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 Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:07 pm
Uumi actually made a face at this. "Oh and who does he have an example for good parents? Yours?" He didn't mean that to come out so mean... it was just that well... "Er.. I mean.." He coughed lightly. "Well your dad... oh never mind." He muttered, falling into a silence. It was best not to say anything that might get Sye pissed right now.
"Wouldn't he just say something? Why bother running away... do you think he's off to find new parents?" Uumi's face showed how stupid and obnoxious that idea was, and how below Taabu it would be. Yes, it didn't quite hit him that maybe their son was trying to teach them a lesson.
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Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:51 pm
 A bright red form topped a tall dune not far from where the two conversed, head raised high to scan the desert for any signs of life. Closer inspection would reveal a pelt of an identical hue to the lion, tail tip matching the black of his mane. The same red eyes took in the dusty colored dunes, catching sight of the watering hole nearby with a bit of relief. It had been a while since Kiuma and Tanaka had gotten a decent drink, since water in the desert was hard to come by. Right now, Kiuma could have cared less if a Firekin was nearby, more focused on the water down below.
Cream-tipped paws padded down the side of the great mound that held her up, moving her quickly towards the cool, clean scent of water. The lioness was in such a hurry that she disregarded anything but that liquid pooled before her, thrusting her face practically into it as she greedily lapped up the water to sooth her partched throat. A fleeting thought sufaced wondering how far behind her mate was, and how long it would take him to catch up.
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Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:54 pm
The lioness wouldn't wait long for an answer, for it was only a moment before the large white lion appeared over the top of the dune. And from the narrowed gaze, firey green eye, and the frown on his maw, he didn't look especially happy that she had run so far ahead of him.
The white lion's tail flicked, ears swivling for any sound, his nose searching for any scent, his senses on high alert. Unlike his mate, Tanaka remained aware of his surroundings despite the invitation of the water nearby. He could sense others nearby, and with his mate carrying their cubs, he had become extremely protective.
Green eye scanning for any movement, the great lion trotted toward the water's edge, broad strides carrying him effortlessly over the sands. Reaching Kiuma's side, he lowered his head and brushed against her with a low growl, a gesture of affection and perhaps a voicing of his displeasure at her lack of caution.
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:31 am
The lioness smirked at Uumi's reasoning - as far from being pissed as she could possibly be. In light of the situation, she was somewhat calm, considering that all of her thoughts were usually focused upon worrying about where exactly her son was and what had happened to him between the time he left and the time he got there. With all of that, she didn't have time to grow grumpy with his ridiculous comments - and after all, being his mate, she didn't really find them all that ridiculous anymore. She had grown quite used to the sorts of things Uumi usually said and she knew what to expect and what not to. After all, she would like to think that he, like she, was getting better about all of it.
"Believe it or not," she said with a soft smirk on her maw, one meant to tease him as soon as her words passed her jowls, "my parents were actually really good when they raised us." She sighed, though, shrugging her shoulders with a little frown tainting the corners of her jaws, "it's just that we all had certain set little personalities. They raised Tamu and I fine, it's Denahi that they had trouble with. I don't think anyone could have raised him properly - he's was born to be a pain in the a**." She laughed, coldly, at the mere thought of her unkind older brother - a brother she hadn't seen since the day he left. The day Uumi came to stay.
At his next comment though, she quirked a brow, throwing those poison blue eyes in the direction of her mate, her head shaking. That was a ridiculous thought. "Taabu is too smart for that, he knows he would never find another pair of parents. Besides, even if that did happen, that would be something a much younger cub would do," she clicked her tongue for a moment, eyes turning back to gaze before her as the pair walked along, "let's face it, he's not as little as he once was."
That was when she saw it - that unmistakeable red pelt, that red pelt that matched the tone of her beloved's to complete and utter perfection. For a moment she only sauntered at that normal pace - her eyes narrowed calmly on their polar opposite. The second figure was what was disturbing, however - a white male, very large, and winged. She knew what the winged lions were, and she knew that it was none other than a god. She had never met one, but her ceaseless amount of knowledge fed her the truth.
Still, how long had it been since Uumi had seen Kiuma?
And if Kiuma was with the god, he couldn't be that bad of a character, not like some of them, right?
