Nyuni & Mpenzi
Safaia & demon_pachabel




Nyuni had been trying to be good for a few days. She took her older brother's advice and decided to leave Dios alone for a while. If only the heart grew fonder with seperation~! She would keep her wishes intact, and her heart with the stars. One day he would realize, and then everything would be perfect!

Doing nothing involving him grew boring, though. Hunting only took up so much of the day, and napping couldn't fill in the rest of the marks that the days had. The next day was always longer than the last. So today, instead of lazing around she decided to search out for her mother.

Mother would have the best advice, she knew it. She adored her mother growing up, and that admiration never faultered. She peeked her head around in a couple places, knowing that she would find her beautiful brown coat somewhere. "Mother~!" she called out, a small skip still in her step.




Unlike her daughter, Mpenzi was able to spend time with the one she was 'fond' of and not need to worry about being there 'too much' - but alas, not all pairs could be as madly in love as Mpenzi and Warithi somehow managed to be even through their litters of children. Then again, one could say that her little paws (not matter how big they'd grown) were her 'distraction' from her better half.

So when Nyuni had come calling for her, Mpenzi's ears had perked up almost immediately to catch the voice. Well, that certainly didn't sound like a child in panic, so that gave her opportunity to go and start making her way to find the red-coated child without worrying that disaster had fallen upon the pride while she'd been out roaming.

It was only when she spotted her daughter's figure, which stuck up nicely against the grass, that she sat to observe. Well, she certainly seemed to be in a good mood. That was for sure. Could it have been the same thing that had put the same skip in her own step when she was just a juvenile? Quite possible. But there was only one way to really find out.

"What is it, dear?"




Nyuni's face brightened when she heard her mother's voice. Not a split moment later her brown eyes spotted her mother. She skipped forward, not at all acting like the adult her form declaired her as. She would always act like a sweet child with her mother around; she couldn't help it!

"I'm so happy to see you Mother," she said cheerily. "I haven't been able to speak with you in so long, and I feel like I have so much to say!" In all reality, she didn't, but Nyuni had a talent of using too many words for the most simple of situations.

She reached to nuzzle her mother's neck, happy just to be near her. "But I can talk about that in a moment! How are you Mother? It's a wonderful day today, even with the sun out in all it's warmth." Sometimes a little too warm, but at least she didn't have it bad as Jicho. Black coat, ouch.




Her daughter's greeting earned a purr and a returning nuzzle when she was within range for such emotional gestures. Ah, how she adored her children. After as many as she'd had, she was good for children. She didn't need anymore. Now she'd just wait and look forward to more grandchildren... and great grandchildren, if Jipima's situation was as she suspected from when the child had left.

"Indeed, the sun is being quite pleasant today. Just enough heat to not be too warm, but also enough shade for those like your eldest brother to rest in away from the sun if needed." She herself had never truly been 'plagued' by the heat of the sun, so she'd found that just worrying about her little unfortunate ones was enough.

However, to answer that first question; "But I've been well enough, temperature aside. There has been enough going on to keep me busy between pridal affairs and spending time with your father."




Nyuni's smile widened. "I'm glad! I'm sure that Father is doing well, especially if you're with him, Mother." She hoped one day she would be just like them! If only she really knew how treasured that was. Even if the reality smacked her in the face, she would still assume that everything would turn out just how she wanted.

"I have something exciting to tell you!" She knew that strangers weren't the best in the pride, but Father had been nice to some before. Like, Siri, even if Jicho wouldn't quite admit to her how he liked her. Hmph, boys.

"It...it kinda has to do with an outsider, but I promise that he's good!" Just to get that cleared out of the way.... "I found him just lying out there outside of our borders. I felt bad so I wanted to help him..." her voice grew that dreemy, 'i'm in love' sound.




And she automatically recognized that dreamy sound. She'd been victim of it herself far too many times. Mpenzi was actually more surprised that her children hadn't been struck by the bug earlier in life. But then again, it was probably for the better that they hadn't been.

As for her daughter's news, Mpenzi wasn't surprised to find that her child was mimicking her mother's whimsical curious-of-the-rogueland ways like she did quite a bit herself. Ahhh, for her child to find a mysterious stranger for her to be so fond of - as a mother, she couldn't be happier. No, she had no 'duty' to go and find this young lad to size him up as 'worthy' for her child.

Mpenzi could only trust that Nyuni knew what she was doing.

