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Mutants & Masterminds: The Indigo Children - TMNT Fiction: Tiger, Tiger.... [Complete]


Cole Mulvaney

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Theresa and Connor Mulvaney had gotten used to hoaxes like this. Someone swears they see Bigfoot, or a large predator and calls wildlife management, who are already overtaxed as it is, who then call the zoo to see if they can spare someone to check the veracity of the claim. Because this claim was pertaining to a large cat it passed over Connor's desk. He almost dismissed it, but it mentioned the predator, whatever it was moving bipedally as well as on all fours.

"We have to check this one, besides, some country air will do us good."

"Are you sure Con?" Theresa questioned him.

"Yeah, will be a good experience, besides it's a working vacation."

"Fine we'll go." They both left it unspoken they'd be bringing their "son" along as well. Cole needed more time outside the house and letting him run through the untamed wild of Blauvelt National Park. They quickly packed their things and requisitioned the equipment needed for the "hunt" and returned to their home in the northern part of the city. Cole was nowhere to be seen when they entered, and Connor whistled a certain tune softly. From one of the back bedrooms Cole emerged standing at his full 6'3" height. He easily massed half again what his father did and was covered in radiant white fur with ebony black striping. Even though he wasn't even human, the two proud parents looked on him with pride and only the fondness parents can know. They'd rescued him as a cub when they realized he was truly special and unique. When he spoke it was in perfect english.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad, you guys are home early. What's up?"

Theresa hugs her son as Connor goes into their room to change.

"We're going on a little camping expidition and pending your answer you may be going too." Theresa looked up at him. "You haven't been anywhere but the house and the rooftops for the last few weeks have you?"

"No Mom, I promise, I've even stayed away from the park like y'all said."

"Okay then, you can come. Get dressed and then get into the van. You'll have to stay in it until nightfall, then you can get out and roam, just be sure you aren't seen."

Cole seems to bounce from one foot to the other with excitement. It had been ages since he got to roam in the woods. "Awesome! This i gonna be so much fun, even if I have to wait in the van."

Connor reached up and patted the shoulder of his son and smiled. "That's the spirit son."

Connor quickly donned his trenchcoat and had over his black shorts and tanktop. He went into the garage and climbed in the van. There were a good number of books on the floor, it was one of the ways he passed time. Each one had gashes in the side where the pages had been turned by Cole, his hands while dextrous in the extreme, lacked true oposable thumbs so reading wasn't particularly easily accomplished. He took it as a challenge though, and persevered in trying to keep reading and learning. It was also a great way to pass time.

The Drive to Blauvelt was ineventful and the park was virtually empty. A few hikers were on the trails and They left by sundown. His parents had walked all the trails and seen nothing of real interest, no signs of a large threatening predator. The plan was to spend Saturday going through the untraveled parts of the park looking for tracks and such. Cole's parents smiled as he emerged and took off his coat and nodded, then bolted into the woods. "Take care son, something just feels amiss."

Connor and Theresa made Camp there near the vehicle with large dome tent and a fire outside, confident in the kowedge that they need only call for Cole and he would come running, or whenever they finished roasting the chicken over the fire, whichever came first.

In the woods, Cole found strange clawlike markings on trees, slightly smaller than his own, but in a similar pattern. He also got the distinct feeling he'd entered into someone else's home without permission. His thoughts wandered back to his parents and he started making his way back towards them, though not at high speed.

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There was a new scent in the air and she knew someone had entered her territory. It had been quite some time she made out such a distinct scent, the scent of an intruder, someone who didn’t belong her, trespasser. She had grown used to being the largest predator in her territory and it had been years since someone had entered her territory unknowingly. The markings had been obvious enough and nature had accepted the rule of the strongest.

The tigress slowly approached the vicinity of the freshest trail of the scent she had caught and stopped suddenly. The scent was oddly familiar – it was akin to hers but yet new. Anticipation made her heart beat faster both out of curiosity and the prospect of defending what was hers. No one had dared come this close to her lair and she would prove that it was a mistake to get so close without her permission.

