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 Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:40 am
It hadn't been that long ago, really... A few months. Fine. It was a few months ago that Ata had met a rogue, a rathe rfun guy, actually. Unfortunately, fun could be kind-of intoxicating. Ata, unlike quite a few of the Mteo'nyungu, was rather neutral towards rogues, and could easily find herself getting friendly with them. However, the lioness was dangerously impulsive, in a way. Which was what had led her to this current situation; cubs. No, she didn't hate the father of the cubs for having knocked her up, as even she knew she'd been as.. er, 'into it' as he'd been. Heck, she hadn't figured out she was pregnant till a few weeks after he left, so she couldn't blame him for not being around, either. They'd had a fun time, and its just the result made things.. a little more complicated.
So time passed, and the lioness soon found herself the mother of three cubs. They didn't really look all that much like her, save for the first daughter, who was also a tan-color, though a different tone than Ata herself. The boy, who was the oldest, looked more like her siblings and her father, and the last girl.. Well, she looked quite a bit like her dad, really. Black and red.
But now there were things to handle. The lioness had kept away from her mother while pregnant, and while the cubs were young. Why? Well, she remembered the fit Embamba'd given when Raza had gotten pregnant, and surely it wouldn't be better for her, since she'd done it, not only done it and gotten pregnant, but with a rogue. Fortunately, Ata no longer lived 'under the same roof' as mummy-dearest, and avoiding her hadn't been all that hard. Its not like she constantly visited her anyways. But she had to let Embamba know of her grand-cubs, of course. But she'd left that for when they were a bit older, y'know. Not looking like slimy rats, and were walking and talking. Surely Embamba couldn't yell at her with cute little cubs sitting on the sidelines! Come on, the kids were adorable little hellions!
So she'd just been leading the trio towards her mothers den, well aware her kids were.. hyper, and perhaps far from little angels. They did behave if Ata insisted on it, seeing as Ata rarely did, but when she did, she was dead serious. "Okay, so you're gonna meet your grandma today! " She was saying loudly. "Kib, do not bite her tail, okay? And Odjit and Rahu, try to act a little less like boys today-- I think she'll find that odd. " Not that she disliked the fact her two daughters were tomboys, in fact, Ata was a tomboy. But she wanted Embamba to at least like the kids on the first day.
Wait, no tail-biting? Aww! That sucked. Kib huffed, trotting behind his mother a bit before walking again, lookin back at his two sisters, and opening his mouth moving it as if he were to talk, but with a ridiculous expression on his face, mouthing 'blah blah blah' over and over again. Soon enough, however, he got a thwack on his nose by his mothers tail, and grinned innocently. "Okay Ata. " whats this, no 'mom'? Simple, Ata didn't like being called mom, which was why she'd never really taught the three how to call her mom.
"Okay! When we get there, you guys hide. I'll warm her up a bit, then you can show up, alright? "
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:07 pm
Rahu glanced up at her mother as she said those words, eyebrows furrowing rather grumpily as a pout crossed her tiny maw. “What else am I suppose to act like then? A girl?” She huffed rather angrily at this and began to lash her tail, eyes narrowing on nothing in particular as she tried to fathom how to act silly and brain-less. “I suppose that means I can’t get dirty or anything else fun, right?” her pout had turned into a sulk, and she was doing a darn good job at looking like Ata had just taken her favorite toy from her. Well, in a sense, she had taken much more than just her favorite toy – she had taken away the part of Rahu that made her… well, rahu.
A little laugh bubbled out of her mug as her brother turned around with his show-offy mouthing, her eyes closing as she let it rise a pitch, paw to her stomach as she nearly rolled over in her amusement. Oh, no lady-like little cub would have behaved in such a manner, but Rahu’s last concern was looking lady like. As she saw that tail come down onto her brother’s nose, however, her ears flattened slightly and her laughter came to quite an abrupt little halt. She swallowed, putting her paw back down on the ground and slumping slightly in a manner that suggested she would apologize if Ata asked it – though she knew her mother never would. She really wasn’t that mean, Ata, and she never really made her cubs do much of anything. They played however long they wanted, and Ata usually with them, especially if it meant being playing a joke on someone. All in all, it was a good life.
“Fine,” she said, a rather whiny undertone in her voice as she straitened back up and did her best to look.. prissy. It was rather comical, her eyes wide and big smile on her face, followed by rather dramatic flutters of her eyelashes. Well, that’s the best she could do at imitating a girl – the little ninnies that they were. She glanced to her brother, obviously waiting for him to take the lead in their part of operation ‘surprise!’
