January 6, Year 6 - Linklu

(( ooc: waiting for Kat after this post. ))

Hortense took her eyes off of Temptation to glance over at her other little sister, August, and almost smiled.  She made her way over to the pup and gave her a little nuzzle, before looking around for Harvey.  She always made sure they were within her sight at all times.

***

For a few moments, Violet just stood there, dumbfounded.  It took her a while to really process what was going on in front of her.  There was something familiar about this meerkat's scent, now that she was close enough to detect it.  It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite place it.  And now this strange meerkat is claiming to be Draco's brother... well, to be honest, she didn't exactly keep tabs on all of Volcanopaw's pups, so perhaps that was why.  Perhaps, after being separated, this meerkat and Draco teamed up for survival when they recognized each other... it didn't seem too unlikely.  Regardless, this meerkat's cries did little to calm down Violet, and slowly she felt panic rising deep inside of her.  She shook her head.  No... she had heard him... she had heard him just now! The scent of blood overwhelmed her senses, and almost seemed to confirm the fact that he could possibly be dead.  No, no no, no...

Then, a cry for help following her name cut through her thoughts, and Violet visibly jumped.  The female tensed.  She refused to believe it.  She knew the voice that she'd heard was his.  He had to be around here, somewhere.  She barked firmly to the stranger, though far enough away now that the Linklus couldn't hear her.  I heard him just a couple minutes ago! He has to be here! We'll find him, you'll see! She started to climb one of the bushes, searching the desert landscape for him, desperately.  But no one's there, except for this strange meerkat, who was getting farther and farther away... No, she couldn't afford to lose him! This was the last meerkat to see her dear Draco alive, and possibly her last hope of ever seeing her mate again.  Taking note of his location, she climbed back down to solid ground and bolted after him, emitting contact calls in an attempt to get him to stop.

She finally reached him, out of breath.  Please... if... if we're going to find him... we need to work together... She continued looking, never making eye contact with him for more than a few seconds.  Her adrenaline was so high and she's so desperate that she didn't realize the danger that she's in... She's fallen for the trick, and into Voldemort's paws.  And then... she turned her back to the enemy.  She was completely at his mercy...

Draco? Draco, where are you?!

((ooc- I'm so out of touch with how meerkats age. I have no idea what a 3 month old pups even looks like. lol))


Discomfort evident within his stiff posture and uneasy expression, Victor resisted the strong urge to simply shoo Temptation away with the back of his paw and refuse to answer her questions. After all, he had barely even known Sophie. His time spent ruling at her side consisted primarily of watching his own back and trying (and failing) to assert his dominance. With a slight sigh, the greasy male gave a blunt yip. 'I have no idea where your mother went, and nor do I care if she ever returns.' He sniffed, looking down at Temptation with a blank expression. Oh, why couldn't he and Sevuela's pups have survived in place of these ones? It was a nasty thought, and one which he thankfully kept to himself. Having not seen Sevuela approach, too distracted by his daughter, Victor flinched slightly when he felt her nose press against his shoulder. However, once he realized that it was only her, some of his tension fled him and his cold eyes softened. Turning his gaze back onto the pup, Victor hesitated a moment before muttering a soft chirp. 'They only consider Sophie 'bad' because the Linklus hate ambition, which your mother had in spades.' Those were his true feelings on the matter. He had not loved Sophie and her methods in ruling were... harsh. But she'd had a certain amount of strength and ambition which he'd envied, in a way.

Standing up on her hind legs, Lilifey scanned over the group. Was everyone up and ready to head out? Already they were wasting valuable foraging time, though she understood that many within the mob were exhausted and weak from malnutrition. It was bound to take a bit longer for them to drag themselves from the burrow complex each morning.

Voldemort is at first taken aback. At the very least he expected Violet to recognize him; the initial plan was to trick her into thinking he and Draco had been harmed and that he, Voldemort, had turned "good" and was trustworthy. The blood was covering too much of his fur to give her a proper image of him. He snorted when witnessing her confusion. Such a stupid she-kat...

He bares his teeth when she turns her back to him and calls hopelessly for her lover. His icy-blue eyes reach the sand below him, and an evil urge rises blackly from within. But just when he feels his body ready to spring, he yanks himself back. He had no morals he could think of, but there was something about this one action that had him hesitate.

Nevermind.
He'd do something else.

One could say it was just as bad, but it was still a level lighter than the previous. He throws off his act of a helpless male in search for his brother. His composure returns as does his miasmic aura. He commands a mighty leap, jumping over the small Violet to where he was now facing her. Before she could react and possibly screech for help, he pins her to the sand and bites her muzzle shut so she can't make a loud sound.