The air carried some noises of cracking wood and burning fire. Humans, only humans made fire. A growl escaped from the depths of her bowels as anger was added to her anticipation. She forfeited her careful approach and concentrated on finding the intruders as fast as possible – she would deal with anyone who was stupid enough to ignore the markings her way. Her muscles bulged and flexed impressively as her stride got faster and more determined. She knew there was danger ahead but it was in her nature to act, she couldn’t refuse the call of the wild.

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She emerged from the woods into the light, in a quick attempt to intimidate the trespassing humans. The look on their facies however weren't those of fearful humans, but rather suprised and then fascinated ones. The smell of the interloper was all around them, they clearly had something to do with it.

The male human called out "Cole come quickly!"

She had no idea what was happening but there was a faint sound from the woods, then she felt a heavy weight and what felt like paws push her downward. She growled and was suprised to hear it returned as she twisted and kicked as she completed the fall and roll sending her attacker flying into the air.

Her attacker landed on his feet just as the roll completed and she regained hers. Claws came out in preparation for a fight, and mouths opened to reveal gleaming white teeth and fangs. Connor called out "Cole Stop!" then simply nothing as the two combatants took a moment to truly look at their foe.

Cole was almost in total shock, lowering his hands and allowing his claws to retract.

The figure before him in the crackling firelight was like himself, stark white fur with black stripes, crystal clear blue eyes, every bit the tiger he was, but she was a female, and a remarkably attractive one at that. "You're just like me?" it was a statement and a question all in one.

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Confusion was in her eyes. Adrenaline had spiked her senses to the max and every muscle was ready to burst into action but instead she remained transfixed on her spot. A snarl escaped her muzzle and she had her fangs still revealed. She obviously didn’t understand what he was saying but her eyes spoke a clear language. There was excitement and curiosity which no animal could express. She was indeed just like him, a more feral version but aside from their gender absolutely identical. As seconds stretched to minutes the Tigress relaxed visibly. She was still on full alert but chose to wait things out and see what this male counterpart of hers was about. He could speak the humans language which she didn’t understand by words but she could tell by their voices and pronunciation what their general intention was. These humans were intruders but not trespassers.

Her eyes remained on Cole, watching his every feature which mirrored her own in so many ways that she felt like staring into a lake. Her hostile stance faded with each heartbeat and her claws retracted accordingly. Then she pointed at one of his hands and raised her own just to show how similar they were. With feral hesitation she made an awkward step towards Cole reaching out with her hand to see if he was real. His scent was real enough for sure but was he real?

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Cole Mirrored her action perfectly, raising a hand/paw to match it with her own, his tail barely flicking behind him. There was almost a certain electric thrill as they touched, confirming it wasn't a dream, both were real, both were standing there. Their paws were identical, save hers being just a bit smaller than his. She was graceful and from the way she move it was easy to see her as a true predator. She seemed to not understand human speech so instead he did what was natural. He relaxed his body somewhat and spoke with the same body language, a shift of weight, a bristling of the whiskers on his muzzle, a flick of the tail. "Ummm Hi... I'm Cole, can I ask your name?" he asked in both English and cat body language. The entire time his eyes never left hers, primarily because he knew if they did he'd fully realize she didn't have clothes on like he did.

He hoped his tone set her at ease as he was trying to calm her down in addition to learning about her.

His parents meanwhile had both pulled out notepads. His Father sketched the two of them by firelight, and his mother began writing up a full description of the Female Tigress.

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The moment they touched her aggressive/defensive stance dropped and she seemed to even smile for a second. Her eyes wandered over his features and unlike him knew no shame, instead she appraised him as potential mate. Cole’s question didn’t seem to connect with her, his body language seemed like an invitation to her to get to know him better. He appeared strong and powerful to her which appealed to her instincts and she came closer to him starting to take in his scent and circled carefully around him. She didn’t notice that she was actually starting to purr in his vicinity. The strangers at the campfire seemed completely forgotten as she indulged herself.

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She moved and broke eye-contact He could tell she was looking him over, checking him out as it were. He closed his eyes a moment and then opened them as he inhaled deeply. Her scent was intoxicating in its own right. He remained still hands, lowered but not completely, allowing her to circle him and look without interruption. It was the first display of trust as he didn't even bristle as she moved from his field of vision, but the predator within him railed against it, but he remained still.

