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 Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:04 pm
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Nantale. A lioness with a quiet disposition that belied her restless mind. Her paws weren't any more keen on being stagnant than her thoughts. Sightings of the Malenga were few and far between that week, and not many were stationary. She was always going somewhere, doing something; the "somewhere" and "something" was all anyone seemed to know. Those that asked were politely told she was adhering to her schedule. The queen would query their felicity; smile when their responses were positive and promise to look into the matter should any signs of discontent present themselves.
"They'll think you're snubbing them if you don't try to converse a bit more," father warned her. Again. Mother said nothing and Nantale knew why: Kitambi was no more apt to talk effusively than her daughter.
Nantale was torn between her father's sage cautioning and staying true to what made her... well, her. That she didn't share her every thought freely certainly didn't reflect the affection she had for her pride and its residents. She pondered this dilemma while she schlepped supplies to barren lands that had once flourished with plant and animal life. The Mtaishi, their long-gone neighbors, had lived here. Nantale honored their absence by making use of their former territory.
It was rare for anyone to wander here now -- after the floods, especially -- and that made it an ideal place to work on her project.
"It's lovely, Poko," she cooed.
Nantale had coaxed him from the hills for three days before he agreed to assist her. This task had a deep significance to her mother and father. Together, she and the rancorous baboon constructed six distinct drums. Small ones. Cub-sized.
Hours a day had to be invested just to craft one, hence her presence being scarce around the pride. Looking at them now, lined up in a row, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction that made it all worth it. Nantale felt no fulfillment in gloating, but she wanted to share this with someone.
"I'm going to show Mawi," she declared.
Poko only grunted at her.
Upon returning to the pride that afternoon, she would find Ndoto first.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:16 pm
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Ndoto hummed softly to himself as he poked his nose into the cool water of the river he was wading in, looking for some shiny stones he had spotted a few days before. He was no crafter, but he did enjoy how they shone in the sun. Pawing at the rocks, he tilted his head this way and that to let the sun catch the pebbles below at different angles, trying to see if any of them were of the same material as the one he had pulled up originally. Nope...darn.
He moved a few paces down the river and tried again, his tail sliding back and forth in the water. It was certainly a good way to cool off and pass the time, looking for these shiny stones. Perhaps if he found enough he could try to find someone who might be able to make them into something. He had no idea what, but surely a craftsman could come up with something. Perhaps they could be woven into a necklace, or even added to a few of the drums! That would be amazing.
His luck was short today, though, and Ndoto sighed as he moved from the river empty pawed. He shook himself to get the water from his fur, licking his lips just a bit as he settled down again. He took just a few steps to go see if he could find his brother to bother him - he hadn't seen him in quite some time and wanted to catch up - but a brown lioness caught his attention before he got very far. Ndoto's face broke into a grin as he changed his direction towards Nantale, his paws lighter and his tail held happily.
"Hello," he said as he came within earshot. "Haven't seen you around for a bit." That much was true. The past few days he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her, when usually they'd at least pass one another and say hello.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 1:47 pm
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Nantale smiled at the approaching male. No surprise to find him promoting good cheer as usual. An exchange of greetings was soon to commence and she played her role as expected, welcoming him with a warm, "Good afternoon, Ndoto." It wasn't as if he were a distraction. The Malenga had all the time in the world for her pride and --
Oh, who she was kidding?
If she'd had the choice, she would have progressed to her destination without delay. Ndoto made for good company and she looked forward to their daily exchange, but. She really wanted Mawi to see these drums. Mawi had watched Nantale and her brothers grow. An aunt to all of them and her mother's closest confidant. If anyone in pride truly understood their meaning, it would be her.
"How are you today?" Nantale asked. "Is everything well?" She tried to keep her gaze fixated on him, but it wandered a bit. From the corner of her eye she could spot the vibrant pink and purple of her father heading for the drum circle. Her mother was not with him...
Which meant Kitambi and Mawi were likely together.
Nantale sighed through her nose. Her eyes flit back to Ndoto. Despite her best efforts, her mind had strayed from the conversation at hand, too. It took her a second to jog her memory recall and remember what his response had been.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 2:35 pm
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"I'm quite well!" the cheerful lion said as he pulled to a stop in front of his friend. True to his nature he went on, talking about anything and everything that came to mind about just how well he was. He tended to talk a bit more around Nantale due to nerves. He was eager to keep her interest and friendship, after all, and she was a very pretty lioness to boot. He rambled just a bit longer before noticing her eyes were directed to his side rather than to him, and a brief pause in his words brought them back to him.
"Ah..." Whoops. Probably had been a bit boring. "And how are you?" he finally questioned, a bit embarrassed. He'd have to reign himself in a bit. Deep breath, Ndoto, it's just Nantale. Just Nantale...she was the queen of the pride, very different from most lions he was friends with for the pure and simple fact that she was standoffish at best, very pretty, incredibly steadfast in her ways even though he'd caught a glimps of what he believed to be her hidden personality...ah. Right. Breathing. That was a good thing.
