|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:02 pm
It was hard to imagine that time could pass so quickly, though he shouldn't have really been so surprised now that he came to think about it. Misae had grown from a strange little cub into a graceful, beautiful adult in the blink of an eye, and so too had his own true cubs done so. They had gone from bumbling, dependent balls of fur to independent, strong adolescents. They would be adults soon, he knew that, and would they need him then as they once did? His whole life had changed when he had realized his love for Tsi, and it had altered drastically again when she had birthed his cubs. His whole identity revolved around his family now, and in extension, the clan he had helped Tsi rebuild. Could he let them grow up and have their own identity now, while retaining his own pride and grace at the same time?
"I need Tsi," he muttered to himself, brows furrowing as he pushed himself to his paws. His deep green eyes flickered around momentarily, scrutinizing the area he had been drowsing in. He knew, undoubtedly, where his mate was at this point in the day. Alone time was always nice, especially when one had such a large family and most of it happened to be composed of moody adolescents. Now, however, he was certain he had had enough of alone time if it was just going to lead to unnecessary amounts of over thinking.
With a permanent frown stretching over his mug, he headed off in the direction he had last seen Tsi before he left to take a nap, guessing as to where she'd be at this point in the day. He hadn't really been gone all too long, so he could just hope she was exactly where she was when he'd left.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:14 pm
Tsi'hilu was currently laying under the shade of a tree, her body spread out over a rock, almost exactly where Nyota had left her. The only difference being that it seemed she had moved to follow the shade the tree produced as the day advanced. Her usual placid expression was nowhere to be found though and instead, there was a mild frown of confusion upon her features.
She had been visited by three of her children during Nyota's absence; her elder daughter, and heir to the clan, had come to show her mother her progress with tattooing. She had grabbed her brother Wingu and had actually done a rather pleasing interpretation on him (something he did not seem to concur with). Later, her green pelted daughter had shown up and had proudly presented her mother with her latest kill, happy to have taken down such a large prize all on her own.
When Tsi'hilu had suggested a bath to them, they had told her that there was no need, that they'd do it themselves so as not to bother her, and had then left on their merry way, to do... god only knew what with the rest of their day. Her children were grown up, she'd realised then; they were hardly dependant of her now. They did not need her to hunt for them, or give them baths, and the notion had only just hit the petite lioness. How come she had not realised this before?
It was only when she felt soft padding approaching that she turned her head to meet Nyota, however, her confused, melancholic look remain, making her look oddly out of character.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:39 pm
The simple sight of his pale mate, at first, was enough to assuage some of his more deeply rooted unease. Then, as his deep emerald gaze found that emotion from his own features mirrored in her own face, a different unease settled into the pit of his stomach. He needed, suddenly and desperately to know what caused his own distress, and his own problems could be pushed aside until he was assured that she was alright.
"Are you alright, love?" he murmured lowly as he came within speaking distance. He put his paws against the top of the rock, leaning up to brush the top of his maw along the underside of her chin in a comforting gesture, brows furrowed now in an attempt to dissect every small detail of her appearance. She appeared to be alright, so it meant that something had happened between the time he had left and now. It figured that it would occur during his absence, when he wasn't here to soothe her worries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:16 pm
"Yes, it's just that..." she frowned again and looked horribly confused, "I just noticed that my babies don't need me anymore. Katika can paint tattoos like no other, Wingu no longer needs me to bathe him, and Makonde is an excellent huntress," she spoke as if it'd only just come as a revelation, "When did this happen?" either she had been looking the other way while her cubs grew up to be independent, efficient clan members or... she hadn't wanted to see it.
She'd always felt the need to nurture them, mostly due to her own upbringing. Or lack-there-of, rather. She'd been alone from cubhood till the Sky clan had found her wandering and almost dead near her late teenhood, "They don't need me any more. They could go out into the world and survive. They could marry into other clans, or even start their own, if they had half the notion to."
As his maw rubbed against the underside of her jaw, the lioness leaned her head against him and closed her eyes, a small rumble of a noise escaping her. Then, she drew away and left room for her to join him, "You don't look too well yourself. Is something eating you"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:28 pm
Despite the melancholy nature of the conversation, Nyota couldn't help but to find himself smiling very vaguely at the fact that the same notion had apparently occurred to the pair of them almost simultaneously. As she moved over to allow him room up onto the rock, he gladly leaped up, laying down comfortably at her side. His larger form curled somewhat around her own, pulling her figure into the comfort of his darker one.
"It's kind of funny, actually," his smile lingered, though the sad hint to it was easy to note, "I was coming here to talk to you about the exact same thing." He turned his eyes down to look at her, then simply shifted until he could lay his head atop hers, taking as much comfort in having her close to him as he hoped he could give with the return of his warmth. "I went to nap, then I couldn't sleep because all my thoughts were distracted by the idea that none of my cubs are cubs any longer. They don't need Daddy to protect them."