When at last she came back around to face him he easily picked up the low ruble of her purring. He nodded and returned the favor, silently drinking in her scent as he circled her, no longer quite as ashamed, and allowing a certain degree of instinct free reign. Vaguely he remembered his parents watching them but he could hardly spare them a thought much less glance.

She was beautiful to him in every way, strong and powerful, and at realizing her relaxed posture he moved in close, reaching out and tracing a paw along the lines of her cheek. He was right here with her, face to face and nose to nose, both of them purring. Then he pulled back nodding. "You are truly beautiful, he spoke with both English, though in a very soft voice, and through body language.

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As he spoke she looked straight into his eyes and smiled at him. Carefully she poked her nose against his giving back the compliment he spoke. Even though she didn’t understand the words her reactions and body language implied that she knew what he was saying. She sensed a connection between him and the humans and if he trusted them she saw no reason to be hostile towards them.She walked slowly towards the humans carefully circling around them to see if they were as harmless as they appeared to her. She had watched hunters using metal sticks that put their prey to sleep and she wanted to make sure that these humans had nothing that resembled those metal sticks on them.

The male was the first she inspected – the man stared fascinated at her but broke eye contact to avoid any indication of a challenge to her. He knew what to do in the presence of a big predator like her. She sniffed the air around him and was positive that he belonged to Cole – just like the female that seemed to be the male’s mate. Once she was done with her inspection she rejoined Cole obviously waiting for him to make the next move. She laid her head to the side and watched him while she kept purring in approval. The intruders had been accepted in her territory.

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Connor simly stopped what he was doing as the Tigress circled him, awestruck at seeing her up close. She was beautiful just as Cole had said, and like him in every way. He recalled how some corporate type had brought his pet tiger to the zoo the day of the event, it was the only other possible parent to explain this second mutant tigress circling him. "Clearly some of our mannerisms are innate in her, but Theresa, She's been in the wild all this time."

He looks over to Cole, who's watching her carefully and queries "Cole can you talk to her, understand her?"

Cole seems to snap to and nods slightly. "To an extent dad, but I don't think she can speak human. It's like she was raised here in the wild."

Theresa nods as the Tigress Circles her. "Classic inspection.." She trails off as the Tigress returns to Cole's side. "It would seem she's accepted all three of us then."

Cole's father nodded. "This changes everything. How many more could there be out there like them, animals born after that day that survived, changed, made more human?" The question wasn't really directed anywhere as much as at himself.

Meanwhile Cole nodded as she returned to him and drew near to her, wrappping an arm around her shoulder in what he hoped she'd take as a gesture of friendship. As his parents contemplated the ramifications of this revalation he whispered softly in her ear, "You're not alone anymore, neither of us are." and he nuzzled her neck softly with his muzzle before leading her over to his parents, the van and a making introductions.

"These are my parents Theresa and Connor, or Mom and Dad as I call them. He smiles lightly as his father and mother extend a hand each to her in a sign of welcome.

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The Tigress seemed confused by her own reaction. She accepted Cole's arm around her shoulder without flinching and his voice soothed the beast inside her. She even let his parents come closer but hesitated to be touched by them.

Looking at Cole and the van she suddenly stopped unsure what to do next. Going inside the van seemed wrong to her and she didn't like the idea of being caged. Taking Cole's hand she half dragged him away towards the woods again trying to get him come to her lair instead. Expectantly her eyes searched his for an answer.

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The two humans weren't all that suprised when she stopped short of returning the greeting, Cole was being fairly optimistic after all, trying to introduce something feral to civility so quickly. When she started trying to pull him back he stood still a moment, somewhat confused. Connor smiled. "She's nervous Cole, it's ok, I think she wants you to go with her though."

Cole looked into her eyes seeing the anxiety, and almost fear and nodded, allowing her to lead him into the woods. He heard his mother call out "Keep safe son." and then he was in the forest itself on his way he assumed to the Tigress's den.

