[PRP] Hello, Ndale. I've seen you before. (Ndale x Liraz)

[bipolar bee]

With a hearty promise over her shoulder to Eppie that she wouldn't wander too far, Liraz took off from her mother's den. It was her first time exploring the pride lands, and though she'd promised not to wander far, Liraz was on a mission. Two nights ago while she was in-between sleep and dreams, Liraz had had what her mother called 'a vision' -- it had seemed to make her mother extremely happy, and as such, excited Liraz as well. In this vision, Liraz had seen an older white lion with a dark, dark mane and the prettiest eyes -- one the rich color of earth, the other a stunning gold. That was all she could gather as far as his physical appearance was, but he was so kind to her in her vision, and though her vision hadn't lasted long, Liraz could feel the warmth and happiness in his heart.

She was going to find out who this lion was. That was her mission, but she really had no idea where to start. Liraz sighed, the sound turning into a dry cough. She had to give pause, breathing deep to regain her breath before ambling off once more. Only a few steps could be taken before another wracking cough took over, and Liraz realized she'd better sit for a long moment, at least until the tickle in her throat had subsided.  

[Uta]

Ndale had left his sisters to their games and had taken off on his own for the afternoon. It wasn't entirely out of character for the gold and brown eyed cub, who was known for moments of introversion. He was actually rather quiet, and perhaps a little sulky as he scowled out at the world and contemplated its wickedness. About the only time he was ever content, or seemingly content, was when his sisters were near. . . .

The temperamental and edgy cub had no where in particular to go. He was near the dens of the pride, and had spotted a few other cubs out and about, but for the most part he kept to himself. He wasn't entirely sure what to think about their new situation. For the most part, they were cared for by nannies and other sorts whom played with them, taught them things, and generally made sure they stayed out of trouble. But it wasn't the same. . . . And Haruma couldn't stop talking about this Sliabh lion.

Part of Ndale was secretly hurt that a new male was going to be entering their lives, or at least was entering the lives of his sister. He didn't like feeling as if he were easily replaced, as if he wasn't good enough. Hadn't he strived to keep them together, to make sure they were well? Unfortunately though, he had lost one of their sisters, the silvery one. . . he remembered her, remembered her leaving them, just like their mother had. And now it seemed that Haruma was leaving him too. Would Faraa be next?

And where would thatl eave him? Alone. Ndale both loved and hated to be alone. He enjoyedi t because he knew he was strong enough, tough enough, to take care of himself, all by himself. But he hated it because it also meant that once again, he wasn't good enough. . . wasn't strong enough. . . wasn't something enough to keep others in his life.

Rejection and fear was the source of his anger. Scowl firmly on his features, the little cub took a moment to study a brown and striped female who was sitting not far before him. He didn't say anything, and veered away from approaching too closely. It was best if he just kept to himself. . . . He had his sisters, he didn't need to meet any of the other cubs, nope. Besides, he wasn't just a silly cub. He had grown-up things to do, like . . . like get stronger, tougher, and be better prepare to protect his sisters whenever the pride kicked them out.

Because they would, too. They were unwanted. They always had been, and Ndale didn't trust anyone who said otherwise.
 

[bipolar bee]

Liraz peered back towards home; she'd not gone as far as she'd intended, and a wistful smile curved her lips as she watched Eu and Josepi play just outside the mouth of the den. Veena watched over them regally, prepared to run and tell Eppie if things took a turn for the worse. Liraz couldn't play with her brothers and sister; she tired too quickly, her muscles and joints burned too badly, and if she got too excited, the coughing would start. Eppie and Jozo had learned to stay alert when it came to Liraz, watching for signs and symptoms that warned of imminent flare-ups of the plague that wracked Liraz's little body.

After watching her siblings for a moment, Liraz steeled herself and rose to her feet. She peered around, looking for that older lion with the pretty eyes and happy smile; nothing caught her eye aside from a small cub with pretty fur; stripes like herself and a dark mane. If he was sick too, maybe they could find ways to entertain themselves without being too rambunctious and rowdy. At the prospect of making a new friend, Liraz slowly but surely made her way over to the little boy cub, bright green eyes alert and ears perked. A perpetual smile, one that was nearly always on her lips, grew larger in size as she drew nearer to the cub. She kept her forward motion until another cough seized her little body; the loud, hacking sound came from deep in her chest, and when it was over Liraz peered towards the other cub, that smile still on her lips. She didn't call to him; that could fire up another cough. Instead she sat and watched him intently, eyes taking in every aspect of the cub. He was too far away to see his eyes, but his pelt was pretty.

