[SirMax]

"No, the last time dad saw mom was when I was still a really young kit, huh. I think I'm going to get to meet her soon though, huh." Keltor paused momentarily. "What about you, huh? I don't know much about your family except that the guy hidin' in the hole is your dad, huh." he asked, smiling happily at the Doomsberry. He was interested, all right.

Sethor laughed at the comment about love. "Oh, we definitely both have someone who loves us." he said, smiling meaningfully. "And we could, but so little of fighting is simple, so the best thing to do might be to observe someone else fighting. Such as Yojimbo and Ashilata, over there." he said, glancing at the two Kuhnas.

Yojimbo, for once not ready for the strike, tripped and fell face first into the dust. Ouch. He quickly jumped to his feet, blushing deeply. How stupid did he look? That kick was probably was just to distract him or disrupt his offense, and he'd fallen head over heels. Yojimbo, however, missed the metaphor.

Sarah yelped and flailed, sinking into the water as Sam burst out laughing, Sarah bursting out of the water with a furious look on her face as she tackled the common kuhna.

[[Sarah: 98 || Sam: 117 || Yojimbo: 37 || Sethor: 139 || Keltor: 11]]

[SpringsSong]

Lasha chuckled.  "My mom's a Festive Kuhna.  I have four siblings: Aya, a Spectrakuhna; Frashill, a Disease Kuhna like Dad; Kanak, a Calamikuhna like my two uncles and aunt; and another Spectrakuhna sibling who I haven't heard of.  So... my family's big." She said, giggling.  "You don't suppose there's a different area where we could talk, yeah?" She asked, knowing that her father would feel better if he couldn't see the two.

Tali?±a chuckled, smiling back.  Looking over at Ashilata, who was moving to pin Yojimbo, she observed how carefully the Trikuhna analyzed the Flarend's defenses.  "Hm... Quite interesting indeed.  Ashilata seems to know more about fighting than she let on to.  She was always telling such eloquent war stories, and then, she'd shirk away at the chance to fight." She said, tilting her head to watch Yojimbo's next move.

Alexa, meanwhile, had rushed over to Tempest, her own heart racing.  "What on Evelon?" She asked, looking around.  She must have dozed off, for everything had shifted positions from when she'd lasted looked around at everything.  "What happened?" She asked, nervous.  Why wasn't their mother also rushing over here...?

{Tali: 120--Another level-up...||Ryen: 71||Ashi: 44||Alexa: 36||Lasha: 37}

[SirMax]

"That is a pretty big family, huh." said Keltor, nodding. At her next comment, he grinned widely. Putting on a ridiculous British accent, he said stiffly. "Why yes, m'lady, I would be glad to escort you to a beautiful cove I happen to know of in the city of Jawan, would that be acceptable?"

Yojimbo, figuring that Ashi would expect a block with his tails, sprung forward and threw himself at her with his whole (admittedly small) weight behind him, hoping to knock her on her back.

Sethor watched, noting that Ashi's tactics were more useful to mimic, since Yojimbo had quickly made his tails the center of his fighting style. He was quick to adapt. Sethor momentarily wondered about Yojimbo training with his father, the infamous Ronin. Surely it would help the Flarend...

The water churned violently as Sam and Sarah tussled, Sarah yelling something about Sam ruining her train of thought and Sam just laughing as she tried to fight off Sarah furious attacks.

[[Sarah: 99 || Sam: 118 || Yojimbo: 38 || Sethor: 140 || Keltor: 12]]

[SpringsSong]

Tali?±a watched silently, almost wishing that she and Sethor could go somewhere else, either to practice more or simply to talk.  With the Lucain rooms opening again, she knew Fire's nefarious plans... Gah, why did she have such a list?

Lasha chuckled, smiling.  "Certainly, I would not at all mind that." She said, standing up.  "Lead the way, se?±or." She said, bowing.

Ryen sat up, and then walked over to Tali?±a.  "Got a lot on you mind, doncha?" He asked, smirking.  "Sssssh, Ryen!  Not now!" She growled playfully, knowing what Ryen was getting at.

Alexa whimpered nervously, looking at her sister.  "I can see the scratches, but I mean, did she... break any bones or anything?" She asked, her nervousness evident.

Ashi blinked, seeing Yojimbo fly towards her.  She leapt into the air, throwing her weight at him as well.  She didn't like being pinned, so she was going to try to avoid it.

{Tali: 121||Ryen: 72||Ashi: 45--Level up||Alexa: 37||Lasha: 38}

[SirMax]

Sethor glanced at Tali?±a, noticing that she looked preoccupied. "Something wrong?" he asked innocently, blinking at her and brushing her cheek with a tail.