Still it felt good to have her hand in his.

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The Tigress increased her pace as she sensed him following her. It felt good to have him near her and she wanted find out more about him where she felt safe. They had come pretty close to her den and caution teached her to confuse any followers on her way back home. So she started to take sharp turns hiding her intentions under a playful demeanor. He would be concentrating on not losing her out of his sight and hopefully forget the way she had taken from the camp to her den.

Once she felt safe enough she took one last turn to lead them both directly to her den. It was the place she had been raised and there was still the scent of her mother all over the place. She took his hand again and guided him to the place where she usually slept, just where the scent of her mother was the strongest. Then she looked at him and carefully tipped her nose against his inviting him to stay. Her eyes were fully alert and she curiously lashed her tail from one side to the other. What was he about? Why did he come now? Where has he been all the time? Why are the humans his parents? There were so many questions she needed an answer to and she hoped he would tell her about it, so she could learn more about her own origin.

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He followed her doggedly, not really bothering to catalog the path, he could follow his nose back to his parents.

He had his own questions, many mirroring hers. Who raised her? Where were they? Why was she out here in the wild? What did she want from him?

Instead of pertinent questions he looked around and took in the den. It was nice and cozy, though he had a feeling he'd always prefer his room at home. "Your home is very nice. YOu've always lived here?"

His nostrils flair as he tries to place the scent of whatever else was once here. it wasn't rediculously strong, due to its age, but it was there, and they were near the center of it. It was his idea that it was likely whatever raised her, and it wasn't human.

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She looked at the spot where the scent of her mother was the strongest and carefully laid a hand over it as if she was stroking someone’s fur. There was sadness in her eyes which reflected the loss of someone very close to her. A painful almost yelping sound escaped her as she swallowed down the sadness and tried to concentrate on the present again. Here she was with someone who was just like her and he seemed similarly confused. She couldn’t answer his questions and a hint of disappointment flashed over her eyes as her own hope of getting answers was choked.

At least they had found each other and she would not let him go until she knew the answers.

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He sensed her sadness and closed with her, his arms encircling her in a gentle embrace. He nuzzled her softly. "It's ok we'll work through this together. She may be gone now, but I'm here for you. I won't leave you."

He hoped he was coming off as reassuring as he was trying to be. The language barrier was pretty high between them.

"Do you have a name, something I can refer to you by?"

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For the first time in a long time the tigress relaxed. Cole gave her security and she trusted him although they have met merely minutes ago. His voice was soft and confident and she wished she understood what he said and could talk to him like the humans did. His question didn’t make much sense to her, it had always been clear who she was. There was none like her in the woods out here and the animals in the area identified her by her markings.

Not knowing what to do she simply extended her claws and scratched the floor just like she scratched the trees leaving a distinct carving which was easily recognisable as hers. She appreciated his caress and tried to give some of it back by starting to lick his fur. It felt natural to her to do that.

After a while she stopped licking Cole’s fur and suddenly stood up. If she wanted to know more about her past and her new mate she had to go to his place and learn to speak like him. She looked at him with a new found confidence but yet underlined by insecurities. Leaving her den was… nothing she had ever done before. It cost her a lot of willpower to do what she was about to do. Taking his hand she headed back to the camp. Her desire to learn more about herself was stronger than her instincts to defend her territory. She could come back here later or she would stay with Cole – no matter what the future hold for them, she would spent it together with him.

Once she reached the camp she announced her approach accordingly to ease the humans. She was still reluctant to come any closer than just about arms reach to them but it was an improvement nonetheless. Then she did something unexpected – she walked to the van and scratched at the door expressing her intention to get inside.

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Theresa and Connor were dumbstruck. Not so much that the two Tigers had returned so quickly, but that the female had gone directly to the van and was clearly indicating that she wanted inside. Connor scrambled to put the fire out as Cole broke down the tent and packed away the camping gear. Theresa went and opened the door to the van to allow the Tigress to inspect it.

Sensing her unease at the now opened vehicle, Cole nodded once and climbed inside, sitting on the floor of the van since the second seat was removed.