She ought to recognize him now...

Unaware of the drama transpiring on the outskirts of the mob, Shooting Star has rid her thoughts of Sophie and is removing a tick from her right shoulder she didn't even know was there until she turned her head to survey the landscape. She decides to ingest it, open to eating anything that'll alleviate some of her hunger and make these annoying dizzy spells go away.

Also unaware of what was happening to poor Violet, Lilifey finally sent out a set of clear lead calls for the group to follow. She, like everyone else, was starving and eager to find a good meal. Or at least attempt to find one. There was really no guarantee that any of them would find food today. Resources were becoming more and more scarce with each passing hour, it seemed. Desperation nearly tempted Lilifey to lead the Linklus directly into enemy territory so that they might find better foraging grounds, but with how weakened many of their members were, the matriarch decided against it for fear that they'd lose far more in a fight than they'd gain. Still, she planned on leading them a bit closer to their borders. The small risk might be worth it.

Also oblivious to the drama playing out nearby, Temp gets up when Lilifey makes lead calls. He stands near Millie, keeping one eye on her and making sure that she's doing alright and will keep up with the group. He doesn't notice that Violet is missing, which is something he'd usually pick up on - especially with the group's numbers being so low - but with his worries over Millie, he isn't keeping tabs on everyone else.

Faafe yelps at August and curls her tail up next to her body, then snarls at the youngster. Her snarl is interrupted by Lilifey's lead call. She grumbles at August, then gets up and runs after Lilifey, her plump body bounding along despite the drought.

Harvey was sitting near enough to Victor and Temptation that he could overhear their conversation. Truth be told, even though he never knew Sophie personally, he harbors a strong resentment toward her. For acting so cruelly, ruining her reputation with the group (and thus her pups'), and ultimately leaving. Because of that, he tends to distance himself from even his littermates. Well, August isn't so bad... once in a while, Harvey will play with him. And Hortense, though one of Sophie's offspring, took he and his siblings under her wing when she left, so he can't hate her. But Temptation... she just lives in denial. She can't accept that Sophie was a monster. He wishes Victor wouldn't sugarcoat things, and just tell her like it is. The laidback male also can't stand her energy and exuberance. While Harvey would rather chill, she just wants to socialize and play. There are better things in this world to be doing, and Temptation just cramps his style!

Cassidee hugged Saja and Emerald a little tighter when she could tell they were startled by Faafe's random scream. Though she had gotten used to Faafe's bizarre antics, not every member has, and she would be there for her adopted children for anything they needed. At Lilifey's call, she pokes them with her nose, urging them to get up and move along with the group.

Luisa follows, in her mind getting a little anxious. She knows that going foraging means another day of facing her pickiness. Meerkats can't afford to be picky in the Kalahari, especially in a drought, but she can't get over it. Something in her brain will only let her eat crunchy food - so no worms, grubs, larvae... She doesn't want to come across ungrateful, but she also doesn't know how to force her brain to get over it, and it's getting to the point where others can tell how skinny and lanky she's becoming.

Jazmine saw Violet go into the bush after the noises, but was too scared to follow, figuring Violet would be right back. It's been a few minutes now, though... she should really go find her sister. She would just not be able to cope if something happened to her. She knows Lilifey is about to lead the group out, but she runs off in the direction Violet left. Just really quickly going to get her sister...

Temptation tilted her head at her father's words.  His first sentence made her upset, but she was so intrigued by the second that her anger was completely forgotten.  She knew what ambition meant, having heard the word from the adults before.  Indeed, they had always seemed a little grumpy when they'd spoken of it, and Victor had confirmed her suspicions.  As she followed Lilifey, she chirped curiously, Ambition... is ambition a bad thing? Why does everyone hate it so much? Isn't that when you want something, and you work really hard to get it? Why is that so bad? Do I have ambition? Does that make me bad, too? She had no idea that her questions were making her father uncomfortable, and quite honestly, she might not have cared even if she did.  Temptation was known to think of herself before others, even if she did display love towards her littermates, and she could be a little rough at times, much like her mother was at her age... Whether the group had picked up on this remained to be seen.