And so she sat, waiting for him to notice her while she regained her composure, and her breath.  

[Uta]

The young cub's ears pricked as heard the sound of coughing. He slowed in his walk, taking a moment to register where the hacking sound was coming from. Brown and gold eyes landed on that of the striped cub, and for a moment Ndale debated turning around.

He didn't want to get sick. . and she was definitely ill. Or at least unwell.

But while Ndale wasn't exactly full of manners, while he could be a bit of a brat and stubborn, he wasn't mean. And he suffered from a horrible knight complex as well. Just as he had promised to defend his sisters, he couldn't walk away from someone who might be in need, and while Liraz didn't look like she was in immediate danger (outside of her cough) it wasn't enough to keep Ndale away. He just had to ask and be sure.

Besides, she was smiling at him. It wasn't like he could just ignore her now. . . Heaving a small sigh, he trotted towards the striped female and quickly bridged the distance between them. "Um . . . are you gonna be all right?" He questioned, canting his head as he studied the young female. He wasn't that much older than her, but it was enough to give him the advantage when it came to size. "The lake's not far if you need a drink or somethin' . . ." He added with a shrug. There. See? He was being helpful.

In fact, this was the first cub he'd had the chance to meet since coming to the pride.
 

[bipolar bee]

The first thing Liraz noticed about Ndale wasn't his most distinguishing feature. No, it wasn't his eyes that she noticed first; it was the almost angry way he carried himself, the reluctance that seeped from every inch of him. Liraz couldn't imagine feeling that way; she was a happy girl, with a decent family that kept her motivated as each day went on. She thrived in her family's love, felt cherished despite the fact that they tended to handle her with kid gloves. Liraz recognized her fragility; she wasn't stupid, nor was she self-destructive.

"I'll be fine," Liraz trilled, still beaming at the other cub. It was then that she noticed his mismatched eyes. Her own vibrant eyes widened, and that precious smile that stretched her lips grew even larger in size as all the pieces in her mind clicked into place. It was him. It was the lion in her vision, except he was still a cub, just like her. She didn't give a moments thought to what it meant. She was too caught up in the fact that this... this was the lion she'd seen in her dream-vision.

"It's you," she said simply, pure giddiness radiating from her thin body.  

[Uta]

Their lives were quite different, despite both being so young. While Liraz had been blessed with a loving mother and father, had known no other life outside the Kitwana'antara, Ndale hadn't been quite so fortunate. Given, Liraz was sickly and had been cursed with the plague, but she could wear a smile easily enough. Ndale . . . didn't entirely know or understand the definition of the word 'happy'.

If the meeting was going to be a bit awkward due to Ndale's unfortunate lack of social etiquette, it only grew worse when Liraz suddenly made her giddy statement. The striped cub could only stare at her as she seemed to beam at him, some new found joy or happiness taking over her fragile little form. What . . . what on earth did that mean!?

His hackles raised a bit, defensive as ever, and his tail swished a bit as his surprise and confusion turned to a frown. "What does that mean? Of course it's me. . . though I don't expect you to know who I am, since we've never, ever met." Snorting softly, her breezy joy was foreign to Ndale and . . . something he was both curious and unsure of. He wanted to get to know her better, wanted to know why she was so happy, and where this strange sense of giddiness came from.

It was weird.

Serious as ever, he did give a small shrug, adding, "Unless you met my sisters and they told you about me. I suppose that would make sense." It was mostly spoken to himself, as a reminder that just because they never met didn't mean he didn't have a reputation already for being a grump. And didn't mean his sisters hadn't spoken of him. There weren't many male cubs around as far as he could tell. . . .
 

[bipolar bee]

A comically serious look crossed over Liraz's features as she listened ever-so-carefully to what the other cub said. Of course he was confused by her excited comment; he didn't understand the source of her joy. The more that she looked at him, the more she grew confused, herself. He was nothing like the lion in her dream-vision; he wasn't particularly happy, nor was he very warm or welcoming. He was... distant, purposefully so, and Liraz was quiet for a long moment as she tried to make the puzzle fit in the depths of her mind. The last thing she wanted to do was frighten him away. She'd only just found him! Should she be honest and blunt? Gnawing on her lower lip, she merely stared at him for an uncomfortably long time before deciding to finally speak.

"I'm Liraz," she began, huffing softly. She'd been ignoring the ache in her bones this morning, but in her excitement the pain flared. The little female hemmed and hawed... should she be honest with him? Honesty was important, after all. "I have never met your sisters. You ... well ..." Agitated now, she rose to her feet and gave a little pace - back and forth - before sitting down in front of him once more.

