Sibling Chatter [Ime'Kotek x Avahk]

[Saint Vis]

Ime's form was outside of their father's old den. Which was a weird sight to see so early in the day. Her silvery fur shimmered, as the light lifted her white speckles out of her fur. She looked a lot like her mother. There was a bit of their father within her fur. Like her paws which she held for her siblings, the only one who decked their forelegs by genetics from their grandfather.

She sighed gently, she hadn't been there when he left, he didn't get to say to go rest to her. She was helping Mahina bring back a kill during the night. Only until she came to sleep by her siblings did she notice their sulkish nature.
It had been a few months, now they were all adult and Ime's heart still was heavy. She was curious, and the sibling with a head on her shoulders. Not one to really say what she felt, and kept herself enlightened for her sisters and brother. But now was a time when she could relax and actually let herself feel extroverted then her usual nature towards her true emotions.

She shifted a little when she'd hear someone behind her move. She knew it was a sibling, not her white father coming to lay beside her and speak to her about the politics of things, or ask her if there was any snarky curious boys she was into. She'd continue to look forward and allow her brother to come as he pleased. Thinking of how out of her sisters and brother, Avahk had been in particular very mournful recently.  

[mouselet]

Yawning, Avahk was headed for the water hole. Nothing like the cool liquid to wake one's self up before going out to hunt. And if he didn't wake up properly, he knew from experience that he'd spend the rest of the day in an increasingly bad mood.

The lion paused on the lip of the cave, surprised to see his oldest sister reclining outside. Their paths didn't often cross, as Ime'Kotek tended towards the night hunts and Avahk the daytime ones. So for them to meet, here and now, was rather unusual.

They hadn't talked much...since their father had gone. The grey lion considered his options and decided he could skimp on his morning routine. The hunt wouldn't leave for some time yet, time he could spend with his sister.

"Long time no see," he offered, coming up beside her.  

[Saint Vis]

As Avahk moved around to her side she looked up to his voice. Aware it was the only male that would come her eyes were still wide. How much he sounded like their father. But she settled a little, and gave him a kind face. It was evident she was sad, something she really didn't show to her siblings. She was inclined to keep them happy and away from being upset. But this was it, she was only mortal. It was natural to have feelings.

"Truly to long." She moved a bit in case he wished to laydown and enjoy the rest before his hunt. Huffing lightly. "Forgive me, I've not been able to sleep." She looked tired and worn out. Surely she'd nap before setting out during the night. However right now.. She just wanted to think about how it was easier being a cub in the Rogue lands and Mwezi.  

[mouselet]

"I know what you mean," the male replied with feeling. He'd had trouble sleeping after Yareha left...until he'd met a lioness who'd insisted that he tell her her name.

Then he'd had a completely different reason to have trouble sleeping.

But that was neither here nor there and the grey lion shook himself to bring his attention back to the present.

"I know what you mean," he repeated. "Want to talk about it?"  

[Saint Vis]

Ime watched Avahk crossing her dark paws. Sighing out into the air. "Just feel like I could have said something to keep him here. But really.. Sometimes words don't fix things."
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed again. "I miss our father, and I feel that when we all have cubs he won't ever be able to meet them. It's a fear I have.." Shaking her head a little.

"He also never really truly answered some of my questions.." She had wanted Yareha to do so, as she felt out of place asking their grandfather them. "But we are surrounded by love I suppose." She looked out towards Kivuli's close by den then returned her glance to Avahk. "If I knew he had left that night.. I would have been here to say goodbye or to at least hear his voice that last time.." She nosed her brother lightly.  

[mouselet]

Avahk rolled his shoulders in an uncomfortable shrug. The whole issue was still something of a touchy subject and the young lion had decided that the simplest way to deal with it was to ignore everything that had happened before and live his own life apart from his father's.

"None of us knew anything," Avahk told his sister slowly. "Not until the next morning when the Guard came and told us what had happened."

If he'd known, would he have done something different that night, as his father was leaving? The grey lion couldn't say for certain. Instead he just nuzzled his sister in return.  

[Saint Vis]

She smiled lightly. Leaning against her brother she sighed lightly. "I suppose he left like he always did. Never telling anyone anything. Dad was very good at keeping things to himself." She chirped to her brother and yawned a little as he spoke her.

Ime's eyes lifted to her brother. "Is that what is bothering you? Or something you'd like to stoicly keep to yourself hm?" She picked up a little as they spoke. She only assumed it was about Yareha, like usual.

 

[mouselet]

"If he'd been better at it, he'd still be here," Avahk retorted sourly. It was their father's big mouth that had gotten him kicked out. He'd heard rumors that there were other factors, but it was the fact that he'd voiced his dissenting opinion loudly and reasonably often that had gotten Yareha evicted.

