[PRP] Kicking & Screaming [Jasiri, Nahmba, & Impoqo]

[Kaelyndra]

Nahmba was squinting, watching a small trail of dust form and rise into the currently clear sky. That fleeing dust cloud was Kamal. A low, purring rumbled rolled out from Nahmba's throat. Impoqo looked impassive.

In the distance, they could see a golden male starting to pick his way back towards him. Likely, to claim his prize of two golden colored females. And some prize it was--a mute and an old lady who would likely never see a generation of cubs again.

But, despite her fading eyesight and whitening cheeks, Nahmba was full of spirit. After all, she'd agreed to travel all the way to the outpost with the flea-itching Kamal.

"Here he comes!" Nahmba chattered excitedly off to Impoqo. The lioness flicked an ear, but did not remove her black eyes from the rogue male.

As he neared, Nahmba jogged out a few steps to meet him. Impoqo's long, lumbering walk allowed her to easily keep pace.

"Good job!" Nahmba called to the challenger. "You will be a formidable challenger for the other three!" It had been a while since a worthy challenger had stepped foot in the land. Nguvu had hardly counted, he'd gotten a free pass!  

[Annchen]

Jasiri grinned as he watched the other male flee. He was on top of the world, riding on a wave of adrenaline, and he didn't yet feel the scratches and bruises from the fight. He had won! He knew he would, and now he would get his reward. He watched the two lionesses hungrily, and his grin widened as they greeted him as a hero. It took a few heartbeats to take in what the pale female was saying.

"Other three?" he repeated, brow furrowing.

More females, he hoped. But the talk about a new challenge confused him. He had challenged the other male, he had won, they were his now. It was supposed to be that simple! He really didn't want to have to start disciplining them this soon. They were supposed to fawn over him and make him feel good, not confuse him.  

[Kaelyndra]

Jasiri would be disappointed to know that Nahmba's life was dedicated to confusing those around her. The lioness did not do this of conscious will, but it occured anyway; she confused cubs, rogue males, Abaholi, Inselele, Umzingeli and Busisa alike.

"Yes!" Nahmba chirped, taking his tone as agreement rather than confusion. "You see, he is ready." The golden lioness' blue eyes may well have sparkled with the pride of her own son. One must have assumed she was talking to the mute lioness at her side.

Impoqo raised a lip in a silent growl towards him.

"We will send someone else to deliver the message to the Firekin!" Her son, the Enda, who saw it fit to hang around like a bum with the excuse of his bird's offspring to stay, could do the task. Or, perhaps Baie'mooi with her newly grown litter would have itchy feet.

"This way." Nahmba's short strides had great turnover, and soon she was moving with a strange rapidness over the sogged out plains.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

That wasn't helping at all. His frown deepened, and before he knew it the pale one was making a run for it. And was the big one giving him attitude now? Nah, probably not. She hadn't actually said anything, but he didn't like that face she just made. Having females around was much more work than he had imagined. Well, he had figured he might have to work up a sweat now and then, but this was not what he was supposed to sweat about!

"Hey. Hey!" he called after Nahmba, "I decide where we go. Where do you think you are going?"

He felt incredibly silly chasing after her, and he let slip an annoyed growl. Oh, he did not want to have to knock her over the head to keep her from bouncing off in random directions.  

[Kaelyndra]

Impoqo broke into a gentle, loping jog. The lioness had long, well-balanced steps and she easily kept stride with the skittering Nahmba and the male chasing after her. A few meters distance seemed to be the rule.

"Home!" Nahmba purred back at him.

The pride ought to have been making distance while the males fought, and were likely closer than they had been before. It would still be a few hours to reach the Bonelands, and eventually Nahmba slowed to a fast paced walk, ears forwards, eyes straight ahead.

"There are many more females in this direction," she chided him. Always the youthful deviant, Nahmba had encountered enough rogue males in her lifetime to know that they still thought predominately with their groin. "Follow, follow."

(( Totally did not see that you'd tagged! ))  

[Annchen]

"You live with me now," he protested. He was starting to get winded, and his sense of being in control was slipping rapidly. Jasiri very much liked the feeling of power and control, so he was far from pleased. He was just barely keeping up with the female, but he wasn't going to give her the pleasure of wearing him out completely. It wasn't fair! How could she expect him to run after a huge fight. He'd expected a rest in the shade and a lot of pampering, not this.

The promise of more females made his ears twitch, but it wasn't enough to boost his energy. This had to end now. With a final burst of energy he tried to tackle the pale female. They'd stay here now, even if he had to pin her down and sit on her.

"You. Stop. Now," he growled as he moved toward her.

Kaelyndra

 

[Kaelyndra]

How rude this young male was! Had Nahmba not told him his work was not done?

Perhaps another female would have been compliant. Matifa, or Ulaka even would have followed him in stride. Protested, no doubt, but neither were fighters and both had too much life to live to want to retort.

