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 Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:44 pm
So much for cover. On one paw, he could attempt some sort of stuttered statement before slinking away, but then he wouldn't be able to see the cubs--that was a bit of a dilemma. Lindani shot Awiki a moderately uncertain glance as she chose her spot nearby, but thankfully managed to suppress a small start of surprise when his mother brushed his side, effectively cementing that he was going to stay right where he was. Alrighty then! When the hunting cub had noticed him and started panicking, the bottled chuckle from before emerged as a low rumble, and he lowered his head a fair distance so as to seem at least a little smaller than he actually was. It wouldn't do to scare them on their first meeting, after all.
"Ah, er. Y-- Y-yes. I believed it w-was...prudent." he stammered in response to Mhisani, attempting a half-grin in her direction that just turned out entirely sheepish. He glanced back over his shoulder at Baie, having a fair amount of difficulty actually seeing her through his mane. Whoops. "W-were we? I kind of--remember that." Vaguely at best, but somewhat. He definitely recalled that initial sense of confusion and terror when being met with lions that weren't his mother for the first time, and he was fairly certain he'd hid at least once. He hadn't really been the most stunning example of bravery, and he twitched his nose, turning his gaze back to the cubs again.
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 3:31 pm
Kel leaned into the nuzzle before abruptly biting at and chewing on the lioness' whiskers. Now that he had warmed up to his larger pride mates, they were really just more things to play with.
Most of Thuli's words escaped the cub, but he recognized "that" and "brother". Even if he hadn't the lioness' nod would have caught his attention. Releasing the captive whiskers, he turned in the direction she had nodded and spotted Lindani.
The size of the male was a little intimidating, but he had come to know "brother" as a very good thing, which stopped any real fear from showing through. Besides, that giant mane sure looked fun. He played with his mother's "mane" when she would let him, but that didn't compare to the big poof in front of him.
He trotted over to dark, mud-colored lion, not paying any attention to the other pride members as he passed them. He stopped near at the edge of the crowd in front of Lindani and stared at him - he wanted to play in that mane of his, but he wasn't very interested in pushing his way through all these others. Besides, if he did that, he'd be pretty far away from Ulaka and that was something neither of them would like.
Gaze still locked on Lin, Kel flattened his ears and let out a plaintive mew. After a brief pause, during which the large male didn't come any closer, Kel mewed again. Louder.
-------
Toboa gave up on tempting the timid cub closer to her and turned her attention to the antics of the others. The bolder female - Isasa, if Toboa had heard correctly - seemed to have lost her thunder at the sight of Lindani. Toboa purred with amusement. She supposed the large male must be rather shocking to such young cubs.
Or maybe not - it was Toboa's turn to be surprised as one of the males skipped over to Lin and tried to get his attention. Raising herself into a sitting position so she could see better, she watched the two curiously. It would be interesting to see how the recluse male reacted to the young cub.
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:04 am
If that noise wasn't an obvious summon, he didn't know what was. Lindani shook his head with a less nervous smile, carefully getting up and drawing near enough to the cub so that he could remain within a comfortable range of his mother and still be able to...do whatever it was he wanted to do. The ahluke shot Ulaka a hesitant glance, almost as if he was concerned about whether or not the lioness would approve--which he was, oh yes. He slowly settled down into a laying position on the ground, tucking all the limbs he could as close as possible. Cubs were far more easy to deal with than the other members of his pride, but he was going to be worried regardless. Lin didn't exactly have the best reputation when it came to not being clumsy, but to his credit, he wasn't bad with cubs. Most of them, anyway.
"Ah, h-hello there. I'm Lindani--" He stopped himself, directing his gaze back up at Ulaka once more. "What's his n--name...?" Past that, the lion wasn't sure if he should be watching the cub or his mother. As a result, he would look back and forth between the two every few seconds, doing his best not to fidget.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:16 am
"He is the Umholi!" Ulaka retorted, not missing a beat as she began to bathe herself in the shade. "That's even more reason to be hard on him."
She stretched out one leg, flexing her claws and then beginning to smooth out the fur. Isasa interrupted this process, coming round the back of her, and Ulaka paused to look at her offspring. Maybe she would have said something more had Lindani not been present, but as it was, she simply smiled and let the cub hide.
