little kings and hoppy things

Skoll Haskel · 11-14-2011, 10:17 PM

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for big brother! / +424

Skoll Haskel put things into four categories. One was for boring things, though very few objects fell into this category, as all it took was an imagination to make things interesting. One was for wolves, divided into the sub-categories of “family” and “maybe you should think twice about eating their tails.” The others in the pack reacted to his constant pouncing and biting with different reactions, but as a general rule, his family was safe to eat. Another category was for fun things, such as balls and chewtoys and flowers and anything else that could be made into a game if you worked hard enough at it.

Then there was a final category, one for things that absolutely perplexed him because they didn’t fit anywhere else. And the long-eared, twitch-nosed creature lolloping across the grass fit into that.

What was it? Maybe he hadn’t been paying attention as much as he should have, because this thing tickled at his mind and told him he’d seen it before. He recognized prey animals only as nice piles of regurgitated or cut-up meat that he’d been eating since starting to be weaned. And then there were horses (“chevals,” he called him, in his special brand of Frenglish), but those were more like wolves in that he could differentiate between them.

No, he’d seen these hoppy creatures before, and they all could have been the same thing as far as he was concerned. The same hoppy, weird, distant, good-smelling little thing.

Skoll whined quietly as he hunkered down in the grass. His urge to chase was stronger than ever, though he couldn’t quite understand the urge. The last time he’d gone hunting with his family he’d fallen asleep, and he’d forgotten most of that day. Right now he was wide awake, though, and trembling, and wanting so much to chase after the weird creature.

A minute passed—two minutes. The tantalizing smell of the hoppy thing made his mouth water, and subconsciously he made the connection to food. Maybe he’d chewed on a leg of one of these things before, though it looked different and more fun to chase attached to a body.

The pale boy inched forward, paw over paw, keeping his belly low against the ticklish grass. Smothering a giggle—or evil, plotting cackle—he wiggled his butt and stared the hoppy thing down. It straightened, nose a-twitch and ears akimbo, and it was then that he remembered.

“Rabbit!” Skoll screamed, and he ran at the animal just as it fled, startled by his loud epiphany.

Liam Catori · 11-15-2011, 05:43 PM

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Eeeee Skoll's avatar is the CUTEST! *snuggles* Also thanks for the table, I'mma use it in this thread! =D

Word Count → 638

The young Duke of Cour des Miracles was spending so much time at Chien Hotel lately, working towards his co-rank of Apothecary, that he hardly saw the time fly by before him. It was only a few short days ago when he'd gone home to the Haskel-Catori residence for the first time in a week that he was truly conscious of time. His little siblings were at that age where they grew so fast! Just two weeks ago he'd taken his little siblings hunting – along with Ayita of course – for the first time and now? Now it was as though they were almost double the size they had been back then. They were learning to speak more coherently too, learning more words that would be etched in their memory and added to their vocabulary. Liam was so excited to see them grow! He was just as excited to have an impact on their young lives – to be their big brother, the man who could teach them things and show them right from wrong. He was their big brother.

Today though they were at the back of his mind as he cleaned his little corner of Chien Hotel, having spent a couple hours practicing his stitch work by stitching the wounds he had inflicted on the inedible limbs of dead animals. He was getting better and better with every passing day – soon he would be as good with his stitches as he was with his bandaging. Funny how he too was still growing... he couldn't see it a lot of the time, but he was. Just like Skoll, Lottie and Hati.

And just like the furry balls of fun he called siblings, even now that he was approaching his first birthday and essentially adulthood, Liam did still have a soft spot for games and fun. It was just a part of his life that was seldom seen now that he had a higher rank within the pack and more demanding responsibilities to take care of. Sighing at the mere thought of responsibility, Liam wiped his blood-stained hands on the bear skin towel that had been lying next to his work station. He had done enough work for the day to give himself a little reward. A reward that involved as little of Chien Hotel as possible. Because quite frankly, while the place had been big and exciting months ago, it was very quickly losing its interesting aspect. Now it was just the place Liam went to so that he could work. Nothing truly fun about that – aside from the prospect that one day he would be able to cure all sorts of bugs and fix all sorts of injuries... It was the 'getting there' that was the tough part.

