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 Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 1:50 pm
"Stay away from there!" Beshtetu called out to his brown-pelted daughter. "It's not safe!" He groaned, not wanting to have to get up and go after her. Why did she insist on being so fearless and desperate for adventure? Wouldn't she prefer to just play closer by? Or listen to a story? Or...anything? Anything but trying to throw herself into a deep patch of mud.
He could see it now; her throwing herself in, squealing with glee, and then being sucked down into the mud, crying out for help. He'd have to rush over before she was taken down and then wash the muck from her fur.
He'd been a timid kid himself, so all this outgoing nature was foreign to him. His siblings, however, had been like this and now he knew and understood why his parents had worried so much.
He was going to get grey in his mane sooner than he thought, he just knew it!
"Ruka!!"
--
The brown and blue female threw her father a look that said: oh please stop worrying, and then grinned. Why was he being so grumpy? There was nothing wrong with mud and this patch looked just about perfect to jump in.
She wriggled her toes, flexed her little claws and moved closer to the edge of the mire, extending her head and dipping her muzzle so that her whiskers brushed against the surface.
Besides...her father had warned her about this before. About the mud being deeper than it seemed. But he was wrong. He worried too much. This part was shallow. She knew it. Everyone knew it. Why did he have to be so paranoid?!
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 2:03 pm
Amali had run off looking for his father and sister, not wanting to be left behind when there was fun to be had. He was wandering around the swamp, following a path as fast as his little feet could carry him- going in whatever direction felt right, having no idea where his father and sister had gone. It was only by luck that he heard a familiar voice calling out to a familiar name. Daddy was somewhere around here and he was yelling at Ruka. A grin spread across his face and with an excited leap- followed by a short stumble- he was running off to find them.
"Hey!" he cried when he thought he was close enough to be heard, scrambling through the bushes-- and stumbling right into the mud that Ruka was preparing to jump into, "Whoa!" He lost his footing and slid onto his belly, covering nearly all of his white fur in mud. And then he laughed.
Not intent on having a hyper cub running around the swamp when things were still iffy- and even if they hadn't been- Kimya had left Sawa near the den and gone following after Amali. He was going faster than she was but he was making it easy to follow him at the same time so she didn't feel the need to rush. Not until she heard Tetu's voice. She picked up the pace, handling the swamp a bit better than her son, she appeared behind him almost as soon as he recovered from his fall and began to laugh. She looked at the now nearly-solid brown cub, shaking her head, then looked to her mate and daughter.
"My my, the mud is popular today," she commented.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 2:10 pm
(ack, sorry, I really need to get into the habit of using his new name! I think a recert might help x3 *will have to do that* ))
The splat roused Beshtetu from where he lay and in seconds he was crossing the short distance between him and his daughter, pausing to lean over her and peer over the bank and to the mud where a cub lay. And not just any cub.
His son.
In part alarm and part dismay, Beshtetu moved forward, setting one paw in the mud so that he could lean across and lift the boy by his scruff. His mate's voice distracted him momentarily and he threw her a sort of crooked half-smile. "Isn't it just..."
--
And in his moment of distraction, Ruka threw herself into the mud, too, kicking it up with her paws and wading slowly towards her brother. "No fair! I wanted first dibs!" She lifted a paw and wggled it close by him, sending muds flicking off around them.
"Just you wait! I'mma gonna get you for that." And kicking up her paws in an attempt to splash mud everywhere, she made to pounce at her brother as best as she could given the conditions.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:55 pm
( Aw xD )
As soon as his father was heading his way, Amali's orange eyes widened and he started scrambling up to his feet- which wasn't easy now that he was covered in mud. He yelped when his sister suddenly came running through the mud towards him, flinging mud at him. He slipped his way out of his current position and tried to circle round.
"No you're not!" he cried, glad to be evading capture by his father and attack by his sister simultaneously-- but he wasn't on his feet long and he fell again, decided to try throwing mud back at Ruka.
"Raaaah!"
Kimya leaned back, avoiding the mud as Ruka came running towards Amali. She shook her head, glancing at Tetu with a smile and watching as they started a mud-fight, she worked her way closer to her mate. She nudged him and moved away to go to where he had been resting- away from the mud.
"They're going to need baths," she said, taking a seat and looking out to watch them, "Again."
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:39 am
A clod of mut hit her square in the face, but instead of annoyance she laughed out in glee, shaking her head fiercely so that she might free herself of some.
"Ready or not, here I come!" And she dived after him, tripping over her paws and sliding along the shallows on her belly. Blinking, somewhat confused, she lay there for a moment, trying to plan her next move.
Moving around in mud was not the easiest of tasks, that was for sure!
And in the next moment a small frog hopped from the reeds and landed on her head, letting out a loud croak as he settled there.
---
He nudged her in return, smiling warmly and feeling happier now that she was there. He was still so overwhelmed by parenthood, afraid he was doing something wrong or that one of the kids might hurt themselves and he wouldn't know what to do.
