Ten minutes later Mara was still at it with Shawe. The raccoon was insatiable. Didn't anyone play with him? She wound up and sent the ball flying into the woods, giving a sniff of satisfaction as the raccoon chased after it. maybe this time he'd bring it back.
Over the course of their game he had returned from the woods and surrounding areas with a golf ball, four sets of nuts and bolts, a handful of electric wiring that looked too new to be junk, three empty juice boxes, and a half-eaten apple that looked and smelled at least a week old. Fortunately she'd pried it from his grasping fingers before he'd managed to get it to his mouth.
The last couple of times he'd finally found the rubber ball and chased it down obediently. Mara was trying to ignore the small pile of trash in the middle of the neatly manicured backyard.
As they continued their game, a tall shadow came to the back door. Her father. The door slid open and Kiamhaat looked out.
"Shawe? Time to come in."
Mara turned to slink off before he could see her but as she took a step she was stopped by a force behind her. Hissing softly, she turned to find Shawe gripping her tail and plodding happily toward the porch. Mara blinked at him and dug her claws into the grass but Shawe simply pulled harder.
"What have you got, Shawe?" There was an exasperated sigh and the sound of footsteps on wood. "I swear, if it's another lawn mower part I'm going to ship you to Zimbabwe."
Shawe chittered and Mara gave a yank with inhuman strength which jerked the raccoon off his little feet. He flew through the air, sailing gracefully over Mara's head, and grunted as he hit the ground... with a death grip on her tail, still. She yowled in shock as it twisted.
"Is that a cat? Shawe, leave it alone. Poor thing."
Kiamhaat came down the steps of the porch, marched over to the raccoon, and lifted him carefully, prying his little paws loose from Mara's tail. "I'm sorry," he said softly to her. "He doesn't know any better."
Mara regained a little dignity by arranging herself into a prim sitting position, wrapping her tail neatly around her feet, and daintily washing her face with one small paw. Kiamhaat did a double take as he watched her.
Holding Shawe under one arm he crouched and held his hand out to her. "You're beautiful," he said softly. "You remind me of Egypt. What's a mau doing out here? Someone must be missing you."
Mara couldn't resist... this was her father, after all, and he was snuggling Shawe the obnoxious raccoon like a child. Like Mara should be snuggled. That was her father, damn it.
Somebody I Used to Know (private)
Mara supposed she should go about this properly, the responsible adult way. Approach her father, introduce herself. Explain who she was and how she'd come to be.
And then what? Ice cream cones in the park? Feeding the ducks at the waterfront?
She had a profound dislike of causing people distress, and she knew her father. Her appearance, after sixteen hundred years, could only cause deep distress. Add to it the fact that she certainly couldn't hide the fact that she had two lovers and one of those was the man her father hated with a passion... well...
The adult way could go suck it.
She crouched in the bushes behind the house he shared with his wife... or soon to be wife. It didn't matter; they were together and they were happy. Mara had avoided this place for some time but now... she very much wanted to see her father.
Since there was little chance of either of them leaving Nachton anytime soon she may as well get used to the idea that they were going to run into each other. She had to stop fearing it; it would be bad enough if one of them panicked.
Mara could see two figures moving around in the house. Her very keen ears could hear soft voices. One of them approached the back door. The sliding glass opened, and then closed, and a fat silhouette stayed still for a moment before ambling across the porch, down the stairs, and into the yard.
It was Aishe's favorite raccoon, the one she called Shawe. A Native American name, Mara thought. The raccoon was gorgeous as a result of privileged living. His fatness was mostly attributed to a full, glossy coat of thick fur. He was clean and smelled of the house; no dirt, no mud, nothing untoward. Mara could detect faint traces of chemical on him. Something to repel fleas, probably applied in the last week or so for her to still be able to catch a faint whiff.
Shawe turned toward her, as if he knew she was there, and padded over to her. Mara watched him, staying still so as not to alarm him. She needn't have bothered. Shawe reached out a clever little paw, fascinating in its similarity to human hands and fingers, and grabbed her ear. Then pulled.
Mara gave a surprised yowl before biting it back and following Shawe. She certainly wasn't going to fight the little raccoon. He wasn't hurting her, really. Shawe dragged her out toward the porch and then abandoned her to go grab a little rubber ball. Mara tilted her head curiously at him... and then yowled again as he hurled the ball at her, hitting her squarely in the nose.
She raised her paw, flattening her ears back and glaring at the raccoon. He chittered at her softly and patted the grass. Mara sighed and batted the ball back with her paw. The raccoon loped off to catch it, and Mara waited. It was obvious what game he wanted to play. She might as well play along.
Mara
12 years ago
Mara
12 years ago
Unable to stop herself Mara stood and walked on dainty tiptoes toward Kiamhaat, who obligingly bent to offer her his hand, holding a struggling Shawe in an iron grip. Mara gave him the obligatory cat sniff, pulling away as if considering before bumping her head against his hand.
His fingers slid gently over her silky fur, scratching gently behind her ears. Mara rubbed and rubbed, unable to tell her father in words how much she missed him, and unable to say how badly she wanted to hug him.
Part of her very much wanted to shift right now and wrap her arms around him. How would he react? He wasn't the same man he had been ten years ago. He was stronger now.
How would Amir react if he knew? He, too, was no longer the same man he was ten years ago. Could there ever be hope that the two might reconcile? Was she betraying Amir's love by standing here with her father? Was she betraying her father every time she slid into bed and loved Amir along with Jin?
Mara pulled her face away from her father's gentle hand and trotted away. He, in turn, stood up and smiled at the little stray in the backyard. "All right, be that way," he said with a warm tone. "If you need food you can come back here. Don't let Shawe abuse you."
He turned and walked back toward the house. Mara mewed softly after him, tempted to follow. He heard her. He turned and looked back at her, and they watched each other quietly for a few moments. It was Mara who turned away next, padding softly into the shadows. She heard the sliding glass door close and kept walking. And thinking.
((ooc: Mara out))
His fingers slid gently over her silky fur, scratching gently behind her ears. Mara rubbed and rubbed, unable to tell her father in words how much she missed him, and unable to say how badly she wanted to hug him.
Part of her very much wanted to shift right now and wrap her arms around him. How would he react? He wasn't the same man he had been ten years ago. He was stronger now.
How would Amir react if he knew? He, too, was no longer the same man he was ten years ago. Could there ever be hope that the two might reconcile? Was she betraying Amir's love by standing here with her father? Was she betraying her father every time she slid into bed and loved Amir along with Jin?
Mara pulled her face away from her father's gentle hand and trotted away. He, in turn, stood up and smiled at the little stray in the backyard. "All right, be that way," he said with a warm tone. "If you need food you can come back here. Don't let Shawe abuse you."
He turned and walked back toward the house. Mara mewed softly after him, tempted to follow. He heard her. He turned and looked back at her, and they watched each other quietly for a few moments. It was Mara who turned away next, padding softly into the shadows. She heard the sliding glass door close and kept walking. And thinking.
((ooc: Mara out))