Animals Within

Atticus Cross
Tags: Sophia Roe; Aaliyah

Her voice, which usually radiated in a bubbly confidence, was shriveled down to an awkward murmur at his arrival. She held her newborn in her hand and passed Atticus a glance when he walked up the porch to her side. She swallowed, then stood. It was obvious what she was thinking. It didn't take much to tell. But she respected the distance, and she didn't scorn him or push anything, but the opposite. The frigid winds kissed his face as he gazed out into the frozen landscape, enthralled by the motion of snow in the wind. Aaliyah's voice carried in its ear and he fastened his lips to prepare himself on what she would have to say. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry, before anything else." He sucked air into his lips while his eyes slowly ascended to the icicles clinging to the overhang of the cabin's roof. She apologized for what had happened, and apologized for her behavior and 'making it difficult for everyone here.' A halfhearted laugh escaped her lips following her apology, “I just hope you won’t stay away forever, you know. N-Not as anything particular, but...you know more about this place than I do. I need to make my own living here if people will accept me and...and my son for who we are. I don’t want to consistently rely on others to keep me on my feet, literally and figuratively.” He remained quiet and he gazed off to think. Atticus kept his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he gently listened to all she had summed up before she had expressed her hope of having him around. He would be around, of course. Not as anything in particular though, which Aaliyah had recognized herself. But, he would be around.
Something had bothered him though in what she said. Yes, she apologized...and he was glad. He hated to admit that it softened his heart to hear it but it had. Granted, it was not enough to change anything but perhaps enough to continue to move on from how he was feeling. She apologized for the village and the trouble they went through to keep her here, which was fair. But it wasn't what he wanted to hear from her. It wasn't what he wanted her to admit to. She had y failed to mention all he had gone through to save her too...the sacrifices he made just for her. The risks he took to bring her out...and for what? For her to submit to her captor and bear his child without a fight? To then treat the hospitality of the village by leaving it, only to return on the cusp of death with an offspring that wasn't even his? She was right, she had a lot to apologize for. But she never thought of him, even in her brief overview of an apology. The man chewed at his bottom lip as he juggled with his thoughts, resisting the urge to bring up everything he wanted to say and accuse her of. He wanted to make her see the damage she put him through, but...he just couldn't. In some bizarre way, he had enough sense in his heart to understand Aaliyah and stay silent. The man breathed in some comfort, just hoping he could heal. He made a decision at that point as he turned to look at the small shape of the newborn, nestled against its mother. Atticus's grey blue eyes dipped down to the cub, who's innocent gaze met his own. Then Aaliyah murmured, “I would tell you his name but...I don’t know what you would think. I think it’s best that I wait until after the holiday. But he’s here, and has his eyes open, so you might have him staring at you. Just thought you might like to have been properly introduced in that case.” She attempted to smile, her lips twitching shyly as she forced it. The uncertainty in her expression was in trying to determine how he would react. She had done her best to smother the awkward tension with a small tease, then she waited. And Atticus smiled back. It was a soft, half-hearted smile, but a smile nonetheless. He uneasily pooled air into his lungs to release the pressure off his chest. He bent down to his knees and reached his finger out for the cub to sniff. His subtle smile grew as he watched the cub. It wobbled and teetered, barely able to hold its own weight. "It is weird...seeing a large cat being so small," Atticus muttered sweetly. He gradually drew back his hand and glanced up into Aaliyah's face. Then his smile faded as the moment drew out. The man pulled back from them and said, "Aaliyah, I can't...I can't forgive you yet, even if I wanted to. This is still something I need to get over, and I'm not going to say anything about that until I've seen you change, or if something changes. I just...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm not going to hold anything against you..." His voice softly rasped as his words softened. "...But it's gonna take some time for me to get over what happened. The village can handle their problems with you. My Aunt vouches for your side, so the village isn't too concerned...me, though?" An exhale surpassed his lips. "You hurt me, constantly...up until the very end. I just can't think about forgiving you until we've completely moved on...I accept your apology, but I'm not quite there for everything else yet." His eyes folded to the side, just so he could focus on something other than her reaction to his words. He never would have thought their ending would have been so quick, but it was. What's done was done, and there was nothing more to do. Atticus lowered his eyebrows and puckered his forehead, casually allowing the history to bury itself with the silence. There would always be good times between them, he knew he would look back on it more happily later. But for now, this was all he could manage. "I just want to say, I...I'm glad you're safe..." He muttered to her without providing any eye contact. "All things considering, I still care about your well being, Aaliyah. I think I always will..." His voice faded like snowflakes on a glass pane.

