Cypris's CareTaker: Merry
Cypris's Name: Pujan
Cypris's Age: (actual)SubAdult (picture above)Egg
Once on a fine day in July, Merry was walking around in the lovely Shire...to his secret area in the bushes just across from where he met Miow for the first time. He had made sure that Miow wasn't following him. He sent her to go and find Frodo and have him tell her about his stories about the ring and how it had come to pass. He was alone now for sure, just him and his secret.
Merry had crept behind a little overgrown door-like thing and closed it shut. All alone now with his prized possession...an egg. The Lady he got it from wasn't sure if she should sell him the egg, but she had to, she had eight mouthes to feed back at her house. She told him it was a Cypris egg. Her cousin raises them and lets her sell some for her own income because she is a poor soul indeed. How nice of her cousin. Merry payed very little in money, he didn't have much. He wound up paying a great deal of the price in food from his garden. Samwise tends to it as well as he tends to Frodo's.
Merry hurried around the small dark and quite little hole under the big oak tree, looking for more blankets and a candel...or five. It was dreadfully cold in there and he really didn't want his cypris to die and never hatch. He didn't know exactly how to care for the egg, given the little information by the lady that sold it to him. All he knew was that the egg should be kept warm and that he would have to wait a long time for it to hatch.
The name he gave the egg was Pujan. He got the name from Miow who was randomly talk about nothing to Pip...who seemed to understand every single odd and twisted phrase that came out of her mouth. Weird. Merry spent the next three hours tending and re-tending to the little underground room to make it warmer and more comfortable. He still wasn't sure if he should keep the little egg in the dirt room, but he didn't want to risk it being outside. What would the other hobbits say and would Miow attempt to make scense in lecturing him?
A few days had passed scense Merry had the egg in hiding. It just came to mind that he had to move to Mercury soon. Who would take care of Pujan? Could he take Pujan with him? Would Pujan already have hatched? The questions went through his head like a wild fire. He was sad and confused and with the move getting closer and closer he began to worry more and more and he was with Pujan the Egg a lot more than he was. This lasted two weeks. And still the questions raged!!
"...Pujan..Hatch"
Merry still waits...
It was a not so happy and yet a happy day. It was the day before the move. Miow kept on pestering Merry about what was wrong and why he wasn't telling her anything. Merry didn't know how to put it really.
He never knew where Alue came from. He was wondering to himself the other day. The little thing aged rather quickly and was now a 'sub adult' He knew that he would have to tell Miow about Pujan soon. He still worried much about his little cypris cub. It was due to hatch in two weeks and it had been FOUR! he was begining to wonder if he had kept the area warm enough or if he did everything he was told to do correctly. Every now and then he wondered where Alue came from...but then quickly pushed his thoughts on the Lyris sub adult aside. He was at the secret entrance to Pujan's 'home.'
Merry almost shrieked when he came face to face with the little mango cub. The poor little dear had eaten up all the food already and was out of things to munch on. SHE searched Merry for any food that he might and might not have on him.
It took Merry a little time to come out of his state of shock that Pujan caused...unintentionally. Meanwhile, as Merry was comming about, Pujan had found that he did have a bit of bread on him. She was busy eating that. She found it a little odd. This was her first encounter with bread. Everything that Merry had placed in the 'secret hiding place' was fruit and veggies. Merry giggled as he watched her play and eat the bread.
Once Pujan had finished, she began to ask Merry questions...the kind that he couldn't answer right off. He couldn't answer alot of them because she chattered alot and hardly stopped to take a breath, it was hard for him to keep up with conversation.
"What's my name? Do I have a name? What's your name? Are you my mother? Or are you my father? Or am I adotped? If i'm adotped then where did i get a name? How long have i had my name? What's my name again? Do you have anything else to eat, I'm starved? Do you have anymore of the chewy strange white stuff? It was fun to play with. Do i have siblings? Can we go and play--"
"Woah...calm down there a bit little missy. I haven't even told you WHAT your name is."
"So I DO have a name. Cool. Will I have any other names?"
"Your name is Pujan. No you will not have any other names--"
"Aww, why not?"
