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 Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 6:29 pm
They had always imagined that they would some day come to having a family, Jiza was sure. It was just something that had gone without saying, but now that it had become a reality, it was still a bit of a shock for Jiza. It wasn't as if they had intended for it to happen, and while she knew Juke would be supportive, she had no idea how he might react. The thought was somewhat unsettling. She had grown so used to being able to tell how Juke would respond beforehand that now that she couldn't, she was starting to worry.
Despite that, though, the thought of the little babies that would soon come into the world filled her with warmth, and a strange giddy lightheadedness that she had not felt since Juke had told her he loved her. So long ago at the beach. She remembered how she had simply found him when she had needed to talk to him, and wondered if he would be where she was headed at the moment. Perhaps that was what love was, being able to see each other when it was most needed.
So the green lioness continued on her way. She didn't think Juke would be out hunting at this time of day, but she never knew. And she didn't know how much longer she could keep the news without telling someone. And that someone had to be Juke.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:00 pm
Stretched out under a tree, being a stereotypically lazy male lion, was Juke. He was awake, though his eyes were closed. A peaceful look was on his face, one that absolutely nothing could get rid of. Life was good, and that was all that mattered. He had Jiza, the savannah and music. What more could a lion such as himself possibly ask for? Of course, there were always a few things that could be improved on, but he didn't really need them. He wouldn't mind a little more company out there, though. He loved Jiza and he loved their time together, but he was really a social creature. It was the only problem with the rogue life, and what had originally drawn him to the idea of a pride. He should hunt down some of his old friends one of these days, see how their lives had been since he had left.
Of course, there was always another alternative for his slight case of lonesomeness... One that was far scarier and held much more resonpsonibility. He flicked his tail a little off beat fo a moment at the idea playing his mind, a sign that he was mentally torn on the issue. He knew deep down that having a family was something that he wanted, but it wasn't something he needed. Everytime he looked at that green lioness, he felt as if he already had the world and that nothing could make it better. When he was without her, however, he was almost in withdrawl. Having minature Jiza's about couldn't hurt, right? Then again, what if he was a bad father? He didn't know the first thing about parenting. Trying to lock those thoughts away, the male focused on the music. His tail went back to the beat quickly, and he sighed. For now, he wouldn't think about it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:20 pm
An all too familiar blue shape was stretched out under a tree, and Jiza recognized it immediately. It was Juke, surprise surprise. With a chuckle, she made her way toward the tree, noting once more that she had found him just when she needed to talk to him. There was something special about the way they kept finding each other when they needed the other the most, and today was just one of those days.
"Juke?" She called out once she was within hearing range. The green lioness made her way around the tree and flopped down beside Juke. "I have some news..." She began, looking back at him. She realized now that every time she looked at Juke, she could envision baby versions of him running about in the savannah grass.
She couldn't wait to see it. For a moment, she wondered if it was the best idea to tell him so soon. There were times when they would be talking and Juke would suddenly become obviously down for a moment or two, and she had long since realized that this sudden shift in emotions could very well be linked to his thoughts of having little cublets running around the place.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:47 pm
At her call, Juke opened his eyes and pulled up to lay on his stomach. He smiled warmly as his mate plopped beside him, obviously pleased with her presense. He could tell that whatever she wanted to talk about was important merely by the way she seemed to hold herself, but he let that slide for a couple of moments to listen to the new solo that had come along with her. That song could never get old, but there was definately something different about it this time. He couldn't exactly put his paw on it, but something had been added. He would've put more thought into it if his curiosity hadn't already been perked by what Jiza had set. He stretched his neck to nuzzle hers gentley before pulling back and looking at those stunning yellow eyes, all of his attention focused on them. The thoughts of family still lingered in his mind, and he mused that if they ever did have a litter, he'd want at least one of them to have those eyes. They were so gorgeous.
"Okay, shoot." He looked at her expectantly, his tail slowly thudding on the dirt to the beat of this new song. He really wasn't sure why a song would change. He had never come across a circumstance where this had happened before, and it really confused him. Maybe songs changed as different stages of life came? That didn't make much sense, though, since his song had never changed as far as he knew. Nor had his mothers, however soft it was. It was slightly odd, and something that should be thought about later. For now, his mate deserved his full attentions.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:30 pm
For a moment, Juke's tail softly beating the rhythm of the song he heard captured her attention. He was changing it - no, the song he heard was changing. Did he already know? She refocused her gaze on her mate's face. There was an expectant look on it, but nothing overly excited or depressed. That part was somewhat blank. She looked away. If she stared at him any more her eyes would betray the news that she had wanted to tell him personally.