Atticus Cross
Tags: Aaliyah

The awful but inevitable explanation of being unable to accept her apology yet, sunk into her expression. Her eyes softened, and he knew she tried her best to swallow the reality for what it was now. But she was able to cling to the trickle of hope between them. I… I’ll always care about yours too, Atticus,” she said. His eyes moved to hers, weakening his uneasiness. She offered up kind sympathy, something he least expected. She said he could take all the time he needed, and joked about being a pain from the start. Atticus forced an airy chuckle, but the emerging smile on his lips was a genuine response. "No, of course not. Just because things happened in the past doesn't mean it was all your fault. It was a lot of things, me included. It just happens, and that's okay." He explained sympathetically. His smile turned gentler to the gentle warmth he felt returning to the conversation. Atticus teased, "if anyone was a pain from the beginning, it was Lythedh and his goons at the estate. I'd rather be with you in any situation, than with them for a second. Don't be so hard on yourself, Aaliyah. You did what you felt was right at the time, and I would never take back any of the good memories we've had. Not for a second. I'm sure there will be more good ones in the future too." He listened to her talk about enjoying to be with him, even under these circumstances. Atticus rubbed his hands together and blew in them to warm his fingers. The cloud of his breath emitted from his lips and dissolved in the air. "For as hurt as I seem, I enjoy it too. I really do." He chuckled. "Aren't you...a little cold, being out here? You'll surely catch a cold in that form without a proper jacket, Aaliyah."

Atticus Cross
Tags: Aaliyah

Aaliyah's play on words caused Atticus chuckle crisply before he wavered from her playful nudge. "No kidding. Lythedh is a pain in the rear." A warm smile played at his lips as he looked at her. Fog drifted up at his breath out. It dissolved in the wintry fresh air, like the snowflakes gathering on the porch. He listened to her speak about the past and what could have been done differently, above the whispers of the storm's wind. Hearing it, he propped his arms behind him and leaned back to look up at the clouded sky, thinking aimlessly. Some things could have been avoided...she was right, but on both ends. There was nothing more that either of them could do now though. The only one pulling the strings now, was time, and Aaliyah knew that as well. He sighed softly. The tension which had previously been planted between them, was beginning to fade, they were smiling and chuckling now, though gently. It was a better outcome than he could have anticipated. Atticus was relieved. He never wanted there to be a wedge between them, but he could not deny the path which now set the apart. It was almost fate it seemed. Perhaps that's what bothered him the most. His eyes fell over to her gentle face, which held the smile he had always loved. Aaliyah her eyes to met his as she mentioned not wanting to be a snow leopard and the desire to feel the cold again. Atticus nibbled at his lower lip, nodding his head. He looked back at her. Then he laughed at her comment about the jacket and her cub. "Yeah, he looks like a little ball a fire. I mean, he's got the red coat for it." He teased a little and then muttered. "You know, I've never seen anything that small. Aside form Angeline or the other little deer we have here...but never a cub. I don't know. It's different seeing a big cat when they're - not so big." He laughed quietly to himself.

Atticus Cross
Tags: Aaliyah

Aaliyah's comments toward her cub got him to think about her suggestion on training him. She talked about the future she envisioned, where the small family would get along with the village and the cub would be raised in peace, rather than with his natural instincts. It was a nice sentiment. It was a refreshing change to see the future with hope. Especially with how things have been for them. And the man was also pretty glad to see how attached she had become to the village, even going so far as to call it her last home. He chuckled as she flustered and apologized. "No, it's okay." He said. "I'm following...I know what you mean." With a smile on his face, Atticus turned and looked into the cub's widened, innocent eyes. There was no sign of a killer underneath, not a shred of blood-letting in his face, but he knew it was there, lying dormant. Like it or not, training the instinct out of a cub...he didn't know if it could be tried let alone successful. There were some things that clicked with predators. It was like the flight reaction in deer. It was automatic, natural, especially for someone with this one's genes. Lythedh would be a stain on the cub one way or another. Sure, everyone was smiling now, but Lythedh would be embedded in his very genes and that would be a hurdled in itself for the cub to overcome. Who knows if that side could be trained out of him? Atticus breathed out through his nose, frowning as he did. The village deer weren't wary of the cub because they didn't know any better, aside from the much elder deer and Atticus who had been already predators and knew enough to be skeptical. It was one of the reasons why the Chief wasn't quite as welcoming with Aaliyah's arrival as the rest of them were. But, all that aside, Aaliyah made a convincing point. With time and patience, it was probably worth a try. He rubbed the back of his neck, pulling his eyes off the ball of fluff and to Aaliyah. He chuckled, a bit nervously. "I did train you...and some others. I suppose I have the ability if I tried, but I'm not sure this will be so straight forward. Even with patience. A snow leopard, albeit a small one, has instincts that aren't easy to instruct out of. You, as an adult, know better because of your age. You've learned to master those urges, but a cub? A cub around a bunch of prey animals he will feel inclined to chase? That's a whole new issue right there. We'll need more than patience and luck, we'll need a miracle." He exhaled out his words, glancing aside to think before returning his eyes to hers. "But I will do what I can. I don't think anyone else in this village is as qualified." Atticus laughed under his breath, mostly to himself, at the funny twist of fate. "First training you, then your surprise cub, huh. Man, life is cruel sometimes." He shook his head a little. "We should start as soon as he shows signs of tapping into that instinct. It'll probably be around the time his teeth are growing in. I don't know when that is, but I'll leave that to you. We can try it...and he'll at least have you as a role model...I hope he follows in your footsteps, not his father's."