Liam walked for a while, the padded soles of his feet feeling the cool grass below him. He could almost sense the earth as it was freezing over – winter was setting upon the Court. It was actually quite interesting to the large, brown-pelted male to think that they hadn't gotten any snow yet.

He was still thinking about the snow when he caught something pale in the grass nearby. It had a specific form and seemed furry so Liam instantly pushed aside the idea of it being a single patch of snow. Slowly he approached, only stopping when the young Skoll began running away from him. It was only then that he saw the rabbit feeling away and realized Skoll had been chasing it. “You should try being more quiet, Skoll.” Liam suggested as he came closer to the boy and crouched down so that he was closer to the green-eyed pup's level. “Like you're hiding a big secret and you don't want the rabbit to know.” he added for clarification's sake.

Skoll Haskel · 11-16-2011, 10:32 AM

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Thankies.

And yay bro time! / +310

The rabbit sped off, and Skoll skidded to a halt, tongue lolling from his pale mouth as he watched it go. He wasn’t particularly disappointed—games of chase often didn’t work out for him—but instead triumphant in his ability to name the animal. His little mind was gaining so much knowledge lately that it was difficult to retain some simple things, but his world expanded as he grew, and eventually he’d be able to both name and hunt things.

A piece of advice came to him, and the blonde cub whirled around to stare at the luperci approaching. Immediately, he broke out into a happy smile and wagged his tail at his big brother. He loved Liam with all his heart; Liam was always fun and he was so big, practically a grown-up! His adoration for his elder sibling was evident in his grin, but it was also clear by his pricked ears that he was listening very carefully to what he was saying.

“I start that way,” the young Haskel assured him before spinning in a quick, excited circle. “I started an’ I forgotted.” His grin turned sheepish, and he pounced at his brother before turning in search of where the rabbit had gone. He wondered if it was too late to start chasing it again. He hadn’t really given it thought before—about finishing the chase—but the support and advice from his brother made him excited to try again and to show Liam what he could do.

“I do it,” Skoll confided in a sudden whisper, and he tottered off in the direction his prey had fled, sure to keep his mouth closed this time. It soon became clear that he had no idea where the rabbit had gone, and with awkwardly lowered ears, he pushed his nose against the ground convincingly. “It um—this way?”

Liam Catori · 11-18-2011, 04:40 PM

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I don't like this post much. =( Still they're adorable though!

Word Count → 367

Skoll smiled up at the brown-pelted boy when he caught sight of him and that only made Liam grin in return. It was nice to hang out with Skoll – or any of his other little siblings – lately. They were so excitable and curious! Always searching for answers about all sorts of silly things. What was even better was the fact that they seemed to drink in all of the information Liam gave them as though it was a pool of water after spending a week in a scalding hot and bone dry desert. “You forgot?” Liam repeated, the words turning into a question, even though they really weren't. He wanted to show his brother that the proper phrasing was 'forgot' and not 'forgotted' yet he didn't want to outright say it. The last thing he wanted to do was humiliate the little guy or bore him senseless with grammatical lessons.

The young boy was so determined. It was fun for Liam to see his excited face – his movements as he told his older brother that he would do it. Liam didn't doubt his brother, knowing that Skoll could do just about anything. He was confident and intelligent and Liam would always be there to help him if things went even the slightest bit wrong.

The older Catori-Haskel offspring stayed very still as Skoll trotted away, glancing around for any sign of the rabbit. It had clearly fled out of sight however and Liam's attempts at seeking it out were fruitless. So were Skoll's apparently, for the pale boy seemed to think he needed Liam's approval. Before approaching his brother again, Liam took a minute or two to shift from his Optime form to his Lupus form so that he would be able to keep up with his brother. Cautiously he joined Skoll, his nose sniffing at the earthy ground as he tried to scope out the seemingly lost prey. He was quick to note that his little brother had done his job well. “Yes, that way is correct. Follow your nose, little trooper.” Liam said with a humorous smirk plastered across his features. He would then follow from a few paces back.