Hortense watched the reaction between Temptation and Victor carefully.  It took all her willpower not to say anything, but it was likely that she would speak to her little sister in private, later... in Hortense's opinion, Sophie's ambition made her strong, and the Linklus' restraint made them weak.  The future belonged to those who took control of their own lives, not to those who let the world walk all over them.  But she kept these thoughts to herself, for now.  Beside Harvey, Hortense nuzzled her brother softly.  His disdain for Sophie and his sisters had not escaped her notice, but she figured that convincing him would require more delicacy... if there was any hope of changing his mind at all.  She was very attentive to Harvey.  Even if it seemed that the Linklus had managed to corrupt him, she still loved him, and didn't want to lose him... Temptation and even August were potential tools, but she had a soft spot for her brother.

Sevuela glanced at Victor and Temptation nervously.  She tried to stay near him, but the more he interacted with his daughter, the more distant Sev felt. She began to fall away from them a little; not because she was upset with him in any way, but because she felt awkward and unwanted.  It would be a lie to say that she had never been upset or hurt by anything Victor had done... it was only natural that she would be a little disappointed, but the fact of the matter was, Victor was all that she had left.  He was the only reason she was still in the Linklus to begin with, and she was still just as smitten with him as the day they had met, despite his flaws.  She NEEDED him, and she didn't want to lose him.  That was why she let everything go, made excuses for his behavior, and ended up blaming herself instead.  Of course, she was still shocked when Victor had left shortly after her confession to go roving, and had spent at least an hour crying afterwards... Seeing Sophie's pups really just added salt in the wound, especially since her own pups were all dead or missing.  Knowing how they felt about Victor, she wasn't sure if the Linklus liked her, either.  She had a profound loyalty to him, so although it didn't make her feel ashamed, it did increase her anxiety and isolation in the group, which only made her more withdrawn.  Glancing back at him, Sevuela thought back to their more tender moments, rare as they were.  She missed cuddling with him in the morning, staying at his side, making sure he was nice and clean even if the two of them were skinny.  He assured her that she was good enough, but why didn't she feel that way? Trying to forget about it, Sev glanced at the ground as she walked, wondering what had happened and how she could close the gap again.  She had a tendency to worry too much, but perhaps the hunger and stress had gotten to her head.

Liulfr followed at his mother's side.  He was always very close to either her or his sister, Luisa.  His big sister Millie wasn't far behind and kept an eye on the sky.  She was actually having a hard time keeping up due to being malnourished, but in her determination, didn't show any signs of struggling.  She's probably in worse shape than most of the group because she usually gave most of her food to the younger members, as well as her mother and brother.

---

The second Violet noticed Voldemort... realized who she had been interacting with... it was like something clicked in her brain and she jumped back... but it was too late, and before she knew it, she was caught in his trap... after a bit of squirming, Violet was able to free her muzzle, and gave out a bark.  The Linklus were too far away to hear her, but her sister Jazmine might be able to...

Victor had never so strongly felt the urge to bury his own head in the sand. Why was Temptation so talkative? Would her questions ever cease, or was it her goal to annoy him? She must've gotten these traits from her mother, because he was certainly never this obnoxiously extroverted. 'They hate it because they feel threatened by it.' He yipped rather stiffly. Victor might not have cared much for he and Sophie's pups, but if the mob thought that he might take the time to encourage her to develop the blind loyalty and submission which plagued the rest of the Linklus, then they really didn't know him at all. 'Ambition is only a bad thing if you use it incorrectly.' The lanky male hummed. While that sentiment might've sounded wholesome and pure coming from the mouth of anyone else, he hadn't meant it that way. 'Now please leave me alone' was left unsaid as the mob stopped at Lilifey's chosen foraging grounds and Victor quickly slipped away from the pup in order to forage in the shade of a berry bush.

Lilifey had stopped near a dry riverbed, hoping by some miracle that some of their prey had survived the drought by burying themselves where water once flowed. Her paws padded over to the edge, looking down into the large dip of earth where the river had once been. It was a sad sight, really. Another depressing reminder of how the Kalahari's inhabitants were suffering. After glancing up at the sky and few surrounding trees to make sure that there was no danger in the immediate area, the dominant female began climbing down into the riverbed to forage there.

When a series of Lilifey's lead vocalizatios spread through the air, Shooting Star quickly makes her departure from the burrow along with the rest of the group, moving at a more energetic pace in close proximity to Sophie's pups. Eating that tick helped her regain enough strength to get her to the Linklu's foraging destination, and made the dizzy spells go away, she hopes for good! Every now and then, she'd shift her gaze from the parched landscape to the interaction between Victor and Temptation, an ache of sympathy flowing through her as she sees the pup is making her father uncomfortable by talking about her nefarious mother. Just because Sophie committed heinous acts, it doesn't mean her pups deserve to be ostracized and treated as potential criminals. Sophie had kindhearted qualities as well, and as a way to return the favor, Shooting Star vows to protect her pups with her life.