"Because, Pujan you only need one. My name is," He thought for a second trying to decide if he should only give her Merry as his name. He quickly decided for it looked like she was about to ask another question, prehaps about his pause, "Merry. My name is Merry."
"Merry. Hmmm...I like it."
"I'm so glad you like it"
"So have you seen my mom?"
"You are an adopted pet. I got you when you were an egg. I made you hatch."
Pujan thought for a moment, "So YOU are my mommy."
Merry answered, " Yes I am your mommy, but please just call me Merry." He thought to himself 'apparently she didn't get the adopted part. oh well. prehaps i could tell her later. goodness knows she'll have questions about that later on.'
"I'm hungry. Do you live here?"
"No not here...actually i'm moving tomorrow for a different planet. It will be far far away from here. I believe much hotter as well...you may have to stay here. Common lets go to my home and get you some food. A cypris after my own heart, eats alot."
Merry tried to sneak Pujan in, but Miow was there and there wasn't much hope in keeping things from her...especially if they smell different. Alue was there too. They were carring conversation about the trip to Mercury.
"But, Miow--"
"Butt Miow? Do I look like a butt miow? I am not a butt miow thank you."
"Miow you know what i mean. Do you have to go tomorrow?"
"Yes, Alue we have been through this many, many times. I'm going to go tomorrow and last week you told me thet you were going to stay. Make up your mind child. I mean really we had your party today and then you say you want to go and now you say you don't. What is the deal here? I am not packing you up again and again and ...unagain...several many times. Its exausting."
"I want to go, but i don't want to go at the same time--Let me finish!--it's Frina. You know tha tall the other kids pick on her and stuff. She really is...i hate to say it but she really is 'Fragile Frina.' And what will she do without me? Without me to bite the other kids head off when they pick on her. I mean can't she come too?"
"Alue, it's very thoughful of you to think of your friend. Oh you could ask her parents if they are willing to part with her now, i really doubt that they will...unless they have abandoned her. If she can go then have her pack all she wants to pack and have her come in the morning. I really don't know about this though. She is a fox. She may have a harder time to adjust to time and weather on Mercury. go on go on go and find out. I'm not packing you until you come back."
"OH THANK YOU MIOW!!!" Alue was so excited by the news from her parental figure that she dashed out of the door with out noticing Merry or Pujan.
"Merry? is that you i smell in the door?"
"Yes it's me. Tell me you were joking about Frina comming. I really don't think she'll adjust at all."
"I'm sure that her parents won't let her go. They are rather clingy to Frina-- What is that other thing i smell?"
"Um...Um...--"
"Hi! My name is Pujan. This is my mommy, but he wants me to call him Merry"
"Oh Merry, she's so cute...what is she?"
"...A cypris."
"Oh how adorable. Yes she can ride in my tail on the way to Mercury and stay as long as she needs to to get adjusted. So where did you find her? I found Alue somewhere infront of your door half in the ground."
"I bought her from a poor lady-- You found Alue where?"
"somewhere infront of your front door. inside of the house."
"And yo never told me?!"
"You never asked..."
"oh well i guess it doesn't matter after all she is a year now"
"Yes that she is...i don't think Pujan will last a year if you don't feed her something soon...preferably tonight. she is much smaller than Alue when she was hatched"
"OH DRAT! i totally forgot! that was the reason why i brought her here."
"MERRY! you can't forget to feed her! Feed her! now...something."
"I don't know what to feed a cypris cub the lady i bought her from couldn't tell me."
"hmmm--"
"She ate all the fruit and veggies i left her but i dont' know what else to give her..."
"why don't you just give her more of that."
"I guess that will work...but then what?"
"Merry Merry Merry. just give her some fruit and veggies to hold her over for the night. Well get her some food and bowls and toys and stuff tomorrow before we leave"
"Ok ...thank you Miow. So how was Alue's first meal?"
"well hmm lets see. I had forgotten i had an egg in my tail and so i didnt' see her untill she was three days old and then we go ta little aquainted and i fed her something freshly killed. She likes meat. Yo should get Pujan to like meat. that's all there is on Mercury."
"Three days old?"
