[PRP] Getting to Know You (Furaha and Ndale) -Complete-

[Wylde Roses]

It had been some days now since Furaha had entered into her agreement of sorts with Ndale, and the lioness had been thinking quite a bit. While she had no interest in a romantic relationship, nor a mate of any kind, she could look at this entanglement as a sort of.... business partnership, and that made it tolerable, in a way.

Regardless of how she thought of it, however, if she was going to have cubs with this lion, she was going to have to know a bit more than just his name, no matter how little they cared for one another. If he was going to be the type to take on a true, romantic mate and start a family with her - though she doubted it after her first impression - she needed to know now, so that she could prepare her eventual offspring for the trial that might be awaiting them.

And besides, she was a little... curious... about him. She knew why she herself was so bitter and angry, but she didn't know him well enough to even hazard a guess as to why he was so mistrustful. Surely it wasn't the disease alone, though she supposed it could be. Did he have any family? Was he as mistrustful towards them as he was to strangers?

No, she wasn't interested in a mate, but Furaha wanted to know more about the father of her future cubs anyway, and it was with this in mind that she returned to their original meeting place, half-hoping that he would be there, and willing to wait to see if he might come. Even if he didn't come, she would be perfectly content. There was a nice sunning rock to one side of the clearing, and it was this that she climbed upon to lounge in the sunshine and to wait for Ndale.

However, the sun was warm on the rock, and it took only moments for her to drift into a delighted, sun-addled doze. She would wake up if someone approached, though. Probably.  

[Uta]

The white and striped lion had done his best not to think about Furaha, but it was difficult. It wasn't that he was thinking about her in some romantic sort of way, of course not, but as a responsible adult, she was very soon going to be part of the biggest change in his adult life. They weren't going to be traditional mates, per say, but she was going to be the mother of his children. And that meant he would someday in the near future, be looked upon as a father. That alone demanded he consider the situation, and Furaha was a big part of it.

It had been a few days since he had last seen the bitter female, though he had done a little more investigating. He was a guard, after all, and a little conversation mentioning Furaha's name came up with a lot of commentary. She was the daughter of Jozo, the blasted lion who was notorious for the scandal he pulled years ago . . . Unfortunately, though he could put a few pieces of the puzzle together concerning her lineage, he still didn't really know her.

If they were going to have a family, even if it was purely out of duty (and a way to keep the matchmakers off their backs), he needed to know more than just her name. They had to have some sort of neutral relationship, even if love wasn't a part of it.

By pure chance, the white and black lion was pushing his way through the grasses, and came across where they had last met. Strangely enough, the spirits must have smiled down upon him, because there was the female in question, lying comfortably upon a rock. Well . . . that was good enough. He might as well at least pause to speak to her; this area of the pride was fairly secluded, quiet, and comfortable enough. He at least didn't have to worry about being spotted or spied upon . . .

"Furaha." He greeted the same as he had before, his voice low, more of a grunt than anything. He bridged the distance between them, not at all shy or uncomfortable in her presence, and looking as reserved and irritable as ever. That was Ndale, after all -- happiness wasn't a known expression of his to wear.
 

[Wylde Roses]

It seemed as though fate had a hand in today's events, as just after Furaha drifted into a full but light doze, she was awakened by the sound of a gruff voice addressing her. Cracking one eye open, she glanced over the edge of her perch to see Ndale standing there. While it was what she was hoping for, she certainly felt a bit unprepared for him to have approached while she lay sleeping.

With a quiet grown, she stretched out and jumped down from the rock, ducking her head in a neutrally polite greeting. "Ndale," she said simply, and now that she looked at him more closely she could see that his eyes were actually mismatched - nothing so overstated or dramatic as two wildly different colors, but instead the lesser yet somehow more appealing brown and gold. But -

Bah. Whatever color(s) his eyes were was completely unimportant, save that a cub might inherit the trait. He was likely here for the same reason she had originally come - to get to someone with whom he would be working closely with for the foreseeable future. Keeping this purpose in mind helped settle Furaha, and she managed to calm herself and stop thinking of him as anything resembling an attractive lion.

