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 Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:03 pm
 Despite the strength and determination he felt when it came to the matter of protecting his family, Tendaji was scared at the thought of seeing them all again. It was a different kind of fear than any he had experienced before, a kind of fluttering anxiety in his chest. He had been gone from home a very, very long time and he was certain everyone would have questions. They would want to know where he'd been, why he'd been gone so long. He didn't want to tell them, he didn't want to try to explain. And his family was so large, there would be so many of them there... he didn't know if he was ready to meet them. He was ready to turn tail and run, but Tujil-dasu was a constant source of strength by his side. He leaned against her while they walked. His rock. Tujil-dasu was by nature a ball of glowing sun-colored energy, but Tendaji's anxiety was wearing off on her. How could she possibly be more excited about meeting his family than he was? But she didn't say anything, she didn't crack any jokes. She just walked alongside him, the faint thudathud of his heart beating alongside hers. She would keep him headed straight and they would meet his family and they would have a good time and everybody would be happy and that's all there was to it.
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:19 pm
 Cari hated waiting.
She knew they were early, but she had hoped that he would be as well. That they would be, she amended. Looking out over her family, gathered in the small den area they had set up next to the stream, she had to wonder how they would feel about her Uncle's new...'friend'. Even she wasn't going to fathom the true extent of their relationship.
The young leotah leapt to her paws, pacing around the base of a large tree, while simultaneously leaning into the rough bark for a massaging scratch. It did wonders for her nerves and-
"Where the hell is he?"
All chatter clammered to a halt as Abrafo entered the clearing. At his paws was a large, fresh carcass as dark as his attitude. The years hadn't been kind ot the aging lion, and even now, standing proud as the Patriarch of this rag-tag group, he felt it. He slept more, worried more, and worse...found himself enjoying grand-cubs. The whole ordeal made him sick.
"You said he would be back before I was. So, either you've lied once again, whelp, or he's dead. Which is it." He snapped. Despite his less than pleasant mood, Abrafo was...excited. Eager. Anxious. He hadn't seen Tendaji in so long, and part of him ached with the loneliness he felt at not having his step-son at his side. The boy was as much Abrafo's son even if they didn't share blood, and he worried for him.
"He'll be here soon. You have to have patience, Gramps." Cari teased.
"Patience? Have you met your grandfather?" Xandeleigh teased from her perch on a low tree branch. Her eyes danced with mirth as she chuckled at the furious expression on her brother's face. "He's as short tempered as a cub, and just as ignorant."
"Shut your fu-"
"Oh, ouch! My pride, I think you've wounded it." She fake swooned, holding a paw up to her chest as she sobbed. Out of the group, she cared the least for Tendaji. As far as she was concerned, the boy was just another son that his brother's leopard mate had cuckholded him with and it was his own fault that he'd been gone this long.
Shaking her head, Xandeleigh stretched and returned to being a contented observer. [/skyblue]
Izinhliziyo was so nervous he could barely breath. He was in the branch above his Aunt's, his eyes looking here and there for his brother. When he first heard the news from Cari, he'd cried. He wasn't going to hide it. He'd cried and cried with joy at having his brother finally come home after so long. Izin knew that Tendaji most likely wasn't going to be the same as he was when they had split off in their younger years, but why wouldn't he be excited to have his brother back?
Gods above, and how he was excited! What stories would be have to tell him? And what about the wild dog he'd heard Cari whispering about? Why hadn't she told the family? Why- "I see him!" Izin cried out before slapping a paw to his mouth. What if Tendaji wanted to make a big entrance?
"Oh goody. Does that mean that everyone will shut the hell up now? Or are we all going to simultaneously start crying like females?" At the warning glares from both his Aunt and Daughter, the egotistical leopon rolled his eyes. Safi didn't care one way or another that his brother was gone. He'd filled Cari's head full of nonsense about the world, and in the end, it was her innocence that caused her to be hurt. In fact, he was pissed. Who the hell did Tendaji think he was, coming back like this?
"You don't have to be here, Safi." Xandeleigh murmured. "If you're more comfortable elsewhere-"
"Oh, no, I'll stay. Just don't expect me to kiss his a**."