"You seem a bit distracted," he added, hoping it wasn't rude to call her out on her wandering eyes. He didn't mind, of course. He was sure she had many things to think about.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:11 am
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Ndoto waved a paw to let Nantale know that he wasn't offended in the slightest. She was the leader of this pride, after all, she was allowed to have a busy mind. The question that followed surprised him, though, and he tilted his head. A gathering? His help?
"Of course I would," he said after just a few moments, a crooked smile on his maw. In all honesty, he'd do anything she asked of him, but he figured that might be a little creepy to tell her, so he kept it to himself. It wasn't meant in a creepy way, of course, but there was always that risk that she might that. Ndoto was a giving soul and willing to do things for others, but for Nantale, what he wouldn't do was very, very small.
"What kind of gathering are we talking about here? Pridal wide? Just a few specific lions?" He needed to know what kind of tactics he should employ. Loud singing to alert everyone to a meeting, or quiet requests to join him back to meet with the queen?
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 11:22 am
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Ndoto frowned in thought and glanced up at the sky at the request. Something festive? The pride had pretty festive get-together's as far as he was concerned, but perhaps she was looking for something different, something that would surprise the pride members. Dancing and singing and drumming were wonderful, but throwing in some extra pizzazz never hurt.
He chuckled after a moment, peering out from behind his fluffy mane at Nantale. "You could convince your baboon friend to come down from his mountain and joins us. I bet he'd liven things up, for sure." It was, of course, just a joke. He doubted the baboon would join the whole pride in fun and games, although he'd probably get a kick out of throwing rocks at everyone.
"Well...if you want it to be personal, perhaps there could some sort of...mural painting we could do on one of the large rocks?" he suggested after a bit. "That's still very creative and fun, but a step away from the traditional song-and-dance bit we usually do. Of course there can still be music," he added, not wanting to deviate too far from tradition. "But everyone can go up and paint what they'd like. Their families, life stories, whatever they feel like?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:37 am
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SilverLutz Super sorry for the wait. I'm officially off hiatus, so all my posts will be much faster now.
Following the genuine suggestion (the joke had left her smilingly uncertainly), Nantale's expression could all too easily be interpreted as a subtle kind of surprise, and truly it was something akin to that. There was no official name for the strange feeling that occurred when one had confidence in someone, yet at the same time, didn't entirely expect them to offer anything so helpful. None she knew to call it.
What tightened her chest after that she was all too familiar with: guilt.
As they were old friends, she and the beast of guilt, Nantale knew how to hide it. She nodded to Ndoto and, following a shake of her shoulders, resembled a proper queen if there ever was one. "That's a fantastic idea, Ndoto," she praised. If he had been listening to the way she gave her blessings on an average day to other members of the pride, perhaps he'd have picked up on the slight -- but definitely present -- differences. This was more personal, more... dare anyone say it -- affectionate? "That's what we'll do."
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:35 am
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As the queen mulled over his suggestion, Ndoto wondered if that was even something that he should have put on the discussion table. He knew the pride was very in touch with music and dancing, but painting...well, he wasn't too sure. He hadn't seen anything like it before, and he knew some prides were touchy about starting new traditions.
His ears lifted in surprise, both at Nantale's agreement and at her tone. The usually reserved female used a words that she normally didn't - fantastic. Generally she spoke in broad terms so as not to step on anyones' toes. That word, combined with the slightly warm tone, made a wide grin break out over Ndoto's face.
"Really?" he asked with a little laugh. "Wow! Great, I'm glad you like it," he said, trying to contain his excitement. He was more thrilled with the fact that she liked his idea than that it would actually be acted upon. Nantale was a hard lioness to impress, and every time he managed to do so he found his heart beating faster and he felt like his chest was full of warm air, making it tight and hard to breathe. It made him want to sing, but he held off on the urge.
"I'm no painter but if you need help planning this, I don't mind pitching in and lending a paw," he offered, tail flicking back and forth behind him. "I'm sure I could crush berries or dig up clay, whatever we need for paints."
Hopefolly That's all right =D I missed RPing these guys X3
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:49 am
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SilverLutz Me too. They are too adorable. XD
Whatever they needed for --
Oh.
Nantale didn't make a habit of glossing over details. To overlook such a glaring flaw in her plan was both aggravating and potential evidence her parents' martial spat had her more distracted than she cared to admit. She had only a vague idea of how to craft the paints they would need, ones that could be used on stone and in vibrant colors. For the sake of saving face, she kept said face neutral as she could hope to until the wave of frustration passed. Nantale was only mortal, and a hint of her feelings slipped through, mostly in the way she breathed heavy out her nose and tightened her jaw; however, this could be attributed to the confession that trailed after it.
"That would be... appreciated. I --" Nantale paused, just for a heartbeat. One of hers, not his. Much as she tried to speak with the refined and diplomatic tone, this was a personal problem at its core and she was underestimating (if not undermining) him again to think she could get away with brushing it off as simply another pride affair. "As you may have heard, both my brothers were lost in the flood. My mother and father have been at odds over it recently. I believe a well-executed distraction would... help them progress toward a solution. My mother would be queen again if something were to happen to me, so it's for the best they're on good terms."