Atticus Cross
Tags: Aaliyah

At least she was looking at it from his perspective. A miracle was right...he watched her growing concerns for her cub as she paused. She was worried about how the village would react with the cub while he grows. The fear just built from there, and he could tell it was really bothering her. Atticus guessed from her stand point, that would make sense. She was worried about her cub's future, which is what any good mother would do. But he wasn't as worried. He paused and looked at Aaliyah. Speak firmly so that she could hopefully shake away her anxious thoughts. "He might feel a little excluded by some of the deer at one point, but you're gonna find that anywhere, Aaliyah. He would have felt that back at the estate, or in the city...or anywhere else. But out of all those places, I think the village will be the most accepting of them. They accepted you, and you've been shifting. I don't think it'll be different for him. I don't know why you're being so worried about it. They haven't given you any reason to worry yet." He lectured. "Most of the deer here never even seen a predator before. They're not filled with fear...they've been raised in a bubble all their lives. Others know you can be trusted, and I think the fawns that grow up with him will know who he is. There won't be too much of a problem, except for maybe a few, but all kids go through that. I did. We all go through that at some point. So it's okay." He said and put his hands together. "It'll be fine, Aaliyah. You don't need to worry about that...especially not right now..." He hoped that would be enough. His eyes wandered to the side to think. A slight huff of a chuckle fell from hips lips at her comment about not being sure how to raise the cub, much less a hybrid. A cloud of breath drifted into the air as he parted his lips and chuckle again, looking to her with a gentle shake of his head. "That makes two of us." Atticus laughed quietly. "I don't know anything about baby cats...really any baby thing other than a fawn. So that'll be fun. I'm sure the village will be trying to figure it out alongside you. Maybe you guys can trade tips on the side!" He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Young bucks are a handful when they start sprouting horns, I can only imagine a tiger hybrid when he finally gets his fangs. Ohh boy." It didn't take much to remember what it was like growing up and how rowdy it was for the other bucks his age.

Atticus Cross
Tags: Aaliyah

He received a smile from Aaliyah and offered one in return, glad she felt better about her son's situation. A pause slipped in between them as they both embraced the snowfall and consoling silence. She girl mentioned never hearing about his younger years, offering him a playful nudge from her terrible pun. 'Fawn-ing' it's not like he hadn't heard that one before. Atticus busted a smirk, shaking his head ever so slightly. He felt a dash of amusement brush his face. Aaliyah played with the idea a little longer before handling her cub. She got a kick out of imagining him as a young, intrepid buck, before kissing the tiny pink paws of her young newborn. "I wasn't quite like that, no, but that's still funny to think of..." His gentle blue eyes fell to the cub, listening to Aaliyah's playful 'baby talk.' “Yes, isn’t that right? You’ll be the center of attention with your bright coat and sharp teeth. Who cares about antlers when you’ve got teeth? Though I’m sure Atticus could tell you otherwise. He beat me, didn’t you know?” A gentle sigh slithered from Atticus's smiling lips. He rolled his eyes somewhat humorously at the statement. Then his smile slowly began to retreat and he looked down at the fumbling leopard hybrid, who seemed completely oblivious to his strange situation. "Yeah, maybe, but I'm not lunging for the opportunity, I'll have you know. I know I got that killer look in my eye, but I'm really not that guy." He laughed and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. He did appreciate the lighthearted conversation they were having. He chuckled, glancing to Aaliyah. It was so strange seeing her act like this. So warm, and motherly to her cub. It was so different from the fiery, sassy snow leopard he had grown to know over their time together. A chuckle simmered in his throat. Atticus passed his eyes to Ameya, who had stepped up to the porch in the meantime. She passed them a friendly "good morning" followed by a wave. Atticus smiled warmly at her arrival, looking back to Aaliyah as she addressed the greeting. “here to see Aunt Sophia?” She asked. Atticus arched a brow at Ameya and chuckled. "My-my-my, she is popular today. I'm a little jealous."Atticus beamed. "Sophia is only taking appointments today. So if you want to book a time, furball here can sign you in." He laughed.