Skoll Haskel · 11-18-2011, 10:23 PM

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+415

The puppy wagged his tail at his brother’s rephrasing, replying emphatically, “Yes forgot.” The finer aspects of grammar flew right over his head, though most of it was just a matter of listening at this point. He’d eventually get it, though his correct use of words was inconsistent at best. With one last wag, he turned his attention to tracking the hoppy thing—the rabbit—that Liam had urged him to be more careful and quiet about.

Instincts lent its shoulder to lack of experience, and soon Skoll was toddling off in the direction of the rabbit, pausing to watch his brother change form. He smiled quickly with approval—though he was not uncomfortable around luperci, considering most of the pack used multiple forms, it was nice to have someone closer to his level every once in a while. Terra played with him in her four-legged form too, though she quickly demonstrated that she was no less big and dominant in lupus. The memory made his hackles rise before he sniffed again, loudly, copying his brother’s tracking with great exaggeration.

After snorting at the dirt assaulting his nostrils, Skoll grinned at his brother’s encouragement and began to bounce after the scent trail. He lost it often, usually by forgetting to actually sniff and wandering off course, but with nose to the ground like a hound dog, he found it again. As they got closer to the rabbit, he was able to track it by its smell hanging in the air. Frequently he closed his eyes before stumbling and reminding himself to keep them peeled.

“There,” the blonde boy whispered suddenly, freezing in place. The little animal was nibbling at some grass now, though it lifted its ears from time to time. Luckily, it was facing away from them and had not yet seen them.

Hesitating suddenly, Skoll looked to his brother for comfort. “Quiet now?” he asked, managing to keep his voice down. “Like secret?” He swallowed and looked back at the rabbit, dropping into a crouch and moving—paw over paw, very carefully—toward the prey.

Unfortunately, his light-colored coat stood out sorely against the grass, and the rabbit turned in time to see him coming. It hopped away with less urgency this time, a casual lollop out of reach, and with a scowl he settled on his belly, completely unsure of what to do next—not that he had any idea of what he would actually do if he caught the thing, anyway.

Liam Catori · 11-19-2011, 07:51 PM

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Awwwh.

Word Count → 404

Liam smiled again – Skoll was so young and innocent, bouncing around the way Liam and Noah had done. It brought back a lot of not so distant memories and made Liam feel like a puppy all over again. He had been so eager to grow up these past couple months before the war – but now a part of him would do anything to be young and innocent again.

Skoll was giving him the opportunity to do that for a little while and he was going to embrace every second of it. Now standing on four sturdy paws, the damp grass tickling the sole of his padded paws, Liam followed his brother, watching him as he trotted along happily. Skoll was trying really hard to catch this prey and Liam was being quiet so as to not attract any unwanted attention that could startle the rabbit. That is if they did manage to track it down. Liam was still catching the animal's scent but Skoll wasn't exactly the fastest wolf in the pack yet and at this rate the scared rabbit could be just about anywhere.

Fortunately for the two brothers that wasn't the case. Liam saw the rabbit – or at least the rabbit's fluffy butt and oddly-shaped tail – moments before Skoll did. When his pale brother whispered that he had also caught sight of it, Liam advanced somewhat so that he was crouching low next to Skoll. He merely nodded in acknowledgment, not wanting to make a single sound. “Yes, stay quiet and focus.” Liam whispered slowly, staring at the rabbit – its ears flicked but he didn't move. “Quietly...” he breathed, unmoving. Liam stayed back as his brother started to approach the fidgety animal that was eating the browning grass.

He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until he let it all out. Skoll was lying on his stomach now, a defeated look on his poor face. “It's okay! Practice makes perfect!” Liam said as he approached his brother and sat down next to him, his tail wagging once or twice. “Hey Skoll do you want to know what I did the first time I went hunting? It was really embarrassing.” he said. So maybe it hadn't been all that bad, but he was going to say anything to cheer up his little brother – even if it would earn him undeserved teasing later.

