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 Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:47 am
Rengo moved through the Kusini lands slowly. Ny had been sleeping in the den when he met one of his younger brothers and he hadn't wanted to bother his mother that early in the morning. It was a little later now and he figured his father was on patrol of some sort. Or at the watering hole.
He wanted to find his dad before Nafsi, he should have a good visit with his father that he hadn't seen in so long! That and he would be leaving soon, it was nice to spend time with the family. He moved toward the hills, making a path that would pass through the wateringholes in case his father was there and not near the boarder points.
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:39 pm
 It was probably a good thing that Taabu’s morning routines were so predictable, for it meant that those that needed to see him could find him quickly and easily. It was already a little into the morning and Taabu had gotten up extra early to make his rounds today. The new cubs were adorable, but being that he certainly wasn’t used to having so many, he needed his time alone from them all – otherwise, he would just go crazy, and wouldn’t that be a little ironic given his current pride rank? As it were, by now he had finished his rounds and was indeed heading to the water hole to spend some time there before heading to meet Nyunya as she woke up.
Taabu lazed on a rather large piece of rock that had at some point been deposited at the edge of the pond-type hole. He had no idea how it had gotten there, only that it had been there for as long as he could remember and he was willing to bet that it had been there as long as anyone alive could remember. It was ancient, but it was cool to the body and just what Taabu needed as he lay there so comfortably.
Even with his eyes half lidded, he saw the pink tone of Rengo’s mane bobbing towards him at a distance and even though he wasn’t sure quite who he was without opening his eyes, he knew that that tone belonged only to his family – no others in the pride claimed it. With a little yawns of his great jaws, he cracked his eyes back open from their half aware state and grinned once he realized just who the pink-tone belonged to. Sure, Nyunya had told him that Rengo was home (through a muttering of curses, of course) but he had yet to see his boy.
“Rengo!” he called with a chuckle, yelling to grab his attention despite the fact that you’d have to be blind in order to not see the giant guardian even at a distance.
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:31 pm
Rengo grinned at his fathers voice, he had been correct in guessing to head to the watering hole. Wow, he must not have seen Taabu in forever! He was huge, a lot bigger than Rengo ever remembered. Which was odd, seeing as you'd think it'd be opposite. His tail flicked and a slow chuckle bubbled up from his stomach. "Hello father!" He called back, shifting and quickening his pace a little.
When he came to his father's spot he hopped onto the large rock and settled himself. He was no where near as large as his father, and never would be. But still, he'd be pretty big. Njozi would probably grow to be as big as their father. "I was looking for you!"
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:52 pm
“Hey yourself, little man,” he said with a little smirk on his maw, stretched out lazily on the rock and laying slightly on his side. He truly was a big lion, and there probably weren’t many that could claim to be as big as he was himself. Njozi would be, and so would his little brother Damu, and maybe a couple of the new boys from their litter – but their size was probably an anomaly amongst their kin. Most lions of their blood simply weren’t huge, but somewhere along the bloodline there had to be a couple that contributed to his size.
“I was hoping you were, seeing as you didn’t come see me yesterday and all,” he said, his face serious, but his eyes gleaming with mirth. He liked to tease his kids, especially the boys (although it had only recently been Njozi) and even though Rengo had been away from home, he’d soon find out that ‘females’ were a favorite topic during this teasing. “I heard you and that pretty green lady of yours came home some time yesterday – too bad you found your mum first, she’s been a bit of spitfire lately, what with the new cubs and everything.” He smiled, pleasantly, and if you hadn’t been listening you wouldn’t have even noticed the tease he dropped so easily into his words.
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:27 pm
He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I'm not that little, only compared to you." He snorted.
He shook his head, tail wrapping around his paws. "I had all I could handle yesterday with Njozi, mom and one of the little ones." He smiled. Pretty green lady of his? He groaned. "Not you too!" He sounded embarrassed, very embarrassed. "Nafsi is just a friend father!" He added, a little too quickly.
His heart was thudding against his chest and he couldn't help but feel a bit pleased at the tease as well. "I though mom was going to kill me." He changed the subject. "I am glad she came home though. It's a pity I have to tell her we're leaving again..." He trailed off and glanced to Taabu. "Don't you tell her that! She'll get mad if she doesn't hear it from me." She'd get mad anyhow!
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:42 am
“Everyone is little compared to me, but you’re not grown yet and I can still call you that if I want. Keep up, and I’ll call you that when you’re grown too,” he said with a smirk, quirking an eyebrow devilishly in an exact imitation of his darling mother. Well, some habits die hard, and Syeira had raised him to be her but in a male version – he had just turned out a little nicer from his broader travels and meetings with family other than the Kusini members. Being around Sarabi for a little while had certainly dulled his temper and softened that biting tongue. The likenesses, however, were still very prominent.