"Uumi?" she asked calmly, letting her steps slow just a bit as she studied the pair ahead of them, "is that your sister?" A silly question, she knew it was, but it was more of a way of alerting him to the female than anything else.
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:45 pm
She'd missed his sarcassum completely on the second mentioning, but he didn't mind too much. He was used to her proving her genius or her 'right'ness, whatever she wanted to call it. His tail flicked and out of the corner of his eyes he spotted red. His first thoughts were 'firekin' but then Sye asked about his sister. He turned his head fully, crimson gaze widening. Kiuma! It was such a slim chance that he would run into his twin, he was dumbfuonded. He stopped dead in his tracks a moment, and then picked up his pace again, noticing the other creature.
His ears flickered against his skull and then perked back up. Kiuma, with another male? Well he hardly expected her to be single for ever... don't jump to conclusions. It was almost as if his voice had hidden itself away, he could say nothing and only keep walking. He glanced to Sye, looking a little worried and a little amazed. After a long moment. "Yes."
His gaze flicked toward the sky, then around it. It moved back to the pair before them. "Kiuma?" He called out, hesitating. What was she doing near the firekin?
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:10 pm
Kiuma smirked as she felt Tanaka brush against her side, her head lifting as she licked sparkling drops of water from her muzzle. It was almost funny how protective he was now. All it took was her moving breifly out of his sight to get him all riled up. It was a delicious, heady feeling to know that there was a creature in the world that cared so deeply about what she did and where she was. A rough purr rolled in her throat, harsh and grating on the hot desert air.
At the sound of voices, her sleek head snapped around, soft ears perking. Firekin? Was their luck finally with them and they'd get to see some of the fabled pride? Nuri and Chomo didn't really count, in her mind. They might have been Firekin, but the meeting had been short and very tense. Red eyes met red eyes, sweeping down a form she knew almost as well as the one beside her, almost as well as her own. He was... bigger than she remembered, and his dark mane had come in heavy and thick. He'd grown, just as she had.
For a fleeting moment in time, she thought he'd come to find her, that he'd given up his seeming obsession with that lioness and his cub. He'd changed his mind, and decided to join her to pick up on their cubhood dream. Her heart squeezed in her chest with a feeling so sweet it was painful. In that instant, she forgave him everything, right up until her eyes found the dusty colored lioness at his side. Then it was like her heart broke all over again, and all her hurt came rushing back.
Broad paws took a step back, and she felt her side press against an unyeilding, living surface. Memory of Tanaka came back, and a cruel smirk moved over her face, more snarl than smile. "Uumikaji..." She purred, straightening up and tilting her ears back. "You've grown, Brother." The name sounded more like an insult from her tongue than an endearment. He'd manipulated her their entire cubhood, using her as protection and sheild until he hadn't needed her anymore, then had tossed her aside like clothing grown too small. Resentment and a feeling of betrayal warred with what was left of the adoration she'd once held for her twin.
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 12:28 am
Tanaka had already seen the two lions well before Kiuma had spoken. The white lion's reaction was instant, perhaps predictable. Talons instantly extended, his gaze narrowed, a snarl spreading across his maw, a piercing fire in his green eye. Great jaws parted to emmit and ear-piercing roar that was clearly a threat, a warning to any that dared get to close, any foolish enough to threaten his family.
And then he saw it, the relt pelt that exactly matched his mate's, light points and dark mane that made the connection clear. Even before she spoke the words, Tanaka could see the relation. So...this was her brother...
A low growl rumbled in his throat, brother or not, he didn't like it, and while he wouldn't attack his mate's brother unprovoked, he wasn't about to let down his guard either. Kiuma's less than friendly greeting told the white lion to stay on edge, his tail flicking in suspicion and irritation.
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 8:31 am
Syeira, by all means, is a very smart creature when it comes right down to it - and that sudden roar that cracked through the air was enough to make her realize that they were treading on light water around Kiuma. If she had welcomed her brother kindly, without that tone in her voice, then there would have been no cause for the male accompanying her to react to them in such a manner. It was an instant conclusion that something was wrong between the twin pair. But even so, god or not, Syeira never laid down and took anything.
