the bluebird and i

Jefferson Soul · 08-10-2010, 10:33 PM

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Clouded Tears, set around October 2004!

His eyes were wide open then, and on the great and vast world did they explore! Every nook and cranny, every corner was appealing to he like every small and breathing creature. Each thing that moved was a new wonder to follow and mimic, as if he could truly put himself in the very small shoes of a very small cricket and hop along after it—but why did it flee from him, a brother? Did the cricket not see Maluki could jump as well, as far and as high as the cricket itself? It did not accept him as a brother as the pup wished so dearly, it did not show him what it knew or sing for him its beautiful nightly songs. Perhaps it was for that reason he could not be a cricket, Maluki decided, for he could not make anything beautiful out of the loud, echoing chirps (that sounded more like painful yelps, really) he hollered beneath the stars. If he tried hard enough, the fireflies sometimes danced close, but even Maluki knew he could not make his rear glow like they. They would never accept him as one of their own, and so the Tears pup chose to frolic after them instead, sprinting and jumping in and out of the tall grass like a cricket once more, yelping and giggling. Each time he dived for the glowing bugs his teeth clipped together emptily or his paws opened to reveal nothing but fur. Each time he was discouraged, and each time he got back up and tried again.

Unfortunately, his mother had not been a fan of his nightly excursions, and so Maluki was banned to the den when the sun went down. Laruku was entrusted to come and go as he liked and Akeni was no fun, of course—all she ever really did was lick at herself and fall asleep early—and so the night that his parents entrusted him to stay in the sanctuary of the den when they left to hunt, the pup naturally did not. A quick glance from side to side at the den's entrance, and the Soul boy was off like a light, streaking into the tall grass where he was hidden, undetected. He had seen his father do it, of course, and Acid had begun teaching Laruku how to hunt but decided Maluki irresponsible enough for lessons quite yet. The pup was determined to prove otherwise, of course, so that his father would praise him and declare him to be quite obviously better than Laruku, but it was no use. As much as he ducked close to the ground and wiggled his arse, tongue lolling out between his teeth, he could not catch even the slowest of crickets or fireflies in his grasp. The boy found the activity unbelievably amusing nonetheless, and his giggles echoed over the quiet Clouded Tears lake that laid so conveniently nearby.

At last his throat became parched and the pup emerged from his playplace, heart pounding with excitement and maw agape with thirst. The water of the lake provided him sustenance as always; once satisfied, the boy danced and wiggled at his reflection a while, hopping on two legs and wagging his tail, before growing bored of the activity and setting again to exploring. And how his legs carried him! The freedom to run, to feel the cool, October wind rush through his fur! Green eyes found a tall rock and instantly he climbed upon it, the alpha of Clouded Tears all over again! Last night he had banned Laruku for being a show-off, but tonight he decided to be merciful and allow his brother back. "Okay, 'Ruku, I will be kind to you just this one more time," he said in his haughtiest voice, puffing up his chest as he spoke to his brother, who stood before him only through his imagination as he had the night before. "I'll let you back in Clouded Tears on one condition—y'gotta be my slave forever. Ha ha ha ha!" Laruku wasn't actually there, of course, and so he wouldn't know a thing... but if only his father could see him now, he would bring Maluki along to hunt, too!

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