“Aye, if you ran into Njozi, I’m surprised he didn’t talk your ear clean off,” he said, chuckling almost as soon as the words left his mouth, “and I’m surprised you haven’t turned a permanent shade of pink to match that mane. His humor is unchecked at the best of times.” He smirked and shrugged a little at Rengo’s words, that brow clearly quirked once more, but his eyes full of an amused mirth. “If that’s what you want to call her, I won’t say anything different.”
Taabu laughed once more as Rengo talked about leaving – he knew the urge to travel had been strong in both he, his mother, and in Nyunya herself. It was unsurprising that the male wanted to leave the lands, especially when prompted by a pretty girl. “I’m not going to say a thing to her – I’d get half the fire just for being the messenger. Oh no, you’re all on your own with that one.” He simply thought it was amusing, really, but why shouldn’t he? He wasn’t afraid of Nyunya, or anyone for that matter, but he didn’t want the brunt of the flames. Of course, he also had a rather twisted sense of humor, and watching males be dressed down by females (particularly his mate or mother) was one of his favorite past times. Of course, he didn’t really wish it on any of his children in particular.
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:05 am
He just rolled his eyes again, tail flicking. Being called little man all his life was not on the top of his 'wanted' list. Oh no, it wasn't on that list at all.
His face blanched and he just laughed, shaking his head. "Earless and pink?" He raised both brows, smirking. The smirk fell off his face quickly enough. Great, both he and Njozi sounded as if she was his mate already and it was just set in their minds that way. "You would never have to say anything different 'cause that is what she is." He said, not sure why he was feeling so defensive about it.
Of course... after he and Njozi's talk he was actually thinking of... oh well his father didn't need to know that now.
"I wish mum was more like..." He shrugged looking around. "Well. Others in our family." He muttered. As in... a longer lasting boiling point!
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:22 pm
“I think being earless could be a good look for you,” Taabu wsaid with a little smirk, shaking his head as he imagined his pink-maned son earless. Well, it would be interesting, but he was sure being earless couldn’t make him stand out any more than his mane already did.
Although he could tell that Rengo was getting irritated to some degree with his teasing, Taabu really couldn’t do anything but laugh at him. Njozi and Taabu had a lot of likenesses, and their humor was one of those. After all, Njozi had spent more time with Taabu than he had anyone else and that was whom he had developed a lot of things from. To have Rengo be with them nearly back to back was probably not going to bode well for him and his problems. “Alright, alright,” he muttered with a little smirk on his maw, eyes glimmering with the mirth that Rengo was so irritated at. Sure, Rengo could say it all he wanted, but that didn’t meant that Taabu was going to believe him.
“Well, you should be thankful that she’s not like some of our family,” he said with a little quirk of his eyebrow, “after all, she could be more like your Bibi, and then what would you do? You can never tell when my mom is mad until she blows up, and she could have been mad for ages before she finally lets you know it. By that time, she’s going to hold it against you as well, and then you’re really in for it.” He smirked and shook his head, then glanced around once just to make sure his devil of a mother didn’t just happen to be lurking anywhere. Sure, he loved her, but he’d tuck tail and run from her temper no matter how big he was.
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:47 pm
Rengo found himself laughing as his father started talking about his grandmother. "I've never seen her blow up at anyone but her mate, and that seems to be quite often." No way would he ever call Uumikaji his grandfather... the one time he'd tried speaking to the pratt when he was little he got severely teased and ridiculed for his pink mane. Though it had been after a rather crowded 'Yaya session' for Uumi.
He shrugged lightly and nodded though, accepting his mother was just how she was. He knew nothing of his mother's b*****d father though, where she probably got her anger from. Come to think of it he didn't know all that much of his parents' histories. He frowned slightly, realizing that. He would get around to asking them... some day.
"I wish there was a good time to tell mom." He said softly, his gaze slowly moving toward the sky. It was easy to tell he was ready to go off on a new adventure with the same beautiful leopardess that snatched him away when he was so young. "How are the girls doing dad?" He meant his sisters, he never had such a connection with those to as he had with his brother.
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:34 pm
He chuckled softly at Rengo’s words, a small smirk on his maw as he glanced down at his smaller son, “well, count yourself lucky that she’s never found the need to give you the rough side of her tongue.” He had gotten it quite a few times growing up, but that had usually been when he wandered off for days without telling her – especially the one time that he actually left the pride to make his parents journey after him. It had been worth it, but remembering Syeira’s temper still made him cringe.
Of course, Taabu had never really made an effort to tell any of his children much about he and Nyunya’s history. Hers was messy, and some points he would prefer they just didn’t know. His own had been a little rocky, but he ultimately had a much nicer heritage than poor Nyunya did. Hopefully, however, the children waited for a long while before asking too many questions.