Blue eyes widened at the abrupt change in subject. "What? I, uh, no! Nothing's bothering me," he insisted crossly. Trust sisters to be meddling nuisances.  

[Saint Vis]

She did chuckle lightly. "That's father.." She said half heartedly. Only to make the mood lighter. It was a definite Ime thing to do. "I guess I got that from him." She puffed out her chest fur in amusement.

She hummed lightly and eyebrows raised. "Oh come on now. Either you tell me or Chiba and Hamaniya will find out and they'll tell me anyways." She chuckled softly. "No need to worry, I need not know about your personal life. I just figured you could tell big sis anything." She winked at her brother. Their matching blue eyes mirroring eachother.  

[mouselet]

Avahk made a face at Ime as she tried to get it out of him. Wasn't that just like a sister, to pounce on the tiniest bit of gossip and then try to wrangle out the rest! But if he said "no" she'd just keep trying and trying...

...and well, by that time, he might as well throw in the towel. But if he could divert her attention instead...maybe...

"You may be my oldest sister, but I'm still the eldest," he grumbled aloud for her benefit. It had the twin merits of being true and having nothing to do with what Avahk didn't want to share with any female relatives.  

[Saint Vis]

Smiling slyly, so Avahk didn't want to tell her. "Alright if you really don't want to tell me you don't have to." That was that. Getting up though she let herself stretch out her back. Letting the discs move and the joints in her spine pop and snap.
Shaking out her fur and lowering her body down once again she would regard staring up at the moon as it budged from its place the last she looked at it. The sun was now a good ways up in the sky. "I'm going to be a guard soon." She insisted and smiled happily. Guard, that would be fun. Maybe she would meet friends, she felt bad for leaving their uncle's hunting side. But soon enough Mahina would have a bunch of new blood in hunting with him as his juveniles were about to become adolescents.

Ime was also looking for a mate, but no cigar. Most lions here were already mated or even worse; related to her. And also that wasn't Avahk's concern in her life.  

[mouselet]

The lion looked up, startled. "You are? Since when?" It was one of those moments that twisted his heart a little, in reminder that of the four siblings, they had ended up in three different classes. Of course even though he'd ended up in the lower middle class, just like their father, as a male he was likely to change classes for his mate.

...which required that the mate bein the Mwezi'Johari, so that clearly wouldn't be happening to him. Unless if he and Tseva decided to break it off...but she was happy with the idea of him coming to visit her swamp in a few months and the grey lion melted a little inside at the thought of seeing the black and white lioness again.

Anyway, two of his sisters had ended up high class, and even Ime was middle class, which enabled her to choose between Hunter or Guard. He, on the other hand, had no choice at all. So it felt something like abandonment...but Avahk wasn't going to tell his sister that.

"That's great," he told her instead.  

[Saint Vis]

"I loved being a hunter but I need something for myself.. I suppose. I feel bad for moving from the hunts with Uncle Mahina and sometimes getting to see my brother in action." She glanced at him with happiness. "But you are far superior at hunting then I am." She wasn't degrading herself for her brother. She never thought of the ranks when speaking to her siblings. Unless one of the ladies she was related to did.

She hummed. "Since a couple of days ago. I haven't really been able to speak to you or the other two since so." Hunting at night and sleeping during the day and all.
She fluffed out her chest and groomed her paws.

After the pause she hummed. "Whatever is up. It's not going to make the pride angry at you I hope?" She tilted her head kindly. "We just lost our father, our sisters and I would be very distraught to lose our brother too.." She wasn't scolding him, but speaking in her usual Ime tone.  

[mouselet]

Avahk nodded in agreement. He could understand what Ime was talking about, the good as well as the bad. He wouldn't say that he was one of the best hunters in the pride, but he was decent. The boy did appreciate the intent behind his sister's compliment though.

"That's good to hear, I'm happy for you," he congratulated his sister.

Then he faded into silence as he considered the very pertinent argument Ime had brought up. The grey lion was silent for a while before speaking up.

"I don't think so, not as long as I inform the Head Hunter and other higher ups before I go anywhere," Avahk concluded at last.  

[Saint Vis]

Ime smiled lightly at her brother's congrats to her and she huffed. She hadn't want any remorseful feelings for doing anything wrong to her brother. Hurting her family was a worry for Ime.
When he answered in short about having to go anywhere she hummed lightly. "You'll tell us when you're going to come back right?" She meant 'us' as in the three sisters.

Smiling lightly. "But wherever you go, I hope you have found happiness where that is." She laid a little more on her side, facing her brother. More amused in this conversation now. She didn't mind talking around the subject her brother was avoiding. Knowing that it would bring him no harm in the end ensured happiness to her as well.