"I saw you in my dream-vision," she said simply, a little smile breaking across her lips. "Mama says I have visions, that I have been blessed by the Gods." She shrugged as if she wasn't completely sure what that meant. "You were much, much older. And happy, you smiled a lot. I know it's you. It's your eyes." She dearly hoped that he wouldn't be frightened away by her bold comment; she felt almost attached to this male, and it wasn't something she completely understood or that she could explain. Offering a small smile, she looked hopeful as she waited for his response.  

[Uta]

The black and white cub wasn't entirely sure what to say or what to think. The young female before him had said nothing, and instead was just staring at him. What was up with that!? Perhaps he was uncomfortable because this was a female he'd never met, then again, even if he had known her there was always a little awkwardness when one was so closely scrutinized. A small part of Ndale wasn't sure what the golden striped cub was gaping at, but he hoped he passed the unknown test.

If this had been some adult, he might have bared his teeth and growled at them to stare at something their own size. He wasn't keen on adults, and he still trusted none within the pride. But when it came to cubs his age, he'd never had an opportunity to actually get to know them. This little strange one was the first!

While Ndale was known to be somewhat grumpy, he had an extreme fondness for his sisters. As it was, Liraz wasn't one of his siblings, but she was younger than him, and smaller, and looked kind of weak. Part of Ndale instantly wanted to be stronger and tougher, if only to keep an eye out for her, and another part of him felt like he could be friendly. She was too little and too young to stab him in the back anyway!

"I'm Ndale," he murmured, his voice soft as his brown and gold eye studied her thoughtfully. Liraz. He didn't have much time to focus on her though as she suddenly started pacing, and seemed agitated. Suddenly though, it all came out. She saw him in her dream-vision!? Blessed by the gods~?! What . . . .what on earth did that mean!

She must be crazy. There were no such things as dream-visions, and . . . and . . . she must be playing a game. Some sort of game, that little girls did, little girls that weren't traumatized by their parents abandoning them. "Uh. . . OK then," he added, deciding to play along and agree with her.

Visions. Ndale had never ever heard of such jibberish!

"I don't know if that really sounds like me," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders and a heavy sigh. "I don't really smile much now, I don't know why I'd smile a lot when I get older." Likely because there was no reason to smile. Ndale and his siblings had been through far too much for their young lives. It had caused them to be more grown up, and less inclined to fall upon their cubby natures. Still, he offered a small smile at the silly female anyway. "But if you're sure it was me, I suppose since I don't have any dream-visions, you must be right."

 

[bipolar bee]

Liraz fell silent once more, those peridot eyes of hers never leaving his face. So his name was Ndale; this was so surreal to the little cub. She couldn't wait until she could tell her mama about this. The only thing was... well, he didn't seem to be happy. At all. He was polite, yes, but happy? No. That brought a little scowl to Liraz's face. Something didn't seem right, but she was feeling too tired to think too hard about it. The scowl melted from her features as something struck her.

"Well... maybe something happens and it makes you wanna smile a lot? Maybe you meet a new friend and they make you laugh! Or... who knows." She grinned at Ndale. She felt really happy around him, for some reason, and she felt a lot less sick for some reason, too. She hadn't coughed since they'd started talking. Liraz thought that was a little strange in itself.

"Mama says my dream-visions are a gift. Not many lions have them, n'stuff, I guess." Liraz beamed at him. "So you have sisters? I have a sister. And two brothers. I'm the youngest, are you the youngest too?"  

[Uta]

The black, white and orange cub studied the striped one before him. He wasn't entirely sure how to treat her, which put him in quite the predicament. She didn't look like them, she certainly wasn't related, and she didn't act like he was used to cubs acting. She was talkative, a little weaker than him, and much smaller . . . . On the one hand, the protector in Ndale screamed at him to keep an eye out on her! There was no telling what might happen, and he hadn't been so blind as to not hear her coughing earlier. But the grumpy cub in him said not to get too close or feel too much of anything. She was one of them, after all, and he was still quite certain that it wouldn't be long before the pride regretted bringing them in.

Hmph.

A bit conflicted, his tail twitched now and then as she chattered and prattled to him, talking about some sort of vision. Strange though that she had a vision of him, unless she was just making it all up. Sometimes Faraa told stories. . . . but deep down, somehow Ndale wasn't entirely sure she was making it up. The striped cub sounded so sure of everything.

Oh well.

