[BL-PRP] Goodbyes and Secrets (Azhar'Hilel, Obadias)

[Mogami]

Azhar’Hilel was a difficult young lion to read but even he was showing signs of the great big change ahead. His mane didn’t even cover his neck but soon the adolescent would be leaving on his banu quest and anyone could clearly see there was a certain excitement lurking just below the skin. His father had already given him great advice - as usual - and his mother, a lioness who had lived most of her life in the rogue lands had also provided him with valuable information.

Azhar knew the time was up. He had already began saying private goodbyes to his many brothers and sisters and spending a lot of time practicing hunting with his mother, his father’s beybanu and his older sister. So the adolescent was now heading to a nearby den where his uncle Obadias lived. He was mostly going to say goodbye but good advice from a Pad was always welcomed.

“Uncle?” The den seemed oddly quiet… perhaps they had all gone for a walk.  

[Velveteen Angel]

Obadias was sprawled in the back of the den in a rather undignified and very cub-like sprawl, enjoying a brief not-nap. He rarely slept, even during the day, so naps just didn't happen, but he occasionally liked to take a quiet moment and simply close his eyes. He rested. He just didn't sleep when he rested. It was good enough though, it saved him from going completely crazy due to sleep deprivation.

He blinked at a familiar voice calling into the den. He raised his head, peering back over his shoulder towards the mouth, spotting the figure standing in the sunshine. Ah. He certainly recognised that visitor he thought, rising to stand.

“Azhar,” he greeting his 'nephew'. Obadias had tried to keep in contact with all of his cubs from Star. He could not claim them as his own, he would not do that to his brother despite the fact Anwar knew and accepted the affair, but Obadias had tried his hardest to be a good Uncle to his offspring.

“What brings you to my den?” He smiled at the boy - well, not a 'boy', he was almost an adult now. My gods, where had the time gone? Obadias almost felt old in that moment - he motioned for Azhar to come into the den if he wanted. It would give them privacy, if the boy wanted to talk, and also allowed Obadias a few more moments to keep his eyes away from the harsh sun.

 

[Mogami]

Azhar entered the red-eyed lion’s den with little ceremony and it was clear this was a place where he was comfortable. His father and his uncle had always been very close – something that contradicted the sibling rivalry that many of Vizier Tariq’s children seemed to share – and Azhar had always felt welcomed here.

“I’ll be leaving soon. On my banu quest.” He stepped closer to his uncle as he spoke and sat down next to the dark shape of the adult. “I wanted to say goodbye properly just in case we’re asked to make a sudden departure. Hopefully, it won’t be long until I return.”  

[Velveteen Angel]

Obadias’ smile stayed on his face, pleased at the ease that his illegitimate cubs entered his den. He was not their ‘dad’ but he was glad he was still part of their lives. “Time has truly flown,” he sighed at the comment of banu quests and smiled, shifting so that he sat comfortably beside Azhar.

“I have great faith in you, Azhar, you will do well on your quest, I am sure. Your father raised you well, and you are certainly worthy to take your place as a Pad amongst the pride.” It was all Obadias could do not to slip in a ‘son’ into that sentence, but no. That was not his place. Azhar was his nephew, and that’s all he could be. “So it is not really a ‘goodbye’, more of a ‘see you soon’.” He shot his ‘nephew’ a crooked smile.

 

[Mogami]

Had time really flown? For the younger lion, it had felt like it was moving painfully slow most of the time. He was actually secretly excited about the opportunity to leave the pride and go on his quest and even though he remained just as composed as usual there was a glimmer in his eyes when he met the red gaze of the lion before him. They looked a little alike, Azhar mused in silence, looking at the dark pelt so much like his own and wondering if he’d return from the rogue lands as tall as his uncle. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be long until he had outgrown his own father who was not a particularly large lion (which didn’t seem to hinder Anwar in any way apart from earning him a few snide remarks from some of Tariq's descendents).

“I will take my time, uncle.” Azhar said honestly with a small smile. It might’ve been a little blunt but he we planning to enjoy his quest as much as possible before returning to the pride. “I’ll be as slow as I can be without embarrassing the family.”

He paused and for a moment he did seem somewhat hesitant.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to look for.” He finally admitted. “All banu seem to be different. Zarha is strong and clever. Mother is gentle and beautiful. My older sister is kind and considerate. I’m not sure what kind of banu I’m supposed to bring home.” And then there was the problem of actually convincing someone suitable to come home with him. Since he wasn’t planning on knocking a lioness out and dragging her to the pride, Azhar had a feeling things wouldn’t be as easy as many Pads made them out to be.  

[Velveteen Angel]

Obadias smiled at his nephew, but a slight frowned appeared on his face at his 'nephew's words. "You could never embarrass the family, Azhar," Obadias said honestly. His sons could never embarrass him and if Anwar acted as if they embarrassed him...well, Obadias would have words with him.

He listened to the boy fully, and nodded his head. "There is a wide range out there," he agreed, "you need to look for someone who suits you. You are not your father-" oh the irony of Obadias saying that, he thought to himself, "- your taste in banu will not reflect his, so unless it suits you, try not to look to other's banu choices for guidance. I was lucky, I think, when I left for my quest, I knew who I wanted to find and it was luck that lead my to her in the rogue lands." He had known Mihika as a cub, and had sought her out as an adolescence. "As corny as it sounds, and forgive me for the romanticism, you'll know her when you find her." Obadias smiled, with a slight shrug.

Some left for their quest knowing their type, and wanting only that, and it sometimes limited them. Perhaps Azhar was better not knowing what he wanted, he could then decide on anyone without too much internal conflict.

