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 Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:09 am
 Pur'Jed sighed heavily and immediately regretted it. The sudden inhalation for whatever reason made her feel a little queasy. Everything seemed to make her feel that way lately, and she didn't like it. In fact, her temper was definitely in a state of flux which corresponded more closely to how ill she was feeling at a given time than anything else, but only loosely. Mostly she was just subject to mood swings with a heavy dose of self-pity.
Self-pity was something Pur had been feeling a lot of, ever since that terrifying night in the rogue lands when she had been hunted down and pinned beneath a hellfiend. If that lion hadn't come by when he did...Just thinking about it was enough to make her shiver with horror. It had been partly out of gratitude and partly because she recognized that she'd been hiding in the den for days, which would surely attract someone's notice, that she made herself return to the rogue lands - in broad daylight - to search for her rescuer.
She had found him, amazingly enough, and he was still nursing wounds he'd acquired defending her. Although she knew nothing of healing, Pur knew it was her duty to tend him as best she was able, and so she had returned to him for many days in succession, slowly falling in what she thought was love. Once she stayed the night and gave herself to him, but she had known it for a mistake immediately and fled home, not to return. Since then Pur had thrown herself into her duties as a noble despite her increasingly erratic mood swings.
Maybe no one had noticed.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:46 am
 Maua was not a happy lioness - not since Nyota had fled and failed to return after their last argument. That had been quite some time ago now but it had distracted her for some time no matter how often she told herself that it was likely for the best - better Nyota leave then keep shaming their family with her actions right?
It was probably this distraction that had led her to overlook Pur and her exploits for a while but as she was now coming around again the focus returned to her remaining good daughter. Dear Pur...Pur would never do anything to disappoint her, she had always been so well behaved, so prim and proper and interested in her lessons.
And she'd certainly been putting a great deal of effort into her duties lately. Maua was proud of her...but had begun to notice the mood swings, which were rather unusual for Pur who typically had such a good grasp of such things. Perhaps she was ill..or stressing herself to much, before her young cub went and did something unfortunate and make a fool of herself in front of someone important Maua decided it would likely be bet to confront her about it and had made Kivuli some along as well - after Nyota's issues it was even more important their remaining children had a stable family life. So she'd gone looking - and thankfully hadn't had to look to hard, good reliable Pur!
"Pur dear" Maua called out in a pleasant tone "Can we talk to you for a moment?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:56 am
 Much time had passed since Nyota had left the pride to live with that Rogue and while Kivuli was no longer angry with his rebellious daughter he did worry often about her safety and well being. Some days he wondered if they should go looking for her, just to check on her, but he knew that would only drive her away further as she would likely see it as them trying to drag her back.
Lately though it was Pur who had gained Kivuli's attention. Her recent mood swings were a bit of a shock and he and Maua had spent a great deal of time speaking about them and their possible causes before deciding to go and talk to their daughter about it. Maua may have thought she convinced Kivuli to come along with her, but he had come on his own accord, plus there would likely need to be at least one level headed lion in the group should a certain subject be broached, and let's face it Maua was not the calm one of the pair. Following Maua, the pair approached their daughter. He stood quietly for now, willing to let the two females talk first before he would join in, or step in if needed.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:49 pm
In spite of all her variable moods, Pur had never allowed her temper to flare at her mother or father. It was so deeply ingrained in her to respect those two lions that it probably would have caused her physical pain to go against it. As it was, she had a perpetually sick feeling in her gut because of what she'd done in the rogue lands. What she'd allowed that male to do. She refused to even think his name.
Seeing both of her parents approaching her, Pur scrambled to her feet as gracefully as she could manage given her general lassitude and aching back and hips. It would not have surprised her if she'd managed to injure herself during her flight home that other night. Her paws had been torn up pretty badly, but that was nothing, really. She'd gone around ginger-footed for several days, and no one would really have noticed anyway since she spent the first few days after that horrible experience holed up in the den.
