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 Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:44 pm
Mkate was growing up fast. Hah! He liked the feeling of his growing-in mane in the wind, the strength that was growing in his paws. How much faster it seemed he could run, though he might just be imagining that. And the fact that, ever since he had been around, he had all the attention he could want from his mother. And he knew that his cousin, just around his age, probably felt the same way. Except now that he was older, he didn't need them as much. Not...like a cub would. So he was trying to figure out how to be 'manly', out and about strutting his stuff to no one in particular. He didn't much care who saw, as long as they were impressed. Biski just rolled her eyes whenever she saw her son like that. He'd learn, if he didn't trip and fall flat on his face first. So Mkate was practicing strutting his stuff, in an area behind pride rock that was a little more populated than other areas Mkate might linger. He wanted to be seen, oh yeah.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:21 pm
Well, now they had done it. Marini was going to actually start living with Manny and they would stop denying anything about being a couple. Pretty much everybody knew anyway, Marini had been introduced to a handful of Manny's gigantic family and enough of that handful was having fun giving Manny a hard time about it. What hadn't really happened so far was Manny meeting Marini's family, even though it was much smaller than his. He'd been avoiding it, mostly. But now he had no excuse, and that was where he and Marini were heading. They hoped to find her parents around Pride Rock so he could officially meet them. Marini was leading the way, a wide smile on her face. She was having a good day, she liked having something exciting going on and it was hard to deny just how exciting this way. She didn't particularly worry about telling her parents she was finally really going off on her own instead of hanging out nearby and harassing them so much, and she didn't particularly worry about having to finally meet all of Manny's family. Manny worried about the silliest things.
She was babbling away to Manny about her family and how much fun she was having when she realized she had lost his attention- and when she looked around to see what distracted him, she spotted Mkate, strutting. She hadn't met him yet but she could tell immediately he was related to Manny. And she couldn't help but giggle.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:34 pm
Mkate's ears twitched as he heard giggling. Sure, there were a lot of noises going on, but the giggling stood out. "Hey!" he said, swirling around to see if the laughter was at his direction. No one should be laughing at him! They should be...admiring him, yes. He and his youthly power.
Except he caught sight of his grandfather, bright blue mane shining out in the sunlight. A mixture of joy, and feeling the pit of his stomach drop, made him loose his balance for a moment, and he stumbled a bit. Thankfully not right on his face, but it wasn't graceful. He scowled a bit, but straightened himself out to go greet his grandfather, and...well, his step-grandmother, really. Sometimes he wished his mother would shut up about family matters. He could hardly keep it straight, it was so...confusing.
"Hey, hey!" he greeted as he scooted over to them.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:57 pm
It was a little too easy to tune Marini out and he was generally very good about paying attention but the way Mkate was showing off was hard to ignore. He was smiling but he couldn't help but wonder about his grandson. It was easier to worry about the girls than Mkate, Manny often just didn't seem to think about him the same way.
"Good afternoon, Mkate," he called as the young brown lion headed their way, smiling, "Who are you showing off for out here?"
Marini was smiling as Mkate headed their way. She was more certain than ever that she could guess who this was. Hamamu had spoken of him, and he looked about the same age- not to mention rather like Manny. He had to be Mkate. Manny's grandchildren were easier to remember than all the rest of the family, there were only two of them, to start with, but it also amused Marini that he was a grandfather. So it was easier to remember.
"Hello!" she said.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:30 pm
He was bounding over, quite happy, and greeted the both of them. That is, until he heard his grandfather ask him about what he was doing. "Err, uhh..." How was he supposed to explain it to someone so old? Ok, well, Manny wasn't really old, but in Mkate's young, stupid mind, being a grandfather meant you were old, even if he had been born to his mother when she was his age. It was just...hard for his little brain to wrap around.
"I'm just practicing," he eventually said, nodding to Marini politely. It was always smart to be nice to a female. Also, his mother probably wouldn't be too thrilled if he had insulted Marini, either.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:50 pm
"Looks like you could use a little more practice," he commented with a quiet chuckle, referring to the trip, but saying no more on it. He probably wouldn't appreciate too much joking about it, especially if he really was trying to show off.
"Has it been busy around here?" he asked, looking around them.
Marini kept on smiling, biting back another giggle when he said he was practicing. Boys were silly sometimes. She looked over to Manny when he spoke, then around them. Pride Rock was always a busy place, it was kind of a stupid question.
"It usually is," she said, not realizing he was just making conversation, "Maybe not as much as around the water hole, though." Maybe. Anybody who was intimidated walking around here wouldn't be so intimidated at the water hole, everybody needed to drink.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:26 pm
Mkate glanced around as well, as was sort of a reflex when one mentioned an area around them. He nodded as well, listening to what Marini was saying. It made sense, but he only went to the water hole when he was thirsty. It wasn't really an idea place to "hang" out.