As Lindani took a step forwards, Ulaka's hind limbs came up underneath her. Most would know she showed a traditionalist's view of disappointment that he had stayed. Many more would realize her discomfort now as the lumbering lion got close.
Many of the lioness' born in Matifu's reign had witnessed the Umholi killing male cubs, especially those with dark manes. A lot of lioness had abandoned their male offspring to avoid having to confront the practice face on. Who knew what Lindani's future plans were--innocent one day, a killer the next. He had Matifu's blood in him, and she was wary about him being so close to one of her male cubs.
When the male looked towards her, Ulaka flicked her ears forwards. The second he looked away, they went back to her skull.
>>Sent everyone a friendly quote, since I am 2 days past where I said!
>> Next post will be on the 29th after 9am PST, because I will be pretty busy the 23-28th and am not sure on ability to post.
>> Ulaka's last post should be the one following the one on the 29th. If reactions state otherwise, however, I will extend it. This is not a hard-date.
>> You were all double-quoted because I can't close by bold tags!
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:53 pm
Oblivious to the discomfort of both Ulaka and Lindani, Kel tottered closer to the orange giant in front of him and the oh-so-tempting mop of dark hair. Being a cub, his manners were hardly 'refined'. It was no surprise that he barely snuffled at Lindani's muzzle before burrowing into his mane.
Stretching up, he started to climb through the forest of fur, trying to find a part of Lin's body that he could haul himself on to and lay hidden in his mane - all the while chewing away at as by strands that dared to tickle his nose.
Finally he pulled himself onto the back of Lindani's neck, unaware that his thorn-sharp claws had probably madequate the experience less than enjoyable for the older male. Nestling in, he crouched low, surveying the group from what he thought was a pretty darn good hiding spot.
-------
Toboa watched the interaction, whiskers twitching with amusement. Nothing could make her happy quite like cubs. Though, she thought that Lindani might have a different opinion at this exact moment.
Occasionally her gaze would follow the nervous flicking of Lindani eyes as he tried to gauge Ulaka's temper. Noticing the tension with which the new mother watched the two males, Toboa grew nervous. She had hoped that this celebration would go off without a hitch, but some new mothers found it difficult to squash their over-protective instincts.
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 1:06 am
 Buna watched Impikelelo climb his half brother with a conflicted mind. It was strange that Lindani had decided to stay as Ahluke and take the oath of celibacy. A cub-sitting male that was like a female... It was unnatural to watch. Perhaps it would have been easier to accept if Lindani hadn't looked so much like the old Umhali. Or perhaps it was the fact that this was her cousin that disturbed her the most. It would have been better for a strong male to leave and then come back when he was ready to challenge the Abaholi.
But Buna kept her mouth shut on the subject. When it came to the Inselelo she frequently made her opinion known, but she had been oddly silent on this subject... Some might say it was because this concerned her own family.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 3:14 am
Rennekae Fixed! Sorry, my mind was on Nolaka for some reason. xD
“You know…” she said quietly just for her son’s ears. “If you ever get tired of having little cubs with sharp claws walking all over you…” She left her words hanging without completion but gave Lindani a pointed look that spoke for itself. He would leave, she silently repeated in her mind as if to convince herself. He just needed a little bit more time.
-------------------------------------------
Thuli chuckled as her whiskers were pulled unceremoniously by the playful cub and then watched him move further away from his mother and call out for her brown nephew. It was one of the most adorable sights she’d ever witnessed even if it was mixed with a little sadness when she thought of the little Lusizi’s future. From her part, Thuli planned when spoiling the little male rotten until it was time for him to leave.
“I guess he wants you, Lindani.” She said lightly before realizing that Ulaka looked suddenly worried. She didn’t understand the reason why she’d be upset about having the gentle Ahluke so close to the little male. Anyone who knew Lindani could see how soft he was and how quickly he’d dropped into a submissive position when Kel had approached him. She chuckled again when the cub starting climbing his half-brother like one would a particularly challenging mountain.
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:25 am
It was too much for the young, new mother to handle. Instincts overruled sense and she pulled onto all fours and approached Lindani with a purpose.
It was clear when she reached him that his size intimidated her. Had he been an aggressive male, things likely would have turned sour. As it was, Ulaka approached slowly when she was close to him. A few, jerking motions accompanied his fast movements and there was a moment when her ears went back and it looked as though she might leap at him. Somehow, she me managed to use words instead.