Nothing was going to happen to her, but still, this was About the Pride. |
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:12 pm
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Ndoto's grin faltered just a bit as Nantale's body language stiffened and became rather hard to read. He knew something had been bothering her earlier, but the mild distraction of the plans for the potential party had let it slip his mind.
The words that followed let his smile fall away completely, and he nodded at the words. Her brothers had been lost in the flood, just as she was thought to be. To hear that her parents were having a dispute was sad, but understandable. In tough times it strained even the best of relationships. He went to say something, but it was then he realized that his vision was starting to swim, the edges fading to black. Surprised, he held very still, claws digging into the dirt to keep himself upright.
Nantale faded from his vision for just a moment, and her in place a dark grey lion with brown spots and two-tone eyes materialized. He was walking towards Ndoto, but somehow never got any closer. The ground moved under Ndoto as if he were walking backwards to stay away from the lion before him, but he knew his legs weren't moving. The lion paused, and with it the ground did as well. He looked over his shoulder, back...back to the Nchi lands? Ndoto recognized the scenery without fail, for it was what he had seen upon reaching the pride, and he knew he'd never forget it.
The lion turned to face him once again, a rather resolute expression on his face, and began to run. Ndoto, once again, never got any closer to the lion, instead 'following' him by remaining in front. The Nchi lands slowly faded away, and Ndoto's vision began to swim once again, the lion still running.
When his vision returned to normal, he found himself looking at Nantale's feet, his head aching. Lifting it, he realized he was on the ground, laying on his side. "Wha...whoa...that was weird," he murmured, his speech a bit slurred.
Hopefolly I almost forgot he was gonna have a vision! XD
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:58 pm
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The Nchi danced the line of monarchy (no pun intended). Their royalty -- called so for lack of a better word -- were not quite as revered as other places. Their lives were not as susceptible to scrutiny given the pride's only hardship had been a lone flood. They knew no hunger, thirst, or war here. The opportunities for their leaders to do things that set them apart had been few and far between. Still, they were observed by many with more curiosity than your typical lion. Certainly the combination of that and Ndoto's sudden fall had garnered plenty of attention.
Nantale had called for her father right away, and though he had already taken notice, he would have come running from anywhere after hearing his daughter sound like that. Most would have praised her for keeping calm, but for those who knew Nantale well enough, they recognized the raised pitch and demanding tone of her voice to be cause for alarm. She looked queasy by time her father hustled over.
Mtembei nudged his daughter to the side just in time for Ndoto to see the shuffle of her paws, then his furry face the same distance away. "You all right, son?" The irony of his endearment was lost on him.
Now stationed at her daughter's side, Kitambi looked the fallen lion over both before and after her mate had started to help him back to all fours. "Is he a seer?" she queried. A conclusion Nantale would have come to given time.
Kitambi's sister had three cubs, two proven seers and one suspected of being so. The daughter, Talis, had similar reactions to her visions. Nantale had been close to her when they were young and witnessed it on several occasions.
"I... don't know," she confessed. She should know, but she didn't.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 1:18 pm
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Ndoto was surprised when a dark, maned face poked into his vision, obscuring his view of Nantale. He blinked to bring the face into focus and found the familiar brown eyes of Mtembei. It took him a moment to register the question, the sounds moving in slow motion, it seemed, but finally the world righted itself and the little cluster of lions around him, as well as the smells and sounds of the Nchi pride came slamming back into his mind.
"Yes...yes, I think so," he said, shifting to get to his feet. His legs were a little wobbly but it was nothing to be alarmed over. Shaking his fluffy mane back into place, he heard Kitambi ask Nantale if he was a seer. As far as he knew he wasn't, but he had no idea what had just happened, nor how to explain it.
"Uh..." He looked between the royal family, as confused as they were. "I did...see something. That wasn't Nantale. And I don't remember falling." Maybe it had been something he'd eaten...but no, that wouldn't make sense. Everyone else would be falling over and seeing strange lions too. Actually...now that he thought about it...the lion shared a rather striking resemblance to Nantale's parents, in color and in markings.
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 1:35 pm
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"He must be a seer," Kitambi decided. Both her mate and daughter marveled at her ability to jump to the correct conclusion without any mishaps. The truth was darker than that. With how many plagues struck down so many prides -- and she only counted the ones she'd been told of by the Goddess, of which there were far too many -- terror she dared not show had gripped her heart. Ndoto's fall brought front and center a doormat fear that it could come for them one day, that perhaps it had. Seer was a logical conclusion, but it was not the only one...
He was a seer, it seemed. For this she was eternally grateful. For that and for having sense enough to not prematurely trigger further disorder. "He's all right," she called to those around them. Her tone spoke for itself: Move along. Some did, some didn't; Kitambi ignored them regardless.
"You sure did fall." Mtembei couldn't have possibly inspected him any closer if he were, truly, his own son. The Nchi never had the equivalent of a king, but he'd have done the title proud. "We should probably get you some water."
"I'll get it," Nantale offered, out of the goodness of her heart and the desire to walk away. This had rattled her and coping with it was proving difficult. She was a poor queen and a worse friend for wanting a reason to pace. "Why don't you sit down, Ndoto?"
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