Once the Linklu arrive at their foraging destination, Shooting Star stands straight postured on her hind legs, scanning the bone dry terrain of the dry riverbed, a sense of doubt flowing through her. It looks so desolate here. The chances of the Linklu finding anything succulent looks very grim. Worth a try, Shooting Star guesses. After scanning the sky for aerial threats, Shooting Star starts to dig, hoping not to relapse into another dizzy spell episode.

As soon as everyone got moving, and the pace quickened considerably, it became very obvious that Millie was in pretty bad shape. This drought was hard on everyone, of course, but Millie was an active and supportive member of the Linklus with a very stubborn attitude, all of which contributed to her condition. Her ribs were showing and she was a little slow. Despite this, she kept moving and, instead of foraging, was the first to take sentry duty. She knew that both predators and their enemies would be more desperate, and she could afford to lower her guard. Of course, she was pretty weak so climbing a tree was difficult, but after a few tries she was able to reach the top. Like Shooting Star, Millie had been experiencing her own dizzy spells, and now was no exception. She shook her head a couple times to clear it; a fall from this height could be dangerous. She cast her eyes around the barren landscape... Luckily, everything seemed pretty clear.

Liulfr followed Lilifey to the dry riverbed, glancing around warily. He began to dig but continued to look over his shoulder as he did so. Being three months old, he did have some foraging experience, but he was still a beginner and finding food in this weather was a challenge even for the most seasoned meerkat. 

Temptation started to follow after her father, oblivious to his discomfort. Hortense, however, wasn't so ignorant and nudged her in the opposite direction... She didn't like how Victor was avoiding his pups, but still considering him a potential ally in the future, had decided not to confront him about it. 

Once Temptation's attention was diverted from her father, Sevuela felt a little more comfortable being close to him. She was still feeling a little nervous and awkward, but eager to repair their relationship, she offered Victor a slight smile before she began digging near him. After a few minutes, she wasn't having any luck and her desperation became quite obvious.... Sighing in frustration, Sev cast her violet gaze around. She wasn't in as bad shape as poor Millie, but the damage this drought had on her anxiety was quite significant. She returned to digging, moving a few feet from her mate in the process, chrring in irritation. 

Bandit had followed Jazmine...

Lilifey dug her nails into the dry and cracked surface of the riverbed, peeling back the near solidified surface in order to get to the soft dirt beneath. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Liulfr had followed her and she made a mental note to keep extra vigilant. It was a tad bit dangerous here, as it would take an extra second or two to climb out of the riverbed in order to flee to a bolt hole should a predator arrive. The risk was honestly worth it, though, as Lilifey had been correct in thinking that a few insects might have taken refuge within the slightly damp dirt deep below where water once ran. It still took some effort, but neck deep in clumped sand, Lilifey pulled up an emaciated beetle from the hole she'd dug herself into. Without hesitation, the matriarch brought the small morsel over to Liulfr and dropped it in front of him. He was young, and the future of the mob. Lilifey was far more interested in ensuring that he would survive this drought than she was concerned for herself.

Victor was not having much luck with foraging. He'd escaped some of the heat by retreating to the shade. However, there wasn't much to be found there. After digging a decent sized hole, kicking sand and fallen berries around himself, the skinny male was feeling quite discouraged when his efforts amounted to nothing. The only sign of prey was a lone ant tearing at one of the berries on the ground. Frustrated, he bit at the small creature and ended up snagging the berry within his teeth, as well. Victor made a face and pawed the unwanted fruit away from his mouth. However, the taste hadn't exactly been... bad. He leaned down to sniff at it and then gave the berry another experiment nibble. Actually, that really wasn't bad at all. He'd never do this in less desperate times, but the moisture within the fruit was far too tempting. His mouth was dry and he was literally starving. So, throwing all caution to the wind, Victor began eating the fruit and was rewarded with renewed energy and... an odd feeling of calm once he'd swallowed about five or six of them. Rather selfishly, he didn't want to alert the rest of the mob to his 'amazing' new find, but did want to share it with Sevuela. Because Sev was amazing. The literal best. She should enjoy these, too. Spotting her close by, her form a bit blurred around the edges for some reason, he moved with a slight stumble to her side and gave her a quick nudge before nodding toward the berries, pointing out his find and chirping quietly for her to give them a try. It was clear that he was excited, thinking himself clever for having discovered this rather unusual source of food.

