literature

LaF R2 - Sar vs Mama 1

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Compared to the ruckus of the previous day, the nearly dead-silent halls seemed a different place entirely. The lack of screeches and screams and pleads rendered the place almost peaceful; the only sound Umbra's ears could detect were the snores and breaths of sleeping competitors, and the muted murmurs of a few early risers. A sleepy early morning light seeping into the halls only contributed to the feeling. Umbra was almost deceived, but she could still feel an underlying trace of fear and confusion lingering in the hotel walls.
Her paws made no sound on the soft carpet. Her tail swished uneasily, doubts quickly surfacing in her mind. She shook her head; this was a futile mission. Still, there was no harm in trying.
She peered into the lobby, glad to see a few other competitors were also awake. She couldn't spot the Thief, and she let out a small sigh. Avoiding the eye contact of the other creatures, she padded into the room, her keen eyes surveying the grand arc of the ceiling.
Where is she?
As she walked past one of the hotel's many doors, a feeble moan interrupted the tiger's thoughts. The other competitors - the ones nearest her being a small, reddish weasel and a grey dragon with rabbit ears and white tufts of fur - cast curious glances in her direction, but none of them bothered further investigating the cause of the sound. Umbra figured the hosts here were getting used to cries of pain.
She tried to keep walking, but her heart went out to that strange cry - that of a young male, it must have been - and she couldn't help but turn and peek into the door.
The room was surprisingly clean and lustrous, the floors and walls white and perfect. A large tub lining the wall was spilling over with water, a motionless blob of brown and dark turquoise floating under the surface. Some sort of human-fish creature, it appeared, baggy clothes inflated with water. Was he...drowned? Umbra stared. The water was making an ever-growing puddle on the marble floor. She whipped her head back and forth, beginning to panic. Should she call out for help?
Instead she found herself squatting next to the tub, scooping her large paw in to lift the strange boy's head into the air. He jolted, letting out a surprised squeak. His mouth flashed open to reveal rows of triangular teeth - very shark-like, Umbra reflected - and she flinched back to avoid them as they snapped shut with a menacing clack.  
"Why'd you d-do that?! Who are you!?" The creature whimpered. He was certainly a peculiar boy, resembling some sort of anthropomorphic mix of fish and shark, with a mop of dark hair. Umbra blinked, startled - his face was punctured with small incisions, his flesh bloody and torn. A big portion of his upper torso was in similar condition, but the area around his eyes was especially bad; he must not have been able to see her.
Before she could respond, another unusual creature hurried into the room, causing Umbra to jolt yet again. For a moment the siberian tiger thought she was a kangaroo, by her body structure and the way she hopped, but the greyish cluster of thick quills sprouting from her back, head, and tail quickly told her otherwise. Her face was also distinctly different - beaver-like with large front teeth, and her ears were short and floppy. As she hurried past Umbra, a bundle of bandages in her arms, the tiger noticed a piece of cloth wound around the middle of her tail, traces of crimson permeating the turquoise material. A makeshift bandage, she guessed.
"Oh, dear..." She hurriedly twisted the bathtub's faucet, halting the flow of water. She shook her head at the mess on the floor, hardly noticing Umbra. The puzzled tiger stood awkwardly as the creature patted the boy, trying to reassure him, while he half-heartedly inched away from her.
"I-I thought you were drowning," Umbra mumbled, trying to make sense of the situation as the kangaroo-beaver-porcupine proceeded to snatch a towel off the counter and mop the floor with it.
"No...I can breathe underwater." The boy said, seemingly to relax a little. His voice was tired and rough, and with that he promptly submerged himself again.
"Whatcha doing in here, hun?"
Umbra's gaze fixed back on the kangaroo creature. "I...I got up early to look for someone, and I heard someone cry out."
"Oh? Who might they be? I might've seen them."
Umbra hesitated. "Er...well...it doesn't matter." She swallowed, staring at her paws.