"I suppose you're here to ensure that you're prepared for what will need done in the time ahead? I assure you, the only thing cubs risk inheriting from me is a slight change of congenital stupidity thanks to my..." she paused to curl her lip in distaste. "Sire. But I'm quite certain it's nothing they couldn't be trained out of with a decent upbringing."  

[Uta]

Ndale watched as the lioness stretched and pushed herself away from the rock. She really was a pretty female -- her dark coat was in stark contrast to her orange underbelly and pale mane. It surprised him that she hadn't yet found a respectable partner, but it was clear she didn't let any terribly close.

She had about as many trust issues as he did, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At least it meant they came from a place of mutual understanding. She didn't have to put faith in him, so she couldn't be hurt; and he didn't have to open up to her, to pour out his heart, and risk vulnerability. Nope, they could keep a reserved nature between them and that would be just all right.

Granted, when it came to cubs, well . . .they would have to be treated much more gentler. He understood that. He could trust his children, because they would be his and he would be there for them every step of the way. Maybe Furaha and him weren't in the most loving of relationships, heck, they weren't much in a relationship at all. But at least his future sons and daughters would live a good life, and wouldn't be subject to the mistakes of his own family.

But that was neither here nor there.

"I have no doubt that your spirit and my blood will keep the stupidity at bay." He added mildly, noticing the curl of her lip and the venom in her voice when she mentioned her father. Obviously Jozo had messed her up pretty bad. Parents seemed to be good at that. . .which is why Ndale would be ever cautious around his cubs. "It's obvious you hate him. Will our cubs know your sire? Or will we be . . . sheltering them a bit?" He was genuinely curious to know. He didn't wish to pry in to her affairs, but it would be best to sort out now how things would be handled in the future.

 

[Wylde Roses]

He really was quite a handsome lion, Furaha realized. Not that such a trait was useful to survival, but it was something of a surprise that he hadn't been forced together with another female before now. She gave a little sigh as he asked her about her father and shook herself, as if ridding her fur of an unwanted coat of dust.

"Well, I can hardly prevent them from encountering him once they are old enough to wander a little," she said, frowning thoughtfully. She refused to let her cubs suffer life as tools or as an unwanted burden.

"I'd prefer to protect them while they're young enough, but I'll keep no secrets from them as they grow. Cubs understand more than we think and if they aren't guided carefully, they can make assumptions that... may not always be correct." She was speaking, of course, about herself, because she knew that she had leaped to a conclusion about Jozo's behavior without ever knowing the full story, but she was much too bitter about the situation to ever attempt to let go of her bitterness towards the lion.

"How much do you think they should be told, and when? We don't need specific points yet, but narrowing down a time period could be useful..."

She was going into this like she was strategizing for a long hunt, which was a bit silly but the only frame of reference she had. She certainly wasn't going to use her mother or Eppie as an example of what to do!  

[Uta]

Ndale supposed that what she said held a bit of truth. While they could protect the cubs from unwanted family members while they were particularly small, that didn't mean they could keep them from them forever. Besides, usually when a cub was told no or discouraged to do something, they went out and did it anyway. Giving a small nod and grunt, the pale coated male

"I have no problem with honesty. If they ask, I will tell them. . . as you say, they tend to understand more than we think or believe. While perhaps there's some information we can refrain from giving them until they purposefully ask, I have no problem with raising them in a fairly transparent environment." It was easy to think about, to plot and plan. Ndale knew exactly what he wouldn't do, and was certain that everything would work out. It was easy to be confident now, when everything was just talk.

Ndale was in for a big surprise once it wasn't just talk of cubs. . . .

"I suppose it depends on the cubs. I'd like for them to at least keep some innocence for awhile, as it will surely be taken from them at a young age. I was . . .too grown up for my age. I'd rather avoid that if we can." Honestly, he didn't know how much the cubs should be told -- it was something he felt they might need to wait until their cubs were born . . . He also didn't want to fess up that he had no idea.

Cubs were a new realm for the serious adult. He was around them in the pride, but that didn't mean he was particularly good with them, or had any idea how to raise them. He just didn't want to fess up to such a failure so soon.
 

[Wylde Roses]

Furaha nodded, her eyes downcast in thought. "I was too grown up, as well. I wouldn't wish that on my cubs. Life is hard enough, in time. I don't think it would be wrong to grant them a time of happiness before they have to realize that."