It was much more disheartening, shocking even, when he said it out loud. The smile that he been stretched over his maw faded into a frown and he was only glad that he had placed his head atop hers at this point, so that he could hide the gesture from her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:52 pm
She shifted to accommodate him when he jumped up on the rock, her ears perking when mirth crossed his features. For some odd reason, mirth was not exactly what she'd been expecting from him, "Funny?" she asked, even further confused, though the sad tinge in his eyes kept her quiet after her initial question, her own filling with comprehension when he spoke further.
Ah... well, that made sense.
He'd had Misae before though, so he'd lived through this before. She recalled how hard it had been for him to let go of her, allowing her to stay in Kizingo'zaa rather than with them. She missed that beach, come to think about it; such an upbeat little place that it was, "Time.... flies," she said, her brows furrowed as she shifted again, her head laying on the floor to allow his neck to rest over her frame, "I did not recall it being so fast when I was young," but then again, the reason had been that every day had been a horrid experience, having to fight the vultures for scraps, following larger predators in the shadows of night in an attempt to steal some bites from their hunts.
It was no wonder her growth had been stunned; she was smaller than most ela, which made her a bit of shrimp near her mate, "They don't need me either. I was surprised when Wingu refused a bath. He looked at like as if I were telling him something embarrassing," then she snorted, "But moooooooooooooom," she whined, a perfect impression of their teen son, "I can do THAT on my own now! That's so embarrassing!" another snort as she dropped the tone, "Wonder if he's trying to impress someone."
That though opened a whole new can of worms though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 2:54 pm
"You're right, time flies," he said sadly, nuzzling his head against her neck and draping one paw over it lightly as if he were cradling her against his body. "I think the older one gets, the faster time goes. I bet if we asked our not-so-little ones now, they'd tell us that it had taken forever for them to grow up." He could remember the hard life he had led, struggling to survive, and then branching out on his own and finding the rogue life one that was harsh and unforgiving.
"All of them are growing up," he murmured, his brows knitting as he stared off at the horizon over her neck. "It almost makes you feel useless, doesn't it? If our cubs no longer need us, what purpose do we serve?" He laughed, soft and sad as he buried his nose into the soft fur of her neck, inhaling deeply to calm his stirring nerves. "I think I would be completely lost without you, having to watch my cubs grow up and detach themselves from me over and over again."
"Impress someone?" that did bring a new smile to his maw. It was a diversion from his uncomfortable thoughts, his head lifting lightly. "I wonder if it is a certain someone, or if he's just worried about his reputation at this point?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:15 pm
She snorted yet again, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. A couple of them think life's a game. Time flies when you're having fun," no sooner had she said that that the small ela seemed to go silent. Was that why she'd felt like the time she'd spent taking care of them had been so short? She'd had fun? In a way... she had, really.
Being felt needed was a new concept she'd learnt, and one she found she had enjoyed deeply. After spending so much time alone, having a family was something she'd not have given up for the world, "Well, not so much useless as.... old," she wasn't really old though. At least not really. Granted, she was no longer the youth he'd met, but still, she in her prime of time, and though he was older than her, she was sure that if the opportunity called for it, he'd have managed to scare of the bravest of rogues. Rather than tell him she loved him, which she knew he knew, the lioness turned to nuzzle his face; she wasn't going anywhere, even if their cubs might eventually do so, "I wonder how Misae is doing. Maybe we should move the clan and pay them a visit. I do so miss that pretty beach."
Her eyes rolled up when she felt his head lift, "Well, we were buy the Earth clan earlier... I think we still are at the moment. I smelled them when I went hunting earlier," a small smirk of a smile touched her maw, an expression shed learnt from him no doubt, "I think I spotted him the other day with their daughter. Knowing him, they were bickering back and forth though," Wingu was sure going to need help to charm the pants off any lady. There was an interestingly amusing thought, "Where did he get it from anyhow? I don't recall you being so... awkward and..." she seemed to be lacking a decent word to use, "Inept," she settled with.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:35 pm
"True, which might be why we never seem to notice that they've grown up until it's too late," he said gently, knowing that even if raising cubs was meant to be a chore, it was the most fun occupation he could think of. Each little aspect of their life, each stage of their growth, came with a different challenge.
"You're not old," his gaze rolled over to meet hers, holding her eyes with a calm, steady gaze, "you've got a long life left." He leaned into her nuzzle though, letting his gaze fall away as the affection forced him to shut his eyes in adoration of her.
"We could move the clan to see her, but it would be a large move," he tilted his head as his eyes slowly opened once more. "If Wingu is already having such a terrible, awkward time, moving him away might not be helpful." A look of consideration came over his face, his mind obviously weighing the pros and cons of moving or staying. As much as he wanted to see his daughter, he had to consider what would be best for his son. "I don't know that it's inherited from anywhere, to be honest, it might just be that adolescent angst." He smirked at the thought and leaned down to brush his head cheek against hers, laughter rumbling in his throat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:39 pm
"Such is life," there was mild mirth there though; despite it all, she was still grateful she had survived those old days. They had led to her idle days now, and she was perfectly content with them, even if she... did miss feeling as useful as she had when the kids had been cubs. They had taken every moment of her time, "Oh, but I am, if you compare me to THEM," she chuckled at him, "Doesn't it feel like yesterday that we met?"
