One is the Loneliest Number. . .

[Farnley Kombu]

Shomari sat on the beach, alone. His tails batted at the sand in frustration, anger, and melancholy. He didn't understand this. He didn't understand anything. He was soon to have kiin with two Pykiin he didn't love. Why? It wasn't even fair to his children. Two of them he wasn't even going to see and then the other two would be split apart. And on top of all of that, he'd have to take care of one? How would he complete that with no help? Khairi would be off being mad at the world, Kohana, Bandita, and Akio have their own kiin and Moose was just. . Never around.

He trudged down to the shallows of the water and sat, sliding his paw through the thick of the mud. What if his Kiin didn't like him? What if they hated him for not being around? "But. . .It's not my fault." He whispered to himself in a high voice. And then he'd have to keep them away from that devil, Razi. "This is impossible. Simply impossible." He told himself.

"Stupid Farnley, stupid Amai, stupid Yulana, stupid Dryad, stupid kiin. . . Stupid Shomari." He mumbled to himself angrily. Why did everything always happen to him? He was always alone. He grew up without even being warned, let alone asked, and now kiin. "I hate the Valley." He whispered to himself as he waded deeper into the crystal blue water.

[PandaLover]

Tsuki sighed as she walked along the river, wondering if she'd see another Pykiin that perhaps she could be friends with. But she couldn't always be this way. No, she'd have to stop aimlessly wandering. Or even just wandering for a friend all the time. She had to learn to just sit down and either talk with a friend, or just be on her own. All this walking around had to stop. All she was doing was pitying herself and loosing to her own grief.

She couldn't do any of that today, though. She couldn't just stop with all the self-sorrow on the first day she'd realized it. I'll sleep on it, then do it tomorrow, she thought to herself, seeming to satisfy herself, though she knew that if she put it off till tomorrow it just wouldn't happen.

As the water from the river parted into the ocean, Tsuki went onto the beach, watching the sand and listening to the waves. Murmering hit her ears, and she turned her head to see a white Pykiin with many markings. She walked slowely up to him, bowing her head slightly, "Hi, I'm Tsuki," she said, trying to get her mind off things. "Who're you?" She asked with a small smile.

[ditzeeblonde]

Sara walked calmly through the forest, thinking. "I hate being alone. I have no home, and no family." She grumbled to herself, glaring at a tree. She laid down under an oak with emerald leaves, and sighed, forcing herself to sleep. She woke up, and scowled when she found that she was thirsty. She trotted towards the beach to get a drink. She thought she heard talking, and she smelt a pykiin, but when she looked around, she saw no one. She sighed and waded chest deep into the cold water, and to a small drink.

She sighed, enjoying the refreshing drink, even though she was in a sour mood. She heard the talking again, and her head darted into the direction of the noise. She saw a colorful white pykiin, with beautiful markings.

(( i know its salt water, but ill pretend its fresh water so she can drink it

[Raenia]

Eraina was out at the beach, for once without the seemingly ever-present Sandi. She loved the remiel dearly, but bondeds had different priorities than pykiin. Sandi loved playing in the water, and she didn't think ahead at all. Raina, on the other hand, wanted more. She knew Sandi wouldn't understand her yearning to grow up and find love.

As she walked down the beach, she saw a brightly colored spot in the water. Hastening her pace, she moved toward it. Recognizing Shomari, she slowed again. She ducked her head to hide a blush as his image tumbled in with her other thoughts. She couldn't hide her crush from herself, but she could try to hide it from him. After all, he was an adult, and she was only a kiin.

"Hello Shomari, how are you?" Then Raina took a good look at his face, and asked, "What's wrong, why aren't you happy?"

[Farnley Kombu]

((-shakes head- Shomari's such a babe))

Shomari streched in the water with a sigh. He watched the colorful aray of fish and other sea creatures ahead. Why couldn't he be like them? They looked so care-free. He wondered if it was possible for them to go through what he was. Sometimes Shomari just wished he could be a sea creature. He wished he didn't have to worry about anything. "Stupid fish, too."

Shomari jumped when he heard a voice. It was a little female kiin with stars and an elaborate belly fur color and mask. "H-hi." He said sheepishly. "I'm Sh-shomari." He replied. He could have sworn he saw her somewhere. . Quickly he bowed, remebering what Khairi had told him. It's not polite to just stand there like the dope you are. Khairi would tell him. Stpuid Khairi, he thought to himself, pushing the stubborn, brown male out of his mind. "Hi." He said agian, not realizing he had already said the word.

"H-hi Raina." He replied. He had known the female a little bit, but was still trying to get comfortable around other Pykiin. "Well, I have to have K-kin with two g-girls I don't love. So now t-two of them I won't even be able to s-see and I only get to keep o-one from the other breeding. The two that don't get to see me will h-hate me for never being around, and the other one. . . well I don't even know if it'll. . .If it'll like me." The white Pykiin told her.

[Raenia]

Eraina felt a sudden pang as he talked about having kiin. What, do I want to be a mommy now? Or is it just the thought of someone I like having kiin with someone else? She shook off her thoughts and tried to answer him honestly.