"Well, he sounds like quite a young lad. Care to tell me more about him, dear?" Mpenzi asked, knowing quite well that she could have been the cause of an overflow of gushing and affectionate words to follow it.




This is where Nyuni's face sinked a little. "Well...the weird thing is is that he doesn't really remember anything. It took a while for him to remember even his name." She fell silent for a moment, but quickly filled it when she realized just how awkward it would be. "But he's remembered everything that's happened since I found him!" That gave her hope that he wouldn't ever forget her. She was the first thing he saw when he woke up. Just thinking about that made her puff her chest up a bit.

"He's really nice, Mother! Someday soon I want you and Father to meet him, I'm sure that you will like him. Jicho likes him too, even if he's trying to seperate the two of us for now." She huffed at this thought, her brows furrowed.

"I don't really understand it, but Jicho says it might help him. So I'm trying to give them some space...but I get so bored!" Uh oh. Lovestruck indeed, and didn't even realize it. She didn't notice that he wasn't really interested in her. He wasn't really interested in anythung but remembering who he was, and Jicho was helping him with that. Nyuni was oblivious to it all, she just wanted to be with her 'true love'.




"Well, I imagine that being around any lovely lady would be distracting from trying to remember who you are, dear." Mpenzi offered as a reason for the 'helpful' distance between the two of them. Afterall, telling her daughter that she was 'smothering' her love with her constant attentions probably wouldn't have been as helpful as it would have been truthful.

Besides, she had also done it. Oh, how easily she saw reflections of herself in her children. She was so very proud of it too. At least none of her young had turned out too horrible...deviated from herself or Warithi in terms of a mellow disposition. Not that any of her children were 'mellow' or 'meek'. But she wasn't expecting any of them to try and dominate the world.

"I'm sure soon enough he'll come and seek YOU out to talk and spend time away from digging through his memory to try and find himself. It isn't rare that what someone is looking for so desperately in themselves is actually in someone else and they haven't noticed."




Nyuni's ears perked. "Really, Mother?" She paused for another moment before giggling. "I never really thought I was lovely...I wish I was as nice as you, Mother." Admiration never ended with this girl. She was trying to take note in everything that her mother did, but Nyuni's attention drifted elsewhere often.

She shifted her paws, looking down at them before glancing back up at her mother. The idea that he would look for her was almost too much. She didn't let herslef glow, though. Instead she only nodded her head softly. "Oh, I hope so. It would be so wonderful if something like that happened!" She thought that if Dios did something like that she might not be able to hold back her voice any longer! She hadn't told him how she felt, but if that happened....she would certainly do it then! If only...Nyuni could only hold on to that.

"Thank you," she said with a soft smile. "You're being much more helpful than Jicho was. I don't get why he's so worried, because he won't tell me. He just says I'm being too reckless." She snorted at this thought. "Hmph, he's just too...too.... oh! I don't know, he's just slower than a sloth at everything." Hmph, there!




"Ah, be nice to your brother. I'm sure he's just trying to look out for you. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he was off bullying your boy to make sure he'll be suitably caring. Big brothers will do that." At least, from what Mpenzi had noticed they did. Her own experience with brothers had been very.. sparing due to her own childhood infatuation.

Mmm, if only her children could have as fortunate of an experience as she had. Mpenzi could only wish.

"Well, you can expect it to happen eventually." Mpenzi said, if only to boost her daughter's confidence. Oh, how proud the girl seemed to be - if Mpenzi had been inclined towards it, she also would have started to beam and glow with pride. But it had been too long since she'd glowed with pride before she'd gotten it under control.

"You just need to be patient. When you hunt, make sure to extend an offer for him to join you. But use that offer wisely. If you try to monopolize his time, it will take longer for him to open up to you." A backwards logic, but it made sense in her mind.




Nyuni still made a small sour face when her brother was mentioned. She couldn't quite help it. She figured that he was trying to help her, oblivious to the fact that he wasn't. Still, in her mind he was being a little too protective, and it frustrated her. She was grown up, and could make her own decisions! These ideas were only bolstered by the fact that their mother seemed to support her and her decision.

She took mental notes on everything that her mother said. It was good advice for her to take, and she could only hope that it would work. No, it would work. They were destined to be, and nothing in Nyuni's mind would change that.

"Thank you so much, Mother," she said with a large, genuine smile. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it, but I'm so thrilled that you're helping me. I feel like I can wait it out more, especially if it will only help the situation." Just imagine, him coming to her! The visual almost made her squeal.