It probably wasn't uncommon for Victor and Sevuela to be seen on the outskirts of the group, and this was certainly one of those times.  After all, Victor was practically an outcast, even though the Linklus were significantly smaller now.  Seeing how they treated him the moment she had arrived here so long ago, Sevuela distanced herself from the rest of the group on purpose, and so even when she wasn't exactly getting along with him, she was still never far from his side.  Right now, however, there was nothing she wanted more to repair their relationship, so of course she wasn't far away.  Luckily, their status made it so they often went unnoticed, so it was likely that the two of them would have this new resource mostly to themselves, at least for a while.  Their bush wasn't the only one, however... there were several others nearby with an abundance of fruit.  Sevuela was having a hard time herself, and at one point, sighed loudly as she sat down in frustration.  She wasn't having any luck at all, and the sun wasn't even at its hottest yet... She rested her head on her paws, taking a deep breath... and that was when Victor came over to her, stumbling a bit.  She didn't think much of it; maybe he was just dizzy because he was hungry? All her thoughts faded away, however, at the mention of a meal... he caught her attention immediately.  When she saw the berries, she was a little confused, so she glanced back at him... Victor seemed rather excited about it.  She was a little wary of trying something new, but quite honestly, if he had told her to jump off a cliff, she would have done it just to make him happy.  She was that desperate for the two of them to be close again.  She was also rather naive to begin with, not to mention starving... and so, with a small chirp, she headed over to where he had pointed.

At first, Sevuela was hesitant, and pawed at the fruit lightly, before taking a small nibble.  The flavor was strange, but after the second bite, she found the taste... oddly desirable... and how could she turn away such an easy source of moisture? At that point, she just couldn't help herself, and began snapping up the berries eagerly.  At a certain point, she started to grow lightheaded, but figured that she was just still hungry, and ate a few more.  As she did, Sevuela just got dizzier and dizzier, and shaking her head didn't seem to make a difference.  Still, she didn't slow down, thus digging a deeper pit for herself as the accumulating fruit continued to ferment in her stomach.  Her movement became slightly sluggish, and slowly she glanced around, looking for Victor... her vision was starting to get blurry, and it didn't help that her head was spinning... but he didn't seem to be too far away, so continued eating the fruit, unconcerned and unaware of the effect it was having on her.  It wasn't really obvious in her behavior yet, but it was only a matter of time...


Truthfully, Millie started to feel increasingly lightheaded as well, although for different reasons.  Her footing nearly slipped, but she kept her eyes peeled on the horizon.  Everything seemed clear, but she couldn't let her guard down.  She was vaguely aware that she needed to eat something, but wouldn't step down unless someone offered to take her place.  She felt a little guilty getting sidetracked, but she glanced over at Lilifey more than once... Millie was worried about her, not only because Thunder was now gone, but because of her mother's age.  Lilifey and Liulfr seemed alright for the moment, however, so she continued with her post.  She uttered continuous calls to let the Linklus know that she had their backs.


Liulfr, unaware of the trouble that Victor and Sevuela were getting themselves in, gazed up at his mom gratefully, and chrred happily as he devoured the treat.  It wasn't much, but even for a large youngster like himself, it was invaluable.  He stayed in his mother's shadow, but tried to dig for his own food regardless.

With her back facing Victor and Sevuela, Shooting Star is unaware of the potentially dangerous activity they're currently engaging in. She's dealing with a problem that's making her want to rip the feathers out of the butt of a glossy starling that's shadowing her movements, patiently waiting for the opportunity to snatch up whatever the sand yeilds. Unfortunately the ground is so dry that whenever Shooting Star scrapes her claws across the ground it generates a cloud of dust that seeps into her nostrils, causing her erupt into a fit of violent sneezes. One sneeze is so forceful that it sends Shooting Star stumbling into the branches of a berry bush, one flimsy branch wrapping around her right front paw, another wrapping around her left hind ankle. After a minute of squirming and emitting frustrated grunts, Shooting Star manages to free herself, blinking curiously as her eyes land on a cluster of odd looking berries dangling from the right side of the bush. They're oddly shaped and dark blue in color (I'm imagining them to be dark blue XD). She tilts her head to the left inquisitively. What're those? She's never seen fruit like that before. The glossy starling forgotten, Shooting Star approaches the cluster of berries, sniffing them curiously. They have a citrusy aroma to them. She pokes the cluster of berries with her right paw, wondering what they taste like. When several berries fall to the ground Shooting Star laps one up with her tongue, a sweet flavor spreading through her taste buds as she chews into its soft skin. Oooh, that's absolutely delicious! Soon she devours seconds, then thirds, then fourths, then.....She's totally lost count. It isn't long before Shooting Star starts to feel strange. She feels totally chill. Like the ground could literally collapse under her and she wouldn't care. Her vision is starting swirl, sway and morph into strange things. She blinks and shakes her head. What the heck?! What's going on? Why is she starting to feel so strange? Are those stupid dizzy spells back? No. This feels different, like she's floating on a cloud through a kaleidoscope world in a composed state. The next thing Shooting Star knows she's on her back tangled up in the berry bush again. Dung nuggets!

