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 Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:24 pm
Intombi couldn't imagine a litter of seven. It seemed like far too much to handle for any mother, and even harder to live with. She immediatley thought of seven versions of her brother, and frowned a little. Sure, she loved him, but he deffinatley got on her nerves occasionally. At her age, the thought of having her own litter some day was entirely ridiculousy. Especially with what little she knew of mothers. To her, having cubs meant spending all day ut hunting for them, like her own Mama did. She had yet to come in contact with any other parent, especially a pride one that might have more support for food. Besides, she was just a little girl, one that hadn't reached the 'play house' stage quite yet.
The word 'heir' quickly changed her throught track, and she perked her ears up curiously. She had only heard omething very similar in her life, and that was the word 'air'. Knowing full well what that was, she was confused at how a dog could be air. It just didn't make sense. "What's an air? I tought we breathe air... We aren't breathing in your sister, are we?!" The very idea of breathing in a living thing was a bit spooky. She looked around herself as if expecting to see something a bit like Lela floating about. However, her attention span quickly pulled the reigns and headed her down the nap road, which sounded awful good. "Lions sleep a lot sometimes. Mama says she used to, but now she's gotta take care of me and my brother." She had also learned from a few others she had met on her travels that there were some lions who slept all day and only moved about when the world was dark. She, however, was far more active during the day.
"I like looking nice and clean." She grinned, taking a moment to look at her coat. She had never seen a pink anything out of her family before, and the idea that there was a dog somewhere out there even pinker than herself was a bit exciting. "Oh really? Does he like being pink? I love it." She splayed her claws, looking fondly over the pink markings. "As far as I know, lions can be all sorts of colors. My mama is grey with a bit of pink, and so is my brother. He's got the start of a pink mane, which he's very proud of." She giggled, a bit loudly at that, but quickly recovered. She had picked up the brown fur from her father, though she had no idea of it. "My best friend is yellow, though, and I've met a tan cub, too..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:18 pm
Lela had never been through a 'play house' stage. She'd never given a passing thought to pups until recently. Perhaps it was the new fluctuation of hormones soaring through her veins as she reached maturity. Maybe it was just that Lela was meant to be a mother.
She giggled at Intombi. "So silly, not air, heir," she said; though as she said this, she realized just how similar the two words were. But that wasn't the point. "In our packs, and I assume in prides too, there are usually two leaders - king and queen types. In our pack, my mother is our 'queen' and she has picked Keilantra to take her place when my mother becomes either too old, or if something happens to her. If anything happened to Keilantra, though, then one of my siblings would take her place as heir." Lela yawned widely. Even if she did like being awake during the day, her body was still used to her nightly schedule. "All the adults in my pack sleep all day. We're a nocturnal pack. But it's really quite beautiful. We live on the edge of a vast forest, and every night, tiny fireflies come out to guide us in the darkness." That had always been one of Lela's favorite things as a child. Chasing fireflies.
Lela glanced down at her own dusty coat. Perhaps she should go splash around in a watering hole soon...She was rather filthy. But nevermind that. Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, "I don't think Sauda, my brother, likes it all that much. Or at least he didn't when he was smaller. I think he felt weird because he was the only one with pink on his fur. I can only assume the color came from our father, though none of us have ever met him." Lela doubted she would ever meet her birth father. The closest thing she had was Jeuri.
Yet Lela kept getting distracted by her own fur. Even under the shade, she noted the fine coat of dusty earth that covered her. Glancing curiously towards Intombi, she asked, "Is there a watering hole close by? I'm feeling a little...thirsty." The young wild dog wagged her tail, giving a sheepish laugh.
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:41 pm
The cub giggled a little after listening the heir explanation. "Well that's just silly. Why make one word have two meanings?" She shook her head in that way that a young one does when they think the fully understand the world. If Lela was the daughter of this queen figure, though, she must be important. Intombi would have to make certain that no other dogs from her pack came along. She didn't want it looking like she was trying to pounce the other, after all. Deep down, she was a perfectly sweet-tempered cub, and would certainly never cause harm to any creature without need. The whole concept of hunting, of course, had yet to sink in, though she would certainly have no issue with it later on in life. The natural order of things, as always, must go on, no matter what that means.
