Countdown: 7
Now for the moment you've all been waiting for! 'A Tiger's Stripes' will now be updated until the very end! XD I hope you all enjoy it =) I haven't really been working on 'Bleach Bait' as of yet, so that might take a while to get up. I'll try very hard to get the rest of it done, so at least you'll have quite a few chapters to start off with. I've also worked on my outlines for a bit, so a little more of them are done =D
Shiro: She's a liar! She ain't got nothin' done on that!
Vae: *puts Shiro in a headlock with hand over his mouth* Shiro's being delusional, don't mind him.
Ichi: If you're a little hazy on what happened last here, Grimm went to get help from his clan.
Grimm: That's right! The humans have arrived and Kisuke has gone to survey them on his own. I promised Yorouchi to try getting my father to help! =)
Ichi: Now for Pantera to get into Aizen's head and make him feel like shit XD
Grimm: Yeah... mom's really good at that =3
Chapter 8
Pantera sits attentively, eyes toward the tiger's territory as her clan gathers for sleep. Aizen ambles out of their den, locating his mate and lying down beside her. There's a long silence, both watching the territory beyond for two different reasons. Whereas Pantera worries for her cub, Aizen craves possession.
"You are impossible," she spits out without glancing his way. "Sometimes I wonder why I waste my time on you and your ambitions. They'll lead to your death."
"My lovely mate, your words sting," he comments mockingly. "Everything I do, I do for the good of my clan."
"You're full of shit, too. Our clan doesn't need more lands, not when Kisuke allows us to hunt on his territory during migration. You just wish to own what you can't have! It's all because of pride, nothing more. You're pissed he injured your pride when I adopted Grimmjow."
Aizen growls in irritation, the two rarely ever seeing eye to eye. He knows his mate is correct, his urge to spread their territory started when Grimmjow was found. He's too proud to admit his submissive is right, though. Pantera flicks her tail when she catches Grimmjow's scent.
"Did you know..? Yorouchi adopted a cub like Grimmjow as well?" she comments partially off handedly and partially sly.
He has nothing to say to that, the confession completely catching him off guard. He simply blinks at her, watching Pantera stand and saunter toward her incoming cub. Grimmjow bursts through the brush in a panic, wide orbs searching for his father. The jaguar cub seems to sigh in relief when he finds Aizen, sprinting up to the large jaguar while keeping his distance. Aizen was never the lovey-dovey type.
"Cub."
"Father… humans have shown up on the beach."
"They'll die soon enough, they always do."
"Not this time. Kisuke looked over the ones I killed…"
Pantera snarls and lunges toward her cub, stopping just short of landing on top of him. Her disposition seems aggressive, yet Grimmjow can see the fear within her eyes. Her child was attacked by an unfamiliar threat and she wasn't there to protect him.
"Calm down, mom, it isn't like you think. They didn't attack me, they were attacking the tigers. Ichigo was hit with something and passed out. I tore up the humans trying to take him away and stayed with him until he woke up… just like you taught me. I didn't leave a submissive alone and defenseless."
"That's great honey, but… I taught you to do that for your mate, or a possible mate. Not a tiger."
"… I like him, mom," Grimmjow murmurs. "He's like me and he doesn't pretend to be something he's not in order to attract me."
"It's a phase, honey," Aizen waves off. "We went through it, too. Remember that delightful wolf you sought to mate with? And I fell in lust with a rather sadistic tigress… Yorouchi was such a bitch about mating."
"Disgusting!" Grimmjow gripes. "I don't want to hear this!"
Pantera rolls her eyes, yet Aizen sends a smug smirk over to his only child. Grimmjow paces before the two, tension obvious within his gait, and grinds his teeth in irritation. Aizen won't budge on his position and he knows it… but that doesn't mean he'll allow Ichigo to stay in harm's way.
"The tigers could really use your help with the humans…"
"No. The sooner they're shipped out, the sooner my territory grows."
"… I'm not letting that happen," Grimmjow growls. "Either you help them, or I will. I don't care if I have to go on my own; I won't let Ichigo get hurt because of your shortsighted arrogance!"
