Set before the polar vortex. C’mere, sondaughter @Julep ♥
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Szymon wasn’t typically the kind of man to use pet names. Occasionally, since meeting Doe, he referred to his children as “littling” or “small one” — but in general, he abhorred communicating verbally to such a great degree that addressing anyone by name, even his children, was next door to a form of endearment. So when he arrived at the Stone Den today and poked his head in, his rolling bass timbre calling quietly, “Julep,” with a quirk of his muzzle to join him, the love in his tone was unmistakable. Now that his youngest children were mobile, he wanted to introduce them to the Sea — and because he didn’t know that the little firecracker had already met the great goddess and learned Her name from Doe, he decided to start with Julep. “Wake up, Julep. We have a busy day today,” he rumbled, and beneath his sonorous command were all the endearments he never said: “wake up, princess, littling, small one; I love you so.”
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♥ ♥ ♥
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There, in the stone den, laid a bundle of fiery fur nested against her brother and mother in a knot that even Doe would have a hard time untangling. Her snores filled the chamber, tiny snores of peace, and the occasional squeal or squirm. Those were dreams, rogue dreams verging the edges of reality that made it for the cutest and most heart warming scene a parent could withhold. Julep was growing up peacefully and placidly, and it was all the work of the wonderful parents to which she'd been thankfully assigned.
An eye slides open lazily and a single ear swivels around to hear dad's sweet voice more clearly. Mother's embrace would always be the safest place, but it was his voice which made the little Cairn feel the warmest. Julep took her time to get up, yawn, scratch her back against her brother's face and lick her mother's nose in a good morning kiss before she followed Szymon outside with a rhythmic swing of her clumsy tail.
Where'r we going dad?she asked with a smile, looking up at her father's warm golden eyes with enthusiasm for whatever plans he had for that beautiful day.
February 03, 2017, 06:11 AM
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Szymon wasn’t aware of the idiom, but the upwelling of emotion invoked by his fierce little girl’s smile was so potent, his heart turned over in his chest. He bent, smoothing a gentle kiss between her oversized ears — Doe’s ears — and wondered how he’d ever thought it would be difficult to warm to her. Already she was such a perfect melding of the Cairn gene pool and Hind’s legacy, the ruddy fire of her pelt dilute where it skimmed in a sandy gradient down her sides and bold in the cape of dorsal fur and telltale rib cage markings. “We are going to visit the Sea today,” he told her gently, his sonorous bass timbre affectionate and husky. Julep had survived her Drop and received her spirit guide, but Szymon and Doe had nearly lost her in the process — he wasn’t sure how she felt about the Sea now, but there were things he needed to teach her.
“You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to,” he said, trying to be reassuring, “but while the weather is still warm, I want to show you some new things. Are you hungry?” He dipped his muzzle, poking at her plush flank to tickle her playfully. It was easier to rein in one cub at a time, he’d realized, so he began moving purposefully away from the den mouth lest they wake her barracuda of a brother.
[/td][/tr][/table]“You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to,” he said, trying to be reassuring, “but while the weather is still warm, I want to show you some new things. Are you hungry?” He dipped his muzzle, poking at her plush flank to tickle her playfully. It was easier to rein in one cub at a time, he’d realized, so he began moving purposefully away from the den mouth lest they wake her barracuda of a brother.
February 05, 2017, 09:48 PM
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He squishes her face with a kiss that draws a smile and a giggle out of the little fireball. She tries to return it, making her best effort to place both her tiny paws on his father's broad chest as she stretches to reach his chin with a battalion of small kisses, and then drops back to the floor as her father starts towards the sea.
But Julep was brave, as was also stated in her heritage, and by her father's side she felt invincible. Her mind had adopted the idea that Szymon had been born from the tides, and that the sea feared him as opposed to her personal case. If she stayed with him there was nothing to fear, besides, he had promised to Julep that she wouldn't have to swim if she didn't want to.
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He squishes her face with a kiss that draws a smile and a giggle out of the little fireball. She tries to return it, making her best effort to place both her tiny paws on his father's broad chest as she stretches to reach his chin with a battalion of small kisses, and then drops back to the floor as her father starts towards the sea.
The sea?Julep had conflicting thoughts and feelings about the great blue. She remembered vaguely, but dearly, the time that her mother had introduced her to the playful waves, and the hours full of joy she'd spent with her family on the beach before the drop. And then there was the Drop itself. Julep was lucky to have survived it, and although her father had seen strength in her recovery Julep could only remember the fear she felt when she'd been tossed into the abyss and landed almost mortally on the waves that could have easily crushed her body. She'd been granted her spirit guide that day, but unlike the festivity it had been for her brother, Julep had developed a deep fear of the ocean that conflicted with her very nature, her Cairn DNA.
