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 Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:11 pm
 Angu walked normally for the first time in nearly two weeks. His limp had finally disappeared, allowing him to bear his scars proudly rather than showing them as a sign of weakness. In fact, the scars on his foreleg were hardly noticeable, but the gashes in his cheek stood out against his white coat.
More than anything though, the fact that his leg no longer hurt him would hopefully stop Raza from worrying about him. While he had insisted that he would be fine, that didn't stop her from trying to get him to rest, but he'd have none of it. There were too many dangers out here for him to relax from a simple injury. He had to keep moving, and surely enough, it had paid off. He now felt stronger than ever, and more ready to defend his pride and his mate if the need arose.
However, nowadays he had the sneaking suspicion that his mate was not the only one in Raza's body that needed protecting. As of late, her belly had been expanding ever so slightly, and Angu, as oblivious as he is, knew the cause. Raza was pregnant with his children.
Now all that remained was to break the news to the rest of the group, who had no idea that he and Raza had even been together at all.
Awkward?
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:09 pm
 ((So post order will be... Ath-Light-Wu-Kissy? Whoever comes to post next?))
She had nightmares of her father yelling at her, same with her mother. Though, in reality, she doubted they'd have such strong reactions, she couldn't help but fear that type of a reaction.
The female woke immediatly after one of these types of dreams, rising slowly to her feet and having a dull look around. Her fur was a complete mess, but she didn't seem to mind. Right now, she was dizzy, tired, concerned, too much so to worry about her looks. (And for her, that's saying something.)
She slowly lumbered out in search of Angu. She hadn't formally told him that she carried his cub, or cubs, she couldn't tell, but she figured he'd be getting the hints. She searched for that pink mane and quickly found it, making her way oh so slowly over to him.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:35 pm
((Y'all know Ata D; ))
Angusho hadn't been the only one to notice Raza had been getting a bit.. tubbier, lately. This, of course, made the sister, so different in appearance, rather.. curious. Oh, she knew better than to tease her sister about looks, especially when it went towards weight and-- had she been kind of.. y'know. Emotional?
But right now, as contrary to possible belief, she wasn't really following her sister. She had been moving carefully not because of following her sister, but because she had the sinking feeling there might be some sort of prey over here. The grass wasn't particularly tall, but Ata's fur allowed her to hide very, very well.
Then she saw the unmistakable blue of over half her family, and it proved to be her sibling, Barazahi. She almost immediately moved towards her, but decided against it for now. She seemed pretty desperate to get to.. Angusho? She flicked her ears quietly in thought. She could eavesdrop rather easly; while Ata was rather loudmouthed, eavesdropping was a rather born-in quality for her.
But she didn't want to upset her sister, and with a sigh, she lifted herself to full height, grass reaching a bit over her shoulders now, and she trotte towards her sister.
"Hey Raza! " She said happily, a normal sister greeting!
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:04 pm
There was something strange with her daughter. This thought had plagued Embamba for the past few moons, now, especially since it had come that her slowness was not the one keeping the group behind in their travels. Indeed, more and more often it looked as if Baharazi was growing weaker, not to mention heavier; much like her mother had, albeit at a much later age. The fear ate at Embamba's mind, filling it with poisonous worry that threatened to turn her bones into stone and stop her heart from beating. Had she indeed cursed her children to her weakness?
Laying in the long grass, Embamba doubted Baharazi even saw her watching, but indeed she did. The lioness's jeweled gaze kept careful study of her sapphire daughter, trying to figure out what was wrong. Asking at this point wasn't an option, for how do you ask someone about weight they have gained or an extraordinary amount of laziness? Especially, she considered, when you weren't much of an example yourself. It was a difficult trail to track, but track it she did.
There was something else nagging at the back of her mind. A thought a.. fear that she dared not even touch for the sheer size of it threatened to overpower her. There was something about the way that Baharazi had been acting.. something familiar moreso than any sickness...
Though, some did refer to it as a sickness...
Embamba's ear perked at the sound of Angusho's voice nearby. This daughter, too, didn't seem to see Embamba as she came up, and so the mother remained silent in the grasses as she mulled over her thoughts. It was especially interesting watching Raza move through the grasses. Her gait had become less graceful, more of a waddle, but with a certain pride to it.
The mother's head rose an inch from the ground and her eyes narrowed at her daughters. The fear she'd not wanted to touch was beginning to throb in the back of her mind. "Raza," She pipped up, voice rising over the grasses like a bell as she raised her head fully. "Could I speak with you a moment?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:42 pm
Within moments of Raza's appearance Angu had bounded over to her side, unaware of the risk of exposing their secret; though it would come out soon enough. Out in public, he did not openly protect her more than any individual, but still tried to stay as close to her as possible without raising suspicion.
