|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:49 pm
 Kame'bufuu had found a moment for himself for the first time in the last few weeks. Since the birth of his children, he had been busy on patrol, helping Tai hunt, and playing with his children, all eight of them. It had made him very tired, so instead of spending time with Tai and Kinaya as the cubs took their daily naps, he decided to get away from it all. Kinaya didn't seem happy at him scurrying off, but he knew she understood. He was still getting used to the change of pace, the slow steadiness he was used to was now becoming a bit of a blur, and it worried him.
As he took a walk to clear his head, he noticed a group of young Banu chattering about themselves. He remembered the days he'd pass by groups of girls within his old pride and eye them with curiosity, while they eyed him with something more schemish, as if they were scoping you out and judging you as you passed them. It made him feel uneasy, but as a young lion back than with such a bright future, he was desired by many, not that he had indulged in it.
He sat under a nearby tree and decided to watch them for a bit, which was no doubt a little odd. An older lion such as himself scoping out the young ones like he was reclaiming his former youth. They were pretty to look at though, their varying colors and markings. He quirked a head at a particularly pretty little thing, golden in color with dark yellow-greenish and black markings. Sometimes he regretted not paying attention to the womenfolk more when he was younger, maybe he wouldn't have the desire to do so now.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 7:57 pm
 Hester knew she and the other girls were being watched. All the males watched them; it was normal. Which was exactly why she tried to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible.
As the other girls her age chatted and giggled about nonsense, Hester was hunched over herself, near the edge of their group. The less attention she drew to herself, the better, although she didn't realize that singling herself out and not blending in with the other females only made her stand out all the more to the dark, red-eyed watching male nearby.
She was not about to step out of her comfort zone. As Hester had reached adolescence, the growing threat of leaving the safety of her family had come close to a dangerous outcome: she would be forced to leave her family. There were cruel males in the pride, that was for sure. Hester saw the way they treated their females. That was her biggest fear: to end up as helpless like them.
One of the other girls asked her a question, and Hester blinked out of her thoughts in surprise.
"What? Oh no, I'm fine. I'm actually a bit thirsty, so I'm going to the water hole. You go ahead without me." The other girls wanted to go play with the other cubs in the pride, but Hester was too preoccupied with her thoughts to do the same. The watering hole was only a few feet away; she made her way towards it after giving a half-smile to the other girls as they left her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:07 am
Kame watched the chattering, giggling brood of young women quietly noting as the girls got up and moved on, the golden coated lioness being the only one left, the one Kame had been subtly eyeing, if only out of curiosity. She approached the watering hole in a sort of clinking manner, as if attempting to keep herself out of the spotlight. Kame couldn't help but smile on the inside at her behavior. For him, someone slinking around like that was an obvious sign of not wanting to be notice, which only gained you more notice as than others wondered why you didn't want to be noticed.
He decided to approach the girl as inquire about why she slunk around so. Did she not think she was pretty? In his old pride he watched as the pretty girls would flaunt themselves like a prized piece of meat, not to say the girl was a piece of meat, that's just how women in his old pride conducted themselves. He walked to the watering hole where she was drinking from slowly, and took a drink himself to help him cool off, the bright sun doing numbers on his dark coat.
"Good afternoon," He said quietly to her between drinks, striking up some casual-as-possible conversation with her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:19 am
On his way over, even though he was walking slowly to probably not startle her too much, Hester noticed the male rather suddenly. Her nerves began to get to her badly, and she began to shake a little. Her tail twitched anxiously from side to side. This male...Kame'bufuu, his name was. And although she had heard mostly good things about him (strict, though kind), he still made her nervous.
The lioness paused in her drinking to take a few deep breaths in hoping to calm herself down. Really, she knew deep down inside of her that the sooner she had a pad to call her own, the sooner she would get over these ridiculous nervous break-downs.
"Good afternoon," she returned softly. Out of instinct, she hunkered down closer to the edge of the watering hole.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:45 am
Kame stopped mid-drink as Hester addressed him, she was hunched over and shaking as if suffering from severe anxiousness. He had never seen someone so uncomfortable before that wasn't either in childbirth or wounded from battle. It bothered him some, and so he decided to move a little away from Hester to give her some more room, perhaps than she could calm down, if only a little.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Kame asked, taking time to allow Hester to gather herself the best she could in such a stressful situation to her, "I understand my appearance is a little unsettling..."
