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 Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:08 pm
Since the ceremony that welcomed Ulivuma and his siblings into the high class, things had been very changed and quite overwhelming. Uli wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it, it seemed almost sudden and he didn't really think he was all that prepared. They weren't cubs anymore and they had jobs- well, titles- so they didn't have supervision and they had a lot of freedom. He'd spent a couple days basking in the independence but the longer it went, the more he decided he didn't like it. He wasn't sure how his parents were handling everything, it had only been the excitement and novelty that kept him away this long but it just seemed so weird to be going back. He'd grown up with low class parents and now he was officially a part of the high class, it just seemed backwards or wrong somehow.
"Ugh," he grumbled to himself, picking up the pace heading towards his parents' den. He just wanted to visit them, he shouldn't feel so weird.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:26 pm
This was it, the proverbial nest was empty, and Nerit was feeling it. The brown lioness was dwelling a lot on the fact that Indu had run away soon after gaining independence...not that Indu was ever really independent she depended greatly on her mother before the grandcubs. Her line of thought spiraled into thinking about those two wonderful beings, Imarika and Andama were at the moment one of the happy shining lights in her pity party.
She was feeling so unneeded...useless..she was good for errands but that was about it. Laying outside of their currently empty den, Nerit perked up seeing a familiar form coming in their direction. Ulivuma!
"Uli!" She called and got to her feet, "Hey you!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:41 pm
Uli was very happy when he spotted his mother, picking up the pace- and again when she called out to him. He practically ran into her when he got close, nuzzling into her happily. It had only been a couple days but it could have been months the way he was acting.
"Mama," he greeted her cheerily, "I missed you, it's strange being around everybody else without you guys being around." He quickly explained why he was back so suddenly and being so clingy. It felt silly but he knew it might be sillier not to say anything, or he might accidentally worry her. Either way, he was happier this way.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:55 pm
She nuzzled back happily, seeing Uli was just what Nerit needed to lift her spirits. She was happy to see him, she also felt like he had been missing for months, that they all had.
"You'll get used to being on your own, not that I'll ever like you and the others being away for too long." She nodded in a motherly fashion and smiled, "Besides, I think your father will drive me crazy just the two of us." she chuckled at her own joke. She loved her mate with her entire being and wouldn't change a thing about him.
She had a lot of fears tied around Indu's leaving so abruptly; knowing that Uli missed her so much to come running back after a few days helped to ease the fear that her second litter would do the same.
"Did you see anyone in your class that you've never seen before?" The pride was pretty tight knit, Nerit did not for see Uli meeting anyone that was completely and utterly foreign to him.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:22 pm
"So, I can come and visit a lot?" he asked quietly, realizing how silly it sounded asking to come home and visit. It seemed like he could cause trouble by visiting so much, he wasn't sure what the expectation was now that he was a real and full member of the high class. Were they supposed to interact so much with the low class? He understood everything about the system except what it meant socially. He knew he had family in the higher classes he'd never really spoken to because of his parent's marriage, but was it really because of it or..? He was just generally confused.
"Uhh," he hesitated when asked about the other people in his class, taking a seat and trying to think of what to say. Just in the lords and ladies.. there were the in-laws of the queen, his half-sister who mostly ignored their existence and family in general.. and then their mother, dad's old mate.. plus the other half-siblings that mostly ignored them..
"Uh, n-no, not really?"
Maybe that was part of why he was feeling so awkward.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:40 pm
she laughed aloud at how silly it sounded for him to ask permission to come home, "Uli, you may visit as much as you want, I'm sure your father would agree. I'm pretty lost without you and the others," she admitted.
"Don't feel awkward to be around any of them," Nerit's smile faltered slightly, she knew it would be a bit odd, it was odd for Nerit knowing that there were lions who did not approve of Unyezi and Nerit. She couldn't imagine what it was like for her children, there was a whole part of their family that did not acknowledge them.
"The Great Lion looked upon you just like he did them, that's what matters."
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:51 pm
"I don't know who you're talking about," Uli muttered when his mother read his mind after his obvious hesitation and odd tone when he denied meeting anybody new, "But- I mean- but-"
He stammered and then just stopped trying to say anything. He didn't know what to say and he knew that, really, it was no use trying to deny the existence of anybody who had decided not to acknowledge them. Maybe he could start a fight about it or something, he was feeling important enough for that.. but maybe not with the ones that were in the same class as him. He couldn't get away with that, but he could with the other ones. Couldn't he? They were the ones the Great Lion looked less upon.