"You will do as I say, cub…"
"No… I won't. Mom taught me better than that. I'll see you guys when I get back… if I get back."
He storms off into the trees once more, Pantera glaring at her mate before following. Aizen doesn't bother stopping her, Pantera does what she damn well pleases. That's probably why Grimmjow is so much like her; she spends far more time with the blue haired cub than he ever does. He regrets it at times; he really does love his child. With an irritated sigh, Aizen stands and calls for his clan. They head toward tiger territory not far behind their clan mates. If anything happens to Grimmjow Aizen wouldn't only never forgive himself… his mate would never forgive him either.
Ichigo is curled in the midst of Yorouchi's and Shiro's bodies, timid with all these unfamiliar tigers about after his ordeal with the humans. He wants Grimmjow back with him; he was safe with the jaguar nearby. Shiro seems to be in tune with his thoughts, as every time he begins trailing to Grimmjow… Shiro 'accidentally' smacks him in the face with his tail.
"Stop, damn it," Ichigo whines. "Mom! Shiro's hitting me with his tail!"
"Ichi's daydreamin' 'bout another species!" Shiro tattles back.
"I thought you two were passed the tattling age," the tigress mutters.
"… You're not," they both remark as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Smart ass cubs… I'm so glad they took after me," she says smugly.
Grimmjow arrives outside Kisuke's den in time to see the change of guard. Byakuya and Kensei have relieved Mashiro and Nemu, who stayed behind with Love. The jaguar steps from the bushes cautiously, his mother at his side.
"You've returned," Byakuya states in surprise. "Yorouchi was positive you wouldn't."
"She was right, my dad wouldn't help… But I told him I was helping either way. I'm not comfortable leaving Ichigo so close to the humans' camp, even if he is protected by two clans."
Ichigo lifts his head at the gruff tone of Grimmjow's voice, a smile breaking out on his lips as he darts from the safety of his family. Shiro's teeth carefully yet quickly snap for the nape of Ichigo's neck, missing by only a few inches. Yorouchi's given up with keeping her cub away from Pantera's, it just seems impossible considering her parents could never keep her in check either.
"Grimmjow!" Ichigo cheers.
Grimmjow barely has time to open his arms before he's tackled by the eager tiger, both rolling on the ground. Ichigo manages a pin, a proud grin on his face the older cub simply can't bring himself to erase. He lies quietly beneath his friend although he's perfectly capable of flipping them. Yorouchi and Shiro walk out afterward, the female tiger stopping before Pantera.
"Pantera."
"Yorouchi. I've come to assist you as much as possible," she smiles. "Aizen was indisposed, but I'm not about to allow my cub to run rampant without my supervision."
"Neither would I," Aizen sighs out.
He joins the stunned group, the rest of the clans exiting the large den at the utter silence they hear. Yorouchi frowns, growling in early warning as Aizen searches for Kisuke. Shiro notes his scattered attention and steps forward.
"Byakuya's in charge while pop's gone," he comments. "If he ain't back by mornin', I take over the pack… an' I ain't as nice as he is."
"Where is he?" Aizen demands with a hint of stress.
"He went ta check out the human camp on the beach," Shiro informs in confusion.
Aizen doesn't say anything more, tearing off toward the beach without a second thought. Kisuke should know better than to roam too near a human encampment, something must be terribly wrong for him to act so recklessly. Grimmjow starts after him, yet he's stopped by his mother. Although she'll allow Aizen to charge off into danger, Grimmjow is another story. Aizen is versed in strategy and stealth… plus he's not her child. If anything happens to the leader of their clan, Grimmjow is the only one that can take his place. They have no other children.
There we have it! The next update may come up in a day or two. I haven't really got much more to say, so I'll leave it at that. I'm going to attempt to write some more fanfic tomorrow! Right now, I'm spending the weekend with my cousin! Who, by the way, tried to kill me yesterday. I swear, I don't know why anyone plays boxing on the wii =( It hurts so bad T^T
Ichi: Not as bad as the headache Shiro gives me daily. =(
Shiro: I ain't a headache! DX
Ichi: Trust me, Shiro, you're a bigger headache than you realize. *sighs*