He nodded to her and patted the floor beside him, indicating that she should sit with him while his parents finished preparing to leave.

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She sat next down to him and reclined to the floor trying to cuddle up with him. The van’s engine roared to live and she instantly cowered closer to Cole turning around to look at him. She hoped it wouldn’t take too long whatever this “thing” did. She saw vehicles from the distance and they all smelled awfully and made too much noise. Being inside such a beast made her skin itch but Cole was here and that gave her strength. Her eyes spoke of her fear but there was also much hope and longing and that made her overcome her fears.

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Cole wrapped both his arms around her as the engine spooked her. He did his best to reassure her of things being okay. Finally his parents finished packing and climbed in as well. Connor started the drive home and Col, despite just wanting to hold her to him pointed her gaze out the window. The lights of the city were bright and a myriad of colors as they made their way back to New York City.

As the crossed the Hudson he did his best to show her the city. Not for the first time he was glad the windows were heavily tinted. Finally they arrived at their home in the Southern Bronx.

Connor cut the engine and climbed out to get the door unlocked. Theresa nodded to Cole "Take your time, this is alot for her to take in." Then she exited the car, presumably to go and catch Sheba, the Siamese cat that also lived there. Cole Slid open the door with his foot since his mother had already opened it but kept his arms around her. Slowly he drew away from her, careful to hold one of her paws in his regardless, and climbed out of the vehicle. "Trust me, you're safe here. No one will hurt you here. This is my home."

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The colors and lights of the city did spook her but there was also a part of her that was excited and curious about the world beyond her territory. The tigress did her best to hide her fear and express her excitement lashing her tail from one side to the other and intensively purring at her mate. Somehow the connection to him grew stronger and stronger with each passing minute.

Once they’ve arrived she led herself be guided by Cole taking in all the new smells and sensations of his home. His words did much to calm her and she licked her nose once making a funny noise which expressed her approval. She waited until his parents came around and looked at them in silent expectation. It seemed that she wouldn’t mind now if they touched her as long as Cole was right there next to her.

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The inside of the house was well-appointed with large chairs a couch and a good-sized kitchen. The odor of "Cat" permeated the place, principally because of Cole, but another feline also called this place home. A young female Siamese Cat named Sheba cried out from one of the bedrooms, begging to be let out.

She was however ignored as Connor and Theresa turned their attention to the Tigress with them. Theresa moved first, examining her paws, finding them a perfect match for Cole's. Her tail and leg structure were almost identical, allowing for the difference in sex. She was a couple inches shorter, and looked to be a bit lighter as well.

Her fur was every bit as soft as Cole's, if not even more so. Her eyes were the same crystal clear blue. Connor soon joined Theresa in examining her, noting the human curves she boasted as well. Once both were satisfied they stopped and pulled away. "She's a superb specimen Cole. You couldn't ask for a better mate, and I certainly couldn't find you one. She's the picture of health in a tiger."

Cole's eyes seemed to grow big as he coughed and sputtered a minute at the term "Mate."

Theresa looks at him and slaps his back and starts scratching beneath his right shoulderblade.. "It's ok Cole take a breath. Connor leave the poor boy alone. They've only just met. That just wouldn't be proper."

If one could actually see it beneath his fur Cole was blushing profusely. Yeah there was no denying he found the Tigress amazingly attractive and beautiful, but a part of him still couldn't believe his dad had said that, IN FRONT of her. I hope that's not the first thing she remembers him saying.

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The tigress carefully inspected every move Cole’s parents were making. Each time she felt uncomfortable she squeezed Cole’s hand for reassurance and waited things out. It would take her some time to fully gain trust but she was confident that Cole would help her.

She noticed how the male human inspected her very much different to the way the female seemed to appreciate her in a caring way. When Cole started to cough the tigress flinched taken by surprise not understanding the reason for his reaction. She immediately withdrew her hand and placed herself between Cole and the male human in an expression of defending her mate. She didn’t try to intimidate the humans but had to suppress a growl which sounded dangerous nonetheless. She wouldn’t allow that anyone disparaged her mate.

