The sun peaks through the canopy of the elder oak, shining in on Nalae and Acera as they sleep in their "tree house" room. A few of the hardier birds are singing bright and cheerfully, in that evil way birds do. ;) And the rumble of loud purring can be heard a bit further up in the giant oak.
Acera mmmfs and rolls over a bit then finally opens her eyes.
Acera sits up, pulling the covers off of Nalae in the process and rubs her whiskers with her paws and yawns loudly.
Nalae tiredly peers over at Acera as she awakens. "Morning," she mumbles, stretching.
Acera nods in agreement, "Yep, it's morning." She then folds up the blankets in one corner, and puts the pillows away, but only after giving Nalae one quick "FWUMP" with one.
Nalae eefs! "Hey, no fair!"
Acera giggles, "C'mon. Ma said she'd be over at her sister's today, so we don't have any chores till tonight. I wonder if that Chirpy'taur is still around?"
Nalae blinks at Acera. "I think she is." At least, so she'd guess from the noisy purring that's been filling her ears. "Can't you hear her?"
Acera loosens the tarp that covers the "door" to the little room and blinks as a long, thick white tail with black and tan spots dangles in front of her nose. "Yeah, I just thought it was Ankhl snoring again. Where is she sleeping?"
Nalae blinks slowly. "On top of the room?"
Acera pads out and then giggles, "Nope! She's kinda....well, sort of...on the branches above us. C'mon, ya gotta see this. ;)"
Nalae carefully follows Acera out, and cranes her neck to peer up at the felitaur.
Andromeda is sprawled, upside down in what looks like a very uncomfortable position. Her wings are over two sets of branches, her taur back is lying along the main branch over the room, and her torso hangs down to where her head is resting on some leaves of another branch.
And of course her tail is dangling right by the two little mustelids.
Nalae pauses, and peers at the felitaur tail, so temptingly close. Then she looks at Acera. Then at the tail again. Then, looking back at Acera once again, she quietly asks, "D'you think we should?"
Nalae grins mischievously.
Acera shakes her head, "Nope, of course we shouldn't." and then breaks out in a grin, "So, you wanna, or let me or both of us? ;)"
Nalae grins. "Lets both."
Acera puts one paw around the thick felitauress' tail and purrs, "On 3, K? ;)"
Nalae nodnods, carefully getting a grip on the tail.
Trying to keep her giggling down, the lil mink whispers, "Ok. One....two...THREE!" and yanks!
Nalae grins, tugging!
Andromeda yeeps and reflexively pulls away, and slips off the branch, "What the? (thunk, slide, crash) By the first mothers's....(thunk)...I hate mornings! (FWUMP)!"
Acera whoops, "Well, She's awake now. And she beat us both to the ground. ;)"
Nalae eeps! And quickly scales down the side of the tree to reach Andromeda's side, peering at the felitaur concernedly, and a bit guiltily. "Are.. um.. are you okay?" She obviously hadn't intended quite this outcome...
Acera follows close behind and watches as Andromeda pulls leaves out of her fur and chuckles, "Oh, so you two are like most cubs your age. Well, as I once heard someone say, you should never hang your tail from a tree branch. I'm fine. Just mussed my fur up a little."
Nalae looks relieved and nods, glancing over at Acera.
Acera tries to look innocent, and fails, "Sorry, didn't know you'd fall. How can someone as big as you climb trees so well?"
Andromeda chucklepurrs as she gets the last of the leaves from her fur.
Andromeda hmms, "Well, we're very flexible, and our feet can stick to things. So, other than having some fun, what did you two want this morning?"
Nalae blinks. Other than having some fun? Is there anything more that she'd want? "Um, I dunno," she says, glancing to Acera. "Having fun sorta covers it, I think.."
Andromeda giggles and scritches Nalae's forehead, "Oh, I do hope my cubs turn out as well as you two are when I have them. ;)"
Acera is of course looking at Andromeda's wings and hmmmming.
Nalae ohs, recognizing Acera's expression. "And Acera wants ta know if you'll fly us around," she interprets, a hint of a grin on her face.
Acera nodnods as Andromeda chuckles and then gets up and does a slow, section by section full body stretch, "Well, I think I can take along two mischievous cubs for a ride. But you have to promise to listen when we're flying, for your own safety, ok?"
