The solar system than encompasses the Chirr'T'Thar's adopted home world, aptly named "Tharhome" is a glorious sight. Waves of color and form shimmer along empty space, rippling past a horizon full of evenly spaced vessels that ring the system.
The inhabitants of that system are not quite as awed by that display. Apparently watching the local space you live in tear apart is not good for morale. The felitaurs watch the growing arrangement of ships and asteroid stations with a mixture of hope and confusion. It seems that weird regulator of Chareka, the one who lived on that very odd planet, has a plan of some sort. But can you trust someone who talks about their troubles having been caused by a "magical" war? And if they can't trust him, what do they do instead?
The object of those high expectations and doubts banks down towards his parents home. It has been a mere 5 days since he and Melora arrived, and he's had little time to spend on his mate, who seems to be avoiding him lately. She's lost a lot more fur and scales, and more of those "pushing" events have happened. Though they were more like a gentle breeze in most cases, one female who startled Melora was shoved while Melora was well out of reach. Copernicus sighs and thinks. o O (It's quite possible the things that are harming space are the agent mutating her. If I can get the Heisenberg Uncertainty Stabilizers to work, maybe it will help her too.)
A shadow looks out from atop of a building as the sun sinks towards the horizon. For all her fears, her eyes gaze wearily at the structures that surround her constantly now, for all that she notices as well. This is one of her few wake moments in the most recent days and this evening as the people watch the shimmering colors of the sky, she watches the glowing colors of the setting sun. She, Melora, pulls the makeshift blanket that's become a near 'taur toga closer to her bared skin.
Copernicus approaches the "First" floor of his parents home, which is, of course, the top floor of a 50 story building. The roof is open, but he lands on a balcony, waiting for his mouth, nose and eyes to unseal.
Melora doesn't seem to notice the arrival behind her except through the twitch of one ear backward. She doesn't move, still a shadow among the shadows.
The haggard young felitaur pads around nervously, waiting to be able to breathe and talk again before he checks on his poor mate. He's so preoccupied that he nearly steps on her tail before he notices her.
Melora pulls her toga-blanket closer a moment then with just a quiet purr says, "G'eve, Coper. I hope yer ... um, work went well?"
Copernicus swallows silently and nods, noting the blanket "toga" and also wondering what she'll think when she notices that right now his eyes have a membrane over them and he has no nostrils or mouth.
Melora takes a moment to scritch at her side, through the blanket. She then glances over her shoulder, a rich flush coming to her bared cheeks as she sees him then her eyes widening after a moment. "Gaaah!" she gasps, both wings straining at the blanket as she pushes up, as though trying to fly.
Copernicus tries to motion with his hands for her to remain calm, and he makes no motion to approach her. To calm her some more, he lays his lower body down on the ground, to look less threatening.
The nictating membranes that protect the felitaur's eyes in space finally slide back and the worry and concern, and maybe a bit of hurt, can be seen in his tired silver gray eyes as they watch Melora.
Melora scrabbles backwards a bit farther and her straining wings come free of the blanket (and the blanket comes free of the feline) in a bluster of sail and skin. After a moment of puffing her eyes narrow and she lowers her head to say, "s'that you?" She stands there, the pale skin barely colored by bits of black fur. It's red and spotted as though she were covered in a rash to boot. The wings are similar, though with flecks of dull colored scales.
Copernicus nods silently to Melora, and wishes the process would hurry up so he could speak to her.
Melora pads a few steps closer, her wings pulling tight to her bared body and the blanket nearly forgotten. She says quietly, "I'm sorra... ye.. well.. I didn't 'member ya having eyes that color.... what... yer mouth?" A closer look ensues.
With a breath of relief, Copernicus's nostrils finish reforming and he takes some deep breaths. His body is still noticeably warm, but not hot. He reaches out with one paw and gently touches Melora's face, the look of concern at the near total loss of fur and scales evident.
Melora flicks both ears back as the breath comes out. She's pretty much decided it's Copernicus, and that she's not going to ask him what he had for dinner what with that stale breath coming out. "Okey... I'm gonna assume th'same's gonna happen an ye'll have lips again?"
Copernicus nods with relief to Melora and motions for her to come closer.
Melora comes a bit closer but doesn't seem to touch. Touching's been something that bothers her lately, what with so much hair loss. Concern and exhaustion cross her expression.