 

[Mogami]

Azhar took his uncle’s words to heart, pondering on them carefully. While he did strive to be like his father, the dark lion wasn’t too keen on making the comparison. Their natures were similar but Azhar believed his father to be infinitely cleverer and much more in control of hisemotions, reactions and expressions while Azhar, most likely under the influence of his mother, knew himself to be far gentler in the privacy of the family unit. In that regard, he more closely resembled his uncle Obadias, perhaps.

“Thank you, uncle. Your words are very helpful.” He wished he had more family members he could ask but the truth was that he didn’t really trust most of his uncles. There seemed to be such an unhealthy competitiveness among most of Tariq’s descendents… it bordered on pathological, Azhar believed. “I feel a little relieved, I think. By the way, how are your banu and the cousins? Even with our dens so close, I don’t see them as much I wished… especially now with the quest looming closer.”  

[Velveteen Angel]

Obadias smiled gently at his nephew, wishing he could offer more support - be there for him more, but he knew his brother was a good father to those cubs. He had done well, and Obadias was doing all he could now to help. "I am glad," he said quietly, and he meant it. He just needed to help them, somehow.

His smile grew at the question of his banu. "Ah, the busy life of a young Pesar," he mused jokingly, but answered seriously though his smile lingered, "your aunts are fairing well, Mihika is taking to being a mother well and your cousins are growing like weeds ...ah, don't tell Mihika I referred to them as 'weeds', I fear she'd not appreciate the comparison." He chuckled lightly.
 

[Mogami]

Velveteen Angel

A string of deep chuckles rumbled within Azhar’s chest and the Pesar had an unusually wide smile gracing his features.

“Mom misses the time when we were smaller. Now we’re all grown up and doing our own thing and the den feels terribly cramped.” Azhar couldn’t help but to look back at his cubhood with a deep sense of longing. When the Pesars returned from their quests, everything would be different. Most of the girls would probably have Pads of their own and the boys would have their own harems and dens. Speaking of which… “Did you pick a den before or after your quest, uncle?”
 

[Velveteen Angel]

Obadias nodded with a grin. "A normal sized litter seems huge once everyone's no longer the size of your pawprint," he mused, chuckling. Even small litters felt huge when suddenly they were all rowdy adolescents fighting for their space and independence.

He looked contemplative for a moment. "I chose one before. Your father and I had spoken about our dens, and chose these two," he said, motioning to his own, and then to his brother's which was situated right next door. "We wanted dens next to each other, and were fearful we would not get that if we waited until we returned - but there will always be dens available whenever you chose." He tilted his head. "Did you have a location, or den you had your eye on?"
 

[Mogami]

Azhar laughed when the older lion spoke of a “normal-sized litter”. With 5 siblings, 8 half-siblings and an older sister – if he didn’t count the remaining family on the adjacent den – Azhar had trouble understanding the concept of a small family. Growing up, he’d always believed that creating a harem was something to be done in a slow and deliberate manner but now, with a great number of experiences from his abnormally large family, the dark Pesar wasn’t quite so sure anymore. He wondered if perhaps a large family wasn’t truly the way to go.

“Before…” he whispered more to himself than his uncle, clearly distracted by his own thoughts. “Mmm…? Oh. No, I haven’t looked yet. I’m not even sure where to start. All I know is that I don’t want it to be too close to the lake.” Most Pads knew the story of how one of the Sultan’s sons had almost drowned in the lake – long before Azhar had been born – and the dark Pesar did not intend to have any of his future cubs repeating history. “I suppose there’s no rush… but it wouldn’t hurt to start looking either.”  

[Velveteen Angel]

Obadias smiled at his s-nephew fondly. It was so strange to think of them as almost grown lions - he could remember the day they were born, and how they looked curled up against their mother, barely a few hours old and now they were going off on their own quests. It was...amazing how time flew.

"There is no need to rush," Obadias said calmly, "You may be off on your quest soon, but you are not an adult yet - there's no need to have everything planned out and sorted before you go. Things will still be here when you return, and even if they are not the way you left it, well," he chuckled, "then hopefully it will only be better than you left it. Life has the strangest ways of giving us exactly what we need, even if we're not aware of it at the time."

Obadias looked at the pesar, almost a pad, and marvelled at the time that had passed. He had not been ready to be the father that the cubs had needed, but thankfully life had meant that Anwar had been there to step in. Now, Obadias had his own cubs, to whom he could be a dad, which was what he wanted right now. Life was beautiful, Obadias thought, and could only hope for the same beauty in Azhar's life.

 

[Mogami]

Velveteen Angel

I'm so sorry I let this tag get past me! Let me know if you want to leave it like this or add a finishing post. <3

Azhar smiled gently, letting out one long content breath. He felt blessed by having so many supportive adults in his family. His rational father, his kind mother, the motivating Zarha and his uncle were all backing him and his siblings, teaching and training them as they grew closer to the day of departure. He felt calm and confident in their presence and could only hope his state of mind would remain the once he was on his own.

“Thank you, uncle. I feel more at ease.” Even though Azhar was very similar to Anwar in many ways, he could tell there was a lot of his uncle in him – and not just the dark coat they shared. The adolescent smiled a little, standing up slowly as his fiery gaze sought the horizon. “I’ll go find my sisters now. I told them I’d go hunting with them today.”

Part of him wondered about a young pale blue banu that he had considered for his harem but he didn’t think it was fair to meet her father and ask for her just yet. Anything could happen once you were in the rogue lands and Azhar would hate to think that he might keep the poor girl waiting for him if his quest was delayed… or if something were to happen to him. No, this was a visit that would have to wait until he had returned – at the risk of finding that she was no longer available then, of course. But he would rather risk that outcome than to ruin the banu’s life.