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:32 pm
At Izin's cry, Tendaji paused with one foot raised in the air before taking off and running full speed. There were a lot of people and he was still frightened but they were his family, damn it. "IZIN!" he called. His younger bro, the one he had looked after since cubhood. He was alive, he was okay! Where was Kamau? Nia? Abrafo was there, Cari, Safi, and...
Who the hell was that lioness?
"Hey!" Tujil-dasu cried as Tendaji took off. She nearly fell over now that Tendaji was no longer leaning on her, but recovered quickly and ran after him. She could see where he was headed - some group of felines that must have been his family - but he had a solid lead on her and she couldn't catch up.
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:53 pm
Cari stepped out of the way as soon as she saw Tendaji run up. It really warmed her head to see him so full of life. The last time he had been almost dead to the world, and entirely way too timid, but now...Now he had some spark to him.
"Tendaji!" Izinhliziyo leapt down onto Xandeleigh's branch, effective knocking his shrieking Aunt into the bushes below before leaping onto his brother. He knocked the green leopard onto the ground, and was just as quick to wrap his paws around him for an intense bear hug. "Thank the Gods you're here," he murmured into his brothers fur. "Don't you ever leave like that again. You hear me? Never again."
Xandeleigh picked herself up with many a cursed word, and watched the brothers. It was obvious that any minute now Izin was going to start bawling like the runt he was, but to his credit, he was holding it in well. She just shook her head and came to stand by Safi, who was watching the scene with an equal amounts of mixed emotion. "It's nice, isn't it?" She whispered. "Brothers reuniting like that."
The younger leopon turned his head sharply. "Whatever." How could he be glad? Why was Cari glad? If she hadn't been as trusting as she was, she wouldn't have..."Do you see...that? That thing following him?" Safi pointed with a claw at Tujil, leaning into his Aunt as they both peered at her.
"She's attractive, that's for sure. Maybe they're lovers?
Abrafo was torn. He wanted to approach his son, let him know how glad he was to have him back, and yet he was drawn into his sister's gossip. His heterochromatic eyes locked onto the approaching wild dog. He snarled, curling his lip with disgust as his ears flattened back on his head. The massive lion crossed the space between himself and the embracing brothers. "Tendaji. What have you brought with you?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:06 pm
Running full tilt, somehow it never occurred to Tendaji that Izin would start running at him too or that he would hit him with that lower center of gravity and -
The next thing he was lying on the ground and Izin's arms were wrapped tight around him and he was hugging him back. "Of course I won't leave you!" he was saying, earlier doubts gone to the wind. Izin Izin Izin! It felt as if he'd never left.
Tujil-dasu winced as Tendaji got tackled, but barely slowed her pace as she splashed into the stream. She paused in the middle, watching the small family reunion, ears flipping this way and that. Fortunately she was too distracted by Tendaji and Izin being complete fools to catch Xandeleigh and Safi's conversation, but she certainly heard what Abrafo had to say.
She flattened her ears and bared her teeth at the big lion, not even remotely intimidated. "Yar, you big fluffhead! Haven't you seen a wild dog before?"
"Dad..." said Tendaji, not sure how to react to this turn of events. Abrafo and Tujil-dasu meeting was... really not something he was prepared for or knew how to handle.
Tujil-dasu gave Abrafo her best squinty-eyed glare. It wasn't very effective and just made it look like the sun was in her eyes.
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:09 pm
Oh God, Izin thought he was going to suffocate in Tendaji's fur. It was like they were back in the womb! Snugged up against one another in this warm, loving, tender-
Then Abrafo spoke. Izin cursed his step-father. Why was it that no matter the moment, good or bad, he always had to spoil it? Couldn't the male leave well enough alone? "Who is she, Tendaji?" Izin questioned, turning his attention back to his brother. "I mean, who is she to you?" The way he asked it was clear that he wouldn't judge his brother; he was just curious.
"Oh snap." Xandeleigh leaned into Safi, bring a paw up to her mouth to keep the comment hidden. "She's a feisty one, isn't she?"
"Too feisty, if you ask me. I don't think father's going to take to her well. She'll be run out of the territory before dawn."
"....how much do you want to bet on that?"
"...a hyena skull."
"Oh, ho! You are so on."
Abrafo didn't even look at Tendaji as he approached the wild dog. The cool stream water passed over his scars as he came to stand before her. "Fluffhead?" A tick started in his eyebrow. "Before you attempt to insult someone, you should know of their past. The first prey I've ever killed on my own was one of your kind, and I miss the flavor." He snarled.