Jazmine had gone off to look for Violet, and her effort is rewarded when she hears her sister's voice call out nearby. She barks loudly to let her know that someone's on the way and then runs off towards Violet - and, unknowingly, Voldemort. Normally she keeps strict tabs on where Bandit is at all times but she puts him out of her mind temporarily, focusing on retrieving Violet, not knowing what she's about to run into.
--
Temp is rewarded by the dry river bed himself when he finds a fairly large grub. He scarfs it down, but even the grub seems dryer than normal. With something in his stomach, he is ready to take on one of his favorite tasks - sentry duty. He looks up and sees Millie on top of a tree, swaying gently but trying to stay focused. Instantly he is a little alarmed. Of all meerkats, Millie needs to be one that should be foraging and keeping up her energy. He starts to dig around a little more, and finds a small beetle. He wishes it was more, but this will have to do. He runs over to Millie with meal in mouth and barks at her, letting her know that her shift has ended and he's ready to take over.

Luisa normally sticks near Temp since he shares a lot and doesn't really seem to mind that she is a picky eater, but he's gone off to do sentry duty, so nervously looks around the group for an adult to forage with. She just doesn't want anyone to judge her for not wanting to eat certain prey. She can't help but feel guilty that in a time of hardship, she would refuse something to eat but something in her brain just won't let her eat things that aren't crunchy. She knows that Lilifey is another meerkat that won't judge her, but she sees Liulfr over by her already. She normally has a sibling rivalry with him, but they did get along this morning... maybe that'll last all day? Probably not, but worth a try. She runs over to them and begins to forage near her mother and brother.

Faafe forages for a little bit, then goes to sit under a bush. It's hot. She watches Victor, Sevuela, and Shooting Star as they eat some berries, and she scoffs. They're so weird. Who would ever eat berries? Still, she watches intently as they begin to stumble and smile and slur.

Cassidee sticks near Emerald and Saja, alternating between eating some things herself and sharing food with them.

Harvey tries to forage, but being so young, he isn't very good at it. He starts to wander in the direction of Victor, Sevuela, and Shooting Star. He looks up and sees them eating berries and acting a bit funny. Huh?

Topaz also didn't notice the three eating a strange fruit, trying to find something to eat herself, with little results, only finding little bits of prey here and there. She manages to find some larvae, but only a few.. Even the insects were having a hard time. She sighed and ate up the larvae anyways, it was something at least. She continues to dig, focused and for the time being, blocking out all else.

Emerald and Saja were doing the best they could to also find food. Saja insisted that Emerald ate more, usually pushing what she found or what Cassidee gave to her to the calico pup. But she would still eat a bit, but giving the rest to her adoptive sister. She manages to find a worm, eating half of it and giving the rest to Emerald. She also didn't notice some of the others eating a fruit and acting off...

Emerald accepted the worm from her older adoptive sister, eating it slowly. She was worried, though. She was grateful for Saja giving her food but she wanted her to also eat and take care of herself. They had a mother in Cassidee now, Saja didn't need to insist on being the one to take care of her. But she doesn't complain, for now...