"Hello, Mother, Father," she greeted them courteously. "Of course we can talk. Would you like to sit?"
She hoped they would agree to sit. Sitting was more comfortable for Pur than standing, and made it less readily apparent that she was beginning to put on weight from all her inactivity. She'd never really considered that an adolescent's role as a noble was sedentary enough that she'd gain weight, but that's what was happening. It contributed to her bad temper. Who would want to marry a lioness who was fat when her sisters were just as lithe and svelte as ever?
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:05 am
Maua regarded her daughter as she scrambled to her feet in well..a far less graceful fashion then she normally did and grew slightly worried - was her daughter ill? That would not be good..for anyone and the lioness recalled that Pur had spent several days holed up in her den not to long ago, had that been a precursor to something else..to the moodswings and the...oh dear.
Was that added weight about her middle? Surely not, there had to be another explanation Maua assured herself. Which they could get to the bottom of right here and now and with a glance behind her to make sure Kivuli was still paying attention she smiled at her daughter and accepted the offer to sit. "That would be lovely" She told Pur, pleased by her graciousness even if she were troubled by other things. "We've noticed you seem to be having some troubles lately and were somewhat worried...isn't that right Kivuli?" And she twisted around to give him a look and make sure he was going to agree with her.
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:25 am
Kivuli noticed the way that Pur got to her feet, not at all like she normally did. Pur was a graceful female, and what he saw just not was not the graceful daughter he had come to know. Yes, something was definitely going on and it would either come to Maua prying it out of her or Pur offering up the information on her own. Stepping forward Kivuli took a seat beside Maua and looked at their daughter.
He allowed Maua to speak before adding his bit to the conversation. "Yes," he nodded his head, purple mane bobbing slightly. "You don't seem yourself lately, and we are just a bit concerned about what is going on." After that the big male fell silent, he would sit quietly and listen and watch, sometimes there were subtle shifts in the body that spoke of things that words did not. Besides he was more than willing to let Maua do most of the talking, that was as long as it remained talking and didn't transform into yelling.
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 1:38 pm
Pur wasn't sure whether she ought to be horrified that someone had noticed the change in her behavior or relieved that it was her parents who brought it up and not someone else. It would have been mortifying, for instance, if Queen Kalenda had taken her to task for something she'd noticed about Pur and the way she'd been carrying on lately. So it was definitely a good thing that her parents had been the one to broach the subject, but at the same time Pur knew it wasn't a good thing that anyone had been required to do so at all. More things to be ashamed of.
"I'm sorry to have worried you both. I hadn't realized that my behavior was so out of the ordinary lately."
Here she paused, unsure how to proceed. This would be the perfect opportunity for her to tell her parents what had happened and what she had done, and how it had been eating away at her ever since. But then they would be so ashamed. Her mother would be deeply hurt, but also furious, and her father...She didn't know. Perhaps he'd be able to keep her mother from shredding her, but Pur doubted he'd actually be happy. And what if he decided to go out and track down the two lions who had been the source of all Pur's troubles? He could get hurt.
Pur concluded that it would be better for everyone if she just kept it all a secret and dealt with it in her own way. Just like with curtsying, practice would make perfect. She'd learn to hide everything so everything would seem like everything was fine. Of course, she'd still need something to tell her parents while she was getting herself under control, and that would mean lying. She had actually never lied to her parents before. Either of them. Not about something this big, nor even about smaller things, as far as she could recall.
"I did something stupid. And bad. And stupid," she exclaimed, all her plans falling to nothingness when she opened her mouth to reply. It was amazing she didn't begin sobbing. "I'm so sorry."
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Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:29 am
Maua gave her daughter a warm look - Pur had always been so very well behaved that it was easy for her to be kind and gentle with her the way a noble mother should, unlike some of her other siblings who did little but raise her ire and send Maua off into well deserved tangents of fury.
