[PRP] Natopayiw and Tamu

[Sareibear]

It was early in the morning, and despite that fact, it was actually getting quite hot already. Natopayiw had asked permission from mother to go and play at the beach and she'd said yes, so she padded along down the trail from their den that she had taken with father down there before. She knew her way to a few places that were inside pride territory, and she was also perfectly fine with not knowing her way, too. Natopayiw firmly believed that as long as you knew where you'd been, you couldn't really get lost. At least that was her number one rule so far as an adventurer, but she was sure there'd be more as she grew older.

She spotted a frog on the path and leaped at it, but it hopped away. She began to follow it along the path, leaping after it- as each time she got close, it would again hop to safety. She probably wouldn't do anything if she caught it, but it was still fun to chase, and it was a bit of a hike down to the beach anyways. The tiny lioness hoped that she could find some pretty feathers to collect and bring home with her today as well, but just playing at the beach would be fun enough either way. She grinned as she continued to hop after the frog, not watching where she was going exactly.  

[Rainhowl]

Tamu was up early, which really was not unusual for the young, male lion. He had many siblings, several of which had chosen to stay in Maestros Del Mar with he and his mother, despite his father's offer to let them follow him off into the unknown. Tamu liked the known. He liked routine, schedule, and staying with his mother. He also doted on and watched over his siblings, even if he wasn't necessarily the largest of the cubs. This morning, however, instead of playing tag or hide and seek with Upendi or any of the others, he was on his own. He never did stray too far from the den or too far from mother... Or at least not usually. He'd been caught red pawed wandering a bit too far before, but he was generally a well behaved cub.

Generally.

He hadn't officially met Natopayiw. There were many other cubs in the pride at the moment, not just his own litter, but he hadn't been out from the den long enough to meet and greet them all. Her dark pelt, marked brightly with yellows, caught his pale pink eyes almost immediately and he dropped into a crouch, his tail twitching mischievously. She was younger, but they were both still cubs all the same and, when he thought she would not notice him easily, he snuck towards her and lept out.

"BOO!"  

[Sareibear]

Natopayiw wasn't expecting the surprise, but she wasn't really scared- or, at least she didn't scream or anything. She jumped back a little from the older male cub and giggled ceaselessly, falling onto her bottom as she laughed. "That was a good one! I didn't see you coming at all." She continued to giggle, watching the frog as it took this as it's chance to make a final escape effort. Well, she wasn't about to go chasing after it now that there was someone of her own kind to play with. The tiny lioness paused and looked over the older cub. He was a lot different looking than her...she thought that he looked 'soft'. Maybe it was because of his pale-colored fur. She wrinkled her nose for a second, her violet eyes meeting his own.

"Who are youuuu?" She asked, her tail twitching curiously behind her. "I never seen you before, so you must be from somewhere else, right?" She started, still eying him carefully. "Who's your parents?" She demanded, standing again and grinning mischievously at him. It was likely that Natopayiw had many more questions for him, but she was also eagerly awaiting responses to these questions so she would at least know who he was before she asked him if he'd like to play at the beach with her.  

[Rainhowl]

"Gotcha!" Even if she didn't scream, simply causing her to start was victory enough for the larger cub, who joined the other cub in peels of laughter. Only when his laugh died down, did he inch nearer to the younger creature, sniffing at her fur in an effort to identify her. She smelled of home and other lions, ones he caught whiffs of now and again. No stranger danger. She was like him!

"I'm Tamu! My mamma is Uzuri an' my dad, I done met him only once and he's gotta long name. Somethin' like Anase-something-or-other. Who're you, anyway? I ain't met you afore. I got lotsa brothers 'n sisters, maybe they'd like to play with you sometime. What you doin' out here all alone, 'neway? No offense, but you ain't very big, if you get my meaning." Never mind the fact that he really wasn't all that much older than she. He still seemed to think her too small to wander on her own, even though his own mother would say the same for him. The wilds were dangerous and unforgiving. Cubs would make easy snacks for larger predators, after all. It sure as heck wouldn't be fun to be carried off in the talons of an eagle or something of that nature.  

[Sareibear]

The small mostly gray-furred lioness winced only slightly as he moved forward to sniff her, and she in turn sniffed him back, once she was used to the idea of it. She hadn't met any others besides her own family, and so this was all new. She listened carefully to everything he said, he talked fast though- and it mildly annoyed her, but she ignored it. Natopayiw was excited, and she assumed that the other cub was just excited too. Tamu...she listened for his parents names and shrugged. Of course, she hadn't expected to know who they were. The tiny lioness did find it strange that his father wasn't around though...she couldn't imagine what things would be like without her own father. Nato wanted to be just like him when she grew up.

"My name is Natopayiw. If you care to shorten it, it's up to you." She giggled. "I have plenty of siblings too, but I prefer to adventure. And I'm allowed to go to the beach, my mother said I could." She boasted, puffing out her little chest with a slight air of indignance. She knew she was small, obviously, but maybe this Tamu's mother was more of a worry wart. Either way...she was a little offended by him calling her small, cause she thought she was a big tough explorer, but she also chose to ignore that.

"I'm going to play at the beach. You could come..." She trailed off, lifting a brow at him and tilting her head, flipping her bangs out of her eyes and puffing up her tail. "...maaaayyyyybe." the smaller lioness giggled, sticking her tongue out at him teasingly.  

[Rainhowl]

"Nayopay---" It was a mouthful. He stumbled on it twice before pronouncing it correctly. Why did everyone seem to have such long names? He liked his, short and simple.

"Natopayiw... I'll call you Nayo, okay?" Much easier to say in a hurry and he did tend to speak quickly, as well as ramble, though those things were completely unintentional. The older cub seemed almost oblivious to the fact that he had somewhat offended the other, but if he had noticed, he chose to ignore it in favor of adventure and fun. He did love to explore, even if he stuck close to his brothers and sisters.

"Who're your folks, anyway? And... The beach?" He'd not been on the shores yet, surprisingly. He could smell it, though, and he loved the steady, rhythmic crashing of the waves on the shore.

"I ain't been there, yet, so of course Imma come." He grinned, his lips parted, revealing his sharp, tiny teeth. He was excited and eager to play.