Moments after arriving next to Raza, however, Angu heard her sisters familiar voice. He paused, unsure of what to do. He was spared the need to make himself less conspicuous by the voice of Embamba. Surely it was not unusual for him to be around when half of their group was in one spot? He was always guarding them, right? Right.
He made a note to stand up straighter and act as if he were watching for oncoming threats, but he was a horrible actor. He could not help but stay put rather than continue patrolling the area. He needed to know what Embamba wanted to talk with Raza about.
However, feeling as though he could be more casual if he distracted himself with a conversation, he wandered over to Ata, who was always good company.
"Hello Ata, out on a hunt?" He asked passively, though there was no prey in sight.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:05 pm
Barazahi met Angu at his side, but only moment's later she heard the voice of her sister. She swiveled quickly, trying to make it seem like she had just been rushing out towards the roguelands... She couldn't exactly use the excuse of a hunt, as she hadn't been hunting since her belly was swelling.
"Hi Ata!" Moments later, her mother appeared. "Uh, sure mom, what is it?" Raza asked, blushing heavily beneath the blue fur. Angu was behind her, and Ata and mom were here... They all needed the same information, she was sure of it, so without further ado, she figured they would all figure it out sooner or later.
How she hated being cornered. There was no way around it, no way to hide it. She carried cubs, and they were coming out sooner or later.
"Can I speak with all of you first?" She asked, flicking her tail so it touched Angu's paw and folding one of her ears back. "I'm sorry Angu, but it must be done," she whispered loud enough that he could hear. She hoped the others wouldn't pick it up. That was the best she could warn him of what she was about to do.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:16 pm
The young female flicked her ears in amusement, whiskers twitching. Her gaze flickered for a few moments between her sister and Angusho, and, quick-minded as Ata, was, she got it.
She held back the urge to laugh or giggle, and clogged her throat, but turned and grinned meekly at Angusho; but not maliciously or anything. More like an 'ah I get it! ' sort of grin. "Yeah, but couldn't find anything. " She said, keeping her best imitation of not-knowing-what was going on, and biting her lips to hide her grin.
It was funny! Her sister,and Angusho? And ohdeargod. Her sister was pregnant! Of Angusho! And wait-- she was going to be an aunt! She snorted instead of laughing, quietly, trying to hie her amusement, and succeeding at it rather well. Her black eyes were often so good for hiding expressions!!
"Sure, Raza. " She said, and sat down, tilting her head in a liable imitation of 'I know nothing'.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:22 pm
Embamba's eyes flickered between the pair of them standing there. Angusho had seemed awfully glad to see her daughter. Unease spread through the females body and she remained seated. Though she wanted nothing more than to take Raza aside and question her on her condition, allowing the girl to come clean of it on her own accord would be fore the best. Indeed, a part of Embamba prayed that it wasn't what she was thinking.
"Angusho," She nodded to him, then turned her attention back to raza. A quick nod later, she signaled that it was fine and awaited her daughter's words.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:30 pm
Angu started to protest, but held back. He didn't want to seem too upset about the situation. Actually, he was very excited about the idea of having cubs with Raza, but telling the family... That wasn't his favorite part of the arrangement.
Angu nodded slowly and sat beside her, his tail twitching nervously as it always did when he was anticipating something unpleasant.
"That's uh, too bad." Angu grunted, trying to convince himself that Ata's expression didn't mean what he thought it meant. "Better luck next time..."
"Lady Embamba." Angu replied as respectfully as he could under the circumstances, returning her nod. He did a good job of keeping his voice steady, but could not help shifting his weight nervously every few seconds. It was coming, and he wasn't sure what was going to happen, but Raza was right, it had to be done.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:41 pm
"I know what you're all thinking of asking," She said awkwardly. "Our family's about to get bigger, yes, just like my stomach. Angusho and I are going to have cubs," she said more excitedly. "I know what you're thinking now- that it was just a one-night thing and that's wrong! Angu and I have been falling in love, and..." She skipped the details.
"I'm going to have cubs, I don't know how many, though," she turned to face Angu, "But I've got more than one! They squirm in there sometimes." Her eyes were brighter.
"I don't want this to be a negative thing, it should be a joyous thing, shouldn't it? We're almost home and soon I'll be a mother!"
She paused.
"I should've told you about me and Angu," She said looking into her mothers eyes. They were the same color and shape as her own. "You know how I am, though," She finished with a sheepish grin.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:46 pm
Ata shifted nervously. She wanted to blurt out how neat this was, but she knew better, with her mom here. So instead, she moved from Angusho's side to more-so behind her mother, winking and grinning at them from back there where her mother couldn't see.