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:39 am
Had it not been for Ata's rather biased explanations of 'girl-like' behavior to them earlier, Odjit might not have had any idea WHAT her mother meant by this strange edict. She rolled her eyes about as hard as Rahu did, echoing the "yes, Ata," the other two had chimed out. This entire venture was beyond Odjit's understand, though she wasn't terribly opposed to it. The only thing that truly bothered her was the sense that her mother was worried about it.. or nervous. Surely, their mother had never seemed to care too much what others thought, or how they presented themselves to others...
Was this Grandmother person truly so horrible? Odjit snorted slightly and pressed herself to her sister's side. Any other day such a manuever would have been done to trip her sister into a mud hole or thorn patch--not for malicious intent, of course, it was the way they rough-housed--but today she wasn't allowed. So, instead, Odjit used the move to guide her sister off to the side when the den they were traveling towards came into view. She figured Kib would come along as well. "We can hide in that bush over there," She pointed to a rather scrawny thing.. but it was really the only cover available.
Embamba, meanwhile, was taking a nap. At least, she seemed to be. There was a definite air of something.. wrong with her, at the very least. Her fur seemed to be a bit lighter than normal and she was a good deal skinnier. Being home had been all she'd thought about for so long, and now that she was here... things weren't as she'd imagined they would be. Her mate was never around, her children hardly ever spoke to her, the cubs were growing so fast... ... She served no purpose.
At least the children were healthy, Embamba reminded herself. Thus far none of the grandchildren had shown any sign of weakness or illness, and this was the light in her eyes these days. A growing idea of hers was almost all she had to live for, but it was hard to convince Ndege of it.. especially with him being so absent. It wasn't really like him, and yet.. there it was.
She gave a huff and shrugged slightly, raising herself to a sitting position just as the cubs got themselves out of viewing. Embamba's red eyes widened a little to see her "long lost" Ata appear before the family's den. "Ata..." She stated, surprise obvious in her tone. For a moment Embamba wasn't sure what to do, if anything. More than a moment and she.. still had little idea. Finally she cracked what she hoped was a smile, "Come to see your old mother at long last?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:08 am
He grinned at his sister, despite Ata's tail whack, clearly not all that afraid of his mother being angry or not. Ata was never angry, to him. The cub rubbed his nose with a paw slightly, then hopped towards his sisters as Ata stopped in front of a den. "Good idea, " The blue boy said to Odjit, putting on a mock-serious face then trotting ahead of them towards the bush, flicking his tail regally as if he were participating in some serious business.
Of course, this was all mockery. Quickly, he picked the better spot of the bush, trying to make sure he was where it was thickest, after all, he was blue, and that was hard to miss. "Hurry up! Or 'grandma', " He stressed the word and made a face, though his voice was light enough so that whomever was in the den wouldn't hear it. "Will see you! "
She glanced to the side. Why had the kids not hidden yet? Holding back the urge to snort, Ata'jasisi kept her attention on the den, finally spotting her mother. She looked.. different. And ear folded back slightly to pay attention to her offspring, though she frowned slightly.
"Yeah! " She said, smiling again as Embamba seemed to be.. alive, yeah. She flicked her tail slightly. "I haven't seen you in a while! Hey-- is dad around? " Might as well show both parents, but sniffing the air, Ata found her own answer. "Guess not. Hey, I have something to show you! "
"Wait for the signal.. " Kib muttered, ears perking. He couldn't see his grandmother that well from where he was behind the bush, not to mention the angle just messed it up even more. Still, he forced himself to remain stock still in his hiding place.
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Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:21 pm
"well you could start with..." She stopped and sighed. Embamba gave a shake of her head, a reprimand to herself. She'd come within a moment's mark of chiding her daughter, and demanding an explanation as to her absence--it wasn't her right, though, was it? Ata was no longer a child, to explain her actions to her mother.. nor was she even under Embamba's "roof" so to speak. The only thing that Embamba had over her was that Ata was a member of the pride, but technically... Ata had rank over her own mother.
So, instead, she just tried a smile. "No, your father isn't around. What would you like to show me?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:34 pm
"I could, " She said in advance, though she really was just teasing her mother a bit. Yes, yes, divert the subject, uhuh. Then, if you confuse her enough, she'll be at loss for words, and will forget to scold you. However, her mother hadn't missed the 'I've got something to show you', so now it was a bit too late to change her mind. "Well, its.. a long story, cause see.. uh, its kinda funny.. ah, forget it. " She snorted, folding her ears back. Damn, she sucked at wording things.
"Straight to the point, " She flicked her tail three times, tilting an ear in the direction of the bush slightly. "Yeah. "
Kib had kept his eyes trained on his mothers tail, though he perked his ears, forcing himself not to laugh and Ata's pathetic attempt to giving a good explanation to her 'mother', covering his mouth with a paw untill he finally saw the signal. "Its go time! " He whispered lightly to his sisters, then unceremoniously leapt out from behind the bush, striking a pose, to which Ata quirked a brow at, and made him smile uneasly and sink back a bit, but forced himself to remain placed.