"Yeah, it's nice here. Lots going on here." And sometimes that meant being seen! Hopefully Hamamu wouldn't show up out of no where and try to embarrass him. Girls were good at that...at least those that were related to you. "Plus...I should really start tagging along in hunts...." Ugh, responsibility.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:37 pm
"Ah, that would be a productive way to show off," he commented when Mkate dared to mention that he should be starting to help out with the hunts, grinning. He could tell he wasn't really that enthusiastic about it- but if he was trying to impress some girls, there would be girls out hunting.
"Has grandma Shani tried to get you and Hamamu out for hunting practice yet?" he asked. It was kind of a tradition, she seemed to enjoy taking out the young ones and teaching them to hunt. It hadn't really been done with him, he'd been grown up when she and Habu got together. But it was a big deal for her bunch, and their kids.. she'd taken out his girls, she'd probably have been after Mkate and Hamamu if she got the chance.
Marini perked up at the mention of Shani and taking the kids out to practice hunting, wondering if it was something she ought to make note of. She was still learning about the family, and even if she was already a pretty good huntress.. it sounded fun! Besides, she hadn't really spoken much to Manny's parents yet.
"That sounds like it'd be fun," she said, looking from Manny over to Mkate.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:46 pm
Mkate blinked in surprise. "Uh, well...I don't know..." he stammered, as he hadn't really been paying attention if she had offered. Surely his mother would drag him off if so, but it was a little hard keeping track of all the chatter that most lionesses surely enjoyed.
He glanced over at Marini, wondering if this was going to turn into an 'everyone-is-a-girl-but-Mkate' sort of trip. Which wouldn't be bad, but this was family. He managed to swallow a groan, and put a small smile on his face instead. "I guess I should check with Grandma Shani..." or his mother. Or hell, even Hamamu might know more than he did. She...actually she probably did. He glanced between the two of them, a little curious, but hoping that they wouldn't chide him too much for not paying much attention to family matters.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:10 pm
Manny shrugged, not seeming particularly concerned with Mkate's uncertainty on the topic.
"She might be waiting for Enzi and Kafara's bunch to get bigger so they can join you, it's more fun with a bunch of you, I'd say," he suggested. Enzi and Kafara's bunch weren't that much younger than Hamamu and Mkate, they probably wouldn't get too big to really benefit from family practice before the others were ready to join in.
"Can't hurt to check with her, though," he said, "Might make her happy to know you're excited."
He wasn't sure Mkate was excited about it but it would look that way if he asked and that probably would make Grandma feel good about helping. But then.. he wasn't sure if Mkate worried about that, either. Adolescents were tricky.
Marini didn't seem to mind his hesitation on the subject, she really did think it would be fun. Maybe hectic, if they really were waiting for a bunch of other cubs- Marini wasn't sure how many there were but she knew Enzi and Kafara had a bunch.
She didn't say anything else on the topic, only listened, smiling at the pair of them.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:33 pm
No. Mkate wasn't excited about it at all. Who was excited about running around with family members? So not stylish, not when you were an adolescent, fresh and ready to face the world! Ugh. At least if the other younger ones were going to get old enough, that meant he might not be the only male to do it. Yeah!!
"Yeah," he grumbled a bit, his shoulder slouched for a moment. He dared a glance at Marini, but she seemed as happy as the sun about this subject. So. Perhaps he should stop practicing and go off to find Grandma Shani, and his mom, and figure this...this thing out. He guessed his grandpa would try to find out if he had checked or not. Families were like that.
"I should...find her now," he said, letting himself perk up as he planned it out. Oh yeah. He nodded to the two of them, starting to trot off. It might be rude, but hey, they were family, and if everything went right, perhaps they'd all be together soon. Hunting. Hah!
He glanced over his shoulder, a devious grin apparent on his maw, even if he was gaining distance from the pair. "I'll make sure to let Grandma Shani know that you want in too, grandpa! And Marini too!"
He laughed to himself as he picked up the pace and ran, ready to find his mother to plot this out before finding their great huntress grandmother.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:45 pm
Manny watched, raising a brow when Mkate suddenly perked up and said he was going to go and find Shani now. It had been very clear he wasn't excited but something must have crossed his mind that made it more interesting. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
"All right," he said, turning and watching as Mkate made his getaway- snorting when he said he'd make sure they were invited along, too.
"Well then," he said, looking over to Marini.
"Bye! It was nice meeting you Mkate!"
Marini had turned to watch him go, too, and looked back at Manny when she felt his eyes on her. She was beaming.
"I guess that means we're invited, too!"
"Not sure he knows we're OK with that," he said, shaking his head and turning himself around again, ready to continue on with their own little adventure.
"Why else would he invite us?" she asked, not all that worried about it. She mimicked Manny and turned around, looking around them for any signs of her parents. It seemed it would be too convenient for them to just be there as Mkate had been.
"Let's go see mom and dad, I bet we can catch up with Mkate afterward," she said.
"We'll see," he said, not sure Mkate would be anywhere they might expect to find him later. But he was ready for this now. And so the pair of them went off to find Marini's family.
Fin.
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