He was lounging in a long curved tree, enjoying the warm rays of spring. He could hear gentle splashing nearby, with his chosen tree leaning over the waters of Manatee Bay, he could hardly be surprised. At first, he chose to ignore them, shuffling his little butt and turning over as he hugged his branch, his little frame fitting easily against it bulk.

Another splash, this time a light spray of water reached his perch, and grumpily he leaned over the edge and peered through the new green foliage of the plant. He would see down below a mother Manatee, playing with its little babe, they were splashing about in the shallower waters near the edge, and even he had to admit the pudgy little form was cute.

Knowing that Velvette would wish to see this - she was oddly possessive of these funny creatures, he decided to jump to his paws. His sister, well being annoying, and let’s face it, smelt like a gross girl, she was also a fearsome warrior, and his favorite partner in crime. Perhaps he could be a good brother for once, and let her share in this sight.

He raised back his head and called for his sister, scooting closer to the tree trunk, and peering through the trees that lead further inward, uncertain where his sister was, or where she would be coming from. He certainly wasn’t going to let her catch him off guard.

Word count: 241

""

While Ra-ra was taking a nap and lazing about, Velvette was training her body. She was on the other side of the little island that rested on manatee bay. This was her little training ground, she had everything set up where she wanted it. Before her the bare trunk of the tree, marked with a bullseye where she practiced throwing knives. She just finished stretching when Ramesh’s call had reached her ears.

Below her paw as an almost fully horizontal branch, it was easily the size of the huge trunk. With how big it was the flat area had been an easy choice to put her main ‘room.’ A small cache of herbs were kept to the north, she slept on the branches to the east, and the main trunk was to the south. With her brother’s call though the girl went west.

She glided over the branches on silent feet as she searched for Ramesh. He was in his napping place, somewhere she found him too often. She hadn't told him he was starting to develop a gut quite yet. She wanted to see if he’d do anything about it before that point in time. Velvette would get him back into shape.

She slowed her pace as she approached where she suspected Ramesh lingered, hoping to get a glimpse of him before he realized she was there. With her spotted coat even her brother had a rough time making out her silhouette in the trees. She watched him with her blue and magenta gaze, silently and stealthily she positioned herself above him. With the utmost care she timed her jump to land right on her brother’s back.

wc: 278

He was peering so intently through the trees, looking so hard, that he wasn’t really seeing. He was sure he would know what direction she would come from, but truly, she was taking her sweet time. Perhaps she was doing.. Whatever it was girls did. Admiring her reflection in the water somewhere, perhaps. Then he grinned, because Balsam was the one who did the admiring of Velvette, not Ve herself!

Lost in his thoughts, and getting impatient on where his sister was, he stretched up on his back paws like a meerkat, peering through the branches in some vain attempt to spot his sister, and then suddenly she was there.

Vaulting onto his tree in a sudden flash of movement, shaking his branch. With a yelp, the badly balanced boy would topple free, and she would be rewarded with the sudden, startle expression on his muzzle, before he dropped through the canopy and out of sight.

He hit the water with a splash, and well he had had reluctantly learned a little bit of swimming since his last adventure, he was still very unpractised, and slow. As he flailed about, an errant paw would hit the baby Manatee, and hear a sudden surprised squeak of the creature. The mother then made an angry chirping noise, and before he knew it, he was being headbutted by 800 pounds of pissed of sea cow. The force of the push shoved him under the water with a gurgled cry.


Word count: 246

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Velvette knew he was neglecting his training when she snuck up on him so easily. That or she was just getting that much better. Ve’s main concern was her training. She had even managed to mostly ignore the symptoms of her first heat. She tried to tell herself it was all just an inconvenience and had shoved all of her frustrations into working harder.

Her stealthy form succeeded in sneaking up on her brother, with a triumphant smirk she watched his surprise. His expression brightened her whole week, but as he began to totter it was nothing compared to having thrown him into the bay.

Her features lit up in amusement, watching as he cannon balled right on top of a mother manatee and her calf. Velvette regretted everything in that moment. She grit her teeth and growled as she hung her head over the branch she stood on as the sea cow attacked her litter mate.

The manatees weren’t usually aggressive, but this was a first time mom, who’s calf was particularly adorable. She would have chastised her brother for disturbing them had he not been actively drowning beneath the mother’s angry body. Velvette sighed heavily and jumped in after him.