"I . . . I suppose I'm not against smiling." Which was true. He smiled sometimes at his sisters, but that was about it. For the most part, eve naround them, if he wasn't glowering or scowling he just was stoic and ever so serious. But it couldn't be helped - he would never be light hearted. Never, ever. Life hadn't been kind to him during his most tender moments of life, and it had hardened him in ways a cub shouldn't be. "I don't have any friends though, but I guess if I did I might smile around them. Maybe." He added, not really sold on the idea of friends.

That meant trusting. . .and Ndale just wasn't good with that.

"I don't have visions, and my sisters dun either, so . . . I guess your Mom's right then." She had a mother. Of course she had a mother. Stupid mothers. . . they didn't need one anyway! Hmph. They got along just fine without them. He couldn't help but feel both jealous and bitter at the young cub, but he knew it wasn't her fault their mother . . .well. . . failed. Deciding not to focus on that aspect, Ndale canted his head ever so slightly.

Sisters. That was a much more safe topic. "I have thr. . . TWO sisters, Haruma and Faraa." The silver striped one, well, while he would always remember her, he certainly couldn't count her as his sister. She had left them, she had run away, and likely she had wound up dead. Just like their mother, she had abandoned them. "And I . . . I am the youngest. But I've always taken care of my sisters." He gave a firm nod, wanting this other cub to realize that just because he was the youngest didn't mean he was weak.

He was a manly man. . .or so he liked to think. Tough. And he would always be tough, as if he had to prove it to the world.  

[bipolar bee]

"It can be hard being the youngest," Liraz sympathized, though she still had that smile on her face. She wasn't sure what else to say or do so she just sat there with that smile on her face as she just ... watched him. Liraz seemed enthralled by Ndale. It was so strange to actually meet someone in the flesh that she'd first seen in her visions. After learning that they had something in common - their birth order - Liraz was even more enraptured by the boy.

"I have some brothers that are bigger and older than me. Euderyn and Josepi. My sister is named Veena and she's... well, I love her but she's real bossy. Not really to me, but mostly to our brothers. My mom is named Eppie and my daddy is named Jozo. He's a warrior," she said proudly.

She fell silent again, watching him with those bright eyes. Though she was ecstatic that she'd found the male in her vision, something about him made her feel so sad. It was probably the fact that he'd said he didn't have any friends. Everyone should have friends.

"You should smile right now," Liraz beamed at Ndale, "because I'll be your friend, Ndale."  

[Uta]

The striped lion cub wasn't sure how to respond to Liraz. Thankfully though, she was a cub, just like him and that made things a little easier. Unlike adults, whom he really didn't trust at all! Still, her smile was nice, and it had been a long time since he'd seen any of his sisters really look happy and at peace. Sometimes Faraa did, as she had come out the least damaged (or so it appeared) since their mother and sisters abandonment.

"My sister Haruma likes to be in charge, but she's the oldest. She's not bossy though, just very serious." As if he himself wasn't also ridiculously serious. He couldn't seem to lighten up, didn't know how, but that was just the way of it. It was hard growing up under the label of outsider, and while they did have a new father, it . . .still made the cub uncomfortable. Who was to say they wouldn't just abandon them too, or turn them out later!?

"I just have Haruma and Faraa." He stated with a small shrug and a little flick of his tail. Still, she mentioned having a mother and a father. Jozo. Eppie. He wondered what his mothers real name was, but he felt sick just thinking about her. And as for his father, who knew where he was or what he looked like. He had no memory of a father, had no memory of a family outside of his sisters. Now there was Sliabh, of course, but he han't yet decided if he wanted him as a father.

Hmmph.

"I don't have a mother. She left us." He stated, voice growing strained and almost cold. His ears flattened some and he pawed at the tip of his tail, almost in annoyance. "And no father either. We're just foundlings, though one lion is kind of looking after us." He wasn't sure why he admitted it to Liraz, but somehow he felt it would be good of her to know. He was secretly a little jealous that Liraz's life seemed so gloriously different than his own. He bet she never starved before, had never been without the protection of a pride or family.

Oh well. It wasn't her fault. Sighing a bit, he forced a small smile and added, "But your family sounds real nice anyway." At her request to smile, to really smile, the young cub was at a loss. So he had a friend now, a friend who sometimes saw things and seemed to smile way too much.

"Okay then. . Liraz. We'll be friends. You'll be my first friend." He wasn't too sure about the idea of friendship, but she could sort of be like a sister. A . . not-sister. That would be all right, right? And with that, he smiled again, though this one was just a hair more genuine. "So uh. What all do friends do?"
 