C'mon, he was just trying to make a good entrance! :[ <-- yesIhadtoaddthat.
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Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:50 pm
Rahu had let herself be steered toward the bush without a second thought about it, quickly turning her stride in that direction and trotting along with her sister. It really was the only place for them to go, otherwise they’d be spotted immediately. She crawled in carefully and settled herself down beside Odjit, a little behind her. Kib was bright blue, so he’d be spotted easiest – she and Odjit were more natural colored, but being that odjit was darkest, she figured she’d blend in with the shadows better and it might be easier to crouch a little behind her. She could still see her mother from where she was sitting, and that was partially why she too nearly burst out laughing at her mother’s horrible way with explanations. She muffled her own mirth by burying her maw into her sister’s side, eyes half lidded with the effort.
By the time their mother was ready to show them off, however, she had gotten it under control and waited eagerly with her siblings. She was just about to rush out behind Kib when he struck that awful pose. The sight really did cause her to go into a giggling fit then, and she lagged behind him for a moment. After she had managed to get herself under control, she put back on that girly-innocent face and trotted out calmly. Her eyes, however, held mirth for Kib that she let him see openly. If she hadn’t had to play the ‘good little girl’ act, she probably would have tackled him for his horrible entrance. She turned her attention to her ‘grandmother’ and gave her best impression of a girly shyness, smiling and rubbing one paw against the ground while cocking her head slightly. The thought of having to behave like she was made her want to vomit.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:03 am
Embamba raised a brow. What on earth was her daughter getting at? To her, it didn't even seem like an attempt at an explanation at all... especially as she had no idea what Ata would need to explain for! But there was obviously something the female was trying to relate... and that's when the boy came around the corner. The mask was obvious, there was no way to hide who or what he was.. what he represented. This was made further by the laughing child who followed him, bearing the family crest down her back. And, at the end of the train, a darker form came, also with a blaze of peacock traveling her spine--though her colours spoke of a different family indeed.
She looked between her daughter and these cubs and.. felt very, very old indeed. In fact, she didn't even think she could work up the will to be properly surprised or.. aggravated at this. "I see." Was all she said for a few moments, then smiled slightly at the children. "So, what might your names be?"
This... wasn't that scary. Odjit raised a brow at her mother, then smiled at the new lioness they'd just met. She hadn't breathed fire and brimstone at least. "I'm ODJIT!" She grinned and danced a little in place. Hers was a happy heart and she showed that immediately.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:11 pm
The lioness blinked, quirking a brow at he daughter, and shooting her a slight 'trying too hard' look, but shrugging slightly. And least Rahu was trying. Give her credit for that, it was kinda more than she expected anyway.
She was more surprised, though, at how easy Embamba seemed to have gone with this, furrowing one brow when the other looked at the three cubs with a smile. This was, for some reason, odd.. She'd expected at least a slightly disappointed look in her direction... Ah well, alls better! For now, there wasn't much to say, though, so she contently sat down, allowing her muscles to relax.
He shot a glare at Rahu, rolling his eyes slightly at her little act. He was lucky he was a boy; he could act as boyish as he wanted! Rahu must not be enjoying that. He amused himself with this, and smirked slightly, before remembering why he was here, and perking his ears in his grandmothers direction, flicking one to the side at Odjit's introduction.
"I'm Kib! " He said, then remembering he should atleast give her his full name-- after all, she was his grandma. "--uluu. " He made a look when he seid that, sneering slightly. uluu! Pfft, that was so silly. Ata had named him that for the sake of a name, though she also only called him Kib, perhaps mom found the uluu silly, too.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:21 pm
"Kibuluuu.. and odjit," Embamba murmered under her breath. She eyed them, glancing only slightly towards her daughter. Odjit? what on earth kind of name was that? Embamba shook her head and smiled at the cubs, especially the sour seeming male. "Hello kids.." She leaned in to give a friendly nuzzle to the shy seeming girl. So sweet. "So then.. where is your father?"
AH, the grandmother hadn't quite figured it out yet! As Embamba waited, Odjit looked confused between the grandmother and her own mother. "Huh?" She asked softly, red eyes questioning Ata as much as Emamba's were.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:55 pm
Rahu frowned as their grandmother leaned down to nuzzle them - of course, only doing so when she was sure her grandmother couldn’t actually see it. She shifted and sat down promptly on her rump, staring up at the older lioness with a tilt of her head. “I’m Rahu,” she said slowly. Then, like Kib, she remembered that it was their grandmother and she deserved to know her whole name, even if she typically disliked using it. “Uhm.. Mina’Rahu,” she said again, nodding after she was done this time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything else.