Acera nodnodnodnods, "Oh, sure. I mean, yeah, we'll listen, won't we Nalae?"
Nalae looks up at Andromeda. "Listen to what?"
Andromeda frowns and blinks, "You've been spending time around Charon and Chimera, I can tell. Listen to what I say while we fly. "
Nalae grins. "Oh, sure!"
Andromeda shakes her head, but can't help grinning. She purrs, "So, who wants to sit against my back, and who wants to sit behind that person?"
Acera oohs, "I want to sit behind Nalae, she'll feel safer."
Nalae flushes lightly, but nods. "Okay."
Andromeda smiles, "And you can see better, right Acera?" as her tail coils around Nalae, helping her onto the felitauress' back.
Acera's ears blush, but she nods, "Well...yeah."
Nalae settles onto Andromeda's back, and presses in close against her. She's still rather anxious about these flights, but Acera loves them so much...
Andromeda lifts Acera behind Nalae, makes sure they are seated well, then wraps her tail around them both and purrs, "Now, when I take off, I jump up into the air first, so you two hold on tight to me. My fur is really thick, so you can't hurt me, ok?"
Nalae nods a little, wrapping her arms about Andromeda's waist and gripping into her bellyfur. "Okay.."
Acera nods, impatient to take off, but wraps her arms around Nalae to help her feel more secure, "We're ready."
Andromeda turns her head around to face forward and then rocks back onto her haunches and then leaps into the air a good 20 or 30 feet before her wings snap open and she beats them vigorously, and in a few seconds the trio is cruising a hundred feet above the tree tops.
Nalae squeezes her eyes shut as Andromeda leaps into the air, and tightens her grip...
Acera watches the whole process, still trying to figure out where she should put her wings some day and oohs, "You can see the ships in the river from here!" C'mon Nalae, it's safe to look now, right Andromeda?"
Andromeda nods, "Just don't lean too far. I'm flying a bit low for now."
Nalae hesitantly twists her head to one side and opens an eye.
The wind rushes by at nearly 40 miles an hour, which is rather slow for Andromeda, but she has passengers. She turns towards a mountain further north while giving Nalae and Acera a clear view of Haven to the south.
Nalae quietly presses closer against Andromeda's back. She's really not used to flying this fast, or this high.. or this far from anywhere safe to land.
Acera is so happy she's chittering to herself, and then says, "Wow. I really envy you Nalae, it's so wonderful, being able to fly."
Nalae shivers and shakes her head slightly. "I can't fly like this.. This high.." She remembers what happened when she suddenly found herself in midair, just a few feet to one side of the tree that houses the Beiter's home.. and that wasn't even close to this high.
Acera snugs Nalae and nods, "Yeah, but ma says you can get better as you get bigger."
Andromeda purrs, "I'm going to set down on that large outcropping of rock on the side of the mountain up ahead. I need to find something to eat, then I'll take you on a longer flight. You two will be fine by yourselves for a little while?"
Nalae nods at Andromeda a couple of times.
Andromeda purrrs, "You know Acera, if you like flying so much, maybe you should consider being a shuttle pilot when you get older? It's a lot easier than growing wings. ;)"
Andromeda has been gaining altitude steadily as she heads for the large, tree covered rock ledge.
Acera blinks, "What's a shuttle?"
Andromeda tilts to the right as she moves in to land in an area of bare rock, "It's one of our ships, for flying into space. Copernicus said you were there when one of them landed in the clearing a ways away from your house?"
Something perched on the edge of the rocky precipice sparkles brightly in the sun.
Andromeda hmmms as she spots the glittering object and backpedals with her wings, coming to a smooth landing on the ledge as Acera hmmms, "That sounds neat. But...what's a pilot? I thought those were on boats?"
Nalae remains silent on Andromeda's back as the other two talk, and just hangs on as she waits for Andromeda to land.
Andromeda turns around to help Nalae and Acera off her back, and she chuckles when it's clear Nalae hasn't noted that they are no longer in the air yet. The glitter behind her catches Acera's attention, and she blinks, "How did HE get up here?"
Michael's gold-scaled form sits perfectly still on the edge of the cliff, the sun shining off his bright covering.