The mention of father threw her a bit off, however. She knew that they existed, and she had heard Mama talk about one a few times before... but what exactly were they? Her own father had never been in her life, having only been a passing rogue and a short affair for her mother. As she did not yet understand how cubs came about, she didn't think there was a need for anything but a mother to provide milk and then to hunt. This was all a cub needed in Intombi's naive mind, but then again, it was all that she had known. Instinct, of course, would one day set in, and her mother might help her along the road of understanding, but until then, a father was completely unneccesary. Not really wanting to delve into that conversation, however, the little lioness simply started to trace circles on the stone once again.
"Oh," she perked up, her claw quickly retracting, "I know where one is! It's really close, too, and deep enough to paddle in if you're small enough." She grinned wide, Pushing off the rock to a standing position. Her tail swayed this way and that lightly before she flew from the small flat stone, landing with a slight thud next to the dog on the ground. "It's right over that way, a bit past that tree." Being out in the midst of a savannah, trees were few and far between. The nearest one, however, was only a few moments journey to the west, and only a few more moments still beyond there was the closest watering hole. Intombi spent much of her time in the surrounding area, and had slowly worked out a mental map of where everything was. "Follow me!" She took off quickly, bounding through the rough grasses and dirt clods. It took only a few seconds, however, for her pace to slow significantly to a more comfortable light trot.
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Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:02 pm
Even though Lela was the daughter of the leader of her pack, that didn't mean she ever played an important role. Really, Lela's involvement with the pack had always been quite minimal. Perhaps that was why she was allowed to wander with minimal consequences - she just wasn't necessary. Lela didn't know it at the time, but this philosophy on her role would contribute to her eventual abandonment of her pack. If abandonment was the right word for it.
Speaking of fathers wouldn't do Lela any good either. She'd never really...known one, so she didn't really know their purpose. Perhaps fathers never stayed with their young in the first place. All in all, Intombi was right. It would be a dull conversation.
As the young cub perked up, Lela flattened her ears to her head and wagged her tail happily. Her throat really was absolutely parched. The last watering hole she'd come across had been quite some ways away. The canine stood as the other stood, yet just as soon balanced on three of her legs, bringing her back paw up to scratch at her ear as she bent her neck around. Dust always made her so itchy, so itchy that she got distracted from everything else around her, and...hey! Where'd she go? Momentarily confused at the abrupt departure of her new acquaintance, Lela raised her head up as far as it could go, yipping softly. Soon enough, her nose caught the scent of the small lion, and she took off at a lazy lope. Lela had never been one for great speed.
Soon catching up to her, Lela panted in a very exaggerated way, looking entirely exhausted as she fell into a slow trot at Intombi's side. "You're awfully fast, you know that," she grinned. "Now where's this watering hole of yours?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:26 am
Intombi had never really thought of herself as fast. After meeting that leopardess, she had been enlightened to the sad fact that lions weren't even built for speed in the way that some cats were. Supposedly, there was a really speedy feline out on the savannah called a cheetah, though the cub had never actually seen one. Either way, the leopardess had told her that she and her lion species were built for power, as opposed to climbing or running. She had also learned that lions occasionally used that power to steal food. A shudder ran down her spine at that thought; it had never settled well for her. What Intombi didn't know was the reasoning for stealing a meal. A lioness that has a litter back at the den must find food, or it means the death of her cubs. If the food available is already dead and with a leopard, she needs to try to take it. It's just the way of things, no matter how unfortunate it may seem. The little cub's mind had yet to understand this concept.