It was an instant change in attitude - from worried mother, anxious and edgey, to that prideful lioness that Uumi had encountered as a cub. Her posture became rigid, eyes colder than ice itself and reflecting back the tense air like a mirror. She ignored Kiuma - she would never expect that female to outright attack her, especially not in the delicate condition a knowing mother would recognize. She did, however, watch the god with an air of daring. She made no move to attack or provoke an attack, but she let it be known that his manners were not appreciated and that, of course, she liked his presence no more thatn he liked uumi's or her own.
It was then that she stayed right at his side, connected to her mate as if they were attached at the hip. Her jowls were set, rigid, teeth not bared but a growl lingering just below being audible in her throat. True, she's no match for a god, but if Kiuma was causing the god to act that way - then that meant only Syeira would be there to defend Uumi.
"Kiuma," she said quietly, a bow of her head, the instant respect she had always held for the female showing itself - though it did nothing to hide the unease she had at the over protective god. Her eyes only left him for Kiuma for little more than a split second.
In her mind, the entire situation was uncalled for. Why would Uumi attack his sister, of all lions? He never physically attacked anyone and Syeira most certainly did not promote violence.
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:20 pm
When had they ever been on full name basis? He could immedietly tell he'd done something wrong to make his twin mad, though he had no idea she could still be pissy from their cub hood. As much as Uumi had used Kiuma for his own devices he'd loved her, as his sister. He never had the right way down on how to treat others, had he?
His ears flattened against his skulls as the god's roar cracked through the air, and the silence that followed was almost suffering. Uumi in no way could show just how brave and big he was by roaring back, mostly because of his breathing. And mostly because he was not brave. He didn't want Kiuma sending her knew pet at him... Though he knew not her temper any longer, she had grown... she was beautiful, strong. The kind of thing he expected in his twin, though he wished he'd met her under different circumstances.
He could hear Sye at his side, and his gaze cut toward her. Such the ice princess, as always. The thought was almost cause for laughter, but he didn't dare. "As have you, sister." Well if she wanted to be formal, than she could be. He didn't dare let the hurt or confusion into his voice, it was much raspier than when he was a cub but it still held that tone of unemotional quiet. His heart was pounding against his chest, and he could not trick his mind into thinking he was not unnerved by her 'friend'. "Who is this, with you?" His gaze flicked to Tanaka and then back to Kiuma. He didn't move one step from where he and Sye had stopped.
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 3:22 pm
Tanaka's roar brought a more genuine quality to Kiuma's smile, and she flicked her eyes to him as Uumi asked after his identity. Her voice was cold when she spoke, a voice she'd never before used with her brother. "Uumikaji, this is my mate, Tanaka. Tanaka, my twin brother Uumikaji, and his mate, Syeira. We met in the Southlands, shortly after you told me you had decided to stay. We've been traveling together since then, through the Mistweaver's lands, and the Elephant Graveyard." She resisted the urge to say more, elaborating on what they'd done and comparing Tanaka to Uumi. It was something a cub would do, but if anyone could make her feel still a cub right now, it was her twin. One thing she couldn't resist though... Be it because of the small part of her that still loved her twin, or because she wished to flaunt how well she'd done for herself since they'd parted.
"You should feel honored, knowing you're the first of our family to meet him and learn the good news. We're expecting cubs..." She purred silkily, her tasseled tail flicking behind her. Kiuma's sleek head turned back as she watched her twin for his reaction. She longed to break that chill facade of his, so see some flicker of reaction at her words. The red lioness ignored the charcoal one, she wasn't important right now. Only the red lion before her mattered, casting even Tanaka into the back of her mind.
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 11:24 pm
The white lion's tail lashed like a snake about to strike, his firery green eye looking over the pair, searching, calculating, sizing up their strengths, weeknesses, and intent. His gaze was piercing as if looking into their very souls, his ears perked to pick up on any subtle sounds, his nose taking in any change in scent.
His senses were on high alert, and even as he settled back on his haunches it was clear that no action would escape him, that any threat would be instantly dealt with. His posture held no threat, but it did bear a warning, a warning that he would allow no harm to come to his mate or their children.
"A pleasure, I'm sure."