What the hell was wrong with her eyes? It would so be like Tendaji to bring home a defective play thing.
Cari stepped up to Tujil's side, and slipped her paw ontop of the wild dog's. She looked up into her grandfather's face, and stood toe to toe with the giant. "She came as a guest of your son's. You can either step aside and allow her to be welcomed as she should, or you can be an a**. Which is it? Because, honestly, this is getting old."
Abrafo growled lowed in his throat before turning his back on the pair.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:14 am
"She's just a friend," said Tendaji, shocked by the question. Did they think that Tujil-dasu, that he and her... no. No no no. She was a wild dog for crying out loud! And... no, he didn't want a mate, he just wanted his family back. He loosened his grip on Izin and rolled over onto his belly, maybe a bit too gruffly. "Who's the blue and black lioness?" he whispered to his brother. She looked a bit like Abrafo, could she be related? Tujil-dasu was about to reply that she ate ten lions for breakfast that morning when Cari intervened. She was disappointed she couldn't tell the great poof headed lion man exactly what she thought of him, but wisely decided to hold her tongue. It wouldn't do to cause a ruckus when Cari was playing peace keeper; it simply wouldn't be polite. She squinted at Abrafo's back for another minute before turning and grinning at Cari. "Thanks," she said.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:02 pm
Izin just nodded with a naive little smile. He thought there might be more to it than even his brother realized, but he wasn't going to upset him by saying so. Mate? Oh no. Companion he wouldn't be without? Possibly. It didn't take a genius to tell that the two were close.
He fell onto his back, legs flopping this way and that on his stomach. Though he was still the runt of the family, he didn't much look it anymore. In fact, he prided himself on how athletic he had become. "Oh, her? She's Abrafo's sister, Xandeleigh. She came in a long time ago with....her." The way he said it made his eyes glaze over with romance. The most beautiful, innocent, sweet leopardess he'd ever known...
Cari grinned and brushed up against Tujil-dasu before walking into the family circle. "Anytime," she murmured. Her hips rolled as fluidly as a dancers, with all the power of a skilled huntress. At one time in her life she'd wanted to be someone that everyone watched; someone that was valued for her beauty. However, reality was cold and she accepted her scars with grim satisfaction.
"I should introduce you. The jackass you just met is my grandfather, Abrafo. He's Tendaji's step-father." She motioned with her paw. "The one rolling on the floor is my Uncle, Izin, who is Tendaji's brother. Then we have their younger half-brother, Safi, who is my father, and Abrafo's sister, Xandeleigh."
Xandeleigh practically purred as she slipped past her nephews to get a good look at the wild dog. "I just love your eyes, dear. So crisp and young. They set off the contours of your face perfectly." Those little stripes on her cheeks - adorable! Of course, under all her crooning was a trained assasin checking out this newcomer to validate her. She didn't come off as a threat, so, she moved on to the green thing. "Tendaji, is it? You wouldn't happen to be looking for work, would you?"
Abrafo scoffed. "Pay her no heed. Xandeleigh often forgets her place, and lets her mouth run away with her." There was no way in HELL he was going to allow his children to get mixed up with his sister's tricks. She may have looked sweet, but underneath it all was a ruthless, blood thirsty murderer who took pay from the first person to dish it out. He barely tolerated her as it was, but now...
"Oh, brother." Xandeleigh pouted. "I just wanted to be nice to my iddle bitty nephew."
"Gross!" Safi stuck out his tongue and shivered. "It is so beyond creepy when you do that." He couldn't help but to chuckle when she playfully swatted him on the shoulder. "So, brother, did you ever actually find any girls out there, or what?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:39 pm
An aunt! Well no wonder they looked so similar. Unconsciously Tendaji relaxed ever so slightly, now knowing that the strange female was a relative. Of course he was back on edge at Izin's next comment. "Who, 'her'?" A small wave of fear fluttered in his stomach where once there might have been envy. If anybody hurt his brother, he'd he'd... well he didn't know what he'd do, but it wouldn't be pretty!Tujil-dasu nodded, memorizing each name as easily as she memorized scents. So Tendaji's father was a lion? That was certainly interesting! She'd rather expected a leopard since Tendaji himself had no lion blood and neither did his niece. But blood from all three big cats were present in the small family... idly she wondered where his mother might be. Would she be green, or brown? She'd have to ask Tendaji about it later.
