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 Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:11 am
Kito was up and about and lively after getting a nice long sleep - though she was usually a spark of energy in any case. She already knew what she was going to do that day, too. She was going to go hang out with one of her super cool, older brothers and see what they got up to on their days out around the pride. She adored having older siblings and she couldn't help but be proud of being able to spend time with them. Strangely, if felt different than being with her parents or other adults of the group, though she wasn't sure why, exactly.
Tracking across the dusty ground - leaving her home den behind - she moved towards the dens where some of her older siblings lived, bouncing in the tracks of an unknown lion who had crossed this way recently enough that the wind hadn't blown them away.
"Helloooo!" She called out when she was closer. "It's me! It's Kito! I've come to play!"
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 8:57 am
  In a strange way and despite their vast differences, both Musabari and Zikamil seemed uniquely built to be older brothers, Kam for his indomitable desire to have fun (which adulthood had done nothing to temper) and Musabari for his quiet and undying patience. Musabari could almost have been another father for his younger siblings, and tried to sometimes, whenever he forgot that they weren't growing up in the same fatherless situation as he had. The golden lion had never quiet accepted nor forgiven Rei for abandoning the family.
This fine morning, both brothers had just returned from scout duty. Scouting was one of the rare endeavors that Kam seemed devoted to, and one of the few that Musabari seemed to like less and less as the days passed. There was nothing the golden lion loved more than being with his brother, but the chip in his shoulder made him resent the idea of being any more like his father than he had to be. And Rei, too, was a scout.
Musabari was just about to bring up the issue with Kam when a familiar voice echoed through the den. A smile darted across his face as he turned to see little Kito poking her head in. Nothing made him so glad as when he saw his siblings, and nothing made him prouder than knowing that they wanted to spend time with him as much as he did them.
"Kito!" He greeted his little sister with a fond nuzzle, snuffling the top of her. "Good morning, monkey. How are you? How's mom?" If there was anybody in the world he loved more than his siblings, it was his mother.
And then, from the back of the den, Kam's voice drifted out. "Did I hear somebody say... play?" The brown lion emerged from the shade with a bright grin on his face. "Kito, I think you've come to the right place for play."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 10:31 am
Musabari's affectionate nickname had the girl giggling with amusement as she leaned into her brother's nuzzle, seemingly glad to lap up the attention when it was given. She adored her brothers and that was clearly evident in her expression.
"G'morning!" She chirped back. "She's fine. She's taking a nap, I think, so I thought I'd come and find you. You know, to give her some peace and quiet." Her tail waved happily and then, quite suddenly, Zikamil appeared and his grin told her everything she wanted to know.
"Ya~ay!" She darted between Musabari's front paws and bumped her head against Zikamil's leg. "I knew it! I knew it! What do you want to play? I hope no boy games like play-fighting because then I'd loooose." A smile lit her face as she glanced between them.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 4:50 pm
Musabari nodded, relief evident in the crimson eyes he had inherited from his mother. Concealing his feelings had never been his strong suit, Kam had always told him that it took but a look to know what Musabari was thinking at any given moment. But the golden lion could hardly be blamed for wishing his mother health. With Kito's litter being Mzuza's second large litter, nobody could dispute the fact that she had much need for downtime.
At least now, with the older siblings grown and Akairo still around as a mentor and honorary older brother, some of the responsibilities could be shared throughout the family. Musabari and Kam were always willing to host their younger siblings, if they but asked - or, in Kito's case, just showed up. Anything for family, after all.
"You were always a smart one, monkey," he said with an approving smile, glad to know that the little ones were rapidly maturing as well. It was all just a matter of time.
Kam didn't expect that his cheeky grin would ever go away. Sometimes, his mother told him that his carefree smile would buy him a good deal of trouble one day, and sometimes - most times - Musabari agreed. But Kam had never quite grasped what was so terrible about that. A life without trouble was a dull life, and that Kam wanted no part of.
As Kito darted toward him, the brown lion dipped his head and nudged her fondly with his nose. Life had never been the same since Kito and her littermates had arrived, and Kam could scarcely imagine what he would have done without them. His little siblings kept him well and firmly grounded in the mindset of adolescence, and he was more than happy to stay there.
Growing up had never been a prospect that Kam had looked forward to. Fortunately, now, he wouldn't have to. At least not for a while. Not while there were cubs to entertain.