But Julep was brave, as was also stated in her heritage, and by her father's side she felt invincible. Her mind had adopted the idea that Szymon had been born from the tides, and that the sea feared him as opposed to her personal case. If she stayed with him there was nothing to fear, besides, he had promised to Julep that she wouldn't have to swim if she didn't want to.
Yes daddy,she exclaims as she resolves to follow her father down to the beach. Breakfast was never a bad idea, and it could only ever be better if it was in her father's company.
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February 06, 2017, 10:36 AM
Cruddy post-work post. ♥ The Joop is too cute; it’s killing me!
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Szymon watched Julep carefully in the wake of his announcement, half-expecting her to meet him with defiance as Isengrim so often did — but staunch determination soon pushed aside the trepidation that was clearly writ upon her delicate features and she followed him willingly. It came as no surprise that his little girl managed an upsurge of enthusiasm at the prospect of breakfast, and he chuckled, placing a gentle lick between her shoulder blades and mussing the fur there against the grain. “Seafood or land prey?” he asked her fondly as they reached one of the caches. If she wanted fresh fish, he would catch her something, but he had grown accustomed to keeping warm-blooded game on hand for Doe. Isengrim, Julep, and Qilaq had been raised on a mixture of protein, but they didn’t often get to choose what they got.
Tugging aside the blanket of kelp that covered the cache nearest the shoreline, Szymon stepped back to allow Julep to make her own selection if she wished, adding indulgently, “If you want your own fish, I will get you a new one and you can kill it by yourself.”
[/td][/tr][/table]Tugging aside the blanket of kelp that covered the cache nearest the shoreline, Szymon stepped back to allow Julep to make her own selection if she wished, adding indulgently, “If you want your own fish, I will get you a new one and you can kill it by yourself.”
February 18, 2017, 04:47 PM
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Her father's advance had an elegant sway, and Julep trotter behind him trying to mimic his flow. She held her parents in high regard, them having been the ones to save her from the hungry sea that terrible day, and so she wanted to be more like them, exactly like them if she could. She held her tail high like him, and if he raised his head she would raise it too, but her posture looked so much goofier than she knew.
Szymon took her to a cache, and Julep swayed her tail expectantly as he pulled away the kelp that covered the food. Julep jumped right into it with determination to find some good fish, but her father's next proposal was so much more exciting that the leftovers gathered in the cache seemed like an insult.
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Her father's advance had an elegant sway, and Julep trotter behind him trying to mimic his flow. She held her parents in high regard, them having been the ones to save her from the hungry sea that terrible day, and so she wanted to be more like them, exactly like them if she could. She held her tail high like him, and if he raised his head she would raise it too, but her posture looked so much goofier than she knew.
Szymon took her to a cache, and Julep swayed her tail expectantly as he pulled away the kelp that covered the food. Julep jumped right into it with determination to find some good fish, but her father's next proposal was so much more exciting that the leftovers gathered in the cache seemed like an insult.
Yes! Can I catch a big fish?she asked, hoping that her father would finally teach her how to hunt them herself. The day was just starting, but already it felt like a great day.
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February 19, 2017, 08:29 PM
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Pleased with her eagerness, Szymon grinned down at his little tiger shark. “Not even I or your Uncle Skellige could take down some of the truly big fish,” he intoned with a chuckle. “Did you know there are fish bigger than the Stone Den you sleep in? We’ll have to see what the Sea provides for us today.” He led Julep to the tidepools nearby, peering down into them. “Be careful around here, small one,” he cautioned her. “Some of the rocks are slicker than others.” He motioned to his manner of walking — a bit gingerly, his weight settled on his hindquarters as he gauged the next step’s stability, rocking his weight forward onto his forequarters to place his hind legs. Naturally, Szymon normally walked a little quicker than this, but after Julep’s Drop he wanted to be extra careful that she took her time. The Sea’s kingdom was her birthright, and the young father believed she would regain her love for it in time.
“When I had my Drop,” he reminisced, “I was the same age as you are now, and your Uncle Skellige was the same age as I am now. I was smaller than all of my littermates, and everyone thought I would die — and I thought I would die — but I did not, because I fought.” He drew his tongue across his jowls as they walked, turning to face Julep with a serious expression. “You may always be small, Julep. Your mother is small and I am not a large wolf. You may have to fight twice as hard as a larger wolf, but you will always survive. The Sea has blessed you, but on top of that, your mother and I are fierce fighters.” He nuzzled her cheek with the wet of his nose.
Then Szymon turned to a nearby pool. “What do you see in there?”
