So you got me Thinking || AIM Log - Chacha & Mamba
She was thinking things over quite seriously, and debated sharing her musings with Mamba, who of her siblings, she was closest to, even if most of the others hadn't gone down different paths. They certainly had enough Mzazi for the task, right? And was it not better to bring more new lives now? They were easier to feed, they wouldn't need meat for some time, only milk, and she knew that she wasn't doing this for the selfish reasons she imagined Fira had.
That's what led Acha to seeking out her darker sister, mind buzzing with nervous thoughts, mostly because of the prospect of creating cubs, not actually having them.
Mamba was resting in her favorite place, the large smooth rock by the Mzazi Lake. She was sprawled out, tail flicked carelessly over the edge of the stone, as she licked her paws thoughtfully. It had been a busy week, learning of Kioo's pregnancy and the preparation that went with it. She was excited, but anxious, too. How would she measure up? Though Kioo and even Zaliwa had reassured her that she had the skill of a mzazi, Mamba couldn't help but worry. She didn't want to do wrong by any cubs - especially Kioo's.
When Acha was near, Mamba flicked her ears in greeting, not looking back. "Hello, sister," she called, purring lightly.
Her sister wasn't far, it didn't take long to reach her, thankfully. If she had continued on the thought path she was going on she might have given herself a little headache from overthinking things!
"Enjoying the afternoon, Mamba?" Acha inquired with an upbeat tone in return, sidling up along one side of her sister's rock and then settling down beside the lake herself as well, reaching in to let the cool, crisp water soothe her mind as a paw slipped under the surface.
"Enjoying the last days of freedom," she said with a smile, flicking her tail. "It doesn't look it, but I've been rather busy. Thinking, y'know. How about you, Acha?"
How funny that Mamba should ask that, so funny, after a moment of blinking at the dark sibling, that Chacha began to laugh, feeling her tensions rolling away with that. Without even realizing there was a need to Mamba had managed to put her sister at ease if only for the moment. How silly to think she was the only one mulling things over so much!
"Oh, very much the same, Mamba... very much the same. As excited as I know we both are it's still a little daunting, isn't it? ... But at the same time... I've been thinking too, about Kioo and her cubs on the way..." She trailed off a bit, wondering if Mamba would pick up where she was going with it somehow so she wouldn't have to admit out loud that she was considering going out to get pregnant as well, both to help the pride and also to a lesser extent to answer the maternal clock that had been set off with Kioo's news.
It took Mamba a moment to fully understand the meaning of Chacha's words. "I've been thinking about Kioo's cubs, too. I worry that I won't be good enough to raise them properly, and..."
She trailed off, blinking as she got the meaning of her sister's words. "I... oh! You, Chacha?" She shook her head suddenly. "Not that I think it's a bad idea, just surprising, really! Have you talked to Zaliwa yet? Or Kioo? I'm sure she could tell you about the steps you have to take."
"Mamba... you'll do wonderful, I know you will! You're probably just thinking too much on the 'what if's' and not enough on your strengths!"
Chacha would have said more at that moment, but it was then that her words really hit Mamba, and the moment was lost, swept aside in favor of the new topic again. For an instant Chacha seemed uneasy, a little sheepish on the topic with her sister's final choice of words. She wasn't upset by it at all, just squirmed a little in place and drew her paw from the lake again to tuck against her chest, ears swiveling a little as if to rock back-- but they stayed.
"I haven't spoken to either of them, I worry a little bit after what Fira did. I don't want them to see me as just repeating her past mistakes. I'm happy here as a Mzazi. I just worry that it might put them on edge. Zaliwa more than Kioo." Chacha shook her head as she recalled what they had been told about Fira.
"Thanks," she said somewhat sheepishly, feeling a little foolish now. Maybe she was worrying too much.
She frowned at her sister's next words. "Kioo would vouch for you, Chacha. Our mother did what she did out of spite, to try and 'get' Kioo. Who would you be trying to spite? I don't see any similarity, and would be very surprised if anyone else did, even Zaliwa."
"No, it's just, I don't know." She sighed, realizing she was guilty of the same. "I guess I'm thinking too much too. I'm kind of nervous about the idea-- not enough to make me not want to! I just can't help it. My thoughts go that way without my even realizing it."
Well, that was enough of that though, for both of them! Chacha smiled.
"You're right though." She certainly wasn't out to get anyone, no more than Kioo or Mamba, and they had to know that. Even if she had sided with Fira, there was no reason for her to want to do the lioness any favors by continuing a ridiculous grudge born of a sense of self-declared entitlement. "Guess I'm being a little silly, hm?" She purred, relaxing again.
Mamba laughed. "I know, I know how you are, and you know that I'm the same way. Just relax. I think that we both need to learn to take our own advice, hmm?"
The lioness nodded, She remained in silence for a bit, apparently lost in her own thoughts. Chacha's talk of motherhood had stirred something in her, although she couldn't quite figure out what.
"Yes, I think you're right." Acha grinned, then relaxed further and shifted to rest her tail in the lake for a bit instead, playing with the water some. "And how do you feel about being called 'Aunty'?" Came the fond tease.
