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 Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:09 pm
She knew her place in the pride, and didn't mind the thought of having sisters and sharing one mate. But she did question whether or not she'd be a very good banu. Unlike some of her sisters, she had a tendency to speak her mind, and worse, seemed to forget some of the rules. She knew she was to honor and respect the Pads of the pride, but sometimes it was just too hard to NOT speak up. She also preferred rough housing, and wrestling, and playing hard as opposed to being soft and gentle.
She was a tomboy, and to realize that her place would be submissive to another made her uncertain on what to do. Would any Pad want her? Jelah flicked her tail in thought, and realized that someday soon she would have to start trying to abide by the rules. She was getting older, and soon she'd have to find her place amongst the pride.
Who would her pad be? Would her father give her away willingly or would she find someone who requested her? Well, seeing as she didn't know many outside of her family, she doubted any had taken much notice of her. Oh well. Whatever happened would happen. There was no reason to worry too much about her future. Let her sisters play the role of perfection, she'd much rather roll around in mud and have some fun!
Bounding towards the lake, the young female didn't think twice to jump in to the edge of the water. So what if her coat got muddy and wet! She didn't want to swim, but she liked the coolness of the water, and enjoyed making paw prints in the mud. Maybe it wasn't the most respectable behavior, but it sure was fun!
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:39 pm
 Amani had been enjoying a peaceful day by the lake, watching happily as everyone around her got along when her attention was drawn to a small cream and brown cub. Purple eyes widened as she saw the cub jump right into the mud and a laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "Oh how adorable!" she proclaimed. "And so very messy, as well," she said as she stood and headed over to watch the cub play. "Does your mother know how much of a mess she's going to have to clean up when you get home?" she teasingly reprimanded.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:20 pm
Jelah almost winced when a voice suddenly spoke out. Uh-oh, was she in trouble? She winced a bit before glancing up to spot the source, and was only slightly relieved when she heard a laugh. There she was, a pretty banu with purple eyes, and purple and black markings on a blue-grey coat. Jelah didn't recognize the older lioness, but then, she was still fairly young and didn't often get to interact much with those outside of her immediate family.
Thankfully though, the other didn't seem to be mad or scolding her. In fact, she had a pleasant voice and Jelah couldn't help but beam proudly up at the other while she stood paw deep in mud and water. "Momma doesn't know yet, but she sure will when I go home!" The young female stated with a bit of pride, puffing out her chest as she batted a bit at the water.
"You should come play too, it's awfully nice and cool. And sometimes getting a little dirty is fun," she encouraged, wondering if the older female would. Part of Jelah knew that most banu were proper and acted their age, but the green eyed cub couldn't resist a little mischief. And the older one seemed to be giggling and wore a smile, that was a good sign, wasn't it?
"I'm banu Jelah. . . my papa is Pad Misilivuma!" That was the right way to address her, wasn't it? Sometimes Jelah couldn't help but forget. There were an awful lot of rules to remember, but she tried hard and watned to make her father proud even if she liked getting a little dirty. She might not be the gentlest female around, but she had spunk and sass and did have a good heart. The strange female before her was new, different, but she wanted her to stay and play. Or at least get to know her.
Could a cub be friends with an adult? Maybe. She didn't know any cubs yet, and the purple eyed stranger before her wasn't related to her family, but she was seemingly friendly. Well, maybe she'd find out. Either way, she could tell her siblings and mother all about her adventure near the lake.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:50 pm
"Perhaps a little mud wouldn't hurt," Amani, half sister to the sultan agreed, stepping into the mud delicately and laughing in delight. "I am Amani, Beybanu of the Pad Nywele," she said, not bothering to add all the other relations she had. "And that was a lovely introduction, little banu, your mother would be proud!" Well, perhaps not of the muddy part, but she was very polite in her words.
The mud squished between her toes and she moved further in, enjoying the feel. "I was feeling quite lonely," she admitted to the cub, although really she hadn't felt that lonely until she saw the cub. "Would you like to keep me company?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:14 am
Jelah was quite surprised to see that the older banu actually joined her in playing in the mud and waters edge! Still, she was delighted to see the older one and her smile absolutely radiated with joy and delight. Eeeee! A playmate! And an older banu at that.
Giggling a bit, the young female gave a fervent shake of her of head. "No, mud doesn't hurt anything . . . but it can get sticky sometimes. Or at least tangled in fur. Sometimes . . .Sometimes Mama makes me go and jump in the lake before she bathes me if I'm really muddy." She stated honestly, giving a small shrug. "But I like it. I'd let my cubs get all muddy if I had any," she added proudly, puffing out her chest a bit. Someday she'd have a family with a pad, and cubs her own and, at her young age, mud didn't seem like such a big deal. "I'd even get all muddy with them," she added with a grin.