"Yes. I'm surprised she lasted that long without a meal bigger than a fly"
"GOOD GRAVY!"
"Oh nevermind Alue. Go feed Pujan. she is much much smaller than Alue i'm sure she wouldn't be able to last three days."
Merry ran around the house looking for food that Pujan could eat. He put them all on a plate and She inhaled them. Merry then found himself giving her milk out of a bottle. The little angel fell right asleep.
ONE YEAR LATER
It was a fine hot day on Mercury as it always was. Pujan and Alue had adjusted to the weather very well, but Frina, whose parents actually let her go, didn't do so well. Miow had to take her back to her rightful home after only a few Mercurasian months. Alue of course was sad and heart broken.
"...*sigh*"
"Are you ok Alue?"
"sure whatever Pujan...don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"no not really....why are you always mean to me?"
"Because you're a discusting Cypris and i miss Frina"
" *small growl* well I'm sorry that you miss Frina, but that gives you no right to be mean to me. it's not my fault that she couldn't adjust!"
"Who said i was blaming you?"
"...I think Merry's calling me"
"no he isn't. just go."
Pujan scrunched up her face and ran off. She unfortunately ran into Miow while she was concentrating on hunting this one horse. "oof!"
"Miow!...I'm sorry"
"Great...the fifth one that got away today. Ya know Pujan you really have impeccable timing seeing as every time one gets away you happen to be around."
"I'm really sorry...I didn't mean to--"
"It's alright. Why don't you go and bother Alue?"
"..."
"is there something wrong dear?"
"Alue is mean to me."
"Oh give her time...for some odd reason she's still boohooing about Frina having to go back home. it's already been a year. you'ld think she'd be over it by now."
"hmm..."
"Yes i know it's hard to talk to her. And well is should be. According to my latest reading Lyris and Cypris creatures don't get along"
"really?"
"Yes Pujan...although you for some odd reason insist on having some sort of friendship with her...must be something Merry did."
"hmmm..."
"Why don't you go see what Merry's up to...stay with him for a while. I intend to catch us something to eat tonight."
Pujan, not wanting to upset Miow's hunting for a sixth time, ran off to find Merry. She found him and Alue just outside the cave entrance. They were talking, so Pujan sat behind a rock and listened.
"Alue you really must--"
"I don't wanna!"
"I DIDN'T ASK WHAT YOU WANTED!!"
"And I didn't ask if you asked what i wanted..."
"Alue will ya just try to be nice to Pujan. she is after all the closest to your age"
"age matters?"
"well not really but you could connect with the things happening about you much more better than with older or younger friends."
"hmm..i may consider it..."
"very good"
"in another lifetime"
"ALUE!"
"alright alright...geez..."
Alue wandered off and met one of her newer friends from that morning. A horse named Septu. Septu was short for Septuianineii, which is somewhat dificult to say. Septu and Alue started to play fight, a thing that both breeds of creature had in common. Pujan crept around to get a better view of what they were doing and contemplated joining them...if that were possible. Pujan didn't really like play fighting. She was most content relaxing with some form of written script to read. Reading is not what horses do most times. Very few read in their entire lifetimes. The ones that do are teachers and convey everything they read by mouth. 95% of the horse population learns best orally, the other 5% reads.
Alue and Septu wound up playing the rest of the afternoon and 3 other horses came and played. Their names were Huniu, Guai, and Sinu. Huniu and Sinu were sisters. Guai was Septu's best friend who was looking for her earlier that day. The four of them enjoyed the company an playfulness of Alue. Pujan watched and felt very depressed. Alue would play with complete strangers and have nothing to do with herself...and to think Alue's known Pujan all her life.
Hours passed and the five of them continued to play. Pujan, to shy to join and a bit depressed, left to go and find Merry.
"Merry? Merry where are you? ....Merry..."
"yes"
"oh um hi...what do you want?"
"you called me what do you want? what are you?"
"I was calling my mother...you aren't him."
"you're mothers a him?"
"yes his name is Merry"
"wow my names Merrie too. I'm a Ginsun Bicthy...what are you?"
"...a Cypris..."
"hmm what the heck's that? you're not from Mercury are you?...i'm 23 how about you?"