Millie glanced down at her brother, and blinked.  She hadn't always been so diligent when it came to looking after her family, but in the past two years that had certainly changed.  As determined as she was, however, it was a good thing, in this weather, that she had someone like Temp looking out for her to make sure she didn't overdo it.  At first, she was hesitant to step down, but her brother had a point and she knew that he was being reasonable.  She hadn't considered it before climbing up here, but she was starting to get lightheaded, which was potentially dangerous from such a high spot... with a nod, she slowly made her way down the tree.  A couple of feet from the ground, her footing slipped and she fell down, one of her hind paws hitting the ground first.  Luckily, nothing was broken or sprained, but it was a little sore... she could handle it though, it wasn't too bad.  If nothing else, it was a reminder to Millie not to take risks like that in the future, at least until her condition had improved.  After finishing the beetle he offered her, she gave her brother's back a grateful nuzzle, then passed him and stopped to forage herself.  She had barely scraped the surface, however, when she noticed a commotion in the bushes on the edge of the Linklus, and saw Shooting Star tangled in them and trying to free herself.  Millie remembered the unrest that Shooting Star had caused when the Linklus had first accepted her a couple years ago, and knew she had disappeared with Sophie shortly after, and had thus been avoiding her... She decided to dig a few moments longer, and was rewarded with a very thin worm lizard... she looked up and saw that Shooting Star was still stuck, and seemed to be having an even harder time than before.  Making a quick decision, Millie abandoned her hole and went over to her.  When she reached the bush, she sniffed her mob-mate curiously.  Now, just how did you get yourself in this mess, Shooting Star? With a slight laugh, she shook her head.  Let's see if I can help you... She tried her best to weave herself through the branches, and gentle gripped Shooting Star's scruff with her teeth.  She paused for a moment, then slowly began to tug.  She hadn't realized yet that the meerkat she was trying to help was facing the effects of intoxication... she also hadn't noticed Victor or Sevuela facing similar effects nearby... 


Liulfr glanced over at Luisa.  Normally he would have quite a competitive attitude towards her, but right now, he was too hungry to argue with her, and gave his sister a friendly smile.  He continued foraging and was lucky enough to find a few small grubs.  He snapped them up hungrily; as one of the mob's youngest members, he had to eat to grow properly, even if he was 3 months old already. 

***

Violet barked, once again hoping that someone, anyone, would hear her.  Voldemort was too strong and he had caught her off guard; she didn't stand a chance by herself.  Luckily, Violet wouldn't be alone much longer.  Bandit was never far behind Jazmine, and he fell in line at her side as they pursued the missing Linklu.  Suddenly, Bandit caught her scent and when he looked ahead, he saw two figures... one of them he didn't recognize, but the other appeared to be Violet... and she was in trouble.  Almost immediately, his more violent instincts kicked in, and a growl grew deep in his throat.  Bandit nudged Jazmine... and charged.  He wasn't sure who this stranger was, and he didn't necessarily care... all Bandit knew was that this was an intruder, and it had been too long since he had last shed blood... He didn't realize that in his unrest, he was about to display a side to him that he had been hiding from Jazmine, the meerkat he had never intended to fall in love with, and yet, he had.

Shooting Star ceases her struggling when she feels the breath of some creature ruffling her fur. She tries to turn her head in the direction she senses the presence of an entity but the muscles in her neck feel heavy. The muscles throughout her body are starting to grow heavy and uncoordinated, which sends a sense of alarm through her system. What's happening to her? Why can't she move right? Her heart rate accelerates as a distorted, disembodied voice enters her ears. Wh-who's that? Who's there? When she feels something grasp her scruff and start to pull her, she panics and starts to squirm vigorously, thinking in her intoxicated mind that the bush she's entangled in has transformed into a monster and is retaliating against her for swiping it's berries. I'm sorry for taking your berries, Mr Bush Monster sir, please don't eat me! Please have mercy!

Voldemort watched Violet struggle almost monotonously. A glower hung from the corner of his mouth. His keen senses picked up on the help she called out for.
No matter.
He could take them on if he for sure felt like it. But he didn't. But he also wouldn't be leaving Violet un-harmed.
His glower picked itself back up to a grin; his violent grin. And for a moment he felt a sensation that he'd never felt before, one that he could call—dare he say it—sweet for the first time and label it as nostalgic; his visual memory of the past showed him wearing the same grin as a pup—right before he attacked Violet in the burrow.
He found he liked this euphoric "nostalgia" and would continue to appeal to it. His eyes nearly impaled Violet's, widening with a crazed excitement. He lifted his massive paw, hovering it over her leg—the same one that had suffered under his brutality a lifetime ago.
He brought his paw down hard, almost crushing Violet's small back leg, but wasn't entirely sure if he was successful or not. But he was glad to feel the grind of small bones, groaning beneath his strength.
It was like literally re-opening an old wound. Voldemort snorted an awful, raw chuckle and finalized his vandalism by using a single, large claw to slash Violet's chest, X'ing the damage and branding her a permanent visible target. He bared his teeth in grotesque when seeing her new soon-to-be forever scar drool red.
Before her precious friends could charge him, he finally took his weight off the helpless female, and began to run, leaving Linklu territory behind.