She met his nuzzle with her own, her tail curling around his; it still surprised her that they remain so intimate, even after so long. After all, her mind drifted back to her parents.... and by the time she had grown up enough to notice things, she'd come to notice her parents no longer 'loved' each other. In fact, her mother had been quite interested in... someone else at the time.
Those days were long gone though, "We've done it before though. It will be a good change of scenery for them. Don't you think? The kids don't know the ocean. I don't think Wally does either," her dark 'twin' was the bane of every one's existence at times, but Tsi still loved her dearly. The other probably wondered WHY when the other lioness was Tsi's polar opposite, rude, obnoxious and sharp like a whip, "We'll move regardless... and so will the Earth clan in time. We're not used to staying in one place for long. He'll see her when the clan unite," her eyes lifted up to him then, "Besides, time alone might help him decide what he wants to do; at times, you only notice what you have.... when you lose it."
The lioness snorted softly again, "I'm not so sure. He brought Palia to tears when they were just cubs. He's not very.... ahhh.... smooth."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:02 pm
"It does," he said gently, a reminiscent air to the two short words as he let his eyes drift up towards the sky above them. His head settled down onto his paws as they stretched out next to her, leaning his body back against her form. "Just like yesterday." His voice grew quieter as he let his mind replay the days, though the expression on his face was almost a smirk. How silly he'd been, those days.
"You're right. We're going to have to leave eventually, and where else but to see Misae?" He smiled pleasantly at the thought and nodded, unable to help the reflex as he looked off in the direction his instincts told him his daughter's pride lay. "A little time to think, away from what's getting his mind all jumbled, might help him sort things out." He shook his head, sending his dark mane tossing, then gently placed his head back down between their paws.
"Maybe the trip and some of his relatives will help him straighten himself out." Though, he had to wonder if any of Misae's family would really be beneficial, or just simply amusing. She was a wonder herself, her cubs no doubt were as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:08 am
She saw the smirk, and somehow, the look in his eyes told her that he now thought himself silly back in the day, "We change," she said, still able to read him better than most individuals, "I think the only thing unchanging... is change itself; it always happens. For better, for worse... it doesn't matter," she leaned against him, allowing another small sound to resound against her throat, closely resembling a purr (or it would've if she'd been able to purr), "If it helps, I thought you were endearing. And charming."
A smile spread her maw as he perked up, still finding him endearing, even now, though she wasn't about to tell him, least she offend him (most males didn't particularly seem to appreciate a girl that was almost a third smaller than them telling them they were cute or endearing often). Tsi'hilu knew he'd missed his daughter - he didn't even seem to think of her as adopted, but rather, as his father. His REAL father, even if he wasn't, "I really did like that place. I miss the waves," she missed running childishly across the waves with Nyota too, but... she was going to wait till they got there and were alone to propose that activity.
Chuckling, the female rolled over against him, shifting her position so she was curled up against him, her white form now mostly hidden against his brown pelted one, "I don't know about that, but if anything... it'll give him something to think about. Maybe he'll meet that winged female you told me you'd seen in that beach long ago, "I wonder if she's had cubs by now," quite possibly, really. Opening her maw into a yawn, the lioness closed her eyes against her mate, "If I just lay here~~" she sang softly, possibly a song learnt from Misae herself, before they'd separate ways, "Would you lay with me and just forget the world~~?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:21 am
"Endearing and charming," his words brought forth a smile and his gaze lingered over her own pleasantly, "that's not quite what I remember, but I suppose I won't ruin your memories." He laughed, softly, and leaned up to butt his forehead very gently against her own.
"It was peaceful," he said simply, letting his mind stray back to the beach they had visited, and all that had passed there. It had been a nice place to leave Misae, even if the thought had been heart-breaking - even if it was heart-breaking to think of her gone, even now. "It'd be nice to visit, you're right," the smile had returned, that soft glimmer in his eyes speaking louder than any words ever could. "That place is a good place for thinking, and clearing minds, it'll be good for him.. and all of us." He was pretty certain that the discussion was settled now. He wanted to go, she wanted to go, and all that mattered at this point was the two of them telling the rest of the clan. To see Misae again, that would be worth the long trip.
As she began to sing, that smile on his maw stretched wide, and he snuggled his form in close to hers, curling it around her tiny figure. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he breathed softly, beneath her tune, and lay his head down next to hers. He could finally get that nap he'd originally sought, laying here next to the figure of his tiny mate, who somehow offered him more security than the biggest guard in the world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