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Cole laid a paw on her shoulder and nodded. "It's okay, I'm okay. he just said something that suprised me is all." His body language told her this was true. He nuzzled her neck softly. "It's okay, let my mom at least finsh examining you. She knows how to make sure we're healthy."

There's a quietness in his voice, a sense of actually being flattered that she defended him from some perceived attack. His growinging affection for her was evident in his sky-blue eyes.

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  • 1 month later...

Her eyes reflected approval and she relaxed quickly. Her curiosity was far greater than anything else and she was willing to find out more about her look-alike male counterpart and his foster parents. She didn’t consider the humans dangerous – they didn’t look hostile unlike the hunters she had met in the woods. The tigress rested her eyes inquisitively on Cole’s mom and made a noise which was half a growl half purring. She was ready to be inspected further extending her trust to an yet unknown degree. As long as Cole was close she had the courage to endure what was happening to her.

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Cole's mother continued her examination. When finished she nodded. "She's almost the exact same age as you Cole, and except for a few signs of malutrition, primarily because her diet is likely only meat, she's in perfect health. I'm going to go and make some dinner, go ahead and show her around the house."

Theresa leaves and the Tigers can easily hear her discuss the female while cooking with Connor, and Cole continues the tour. The downstairs is comprised of the Den, the kitchen, and the master bedroom and bathroom. Upstairs Cole shows her the spare room and bathroom, and finally his room. "I guess you could call this my den, since I spend most of my time here."

Indeed it smelled heavily of Cole. There was a mattress and springs on the floor in the corner and a TV opposite it. A bookshelf of warn and slightly damaged books was against the wall.

At that point another cat's incessant meowing started. Cole sighed. "Well I guess we better let her out, otherwise she won't be quiet."

He looks to the Tigress. "We have a pet cat. It's how my parents can get away with saying the house smells like it does."

He leads her back downstairs and opens the door to his parents' room. Sheba meows and walks out heading straight for Cole until she realizes there are two sets of black and white striped paws. She sits on her haunches and looks up at the two of them, her meowing stopping for a moment. She then goes up to the Tigress and sniffs her cautiously.

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The tigress seemed somewhat glad that the examination was over. It had taken a greater part of her willpower to remain quiet and suppress the urge to run away and find a less vulnerable position. She followed Cole with the same curiosity that had been her steady companion ever since she met him and never strayed further away from him than a few inches. She actually tried to stay in contact with him watching everything with alert eyes and great interest.

When she entered Cole’s room she immediately caught the scent of the pet cat Sheba and growled quietly. Once she saw Sheba she had to suppress something that sounded close to a laugh. She let herself down on all fours to meet Sheba on eyelevel and stayed motionless waiting for the little cat to inspect the newcomer accordingly. Her tail lashed out from side to side indicating at the overall excited state the tigress was in but she let Sheba finish her inspection before she rose up again. Then she looked at Cole and simply waited while her facial expression showed something akin to a smile. Her nostrils flared in excitement and she wanted to find out more about him, where he came from and if he had his territory in a different wood, far away from hers. She knew that there were places she hadn’t explored and that the wood extended further away than her own territory but it had provided her with enough food so she never felt the urge to go beyond her boundaries.

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Cole watches her, and to his suprise Sheba doesn't back down. When she stood back up Sheba looked to Cole and meowed. "Fine, Fine." He Reached down and scooped her up in his arms and scractched behind her ears. She started purring and Cole looked to the Tigress. "This is pretty much my home and my family. It isn't much but It has been really great growing up here, even if I don't get to run around as much."

There's a touch of sadness at the last part. It's easy to see he's someone who likes to run.

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She didn’t get what he was saying but she picked up his sadness easily. Reaching out to touch him she tried to comfort him and purred lowly. Then she came closer and tried to encircle him with her body as if to embrace him. She didn’t want him to feel sad.

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He stood still cradling Sheba as the Tigress comforted him. When Ramani's head was before him he bent his head down and nuzzled her head.

"Thanks. Maybe now they'll let me go run with you in your territory."

Sheba meowed and reached out and licked the Tigress. She'd been accepted and welcomed by everyone in the family now.

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