His ears drooped. "You'd think they'd want to stay clean for a little longer, considering bathtime isn't their most favourite occassion." He turned his head to glance at her.
"Atleast the days are never boring with the cubs around. There's always something new just around the corner."
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:03 pm
Amali squealed when his sister dove after him, pushing himself up and trying to move slowly- but steadily and on his feet- out of her reach. When he looked back to her and she was on her belly, he stopped and laughed at the confused look on her face. Then he jumped when suddenly a frog appeared out of nowhere and landed on Ruka's head, letting out a yelp that almost sounded like a hiccup.
"Ruka, don't move!" he shrieked, then came run-sliding towards her, hoping to catch the frog.
"I don't think it's worth speculating why they're willing to get so muddy when they hate being cleaned up," Kimya commented with a laugh, looking out to Ruka as suddenly there was something green and loud sitting on top of her. She laughed.
"You've got that right," she said, settling into a place she hoped would be out of the reach of the mud. They didn't need her to play when they had each other.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:23 pm
They had just left here there.
Sawa had heard something a few moments before they left. Something about mudbombs and not wishing to clean the children over and over again - and then they were gone. Needless to say, it was starting to get pretty boring, the silence of the den starting to creep up on Sawa - she swore she could feel it crawling up her back - and she was a pretty quiet cub to start with.
Scrunching her little white muzzle up, she decided to dare the outside by herself - a rarity in itself - but she was starting to wonder what her rambunctious siblings were getting into. Was it fun? Well, it was dirty and they really liked to get as messy as possible, so it had to be fun. For them, at least. Taking a few tentative steps out, she started a brisk trot towards the direction she recalled the voices, her white toes becoming encased in the dark grey-brown mud that the previous firecrackers had sped through, different sizes of paw prints and random skid marks telling all for her as she listened for their voices.
It didn't take long. Hearing the bellows, hoots and haws, she knew for a fact that whatever Amali and Ruka were doing, it was going to be an interesting sight, and cresting the small hill. Ankle deep in the mud already, she came up to a grandiose sight, Momma and Papa off to one side with that telltale sign that it had ready gotten out of hand, so may as well just let it wind down. And then there was Ruka and Amali. And mud. And something green?
"What's this all about now?" she piped up, her normally quiet voice peeping over the hill and into the muddy mess that her siblings had found with their internal mess-radars.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:33 pm
Ruka's eyes widened.
What was that thing on her head!?
She was about to start freaking out and flailing when her brother's sharp voice intercepted the panic. She completely froze, her whole body tensing, her eyes trying to look up in an attempt to see what had landed there on her head.
"Help me, Amali!" She spoke between gritted teeth, trying not to provoke the monster that had her held hostage.
And then sister came onto the scene. A shame that Ruka was currently too afraid to turn and say hello. Maybe she would know what to do?
---
'Tetu, rolling his eyes, moved after his mate, certainly not wanting to get covered in mud due to their antics. "I can't believe she hasn't seen a frog before. Do you think she's just playing?"
The swamp was abundant with the little furless creatures and their strange croaking songs. He caught the sight of shining gold and smiled when he realised that his youngest had come to join in.
Little Sawa reminded him so much of his own dear mother. Her golden pelt and quietness so like Maawio it was almost as if it were her reborn. He'd have to send word to his parents to come and visit someday.
"Kimya, do you think the pride would mind if my parents came to visit on occassion?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:44 pm
Amali was too occupied to respond to Sawa's sudden approach, already in motion and unable to stop- he crashed belly first right into Ruka's head, flailing his little muddy paws in an effort to catch the frog that was already .. gone.
"Arrgh! Come back here!" he cried when he realized he was just messing up the fur on Ruka's head, but his efforts to scramble away and chase after the frog only resulted in him landing on his side in the mud. And in an effort to get back up, he did not roll right back onto his stomach- of course- he rolled onto his back. Now that he was even stickier, it was harder to get up.
"Sawa! Don't let it get away!!"
"Even if she's not, it can't hurt her," Kimya commented with a quiet laugh, though the panic in Ruka's voice did put her on edge just a bit. Amali running right into her face didn't help but she held herself back until she knew there was trouble. Cubs would be cubs, they had already taught her that they were tougher than you think. She smiled up at where Sawa had appeared, and then looked back to Tetu when he asked about his parents.
"I don't see why they couldn't," she said, "Perhaps my father would like to come visit, too." Kimya hadn't known her father for very long but she loved him, after all, she had asked him to name her again.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:07 pm
It was uncertain what was going on right at this moment, but the only thing Sawa could do was stand in confused awe. Having crested the hill, she was abruptly chirped at by one of the voices mudball mess that consisted of her siblings (and whatever else they had somehow dragged in to), telling her to guard the border of this dirty playland.
It took a few seconds for her thought processes to kick back in and when it did, her dark eyes glanced down at something that was making a bit of a racket at her paws.
