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 Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:29 pm
 Azhar was quite happy to be growing up. The young pesar realized his opinions were slowly being given more credit, his questions considered more pertinent and his wishes less questioned. Most banu from outside his family were also starting to change their attitude towards him and they seemed more prone to show less affection and more respect in their dealing with the young dark boy. They approached him far less and it was becoming much easier to spend time alone. In summary, Azhar was quite happy to have been born male.
He left the den after exchanging a few words with his mother and apart from the usual “be careful around the lake!”, Star didn’t really question his desire to take a walk on his own. None of his sisters asked to be escorted either so Azhar was fully convinced he’d be able to have a bit of time for himself, doing his favorite thing: watching others.
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:49 pm
Thamina had taken to water like the trees had taken to the sun, spending as much of her time around it as much as she possibly could. It was not only because the water was so crisp, and cooled her dull gray-pink coat, but because it helped her get off the coatings of dirt and dust she collected during her daily play, or just by simply walking. Being so close to the ground, the dirt was attracted to her, but she certainly was not attracted to it.
Thamina dipped her face in the water gingerly and swooshed it back and forth for a few seconds, trying to get as much dirt off as she possibly could without potentially drowning herself. She had already had an unpleasant encounter with the lake earlier in the week where she had slipped on a pebble and fell in a part a little deeper than where her neck was. She thought she was going to die, but luckily her wonderful father had come to her rescue. She did not escape his scolding, however.
"I think it may have gotten in my ears," Thamina commented quietly to herself, trying to stick a paw in her ear and wiggle it a little, hoping the trapped dust and dirt would escape. It felt so uncomfortable.
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:16 pm
Azhar heard the quiet comment and looked to see if he was being addressed. It seemed the little banu didn’t notice him but he certainly took great notice of her. He knew that girl, didn’t he? One of daughters of Pad Kame, he was certain. It had been a while since he last saw her though and he certainly hadn’t expected her to be alone at the lake. He wondered if he should approach her or keep watching what she was doing but a worried little voice inside his head told him that the little banu might get in trouble if she were to fall into the lake because he was not big enough to pull her out – actually, there was also the chance he might drown with her as he didn’t really know how to swim. These were not good thoughts.
“Hello, banu Ghaliya.” He said, moving closer. It was his responsibility to make sure she was safe, after all. He couldn’t just watch and wait for disaster to happen.
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:24 pm
Thamina heard the Pesar's voice call greetings to her young twin, Ghaliya and she looked about expectantly. Had father sent Ghaliya to watch over her? How silly of her father. It was supposed to be the other way around. She was the oldest and therefore was to keep watch over Ghaliya. She sighed slightly to herself, as she looked the other way but did not spot hide nor hair of Ghaliya.
Why on earth would that Pesar be greeting her sister when her sister was not even around these- ohhhh. It finally clicked to thamina as the water dripped off her little hair tuft and down her face slowly. The Pesar had mistaken her for her sister. She was not sure how this could happen, as Thamina was definitely the... stronger looking of the two. More muscular? Eh.
Turning to face the young Pesar, Thamina dipped her head to him quietly, "Hello Pesar...?"
She left off his name, quietly averting her eyes from him to the ground. He was dark with glowing markings upon his face, back and legs. He looked like a Banu she had seen around called Star, but she was not so sure.
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:34 pm
When he caught a glimpse of the banu’s face, Azhar froze abruptly.
“Your eyes!” he exclaimed with visible surprise and it took a lot to pull a reaction like this from the usually self-restrained pesar. Slowly, his mind started to make the distinctions between the banu he had met a few weeks before and the one standing in front of him. The mask was wrong somehow and he didn’t remember there being so much white on her face. The eyes were the most obvious detail, of course but this banu also seemed considerably more polite even though Azhar didn’t usually pay that much attention to such things.
“I’m sorry… you’re not banu Ghaliya, are you?” he asked slowly, sitting down at what the adults usually considered a respectful distance. “I’m Azhar’Hilel, son of Pad Anwar’Mazin. I believe I met your… sister?” He still looked a little confused.
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:42 pm
Thamina smiled a little at his startled response and his immediate realization that the Banu before him was not the one he thought she was. Thamina's litter had two sets of twins, one of opposite but the same coloring, and than her and her sister. Similar coloring, but with distinguishing characteristics. Thamina had always thought she got the better looks out of the two.
"Pardon me, Pesar Azhar'Hilel," She said quietly, but politely, "I am not Ghaliya, but her eldest sister, Banu Thamina. I am daughter of Pad Kame'bufuu and Beybanu Kinaya."
Thamina gave Azhar a small little bow politely once more, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Thamina's manners did not come from her mother, though her mother had good manners, and certainly not from her father whose idea of manners weren't quite in line with the pride's, but one of her elder sisters, Tasleem. She was named after Tasleem, her father being reminded of his quiet polite gray gem. Tasleem was very proper, and very quiet. Thamina took after her greatly, and was often mistaken as her child since she followed her about so much.
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:59 pm
Azhar smiled a little as all things returned to order in his little world.