So she sat down and looked and her mother, waiting for a response for her. She quietly worried her mother wouldn't like it, because she, personally, loved the idea. Cubs! She was so curious about them, only having seen them on a few rare occasions, but never gotten close enough for any fun.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:01 pm
And there it was. The one thing she was praying she would never hear. No... that was untrue. It was, in a way, better than Baharazi having her mother's illness, and better than thinking the girl had been had by an outsider. She masked the shiver that thought caused, lest they think it directed at them. No, there were things that could be worse in this situation.
Her daughter's eyes staring back into hers certainly didn't help any reservations she wanted to have. Raza seemed so happy, so... proud of herself. Embamba tore her eyes away to look at Angusho. She tensed, but forced her fur not to rise as she considered him.
Without meaning to, she began to speak slowly and so softly the three would have to listen to hear. "I wasn't even heavy with cubs when we left these lands so long ago, and you left with us to watch over us in our hard times. I wasn't heavy with my cubs until we reached the farthest point of our sojourn and when I had them we thought to return. You were an adult through all of this, older than even myself, and you watched our family grow. You helped to raise these little girls here as an uncle a Godfather... and now...?"
The female fell silent, face and motions betraying nothing of how she felt about this. She let this silence remain for a long moment, then broke it abruptly, "You say, Raza, that you two are in love. Tell me, Angusho, how old was my daughter when you saw her as more than the child you saw me give birth to?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:09 pm
Angu tensed up a bit as Raza revealed this secret bit of information to the group, but let himself relax again. Ata seemed okay with it, excited even! But Embamba... Did she think that he was too old for her daughter? And old man, perhaps not worthy of her precious child?
"I know that you may feel that our age difference may be... Unacceptable, but I assure you, our love is true." He spoke slowly, making sure he would not say something stupid, "She was very near adulthood when I realized that I loved her more than just as a member of our pride."
He sighed, wondering if he had made a horrible mistake in letting his emotions run wild with Raza, "But love does not see time or age as something to be avoided. Do you love your children any less now that they are grown? Do you love master Ndege any less than you did when you two first met?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:55 pm
Raza folded her ears back when her mother started, and she listened to Angu. It hurt her, it did, she didn't like this at all. She felt bad for him, having put him in this position.
Then, perhaps it was true emotion, perhaps hormones from her pregnancy, but Raza would be having no more of this. She cut across both of them in the moment of silence after Angu's words. "I knew what I was into when I started to fall for him, mother," She said, now enraged. The fur along her spine rose without her consciousness. "What's done is done. Our love is forged, and there's nothing you can do about it." Her eyes tightened, she wasn't going to let this happen. "There is nothing you can do to tear us apart."
She stood taller than before, strength coursing in her veins, for the first time since she started to feel the illnesses of pregnancy. The pain in her belly was gone, her head was clear, not dizzy. Raza was determined to win her mother over, and her words were true. There wasn't anything her mother could do to sever them, they were already in love. She awaited the waves of anger that would imminently come.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:14 pm
The young female blinked in surprise at how disapproving her mother seemed of Angusho and Raza. The gaped for a moment, head tilted. Sure, Angusho was old.. but... She snorted and got to her feet, slinking quietly to her sisters side and standing there.
"Mom-- I don't see whats wrong. " She frowned, furrowing her brows and flicking her tail in mild annoyance. Because see, when it came to her own problems, Ata usually hid them, but when it was someone else.. Well. That was different. and strangely enough, sometimes Ata did have a way with words. Came from being so sharp tongued. "Sure, Angusho is.. lots older than we are, yeah. But is it really that bad that he and Raza are in love? " She shook her head.
"I mean, its not like he stalked her when she was a cub or anything, thinking 'hey, I'll knock this girl up when she grows!'" she glanced apologetically back at Angusho, but Ata always had this sort of informal way of facing things.
"Really mom, as far as I'm concerned, he could be old 'nuff to be our great grandpa or somethin'! " She said,and added in an undertone. "But that would be freaky. " She snickered quietly to herself, imagining, for a quick moment, Barazahi with some run down male, skinny and weak.
She held back the urge of feeling silly for defending her sibling's relationship when they seemed to be able to handle it themselves, but well... Raza was still her sister. "The only thing proved about Angusho knowing her since she was born is that he knows her. Very well. And I think he's proven time and time again her can take care of all of us-- why can't he take care of Raza too,and his own family? You're going to be a grandmother, dads gonna be a grandpa, I'm gonna be an aunt and Kimya and uncle! Does it really sound that bad? " Okay, now she could allow herself to feel silly! She hadn't expected to say so much-- but she ran by what popped up in her mind. So resisting the urge to sulk behind Angusho like she did when she was a cub, Ata'Jasisi stood her ground.
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