As the pair came up towards the tree, the crested a small hill. Just over it lay a well trodden path towards the watering hole. The lack of grasses down the path made it easy to travel, and the glistening water could easily be seen. "Right down there." The cub giggled a little, tempted to run full speed towards the water. It was rather small as far as these things go, only fit for a few creatures presence at a time. Luckily, only a trio of antelope were at the banks, and they would more than likely leave as soon as the two predators made their way for a drink. It was possible that they would stay, of course, but either way it didn't matter. There was room enough for a young wild dog and a lion cub.
It seemed like no time at all that the light pace brought them to the water. Intombi gladly lapped up the cool liquid, while the antelope watched, posed for the flight. Intombi truely didn't care about them at the moment, and was quick to splash into the small watering hole. The water really wasn't as cool as it had first seemed, but it was at least several degrees below the air, which made for a comfortabley luke warm bath. "The water's real nice for a bath..." She wasn't certain on wild dog grooming habits, and didn't know if they licked themselves as extesnively as a cat would, or if they just doused themselves lightly like the mighty elephants. Intombi had never actually seen an elephant, but had heard stories from her Mama about them.
((Sorry this took so long. ;~; Lacrosse practice has consumed me. I'll try to keep my replies as frequent as possible. <33))
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:19 pm
Even though Lela had been a pup when she'd run into him, she could tell that the feline was perfectly built for speed: small paws; long, thick tail; long spine; huge chest. Everything had been perfectly streamlined. Lela, on the other hand, had decided on her own that wild dogs weren't meant for great speed. While some of her kin were quite fast, Lela had never managed more than a few seconds worth of a sprint...and that had only been when she was scared out of her mind. But the wild dog had definitely heard that lions were built for power. Various older dogs had frightened her and her siblings into staying close to the pack with stories about lions stealing weaker animals' infants (like wild dogs and cheetahs) for food. This concept really hadn't helped Lela form a kind image of lions in her youth.
As the two made it over the small knoll, Lela's tail began wagging incessantly. The thought of water made her squirm with glee. She laughed as the cub bounded away from her, following at a slow trot. Her eyes closed happily when her tongue first touched the water. Such a perfect temperature. She spent quite some time slowly pulling the sweet liquid into her mouth before she cracked open one eye - just in time to see Intombi splash into the small pool. It seemed like a good idea...and Lela really did need a bath. Not that a few inches of dirt on her fur really bothered her - she figured it would fall off eventually.
Backing up a few steps, Lela danced on her front paws a moment before running full speed towards the water. Just as the reached the edge, she leaped and landed a good distance out - a pretty impressive jump, if she did say so herself. Not stopping there, Lela bounded in the shallow water, ears forward and alert, eyes bright and sparkling. It was then she noticed the antelope - all of which now looked extremely startled, their legs trembling in preparation for flight. Lela paused, then flattened her ears and made a leaping beeline for the frightened herbivores, barking loudly all the way. The trio bleated pathetically and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
Thoroughly satisfied with herself, Lela trotted back through the shallow water to where Intombi was, flopping down half on the bank and half off. She grinned at the cub, seemingly very happy with her sopping wet self. "That's about as good of a bath as I ever get."
(ugg - that was crap. my muse is dead, and sorry for the wait, love. <3)
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:41 pm
While dousing herself with the cool waters, the cub watched the trio intently. She had little idea that one of those three might very well be dinner some day, and had even less of an idea as to how to bring one down. The finer points of hunting were something that had to be taught by a mother, or learned through watching. Neither of these had happened yet in the young cub's life, and she had never even given a passing thought to the tastiness of antelope hide. Deep within her genetic code, however, was that undying need to stalk. It was imprinted in all feline DNA, and the simplest thing such as a leaf on the wind could spark it. With a terrible form, Intombi crouched in the water and slowly moved forward. Her scrunched legs were wobbley, splashing around the water that surrounded her. This, and also her loud arrival, completely gave away her position. A cub is hardley a thread, though, and she was past off as a simple youngster. It seemed Lela had the same idea of chase on her own mind, as the dog was quick to rush the trio away. With a giggle, the cub settled back easily into the water, her instincts shrugged off without much care.