“I apologize for my reaction. I thought something strange had happened to your sister’s eyes. I haven’t seen her around lately. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, banu Thamina.” In any other place, the idea of two cubs conversing in such a proper and polite manner might seem odd, but definitely not in the Ukuucha’Wafalme.
“Now that I see you more closely, I realize there are several differences between you. Is your sister around or are you here alone?” From what he’d heard, Pad Kame was considered to be somewhat lenient with his daughters but fiercely protective of them all the same. He’d once heard an older pesar say he’d rather go ask for one of the Sultan’s daughters than to dare ask for one of Pad Kame’s but Azhar suspect the dark lion's eerie eyes also played a part in the way Pad Kame’bufuu was regarded within the pride. It was strange that one such daughter would be at the lake unaccompanied so perhaps Thamina had some other members of her family nearby.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:35 am
"Sister is not allowed away from mommy right now," Thamina said, informing Azhar politely of her sister's situation. "She ate a bug and it's made her feel bad. Daddy told me she should be ok in a day or so though."
It wasn't like Thamina to inform others of their home life, but this was a Pesar and he had asked specifically about his sister. She assumed they were friends, as no other Pesar would care to ask about a specific member of the family otherwise. Maybe Thamina should try this 'making friends' thing... But learning from Brother Rasul was fun too.
"I am here with Ghaliya and I's bigger sister, Tasleem. She is helping out with caring for her Pad's children," She explained pleasantly, "Daddy lets me go with big sister if I want to. I try to help and not be a bother. She is cleaning one of the cubs right now and said I could come clean myself here if I promised to be careful."
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:19 pm
“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Do you know what kind of bug it was?” Azhar asked curiously, pausing briefly to consider the idea of insects that could make one sick. It was an interesting thought and it would be nice to know what to avoid in the future.
He barely noticed that he was the one leading the conversation this time, asking the questions and receiving polite responses for them. Azhar hardly ever demanded the respect males were given in the pride but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate being addressed so politely. He’d heard good things regarding Pad Kame’s daughters and at the same time he couldn’t help comparing Thamina to her very similar sister Ghaliya, who he’d met before. Similarities aside, they seemed to have completely different behaviors and interests. Azhar didn’t have to wonder why… in a den with thirteen siblings his age and one big sister, he was well aware of the multitude of personalities that popped up in each litter.
Azhar had never met banu Tasleem and, quite honestly, he had little interest in it. Knowing the cub was not alone at the lake was somewhat reassuring and he didn’t feel quite as compelled to stay with her until she moved away from the edge of the water.
“I’ve never met Pad Kame. But I’ve good things about him… and his daughters.” He said seriously when she mentioned her father before he suddenly realized he had stopped the younger girl from carrying on with the cleaning. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize I was interrupting your bath. Your sister might worry if you take too long to return.”
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:03 pm
Thamina shook her head to Azhar, not sure which bug it had been that Ghaliya had eaten. She had been out with Tasleem when the incident occured and was only tuned into it when she returned in the evening to find her twin sister napping at the back of the den looking a bit on the pale side.
Thamina gave Azhar a humble smile when he mentioned the reputation her father and sisters had. It made her very proud that they were thought of in a good light. Kame had always taught them that they should always behave in a way that brought pride, not shame, to the family. Since Thamina looked up to her father as the epitome of what a Pad should be like, she held his word to heart.
"Daddy would be very pleased by this," Thamina commented, giving a small nod reassuringly to herself. She let her gaze wander to Azhar, making eye contact with him and spoke quietly, "If you would like, Pesar Azhar'Hilel, I can introduce you to my father. He would be very thankful to the Pesar who took the time to make sure I was not all on my lonesome."
Thamina shook her head to Azhar in regards to his apology for interrupting her. For he was only doing what he knew was right of a Pesar to make sure a Banu was not all by themselves, as it could prove to be troublesome.
"Sister always worries, it is why she is a good Banu," She commented quietly, not used to talking quite this much. Usually she was silent as she listened to her sister's instructions, or to Brother Rasul teaching her about his experiments. It was rather refreshing to be so talkative for a change, "It's ok. I was just trying to rinse off the dust. It bothers me more than it does the rest of my siblings. Do you have many siblings in your den?"
Call it selfish of Thamina, but she didn't quite want their conversation to end yet. She was enjoying herself.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:56 pm
Azhar listened attentively as the young banu spoke, nodding or making affirmative noises on occasion. She’d asked him a question which seemed to imply she didn’t feel his presence was an imposition she had to bear for the sake of respecting the pride’s customs. That was good as Azhar hated to be considered a bother.
“I would like to meet your father.” He admitted slowly, considering the idea in his mind. “Is he patrolling at this hour? I could come by your den later in the day…”
On the subject of siblings, Azhar had to smile a little. He couldn’t help it anymore, he always received such interesting reactions when he talked about his family.
“I have thirteen siblings my age. Sometimes it gets a bit confusing in the den. Many cubs, many names.” For once he looked somewhat amused. “I also have an older sister who has just reached adulthood – she lives with us as well - and two older brothers. I’ve never met one of them, he lives far away.”
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