Furaha was quickly growing to realize that, although she didn't know why, Ndale was just as broken as she was. In a way, it was a bit sad since she would never wish her own emotional problems on another (aside from Jozo - he deserved everything he got!), but as the same time it was...nice, to have someone she could speak with who didn't expect her to be happy, or trusting. Someone who understood why she woke up with a frown on her face and went to sleep scowling.

Someone who would want cubs to be happy for a time, but prepared for all that life could and would throw at them. Furaha didn't want a mate, more was she really getting one, but she was beginning to believe that she had gotten a very good cub-raising partner nonetheless. After all, she could stand to speak with him even though he was a male, and that said more than enough.

"I think some cubs are ready to handle the harshness of the world sooner than others... my sisters and my half-siblings... some of them seemed so fragile growing up - and I don't mean in terms of health, but the ability to cope with difficulty..."

Especially Liraz. Liraz was like a spirit just barely bound in flesh, ethereal and vulnerable as well.  

[Uta]

Ndale was curious to know exactly what it was that had turned the dark coated female before him so cold. From what he knew she had an awkward family life, but was there perhaps more? Was it a negativity she had been born with? Or was there more to the rumors than he had heard? He honestly did wish to know, but he also refused to pry.

Furaha and him both had secrets, both had lines that neither wished to cross. He could respect that. It wasn't as if he needed to know her intimately, just enough to understand where she came from, and how to best handle her in the future. She wasn't necessarily a friend, but she would be the mother to his cubs, and he really did want them to have some common ground.

Cubs were a big responsibility, after all, and easy to mess up.

"It's true. My sister Haruma was very hardy and sensible, the other, Fara, much more genteel and fragile. I think we'll know better in time, as they grow, what and when to teach them the realities of life. It's difficult to pin point an exact time frame now, but is certainly something we can discuss down the road." He gave a firm nod and a flick of his tail, certain that it was the most sensible resolution.

 

[Wylde Roses]

"That seems the most sensible thing," Furaha agreed quietly. Then, as she ran over his response in her mind,she smiled a little more gently. "You have sisters, too?" Perhaps they would have more common ground than she thought, if they both understood what it was like to have siblings to protect.

Maybe this wouldn't be quite so difficult as she had believed... But if she was truly to have cubs with this lion, she needed to know more about him than she could learn in two simple encounters, and this brought her mind back to her original goal. Shifting he shoulders slightly, she looked around, then spoke. "If... we're really going to do this, we should probably know a bit more about each other - as business partners, at least."

She hoped he understood what she was getting at and not thinking she was asking to - to court him or anything! "Perhaps if we met regularly, to discuss how to raise the cubs..."  

[Uta]

Ndale's expression softened a bit as he considered his two siblings. Haruma and Faraa were perhaps the only reason he hadn't turned entirely cold. Oh, to be sure hew as still terribly touchy and difficult, but his sisters had brought him joy. They were the only family he had, after all. . . And he owed it to them to make sure they lived a joyous and content life. "I do. Two of them. They're the only family I have." He added, more as an after thought. Shrugging his shoulders, the lion quickly changed the topic of conversation.

He didn't wish to think of Oseye, of his unknown father, or of his sister. That made him think of their great betrayal, of the hurt they had caused him, of those days alone and abandoned, lost and afraid. They made him think of a life he had not or could ever know because of his mother's cruelty and weakness. . . . And it was not something he wished to dwell upon. Not now, at any rate, not with Furaha.

But that was neither here nor there. Ears twitching forward, the dual-eyed lion gave a small snort at her suggestion, but he didn't object. "I suppose. We may not be mates, but we will be in each others lives for the forseeable future." As uncomfortable as he felt, Ndale figured it could be worse. There were unspoken rules, a demand that they needn't press one another, or question too deeply. She was a pretty lioness, with a sensible nature, and he genuinely didn't matter chattering to her.

It was almost . . .easy.

Bah.

"If you'd wish to meet here for awhile, it's secluded enough. We'll be having cubs, after all, I think that alone demands at least a loose acquaintanceship." It was so simple, their plan, and yet he reality of it hadn't quite settled with Ndale. He would be a father. . . .someday. Somewhen. And sometime very, very, soon.