Skoll Haskel · 11-20-2011, 12:25 AM

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The child is so evil. xD /+311

Liam’s advice whispered slowly against his rosy ear caused the young Haskel’s heart to race with excitement. This was an important mission to him now rather than a pup’s practice, and he was actually shaking a little as he made his stalking motions. Liam was so focused and solemn and grown-up that Skoll was a little intimidated but just as encouraged. He felt like a real predator as he padded forward—but it was then that the rabbit decided to hop off, leaving the boy clueless. He might have raced after it if the pent-up energy hadn’t exhausted him, but in the back of his mind he knew that such a chase would be fruitless. The rabbit was already faster and nimbler than his soft cub body.

But the still-encouraging words of his big brother brought a sunny smile out on the boy’s face, and Skoll sat up to meet Liam’s two-toned eyes. He had both their parents’ eyes while Skoll’s were more like Vigilante’s, though he sometimes forgot what color his daddy’s eyes were since he’d been gone in that Tribe place for so long. He frowned then lifted his chin decisively.

“Gonna get next time,” the puppy vowed with all the proud confidence of a King’s child. He would get his vengeance on that sneaky rabbit—or whatever rabbit he came across; they all could have been the same.

Then Liam alluded to one of his own hunting failures, and the green eyes widened. He swung his body around, tail thumping against the grass, then tried to squash his excitement for such a story. “What you do?” he asked instead, his tone slightly hushed—knowing that this would be a fun secret, maybe even one he could tell Hati and Lottie.

Or maybe Robin. Just because he was young and cute didn’t meant that Skoll wasn’t a little devious.

Liam Catori · 11-24-2011, 06:08 PM

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-stabs school-

Word Count → 610

Liam was certain his brother was right – that he would get it next time. The Haskel and Catori clan were all made up of good hunters and good warriors who knew how to handle themselves in such situations. Sure, Liam did not like fighting other wolves but he had no problem catching prey, from small rabbits and hares to deer and foxes. He was a lot better when in groups though. It was always fun hunting with his family and since meeting Robin he had found that hunting with her was also a lot of fun – although they often didn't catch as much because they were too busy talking and playing. He hadn't talked to Robin in ages though. Really, since the war, he had only seen her briefly here and there around the pack-lands. He made a mental note to track her down in the next few days when he wasn't so busy.

But now with the story. Liam cleared his throat, as if his story required him to remember so many terrible memories from a not so distant past. Truth be told, he was probably going to be making up most of the words because his first hunt had been a pretty decent one. Sure, he had only gotten a small squirrel that hadn't even made for a decent snack, let alone a lunch, but he had only been a few months old. A little smaller than Skoll was today.

He took a deep breath and looked around – making sure absolutely no one was going to overhear his secret. “You have to swear not to tell a soul.” Of course, knowing Skoll – the entire pack would probably know about this story by nightfall. “I was with mom and Kable and 'Mara –“ Noah was there too but since Skoll didn't know him and talking about his brother still brought a bad taste in Liam's mouth, the brown-pelted Duke decided not to mention him. “We were so excited that we were making a lot of noise and scaring off the preys.” he paused, remembering the event. Up to here, it had all been true. “We were in the woods near the Hotel. Since it was Spring there was a lot of mud – 'cause in Spring all of the snow starts to melt and it makes a lot of mud.” Skoll had never seen snow or Spring so Liam decided to explain it to him.

“Finally I spotted a squirrel and I prepared myself to pounce on it. I was being silent but the squirrel was still able to hear me – no matter how quiet I was. When I jumped to attack the squirrel ran off and I fell belly-first into a huge patch of mud.” he said with as much movement as a Lupus could muster. He bounced around and made expressions at all of the right times. He was playing Skoll – feeding him a story that was getting further from the truth with each word spoken. So in reality he had caught the squirrel... and maybe the patch of mud hadn't been that big, but stretching the truth was something a creative mind like Liam's could do on the spot.

Liam looked at his little brother expectantly. Did he find it funny? Did he think that Liam could truly be embarrassed by such a failure? Would he tell the entire pack? Liam just hoped Skoll was a little reassured that not everyone were perfect hunters right off the bat. It took time, practice and patience. The last two things are things puppies just do not have.