Ah youth.
"Unless my Pad didn't want me to. Then I'd have to be good. But. . . but I hope maybe I'll find a Pad who likes to play in the mud sometimes too! Because then we all could. And make paw prints, just like this," she chattered, unaware of her rambling. Reaching forward, she dipped her paw delicately in to the mud near Amani and proudly made a print of her paw. "See? You should make one too!"
Life was good for little Jelah. She was happy, she had a new friend, and one that was actually indulging in her less-than-delicate hobbies. Her ears did flatten a bit when she heard that Amani had been lonely. "Awww, I'm sorry you're so lonely. I'd love the company, cause I was kind of lonely too. But you can play with me anytime you feel that way," she added with a happy smile. "Then you won't have to be lonely ever again!" Part of Jelah was surprised that the older banu felt such things. She had always thought that the adults were always happy and had no complaints. Strangae really, something she'd have to think about more later.
For now, it was play time with Amani!
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Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:36 pm
"That is a very lovely paw print, indeed," Amani said admiringly, reaching out and making her own print next to it. It was much larger, but quite well formed. "And I agree entirely," she went on. "Cubs should be able to play in the mud once in a while, be they boys or girls! Even banu and beybanu should, as well. Would you like me to tell you a secret?" she asked, leaning closer to the little one.
"Playing in the mud is an excellent way to mask your scent for hunting," she whispered. "It covers your scent, and the prey won't notice you coming on the wind. That is a very good thing to know as a banu," she added with a happy smile. "And I will definitely remember your promise, little one! We will have such great fun!"
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:21 pm
((Sorry for the delay! My SoA muses took a nap for awhile there.))
Jelah cooed a bit as she looked Amani's paw print. It seemed ridiculously huge compared to the one the little cub made, and part of her wondered if she'd actually grow to be as large as the banu next to her. Amani was so grown up and so big, and Jelah so small. Still, her mother said she'd grow up big one day, it just didn't happen overnight.
"Ooooh, yours is so big!" She reached over and put her little paw print in the middle of Amani's, showing her the difference in size. (As if the older banu might not notice such a difference). Still, the pale banu's ears pricked and her eyes went wide as she was told such a secret. Jelah loved secrets, but she wasn't very good at keeping them. She wanted to tell her mother and sisters of this hunting tactic, but if it was a secret, then it meant she wasn't supposed to tell.
Hmm.
Maybe if she whispered it to her sisters and told them not to tell anyone they could know? "Ooooh. I didn't know that! But I can't hunt anything more than bugs. The birds don't come down low enough or fly away too quick. But maybe if I'm covered in mud they won't see me!" She beamed happily up at Amani, her little chest puffing out in delight at this knowledge. She felt so mature knowing an adult agreed that mud playing was both fun and productive to the art of hunting.
"But dun worry. I'll keep this trick a secret just between us!"
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 11:35 am
"You can tell your sisters, and maybe if your brothers are exxxxtra extra nice you can tell them, too," Amani said to the little cub, trying not to laugh. "Do you have brothers and sisters?" she asked, changing the subject. "I have two brothers. They're big and strong and handsome," she bragged gently, smiling as she thought of her siblings.
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:30 am
Jelah blinked as the older banu told her that shec could speak of this secret. It was a great hunting secret, after all, and while Jelah wanted her sisters to succeed she also didn't want to let the whole world know of it! So if she was a good huntress someday, she could still play in the mud under the pretense of hiding her scent. The young cub couldn't see how this was a bad thing--everybody won!
Giggling some, she gave a nod. "Okay. But only if he's really nice." She listened as the elder lioness spoke of her family and siblings. She knew she had quite an extended family, but she also wasn't entirely sure who was who. "Oh, I have eight sisters," she added, just as proud. "And. . and a brother my age! I have a few more half-brothers too, but sometimes I forget how many." She admitted, ears flattening a bit as she looked down at her muddy paws.
"It's prolly' not good to forget, but I have a lot. And don't see 'em all the time cause they're older. Does that make me a bad banu?" She questioned, looking up at the older female and half-wincing, prepared to be lectured over her forgetfulness. But it was hard! Her family was huge. Or at least it seemed huge for a little cub her age.
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:42 pm
"It's pretty hard," Amani agreed. "There's all sorts of huge families that are born so far apart. My boy Behnam doesn't even know of some of his younger siblings, I'm pretty sure. But don't worry," she promised the cub. "After a while you'll figure out who is who. I'm sure that your mothers will be happy to tell you if you ask them--quietly," she added quickly. "Just whisper in their ear that you can't really remember exactly who it is and they'll whisper back!"
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