|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:41 am
Their world had fallen apart.
Jicho hadn't known what had happened to most of his family. His old pride. It seemed like it had happened overnight, and though there were fears of the world outside of their pridal lands, the fear of death had driven many of them to flee the lands once known as the Mteo'nguvu. He had grabbed who he could and fled. Two sister, and Archedios. Jicho's heart felt broken when he couldn't find Siri, but he couldn't let himself risk the lives of the other three he had taken charge of, if there was no proof that she was still alive.
Nyuni had never clung onto Archedios for support so much. The grey male was still unsure of his relationship with the red lioness, but he allowed himself to comfort her, as she was so terrified of the world outside. He had come from the outside world, even though he had forgotten it all, but being driven out in an almost-violent matter was terrifying, even for him.
Jicho had led them to a place he had heard of before, something that could be considered a sanctuary. The Pridelands. His petition to find shelter there had been granted, and so it was time to start adjusting to life outside of their homelands. It was hard, moreso on Jicho than he dared show.
"This cave seem suitable, if a bit small at the moment," Jicho said, investigating their new home. There weren't too many open cave left, and Jicho figured that Nyuni and Archedios might find their own in the coming turn of the moon. He wasn't a fool. He was just lonely.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:11 am
Usiku liked to think she was handling this better than her brother and sister. She could see the way Nyuni was clinging to Archedios and she imagined Jicho as far less together than he appeared, knowing how hard he worked to keep them together and find them a place to stay while leaving behind many others. She, on the other hand, was perfectly fine.
And she was.. as long as she kept telling herself that.
"Are we really all sticking together?" she asked, sounding doubtful and unimpressed. Usiku had not led a very active social life, she had participated in hunting but had mostly been by herself. She wasn't sure how close she felt to her brother and sister, though part of that was Archedios throwing her off. She had no idea at all what to make of him. All in all, it seemed strange to her that they would cling now.
With nothing to do after the day's hunt, she was wandering by herself. It would have been wrong to say it was an accident she crossed paths with the house-hunting Mteo group, she knew she was in a common den area, and even when she passed nearby, she looked but dared not approach.
They didn't look like they fit in, either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:29 am
"What, you don't like being with us?" Nyuni asked innocently. The girl was such a hopeful, optimistic girl, but even with that it was hard to keep herself so hopeful when their world had turned upside down.
Archedios sometimes couldn't believe how stupid Nyuni could be at times. He didn't know that much about Usiku, but it was clear that she was tense in her own way, but the male couldn't figure out how to fix it. He just...he didn't know what he wanted, and merely continued to stick with Nyuni out of habit.
Jicho's silver eyes glanced over his youngest sister's form, wondering why she was so upset. "I doubt Nyuni and Archedios will be here for very long," he said as clamly as he could. "If you'd like, you may go out to hunt for a short time if you need to stretch your legs." Jicho wasn't sure if he was helping or not...honestly he was never that good with his sisters, his twin included.
"We have a visitor," Archedios said, his eyes making out the pale green from against the darker green of the grass that the Pridelands was filled with.
"Oh! Hi there!" said Nyuni, happy to change the subject.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:43 am
"Well-"
Usiku almost responded to Nyuni before realizing that Jicho was looking at her, and then he was very calmly giving suggestions that seemed to be polite ways of telling her to go chill if she was going to.. what, ask questions?
She didn't get the opportunity to respond to his suggestion, either, before Archedios pointed out they had a visitor. Already?? She looked over to where the gray male was looking. Strange.
Since Nyuni too the initiative in greeting their guest, Usiku stayed where she was, watching.
Mnanaa felt her stomach twist when she was spotted but she stayed calm, even putting a smile on. She had to be nice, had to be polite, had to interact.. how else was she going to adjust. Why she would approach such a large group was a mystery, though. The red one, at least, sounded happy.
"Hello," she said, though she couldn't get herself to move closer to chat more comfortably just yet, "I don't mean to intrude, I was just passing by.."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:48 am
Nyuni nudged her sister's shoulder with her own, trying to see if Usiku would say something too. Jicho hadn't, but then...she wondered if it was because it might seem rude for a male to speak so forward to a strange female? He had gone through a lot of training while being the Heir of Mteo'nguvu, and he would never share what he had learned to anyone, not even his sisters.
Archedios didn't know what to say either. He was an awkward lion, his mind always a jumble. Everyone had assumed that his amnesia would fade, that he would remember his past. He hadn't, and it had been quite some time since Nyuni had nursed him back to health after finding him near death. So he wasn't really sure how he should react to a female outside of King Warithi's family.
"One never intrudes here," Jicho said carefully, as she seemed more nervous than anyone else here. "We were merely trying to settle in...this place is different from our homelands, even though it is home now." It was strange to say it, but he knew it was the truth. Every moment they spent here made it more concrete that they would never return to their true homelands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:07 am
"Hey!"
Usiku was surprised when Nyuni nudged her in an attempt to get her to speak, she looked over to glare but there really was too much going on here now. Jicho was speaking before she could really get anywhere in conversation, either with her sister or the strange green interloper.
And again, she had no chance to speak.
Mnanaa's eyes went to Usiku and Nyuni even as Jicho spoke, and though her expression remained neutral, she was put off by the apparent aggressive behavior of the darkest female and trying to understand exactly what was going on. Her eyes went back to Jicho as he mentioned that these were not their homelands.
They were outsiders, too, then. Very recently joined, she decided, and then everything made a little more sense. Somehow this was a comfort and she dared to move in a couple steps closer.