Sitting there was a rather large frog, staring up at her as if uncertain what to do next, it's singing loud and obnoxious. Freezing up a little, her eyebrows shot up. "H.. Hello down there. Are you what they're looking for . . ?" She asked curiously, not sure if she should expect an answer.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:22 pm
Her brother collided with her, messing up her fur, but just this once, Ruka didn't try and react back, hoping desperately that he'd catch it.
Alas the frog managed an escape but at least she was free!
Now no longer a hostage, Ruka turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees, looking across to where the golden sibling stood. The frog was just in front of her now, just...sort of sitting there. Waiting to be captured? Or was it a trick?
The fur between her ears was nothing but a muddy, tangled mass now, scruffy from Amali's attempt at grabbing the frog. If Ruka cared, it never showed. Instead she joined in with her brother's calls.
"Yes, Sawa, don't let it escape! But be careful! It's real tricksy!"
---
He smiled, watching the three of them in play. The swamp was perhaps not suited by all lions, but he for one adored the place and it was very clear that the children did, too. He was so happy that he had met Kimya and that she had brought him back here to stay.
"I wonder if someone in the pride has a familiar, an avian perhaps, who we could get to deliver a message on our behalf. I would love to meet your father and I'd love my parents to see where I'm living now. My only worry is that they're both quite old. I'm not sure if they would want to make a journey now..."
But...it wasn't really that far away, was it?
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:48 pm
With a grunt, Amali pushed himself over onto his belly again, covering his entire body in mud now. He pushed himself up to his feet, his eyes on the frog at Sawa's feet.
"You got it, Sawa!" he cried encouragingly, taking a more careful approach in walking over to his other sister. His paws went up high and he moved slowly, ready to stay on his feet this time. He grinned as he got closer, crouching down a bit, still intent on catching the frog himself.
Kimya's ears turned as she listened to the shouting of the cubs in the background but she kept her eyes on Tetu, thinking about what he said. She 'hmm'ed quietly at first, trying to think of anybody who had an avian friend that could be asked to take a message but not coming up with any.
"Perhaps we could deliver the message ourselves," she suggested, glancing back to the cubs, "It's not terribly far, they should be able to handle it." Her mother had traveled some while she and her siblings were quite young, perhaps not the whole way between the Pridelands and the swamps, but certainly somewhere in between and while they had been younger than Amali, Ruka and Sawa were now.
"Besides, we'd know better where to find everybody," she added.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:05 pm
Knowing her siblings, ill will was coming on the foot falls and slorps sounds of muddy paws. But that little tiny spark of curiosity reigned supreme behind her eyes, and when it started, she had to follow it all the way there.
Standing on her dainty little paws, the mud starting to sink into just everything from the ankle down, she couldn't help but just stay in place, the little creature eyeing her with his strange, strange little eyes. "I feel kind of bad for you." She muttered to the thing, whatever it may be thinking.
Swishing her tail back and forth slightly, she looked to Amali and Ruka, giving them this, niccee and easy face. If this was a creature full of trickery, who know when it would pop off or do something that none of them would expect?
What if it BIT her? Oh now the questions were rolling in.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:03 pm
She was practically bouncing with nervous excitement, splatting more mud about her as she did so. Then her brother was moving forwards and, with a playful little mewl, she followed after, using his tracks to move easier through the mud. Already the splotches on her back were beginning to try and feel slightly irritating.
Oh yeah...that'd mean a bath.
Ew.
"Pounce, pounce, pounce!" She cried out, seeing her brother preparing to make a move to catch the frog. "You're doing great, Sawa!"
---
Tetu had one ear fixed upon the calls of the children and another directed towards his mate, wishing he could have eyes in the back of his head, too. Such a thing would come in handy right about now.
"You think we could?" He asked quietly. "Yes, you're probably right. They seem to have a lot of energy and if we rest often enough it should be okay. It would be good for them to know where the rest of their family live, too."
His smile brightened even more. "The look on our parents face when we go to visit! I can't wait! When do you think would be the best time to go?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:16 pm
Amali's tongue stuck out a bit as he grinned, inching closer and closer while sticking low to the ground. With a pathetically small growl, he jumped forward. His paw slid in the mud and he landed on his chin and far short of the frog. He yelped, his eyes squeezing shut as he headed for the ground. Once he was still, he didn't move-- and didn't open his eyes for a couple seconds. Had the frog gone? Did Ruka get it? Did Sawa get it?
Kimya was distracted from the cubs by the look on Tetu's face, smiling back at him as he brightened at the idea of going out to visit them themselves. It was a nice idea, she had to agree. She paused thoughtfully at the question of when, looking out to the cubs.
"It might be best to stay until- ah- the trouble going on has been resolved," she said carefully, referring to the murders and the lack of justice. The pride might need their members and running away wouldn't help them. She sighed, but watching as Amali hit the mud again, she shook her head, smiled and looking back to Tetu.
"And Ahli is expecting, she stayed with me when I went off for our cubs, I'd like to be there for her when she goes off to give birth," she said.
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