Mpenzi chuckled a bit at how well the girl took her advice. Ah, to be trusted by her daughter, even after she'd become oh so 'grown up'. Goodness, Nyuni was becoming more than grown up, or so it seemed to Mpenzi. But she'd just smile and keep that thought to herself, instead sighing contently with the words of gratitude.

"Well, I've made a few friends myself who weren't members of the pride, nor did they end up coming into the folds of the pride. No, they're likely to be long-gone now." she mused, sighing wistfully at the thought of all of these long-passed friends she'd made on the whims of a day. Well, what else could she do about it at this point? She had what she needed right there.

"But I'm sure you'll figure out what you're doing as you go along. That first burst is always a little awkward."

Oh, was it EVER a little awkward. She didn't blame Nyuni for being a little bit... jumpy in terms of wanting to spend time with this boy she obviously adored.




Burst? Nyuni wondered, but didn't ask. She would find out someday soon, wouldn't she? How exciting it would be to share more with her mother too. Her eyes glanced up at her mother, smile shining all the same. As long as her love, as well as her father's love was still there, she knew that she could do anything. Everything would be all right.

Her tail twitched as a sudden idea struck in her mind. "Maybe I'll go talk to Jicho again. I'm sure he'll be happy that I spoke to you about the matter. Maybe he can loosen up a bit too," she determined with a little bounce. "He's certain to come around some day, he'll see." She was just so certain that everything would turn out all right in the end.

"Do you...think I should see if Dad will see him?" She really didn't know how he would take it. Well, she hoped, but she didn't want to assume anything when it came to him. She admired him in a different way than she admired her mother, and so there were more worries there with him than with her.



Well, she certainly couldn't see why Warithi wouldn't have seen this boy that their daughter was so fond of. In fact, Mpenzi would have rather that she didn't have to take her other half by the ear and drag him into submission on the subject. She wouldn't have had any holds AGAINST doing such a thing, but she would have preferred to NOT have had to.

But that wasn't really the question. "Well, I imagine speaking with your father about this young man may be a wise move, but I'm sure that he'll approve as long as this young man doesn't get inappropriately out of hand. But I'm sure that'll be fine." Mpenzi said, attempting to be 'supportive' of her child, before she continued on.

"Talk to your father. I'm sure you'll have nothing to worry about, but it would be better he knew you had a guest than to find out by surprise."

Not that she imagined Warithi would do more than welcome the young man, but one never wanted to surprise those they cared about with sudden secrets because they hadn't spoken soon enough.




Nyuni's eyes lowered to her head, suddenly feeling very sheepish. "Yes," she said quietly. While he wasn't really...IN in the lands, he wasn't really outside of them either. Nyuni hadn't really thought about it, but she knew that she was really breaking a rule. Serves her right for getting caught up in the moment. She was an adult, and she knew better than to pull a stunt like that. Okay, well. She would definately talk to him on the subject.

She nodded. "You've very right, Mother." Her ears slowly inched forward and off of her head as she determined her next move.

"I should probably go find him now," she determined. Especially when she was feeling a little more secure on the subject. She didn't want to wait for her nerves to settle in and get cold paws. She could do this. "I shouldn't wait any longer than I already have."




Mpenzi nodded in approval at her daughter's resolve on the matter. "Go. I'm sure your father will understand." she bid, nudging Nyuni's side with the top of her head as a sort of 'get going, you' push in the right direction. She couldn't imagine anything going wrong in a meeting with her mate, but that wasn't up to her at that point in time.

No, she'd just see how things played up. Hopefully for the better.

"I'm sure your father won't be hard to find." she added on. If anything, Nyuni definitely had her dearest mother's support on the matter. Now it was just to get the girl to take the right steps and hope things fell into place for her. Not that Mpenzi held any doubts. She'd just have to make sure that Jicho wasn't being too overprotective of a brother.

But she'd wait until she knew how things had turned out with her mate.




Nyuni smiled, offering a small nuzzle to her mother as thanks. She knew that now was the best time to do it; she might not have a better opportunity even if she had planned everything out. Sometimes it was best to just let the world figure everything out for you, and hop along for the ride. She was certainly happy with where it was taking her now.

She trotted off to find her father, the reassurance of her mother bolstering her heart. Even if Jicho protested, she would prove to him that she appreciated his concern, and that everything would turn out perfect if the end.

Now, just to face her father on the facts. As long as he was supportive, nothing would stop her spirit.