Keltor grinned deviously. Taking her hand, he started off towards the edge of the desert. Jawan wasn't even that far, oddly enough...

Yojimbo hadn't expected that. No, more than that, he hadn't even considered the possibility that Ashi would mimic his assault. Otherwise, he never would have done it. Even if he wasn't a kit, he was still smaller and lighter than Ashi. "Oh sh-" there was no way for him to win such a confrontation- the Flarend was thrown back into the dust, flying at least ten metres before he rolled to a stop and fell still.

Sarah finally gave up on trying to beat the ever living snot out of Sam and crawled out of the water, laying down and returning to her thoughts as Sam pouted.

[[Sarah: 100 || Sam: 119 || Yojimbo: 39 || Sethor: 141 || Keltor: 13-gone off to Jawan]]

[SpringsSong]

Tali?±a blushed again.  "N-nothing's wrong... I've just got a... a lot on mine mind right now... What, with the war coming up and all, and then there was that release of the Lucain rooms..." She said, feeling herself go even redder with the thought of Fire's promise to her.

Lasha followed along behind Keltor, a smile on her face.  She gave a smug look to her father before she sauntered off to Jawan as well.

Ryen chuckled, first addressing Sethor.  "My friend here has got what I call a bad case of being in love with someone that she, ah... She doesn't quite know how to tell him." He said, then, noting Lasha's smug glance, said, "That girl is going to get herself hurt..."

Ashi didn't quite smile smugly, but she did grin in the success of her attack.  She would wait for Yojimbo to recover, then, she'd say, "Your move."

Alexa sighed, looking around.  It made her jealous how her mother and that flirt of a Kuhna were both slacking off in their training--oh wait, Lasha wasn't in the war--while she worried over her sister.

{Tali: 122||Ryen: 73||Ashi: 46||Alexa: 38||Lasha: 39--Also gone off to Jawan}

[SirMax]

Sethor sighed. "Ah, yes, rooms... Max didn't manage to snag one this time. Our daughter ended up in one though- her partner got a room. She's rather nervous about it." he wondered momentarily why Tali?±a was blushing so hard... "Ah. Has she considered the fact that maybe this... someone might love her back?" asked Sethor, smiling slightly and as he looked over at Ryen.

Yojimbo, however, didn't immediately jump up and return to the offense. In fact, he didn't really move, except for the steady rising and falling of his chest as he breathed.

Sam slipped back into the water, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep, lulled by the cool water and warm sun. Sarah continued to ponder her good freind and... maybe more.

[[Sarah: 101 || Sam: 120 || Yojimbo: 40 || Sethor: 142]]

[SpringsSong]

"Without a doubt." Ryen said, chuckling.  "Without any doubt.  If there's one thing Tali?±a can not do, it's keep a secret when it comes to the... facility.  I'll admit that I myself am not good with those secrets.  I, not unlike my mother, came home after my first breeding with a lifetime mate.  When Tali?±a came home, just walking on air after her second breeding... Truth be told, I'm surprised you guys are being so devout to clearing your lsits as you are." He said.  Tali was still blushing as she said, "D-dang it, Ryen!  How can you... how can you do that?  It's just, like, not fair how you can read my feelings like that!" She said, and then, looking back at Sethor, she said, "What my Kuhna friend says here is true.  I--I do admit that I've been rather taken by one of my previous partners... more specifically, my second one."  Then, tilting her head, she said, "Oh, I do hope Tala will be okay... I never had the breeding room jitters to any extent.  Who is her partner, anyways?" She asked, tilting her head.  So she was going to have grandchildren soon.  Ah, how would her parents respond to that one?

Ashi sat down, licking her pelt.  "Need a break?" She asked, smiling.  While she hadn't beaten him up, she had given him a little bit of a beating.

Alexa turned to her mother.  "How can you do that?" She asked, almost glaring.

{Tali: 123||Ryen: 74||Ashi: 47||Alexa: 39}

[SirMax]

"Rysk, Raksis's daughter. Seems nice enough." Said Sethor. He paused. "Hmmm... You know, I can't remember who your second breeding was... I know I wasn't the first one, but which one was I...?" teased Sethor, putting on a ponderous look. "Was I second or the third... I just can't recall..."

Yojimbo didn't make any response. The small Kuhna was out cold- he'd hit a rock when he landed, and while he wasn't bleeding, he was stone cold unconscious. Whoops.

Sarah walked over to Ryen, nervous about the pending question she had for the other Kuhna. It made sense to ask him, but... "Um... Ryen? How did you tell you were in love with your lifemate?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Sam still slumbered in the water, legs kicking slightly as she dreamed.