[/td][/tr][/table]“When I had my Drop,” he reminisced, “I was the same age as you are now, and your Uncle Skellige was the same age as I am now. I was smaller than all of my littermates, and everyone thought I would die — and I thought I would die — but I did not, because I fought.” He drew his tongue across his jowls as they walked, turning to face Julep with a serious expression. “You may always be small, Julep. Your mother is small and I am not a large wolf. You may have to fight twice as hard as a larger wolf, but you will always survive. The Sea has blessed you, but on top of that, your mother and I are fierce fighters.” He nuzzled her cheek with the wet of his nose.
Then Szymon turned to a nearby pool. “What do you see in there?”
March 18, 2017, 01:13 PM
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The floor was slippery, unstable as the rocks slid off each other. Julep was having a hard time following her experienced dad, but like he'd said, Cairns never surrendered. A slip, a splash as her butt landed on the water, a gasp of sudden fear; none of those things had stopped her, for the prospect of finally being able to catch fish for herself was a lot greater than whatever dangers there might be. She just wanted to experience every single bit of the world, and she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Her face when Szymon revealed how big fish could be couldn't be explained with words. There was fear, excitement and surprise in her eyes, her mouth was a wide, smiley whoa and her tail a whirl of excitement.
The Drop. Such a tumultuous event, so many emotions, such bad memories... Julep surely did not want to go through that again, and there always existed a fear or being forced into it like the last time. It was blurry at best, but the reminder of the dangers of the deep blue had remained, and would always serve as a starting point for Julep's decisions. She was a lot like her father, smaller than the others, somewhat physically weaker... But like him, she would have to use the strength of her will to overcome whatever obstacle she's put across.
Golden eyes look up to him, to the seriousness in his expression. He's earned a smile, and Julep's giggles follow after he nuzzles her cheek, charging her with courage.
Their attention then turns to the tidepools and the sea, about which Julep is asked a question. She leans forward, sticking her tongue out in an effort to look further into the water. Suddenly something gleams to the left, and Julep¿s keen eyes turn quickly with a gasp.
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The floor was slippery, unstable as the rocks slid off each other. Julep was having a hard time following her experienced dad, but like he'd said, Cairns never surrendered. A slip, a splash as her butt landed on the water, a gasp of sudden fear; none of those things had stopped her, for the prospect of finally being able to catch fish for herself was a lot greater than whatever dangers there might be. She just wanted to experience every single bit of the world, and she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Her face when Szymon revealed how big fish could be couldn't be explained with words. There was fear, excitement and surprise in her eyes, her mouth was a wide, smiley whoa and her tail a whirl of excitement.
That is a huuuuge fish!she exclaimed, thinking of how cool it would be to see one of those for herself. But it was not time for fishing yet. Dad had things to say, thing that Julep listened to with all her attention --or well, at least all the attention she could gather without slipping on the rocks.
The Drop. Such a tumultuous event, so many emotions, such bad memories... Julep surely did not want to go through that again, and there always existed a fear or being forced into it like the last time. It was blurry at best, but the reminder of the dangers of the deep blue had remained, and would always serve as a starting point for Julep's decisions. She was a lot like her father, smaller than the others, somewhat physically weaker... But like him, she would have to use the strength of her will to overcome whatever obstacle she's put across.
Golden eyes look up to him, to the seriousness in his expression. He's earned a smile, and Julep's giggles follow after he nuzzles her cheek, charging her with courage.
I'm a fighter too!she assures, and whoever had a doubt about it could go and ask Isengrim about it.
Their attention then turns to the tidepools and the sea, about which Julep is asked a question. She leans forward, sticking her tongue out in an effort to look further into the water. Suddenly something gleams to the left, and Julep¿s keen eyes turn quickly with a gasp.
There!she exclaimed, looking back up at dad with a smile before turning to the water again and giving one step closer.
There was a fish there...she said, but there no longer were reflections that backed that statement up. Sneaky little bastards they were, those tasty fish.
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The Leviathan observed with pride as Julep learned to navigate the uneven terrain, making no comment as she slipped and emitted a little gasp of trepidation. He would not coddle her — she was a Cairn, and she did not require it. “You are,” he affirmed in his sonorous bass timbre when she declared herself a fighter, a toothy grin breaking through his characteristically somber mien. Though he did not love Qilaq and Isengrim less than Julep, the ginger-laced girl with her telltale stripes and fierce yellow eyes was more definitely his than any of her siblings — even those that had perished. He could look at his little girl and point to things and say, “I gave you this; and this, your mother gave you.” It filled him with a deep-seated satisfaction.