Kame was an older Pad, though it wasn't as apparent as others would think. His dark coat and already gray facial markings kept the signs of aging well hidden for the most part, though some silvery hairs were beginning to sprout up on his ears and face from the added stress of raising a family. His tail swayed patiently side to side, he was used to waiting for people to talk, so it did not bother him any if Hester took her time in responding to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:14 am
She was incredibly thankful that he stepped farther away from her. The shaking in her legs went down considerably; it was only a slight tremble that went through her from time to time, now. Her tail was still twitching a bit franticly; that was the one limb she couldn't control all the time.
"No. I mean yes. I mean..I'm sorry," Hester shook her head and closed her eyes in embarrassment. "I'm just...I get nervous around you. Males, I mean. I'm sorry."
She hadn't want to reveal her fear, but there it was. She made sure to apologize. Maybe he wouldn't laugh at her or something. No, he wouldn't. If he had wanted to do that, wouldn't he have done so already? The thought made her less anxious and she sat up a little straighter, staring into the water while avoiding his gaze.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:08 pm
Kame suppressed the small smirk that wanted to form on his face. Her nervousness and fears being a serious thing for her, even if he thought them slightly silly. As an outsider he didn't know what she was exposed to growing up, or what she had seen within the pride, so he could not simply be rude like that wave off what obviously affected her. After all, if he had some sort of fear or vulnerability that he did not want others to see and it accidentally surface, he sure wouldn't want them to laugh at him. Not to say he was immortal or fearless, but he didn't have any major fears or ticks to be worrying about, yet, anyway.
"It's alright," Kame responded, looking away from Hester as she starred down into the watering hole. He figured if he was not watching her, she wouldn't stutter as much when she spoke. He cracked a small smile, attempting to lighten the feel of the situation, "If I were you, I'd feel nervous too if an old geezer wanted to talk to me."
His tail flicked back and forth as it was being bothered by a horse fly. He crooked his head to the side as he addressed Hester thoughtfully, "My name is Kame'bufuu, what's your name?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:19 pm
It was silly of her to have these fears. If she lived as a rogue, that would be different. But because she lived in a pride where it was considered normal for males to look at females for breeding purposes, trading them away and everything, her fears were useless.
She did smile a little at his joke, even though that wasn't the reason she was nervous. Hester did appreciate his kindness, though.
"Hester. It's...nice to meet you, Kame'bufuu," she replied, and tilted her head up a little to meet his gaze for the first time. The mask that was a pattern on his fur was certainly intimidating, as well as his blood-red eyes. She tried not to think about it too much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:40 pm
"Hester, that's a pretty name," He said, deciding to sit next to the water's edge. He lowered himself onto the ground, some dust flying up and catching onto his black coat and stark white mane. At least on these lands all he had to do was shake his head a couple of times to get the dirt out of his mane, back where he used to live was mostly damp, meaning mud would often get caked in it, weighing it further.
"My daughter's have pretty names like yours. Their mother picked them out. I figured it's her right to name them as she pleased, for carrying them for me," He commented, striking up conversation with her. He figured he'd ask her some questions about the pride that other males would be apprehensive to answer to him, incase they were attempting to cover their own hides, "Were you born into this pride, Hester?"
He had learned the foundations of the pride quickly, he agreed with some things, and others he condemned, but overall this was a good pride for him and his growing family, and with the right ties with the right Pads, if something were ever to happen to him, he knew his family would be well cared for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:34 pm
"Thank you," she murmured, momentarily calmed. He mentioned his daughters; she couldn't put their 'pretty' names to their faces, but knew he was telling the truth. It was a pretty even trade-off for the female, considering.
Hester supposed that it was better than him taking control and naming the cubs anything he wanted. It was good for the cubs, too. It sounded like a..happy family.
"Yes, I was. My mother is Ukoo, and my father is Tariq." Obviously Kame was not born into the pride. He was too old.
"How..how did you come to the pride? If you don't mind me asking; I'm sorry if I'm being too nosy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:03 pm
Tariq and Ukoo. He kept those names in the back of his mind for now. He had heard mention of Tariq, but only in passing, still being unaware of any undesirable reputation in which Tariq may have. He would probably hear soon enough from Vu whatever he needed to know if he brought Tariq's name up in conversation, but till than he was unawares.