Melora says, "Wish ya coul' have warned me ya coul' do it... though ya can undo it anytime now an' I'll be grateful."
Copernicus tries to smile at that comment, and the outline of his lips are starting to appear.
With a great deal of caution, he reaches out and gently cups his mates chin in his paws, and just looks at her a bit.
Melora tilts her head just a little bit. Both ears rotate forward a little and just the faintest of smiles glimmers there.
Over the next several minutes, Copernicus's eyes examine Melora. Noting that she seems to be bigger, and not just because of her pregnancy. Her ears are slightly more cup shaped, and her fur and wing scales are basically gone. A small tear rolls off his muzzle as his mouth finally reforms and he purrs, "By the first mothers mates, what is happening to you kecharra?"
Melora tries to pull her face away, the growing redness to her skin showing the embarrassment that she tries to hide. Both ears swivel back again and her eyes close. "I dunno... honest I don't an I c'nt stop it. Nothin I do... or annaone does.. "
Copernicus gets to his feet and carefully hugs his mate to him and purrs, "Well, maybe what I'm doing will help. If we don't fix the mess those idiots made during their war, none of us may have anything to worry about. Would you like to go inside for a bit? I'm sorry that I haven't been able to be here more, but we don't have a lot of time."
Melora says quietly, "Ah... Ah think I scare yer family right now, Coper. They're nice.. but fer all we know, Ah'm sick.. "
Copernicus frowns slightly and purrs, "Whatever is happening, there is no indication that it's contagious. They have no reason to be afraid of you. Course, my father is a bit of crank even when the world isn't in danger, so ignore him right now."
Melora rubs a hand between her ears then pauses mid smooth. She sighs a little then says, "at least let m'have my cover-up? S'embarassin t'be skin smooth."
Copernicus nods and pads over to get your blanket for you.
Melora wraps it about herself again, over the wings, about the shoulders and over her front then finally a 'hood' for over her head. A couple blankets, it seems, tacked together on an end.
A soft purr from within the house, "Copernicus? Are you home?"
Copernicus blinks and purrs to Melora, "My birth mother, Nebula, finally made it home! Mom, I'm up here!"
Melora nods her head, a bit nervously and shies back a bit. A little more shadow if possible. (Hard to do atop a building.)
Nebula leaps up to the balcony through the open roof and rushes over to Copernicus, bowling him over onto his back and giving him a full body taur hug, "So how is my little cub? I've heard how hard you are working on things. It looks bad, but I have confidence in you, you know that. Oh, where is your mate, that lovely Melora that you were talking about?"
The hood on the blanket falls as both ears that were tenting it up swivel back and pull against her head with some amount of dismay. She shies back just a bit further.
Copernicus licks his mothers' face and purrs softly, "She's...not doing very well right now. She's behind you, and rather sensitive about her missing fur and wing scales."
Melora ducks her head down a bit, almost wanting to shrink (even if the opposite is happening!)
Nebula blinks at her son's comments and gets up off of him and turns around and tries to freeze her facial expression as she purrs, "Wel..Welcome to our family Melora. You've made my son very happy, and that is all a mother can ask."
Copernicus rolls onto his feet and pads up along side his mother.
Melora purrs quietly from beneath her blanket, "Thankya miz.. Skygazer? Ah.. I c'n hope.. b'cause he brings me so much carin an love. He's wonderful!" She races the last bit out, her shyness at her state overcome for a moment.
Nebula notes the look in her son's eyes and nods, then pads softly up to Melora and spread her arms, motioning Melora to hug her, "I think he's pretty special too. Of all the Skygazers, none have done more to increase our reputation of causing problems than he has. ;)"
Copernicus's eartips blush a deep red.
Melora hesitates then can't help the chuckle. Very carefully she hugs Copernicus' mother, afraid of herself more than anything. A few steps out of the shadows now as well.
Copernicus mutters just loud enough to be heard, "You start a couple of little riots and upset some leaders and they call you a troublemaker."
Melora says, "well.. yer gonna git called worse, y'know."
Nebula chuckles at her son and snugs Melora firmly but carefully and gives her a kiss on the nose, purring, "Well, you've obviously stolen my son's heart away. And I've seen the pictures of what you looked like before. We'll get you back to health somehow. There is no way, by the first mother's fertile womb, that I'm going to let my son's lifemate and cubs be hurt for long."
