|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:18 pm
For now he was alone. Kaanga was likely off telling stories or getting into some sort of adventerous trouble that involved socialization. Mpaji didn't much mind.
Days had been wonderful in the past months. The great pridal fight that had left so much of his family severed was over. His 'children', who were not really his children but by blood, had either found their way or were still searching. He was not worried about their health; Mpaji assumed they could take care of themselves.
Kaanga, he thought, had been quite sad at first. Uzulu had been a nasty lion, but that was not quite what she'd seen in him. It was good to see her happier now.
Most importantly, however, Mpaji was at home in the desert where he belonged. He was entitled to say this because of the joy which watching the glimmer of the sands brought him. He remembered telling Uzulu's sons a story about the sand and some other, silly things.
They had been good children, and Kai'Melos had made a name for himself. Even if Mpaji had only watched them, he still felt the pride of a father with this knowledge. He had not heard of the other for a long time and Mpaji simply assumed that he, too, was safe.
Or perhaps it was only hope.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:58 pm
Azar was being herself, like always she was up to little good, well she was acting her age at least. She wasn't training today, however her friends and even her siblings were. He aunt Kaanga was off doing something else. Like always her parents were doing some kind of 'Regent' things that she was 'too young' to do. Se wished she could spend more time with her father she couldn't wait until she was older and she might be able to spend more time with him. The idea of it made her smile, she would be a big strong warrior and she would be able to help her father out.
But now she was going to find away to amuse herself right now she needed something, ANYTHING to do, and she could swear there was no one, not a single soul to keep herself amused. She squeaked as she saw the back of a large lion, he was really big. Normal cubs would avoid lions like that if they didn't know them. Even if they shared a pride, however Azar being the firekin blood that she was wasn't afraid of him.
In her eyes she wasn't afraid of anything.
She slunk down some getting closer to the ground smirking softly as she did, she knew what she had in mind, body was in her sights. She bounced forward clinging on to the side of the body, a few cub like claws sticking out but nothing that would really hurt an adult. She looked up at him with a curious look. "I think I know you." She said as if it was her best friend. She made a small face as she sat on the male's side nodding toward him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:06 pm
Mpaji grunted as he felt a large lump land on his side. It knocked the hair out of him and he look back at the weight with a curious air.
When he saw what it was, he grinned. It reminded him of his ownself when he was young. He had driven Motomilia mad with his love of pouncing her even into his adolescence. For a slave, Upendo'Mpaji had lived a grand life. At first.
That was all in the past now of course.
Feigning agitation, he flicked his tail and turned his face to a badly-acted scowl. "Do you know what we do to little cubs who pounce unsuspecting men in the Blood?" he asked her. He coupled his "stern-look" with a very "serious" looking face.
"We feed them to the sand monster," he told her and picked her up by the scruff of the neck to place her between his paws. "I'll spare you for now if you can prove you are who you say you are." The smile working over his features betrayed him. Yes, Mpaji loved his cubs no matter whose they were.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:27 pm
Azar looked at the male a little confused at the sudden serious face that he had. She sat up some before snorting, sitting down on the male with her chest puffed out, trying to make herself look bigger than she really was. "What do they do?" She asked being as brave as she could. As he continued on she blinked a few times before laughing. "Sand monster my tail." She laughed again as she stared at him, jumping down and sitting at his side her tail flicking around her. "I'm not afraid of anything."
She then looked at him. "I'm Azar." She giggled softly, loosing her composure for a moment but quickly regained it. "I'm one of the Regent's daughters." He looked at with a suspicious look. "I should be asking who you are." She said before nodding toward him, pawing at him slightly. "You might be a rouge!" She then narrowed her eyes. "How do I know if you belong here?" She reached out a paw and poked his forehead.
"You smell like auntie Kaanga." She made a face for a moment. "Did you do something to her?" She made another face at him before sitting up more, her eyes full of curiosity how ever. Even though she had grown up around lions that were mostly white she had never seen a lion in this pride that was that shade. It was a little odd to her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:41 pm
"I wasn't aware that being afraid was a requirement for the sand monster to eat you," Mpaji said with a yawn as he stretched his claws out into the hard rock beneath and made a screeching sound. "He'll jump out of the sand and swallow you up in one big gulp." He grinned as she went on giggling and saying her name.
He watched her carefully as she went on. His ears were forwards and he displayed utmost interest in what she said. "Is that so? I happen to know Regent No personally."
It had been a little while since he had seen her, of course; perhaps it was time he visited her once again. He had heard a while back that there was a spot on the Magistrate. Perhaps he did not want that sort of responsibility, however.