While Ra-ra couldn’t swim well, Velvette was certainly a fish in her previous life. With strong strokes she first went for her brother, aiming to grab his scruff and get him out of the way of the angry cow.


wc:241

The water was shockingly cold, even in spring. The warm day didn’t seem to have done much to heat the large body of liquid, and all he could think about was how much it was going to suck getting his fur dry again, and then he went under.

If he thought it was bad, half in and half out, the temperature was surprisingly nice once he was fully in. He didn’t plan on staying there for long, and as he flailed about, he realised he couldn’t get past the huge bulk of the angry manatee mother. He began to flail harder as his body desired air, desperate to get out of this stupid predicament. This was all Ve-ve’s fault, if she had just landed on his branch like a normal wolf!

The angry Manatee smacking him again, driving the last little bit of air from his lungs, and he was certain that he was a gooner, this was it. This was how the Great Warrior Ramesh died. Stuck under a fat sea cow.

Just when he had given up hope, he felt teeth grip into his ruff, and drag him forcefully out of the way of the third manatee attack. With a few powerful strokes, his rescuer dragged him to the surface, where he could suck in blissful, delicious air. As he gasped and spluttered and cleared a mouthful of water from his lungs, he would see the beautiful, daring form of his sister. “Velvette” he gasped, delirious and light headed. “My beautiful, wonderful sister. I take back everything I ever said about your smell and stupidity. I love you” he rasped, his voice coming and going as his throat burned.

For some reason, his sister halted his rescue there, releasing him so quickly he slipped back under the water again, and he flailed ungracefully back to the surface, and dragged his sorry ass to the shore, where he hugged the sand and breathed. Thinking blissful, longing thoughts about his tree. He heard the pipping, annoyed voice of the manatee, but it seemed to show no interest in pursuing him further, and turned back to play with its babe.



Word count: 363

""

Yes. Her brother was definitely overweight. As she clasped her jaws over his scruff and started hauling him out of the way she was surprised by his girth. For being shorter than her he sure was fat. Good thing she had been training so hard recently. Victory was in her grasp as she pulled him from the final attack that surely would have ended him.

She pulled him to the surface and he managed to take a gasp of fresh air as he coughed out the sea water. He gasped her name and thanked her, taking back all the ill he had ever said towards her. Velvette managed to smirk as she dropped him. Showed him how much she cared about his meaningless words.

Of course she watched him, making sure the manatee didn’t try to end him again. She was already back to playing with her calf, completely forgetting the anger she had shown just a few moments ago. She followed him up onto the beach, much more spry than his half drowned form.

”You big lug. How to you rile up an animal like a manatee?” She chastised him with furrowed brows. ”And don’t tell me you haven’t been neglecting your training.”


wc: 208
total: 1,577

He hacked a little more as he got accustomed to the idea of living. His breathing was a little erratic as he got to his paws, and shook out half an ocean of water from his coat. He glanced back at the manatee as Vel spoke, before glancing at his big sister. “Me?” he rasped in surprise, narrowing his eyes at her. He was wrong, she definitely did stink. “That was completely uncalled for, she just attacked me out of nowhere, after, you pushed me in” he reminded her grumpily.

He was already thinking of crawling back into a sunny tree and drying off in the sun, when she pointed out his training. He blushed, the tone lost in his dark cheeks. “I.. I’m training.” he told her “There just hasn’t been much worth the challenge” he admitted, not after they took on a crocodile and besides, his sister had been spending more time alone lately. He found it more fun when they trained and fought together. He wanted to take on more monsters with his sister, that was when he was really alive.

""

She took the opportunity to shake the sea water from her own pelt as her brother did with his. She didnt hold back when scolding him. Despite having almost just died Velevette knew he hadn't. Speaking of her pushing him in. "You wouldn't have fallen in if you trained harder." she mumbled as he tried to defend himself. Ve couldn't really accept it either, the challenge was what you made of your work.

She scowled at him, "Well that manatee almost killed you. That wasn't enough challenge?" she asked with her theoretical hand on her hip and gesturing towards the manatee. "You better be up at sunrise tomorrow. We are training together." she gave him a look that said there would be no arguing this point. The two of them were training together.