"He's had a long walk, he needs his rest," she explained with perfect passive aggressive tone.
>> Next post on the 4th of August; this post will be my last
>> Unless a fight breaks out or another IC event occurs that extends the RP
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 12:28 pm
Baie could see the danger of the situation the moment she looked at Ulaka but she stood her ground and kept her ears forward.
“Peace, sister.” Baie said very quietly as if to appease the blue-eyed mother, standing so calmly that they might as well be discussing the weather. She remained perfectly still next to her son, showing the utmost trust in Lindani’s character even though the idea of an adult male remaining so close the pride’s females and cubs was as foreign if not more to the orange lioness as it must be for Ulaka. If Lindani was anyone other than one of her sons – her gentlest son to be more precise – she would probably have already told him to back away. She would show Lindani her support as a mother but if Ulaka was uncomfortable with his presence and tried to n** at him, she definitely wouldn’t interfere.
------------------------------------------------
Thuli was not as understanding as the orange lioness or as gentle in her actions. To go against Lindani, her nephew, for no good reason was the same to her as to go against the one who had allowed him to remain in the pride amongst the Abazingeli. That a Busisa – not even an Umzingeli! – would dare to openly question Gakere’s judgement and decisions was unthinkable. It didn’t matter that her blood might be present in the pride. As far as Thuli was concerned, compared to herself whose father had been a strong Umholi and whose half-brother was still ruling the pride, Ulaka had less ties to the pride. She had no business trying to keep the two half-brothers, her nephews, from interacting.
“He looks perfectly fine to me.” Thuli said so aggressively that anyone would be able to feel her piercing disapproval. And she reserved a few more harsh words for later once the cubs were out of earshot.
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:34 pm
Toboa's fur spiked as her fears came to fruition. Although she very much doubted that Lindani - the peaceful, timid beast that he was - would dare to oppose to Ulaka's decisions. But Baie seemed to object, and Thuli was more than willing to interject.
Being related to the cubs did give Toboa the courage to speak her opinion, but still she held her tongue. On one hand, it made sense for Ulaka to be cautious; but on the other, it was likely that she wouldn't be so aggravated had her cubs been crawling on someone more.. well, desirable to the new mother.
Speaking out only to side with both parties would likely only add fuel to the fire, so instead she only rose to her paws, ready to attempt to keep the calm in case a fight broke out. Or at least get the cubs out of harm's way.
-------
Kel froze. Mother was coming toward him and she did not look happy. Her anger and tension was like static in the air, making the little cub's fur stand on end. Unaware of the pride's customs, he had no way of knowing that her displeasure was with who he had chosen to play with; instead, he thought that he had simply been playing too rough.
Flattening his ears against his head sheepishly, he half slid and half fell down Lindani's shoulders and slunk over to Ulaka, his shoulders hunched and his paws and tail dragging in the dirt. Head bowed, he looked up at her through his little tuft of mane, purring apologetically.
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:55 am
Like Baie, Mhisani could see that things were quickly going very bad. She looked at Lindani, a frown on her face. "I think it may be time for you to, um... Wander on... Maybe patrol a bit..." She paused. "Perhaps go find your father, I'm sure he'd LOVE to meet his new progeny!" Anything to keep a fight from breaking out with such tiny cubs present! She glanced at Ulaka, hoping she didn't lash out and make things worse. Justifiably, of course, the new mother was rather displeased with the young male's presence. She would not, of course, say anything about Lindani remaining in the pride, not wanting the ire of Thuli. It wouldn't end well for the situation, she figured, and keeping her trap shut on the matter was the better option.
Her mother getting up and heading for the big male made the cub look up. She could almost feel the tension in the air, though she had no idea that's what it was. She only knew that her mother was unhappy, and it was stemming from this strange lion they barely knew who looked like her and her siblings. Isasa stood up, prepared to run to her mother, when she looked around and instead opted to hide in a bush. She'd wait until later to get to know the other lions... For now, she was afraid of what might happen between her mother and the other lion. Safety was in the bushes, where the strange lion could not possibly be able to reach her. When her mother gave the okay, THEN she would come out of hiding.
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:36 pm
"...Perhaps." What she really thought was a different matter entirely, and if it were half as important as Ulaka's sudden interest, or distaste as the case proved, in Lindani's company-- she might have went on to say more.