For now, he did his duty of hunter well.
He laughed in good nature as the cub went on. "Did I do something to her? Hm. . . I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind the two of us checking in on her if you want proof; she might want to know where one of her children has run off to."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:56 pm
Azar made a small face for a moment shaking her head. "No! I'm not afraid of your threats of this 'sand Monster'" She rolled her eye for a moment. "Daddy tired to get me with that one but it didn't work I wasn't scared. And besides Mama told me that it wasn't real, so there." She stuck out her tongue before sitting up. Truth was when she first found out she was really scared, and went running to her mother, but she wasn't going to tell him that! She was going to prove that she wasn't scared! But she was going to check the sands outside of the den before she went to bed that night...
Then she cocked her head to the side. He knew her mother... Alright maybe she was wrong but she wanted to make sure that no strange lions were in her families lands! She'd try to chase him off herself if she had to but knowing that he was welcomed into the lands, even knowing her mother it made her feel better. "Well, then good." She said puffing out her chest before looking at him.
"NoNoNo!" She protested before making a face at him. "Mama said I could be out today. You're not going to take me back I don't want to go." There was another lie but it wasn't that bad, her mother said that she could go train but she was just goofing off at the moment... "Do you didn't do anything to her, but why do you smell like her?" She looked at him suspicious again. Why didn't she know about this male? She was being quiet curious today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:19 am
Ah, mothers. They were the bane of every father's fun everywhere. They were always so down to earth and practical. He ruffled the cubs fur with one big paw and chuckled at how she displayed herself as a proud individual.
Right before breaking down into pleads at him. "Did she?" he asked; this time the scrutiny written over his face was real. He let it slide. Cubs would be cubs, and everyone needed a bit of fun sometimes.
She wasn't going to get into any trouble with him hanging around in any case. There was nothing wrong with her trying to cause it here. What was the worst she could do?
"Well, little boete, I happen to live with her." He thumped his tail on the ground and made a rumbling sound in his throat presently. "Like your father lives with your mother. Does that pass your list of allowed things for a member of the Blood?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:26 am
Azar was slightly caught off guard when the lion ruffled her fur. She closed her eyes and made an annoyed look, trotting back her head so she could reach his massive paw, nipping at it growling before bitting on to him more. "Heyhey! I just got cleaned." She murmured sitting back on her haunches lifting her paws and trying to straighten the fur on the top of her head. She looked up at the male and stuck out her tongue before resting all of her paws back on the ground. With a huff she nodded to him. "Yes in fact she did." She huffed once more as she looked at him, before her face turned a little surprised.
"Oh..." She looked down at her paws for a moment before looking up at him with a large grin, pouncing on him digging her paws and her face into his mane and nipping at his ear. "So your my uncle." She growled playfully before snuggling into his mane. "Whats your name uncle?" She asked with another giggle. She purred quietly as she amused herself with nipping at his mane and ears, being careful as she did, she didn't want to hurt him... Well now she didn't now that she knew that he was her uncle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:11 pm
Upendo'Mpaji was about to chuckle at this, too, when the Firekin cub leapt upon him with 'ferocity'. Squinting one eye, he watched the clinging cub as best he could.
Uncle? Well, that one was new. Not by blood, certainly, but. . . "So I'm your uncle," he added with a hearty laugh and a friendly rumble when she turned affectionate.
"It's long now. Don't trip over the words," he warned. "Upendo'Mpaji." He pretended let her have his ears and winced once or twice when those little needle teeth found a sensitive spot, but overall he was very pleased with his little niece.
He bet she hadn't heard too many names quite like that in the Firekin. Of course, she'd probably think it was rather hilarious if he told her the meaning. All that aside, it was a very good name.
Stretching a little, he yawned and smacked his lips together. "What do you say we make a trip out to an Oasis today?" Little cubs who looked like they were going to cause trouble needed things to do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:48 pm
Azar giggled as he laughed, she felt like she was being shaken and she didn't have any other reaction. She dug her paw a little more into his mane nipping at it a few more times before nodding. "Yeah!" She giggled again that was before she heard his name, she blinked a few times before flopping down and landing on her rump. "Wow, thats a long name. Up-peeen-do." She made a face before shaking her head. "I'm going to call you Uncle Paji." She nodded feeling a little accomplished at the fact that she could shorten his name. "My name is Azar." Her's sounded really simple now that she thought about it, even her closest sister Zii had a more interesting name than herself. She was going to give her siblings long names so they could feel special!