"My name is Mnanaa," she said, continuing by offering a rare piece of personal information, "I recently came here from other lands, too." She looked them over again curiously, wondering about the circumstances. His tone was careful but his words were almost reluctant, and she knew the rumors that other prides had fallen the way her own had. It seemed, judging by some colors and markings, though, that they were family that had stuck together.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:39 am
Nyuni was wondering why her sister was so defensive, but she wasn't going to question her in front of a strange. Well...Nyuni needed to think of her as a guest, but it was hard to keep that mentality. Practice is what was going to change some of her attitude towards strangers. Though, she was pretty, which helped.
Archedios didn't have anything to say, but he was a little concerned on what was going on between Nyuni and Usiku. Perhaps Usiku was taking it the worst of them all. Archedios was certainly handling it the best, probably because he had nothing to really lose.
"I'm Jicho," he said with a nod. "And this is part of my family that I was able to guide here." He hoped that Usiku would introduce herself, but she might want to deny everything for a while. Perhaps it would be better to persuade Nyuni and Archedios to find their own small den to live in; Usiku might need it more than anything right now.
"Nyuni!"
"Archedios, but Dios works."
"Was it easy to settle in?" Nyuni asked, curious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:55 am
Hmmm, another transplanted lion. Usiku couldn't help but hop if this pride was really this popular for the recently homeless that none of them brought the plague with them. Her little group was safe, she wouldn't let herself imagine anything else.. but Mnanaa was a stranger. Who knew what was going on with her.
"Usikuzuri," she added on a murmured introduction, barely making it in between Archedios' introduction and Nyuni's question about settling in. That definitely was a more optimistic question than anything health concerns.. and, truthfully, Usiku was curious.
Mnanaa followed the group around as they introduced themselves, making note that they were in fact family. It was nice to see, and a sad reminder of how her panic had sent her away without looking for her sisters.
"Pleased to meet you all," she said before looking to Nyuni to address her question with a small smile, "Everybody here is pleasant and accommodating, and that certainly helps."
It was a tricky question to answer, especially considering her own situation and the complete mystery this group's background was. Mnanaa's answer was careful, though honest. The Pridelanders were very patient with those in need of time to adjust.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:16 am
Nyuni was happy that her sister was getting better. She just...tried to not be too much more pushy since Usiku wasn't very interested. She sighed to herself softly, but enough for Archedios to notice. He didn't seem that interested at times, but she honestly knew that he cared about her. Not in a way that she wished, but she worried that he'd never truly love her.
Archedios wondered wha thad suddenly made Nyuni sigh, and so had shifted a bit closer to her. The red lioness worried too much, and once again he was certain that that is exactly what she was doing. Either about her sister or their new homelands, he wasn't sure, but he could ask her later about it.
"That will help. It's very...hard for us to be around so many lions, we were from a small pride. It is nice to hear from someone else how the transition may be. I appreciate it." Jicho's worries were still there, and he knew that it was going to take a while for them to fade away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:28 am
Usiku noticed Nyuni's sigh and Archedios' step closer and she couldn't help but sigh herself and sit down. Everybody was so anxious. She put her focus back on Jicho and Mnanaa, though so far she hadn't heard much useful information. Really it was just confirmation that the lions here were exactly as nice as they seemed.. all of them.
Which seemed unlikely.
"There are a lot of lions here," she agreed thoughtfully, "Just take your time."
It was what Mnanaa was doing. Perhaps that was why she put herself so close to a small group, putting herself into the position where she almost certainly had to say something- or would be spoken to. Hunting was unreal and it served a specific purpose, it wasn't the same as general life here.
"I hope you like it here, I'll leave you to settle in properly," she said carefully, attempting to withdraw herself from the situation now. She had been intruding, whether or not they would admit it or were really bothered by it.. and there wasn't much she could do to help them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:36 pm
Jicho nodded. "Perhaps then things will smooth out soon." He resisted the urge to glance at Usiku. She would find her own path in these new lands.
"I think we'll love it," Nyuni said. A lot of that was because she at least still had some of her siblings, and her Archedios with her! Things would have to look up, it was hard to imagine it getting any worse from here. As long as Jicho could recover from the loss of Siri.
"Perhaps we will run into you again," Archedios stated, seeing that she probably wanted to leave. At least there was some sense of reassurance that this pride was indeed what it seemed to be.
"Until we meet again," Jicho said with a chuckle. "As large as this pride is, its social ways will probably guarantee that."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:07 pm
Mnanaa nodded to them, offering one last smile before turning herself around and leaving. She managed to put some distance between them before finally relaxing. This was hard, but she was getting better at it. She had to be!
Usiku watched as the interruption slowly worked itself to a conclusion with everybody else sounding far more cheerful than she expected- and than she could seem to manage for herself. With another sigh once Mnanaa was gone, she looked around that the other three.
"Well, I'm going to check out the new den, then," she said, getting back up to her feet and turning about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:15 pm
Jicho nodded. "I'll come with you," he said, his head turning to give a knowing glance to Nyuni and Archedios. They needed to stay, or perhaps just try to find a different den for themselves, as soon as possible. He followed his younger sister, giving her respectable space, but also not quite ready to leave her completely alone.
Archedios hoped that Usiku would adjust well. Perhaps he would need to find his own cave with Nyuni...which would seal the deal that they were mates. It was a strange, terrifying idea. He didn't really think he loved her, but it was hard to imagine himself with someone else. Nyuni depended on him, and it was nice to have that when he had forgotten everything else.
Nyuni watched as Jicho and Usiku left, her face speckled with confusion as she glanced back up at Archedios. "Do you know what that was?"
"Yes," said Archedios, trying to keep himself calm. "I think Jicho wants us to find our own place."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
