[PRP] Grandma! (Iratze/Xabryel/Nia)

[Painted Moose]

Xabryel padded along side his smaller cousin with an air of bliss. The large lion was a brute by any standards, even surpassing his grandfather, but it was his playful streak that garnered the most attention. He was happy, content, and had helped to raise not only Izin's litter, but Tendaji's pups and cubs. He had been young then too, but older than the little ones. A bond had been born, one that he still tried to keep close to this day.

As it was since he was so much larger his guarding detail was usually paired with Iratze. She was so tiny that he thought she might break if attacked, so the pairing went without saying. He smiled, bumping into her as they walked under the dusky sky. "See anything interesting? Found any rogue boys to steal your heart?" He smiled; big, bright and goofy, despite the nasty scar bisecting his lower lip.

Iratze's cheeks flushed and she shook her head shyly. The small leopardess looked almost freakish next to her cousin. She was the runt of the family runt, and for most of her life she had been ill. Now that she wasn't she still remained rather...odd. Almost as if all of the family's fighting spirit had been burned out of her with her fevers.

"If I had found a-a rogue, would you have let me talk to him?" She broached cautiously, then sighed when he shook his head. "I didn't think so." There would never be any boy good enough for her as far as they were concerned. She just wanted a chance, really, to spread her wings and show them what she could do!....Even if it wasn't very much.

"I saw Isith and Lulu, though. Why did your dad break it off with Lulu?" It had been common knowledge about the three way, and Iratze had always wondered when it would end. A lioness shared between the twins, coincidentally named Lulu, the same as Xabryel's birth mother. She hadn't been surprised to see it end, but with Lulu still around things were awkward at best. "They always looked so happy together."

Xabryel shrugged. "He's a rover, that's why. He got tied down and panicked, so he bailed out. I think they still...you know, but I don't want to think about it, so you shouldn't think about it either."

 

[Sabra Knight]

Bored of lurking around in her family’s den Nia had decided to venture out. Rustling quietly through the taller grasses the leopard slunk low to the ground and was quickly lost to the terrain. It was getting dark and the evening time was her favorite time to explore. Not like she had much to explore with having been in this area for so long now. How strange how having a large family and old age could keep a rogue like her settled down in an area.

Speaking of family…Nia had stopped to drink from a puddle of water when her ears twitched. Who was walking so close to her home? Golden eyes swerved up ready to face the danger of a stranger when familiar scents instead brushed across her nose. Ah. Smiling at her grandcubs the leopardess perked up, “Any invader would have easily slipped past at the way you two were talking.” Laughing teasingly Nia brushed dust from her pelt before approaching, “What are you young ones up to?”  

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Xabryel was the first to look sheepish. He laughed nervously, kicking his paw in the dirt with his ears pressed back against his thick mane. "Sorry, grandmother. We got a little caught up." If he hadn't been so used to his mother's popping out of the shadows he might have panicked a little more. In this family it was just a normal greeting. "You really should have a patrol buddy, since you're no spring chi-"

Iratze coughed into her paw demurely, and gave a little soft warning smile to Xabryel. Unlike her cousin she had been startled, and was still feeling the effects on her heart. She really hadn't been paying very much attention at all to her surroundings. What if it had been a demon?

"We're pulling out patrol. Grandfather said we needed to switch up our times so that we wouldn't be so lax." Even as she said it she felt shame. Usually they did the early morning patrol, and were attentive, but now she had proved him right.

"So what are you doing out? Roaming around for souls to steal?"  

[Sabra Knight]

Nia just laughed softly, “If I was always so serious about patrol then I would have gone insane a while back. As long as you two didn’t get mauled this time by some demonic creature then I’ll forgive you.” She winked playfully, “Just be glad it wasn’t Abra who was out about this time.” As much as she valued the protection these patrols gave her family and how everyone took part in training and keeping strength up in case of emergencies, the leopardess was also the one the try to encourage some play and happiness in the darkness. After all wasn’t she a free spirit of the night?

Her golden gaze did narrow slightly in warning at the comment about to occur before Iratze saved Xabryel. It would have been a familiar smack to the back of the head to prove a point, but she just shook off the comment lightly. I may be old, but not out of the race yet. Stubbornly she made a slight face before looking over at her other grandcub, “Ah, of course he would be worried about that.” Nia just shook her head slightly, “But he is right. If we didn’t change the patrol timing slightly it would be even easier for anything to slip past after watching for a while.”