At her grandmother’s question, however, she turned her eyes back towards her mother and gave a bit of a quirked eyebrow in question. She was pretty sure they didn’t have a father, but if that was the case, why was grandmother asking about him? She shrugged her shoulders and simply watched Ata silently. If they had a dad, it was news to her.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:26 pm
Kib was just about as confused as his siblings, and glanced to each of them uneasily before blinking up at his mother, waiting for a reply. Father, he was quite sure Ata may have said something like that before, but she'd never quite explained what'd happen to this 'father', and now, with his grandmother asking, maybe she finally would. Not that he cared much; what mattered to him was the now.
Ata blinked at her mothers question, and at first looked pretty confused by it, then startled by suddenly having Kibuluu, Rahu and Odjit's eyes all on her. Wow, this would be brilliant. Fortunately for Ata, she had pondered on what to tell her mother before, even though Embamba had successfully dumbfound her, and she opened her mouth a bit hesitantly.
"Heee left. Soon as we found out we were having cubs! Whaddyaknow. " Well, it wasn't entirely false; he had left. He hadn't found out about her being pregnant, but she highly doubted he would have stayed anyway. However, Ata didn't feel like talking about this, she didn't want Embamba breathing down her back because she'd had a day's fun, and its not like she'd regret it. She loved Kib, Odjit and Rahu. In a very not-your-typical-mom way, but she did. Instead, she just flicked her ear to the side slightly, as if swiping the conversation away.
"So, who wants to go spook gazelle? " Well, that was usually the sort of stuff they liked, and it was just a game! And changing the subject seemed good right about now.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:31 pm
"He left?" Embamba seemed as dumbfounded as the children, and Ata, had been a moment later. How could he leave? They were all in the same pride, so there was no way she wouldn't run into him at some... time... oh dear Goddess. The red lioness's eyes widened a little, then suddenly narrowed. "I see."
A rogue. Her daughter had gone off and... and... She tried to shake off her disgust but it was more than a little difficult. Instead, she looked at the children. At least her beliefs didn't tell her to blame the kids for this, because.. well, she never would have been able to. "You've had them properly baptised at least, Ata? Please, please tell me they've had their birth rituals."
Odjit raised a brow at her grandmother, but all in all.. wasn't sure at all what to say. Their father left them? that was new.. but somehow it didn't really phase her. What need did they have for a father?
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:32 am
Rahu sat herself down slowly beside Odjit, her tail snaking back and forth behind her against the hard-packed earth. There was little room in the conversation for the cubs to say anything at all, especially with the sudden emotions that were crossing their grandmother's face. She honestly couldn't understand why the older lioness was so upset. So they didn't have a father, big deal! The four of them had been getting along just fine without some other lion in the picture. She certainly didn't mind that it was just her brother, sister, and Ata and she couldn't understand why her grandmother didn't see it that way. All of the issues over her father being a rogue completely went over her head. How was she supposed to know that that was a bad thing? It wasn't like she had mastered the way of reading facial expressions yet anyway. All she saw was a face that looked like her grandmother had swallowed something sour.
Rahu was just about to speak up and ask what a birthing ritual was, but then she decided that it might just get Ata in more trouble with their odd grandmother. She didn't know if she had had one or not because she just didn't know what it was. She leaned her head against Odjit, watching the two older lionesses calmly. Well, at least the cubs could be well-behaved if they tried?
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:40 am
"Of course they did! " Ata said, almost spiting slightly, but looking away so that she didn't shoot her mother a nasty look. She didn't want to argue with Embamba right now, but Ata was a rather.. impatient lioness, per-say. And the way her parent was acting rather annoyed her; why did Embamba have to make such fusses! She looked at Odjit and Rahu, seeming to ponder, wondering if they would ask what it was, unaware o what Rahu had just been thinking. They wouldn't remember the ritual, but Ata had at least remembered to do that.
Lashing her tail to sit down, she kept her eyes focused on anything but Embamba, considering just upping and leaving. She'd been hoping for a nice little introduction between the kids and Embamba, but NOOOO, she just had to make everything harder!
Meanwhile, like his sisters, Kib was watching the two, a brow quirked and tail twitching slightly. This wasn't going well, even someone like him was getting that. With a small glance at his sisters, then another at his parents, the blue cub lifted both his paws and put them on his sibling's heads, poking each of their tail slightly, then motioning to their previous bush; time for a huddle.
"Come on, " He whispered, glancing at Ata and Embamba, quite sure neither of them were moving, before scurrying back under the bush, crouching where he was.
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