"My thanks," said Tujil-dasu, but Xandeleigh was already moving on. Surreptitiously she scented the air, trying to gain a better understanding of the lioness' scent. There were a lot of novel scents in the air, but yes... that scent, there, was the lioness. There was something about the smell that didn't quite match the tone of voice; it would be worth keeping an eye on this Xandeleigh character. Definitely more worrisome than that silly old lion who ate wild dogs. "A job?" Tendaji asked, more confused than anything else. He nodded at Abrafo's sharp words, ears folding back. Strange females weren't to be trusted, didn't even matter if they were family.
Oh god, of course Safi would ask about girls. His chest restricted, uncertain how to answer. That he had found a mate, and she had hurt him, threatened to kill Cari? He couldn't say that! He couldn't, he wasn't ready...Tujil-dasu was quick to note Tendaji's discomfort. "Bah, I'm the ones the girls are really after," she lied. "One look and they're ruined for everyone else. It's my pretty green eyes that do it. They're all... crisp and young I s'pose."
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:43 pm
Izin just sighed and put his hand on his paw, his eyes slipping off into dream land. "She's the most wonderful girl ever. Her name's Haracha, and she's got these stripes....oh God, Kamau, they drive me wild! That green fur, those gorgeous, beautiful blue eyes...Even if she never smiles when I'm around, I know it's got to be radiant." Izin, ever the romantic, was unable to tell when she honestly would rather he hump a bush than try to touch her. Of course, he wouldn't dream of doing anything so physical. His romance was on a purely emotional level, and with her...it was shooting to the moon.
Cari nodded and stepped off to the side. Should she be hunting? Surely the food that her grandfather had managed to snag wouldn't be enough to feed their family, especially when everyone else returned. As big as this gathering was, it was only expected to grow. She bit her lower lip. What to do, what to do....
"An assasination, actually." Xandeleigh blurted, much to her brother's dismay. The way she spoke was like someone who was talking about an old pair of sneakers, or walking out to the mailbox in the afternoon rain. "It's bound to be my best paying job yet, and I can't tackle it alone. Your father has already declined, but if I could get a helping pair of paws..." At Abrafo's dirty look, Xandeleigh just rolled her eyes and sauntered back to her tree. "Fine; don't let him go. It's not like he's an adult or anything."
Safi didn't miss his brother's reaction, not by a long shot, but he didn't care enough to press it. Instead, he just turned his eyes back to the wild dog. He laughed, "I'm sure you just melt them with your stare. It is fairly sultry, but alas, you're not my type. Too bad, really." He shrugged good naturedly, and waltzed over to join Cari, who was stretching and prepping for a hunt.
Abrafo moved over to stand next to Tendaji, gently nudging his boy up. "Come on, a hunt will be good for you." maybe it would release some of the tension in the young leopard, maybe enough so that he would actually tell his father what was wrong. Abrafo doubted it; more than likely he was going to have to deal with a sensitive Tendaji and this...white b***h he was hanging around with.
Oh goody.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:53 pm
Tendaji sighed at Izin's words. He was well and truly in love... "I look forward to meeting her," he lied. He was weak, he knew he was weak, but he still wouldn't let anybody hurt his brother. He'd see if this Haracha was good enough for his brother or not - although surely Abrafo or Kamau would have done something if she wasn't? That was right, he had his family to rely on now.
Although... an assassination. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the very thought. To speak so casually of killing... no, he would never do it.
Tujil-dasu took a small bow. "Nor you mine, but I'm fair certain you have numerous lasses tumbling over each other to get at you. It's better this way - you take the felines, I take the dogs. We'll carve a nice big path down the savanna, you and me."
Yeah, a hunt would be good. Almost normal. "All right dad," he said, not even tripping over the word.
"A hunt will be lovely," Tujil-dasu said, nuzzling Tendaji's shoulder before running after Cari.
Tendaji let out a small smile. He was home, he was with his family. He could heal here, make up for his mistakes here. A second chance, of sorts. And he wouldn't give it up for the world.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 1:02 pm
(WC: Tendaji - 713, Tujil-dasu- 590, )
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