After a few idle swishes of the tail and a few small circles, Intombi found herself utterly bored. What does an utterly bored lion cub do in the water? Why, flip on their back, of course! She had seen her playmate do it only once, and had never bothered to ask how exactly the trick was executed. Never the less, her young mind was attatched to the idea of being able to do such a thing, and she had been practicing without much success for weeks. Settling down on the muddy floor, she wiggled her hind legs and pushed up and out of the water, falling backwards towards the surface. Of course, she failed miserabley, and went under in a mess of wet brown and pink. When she came up sputtering, she flashed a sheepish smirk and shurgged a little. Such a happy little thing had not learned the ins and outs of embarassment yet, and not possessing the ability to float was nothing to be ashamed of in her mind.
Shock painted her features after Lela spoke. "As good of a... You're done?" A cat's own grooming rituals lasted for ever, and went on all day, all week, all year even. Their rough tongues were practically made only for the process of cleansing. Intombi took such practices to the next level, even, and almost obsessively kept her fur in top condition. A simple splash seemed hardly enough.
((It's totally fine. Mine's crap, too. <33 I can only reply on weekends due to lacrosse so... I SWEAR I'M NOT FORGETTING YOU. -drenches with love-))
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 6:04 pm
Lela hadn't truly done much hunting. Sure, she'd participated when she'd had lessons and when her siblings all went, but other than that...? It was a skill she'd have to learn sooner or later, when it came to larger prey. A dog couldn't rely on just stringy, gamy hares if they were caught out on their own for a long period of time. From her position on the bank of the water hole, Lela turned her head, watching the trio turn into minuscule dots on the horizon. Where lions were instilled with sneaky stalking from birth, canines didn't have much of that. Or so Lela thought. Mostly, it was a strategic process between multiple dogs that relied mainly on endurance and quick spurts of speed. There was no stalking for long amounts of time. Just the thrill of chasing.
Lela laughed lightly, turning her eyes to the young cub. "Yes...Is that...odd?" Lela had never really considered cleaning. Dust generally slid off her sleek coat without much trouble (unless it was hot and it clung to the moisture in her skin), so there was rarely a need to bathe. Her tongue was soft and definitely not suited to extensive cleaning. If Lela hated anything, it was the feel of fur stuck in her mouth and in the back of her throat.
The dog quirked a brow at what Intombi had been doing earlier. It looked like the most peculiar of water play. She tilted her head. "What were you just doing a second ago? When you fell backwards in the water?"
((that's fine. xD -is drowned with love-))
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:26 pm
Such small grooming time would be odd to many a feline, though it is probable that Intombi was blowing it way out of proportion. She wasn't you average girly girl, as she had little issue with getting rough and tough. Deep down inside, however, she was largley obbsessed with her fur and looks, especially the small, pink stripe markings on her front paws. If she wasn't busy, she could spend her entire day on the intricate processes of grooming, much like a house cat would. Of course, not all lions were this way, but she most certainly didn't mind being an odd ball. She hardly knew she was one, for that matter, as she spent very little time with others of her own species.
"Well, it's not really odd... or bad..." She looked around uneasily for a moment. "It's just that I spend like ALL DAY grooming some times. A quick dip in the water seems so little." Her words came out jumbled and very fast, as she tried not to insult Lela. She was taking a liking to the dog, and didn't want to end a perfectly good day with something as simple as a comment on grooming habits. Her eyes caught on the black and blue coat, however, and her thoughts quickly shifted gear. "WOW. That short bath must work real well. You're BEAUTIFUL!" Her eyes sparkled sincerly.