“Well, I’m afraid that if you keep waiting for a good time to tell her, you may find that you never get the chance. She’ll have a temper one way or another, and the longer you wait the worse it’ll be,” he shrugged, glancing off towards the direction he knew his den lay, “and it might be wise to tell her a little before you’ve actually decided to leave. I have a feeling that telling her last minute will certainly not please her – and leaving without telling her will just be a repeat of everything all over again.” He quirked a brow at Rengo as he glanced back, studying him silently. He gave little advice, but then, he and Syeira had always been the type to study other’s reactions than actually try and force them to do something. It’s just how they were, and Taabu wanted Rengo to make this decision on his own.
"The girls are the girls," he said with a weak smile, shrugging it off slowly. The eldest girls really didn't spend too much time around him because he had so much to do - but they did like to be with Nyunya. "They're doing alright, though they're really not up to much." He shrugged - he didn't really think the two of them had very high aspirations in life, but he loved them just the same.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:32 am
He nodded, figuring he should count himself lucky. If this was the soft side of her tongue he was sure to never piss her off for a real reason. Like hurting one of the little ones, or something. He thought a little about his fathers advice and sighed, he and Nafsi wanted to leave sooner rather than later and he thought he should probably tell her today or tomorrow. He wasn't stupid enough to just up and leave of course but he knew she would still see it as he'd just gotten here and why didn't he stay a little longer?
His mother was a hard lioness to deal with.
His tail flicked and he found himself chuckling, realizing his father did not seem too interested in the lives of his two sisters. Perhaps it was because they related better to mother or perhaps because their personalities might have turned into something equivilent to wet rocks. Or maybe because they were at the age when all they thought of was males (or so he thought that might be the case). "Ah... I see." He struggled to keep from laughing right out, not sure why he found it so amusing. "There was only one in the new litter, right?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:47 pm
He smiled and watched Rengo silently for a few moments, trying to decide just how badly Nyunya would react to the news of their son leaving once more. Sure, the two of them had been travelers in their youth, but Nyunya’s mother had not been the angry sort and he had come home after every little expedition (at least after the very first) so it never aroused much comment with his own mother. She had wanted him smart, and part of that was seeing the world. Considering he had never gone too far or stayed too long after that first venture, she had always been willing to accept it. Of course, there were a few times that she had made snide remarks about him visiting females – fairly true, but she had only been guessing and hadn’t known all the circumstances, really.
He shook his head as he tried to imagine the conversation with Nyunya, however. Sure, she had always said it would be good for the kids to travel – but she had never planned on loosing Njozi, Rengo, and himself all at once. That had somewhat changed her outlook and he wouldn’t be surprised if she bound their new litter to the den by force. He also imagined that Nyunya would highly frown upon Rengo leaving so soon. After all, he really had only just come home. If it came to it, however, Taabu would have a talk with her.
“Oh yes,” he said with a little smile, “little Tapanga.” It was obvious from his very first words that he had a little bit of a soft spot for his youngest daughter and the only female from his new brood. He didn’t particularly dislike his daughters, but they were both rather affiliated more to their mother and Amani was at least a little slow to the catch. They were adorable, and he loved them both, but they had neither one made any real effort to be close to him and he simply related better to his boys. “Tapanga is such a little sweet heart, a real little angel,” he said with a purr to his voice. He really did adore her.
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:00 am
He chuckled. Tapanga, it was a nice name. He wondered which of the parents picked it. He eyed Taabu for a minute and wondered who had chosen any of their names. solely Ny? Perhaps. His tail flicked and he stretched a little.
"Oooh?" He said, playfully. "Those angel-types.." He just shook his head. "Gotta look out for them when they're older." He chuckled.
His gaze flicked in the direction of the den and then up toward the sky. "I think I am gunna go talk to mum now." He said, bowing his head. "See ya later father."
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:57 pm
Taabu had had a paw in naming each of his children, but like you might expect, Nyunya was more than picky and usually fought him the whole way. It wasn’t surprising, but he had gotten a few of his own choices in there – though that was only because Nyunya happened to like them. Just thinking about it made him smirk, and he was glad that this final battle with her over them had passed – he really didn’t like fighting with her, especially after she had recently given birth.
“Alright,” he said with a weak smile as he watched Rengo get up and begin to trot away. He really didn’t mind that his son was leaving soon – but he did feel a bit of a pang in his heart as he realized his first litter was nearly grown and wouldn’t need him soon. He sighed, pushing himself up onto his paws and giving his great body a big shake to get his blood flowing again. It was time to get back to his rounds.
He watched Rengo dwindle away into the distance, then simply turned and walked the other way himself.
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