Jazmine saw the situation unfold just a moment after Bandit charged after Voldemort. She shrieked in terror as Voldemort hurt Violet and then began to run away. She noticed Bandit's demeanor change in one instant, going from the devoted yet manly 'kat she knows to... something else. As he runs after Voldemort, she runs up to Violet, scared to look but needing to see if her sister was okay. She keeps one eye peeled on the two boys.

Several minutes later, and Sevuela had already consumed a lot of the fruit on the ground, and there was no going back now.  She, however, remained quite oblivious to what she had gotten herself into.  She retreated from the shade and returned to foraging in the dry sand.  Or, at least, she tried to.  The effects were getting worse, and she was getting increasingly dizzy.  She figured it was because she was hungry, but her coordination was off and she was having a hard time digging.  She shook her head a couple more times, but it only seemed to make it worse.  She did, however, manage to unearth a small beetle, and ate it quickly before dragging herself out of her small hole.  Stumbling, Sevuela turned around and flopped down next to Victor.

Not sure what to make of Shooting Star's words, Millie ignored her and continues to drag the female until she has been freed from the bush.   Confused by her behavior, Millie sniffed her, trying to figure out what was wrong. In the end, she took a few steps back... she just can't figure it out...

*****

Seeing the intruder retreat, Bandit calmed down, and snorts, and returned to Jasmine and Violet.  He regained his composure and sniffed Violet in concern.  Was she okay?

Violet winced; Voldemort had attacked so quickly, she hadn't had a chance to retaliate.  The wound was deep, and blood was already trickling from the wound.  It was painful, but not as painful as the ache in her heart.  She'd really thought that she'd found Draco again... instead, she found Voldemort, the last meerkat she ever wanted to see.  She glanced at her sister with a small whimper.

A yelp of surprise escapes Shooting Star's mouth as she feels someone pull her free from the bush. She shifts onto her back, trying to calm her rapid breathing and heart rate. She could swear she just saw her entire life flash before her eyes. How dare that vile bush monster try to kill her! She hasn't had pups yet! She's gotta have pups before she dies! Anyway, she blinks, wondering who saved her. She gasps excitedly. Maybe a handsome rover appeared, saw she was in danger and came to rescue her. This could be her chance to create a heroic gene pool. Shifting onto her belly, Shooting Star squints her eyes as the blurry figure of a meerkat appears in her line of vision, a shiver rippling up her spine as she felt a cold nose brush against her right ear. At this proximity she should be able to smell the scent of a Linklu, but the intoxicating juices of the fruit has dulled her senses, so she quivers excitedly, imagining she's being examined by a handsome roving male.

Off in the distance a young female slowly approaches the group. When she can smell the other meerkats, she pauses and sniffs the air. Who is this mob she has found? Are they friendly? She certainly hopes so. Having come from a disbanded gang of her own, Lamoni is hoping to find a new family. She crouches low to the ground and approaches these new meerkats slowly and cautiously.

Turning her head, and naturally on high alert, Millie is the first to spot the newcomer. With their numbers low, newcomers would probably be welcome, but not all strangers are friendly. She barks to Lilifey, and watches Lamoni from a distance warily.

Temp turns around, hearing Millie's bark, and peeps loudly to alert the group to Lamoni's approach. He doesn't think that the lone female is any threat, but everyone should be aware that she's in the area anyway. While he waits for Lilifey to assess the situation, he continues his duty on sentry, diligently scanning the surroundings.

Luisa huffs a little bit. She was hoping that Lilifey would share some of her food with her, but now she's going to be distracted by investigating this newcomer and it'll be even longer before she can get something to eat. She sighs.

Cassidee's fur bristles upon hearing Temp's peep, but she forces it to go down. She's just so on edge nowadays, but she wants to appear friendly so as not to scare the new female.
--
Jazmine whimpers back at Violet. She nuzzles her, and licks her wound a little bit. It's not life-threatening, but obviously can't feel too good. She knows, though, that in her head Violet is going through something much worse. Jazmine doesn't really know what else to do other than be there for her sister.

Shooting Star is snapped out of her romantic reverie when she hears the alert calls from Millie and Temp. Turning her head, a blurry figure enters her line of vision. She emits an agitated grumble to herself, still intoxicated from the berry juice in her system. The figure is so blurry she can't tell what is. Curiosity growing within her, Shooting Star attempts to get up to approach the figure, but tumbles onto her left side with a squeak. Now what the heck is going on?! Why won't her limbs work?! This is ridiculous!