"I'm not from Mercury, no. I came from the Shire...i think. i'm a year."
"wow and i though i was young. so do you wanna play?"
"..."
"well?"
"..."
" is there something wrong? do you know how to play? if not i could teach you real fast."
"um no thank you i have to go."
"aww...no one wants to play with me ever...no one like you when you're 23..."
Pujan thought about this for a second "...i could play with you tomorrw if you'ld like..."
"REALLY!! GREAT!! Where do you live?"
"Chimsinite. I'll be standing out there. don't worry i'm the only mango colored cypris."
"ok cool meet you tomorrow!" Merrie pranced away and Pujan went home.
Miow had caught a relatively large horse for dinner and breakfast and lunch and dinner...for a really long time before it ran out. When Pujan walked in all smiling and happy about meeting a new friend...finally, she found that Alue had brought Septu, Huniu, Guai, and Sinu. Pujan's happiness faded away quickly. Those four houses were huge up close, she was scared. Alue introduced her friends to Merry and Miow and Pujan. Sinu invited Pujan to play with them sometime and Alue told that that she wasn't much fun at games. the four horses looked at eachother in confusion, while Miow and Merry stared at Alue with pearcing eyes of disaprovement. Pujan simply ignored Alue and stayed away from her huge friends. Suddenly she announced that her firend was comming over and they were going to play tomorrow. Merry and Miow were both stunned and very proud.
Miow thought to herself: hmmm i wonder why Pujan is going to play with some other horse instead of Alue's friends...all horses play the same no matter the age...i wonder if she knows that or not. hmmm.
The next day Pujan got up early and waited for her new friend Merrie to come over. Alue and her friends were playing sort of nearby. Alue called out to Pujan about her "new friend" not showing up. Pujan ignored her and looked for Merrie.
Merrie was small for a 23 year old. She was about half the size that she was supost to be, but she was the fastest in her generation. Merrie was a light weight pony sized horse that liked nothing more than playing, very much like every other horse on Mercury, but none of the other horses her age wanted to play with her very much because they thought they would break her into several pieces. In short they didn't want to chance facing the Queen Mother Yani and the King Father Junan for unneccessary horse slaughter. Merrie was forced to play with the infants of other generations...until they grew too big and thought like all of the other horses. She hasn't had much of a constant playmate.
Merrie finally showed up. She was relatively late and lead Pujan into thinking that she wasn't going to show up after all.
"Pujan, sorry i'm late. I couldn't remember where you lived...and then I couldn't see you. I just realized that you blend in with the ground."
"That's alright, Merrie...so...now what do we do? Now that you're here and all..."
Merrie pushed Pujan hard and yelled," TAG, YOU'RE IT!"
"OW! What'd you do that for?!"
Merrie was puzzled, "I came to play...so I'm playing with you...don't you play tag?"
"Tag?"
"*sigh* you run, i tag...get it?"
"uh...no"
"hmmm...well what do you play?"
"I-I don't play...I've never had much of a playmate I dn't know how to I guess..."
"Wanna try tag again?"
"NO! IT's PAINFUL!"
"No it isn't you silly little...non-horse"
"You bruised me!"
"Sorry..."
"..."
"So what should we do now?"
"I don't know...wanna talk?"
"Talk? About what? About playing? ...Hey look over there that looks like fun, lets go join them what do you say?" Merrie was refering to Alue and her friends running around bitting each other and making other horrible noises.
"We don't wanna join them."
"Why not?"
"Because they're big and besides that pink thing that's running around with them is my stupid um...i guess we could call her a cousin...yeah my stupid cousin Aluekis. And anyway we can do someting that isn't so violent."
"Violent?" Merrie was wondering if this Cypris knew what she was saying, "What do you mean violent, we all play the same way. You didn't think I'd want to ply any different then they would...did you?
"Well yeah..."
"hmm...well seeing as you're my only friend...I guess we could do something else...hey! I could show you my art. Bicthy do art a lot, common!" Merrie started to prance off into the distance and Pujan followed as closely as she could...which wasn't very close at all.
"Merrie, Slow down! where are we going?"