The greeting was neither kind nor polite, spoken with a hint of a growl in his voice. It was a simple acknowledgement, nothing more, nothing less.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:06 am
Of course, Syeira, after soon realizing that this ocnversation was of little to no concern to her, let herself take a seat much like Tanaka himself did. For a moment she just watched the pair, tail flickering, a simple nod the only greeting she was even willing to give at the moment - considering, actually, that no one was being nice at all in their greetings anyway. That's when she heard the knews of the cubs, and for a moment, was quite pleased for Kiuma.
When she then remembered the reason she and Uumi were travelling in the first place.
An immediate frown crossed her muzzle, her eyes melting their ice slightly as the worry stole her emotions once more. She turned her gaze away, watching the pridelands, still so very unnaccustomed to these sudden surges of feelings - these sudden moments in which her worry and her fear were sparked into unreasonable categories. STille, she managed to hold her pride on the surface, she managed to look like the princess she was.
Even if, inwardly, she was full of nothing but turmoil.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:02 am
Honored? For a split second disbelief flickered across his face. His twin, with cubs? With this... this male? This very unnerving male, to be truthful. Uumi automatically didn't like him much. "NEver thought you would be one for..." His voice faultered and the thought cut off, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Besides, he had a child, didn't he? He sounded a little strangled, "That's... wonderful news, Kiuma." He murmered, feeling Sye stir against him. He slowly sat beside her, slightly leaning against her. For his own comfort as much as hers.
"It sounds like you've been having a fantastic time... exploring the world." He breathed out, looking away. What was this, did he sound a bit jealous? But his words were certainly sincere. "Mother misses you, you know. No one has heard of you... until now, I guess."
This was an awkward meeting, he wanted to leave. He didn't want to be near his mirror image. They had grown... but they had grown so apart. His fault, always his fault.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:19 am
Kiuma shrugged shoulders heavy with muscle from hard travel and rough living. She might have been toned when she lived in the Pridelands, but life there was easy. This life of a traveler had left her hard as a rock and sharp as a razor in more ways than one. Her predatory gaze settled on her brother, hunter's senses picking out the quaver in his voice when he spoke. So, she'd managed to get to him? Lovely...
The figurative smell of blood in the air bolstered her confidence, leaving her just a tad cocky. If she'd noticed Tanaka's protective stance then, she probably would have laughed outright. These two, harm her? She was like a goddess incarnate, how could they hope to even touch her? Kiuma's paws settled lightly in the sand as she paced a few steps to the side, then turned smoothly to pace back to her starting point, crossing before Tanaka to rub her shoulder against his broad chest. She couldn't sit right now, couldn't stand still even, with the riot of emotions inside her. "Not one for cubs, Uumikaji? No, I never was one. I'm still not, but my cubs... those will be quite different. Because they'll be mine." She smirked at that, head slung low as she paced in slow steps. "The world is a suprisingly empty place, we've found. Mostly populated by air headed cubs. In all our travels, we've only come acrossed a few adult lions. Its actually rather disappointing." The red lioness smirked, not really meaning what she'd said. She loved the travel and the sights, even if all they met were cubs. Which reminded her of their two stragglers... Those two were so slow, always lagging behind. It was probably best that the pair had left them to follow and had forged ahead.
"I've also learned a suprising fact since I left you. They never told us at home that there are gods, yet I've met three on my travels. Of course, with the way they act, its probably a good thing we don't worship them in the Pridelands. More trouble than they're worth, aren't they Tanaka?" She turned to him breifly, eyes heated. She left out the part of him once being one. Let the other two come to their own conclusions.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:49 pm
Tanaka sat silently for the moment, simply surveying the other two lions suspiciously. Satisfied that these two were no threat for the time being, his posture shifted to one of indifference, though that subtle threat was still present.
His thoughts soon drifted to his own brother, the hatred they shared, and the threat the blue god posed to Kiuma and the cubs. His ears flicked, senses reached their highest alert, though now he was on guard for something else, something unseen that he knew was lurking, that thing that was responsible for his overprotective nature.
Shaken from his thoughts by Kiuma's touch, he meerely snorted at her words. The white lion still bore an intense hatred and bitterness toward the gods, a hatred that would some day lead him to infernal vengence against them all. But the gods could wait, for now he had a family to think of...and a brother to rend limb from limb.
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