food!” At least as far as she was aware; and she glanced to @Aarani for confirmation or correction. Their mother had spent more time here than she, after all, perhaps she could provide a better answer. @Sana @Naveen

It was days like these that made everything worthwhile in the end. All the chaos, the grief, the unnecessary roughness her children had endured. Sunny afternoons and trips with the family where they could enjoy a moment of peace? That made everything okay, if only for the moment.

Celosia Fields, @Indra, she purred, a warm smile on her lips as she glanced back to @Jiera following close behind. It's alright, little love. There's no one to bully you here. The woman leaned back to give her daughter and encouraging bump with her muzzle before turning an ear towards @Bhavani as she elaborated on their whereabouts. She's right, Indy. There's delicious food to be had here if we can find it. Do you smell anything? Her son was the most tenacious of them all, the most like his mother -- if anyone was going to surge off on a hunt, it was him. Should we eat first, or should we play a game? Aarani grinned, glancing between her children with excitement. Her vote was games, of course!

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