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 Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 2:30 pm
"Minali?" he repeated, wondering how many lionesses named Minali would be around- probably not many about Mirei's age, "My cousin?"
Which one was she again? One of the younger ones but was she one of the yellow ones or the brown one? She was definitely one with blue- but maybe he just thought that because he had just seen two of them wander by.
"Grandma's probably been helping her, it's a tradition or something, getting lessons from her," he said, shrugging like the idea that Minali was any better at hunting didn't really matter, "Grandpa says it's why she was made head huntress."
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 2:45 pm
"Yes," she said with a laugh. "I guess it makes sense. I come from a big family, but yours must be even larger!" Mirei figured that she was only good friends with Minali because they were so close in age, with similar temperment. Minali was more of a go-getter, Mirei a bit of a follower. Minali had finally told Mirei that she better chase after Vipapae before another lioness got him. That had made her panic, but also realize how much she did like him.
She couldn't call it love, she didn't know him well enough. She just knew that was a very handsome lion. Tall (taller than her!), dark, and handsome.
"Minali enjoys trying to teach me, so I go along with it," Mirei laughed.
Oh gosh, almost there. Mirei was starting to dread it, incase it went horribly wrong.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:27 pm
"I have a hard time keeping track of just how big it is, honestly," he admitted, though he wouldn't dare say he couldn't remember exactly which cousin was Minali, "There are some obvious ones like my great grandparents, but they're always so busy and involved."
And a little bit nosy. But he supposed if he had this many lions to keep track of, he'd be the same way. He wasn't sure he could handle as many cubs as they had. It was almost 30 between them, last he heard.
"It is easier to learn in smaller groups but I don't know how well a beginner teaches," he said thoughtfully. Just like he couldn't remember which cousin Minali was, he couldn't remember if she was one of the 'natural hunters' that grandma would ramble on about sometimes.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:35 pm
"Well, she..." And they were there. At the watering hole. She had been feeling like it would take forever to get here, but it was right in front of her now. There weren't too many other lions around, which made it more private than towards where Pride Rock was, but....she felt like she couldn't do it anymore.
How would she tell him that she really liked him without making it incredibly awkward?
"I'll learn more as it is," she said, her smile not quite as bright as it had been earlier. There really wasn't a reason to stick next to him. Who would want to take a drink with someone still chatting your ear off? Hmph.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:51 pm
They had arrived, though Vipapae had been trying to keep their pace a bit slower than normal. She seemed rather chatty and he wasn't social enough, though he did privately think he was doing a pretty good job keeping up with the conversation instead of just letting her go on and on while he just muttered 'uh-huh' every once in a while.
"I suppose that's the more important thing," he nodded, standing still now that they had arrived. He hadn't initiated this discussion, really, he wasn't sure he could just cut it off now. So he waited for her.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:04 pm
Arrival. He hadn't just left, which was a good sign. He liked her company, right? At least he didn't hate it, otherwise he would have left her already, even before they had made it here to the water's edge.
"Um, well...ummm..." It was now or never, right?
"I just wanted to tell you that...I really like you, Vipapae."
She tried to not squeak out a gasp, or to shake too hard. She actually said it!!!
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:18 pm
"What?"
It came out before he could stop himself. He didn't want to be rude but to be fair, he was caught off guard. Maybe he suspected it in the way she had come up and just started chatting with him but he didn't really expect it.
"We just met," he said, clearly stunned. Was his memory worse than he thought? He couldn't keep his family straight but he always figured it was because it was so big and most of the times you saw many of them together, it was so chaotic and hard to keep track of.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:21 pm
It was hard to fight the urge to run away. She couldn't quite blame him, since they hadn't really started talking until just moments ago, but it was hard to hear. So he didn't know anything about her before this. She thought that maybe...eyes catching one another in groups (along with half the pride, but Mirei ignored that fact), Minali thinking it would be a great thing to have happen. He just proved to her that he hadn't been aware of her existence before this.
She knew she was shaking a bit, and wanted to curse herself for betraying her emotions like that.
"Formally," she said weakly. "Its ok, I know its weird. Once Minali found out I had a crush on you, she thought I should tell you. I just, jumped in too fast."
Don't shake. Stop shaking. It'll be ok. Don't run, or you'll never be able to look at him again.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:29 pm
He could see that she wanted to run away, this was obviously very hard for her. She looked sincere but very nervous, it only confused him more. What had he done to deserve this kind of attention? How could she have such an opinion and he had never even noticed her before? What was going on?
"Oh."
Minali knew? Was that the wrong thing to focus on? Shouldn't he say something? Anything? Why wasn't he saying anything? What was going on?
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:35 pm
She was still fighting herself. Everything in her body and mind told her to run, but she knew that if she ran she'd never stop running. She'd rather leave the only land she knew in shame than have to face him again after that.
So she stayed, though it wasn't easy.
Oh. That was all he said. She knew he was a bit mysterious, but she had no idea what he was thinking. Probably that she was a stupid adolescent who rushed into things.
"Um. Well. I hope this doesn't...make it impossible to speak again. As awkward as it might be." Though she was petrified, she wasn't quite ready to give up. He hadn't told her that she was ugly...that was a start, right?
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:56 pm
Speak. You have to say something.
Vipapae didn't really have a strong model of what a relationship was, his father had never been in the picture though his blood had exiled them from their homeland when he was small.. his grandparents weren't even together, grandma was in the swamps. His great-grandparents had been together before he'd been born- he thought, but the farther it got from his immediate family the stranger it became thinking too hard about it.
"No, no I guess not," he said, though he surprised himself when he managed to say something- he still didn't know how to respond but obviously she was waiting for him to say something relevant, "I'm sorry."
....
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:40 pm
Him saying sorry felt like he didn't like her, but was just trying to be nice. She closed her eyes tight for a moment, thinking about what to do next.
"Well, I'm going to go find Minali. Thanks for...walking with me, Vipapae."
She hoped this wasn't the end, but a big part of her felt like it was hopeless.
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:49 pm
When Mirei closed her eyes, Vipapae took the chance to take a small step back. He didn't know what the right thing to do or say in this situation was, he had just met her and maybe he would like her, too, but.. he barely knew anything about her except that she was friends with his cousin.
He was just too stunned to react smoothly- assuming he was even capable of that.
"I think I saw her go off that way," he nodded to where he had seen his cousins go by, but he felt bad saying only that, "Th-thanks."
.. that was definitely worse.
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 3:26 pm
Well. At least his little stumble at the end was proof that he felt something. It rekindled a little hope in her. "Don't count me out just yet!" She put on her best smile, as hard as it was, and turned to trot off towards where her friend probably was, ready to just...collapse on her and try to not completely lose it.
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