"It has not been too terrible yet' Maua assured Pur "But odd enough coming from you that we grew concerned' No need to make her think the rest of the nobles were off nattering about her. If she was sick or something - and Maua still thought this must be the case - then there was no need to hinder her with that stress.
Which meant she was incredibly ill prepared for the way Pur suddenly dissolved to near tears and started going on about something terrible she had done. "I'm sure it can't be all that terrible..." Maua said with an uncertain look to Kivuli
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Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:01 am
As Pur seemed to nearly fall apart talking of the bad and stupid thing she had done Kivuli began to worry that much more. Pur had always been one of their better children and rarely got into trouble and even when she did it was over minor things. But now watching this sudden display Kivuli thought that perhaps she had done something that was bad.
Oh gods please don't let it be anything too awful, he thought as he looked at Maua giving her a reassuring look, though honestly he couldn't be certain it would work. Returning his attention to his daughter Kivuli approached the situation with his normal calmness. "Come now Pur, tell us what is bothering you." Perhaps she was just overreacting thinking that this bad thing she had done was worse than it actually was.
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Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:45 am
It took Pur several moments to collect herself and make sure that her distress would not translate into tears. Tears, as she knew from the many performances she had viewed, could be useful tools and she didn't want to start in with them too early. Right now her parents were clearly concerned and loving and receptive, but they might not be so after she told them what she had done. The tears might be necessary then.
Her irresponsible actions went against everything they'd taught her. From her mother she had learned about propriety and duty and the importance of choosing a mate carefully. Good breeding and good prospects were essential elements. From her father she had also learned that love was a desirable factor in any match. There had been attraction between her and that lion whose name she wouldn't even think, but she would not have called it love. And even if it had been love, she could never have brought him home with her as a marriageable prospect.
"I'm sorry," she apologized once she'd collected herself somewhat. Her tone wasn't perfectly calm, but she didn't think she'd begin sobbing any time soon. "I was out in the rogue lands, thinking about my future. I've been worried about it, I admit. I got so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear a lion approaching. He..."
She paused, unsure how much detail she ought to go into. On one hand, she would have loved to tell someone about her horrific ordeal. On the other hand, she didn't really think it ought to be one of her parents. If only she and her siblings were closer. "He scared me very badly, and threatened me, but a second lion appeared and held him at bay so that I could get away."
So far they would only scold her for leaving the pride without an escort, and that was a scolding she could take, but there was more to the story, and she would have to tell it to them. She just didn't want to.
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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:43 pm
Maua wasn't sure if she was thankful for Kivuli's reassuring look or just a touch more worried after receiving it - such looks were generally a sign that Kivulli was trying to keep her calm and when he had to do that, well things were never going well. Did he suspect something that he wasn't...well couldn't ..tell her at the moment?
Brow furrowed slightly in thought she turned her attention back to Pur as Kivuli coaxed her into revealing whatever it was that was bothering her. Better that he take that role then she, Kivuli was far better as such things. "Well...I'm sure it was traumatic, and certainly not a smart thing to do" Maua started after Pur finished "But it could have been far worse, your could have been terribly wounded" She scolded her daughter who knew better then to run about by herself in the dangerous rogue lands. Imagine if she'd come back wounded and all scared up! Then she'd certainly have to worry about her future now wouldn't she? She was in fact so fixated on that hideous prospect that she missed the fact Pur was obviously holding something back.
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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:57 pm
Kivuli read much time to the time that it took Pur to start talking about what was bothering her. Also the way she seemed hesitant to speak of the event told him a great deal beyond her simple words. He may not fully know what had happened yet, however he was certain that she was holding something back. Something that would clearly need to be coaxed out of her. First he needed to address the issue of her going off into the rogue lands unattended even though Maua had already commented on it. "We have guards and escorts for a reason Pur. It to help prevent such things from ever happening." His voice was calm, not wanting to sound like he was scolding her, merely pointing out the facts that she already knew.