"I'm sure the mothers won't keep you away from your kiin if you want to be part of their life." At least, she hoped that was true. "And of course your kiin will love you, all of them. I mean, Sonea never sees her dad, 'cause he doesn't care about her, but she isn't bitter or anything. I'm sure if you just take an interest, they'll love you."

[Farnley Kombu]

"That's what Bandita told me. But I still don't know. . I mean, you never really know what will happen with a Kiin until it's born. Maybe it will like me. . maybe it won't." Shomari shrugged, his eyes almost welled with fear. "And then on top of all of that I have to take care of it all by myself." He told the little one. "I can barely even care for myself, let alone a little infant! And then I have to make sure all of those little devils stay away from her-him. .whatever it'll be." A blue paw ran through the silky aqua mane. He was in way over his head.

"I just. . I don't know how I'm going to do it all. Then I also have to make time for my friends. I don't know how Kohana and Bandita do it. . It all seems so hard!" He stomped, although it didn't quite working considering his feet were under water. "I don't even have a suitable den for my kiin." He cried. "I should have never agreed to any of this. . . "

[Raenia]

"Hey, it'll all work out." Raina waded out next to him, a considerate gesture that fell rather flat considering how much shorter she was. "You'll have help, your pounce mates won't just leave you alone if you need help."

"As far as a den, it can't be that hard to find a suitable place and make it inhabitable. Right?" She tilted her head, looking up at him. "Where have you looked?"

[Farnley Kombu]

"Yeah I guess they wouldn't." The larger white Pykiin said. "They've just been really busy, but maybe they could make a little time for me." Shomari began to look on the bright side of things. This would teach him about responsibility. . and it would be nice not to be alone all of the time. For once he thought that maybe this was a good thing. "Maybe this will work out differently than I planned." a smile spread across his face and he wrapped Eraina into a hug. "Thanks." He smiled.

"Hmmm, well I want something near water. If I like to swim than surely my child will. . Maybe. But I've been looking near small ponds and the river. Maybe I could find something out on the beach, that would be fun." He told her, whilst thinking aloud. "Care to help me find one?" He asked her, standing up a bit taller.

[Raenia]

Eraina felt herself enveloped in a big hug, and she relaxed into his embrace perhaps a little more than she meant to. When he released her, she tried not to think about how much she'd liked that hug. "You're welcome, anytime," she said a little breathlessly.

"I would love to help." Raina smiled up at him. "And of course it must be near water. I don't understand how anyone could not want to be near water all the time." She shrugged, eyes dancing with laughter. "But I suppose it takes all kinds. I could never be a fire elemental, and I guess we need them to, to protect the Valley and whatnot."

[ditzeeblonde]

Sara stepped out of the water, and walked calmly towards the white pykiin. Her jaw dropped open when she first saw him, but she quickly shut it, blushing. Their was a kiin with him, and she sighed. "Hey, im Sara." She told the two calmly, her white and cyan body glistening in the warm sun.

She smiled at the two warmly, already liking them. They both looked really nice, and she was glad. "Who are you? Im not sure if ive ever seen you before." She said smoothly, probably sounding like a complete idiot in front of this amazingly handsome pykiin.

[Raenia]

"Sara, it's Eraina. We played in the pond, and you came to lunch with Sonea." Raina remembered the other kiin, and she liked her, but she couldn't help but wish she hadn't arrived right then. It was obvious she liked Shomari, and Raina thought she had enough against her without competition.

Looking back up at Shomari, she asked, "Do you want to go looking now, or stay in the water longer? Being in the ocean always makes me feel better if I'm unhappy."

[ditzeeblonde]

Sara smiled, remembering why she looked so familiar. "Of course!" She said, laughing. "My mind was wandering.." She said, sighing. Her long tail swooshed back and forth in the water, making small swirl pools.

"And who are you?" She asked again, waiting for him to reply. Her soft white fur blowing softly in the cool breeze. She couldn't help but notice that the male and her looked alike in colors.

[Farnley Kombu]

"I know my brother, Khairi, absolutely hates water. when he was a Kiin he almost drown." Shomari told Eraina. "It was quite a disturbing scene. . . But don't tell anyone I told you! He'd get really mad at me If he found out." The white Pykiin warned her. "And I don't want to find out what he'd try to do to me if he found out. . . Khairi's really scary. I mean REALLY scary. But it's kind of funnny. . No one takes him too seriously because of this little pink marking he has. . . Ahhhh." He sighed in laughter.

"So, shall we go look?" He asked, begging to step closer to shore. "Oh." He simply said when another kiin came. Odd, I seem to be a kiin magnet. Let's just hope my kiin will stick around me like this. . . He thought. "Hi, Sara." He said snapping out of his thoughts. "I'm Shomari." He told her, bowing awkwardly. "Nice to meet you."

He looked to Raina. "Any thing's fine with me." He smiled. "My Gemfruit isn't even on the Dryad yet, so we still have a little bit of time before we can star searching."

((Sorry for the long wait. I was at work and forgot to sign off.))

[ditzeeblonde]

Sara laughed when he bowed, and sighed. "You didnt have to bow, im only a kiin." She said, frowning. "Anyway, its nice to meet you too. I guess you guys are busy, so ill just leave you two alone if you want.." She said flicking her tail.

She turned, getting ready to walk away.