Andromeda hmmmfs, and turns her head to look over her shoulder, while her torso is still facing Nalae as she lifts the mustelid to the ground, "Michael? My, he gets around."
Nalae ohs! And looks rather relieved as her feet return to the ground.
Michael seems not to have noticed the three. With his blonde hair he looks more like a golden statue than a human in golden armor, sitting there so still.
Andromeda makes sure that her two friends are ok, then pads quietly over to Michael and purrs, "Good hunting Michael. How are you today?"
Acera snugs Nalae, "That was great, wasn't it?"
Nalae ers.. "Uh, yeah.." And she gives Acera a quick smile.
Michael seems to be asleep...aside from that he's sitting straight up.
Acera loses a little steam as she notes Nalae isn't quite as thrilled and hmms, "Well, c'mon, let's explore around here while Andromeda hunts, K?"
Andromeda slowly pads towards the apparently sleeping human and then slides in to give Michael a hug and a headrub as a surprise greeting.
Nalae nods a couple times. "Okay!"
Acera zips off into the forest, chittering to Nalae to follow her.
Nalae grins, bounding after Acera.
Michael is apparently alive; he's breathing...but no other reactions surface.
Andromeda frowns when there is no reaction, and looks rather miffed when it's clear Michael is apparently ok, "By the First Mother's rear dimples, what is wrong with you Michael? You don't seem to be hurt."
Michael lets out a long sigh and very slowly begins to slouch a little.
Andromeda curls her forelegs around Michael and scritches lightly behind his ears, not sure if humans enjoy that or not and muses, "My, you sleep more deeply than my littermate, Copernicus."
Michael continues to 'awaken' more, his eyes slowly opening.
Andromeda rubs her head against Michael's, looking into his eyes with a grin.
Michael blinks a few times, and regains his surroundings...stretching in a manner that would send someone with your average coordination off the cliff face.
Andromeda chuckles, but her hindquarters are to the side, and her feet are securely adhered to the stone, "Well, it's about time. I was afraid I was loosing my charm. I hope you had good hunting in your dreams Michael?"
Michael looks and finally seems to recognize Andromeda's presence. "Dreams?"
Andromeda nods, "The images you have in your mind when you sleep." and gives him another headrub and a snug with her arms and forelegs.
Michael smiles and smoothes his hair back. "Sleep? I was not asleep. This is a nice place to sleep, although."
Andromeda tits her head to one side, looking at the odd human as her ears tilt towards him and her tailtip flicks a bit in curiosity, "So, why were you...so still?"
Michael replies, "Ah'marah." Seeing this means nothing to Andromeda, he searches for the right word, but shrugs after a time. "I don't know what you call it."
Andromeda unwraps herself from Michael, her curiosity very piqued, "Well, why do you do this? Is it like meditation?"
Michael's ears practically perk at that last word. "Yes, I think that is what you call it."
Andromeda is truly fascinated, as meditation is not something her race has the patience to do and she purrs, "What do you meditate about? Oh, I'm sorry for all the questions. I was about to go hunting, but I do need to talk to you."
Michael smiles, "It is my Bat Uri. Um, my birthday, I think you call it."
Michael says, "What was that you needed to say?"
Andromeda's ears tinge a bit red as she blushes, "It's about you saving me from getting hurt when I flew too fast too soon."
Michael scootches back from the cliff edge. "Yes, I remember."
Andromeda purrs, "I would like to find some way to thank you, if you'd let me."
Andromeda flicks her tail and smiles softly, looking at Michael from an angle.
Michael stretches again. "It really is not necessary. I could do no less."
Andromeda nods, "I know. All the more reason why I'd like to do something for you. You are a good person, and very mysterious. I find that really appealing."
Michael humms, deep in thought.
Andromeda's head bends forward, looking at Michael?
Michael seems to come to a decision. "Your thanks and respect are thanks enough...To offer a reward for something I have done is...almost a kind of insult? What I do, I do for others, not to get me things.
Michael looks at Andromeda hopefully.
Andromeda ohs, "It's not as a reward. I know you would do it regardless. My own race helps others too. I guess I would just like to be a better friend. I don't really understand how your culture works I'm afraid."