Her company raised her eyebrows, sporting an amused smile, but she'd didn't pry further. "Well, I could use a little help over here, hun."
"Oh...sorry." Umbra pawed another towel off a nearby rack, staring at it for a moment before hesitantly rotating it on the floor with her paw. The strange competitor smiled at her, warm green eyes staring fixedly into hers. Umbra's tail twitched, and she looked at her paws.
"Name's Mama."
"...Umbra."
"Never seen a pakpak before, eh? Look a tad bit bewildered." Mama sounded amused rather than offended.
"Oh, well, no. I came from the zoo."
"Ah, you're that loudmouth devil girl's friend, aren't you?" Mama said. Umbra's queasiness increased, but Mama's inquiry was anything but unfriendly.
"Sar? Yes." Her eyes shifted over to the tub again, questions bubbling inside her. Although she still felt uncomfortable alone in the room with Mama, there was something oddly calming about her presence. She must have been a young adult, but somehow she seemed older than her years.
"W-what is he doing in there?"
"He's part shark. He needs water to live, he'll get as parched as a dried tomato if we leave the poor baby out for too long."
"Oh." She couldn't help but continue to stare at the boy's lacerated face, contorted by the water. Umbra opened her mouth, but it took a moment for the words to come out. "What happened to him?"
"Oh, honey, some have it a lot worse off than him." A bit of sadness entered her smile. "He should be grateful to be alive, at the very least."
Umbra didn't respond. She focused on one creamy tile of the floor, feeling suppressed terror and panic suddenly beginning to rise. ...Should be grateful to be alive.
...Grateful to be alive.
She felt panic nibble at the edges of her mind, her breath quickening and her brain spinning. Mama paused, and the tiger could feel her concerned gaze.
"Baby, are you all right?"
"I..." She blinked, and suddenly found herself being swept into a hug. The pakpak's arms wrapped themselves around Umbra's head and shoulders, supportive and strong despite being quite short. Instead of being startled by the creature's unusual show of affection, Umbra found Mama's embrace to be strangely comforting. She hung her head against Mama's side, tears flowing freely from her tired eyes. "Shhh, it'll all be alright now." There was something in Mama's voice that gave Umbra the odd impression this was also some sort of release for the pakpak; like she'd been craving to do this to someone, but never got the chance.
The tiger looked up, and for a brief moment there appeared to be something cold in Mama's warm eyes; a hint of malice. Her expression was almost one of fixed concentration, somehow a familiar look, followed by a flash of what must have been confusion. Umbra blinked, uncertain, and pulled away.
"I just...I'm just scared."
Mama dropped her arms to her side, shaking her head sadly. "We're all scared, sugar-pet." She sighed. "Sorry if that seemed a bit abrupt, I just can't stand to see my children in duress."
My children...?
"It's alright." Umbra sniffed and wiped her face with a paw. "I never imagined anything like this would happen after leaving the zoo."
"Well, the wild is unpredictable, honey."
"I know. Sar told me about it, since she was born wild, and I know an animal who was born and raised in captivity would have little chance." Umbra's voice was flat.
Surprise registered on the pakpak's face. "Silly goose, then why'd you run away?"
"Sar is resourceful. She and her brother could help me get food." She paused. "Sometimes I do wonder what I was thinking by leaving, but really I...I c-couldn't stand another day there." She continued quickly, not giving Mama the chance to ask why. "Even if life as a wild tiger is austere, I've never felt so, well, alive. Everything that's happened over the last few days has been ten times more interesting than anything in all four years in captivity have been."
"But tigers can't be free in Australia, baby. You don't belong there."
Umbra's tail swished. "I know. But I'd take my chances."
Mama frowned. "I know it ain't right for a smarty like you to be caged up, but -
"I'm not going back." Umbra found her voice rising to almost a growl. "Not unless it's to help Sar free her brother."