"Okay, well," She broke off as a lone buzzard flitted by, high in the sky, and she followed its trail for a moment. No, no, she had to focus. Pulling her eyes away from the bird, she looked back to Juke with a grin. "Someone's going to be a father." She said finally, her grin widening. There was no containing how happy she was. Admittedly, she had been anxious and worried before she had known about the cubs. What if they died? What if they were taken? What if she wasn't a good enough mother? But those thoughts had died away soon after they had come, and she had been left with bubbly feelings for the moment she came to realize that she would be responsible for some little cubs in a few short months.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:08 am
For a moment, Juke wasn't sure who exactly was going to be a father. The look in his Jiza's eyes, though said everything. She was excited about it, and what lioness wouldn't be? What lion wouldn't be, for that matter? Heck, he was excited, most definately. Cubs seemed to be the answer to the one thing he currently lacked: a little extra companionship. Mingled with that excitement, though, was a horrible dread and fear. It didn't take control of him at that moment, but it was there all right. He hardly knew the first thing about parenting, and didn't have a clue what he would do if when it came to rearing little ones. For the moment, though, he pushed those thoughts away and was simpley happy.
"That's incredible!" He nearly jumped to his feet with the excitement that was winning his inner struggle. In one swift move, he sat up and nuzzled Jiza lovingly on the the neck, and then pulled back to gentley press his nose to her forehead. They were going to have a family. It wasn't the way he had always imagined having one, but at that moment, he couldn't imagine any better way. Suddenly, the added notes to her song seemed to make sense. Were those... the cub's songs? He couldn't tell if an unborn child already had their own song or if a pregnant mother simply glowed with new light while in that state. "If they look anything like you, they'll be gorgeous." He flashed a lionish grin.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:51 am
Jiza shook her head with a smile. "No, if they look anything like you, they'll be adorable." She said, raising her head to nudge Juke under the chin. "I think... there should be three, or four..." She added, taking into account that nature would somehow be able to tell that they were living off the land on their own, and wouldn't burden them with too many cubs. That, and the fact that they weren't exactly short on either food or water. That would equate around the number she had just given. Four would be wonderful.
She let herself drop back out of the embrace and flopped back down under the shade, turning over onto her back so she could still see Juke. For a moment, she wondered if she should ask the question she was about to ask him. It was hard to tell whether it would be the right thing to do.
"Juke..." She began haltingly. "What are you most scared of? About being a father?" She didn't know what she needed to know, simply that she did, that she wanted to know. Because she herself was scared of a million things, but she had no idea which was the worst of the fears.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:12 am
After the question was asked, it seemed his excitement drained. Where to begin? He dropped to the ground ungracefully, dust clouds flying out from under him to escape their doom. He sighed lightly for a moment, trying to decide how best to tackle this conversation. He knew it had to be said and done, and it wasn't that he didn't want to talk about his fears or anything. In fact, he was more than comfortable with talking about such things with Jiza. He just wasn't sure how to word it all. Since she had hesitated in the beginning of the question, he was certain she had some concerns on her own parenting skills, as well. It was reasonable; she was a first time mother. He couldn't imagine her as anything more than an excellent mother, though. Even if she had never done it before, he was sure that she would be a better parent than he.
"I don't think I'll be very good at raising cubs." That was the cheif concern, he decided. There were other things, little things. For example, what if one of the little ones didn't hear the music? He wasn't sure if lions were born with the ability or if they learned how to hear it. Jiza seemingly learned how, but for all they knew, she had been born able and had just never really learned how to use it. What would he have in common with a son or daughter who couldn't hear his one love besides his mate? After that thought, he corrected himself. His one love besides his family. That word would need some getting used to. "What if I hurt one while we're playing, Jiza?" There was a truely scared tone in his voice, and he looked at her with a gaze that almost made him look like a cub as well.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:27 am
His fears more than mirrored her own, and she had no idea of the true answers for them. She rolled onto her side so she could face him. "We'll learn, Juke," She said after a while, snuggling up to him. "I don't think it would be possible to hurt them in play. But you know, it won't matter. If they get hurt, we'll get them better." She added reassuringly.
"Besides, it doesn't matter to me how good a father you are. You could be the worst father in the world and it still wouldn't matter." She could never love any creature more than she did her Juke, she was sure. Cubs came close - very close - but somehow, they would never be as dear to her as Juke.
She gazed up into his eyes with a smile, and she could almost read his words in his eyes. The numerous fears that ran through them, that she had brought to the surface with her question. He sounded so scared... She almost felt guilty for bringing it up. She could hardly stand to see and hear him so scared. It was only then that she realized that parenting was truly out of Juke's element, and perhaps her own. But they would learn. They would.
"Are... are you scared that they won't be able to hear music?" She asked after a while, her voice low. It was something that she feared, something she feared for herself, and now Juke, now that she knew that cubs had never truly been Juke's thing, nor ever would - at least not like music was this thing. What if he didn't know how to deal with a cub that didn't hear music? The thought almost physically hurt, to imagine the awkwardness that would be their family situation.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:38 am
He was somewhat reassured by Jiza's loving words, and nuzzled his face into her neck for a time, just thinking about everything. If the little ones were hurt, they would help them. It seemed like the simplest answer in the world, yet the hardest at the same time. He didn't know how to help with an injury. Really, Juke had never been injured. Sure, he had gotten cuts, bruises, scrapes... but he had always just let time heal them. It could make for a painful recovery, though, something he didn't want his future children to experiance. It was almost like a bad joke. The way he had lived his life for so long didn't seem good enough for those he loved and would love, yet it was the only way he knew how to do things. The thought almost over whelmed him, but Jiza's gentle song and sweet smell kept him grounded. "No matter how bad of a father I am, you'll be an excellent monther. That's one thing you don't need to worry about."