His ears flattened slightly at Hester's question as he pondered how to phrase his response, not wishing to divulge too much of his past to the girl. He may be within a pride once again and not in the Rogue Lands, but it was still better to keep himself guarded than to leak too much information. After all, if in the wrong hands, he may find himself without the upper hand, and that is not a position he wished to find himself in.
"I heard about it in passing," He said, his ears perking back up as he spoke, "Tai'kipepeo and Kinaya, the Banu I brought to the pride with me, were already traveling with me at the time when we heard of it, and decided to settle up here after much debating. It was a decision on what would be best for our children."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 12:17 pm
She winced when his ears folded down. She had pushed the line too far with her question.
But with his answer, Hester nodded slightly. Although their pride was different from all others (she assumed; she had never been outside the pride's lands to find out if it was true), she did not disagree with the fact that raising cubs in an environment like this was beneficial. Cubs learned many useful skills growing up with a father and more than one mother, along with many siblings, too.
"Ah, I see. Then I hope that your children are thriving because of that decision," she offered calmly, leaning down finally to take a drink of the water before her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:31 am
Kame watched as Hester took a drink, her words jumbling about in his head. He was sure it was meant as a pleasant comment, but something about it still set wrong with him, as if it caused him to second guess his decision for a brief moment. He dismissed it quickly, though. This would be the place he would raise his family and hopefully lived out the rest of his life.
"Banu Hester, may I ask you something?" Kame began, turning to her, granting her a level of respect she probably didn't see very often; addressing her as if she was an equal of his, if only for the moment she spent in his company. "If you feel it's too personal, you don't have to answer it, but is there any Pads within the pride I should be concerned over?"
He wanted to know who he needed to watch out for within the pride. Six out of his eight children were girls, and one day they would go to a Pad or Pesar, whichever their mother's chose for them, but in the mean time, he wanted to know which Pads, or even which Pesar, may not be good matches for his daughters.
"Most of my children are female, Banu Hester. I want nothing but happiness and safety for them when the time comes to let them go..." He said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:04 pm
Indeed, she was shocked when he addressed her with the title a full-grown lioness should have, one who belonged to her mate and was spoken for. One who deserved such respect.
Were there any Pads in the pride he should be concerned about?
"My father," Hester replied flatly. Personally, she had never spent too much time with her father, and she was incredibly glad for that. She didn't hate Tariq, necessarily. She just feared him.
To be honest, Tariq wasn't all that bad anyway. As long as she, her sisters, her mother, and her adoptive mothers behaved and were obedient and loyal to her father, then he never had a problem with any of them. Give him a lioness with a rebel streak, however...
"Father is kind if you are kind to him. He doesn't like rebellious lionesses. He does, but he likes to fight back with them. Violently." Not like her mother, who did everything in her power to please him. But she couldn't help to think about O'tep, and the scars the female now carried. "So if you have a sweet, loyal daughter, Tariq wouldn't be a bad match for her, as long as she knew what was expected and didn't fight back."
Now, that was just her father. There were a good number of other males in the pride as well. She hadn't encountered all of them, so there was only so much she could say.
Hester shook her head. "I'm sorry, I really only know my father. Besides you, I haven't interacted with many of the other Pads." For good reason, though since she was now of age to leave her father's harem and move on to another male's, she should be paying more attention.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:09 pm
Kame took note of the way Hester bluntly blurted out that her own father was someone in whom he needed to be concerned about. While she said that so long as the Banu was sweet and obedient, there would be no issues, he still couldn't help but feel disturbed by the fact the man's own daughter had essentially ratted him out to Kame. He couldn't help but feel as if the poor girl had seen things that no child should have been exposed to growing up.
"Thank you for telling me regardless, Banu Hester," Kame said, making sure to keep the name 'Tariq' forever imbedded in his mind in case it were to come up one day in the future.
It was true, Kame was wondering exactly why Hester had not had much interaction time with other Pads at the moment, but considering what she had told him about her father, he could imagine her reserve in doing so. He had grown up and seen some abusive mates go back and forth, often times the female taking the brunt of the assault since she was generally much smaller than her mate. Things of that nature got nasty and left so many negative effects on the lioness, their cubs, even the family associated with the mates. It was tricky business.
"Really?" Kame asked her, giving her a slight brow raise, " Pardon my words, but I can't imagine why. You're a pretty woman, Banu Hester. I'd imagine Pads and Pesar are tripping over themselves to speak to someone so lovely."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