"We can wait here for them if you are tired." Nahmba came to an abrupt stop, head held high and looking off over the vast, cloudy expanse. The male's running tackle caught her in full force, and the pair went spinning out of control.

Nahmba shrieked something foul, her aging body weak under the full force of a male. They came to a rest, Nahmba's foot tickled by a puddle of water, and body smeared in a fresh coating of mud.

Impoqo had broken into a canter and was nearly caught up to them.

Annchen

(( LOL. If she gets knocked out. Impoqo will knock him out, and then the pride can find two knocked out lions and a mute. LMFAO.
Although, realistically, it's not really feasible. Since people are only knocked out for a few seconds unless it's extremely severe. ))

 

[Annchen]

Jasiri had never really had to fight elderly lionesses before, so he had used way too much force. His tumble was slightly more controlled than hers, but not by much. By now he knew how to take a fall without getting hurt, but since he couldn't levitate he was just as muddy as Nahmba. He cursed as he picked himself up.

"Look at this," he said to the approaching Impoqo, "Can you believe it!"

Jasiri turned his attention back to his messed up fur. He was going to have to groom mud out of his coat. It would probably taste horrible, but leaving it in was not an option. Some lions walked across the savannah like savages, caked in mud, but he wasn't one of them. Hmm... Perhaps he could get one of the females to do it for him...

Kaelyndra

Heh... That would be funny.

 

[Kaelyndra]

The look that Impoqo gave Jasiri said that she could, in fact, believe it. Even a mute could lower her brows and stretch out the sides of her mouth in discontent.

Something in her seemed to click. She hopped up, and sent her forehead hurtling towards his. The blow would not be enough to knock him out if it struck, but it would leave them both rattle-brained.

Nahmba scrambled to her feet, limping to a safe distance.

"Impoqo, you musn't fight the Inselelo!" she urged, but her voice was wheezy from having the wind knocked from her chest.

Annchen

(( Will get to our other soon. Want to give this guy priority so you can start playing him.))

 

[Annchen]

Jasiri could see that the large female wasn't happy, but he interpreted it as sympathy for his muddy state. How could she be angry with what he'd just done, after all? Sure, he might have overdone it a tiny bit, but the smaller female just didn't listen to reason. And since he was busy checking the damage on his coat he didn't see the next part coming.

He saw her head move closer, but her intention became clear to him much too late to do anything. Her not-very-friendly head-butt hit him head on, and the sound of two skulls cracking together could probably be heard far and wide. Not that Jasiri cared much at the moment, he was busy seeing stars. That had hurt!

"What was that for," he wailed as he regained enough composure to talk again, "I think I blacked out. What the hell?!"

He looked a sorry mess, sitting there all muddy, trying to will his head to stop spinning. For a brief moment he wondered if the scrawny male had let him win to get away from these crazy females.

Kaelyndra

Sounds like a good plan!

 

[Kaelyndra]

Jasiri's question was answered with silence, two black eyes staring him down while he wailed onwards. As the male did not seem to be moving, neither was Impoqo. All four legs planted, she was a lion carved out of stone.

Nahmba had settled down to survey the damage, her blue eyes worrying between the two lions. Impoqo wasn't moving, Jasiri had been injured. The old lioness took in a deep breath.

"We will have to wait here!" Nahmba proclaimed, sounding almost as devastated as Jasiri himself.

"I cannot walk like this." Nahmba squinted at a nearby shrub and began to limp in that direction.

While she was a little chilly and would not mind the sun, she had no interest in being far from shade or water when the adrenaline wore off and the real pain of her injury set in.

"Come, come. I will take a look at your head," Nahmba squeakily added to Jasiri.

Annchen

(( Sorry for the double quote. Edited in to add this can potentially be the last post from me if you'd like! ))

 

[Annchen]

How could she just stand there and stare? Jasiri was starting to gain some healthy respect for the eerily silent female. She had knocked him off his feet without looking any worse for wear and now she was just standing there, staring. Her silence really started to get to him. He still hadn't made the connection that perhaps she couldn't talk at all. As far as he knew she might just be trying to play a game and mess with his head. Well, mission accomplished if that was the case. He wondered if he had to keep her, but there was no good way to tell someone 'Go away, you're creepy' so he didn't.

Jasiri got up and followed Nahmba to the shadow of the shrub, trying to keep an eye on the creepy one. He felt a bit wobbly, but he managed to keep it together and walk there in a mostly straight line.

"Yes," he said gruffly, "I've decided. We'll wait here."

He didn't know what exactly they were waiting for, but he needed the sense of being in control over something right now. And after his run in with Impoqo he didn't feel like moving more that day. Little did he know that the pride Nahmba had referred to as 'home' was drawing closer and closer... The day wasn't over yet, and there were more overwhelming changes in store for him.

Kaelyndra

Great, I'm wrapping this up then smile

 

[Kaelyndra]

Annchen

-FIN-

Once I've wrapped up the current ORP, I'll start one up for everyone to meet Jasiri!