Jengo
Species: East African Lion

Golden streams of sunlight peaked through the regal purple curtains of the great lion's carriage. The speckles of dust danced in front of the lion's impressive stare. His nose breathed in the scents of passing travelers. His leathery tongue raked against the side of his canines. When attending meetings of this magnitude, he would always attend in his natural form. To Jengo, maintaining a powerful image was in his best interest. Content, confident, and lounging across a bed of purple pillows and blankets, the tip of the lion's tail flickered from one side to the other. The golden rims of the carriage twinkled beside him. The carriage rocked and then came to a stop. He turned his head only when his servants had tended to the door. Then the large male lion rocked onto his mighty paws, claws raking into the velvety pillows beneath him. It was evident the bedding was changed often. After all, not much could retain its shape beneath his weight. Jengo leaned inward, stepping off the carriage main step and onto the pavement. His muscles rippled beneath his golden pelt as he made his way towards the front entrance, his carriage riding off behind him. Not many others had arrived, or so it seemed. Perhaps he would have done the same in the past. In his earlier years, Jengo was a little more laid back, and forgetful. Now, after retaining more of a title, and an opportunity he was slipped some years ago, he was more matured. His mane thickened and darkened, he arrived on time or early if possible. This Council Meeting was no exception. Jengo was one of the first, if not the first to arrive at the scene. With his paws now on the Council grounds, he surveyed the scene. His cool glance fell from the road, then onto the building. The male lion slipped inside.

Jengo
Species: East African Lion

Massive paw pads striking the building's floor as he sauntered inside, muscles catching the weight of his magnificent form, the lion reared back his head. His amber eyes catching the musk of the other council member near the entryway. The door behind him was pressed close, causing a jet of air to ripple through his mane. He hadn't exactly given too much thought to anyone that met his gaze, including other council members, but it seemed as though this man keen on a greeting between the two of them. Resting in an idle position with the gentle flicker of his tail, Jengo stared down the man as he came forward with a woman kept proudly at his side. He was offered a bow and the lion had offered the same, mostly out of etiquette than for any other reason. His ear was faintly folded as he had dipped his chin. Then he met with the man's eyes. His deepened gaze rolled over to this mate to be, a name he had fancied at one time in the past. Persephone. Though he recognized her full well his face remained barren of all though and feeling. He was unmoved by her own thoughts, if she had remembered him at all. "Well. We will be the judge of that when the time comes, not before." He assured with a deepened voice that seemed to rattle in his chest. His eyes panned away without much interest or fancy. Then it returned and stared deeply at the both of them for a few long moments as he reevaluated the situation. "Assuming you don't have our snow leopard lying in a cage somewhere on these premises, I would worry more for your own neck." His tone possessed an eerie graze of scrutiny. His tail wavered to the side and he raked his eyes onto Lythedh alone. "Perhaps I am being paranoid however. Feel free to ease my concerns at any time, Lythedh..." He angled his head to shoot a careful, prodding glance at the man.

Jengo
Species: East African Lion

The lion's nostrils inhaled the ruminating ideas in the air while Lythedh responded somewhat haphazardly to his question, no doubt being careful to what he had to say. One wrong slip and Jengo's menacing fangs would have been displayed as a sign of his outright disapproval. Fortunately, he could avoid the effort in doing so. Even snarling required far too much effort and he merely flicked an ear and batted his gaze in the other direction when he received a respectable response. "Mmm, very well," he mumbled like a roll of distant thunder. The tufted end of the lion's tail waved softly as he turned aside to take his place at the council, evading the 'small talk' Lythedh had attempted. "Naturally, and you should do the same, lest you care to mingle in the entry-hall like a woeful servant," he bit back, ambling down the hall with his shoulders rocking with his every stride. Everything from his posture to the locks of his mane remained fixed to perfection, becoming a beacon of all proper nobility. He prided himself in his image. The council chamber's white doors remained fastened at the end of the hall, overtaking much of the wall in its sheer size and magnificence. Each of the two large doors remained propped open during the beginning session of the council with servants on either side to tend to the lord's requests. Within the room, a row of stands remained for each of the separate members, encompassing the interior with their statuary roles. Jengo sauntered passed through the open doorway, and for a moment supposing he was the first to have entered but wholly disappointed when he had been wrong. He shot an acknowledging glance at the emperor scorpion who rested quietly on her pedestal, who silently observed as normally had. She had always been the first to arrive, and the last to leave. He swallowed his slight annoyance as he took his place among the other podiums in the council's chamber.

Nakti/Nahkti or Kaina (undetermined now oops).
Species: Emperor Scorpion

The scorpion's reflective black eyes stared into the void as she sat on her pedestal, fidgeting her jaws as she fantasized about her next meal.

Argus A. Kouris
Species: Black Bear

(Currently en route)