Michael smiles and pats Andromeda's shoulder. "I am the protector of my people. I am expected to keep harm from them. They are expected to honor and respect me, and try to offer what little I may ask of them."
Andromeda nods, "We all help protect each other, but a few do more than others. Despite all the complaints, my brother does a lot. Well, then I'll just have to try and seduce you in a different way then. :) Oh, and you said this was your litter day?"
Michael says, "No...Birth day."
Michael smirks and lifts an eyebrow. "It is...forbidden, outside my own kind."
Andromeda hmms, "Oh, when we are born, it's a group of us, called a litter. So we call our "birth days" "litter days". Oh? Forbidden? Totally? You're sure?" and her whiskers droop.
Michael smiles and seems quite sure, "It is definitely birth day."
Michael shrugs and smiles. "I am afraid so."
Michael says, "It is for the best."
Andromeda sighs, "I wouldn't hurt you, honest. But if the rules ever change, let me know. So what do you do to celebrate the day of your birth?"
Michael smiles and chuckles deeply, "No, you wouldn't hurt me. Do not wait for the rules to change...they have been that way for a very very long time."
Michael says, "I reflect on what my life has done so far on my Ah'marah."
Andromeda ohs, "So that explains the meditation. I'm sure you've done a lot of good things in your life."
Michael smiles. "But there are many more to do. Just don't go having me catch you again." He winks and pats Andromeda's back.
Andromeda curls a wing around Michael, "I'll be a little more careful, and I'm fully healed now."
Andromeda purrs, "Is there anything else you do on your birth day?"
Michael thinks. "Well if the past year has been good, it is good to celebrate. If the past year has been bad, its good to celebrate too, to make people happier."
Andromeda grins, "I like your race. Either way, you party. :)"
Michael says, "Being gloomy does no good."
Michael smiles.
Andromeda grins and nods, "Very true. The universe can be a hard place, so add as much joy to it as you can."
Michael says, "It might make people sad that they have lived another year...That would be very bad..."
Michael wonders where the RP went?
Andromeda ponders for a minute, then turns to Michael and purrs, "Are you forbidden to have friends outside of your own race?"
Michael says, "Of course not!"
Michael smiles.
Andromeda smiles and nods, "Then I would be very honored if I could be your friend Michael, even if that is all we can be. I still want to check your rule book. There is almost always a loophole somewhere. ;)"
Michael chuckles and mutters something in his own language.
Michael stands and stretches.
Andromeda hmms, "Well, I need to check on the cubs, then go hunt up breakfast. Oh, and you do know that friends of the Chirr'T'Thar are expected to help babysit when I have cubs? ;)"
Michael smiles. "I am good with children."
Michael says, "Are you waiting for cubs?"
Andromeda headrubs Michael and licks at his nose, "I'll bet you are Michael. No, but I have to get a mating group together soon and find a male. Probably have cubs in another year, two at the most. ;)"
Michael wipes his nose off.
Michael nods to Andromeda, looking off into the forest.
Andromeda gives Michael another taur hug and bounds off into the woods like a 500 pound kitten.
Michael smiles and hugs back strongly, then watches Andromeda scamper off into the forest before turning to look back out over the cliffs.
Andromeda slinks quietly to where the two mustelid children are playing, and then pads off for breakfast, satisfied the cubs will be fine for another two hours.
Acera is trying to scramble from one limb to the next, and notes she really should stop trying to win climbing games with Nalae, "Ok...pant....you win. C'mon, I wanna sit on the ground."
A single, far off *BLEAT* signals the end of a large, tough old goat like critter who used to rule this mountain as his domain.
Nalae grins at Acera. "Okay." And without any signs of exertion, scales back down the tree trunk and flops onto her back on the ground. "Tryin' to climb faster'n me is like tryin' ta swim faster'n you," she observes, grinning.
Acera pouts, "Yeah, but you never wanna swim. ;)"
Nalae giggles. "That's 'cause you swim so much better'n me."
Nalae doesn't mention that it's also because she has a nasty tendency to lose her balance and inhale lungfulls of water.
Acera hmmfs, "Well, you climb a lot better than I do. We gotta find something we're both bad at I guess. :) C'mon, lets see if Andromeda is done eatin yet, K?"
Nalae grins at Acera. "Okay!" She clambers back to her feet and glances about.