Copernicus blinks, "Why Melora, what are they going to call me now?"
Copernicus thinks . o O (I've been called "runt, "shooting star", "arrow of justice", "Flower God" and "Royal pain in the haunches"...what next?)
Melora almost seems to frown a half moment then shakes it off. She says, with a bit of a smile, "Yup. Papa." After a meaningful pause she continues, "Papa, come play. Papa.. it's my turn. Papa... he poked me.. Papa!"
Copernicus's tired face brightens at that, and with a small, but growing smile grins, "My, I NEVER thought I'd be called that."
Nebula hmmfs at her son, "I knew you'd live to adulthood, despite what everyone said. I'll be sure to remind all my 'friends' that my 'runt' son saved us all."
Melora adds, "an has two kits on th'way.."
The smile leaves the young male's face at that and he purrs, "I certainly hope this will work mom. It has to, or we're in big trouble. But let's not talk about that now. Melora, would you feel better someplace inside?"
Copernicus eeps at Melora's statement.
Nebula grins at Melora, "Yes, Andromeda told me. My son has never been very patient."
Copernicus phews, not wanting to deal with anymore flak over that issue.
Melora tilts her head, "What's havin kits t'do wi'patience? Y'don't need th'patience till after they're born. Most 'Condas give birth after th'Hunt in anna case."
Nebula grins with a bit of the predator in her smile as she purrs, "Yes, he told me all about this "hunt" of yours. I'm truly sorry I missed it. Especially to have seen you when you were healthy. Let's get you inside and under some better blankets. You need your strength, daughter."
Copernicus thinks . o O (Luckily folks seem to understand that Melora's kind knows nothing of birth control as they have too small a population to be allowed such a luxury.)
Melora looks towards the doorway, the old worry half coming to her now easy to read expression. "Ah guess.. tho I ain't sure what inside hasta do wi'bein well. What's a picture?"
A series of loud squawks and grunts can be heard towards the far end of the roof, seems Copernicus's 2 other mothers are getting dinner ready.
Nebula grins and pulls out a crystal, and with a click a small image of Melora in her full beauty appears. Copernicus apparently transferred one of the images from the globes he used previously.
Copernicus is glad he didn't let folks copy the other images he had, he figures Melora likes a bit more privacy than the average Chirr'T'Thar.
Melora stops and opens her mouth just a bit. If she could bristle, if there were enough fur *TO* bristle, she would. The expression is one of her classic.... an 'Ancestor'! look on her face. This, warring with the urge not to react.
Copernicus recognizes that look and quickly purrs, "It's just an image Melora, like you see in a mirror. It's not an ancestor."
Nebula gives her son and daughter in law an odd look?
Melora forces her eyes towards Copernicus, that war still raging of fear and emotions. Her tail lashes behind her in quick jerks.
Melora bites down on her lip after a moment, her teeth visible in the moonlight as she takes a deep breath an nods, "yer right... it's... still jus disconcertin' t'see that."
Nebula hmms and turns the image off, "From the sound of it, our dinner is being taken out of it's cages. Let's go eat, then you can sleep with your new family tonight, in the way you should have been included from the beginning."
Melora rubs the back of her ear through the blanket's edge again. She glances over towards Copernicus for a moment then asks, "sleep wi... ?" or starts to.
Copernicus snugs Melora, "On quiet nights, we just sleep lying against each other. Like we did that night with Andromeda...well, when we actually got to sleep."
Melora pauses then nods with a bit of a grin, "I see. That sounds warm..." Another pause and she adds, "An this time I'm ready fer yer dinner. I brought me knife t'git those flighty things."
Nebula hmms at her son and nods, "You need the comfort of family. I assure you, it will be JUST for sleep. Oh, why do you need a knife?" as she leaps down into the living room.
Copernicus tries to suppress a grin and decides not to tell Nebula about Melora's eating habits. It's only fair, considering the Chirr'T'Thar's weird habit of liking live food at a dinner table. ;)
Copernicus snugs Melora and purrs, "Let's go eat m'love."
Melora pads down the hallway after the two, not near as tense as she normally would be. Her words can be heard, "th'better t'catch 'em wi'... nothin's like bird off a thrown knife.." she says as she follows Copernicus.
Nebula's eyes widen so abruptly her son can hear it 10 feet ahead of them, and he just chuckles.