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 Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:19 am
Rap stirred. Curling awake with all the contentment of a cat warm and snug and quite happy to laze around. His tiny mouth opened and a pink tongue curled between two fine, white milk teeth.
For a moment he looked blearily around him, his brilliant fiery eyes tracing the lines of his family in the darkness.
He was snuggled against his mother's side, squeezed between two of his siblings. It was warm, snug but...he didn't want to sleep anymore. He wanted to do something! He wanted to...to...
He gave a little squeak as he pulled himself free of the mas of furry bodies and tumbled head over heels across the floor of the den.
One look to upper world told him that it was almost - what was the word - morning. Soon mother would be stirring and they'd feed and be given their baths.
Until then he was free to do what he wanted - so long as he stayed within the confines of the den.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:23 am
An indignant squeal escaped one of the warm balls of fur. Lifting his head up, green eyes glared from under the growing mop of red-orange fur, looking for the one who had woken him. When the mass that was Rap was spotted, the white ball of fur struggled free.
Ngoma liked his sleep. At least, his night sleep. Naps he could do without. As such, he wanted to make this point clear... VERY clear... To his brother. With as much grace as a cub as young as him could manage, he went over and tackled his brother, pulling an ear. "Rap, I was sleepin'!"
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:32 am
Ngoma.
One of his youngest siblings.
Rap lowered himself in preparation, fully expecting the little body to come hurtling at him. He was right. Ngoma pounced and his weight pressed down on the orange cub, sending him rolling and growling across the floor until he was stopped by the feeling of little teeth on his ear.
He shifted onto his back and pushed at his brother with his hind legs. "Sooo? Yoos always sleep! Sleepy head." He gave a playful growl and wriggled on the floor of the den. "Boring, boring. How yoos gonna be a fighter one day?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:35 am
"I don't sleep all tha time!" He raked tiny claws on his brother, doing little more than if one scratched an itch. As he struggled, his paws made contact with another furry body, but certainly not Rap's. Ngoma stopped long enough to look over. Oh... The odd one... He shrugged, then tugged Rap's ear again. "I'll show ya fightin'!"
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:39 am
"Come on then. Bet yoos couldn't beat up a flea!" He tugged away from his brother's claws and swung around to face his brother - as fast as his pudgy, clumsy body would allow. Then, with a playful growl that turned into a squeaky roar, he leapt at his white-pelted brother, intending to roll them both across the floor.
"Take that, Sleepy!"
The 'odd' one. The cub that hadn't been named. The cub who was yellow instead of red. The cub his mother simply referred to as 'little one'.
He was the smallest of the litter, the runt, if you will. He did not fight with the others, he did not do much of anything. Instead, he spent most of his time in his thoughts or pressed to his mother's side as if afraid he would be parted from her.
The weight of another on him jolted him from his sleep and he rolled to blink across at his brothers - waiting for his eyes to adjust. He didn't say anything, but his green eyes watched curiously.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:45 am
Letting out his own squeaky roar, Ngoma pawed at Rap's face. "I bet you couln' beat up a pebble! That was sittin' still!" Using all the force he had, he kicked at his brother, before scrambling away. Sometimes it was best to retreat, then surprise with force.
Hiding behind the nameless cub, he peeked out. "'Scuse me, Kibeti, I gotta sneak attack Rap." It wasn't really like he was referring to his brother by a name... It was just something he called him. Ngoma didn't exactly like just going 'hey you' to call somebody, so he'd started calling his brother Kibeti, or Runt. Of course, he'd only just started two days prior, so it hadn't been THAT long.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:50 am
Rap was brash, talkative and energetic. Everything that the golden cub wasn't. He supposed that came from being born last, and like his brother, had adopted nicknames for the nameless one. He'd stuck to his favourites which consisted of:
Little One - as this was what their mother called him, even though she used it for all of them at times.
The second name, he shared with Ngoma. Runt. It seemed to suit him.
It wasn't done out of the need to be nasty. It was just teasing, having fun, and he didn't realise that it might be hurting his little brother's feelings. Hell, he didn't care if he got called names! Why should anyone else?
"Coward!" Rap squealed, darting towards them, stumbling over his own paws as he went.
The golden cub tipped his head backwards to get a better view of the white cub, shaking his head fiercely. "Nooo-no." He whimpered timidly. "Noo." He tried to wriggle out of the way, shoving his head under the forearm of another cub.
"Don't hurt."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:54 am
At first, Ngoma didn't hear his brother. When he did, though, he looked at the one he called Runt, before wiggling around and getting between him and Rap. Jumping forward, he met Rap halfway, tackling his brother and pawing at him. Loud squeals escaped, as the white cub tried to get the better of his orange brother.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:57 am
"Sleepy has bite!" Rap replied joyfully, batting at his brother's face with his paws as he tried to get him in a sort of stranglehold.
It was only when their mother stirred that he realised they'd been making quite a bit of racket. He clapped a paw to his mouth, and gestured to Ngoma with his eyes. "Noisy!"
And with a silent giggle he tried in a desperat effort to tickle his brother, intent on being named victorious.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:06 am
Looking at their sleeping mother, Ngoma frowned. The tickling made him squeal rather loudly, though... Likely the opposite of what Rap wanted. Wiggling and kicking, Ngoma did his best to get his brother off. In a desperate move, he ran for the den entrance, stopping short of it to hide in a spot where the light filtering in would be blinding, but he wasn't actually IN the light and remained in the den's safety.
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Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:34 pm
The wiggling worked and Rap was forced to release his grip on his brother, crying out in dismay as he dashed off the moment that happened.
He wasted no time.
He tore off after his pale-pelted brother and skidded to a halt near the entrance, hissing. "You not allowed there." He puffed up his chest and squinted into the light of upper world. He was only teasing, of course. Mother and father hadn't said they couldn't go near the entrance. They just weren't supposed to go out of the entrance.
"You no play fair." He huffed, sitting down clumsily on his rump. "Scaredy."
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Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:39 pm
Ngoma puffed, glaring at his orange brother. "I'm not scared!" He looked at the entrance, then slowly grinned at Rap. "I'm so brave... I'll go out THERE." Even if it meant getting in trouble... It'd be worth it to show Rap up. "Are YOU afraid to follow me? Or are you gonna hide in here for the rest of your life?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:42 pm
Rap grinned. "I ain't no scared." But he made no effort to move. Instead he lifted his head even higher and drew both ears forward, making direct eye contact.
"Yous wouldn't dare do it, Ngoma. You're too a scared." He giggled into a paw and swished his tail behind him. "Stop pretending and get over here so I can beat on yous."
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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:36 am
Giving as scathing a look as he could, Ngoma stuck his tongue out at his brother. "I'm not scared! I'll prove it!" Turning to the hole, he started towards it. What was out there, he wondered, burning rocks and fire? Slowly, he clawed his way into the hole, trying to squeeze out. He wasn't afraid, he'd show Rap! He'd go outside! He just didn't have to STAY outside. He'd go out, sit a moment in the light, then come back in. It was so simple, it was foolproof!
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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:11 am
He opened his mouth to yell, 'mama', 'mama' at the top of his voice. But somehow the words got choked and never came. He watched his younger brother diving towards the entrance and felt that competitive streak awaken in him.
With a mewl of excitement he made a desperate attempt to catch up and - if possible - overtake. He'd muscle his way past if need be.
He reached the entrance and peeked up as Ngoma clambered his way up. Then, with an excited growl he dashed after him, attempting to push and shove past his brother.
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