A cute, little giggle escaped her. "I was trying to float on my back... My friend Noyana can do it, but I haven't figured how yet. It's fun to try, though. Can you do it?" Giving it another go, the brown cub positioned herself in a sort of squat, wiggling her hind a little before lift off. As her backlegs sprung out, she flattened her body and ... crashed through the surface once again. Oh well, maybe next time.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:12 pm
It was doomed to eternity for canines to not understand the full processes of the feline mind. Things that seemed so trivial to them were extensively important to the other. But such were the differences of culture. Lela's eyes widened. "All day?" The wild dog was impressed. "That takes dedication," she said, and meant it quite honestly. Anyone who would clean themselves for a whole day was truly loyal to the idea of cleanliness and should definitely be respected for that. The young female could never imagine having the patience to do that. She blushed (though, of course, it wasn't visible beneath her fur) at the cub's next comment, muttering something that sounded like 'thank you'. Lela was a very humble canine. She didn't know how to react to compliments at all.
"Float?" Her ears perked up curiously. "Is it like...swimming?" Swimming was one of Lela's favorite activities. The feeling of weightlessness amazed her, as did the way if felt like the water was cradling her body, lifting it up. She stood, easing herself back into the water. "Maybe you're coming down too hard? Or maybe the water's just not deep enough here..." Pausing, Lela looked towards the middle of the watering hole. Swishing forward, she steadily made her way to the center. Being so small, the water only came a bit above her belly. Shame Not deep enough to swim. But maybe it'd be deep enough for Intombi? She turned. "How well can you swim?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:16 am
The cub blinked dumbly for a few moments. Dedication? She wasn't entirely certain grooming took that much work. It was never something she really thought about; only something she did. Constantly. If the pink bands on her toes weren't clean and glowing with a healthy sheen, things weren't good. She thought of the markings as the one thing that made her special and 'cute'. Her mother, a dark grey lioness with stunning magenta tail fur and various markings. Her brother had the same coloration, with the makings for a stunning pink mane surrounded by black fur. Intombi was the only one in the trio who sported the brown she must've picked up from her father. While her family had several features to be proud of, she found only one in her own coat that was wothy of pride. It was, of course, the deep pink lines on her front paws.
Floating and swimming were almost the same, but the cub had little idea of it. "I'm not really sure?" She seemed to question it as opposed to declare. All she knew of floating was that it was done by flipping backwards, and that Noyana had mastered the art and made it look annoyingly easy. As Lela traveled at farther, she followed up to a certain point, and then stopped suddenly. At the point she was standing, the water was just under her shoulder blades. Any farther, and she would have to start paddling. A nervous look came about her and she started to shuffle her paws in the dirt. "Uhh... I don't really swim. I just... stay in the shallows." Cats have an aversion to water that view subspecies have mastered. It's true that there are lion prides out there that enjoy the water and even seek it out to live by. Intombi wasn't one of them. She liked splashing about close to the bank with a play mate, but going in too deep was a slightly scary concept. What if she drowned?
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:33 pm
Lela had never really paid that much attention to her coat. She had always found her mother beautiful, but all children, with the eyes of youth, always found their mothers to be the most wonderful, amazing creatures ever. Out of a litter of seven, every single one of them had inherited a color from their nameless father, and all had been given at least one color from their mother. It was Sauda, the brother she was closest with, that was different from the rest of them with his pink markings. It had caused some trouble for him in their youth, but the adolescent male seemed quite comfortable with it now.
Lela paced around the center of the watering hole. It definitely wasn't big enough for her to swim, but it would've been over poor Intombi's head. She paused, looking back at the cub. "Have you ever tried?" The young wild dog didn't realize the differences between canines and felines, and she'd probably never understand how one species could generally just not like being in water. But she was always trying to help in some form or another, so her intentions were always good, though the results might not have been. "It's not all that deep out here. Maybe what you're trying to do would be easier in deeper water?" Not that Lela really knew what Intombi was trying to do. She had done it plenty of times herself, but she'd never had a name for the action. One thing she never worried about was drowning, however. Lela always felt much more in control and stronger when in the water than on land, weirdly enough. Taking a few steps back towards the cub, she asked, "Have you ever learned to swim?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:14 pm
Tapdancing in the shallows slightly uneasily, she watched the dog move around a bit. Lower water levels were fine and all, but the farther up the surface went, the harder it got to remain calm. The posibility of going under and never comming back up seemed far too great in the youngster's mind. "I've tried a'coupl'a times..." She looked around her nervously, not sure what she should do next. Perhaps she should jump on the bank and say she was allergic to water? Of course, that did seem a little ridiculous... who was allergic to THAT?