"I hope that in the future you will think better before acting. You should consider yourself lucky that you were no harmed." He could remember back when the cubs were smaller, that every time Nyota ran off to the rogue lands he was so relieved to see her come back safely. Kivuli looked at his daughter with a critical eye, and while Maua may have been distracted enough to not noticed that Pur was holding back, he on the other hand was ready to press on and get the rest of the information from her. "Are you sure that is everything that is bothering you?" While being in a situation like that could be traumatizing for young adult like Pur he doubted that in itself would be the sole cause of her sudden change in behavior. No there was something more going on and he was determined to find out what.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:32 am
Pur's head hung down so that her nose was approximately level with the tops of her paws. All the things her parents had brought up about the dangers of her excursions were true, and she wasn't like Nyota, with her ability to befriend anyone. Not that she would have wanted to befriend just anyone, but it might have helped. No, actually, it probably wouldn't have helped. But surely there was something she could have done differently from the beginning to prevent the chain of events. Well, there was. She could have simply stayed within the boundaries of the pride.
"You're right, of course. I just wanted to be alone and think. It was stupid. Especially since I almost was...hurt."
She had no doubt it would have been painful if the demon lion had been able to pin her as he liked and take from her what he wanted. He did not seem as though he was particularly interested in her comfort, or even in her willingness. And the fact that she'd resisted him, first fleeing and then struggling, probably would have led to further abuses if he chose to take out his frustrations on her. She remembered all too well the feeling of his teeth against her throat.
"I wasn't, though!" she hastened to add that part before her parents could worry too much. "Someone came along and saved me. I went back, later, to thank him and he was hurt. Because of me."
As a cub she'd thought it would be romantic to have someone fight and receive wounds for her, but once it had actually happened Pur was uncomfortable with it. She felt wholly responsible and guilty. That much probably was apparent from her tone of voice, though. She wondered how much of the rest of her story was apparent, or how much her parents would be able to guess at. She hoped they would still love her.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:54 am
'You were lucky" Maua told her daughter, even as her head hung so low. Some lessons had to sting if one wanted to remember them and surely her apparent shame over her actions would be enough to keep her from repeating her actions.
Something still bothered Maua however - while all of this was traumatic it was true..none of it seemed traumatic enough for Pur to be acting as she had and it was becoming ever more clear that she wasn't ill either. And then she went and talked about how he'd gone back to thank this rescuer and Maua took a deep breath before looking to Kivuli. Pur was a good noble it was true..she was poised and well spoken and graceful...but she was a horrible romantic and it wouldn't surprise Maua if Pu felt a bit more then gratitude for this wayward savior. "I see, and this stranger who saved you...did you go back to see him more then once?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:32 am
The large male sat quietly while waiting for Pur to further explain herself. She would do so in time, he knew that without a doubt, sometimes one just needed to be prodded in the right way first. When she finally seemed willing to say a bit more he listened carefully to her words and tone. So she had gone back to see her savior. That was not a completely shock, Pur was well mannered and would likely want to thank the one who saved her. But, and of course there was always a but, the ways he said it made him think. He caught the look Maua shot him but did not move to look at her, he simply remained sitting there watching Pur for several long moments.
He was judging her, not harshly, merely looking for any flinch or shift in her body while under his gaze. One may be able to hide things by not saying them, but it was common knowledge that hiding something often made one nervous and being nervous led to involuntary flinches and movement. Of course being a noble Pur had been taught to hide those movements as often as possible, but Kivuli was not a dumb lion, he was pretty darn certain what she was hiding from them even before Maua prodded her with another question. "More importantly, exactly what did you two do while together?" He questioned her, though the look in his eyes told Pur that he knew what she had done, he just wanted her to say it out loud. Noble or not, she needed to learn to admit to her mistakes and not hide them, especially from her parents, the rest of the pride need not know, but Maua and Kivuli did.
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