If anything ever tried to get close to her family…the sharp feeling of her claws in the ground gave her strength. Old or not the leopardess still had plenty of fight in her and could be a demon herself.

The serious look on her features dissolved at Xabryel’s question, “Possibly.” Nia laughed teasingly, “Good to know that I could have easily taken two souls just now. Be glad your related to this demon, silly.” She patted at him playfully, “But other than soul snatching apparently I was just out and about to stretch my legs. Sitting still around the camp is just too boring on a beautiful night like this.”
 

[Painted Moose]

"No promises on that one, we tend to pick a lot of stupid fights with big bad monsters." Xabryel cracked, tossing up a wide toothed grin. His smile would have been enchanting were it not for the intense scar that bisected his lower lip.

Still, he gave a little dramatic shudder. "Trust me, I am! Lately I can't escape him and Momma Isith. Night and day, work work work." He stuck out his tongue. "It gets so boring."

Iratze beamed under her grandmother's teasing and her cousin's bubbly attitude. Times of peace were what she looked forward too most of all. It was where she felt most at ease and could smile more freely. The petite leopard sat next to him, keeping a light giggle at their antics.

"He's just worried, is all." She amended. There was a lot on his shoulders that Abrafo took on needlessly, and without her grandmother she knew he would have broken long ago from the weight. "With so many jewels in our family, how could he not?"

The large lion shifted away from the leoaprdess' with a nervous expression. "Hey now, I didn't mean me! You'd be choking on dirt over here." He chuckled, preening under the attention as much as his cousin. They may have been grown, but they were not so old that they didn't relish familial affection. "If you want to stretch your legs...how about a race? Sicky, oldy, and chubby? Who do you thinks gonna win?"

Chubby? Hardly. Xabryel had muscle to spare and her grandmother could lick her any day. Iratze gulped. This was not likely to be an event she would win.
 

[Sabra Knight]

“Oooh?” Nia chuckled softly at Xabryel’s antics. It was good though that the lion could still smile despite things. The last thing she wanted was for any dark history or toughness to ruin the light and happiness of her family, “Then I expect you to finish what you start when you do so. I won’t claim you as my own if you come limping back after losing a fight you picked.”

Her teasing grin only widened at his shudder, “They’ll keep to you like flies. I can distract Abrafo for a bit, but then right back to work afterwards.” Her gaze gleamed with humor though she studied the lion before her. Abrafo probably was getting ready to put so much trust in this grandson of theirs. It was a weird feeling, the realization that age had finally started slowing Abrafo and her both down. Retirement…who would have thought it?

Nia’s smile was warm and loving as she nodded at Iratze’s words, “Coming from one of the jewels directly too.” She laughed softly, “Though I think all that worry has made him age quicker than me. I thought I was the older one yet I get called a cub often.” She did enjoy making mischief for him to distract him from such worries. Constantly his own worries had worried her as well, but the leopardess had long ago found that holding onto her playfulness had kept light alive even in the darkness.

“It’s alright. I have to look for the best souls anyway.” Teased Nia lightly before pausing, “A race? With what was that?” She turned a daring gaze towards him, “I better have heard that wrong, but if you wish we could race.” She looked towards Iratze curiously, “That or something else…I heard nighttime swims can be pretty entertaining as well. I’ll leave it up to Iratze to decide for us~”

 

[Painted Moose]

Xabryel saluted as best he could, and stood tall. "Momma Isith would have my hide if I didn't, grandmother. She expects nothing, but the best." It had been odd, being raised by three individuals, and calling his Aunt his mother was definitely odd, but since there was no incest involved he didn't see the point in clarifying. Isith loved Lulu, Lulu had loved Safi and Isith, and Safi had loved Lulu before he branched away. They kept things like and fun, giving him a well rounded cubhood. "It's not so bad though. It feels kind of...nice, being able to help out now."

It spoke volumes that his grandfather had chosen him to train after Isith. His leopon daughter had always been his little shadow and now the torch was being passed...It made him feel blessed.

Iratze's pale cheeks flushed bright and she shrugged away from the kind words. "N-no, not me, I meant you, or mother, or Shyama..." Surely never her! She knew her worth, had seen it tested multiple times, and was comfortable where she was at. The sickly leopard knew how to hold her own thanks to her family, but without them she would have passed on long ago.