[[Sarah: 102 || Sam: 121 || Yojimbo: 41 || Sethor: 143]]

[SpringsSong]

Tali?±a blushed.  "You were the second one, Sethor.  I remember that breeding: I had been in the exact same room only the day before, had my pups, and then I was back in there again." She said, chuckling.  Ryen, however, looked over at Sarah.  "How could I tell I was in love with Specter?  Well, pretty much as soon as she walked into the room, I slowly started falling for her, until finally, right before those Scientists took us to the, ah... more private areas... I asked her if she would be my lifemate.  She accepted without any hesitation, too." He said, chuckling.

Ashi blushed.  "Whoops." She said, chuckling nervously.  She walked over and sat down next to Yojimbo, her eyes looking over him nervously.  Oh, marvelous, Ashi.  Just marvelous. She thought to herself.

Alexa growled.  "What use is it being out here if Mother's daydreaming, Ashi's daydreaming, Ryen's just here, and I'm the only one interested in training?" She said annoyedly.

{Tali: 124||Ryen: 75 -- Level up||Ashi: 48||Alexa: 40 -- Level up}

[SirMax]

Sethor smiled at Tali?±a. She was so shy about this, but she didn't back out of it or try to avoid the truth Ryen had exposed.. "I know." he said quietly, taking a small step forward and kissing Tali?±a softly. Pulling away again, he whispered. "Tali?±a?"

Sarah sighed. Nothing like that for her... It looked like Ryen wasn't going to be much help. "Um... thanks anyway." she mumbled, smiling at him.

Yojimbo lay on the ground, tails burning very faintly as the Flarend slumbered, a peaceful look on his face as he smiled faintly, caught up in whatever dream or delusion clutched him, the dust covering him after the roll.

Sam woke up with a scream, flailing in the water to regain her balance, crawling out on the bank, panting heavily and wide eyed, tears in the corners of her eyes, staring at her paw. It was clean. The blood that had stained it in the dream was only that, a dream. It hadn't happened. Her breathing started to return to normal.

[[Sam: 103 || Sam: 122 || Yojimbo: 42 || Sethor: 144]]

[SpringsSong]

Tali?±a blinked in shock as Sethor kissed her, and her eyes seemed to suddenly gain a dreamy look.  So what if Ryen had totally exposed her "secret"?  Smiling, she said, "Yes, Sethor?"  Ryen chuckled, having a feeling he knew where this one would go.  Walking over to Ashi, he said, "Be prepared to have to splash her again.  I have a feeling I know what's up." Ashi nodded, still looking at Yojimbo.  The Flarend looked so peaceful... much like she'd been when she was a kit.

Alexa, however, growled and walked over to a palm tree, falling asleep.  Sheesh, her mother was quite hopeless.  She had heard Sam's scream, but wouldn't move just yet...

{Tali: 125 -- Level up||Ryen: 76||Ashi: 49||Alexa: 41}

[SirMax]

"Tali?±a, would you make me the happiest Lucain in the lands and do me the honour of being my lifemate and the mother of all my future children?" Sethor asked quietly. Screw waiting for him to clear his list and giving everyone a fair chance, he was in love with Tali?±a and no one could change that.

Yojimbo, even though he wasn't a kit psychically a kit any more, still looked like a kit when he slumbered, untainted as he was by the evils of the world and still living a world of ideals. "...lifemate..." he murmured through his sleep. Ah yes. Yojimbo's dream of having lifemate, even though he knew he couldn't have children. So what if his lifemate might have children? As long as he was only kuhna she loved, he would be happy.

Sarah looked over at Sam in shock. What on earth?

Sam straighten up, still shaking. It had been so real, she could practically hear Ronin's screams, feel his flesh coming out from beneath her claws and teeth, still taste the acrid tang of his blood as it spilled all over and life ebbed away from him... she whimpered quietly.

[[Sarah: 104 || Sam: 123 || Yojimbo: 43 || Sethor: 145]]

[SpringsSong]

Tali?±a's heart skipped a beat, then two.  "I, ah, I... YES!  I will be your lifemate, Sethor.  Nothing would make me happier..." She said, smiling as she fell forward.  Ryen doubled over laughing at seeing Tali faint, this time out of happiness and a small bit of shock.  "See, Ashi?  I told you!" He said, smiling.  Ashi was still looking at the Flarend.  Moving closer to him, she said, "You wish to have a lifemate, despite the fact that she might have children while you cannot?"  She hadn't really cared much about kits; but cared enough to love them.  Alexa was up in an instant, looking to see her mother faint and having heard the question Sethor asked her.  "Faaather..." She whimpered, running over to Varalus.

{Tali: 126||Ryen: 77||Ashi: 50 -- Level-up||Alexa: 42}