Acera pads off to the clear part of the ledge and looks around for the large feline centaur who is also their ride home.
Acera padpads around, near where they landed, "Must still be eatin. Want to go look for her?"
Nalae hrms. "I guess, yeah."
Acera shrugs and pads off towards where she thought Andromeda was going to go and motions for Nalae to follow her into the woods again.
Nalae nods, following. "She's gotta be somewhere around here.."
The terrain gets rockier as the forest opens up into a sloping grassy region. As they pad along, it gets a little harder to move along, till they get to another rise and look down a steep rocky incline where only a mountain goat would feel safe. About a hundred feet down slope Andromeda is finishing off the last leg of the previously secure mountain goat.
Acera blinks, "I think she's got us beat. I don't wannna climb that, do you?"
Nalae blinks a little, looking out towards Andromeda. "Na really.. I'm sorta.. better with trees, y'know?"
Acera nodnods and giggles as Andromeda hears them and turns to wave at them with a hoof still sticking from her mouth.
Nalae wrinkles her nosepad a bit.
Andromeda swallows the rest in a big chomp and pads over to the two, the steep rocky terrain not causing her any noticeable problems. She finally gets to the rise where they have stopped and purrs, "So, have fun?"
Acera nods and wows, "You sure eat a LOT."
Nalae nodnodnods! And doesn't think there's much she could add to Acera's comment. ;)
Andromeda chuckles, "Well, flying takes a lot of energy. Shall we head back? Anything you want to see along the way?"
Nalae considers for a few moments, then shrugs and looks to Acera.
Acera hmms, "Just a nice long flight home. Maybe to see the river?" and grins as Andromeda nods and purrs, "Well, all aboard. I need to get you home."
Nalae reaches to Andromeda for help up.
Andromeda twists her torso around and plops Nalae gently on her back, and then does the same for Acera, "All set?"
Nalae nods, pressing in close against Andromeda's back and clutching her fur tightly.
With a quick leap, Andromeda and crew is back in the air, and gliding along towards Haven and the river. From up above, you can see some of the sailors waving to the odd sight in the sky. From one boat a Ke'epper and her ket'pilar look up at the flying felitauress and feel a bit...uneasy somehow, as if there is something they should know about her.
Nalae holds tight to Andromeda, occasionally taking peeks at the scenery zipping past.
Andromeda glides a bit more over the ocean, slowing down a bit to make it easier on Nalae, then turns back towards the little ones' home, "I think your mother would like you back before she gets back, don't you?"
Acera sighs but nods, "Yeah, we should get home. I think Nalae is getting tired too."
Nalae nods a little bit. "I guess so, yeah.." She tries not to sound too eager. ;)
Andromeda chuckles and banks left and heads straight towards the great oak in the forest. Because the opening isn't as wide, she has to make a steeper landing, but still a smooth one. "Ok, we're here. You can get off and kiss the ground if you wish Nalae. :)"
Nalae flushes deeply, and carefully climbs off of Andromeda's back.
Acera giggles a bit and snugs Nalae as Andromeda purrs, "I'm sorry Nalae, I shouldn't tease, I know how some people dislike flying."
Nalae shakes her head a little. "It's okay.." She smiles at Andromeda.
Andromeda hmmms and snugs Nalae and Acera, giving them both a headrub, "Well, I need to go do some work at the mining station, but maybe I'll see if your mother will let me take you both on a shuttle ride someday soon?"
Acera's eyes go wide at the thought.
Nalae nods, and tries not to cringe. "Maybe, yeah.."
Andromeda's whiskers twitch as she watches Nalae, "Well, we'll see what your mother says. She may want to come along. I have to head out, you two take care, ok?"
Nalae nods and waves to Andromeda. "Okay! Seeya later.."
Acera bounces and waves, "Thanks for the flight! It was really fun!" and ooohs as Andromeda leaps up into the air and takes off. A minute later, when she's VERY far up, she suddenly seems to zip off, and a short while later a sonic boom can be heard.
Acera snugs Nalae, "Wow, that was fun. C'mon though, we'd best start chores 'fore mom gets here."
Nalae peers over at Acera for a moment, then sighs. "Yeah, I guess so." Chores. Ick. What more is there to say?