Skoll Haskel · 11-28-2011, 03:20 PM

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I concur. Sorry for the wait. /+266

Skoll wagged his tail harder when his brother cleared his throat. He bounced up momentarily to adjust his paws before plopping down on his butt and sitting down on his flailing creamy tail. Only a broad and wicked grin answered his brother’s plea for him to swear to keep things secret; that was up for Skoll to decide, and he wasn’t going to make any promises. This way, at least, Liam couldn’t call him out on it later since he hadn’t said anything.

He pricked his ears at the mention of spring. A September-born child, he knew nothing about the warm seasons other than from stories that others told. He could kind of envision mud; however, while it wasn’t as bad as during the spring showers, he’d gotten his paws dirty in wet soil before.

Liam was doing a good job at storytelling. While Skoll liked any tale spun from wolf jaws, he especially liked it when you could play the story out, too. He and Terra had hopped around on their hind legs pretending to be humans when she’d told him a story of her own, and watching Liam bounce around made him laugh before the conclusion of the story came.

“Ooooo,” Skoll squeaked as Liam described falling into the mud. He parodied a wince of sympathy then giggled again.

He rolled the image of his brother covered in wet mud around in his mind, then considered his older sibling thoughtfully. After a few moments of pondering, he barked suddenly, “Betcha you didn’t look any diff’rent, mudface!” and whirled, running away toward their house again.

Liam Catori · 11-29-2011, 03:43 PM

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♥

Word Count → 353

He knew for a fact his story had made a big impact on his little brother. The kid was hilarious, his face changing from curiosity to wickedness, and then to more curiosity. Finally he seemed to be amused, a laugh escaping his goofy wolfish mouth.

Just the looks on his face was enough to make Liam grin back, knowing he was making his brother happy. Of course, Liam knew that it was undoubtedly at his own expense. How long before this story was spreading like wildfire? On the bright side, most of the pack was old enough not to be too entertained by such stories. Robin would probably laugh and tease him for a while, Lottie and Hati would join Skoll in making his life a living hell, dragging out the story for months until they grew bored of it... But why should Liam be worried, anyway? They were kids and they thrived on fun and games. His muddy escapade, as embarrassing as it had been to him back then, wasn't really that big of a deal now.

He was consumed with Skoll's giggles when it happened. He called him mudface. Now that was just the flame he needed to start a fire. Liam barked back and started chasing his baby brother, stopping long enough to grab a handful of mud from the ground and fling it at the creamy male. “I'm mudface? We'll see who's muddier when I'm done with you, kid!” he said, laughing. He continued running. It was during these times that Liam was the most happy he had little siblings. They were fun and care-free, bringing Liam back to the days where he'd been like that too.

He often missed being a little kid – he missed when his only worry was that he didn't get the butterfly he'd been chasing, or that his mother would punish him for making a big mess of the house. Times had changed and Liam had changed. He was older now and he couldn't act like a kid anymore. At least not all the time. But times like these were the exceptions.

Skoll Haskel · 12-04-2011, 02:32 AM

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+211

There was a bark and pounding footfalls behind him as Liam gave chase, and Skoll let out a little squeal as he registered this fact. He turned around after emitting that rather pathetic and excited noise, lips wrinkled back to show sharp white puppy teeth, his tail wagging wildly—only to have a glob of mud fly at his face. He screeched and ducked, though the stuff plastered all along his right shoulder, hiding the light gold of his soft coat.

“Don’t slip, Liam!” the Prince taunted, quickly sprinting away again. He tried to aim for all the mud patches he could as he ran, leaping over most of them, though his ankles were dirtied whenever he couldn’t quite make the jumps; some splashed onto his pale belly as well. He didn’t heed this, however, if he was even aware of it; he simply kept moving, hoping to outrun his big brother—as unlikely as that would be.

At one point, however, the cub slowed—standing now in another small mud puddle. He glanced quickly over his shoulder in hopes that Liam had closed in on him, and then he began to make wild digging motions, slopping mud all behind him where it would hopefully get on the older Catori’s face.

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