The other question threw her off a bit. Was she supposed to learn? Was someone supposed to teach her? She couldn't even remember a time when she had been at the water's edge with her mother, much less with her mother teaching anything. "I don't think I have... I just sort of run if I get to deep. It gets me back to the shallows where I can groom." A smile spread on her face at that. Watering holes were good for three things that were essential to any lion's life: water, grooming, and a place to find food. Swimming wasn't usually on that list, although there were surely lions out there who felt more at home in the cool liquid than she did. It was awful pretty, that was for sure. It was just dangerous, as well. Death by drowning didn't sound very pleseant.
((ooc hmm... want to start wrapping it up? maybe a few more posts from us each and we can come to a point where it would work? :3))
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:02 pm
Lela blinked at the small cub. How could one go through life without, much less their younger years, without swimming? It was such a relief from hot days, a period of relaxation with one's friends and family. But maybe that was, yet again, a cultural difference between canines and felines. Lela didn't respond to Intombi for some time. Her nose pointed towards the water, a concentrated expression crawled over her face. Perhaps this water wasn't deep enough for the wild dog to swim or float completely, but she could do something else. She leaned forward slowly, squaring her front paws so that all her weight fell on to them. As soon as her weight shifted, her hind end lifted right up, bobbing on top of the water as her paws dangled in the water. It was a sort of watery handstand. She stood like this for a few moments before walking forward a few uneasy steps. She hadn't quite mastered the technique yet, so she immediately stumbled nose-first into the water.
Coming up spluttering, she soon got to get paws and swished towards the edges of the watering hole. Passing Intombi, she climbed up on the bank and shook herself off - a violent motion that sent water droplets everywhere. Still damp, yet looking slightly more fluffy and definitely more clean, Lela turned to the cub, grinning broadly. "To each his own, then," she said good-naturedly.
Lela's ears perked forward on her head as a breeze ruffled her back. Her head turned to the side, eyes searching the horizon. The sun had already passed its zenith and was traveling to its final resting place. The heavens were taking on an orange tinge. She'd have to run flat out for quite some time in order to reach her packlands before night fell. She waved her tail over her spine, turning back to the cub. "I'm sorry to say that our afternoon together must come to an end, Miss Intombi. It's been a real delight," she grinned at the cub. The young female was rather sad to see the day end - she'd so thoroughly enjoyed learning about this little one's culture. Perhaps they would run into each other another day?
((that sounds good. probably one more post from you, and then an ending post from each of us?))
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:54 pm
Intombi was honestly a bit depressed that the whole affair was comming to an end. Mama would be at the den soon with a meal, of course, but still... Lela had beenfar mor interesting than her family ever was. She had opened up an entirely new world to the cub. There were things at there that weren't cats or prey. First, a leopard mother... and now a young wild dog! Why, she wasn't more than a cub and she was already on her way to meeting all sorts of creatures in the savannah. And pretty ones at that, she mused with a quick look at Lela's coat.
Pulling herself free of the water, she shook off her paws lightly and smiled wide. "Okay. If you come around here again some time, scent me out. I'll bring you to meet some other lions!" Perhaps she would even meet some more dogs, if Lela didn't venture alone next time. That thought alone was enough to fuel her undying optimism for at least several days. Her tail swayed excitedly... which only brought her attention to it's matted state. She fought back a sigh, staring at the offensive tuft as if it has caused her some great harm. Once she got back to the den, she'd deffinatley have to fix that. Watering holes tended to have that effect. "It was fun, Lela."
((i am SO sorry about this. >.> -PMs you-))
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