He sighed, acknowledging to himself that that wasn't really the point of what his mother said.
"I know," he grumbled.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:40 pm
If Nerit really could read minds she would be chastising her son for thinking such thoughts, however she couldn't read minds and was oblivious to her son's feelings. She knew it made them uncomfortable, and she also knew she had put her children in the predicament.
Inhaling and letting out a slow sigh the brown lioness decided that perhaps she should change the subject.
"We need something happier to talk about, have you seen your niece and nephew lately?" She was talking of course about Indu's cubs, not the royal litter, "They're getting so big. They remind me so much of you and your littermates, Indu just fawns over them." She looked like a grinning idiot talking about her grandbabies.
"I don't think meeting and new grandchildren could ever get old, seeing them grow...of course hopefully they'll have two parents.." She gave Uli an odd look.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:01 pm
Uli couldn't help but smile at the mention of Andy and Rika. It was much easier with family, especially since the majority of family that spoke to him was in lower classes. He sighed, shaking his head.
"I haven't really seen them lately, I guess I've been a little preoccupied," he confessed, glancing down at his paws and then back up to see how his mother smiled-- and then subtly suggested more grandchildren.
"What?" he blinked, not getting the implication at first, "Wha- you mean me? I'm sure I'd wait to be married before you get more cubs, I mean, isn't it harder to get away with that for me? High class boy, might be more suspicious.."
Had he already thought that much about this? Maybe he needed a girlfriend.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:21 pm
"I suppose growing up does preoccupy your time, you've all grown up too quickly," She smiled. "I'm not telling you to go off and get married, Great Lion, no!" She laughed heartily, "Any females caught your fancy? Or is that a topic that you can't discuss with dear old mom?"
"I don't want ou to grow up that fast."
The brown lioness wasn't all together opposed with Uli or the rest of the litter getting married, they're a bit young to have kids in her opinion, but it happened and she wasn't going to deny that..and she wasn't going to snub their furball babies either.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:38 pm
The look Uli gave Nerit said very clearly he didn't believe her when she said she wasn't trying to encourage marriage and reproduction. He didn't think she'd admit it directly but he'd rather address it directly. Among other things that came with growing up, the idea of finding a mate and starting a family was one of those things that came up.
"No, no one's really caught my eye but- I don't even- I mean.."
He stopped to think, only to end up shaking his head and shrugging.
"I really don't know," he muttered, "Maybe I ought to be something other than a lord, then I can keep busy. And meet .. more lions."
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:03 pm
Nerit laughed again, "You know, I will support you with what ever job you decide to do for our pride. If you'd like to be lord that's just fine with me, or if you'd like to become a hunter or guard. What ever you'd like to occupy your time with, but.." Nerit smiled and nudged her son affectionately.
"How about you settle into your position within the pride before making any large steps? Thinking about the future should take up a fair deal of your time? When the time comes for you to be married I will be overjoyed, but I am also happy to see you enjoying your adolescence."
"I've got Andy and Rika for a little while in the cute baby stage, no need for new babies just yet," she winked. "Besides out of any of you, I could see your brother Aoede falling head over paws for a girl first."
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:08 pm
Of all the things Nerit said, only one thing really stuck out in Ulivuma's mind. And that was that Aoede was most likely to fall head over paws for a girl first. First. It didn't matter she didn't say that it would be reciprocated or that he would be married first or anything. Aoede would be first, she said, and to Uli it sounded like a challenge.
"Why? Why would Aoede be first?" he asked, looking over and trying to keep a neutral expression.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:13 pm
"Your brother's just gullible, and i could see him easily falling in love. Plus, he's been something of a silly hopeless romantic. Surely you've seen that from when you were younger? He used to ask the stories from our father and I's earl years a hundred times or more."
Nerit's mommy senses must not have been tingling because she didn't sense that perhaps she'd said the wrong thing. His neutral expression looked just that, neutral.
"I see you all falling in love, maybe it was silly to say your brother would be first."
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:20 pm
Calling Aoede gullible was a good start in calming the competitive feelings Uli was feeling but he still felt some sting of it being a negative comparison. He could be romantic. Better than Aoede. He wasn't feeling so awkward now, he was feeling oddly .. motivated. He wasn't sure there was any good focus for this motivation, he did have all kinds of time on his paws now. He could try to do something about all of this.
"Mhmmm," he murmured thoughtfully, staring at his mother's multicolored toes for a moment before hopping up to his feet and smiling at her, "I have to go! I'll come visit again much sooner though, I promise."
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