Mama's one eyebrow raised, crossing her arms. "No need to get grouchy, hon." Her smile still remained. She seemed undeterred by Umbra's discomfort on the subject, and Umbra was afraid she'd press further, but instead the pakpak put the soaked towels back on the rack. "Hmph, lack of management in this place is disgraceful. That dastardly Thief should really do something about keeping his hotel running more smoothly." Mama sighed, regarding the still wet floor. Umbra grunted an agreement, licking the droplets of water of her paws.
"Oh, you'll find that won't be a problem much longer!" A familiar voice made Umbra whip her head around, fur standing on end. The beige bird was perched on the shower curtain, watching them with his tail feathers twitching. "I am always open to any concerns my guests may have. More staff are on their way as we speak."
Umbra's eyes widened. More staff? Like the corvids? Mama voiced Umbra's thoughts for her. "Now, who in the world would want to work for you?"
The magpie's words from yesterday repeated in the tiger's head. I just got sucked into this...
The Thief cocked his head. "You will find out shortly." He chuckled, then muttered, "it's always wise to be careful what you wish for, dears..."
The shapeshifter's speech was cut short as a huge red head shoved its way into the bathroom. Umbra's fur puffed out even further as the massive canine stepped inside, his four yellow eyes scanning the room before they rested on the Thief.
"Everyone's waking up. When are you going to announce the match-ups for the next round?" He growled, his impossibly large teeth flashing as he talked. Umbra's claws scraped against the floor.
"Patience is a virtue, is it not? I'm just tending to those in need, as that is my number one priority, I'm sure you understand?" The Theif sang, hopping back and forth on his perch. The canine's unimpressed look deepened. He wasn't having any of it.
"I'm not waiting around for you to diddle with some..." The canine's eyes seem to shift to the tub, but Umbra couldn't be sure - she couldn't spot any pupils. "...Loser. Everyone is getting riled up waiting for you."
Umbra blinked. Loser? Weren't they all forced out of the hotel?
It was Mama who answered. "You can wait just a moment, hun. This boy needs tending to, and it's my job to do just so." The pakpak didn't seem unnerved in the slightest at the abrupt appearance of the much larger creature. The canine snorted. "He should be grateful to still be allowed inside at all." But with that he turned tail and slunk away.
Umbra wondered in the back of her mind how Mama would react to Sar. She didn't seem to be the type that put up with stubborn behavior.
<Sar...</i>
"I gotta go," Umbra mumbled, forcing her paws to carry her towards the door and praying the Thief payed no attention to her.
"As do I, dear Umbra. Things to arrange, dissidents to deal with..." He began to hum a festive tune as he hopped off the curtain and fluttered towards the door. Umbra ducked her head as he flew past, her stomach spinning. She waited several seconds after he disappeared, then followed the Thief's path and poked her head out the door, scanning the room for her friend.
Previous:[link]
Next: [link]
Sar and Umbra's reference: [link]
Opponent reference: [link]

Yesiree, I am alive. Grab a beer, have a party, hug each other while crying tears of relief.

...Really though, I'm not sure where to start.
Maybe with an apology.
My participation in this round has been disgraceful. I never thought I'd be submitting the first part this late ^^; I'd even planned to participate in the events as well as do sketches of other competitors, but it looks like that's very unlikely to happen before the deadline. I do plan on drawing cover pictures for the other parts, I was just dead set on getting this part posted today and I didn't get the time to finish one :T

I wish I could say I was busy with homework, but that would mostly be a lie, because all I've really been doing is lying on the floor crying and staring at the wall for the last few weeks. That sort of thing. But I know the internet doesn't care about first world problems so anyway


Mama calls people she really likes 'sugar-pet'. I'm guessing most other competitors wouldn't exactly go along with a random Mama glomp, but since Umbra put up with it and didn't mind her overly-motherly behavior, Mama took a liking to her.

Check out my opponent's awesome round: [link]

Mama (c) :iconshinkoryu14:
Thief (c) :iconsongdog-strayfang:
Fox (c) :iconalfashampoo-artemis:
Terotail (c) :iconpachirisupaw:
Rhel (c) :icontigersaurusrex:
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Moongaze14's avatar
Fate sure is cruel when you are in a fighting tournament.