Jazz: Hey Mum. I, uh... -scrunches face to mask his fear- Look, just... Be careful out there with those caimans, OK? You /and/ Pop. Rip some tails for me, alright? And... And come back.
Basil:
Jazz: Hey Mum. I, uh… -scrunches face to mask his fear- Look, just… Be careful out there with those caimans, OK? You /and/ Pop. Rip some tails for me, alright? And… And come back."Hey, Mum."It had seemed like a blessing when the kittens had understood so readily the importance of their parents’ duties. Each day they were quiet and cooperative, taking in stride every time their mother or father was called away suddenly from play for work. Although there were rare times when neither would allow themselves to abandon the time they were sharing with their litter, there were occasions when it was inevitable. And to Basil, that was a source of wonderful pride in all of her children. Their patience, yes, but most of all their understanding.So when, in the middle of battle tactics, she heard Jazz’s voice, she didn’t hesitate to excuse herself. Rarely did the kittens interrupt, and it was always important in some way or another. "I, uh…" His face scrunches up, and she sits in front of him, tail wrapping around his small figure. "Look, just… Be careful out there with those caimans, okay? You and Pop." The seriousness of his tone isn’t uncommon, but the concern he’s showing— despite trying to mask it— is uncharacteristic of his usual bravado. It breaks her heart that he has to face this kind of fear at his age, and it fuels her desire to end this war once and for all. It’s completely unfair of the world to ask for such maturity from these kittens. And at the same time, it touches her deeply that he’s coming away from his emotional defenses to express this concern and love. "Rip some tails for me, alright? And… And come back."Lowering herself, the bombay wraps her tail tighter around the kitten and draws him nearer, nuzzling her nose against his face. “I will,” she assures him, and she knows she will. She will do her best to beat the caimans, yes, but the promise she is making is a different one; she will come back. No matter the outcome of this war.The story of the Silver-Fire would become legend; devoting herself so wholly to the Spirits that she would sacrifice her every life just to prove her loyalty to them.Basil has no interest in that kind of asceticism. Although the family of her tribe had come first for her in the past, if her hope was lost, her family— her kittens and Lully— were her first priority now. "I swear I will." No matter what, she would come back. "I love you."