Pulling back from her a little to look into her eyes, he quickly darted them away at her next question. It was one of his more embarassing fears, and one of the ones he fel the need to fight himself over. "I - I don't know." He was afraid that a cub deaf to the music would have nothing in common with him, but he was sure he shouldn't love the poor thing any less for it. What do you do in a situation like that? What do you do when a loved one is different? Surely there would be something that could be found in common between them. He looked back at Jiza uneasily. "I'm a bit scared of it, yes. I can't imagine never hearing the music all day, all night... What would a cub do if they couldn't?" It didn't occur to him that there were many, many lions of all ages out there who didn't hear any music at all.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:47 am
"They could learn, maybe." She said, trying to convince herself and Juke at the same time that it would all be okay. Perhaps talk of fears had not been the best idea. It had dragged her own, and Juke's, fears to the top, so that now, it seemed as if having a family would be the end of the world. She didn't want to let that happen.
"But imagine it," She added, her voice lifting as she imagined all the good times to come, in order to banish away thoughts of the hard ones. "The cubs running around all day, having fun. They'll grow up and love this place, Juke, just like we do. They'll never want to leave the savannah, just like us."
"And maybe, one day when they get older," She said excitedly. "We can bring them to the beach. Show them what it's like in parttime paradise. And they'll love that too. But just imagine it." She could almost see them there, little cubs of greens and blues, clambering about, their white ears twitching as they struggled to boost each other up trees, or played hide-and-seek in the tall savannah grasses.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:57 am
More than happy to drop the gloomy subject, Juke rested his head against Jiza and smiled contently. He could easily pictue little blue and green cubs running all around this tree, or any other tree for that matter. He wondered briefly if any of them would share their mother's love for leaves. He could just see them dancing about as he had done when he was a cub, enjoying the savannah and life in general. The idea of them loving the place just as much as they did was really reassuring, though he wouldn't mind taking them to the beach for a short while for a little field trip of sorts. It was like a mystical fairy tale, untouchable yet so real, and it was coming to their lives soon. Through the fears he had, the excitement bubbled up once more. A loving warmth spread through out him, and he was once again content.
"I wonder how many of them there will be." Three would be a good number, he mused. Or perhaps four? Either would work. He wasn't too keen on a very large litter, but he knew that having more than one would mean more fun for the pair as they stumbled through the trials of parenthood. "No matter how many, no matter what they look like, no matter how they act... They'll be wonderful, Jiza. Everything I could ever hope for." It was true that parenting wasn't exactly his thing, but he certainly knew he'd enjoy parts of it. It'd be rough at times, for sure, but there would be so many rewards. He was actually looking forward to it, now, and wondered breifly how far in Jiza was.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:01 pm
The thought that the two of them were finally going to begin a family sent excitement shooting through her. All thoughts of their previously rather doomy conversation gone, she felt like leaping up an prancing her way around the savannah.
"How many?" She joined Juke in his musing. She dearly hoped that they wouldn't have too many - it would be impossible to care for them all. They would never have enough to eat, really, and all that. She frowned at the thought of starving cubs. No, they wouldn't have to many, surely? She wasn't quite asking for more than two cubs. Two cubs would be fine for her.
It was hard for her to really say how many cubs she wanted. With less, it was more secure, and they would be safe in the knowledge that they would be able to provide for them. With more, though... It was just so much more fun.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:17 pm
One thing that set Juke apart from many fathers-to-be was that he wasn't really yearning for sons. He wouldn't mind a few boys, of course, but he also wouldn't mind a few girls. Really, he wouldn't mind either way. All of either gender, and he'd be just fine. Split down the middle? Great. Uneven? No problem. He also didn't seem to care much who they took after. As long as a few of them had Jiza's eyes, he'd be over joyed. He loved her eyes, probably more than any of her other attractive physical features. Her markings were lovely, her color pleasant, but those eyes... That brilliant yellow pierced his soul. As long as at least one cub had those, he knew he could manage everything else. Of course, music would be good. He didn't want to think about that, though, as he wasn't all that sure how he would handle a situation like that.
Yawning lightly, he nuzzled his head into her fur again, murmurring from the warmth. "Any number'll do me. Looking forward to the head count when they're born." He was half joking, of course, as he knew that a head count would be the absolute last thing on his mind when the birth actually came about. He wasn't sure what would be on his mind, but he was positive it wouldn't be counting. Sure, he wanted to know how many little ones would join the family and all, but there were more important things at a birth than that.
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