Both Awiki and Nombuso found themselves standing rigidly in place as the inevitable began to unfold. The Umzingeli watched their new mother carefully, ears turning periodically while the rest of her remained still and uneasy. Awiki, caught quite literally in the middle, focused on Baie and Thuli as both closed in on their kin protectively. Ironically, the sides seemed to fit their independent thoughts; Nombuso in the way of tradition, Awiki on the front of indifference.
With intentions of righting this wrong, the dark lioness shot her companion 'a look', only to recieve a reluctant, and extremely guilty glance in return. The first to speak between them, Nombuso, rolled her eyes at the Busisa and turned her attention to the females at Lindani's instead; settling heavily on Thuli. The sweet, yet surprisingly ballsy Thuli. "It is a bit of an adjustment. Be respectful." For which topic she referred to, the birth of cubs or the presence of the prides first celibate male, was left for them to decide.
Awiki piped up soon after, as if in protest and much to the Umzingeli's dismay. "I'm sure he doesn't mean to harm them..." she paused for breath, as the mounting tension became near to suffocating. "But maybe that's enough exposure for today? ".
((iPhone tag :/ ))
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:55 pm
He couldn't entirely say that he hadn't seen that one coming, but he'd put forth an effort, at least. Lindani frowned somewhat at Baie's words, though his attention was redirected once more when Ulaka began making her displeasure as obvious as it already was. The cub's claws had stung slightly, but the look on Ulaka's face was a bit worse; and while Thuli wasn't lacking in making her opinion known, Lin himself deemed it best to let it be, rising to his paws and remaining somewhat slouched as Kel practically dragged himself back to his mother. He didn't want to risk aggravating Ulaka any further, so he backed up a few steps, doing his best to give her a safe buffer zone between himself and the cubs.
"O--Of course. They've only just got here, a-after all. And you would know best." After a dip of his head by means of a silent apology, he glanced around, grimace only slightly visible at how quickly this had gotten tense. "And, mm. Mhisani is right--I s-should be on patrol." Giving the lionesses some space wasn't a bad idea right about now, he figured. With one more uncertain glance towards his mother, Lindani took another step backwards before turning and walking away, deciding it would be better not to come up with any 'last words' before departing. Better not to throw anything else in the flames, after all.
[Sorry for the late, I've been kind of unexpectedly busy. :'|]
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:18 am
Nolaka bounced into Uthuli's side and sent the cub tumbling onto her belly on the ground. She mewled piteously at her mother as her way of saying 'Nolaka is being a bully, push her over, too!' Instead, she was bumped by her mother's nose and licked. That went very far to soothe the cub's sore feelings. Her ears perked up high and her eyes grew wide. "Uthuli'Sathane." That was her! She looked up at her mother, expectantly. Usually other words directed at her followed her name, but the lioness was speaking to the other adults.
Isasa opted to bite one of them, Kel hid behind their mother. Thinking their behavior somewhat rude, Uthuli sat still, trying to please Ulaka. True, these other lionesses made her very, very uneasy, but with their mother seeming somewhat relaxed, they couldn't really be in any danger, right? She cast her pale eyes up at Ulaka, who was still jabbering away. Right.
Until Lindani set her on edge. Kel was gonna be in troubleeeee. Uthuli crept towards her other siblings, she would be good, she'd make their mother happy in the wake of being so upset. She was an excellent little cub.
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:36 am
As Kel crouched in front of his mother, it gradually dawned on the young cub that he wasn't the object of her unhappiness. While he could still feel her displeasure pulsing through the air, she seemed focused on his new 'brother'. Turning his head, he watched over his shoulder as the furry mountain got quickly to his paws, then stammered out some words that Kel didn't understand and departed, a slight tang of fear lingering in his wake.
Glad that he wasn't in trouble, Kel perked up instantly, all but forgetting what could have been a terrible event. Ears forward and tail held high, he trotted happily beneath his mother until he reached the huddle of his siblings. Settling beside Uthuli, he affectionately pushed his nose against her shoulder and laid one paw across her back. It didn't take long for affection turned rowdy; as sneakily as he could, he lifted his muzzle until it was level with his sister's ear and abruptly clamped his jaws on it - being careful, of course, not to bite too hard.
He had almost just been in trouble for playing too rough. Almost was close enough.
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