[bipolar bee]

That was a sad thought. Liraz could never imagine being without her beloved mama and her strong papa. Though things sometimes seemed strained between the two, Liraz didn't question the love they had for her and her siblings. She supposed that might make her lucky, but it wasn't something she thought about. It wasn't that she took her parents for granted, merely that she couldn't comprehend a life without either of them.

"That's sad," she murmured, not wanting to pry although the questions burned to be asked. What had happened to his mama? His papa? Were they alive? Dead? She didn't want to delve into those questions now. It would only make Ndale more sad and that's something she didn't want to do. He was happy in her visions, so he should be happy now, right? It made sense to her.

"My family is nice. You should meet mama and papa some time. And Veena and Eu and Josepi. Maybe they'll be your friends too!" It was a nice thought but she didn't want to pester him, and she didn't want to share him just yet. That didn't make her selfish, did it? She didn't think so. It thrilled her to be someones first friend. Made her all giddy inside.

"I'm not sure what friends do," she mused, looking thoughtful now. "My brothers romp around and get dirty while Veena watches them." She looked at him apologetically, "I'm.. sick, so I can't do all that stuff. Maybe we could..." she paused a moment, looking thoughtful. What things did she enjoy doing alone? Maybe they could do them together... Oh! Liraz beamed at Ndale, "Maybe we could make shapes out of the clouds? Sometimes one will look like a hare or a mouse!"  

[Uta]

Ndale really wasn't very good at making friends. But he'd never had a friend before, so he was new, and he wasn't entirely sure what was right and what was wrong. He knew how to act around his sisters, but around Liraz? This was new territory for the cub, and it made him rather uncomfortable.

Deep inside, something stirred and the young cub had to resist from flattening his ears and growling at the idea of meeting her parents. Whyever would he want to do that?! His sisters were enough, he didn't need any grown ups in his life. And besides, he didn't want to get horribly jealous either. To see her with a mother and father and all of her family would make him upset. And that wouldn't be good for any of them.

Still, he knew she was just trying to be nice, and he offered a small, half smile. "Well, maybe someday I can meet them, sure," he encouraged with a small flick of his tail. "I don't need a lot of friends though, so I'm simply happy you're it." It wasn't entirely a lie, he actually was glad to have a friend. He knew his sisters would be happy, at any rate, and he'd be able to know someone who wasn't related to him. And it would be good to have a new friend, when Haruma and Faraa were away.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

His ears pricked a bit when she mentioned she was sick, and he gave a small frown. "Are you sick all the time? I know there are a lot of ill lions and cubs here, it's . . . it's not fair that you have to be sick like that." He didn't know that this wasn't the norm, that most prides were healthy and illness was the disease, but he did know that none of his sister or his mother had been sick. As far as he were concerned, they were all promised good health, even if those like Liraz weren't.

His ears twitched and he looked up at the sky. "Clouds. . .I've never really looked up at the clouds before. I didn't realize they could look like shapes." They were blobbous forms, and the dual eyed male couldn't help but squint up, trying to discover what creatures the clouds might turn in to. He'd never played this game before.
 

[bipolar bee]

Liraz bobbed her head in excitement as he agreed to meeting her parents someday. It would make them smile to know that she'd made a friend, and Liraz yearned to see her parents smile. She knew that they worried over her, and that hurt her heart. She didn't want to be a source of stress to her mama and her papa, but what could be done about that? Nothing, really. Liraz just had to keep on smiling like she did every day, tell her mama and her papa that she loved them like she did every day, and make sure her brothers and sisters knew that she loved them too. That was important to Liraz.

"I'm sick a lot," she said softly, gazing up at the clouds for a heartbeat before turning her attention towards Ndale again. The sight of him made her feel better and she wasn't sure why. "Sometimes I cough, but mostly my body gets real sore. Sometimes I run out of breath, but not always." She looked curious at the way he said it wasn't fair. She'd never thought about it.

"I guess I never thought about it that way," she murmured, watching him carefully. She wasn't really sure she wanted to think about it that way, honestly. Life was easier when she just took it moment by moment, and so far the good moments far outweighed the bad ones. Feh. She shrugged and offered a bright grin. "I'm just glad you aren't sick!"

Her attention moved back towards the clouds. They drifted across the blue sky - Liraz liked to imagine they were happy and carefree, clouds without a worry in the world. "Clouds are nice. They look so soft, don't they? And that one - that one right there," she pointed frantically, wanting Ndale to see the one she was pointing at, "it looks like a butterfly."