"I wouldn't say that." She refuted quietly. "When he spends his time with Isith he speaks well of you. The reason that Isith has trained so hard is because of his desire to see you protected. You are grandfather's sun and stars, so don't think that you've aged him. If anything I think that is our fault." Iratze said sheepishly. She couldn't remember a day as a cub that at least five cubs, even wild dog pups, hadn't been crawling over his mane and sliding down his back.

Still, she looked between the two relatives and gulped once more. "Me?" Why did it have to be her? Surely she would choose something that neither one would like. Xabryel wanted to race, but grandmother wanted a swim...Her ears folded back on her head as the already small leopardess shrunk down.

"I think I...would like to swim."

Xabryel reached out a big paw to drag his cousin to his size and give her a noogie with his face. It never failed to bring a smile to her face. "Swimming sounds great. I could use with a good bath. All of this dust is messing with me!  

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Nia smiled at Xabryel, “Then you best not disappoint her.” Her gaze shimmered happily though towards the lion despite her firm words. She was proud to hear that he did enjoy helping. Some cubs grew and wanted nothing to do with their families…yet for the most part Nia and Abrafo’s line had been blessed. Even with the darkness dancing nearby they could embrace plenty of things and trust each other to guard their backs.

“Sometimes the best jewels are the ones that don’t even realize it themselves.” Whispered Nia softly. Little Iratze had kept her grandmother’s attention since birth and even though she had been sickly Nia didn’t mind. She just wished that the little one realized that not all were born to be warriors after all. If only Lalika was near still so that I could bring her around. Still though her healer friend had her own place now and Nia accepted that gladly. Hopefully that stubborn girl will find a family of her own soon….hopefully.

The leopardess grinned, “You are full of beautiful words, Iratze.” Nia shook her head with a soft laugh, “But as much as I wish I could deny it you are right. He always was one to try to protect me. Though the image of my brave warrior is best when he does have cubs around him.” She teased lightly at the similar image that came to her own mind. Along with her own secret hope for more cubs. Maybe someday soon…even though she knew their ages worried him Nia had faith. Even with some silver fur she was plenty strong to hold her own.

“Swimming it is then.” Nia laughed lightly, “But just to add to it…I’m going to run there.” She made a face at Xabryel, “See ya!” With that the leopardess pounced playfully off into the night and was soon swallowed by shadows.
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Need a post from Nia to meet post minimum!

Although she had heard her grandmother whisper something, she had not been privy to what it was. Iratze wasn't bothered by it, however. She twitched her speckled tail as her bright blue eyes looked about at the other two. Some day she would be just as strong as them, though she would likely die in the process. Better to go out that way, she supposed, than waste her life being less than useful.

"Uncle Tendaji said that I'm a romantic, just like father." She took the words to heard. Her mother and father had their bouts, but they were so happy around each other. Iratze could only hope one day to have such a relationship. And if she had the same potential...she couldn't wait!

Romantics. Xabryel knew his cousin to be a natural charmer, much like her father, and by an extent his uncle as well. Although, Izin searched for a love that was true and fair, while Safi searched for something entirely different. He expected his father would want to settle down some day, but it didn't look as if that day would come soon enough.

"Stop talking like your sold old fart, Iratze." Reaching over he blew a raspberry on the top of her head, much to her disdain. The way she instantly shied away from it and hit him made the male laugh. Though, he was caught off guard by his grandmother's sudden bought of energy. "Hey, hold up!"

Xabryel stepped to the chase, then slowed and lowered himself to the ground. He looked back to Iratze and motioned for her to hop on. "Two heads are better than one to catch the night, don't you think?"

She sighed and shook her head before climbing on. "You'll break your back doing this." When she felt sturdy he stood and with a whooping yell that was followed by carefree laughter from Iratze the two shot off into the darkness as well.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Racing through the darkness Nia let out a loud laughter. It rang happily through the winds and as she peered back towards her grandcubs the leopardess was even more joyful to see their tactics. It was a blessing that Xabryel was so loving to Iratze and seeing such actions took a lot off of the older feline’s chest. What was even more relaxing however was the cool touch of the waters as she dove into the stream.

“Hurry up you twin headed demon~” Teased Nia playfully before swimming back into the waters.

As she did the golden eyes closed in relief. It was nice to be able to spend an evening like this with her family. And hopefully she would have many more chances to make memories like this. After all why not spend time enjoying life rather than being on guard all of the time?