"Well, our baby sister has spoken," he announced, lifting his head to fix Musabari with a wide-eyed stare. "No boy games. What will it be, then? As long as it doesn't involve getting too clean..." He said with a chuckle. "That's not a good look on me."
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 10:45 am
Kito, mostly unaware of the subtle dramas going on within her only family, certainly didn't seem aware of any sorts of discomfort from Musabari. Perhaps later, when she was older, she might. But at that current time she seemed to find it hard to believe that anyone could be unhappy when she herself was so incredibly happy.
She beamed at the compliment and turned to blink up at them with large, purple eyes. "Okay!" She giggled. "No bath time in the watering hole." One of her previous games had ended in just that and her playmate hadn't looked particularly happy about it either. She smothered a giggle as she thought back to that day. Maybe boys just didn't like water? That was a snippet of information well worth keeping in mind. Never know when it might come in handy!
"Well, since I'm mostly grown up now." She stretched as she sad it as if doing so might bring her up to their height. A poor attempt, really, considering she could walk underneath them without even having to duck her head. "Maybe we can go on a scouting adventure and chase off some bad guys?" She wriggled in anticipation. Her friends would be so jealous! "Me and Sar even managed to catch a mouse the other day."
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:32 am
Musabari grinned and crouched so he could see eye-to-eye with the juvenile, evening their heights as much as he could. Difficult, considering she was quite a bit smaller than he was, but he nodded all the same in agreement.
"Well, would you look at that," he said with a light laugh. How lucky he was to have these little siblings. Their antics never failed to lighten his mood, and he had but to catch sight of one of the little critters to feel better about his day, no matter how good or bad it might have been prior. "You are growing up. We'll blink our eyes and before we know it, you'll be as big as Kam and I, won't you?"
It might have seemed like an exaggeration at the moment, but Musabari didn't doubt that they would all feel the prophetic truth behind his words when Kito and the rest of her litter were grown. They would all look back, then, and wonder where the time had gone.
--
"Pah, and I bet you'll be a fine huntress when you're big," Kam declared, eyeing his little sister proudly. He couldn't remember what sort of prey he had managed to catch at her age. There had been a... decidedly disastrous attempt on some wildebeest with Musabari and Maral when they had all been cubs, but that was a failure - and a brilliant stroke of idiocy - that Kam would rather try and forget. "You and Sar both. Those mice are quick little devils, aren't they?"
He glanced at Musabari, who was still crouched beside Kito and looking up at him with crimson eyes, waiting for the executive decision from his brother. Kam had always been the leader of the duo, though Musabari was certainly more qualified to make decisions. But what Kam lacked in wisdom and a cool head, he made up for in spades with street smarts and an uncanny ability to make snap judgments and stick by them. He interacted with Musabari and the rest of the world with an easy confidence that, in turn, made him easy to follow, even if he didn't know what he was doing half the time.
"I can guarantee a scouting adventure," he began. "But I can't guarantee any bad guys. Pridelands aren't the most exciting of places to look for bad guys. But at least you'll get to see some of the border, no matter what."
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:31 pm
"Yep, yep! Big as you!" And then she seemed to back-track a moment, her little face scrunching up thoughtfully. "Well maybe not as big as you two. You're pretty big and girls don't get to be that big, right? But I'll be big enough that you won't be able to pick me up!" Although she did quite like being carried around and babied like that. It felt nice to watch the world go by without having to move one's legs. Oh well, she couldn't stay little forever and there had to be good things about getting big, too. She wouldn't have to hurt her neck by looking up at everyone all the time for one thing.
Time did pass by in the blink of an eye, though...cubs never stayed cubs for long and someday she'd be looking back wondering where her time as a youth had gone.
"They are quick! Sar is so smart. He came up with a plan and everything and I just followed his lead." It was clear she adored and looked up to every one of her siblings. She would not be without them. "When I'm a proper huntress and can join in on the big hunts I'll be sure to bring some of the carcass to you and share!"
She bounced, almost giddy with joy, at the agree to scouting and ran a circle around them, laughing merrily. "Yay! The others will be so jealous! Just you wait!" She had to admit, secretly, that the thought of bumping into bad guys was perhaps a little more scary than she'd be happy with, although she was certain her brothers would have taken care of anyone like that. "Have either of you ever been outside of the border?" She asked, moving off in the direction she assumed they were going. "Is it scary?"
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