She then looked at him with surprise as he started talking again. The Oasis!? She hadn't been there in so long, and she really didn't have that much interest on it to go by herself, and non e of her siblings wanted to go with her. This could be the perfect chance! She giggled and looked up at him with a wide grin on her face. "You'll really take me?" She asked before looking at him with her grin plaster even more widely on her face. "I want to go!" She nodded a few times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:11 pm
Uncle Paji worked, he decided. It was short, and a bit odd without the 'M' in front, but it was the child's choice and he had nothing to say against it. "Azar, eh?" he said and tried it out on his tongue just the same. It was short and sweet. Compared to all the K names he'd been used to finding in the lands of the Blood, it was a bit foreign to his own ears as well.
"I'll really take you," he agreed. He gathered his feet underneath his body and pushed himself up with a hefty shove. He was careful that Azar didn't lose her footing, and he pushed her body up onto his neck so she could sit there.
In another month or two, it would have been impossible, but Mpaji was a big lion, and Azar wasn't huge yet.
"Off to the Oasis we go, then," he said as he started his walk carefully down the rockside. "But you have to promise to tell me a story on the way, or I'll just take you back home instead."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:15 pm
Azar grinned proudly at her name, fluffing out her fur for a moment before looking at him with a smile. "Yeah! My daddy named me." She seemed so proud of that, she always did, she loved both of her parents but she really loved her father. She was ready to start walking until she was nudged, blinking a bit for a moment before she shifted on his neck but then grinned shifting on his back and grinning some. She giggled some then flicked her tail around a few times then wrapped her arms around his neck settling into his mane.
She then made a small face trying to figure out what she was going to tell. She leaned forward some looking down at the ground before looking at him. "No! Don't drop me off!" She squealed before she nudged him. "What kind of story?" She asked blinking she knew a lot of stories she could come up with or tell but she wasn't that sure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:17 pm
Had she been any bigger of a cub, Azar's nudging might have sent Upendo'Mpaji on a journey to keep his balance. As it were, he was being very careful about making his way off the precipitous rock-face and to the more even world below.
He could take the long, easy trail down, but it would add at least an hour onto the trip. Twenty more down, and another fourty to make it around the outcroppings until they reached the easy path out to the Oasis.
It wasn't as though the journey was hard, but it did require a great deal of surefootedness and a steady mind.
"Well, let's see. . ." His voice trailed off as he took a rather far step to the next ledge. "Tell me the story of the most exciting day of your life," he eventually decided upon.
Making a rather nimble move around a sheer face of rock, he finally found the path he wanted. It zigzagged quite a great deal and wasn't well worn, but he could make it out and it was the direction he wanted to head in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:30 pm
[[Just thought I'd throw it out there but the art in your sig is very beautiful]]
Azar peeked around his mane looking at where they were going. She never remembered going this way, she'd have to remember it and take this path one day. She flicked her tail around a few times before stopping not wanting to tickle him and get thrown off of his back on accident, she did that to Kaanga once. She didn't want to do it again. She wrapped her paws around his back a little more, one paw on each side, making sure that she wasn't going to fall off. She made sure to keep her claws in her paws. She wouldn't want that either.
"My most exciting day?" She squeaked thinking about all of the times that she had had. One day came to mind right away. "Well..." She squinted her eyes for a moment before grinning. "It started off one day when I woke up really early I had to train. So I went off and I spared with my teacher, and won! He said I was really, really good." She grinned even wider. "Then afterward I was heading back home, he let me go early, it was still morning. On my way back I ran into daddy! Daddy took me for most of the day and he showed me around! He showed me what it was like to be a regent! It was so much fun! Then on top of that when I came home I got to spend time with my sister! We ran around under the stars and played in the sand." She giggled again, nipping at the lion's mane. She nuzzled into his mane with a grin at the memory of the day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:04 pm
(( I am so super-sorry for taking so long to respond to this. I have no excuse. After this one do you want to time-skip and start another with them at the Oasis? Or we can wrap here; either way. ))
"Uh-huh," was how he answered her question. Concentrating on not slipping and falling to his death was his most important task. In some ways, the story had been just to distract her.
He did a fine job of catching a few words 'train' and something about winning against his teacher. "Ah, a fine young warrior you'll be, then," he commented over that little bit and took a short hop over a place where the trail had crumbled a bit.
True to its nature, however, the trail lead them off the rock-face in a speedy fashion. The ground flattened out and the treachery was left in the dust not too long after she'd finished telling her all-too-exciting story.
"Keep a hold on. I'm going to jog the rest of the way." Or, he'd try. Quite frankly, he really had gotten far out of shape. All the walking didn't make up for the time he spent lazing around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