He watched with keen enjoyment as Julep’s eyes marked the disappearing shadow of a fish, flashing silver as it winked away. He’d seen it, too, and said so: “They are quick,” he explained. “If you let your shadow fall across the water, they will see you.” He peered down into the pool himself, marking its mossy sides and distinct lack of sea urchins. “Dip your paw in here, like this,” he told the tiny tiger shark, sweeping his paw below surface. “Feel the water push against you. You must build up strength to scoop the fish out of the water.” She was too small to plunge her head into the pool and snap up her prey, but the idea of scooping up her own food wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. He would show her how to forage, too — how to crack open sea urchins and mussels and crabs to get to the sweet meat inside. His children would never go hungry as long as they stayed close to the Sea.
When he judged she was accustomed to the feel of the water, he moved on to the next tidepool. This one was shallower, kinder to her still lengthening limbs, and within the water were several juvenile sleepers — blimp-like, brown-scaled fish who took refuge in the pools during low tide, using natural camouflage to keep hidden. Another scan revealed no threats to his girl’s wellbeing, so he crouched at the edge of the pool and motioned for her to do the same. “What do you see, Julep?” he asked her quietly.
[/td][/tr][/table]He watched with keen enjoyment as Julep’s eyes marked the disappearing shadow of a fish, flashing silver as it winked away. He’d seen it, too, and said so: “They are quick,” he explained. “If you let your shadow fall across the water, they will see you.” He peered down into the pool himself, marking its mossy sides and distinct lack of sea urchins. “Dip your paw in here, like this,” he told the tiny tiger shark, sweeping his paw below surface. “Feel the water push against you. You must build up strength to scoop the fish out of the water.” She was too small to plunge her head into the pool and snap up her prey, but the idea of scooping up her own food wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. He would show her how to forage, too — how to crack open sea urchins and mussels and crabs to get to the sweet meat inside. His children would never go hungry as long as they stayed close to the Sea.
When he judged she was accustomed to the feel of the water, he moved on to the next tidepool. This one was shallower, kinder to her still lengthening limbs, and within the water were several juvenile sleepers — blimp-like, brown-scaled fish who took refuge in the pools during low tide, using natural camouflage to keep hidden. Another scan revealed no threats to his girl’s wellbeing, so he crouched at the edge of the pool and motioned for her to do the same. “What do you see, Julep?” he asked her quietly.
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Even after the fishing lesson had finished, Szymon found himself loathe to return to the den. Alongside the Sea they worshiped and feared with equal measure, the black-banded Leviathan and his red-ringed daughter romped and played, gamboling in the sand and harassing various sea creatures. He showed her — through succulent, abundant example — which of these were edible and which were not, and cautioned her about sea urchins, eels, and other predators. With Szymon it was always a mix of seriousness and play; he was not a lighthearted creature. He spoke to her of her spirit guide and the history that lived in her blood — of Warsaw and the Cairns she had not met — and only when his throat was hoarse and their bellies were full did he return home with his little girl, grooming and singing her into an exhausted slumber.
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April 03, 2017, 12:36 PM
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Every second spent with her father carried behind it hours of learning. Szymon was a creature of the sea, he knew it like the back of his hand, every little secret, every single technique to catch all sorts of sea creatures, and every bit of it all was simply amazing. Julep too was developing her father's love for the sea, a connection to her spirit guide and the forces of the deep ocean. She was becoming more of a Cairn with every second she spent with her father and there was nothing that could ever take that away from her... Not even her father's disappearance.
They had spent hours together, playing in the sand and learning from the waters. They had built a bond that transcended time and space, and unbreakable link that would live on forever, and every second spent in his company would become a treasure. Come twilight the young tigress slept, tired from a long day of adventures with her father. Her mother's embrace and her family's warmth were worthless. Her skin feels every single touch, every little texture. The scents fill her nostrils, the light and dark figures make tattoos behind her eyelids. Memories, memories of good times fill the red Cairn's library, laying down a mark that -whether she was aware or not- she would never forget.
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Every second spent with her father carried behind it hours of learning. Szymon was a creature of the sea, he knew it like the back of his hand, every little secret, every single technique to catch all sorts of sea creatures, and every bit of it all was simply amazing. Julep too was developing her father's love for the sea, a connection to her spirit guide and the forces of the deep ocean. She was becoming more of a Cairn with every second she spent with her father and there was nothing that could ever take that away from her... Not even her father's disappearance.
They had spent hours together, playing in the sand and learning from the waters. They had built a bond that transcended time and space, and unbreakable link that would live on forever, and every second spent in his company would become a treasure. Come twilight the young tigress slept, tired from a long day of adventures with her father. Her mother's embrace and her family's warmth were worthless. Her skin feels every single touch, every little texture. The scents fill her nostrils, the light and dark figures make tattoos behind her eyelids. Memories, memories of good times fill the red Cairn's library, laying down a mark that -whether she was aware or not- she would never forget.
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