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 Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 7:26 pm
 It had been a simple plan, the obvious course of action. His only choice, really. There was only one thing one could do when finding a lost cub as far as Jazi was concerned: you took care of it at least until you found a pride or more permanent home for the little thing. It had seemed like the natural thing to do at the time but now the leopard wasn’t so sure. He wondered how Taabika would react to the little cub, if Roho would accidentally touch her, if they’d be able to find a pride to take him in anytime soon… there were many things on his mind but Jazi remained perfectly composed as he looked to the little cub walking next him.
“We're almost there, Roho.” He said warmly. He really needed to get him to a safe place so he could go hunt. The boy needed to fill up a bit to say the least.
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Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 12:59 pm
Roho's mood tapered from rambunctious to a disheartened quiet. Many adults would be grateful for hushed youngsters, perhaps even Jazi himself, but already in their short time knowing each other there was little evidence to the contrary that the cub's natural disposition was one of merriment and noise. Thus, for him to shuffle tacitly in tow was at the very least not normal.
His ears did perk some hearing what was being said to him. His eyes lifted from the ground and back up ahead with renewed vitality.
"Okay," he said, trying to sound patient.
"Almost there" felt so far away sometimes!
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:21 am
She rose to her feet and trotted a few eager steps before she stopped stock still. Jazi was talking to someone. Someone she didn't know! Still frozen, her eyes widened and her fur began to fluff. What if... what if.... ! But before they came into sight, two things calmed her. First was the reminder to herself that Jazi would never, ever bring someone here that would hurt her. Even if they managed to fool him, he would fight to his last breath to keep them from causing her pain. This was a solid fact, and one that her terror couldn't refute.
But secondly, the voice that answered Jazi was very high. In fact, it was very young. How... curious. Ears pricked once more, though still shrouded in her headwrap of cloth, she sat to wait for them. Most of her fur had smoothed, though the tip of her tail and a faint trail down her spine still showed evidence of her fright.
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 8:46 am
Talencia Guys, i'm so sorry for taking so long to reply!
“And look, there she is.” He said more quietly, raising his gaze to meet Taabika’s green eyes. He waited until they were closer to speak to the dark lioness – which was a while given the little brown cub’s tiny steps.
“Taabika… this is Roho.” He said, looking unusually sheepish. “He was lost near the lake. I told him I’d help him look for his mother.” It really was the only thing he could’ve done when faced with a dirty and malnourished cub who clearly needed help but it pained him to see the signs of her distress. He hoped she'd react well to the news, especially considering he had little to no hope of actually finding the boy’s family and this might turn out to be a more permanent situation than he'd previously considered.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 4:00 pm
No touchy. Got it! Jazi was right to assume Roho was too young to unravel the mystery of his lioness' friend behavior. Frankly, he wasn't the sort of cub to mull it over. The rules had been explicitly stated and that was all he needed to know. He left the adults to their chatter and ambled around -- at a distance -- to get a better look at Taabika's tail.
None of his brothers and sisters had anything on their coats this color. "Like the grass," he thought aloud. Except the white part. The upraised fur didn't get past him, no matter how distracting the hue. "I'm not gonna pounce it, don't worry." Roho rocked from left to right, the sway of his small frame tilting farther and farther each time, sure to have him toppling on one side or the other sooner or later.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 4:18 pm
Taabika's eyes widened as Jazi explained why he had a cub with him. A lost cub? Oh dear! Inwardly she almost immediately began a struggle. On one paw, she didn't really want anyone else involved in her time with Jazi. He was her friend, and she wanted her time with him alone! So there was a part of her that resented the intrusion of this small body into their comfortable arrangement.
On a second paw, she felt very sorry for the poor little thing! At least she'd had her mother! What kind of mother lost their cub so badly that Jazi felt the need to bring him here? She turned her head enough to see Roho peering at her tail and froze. Yes, he was very neglected, so he hadn't gotten lost just hours ago. But....
Then there was the third paw. He was a male. A lion. He'd grow up big. And strong. And he was watching her tail. And commenting. She was so frozen, she didn't move a muscle. Most adults would have twitched said tail in irritation or nervousness. But Taabika wasn't merely anxious. She was borderline TERRIFIED. Despite his assurance that he was not going to pounce her tail, she remained stock still, rolling an eye towards Jazi fearfully.
Whispering so softly it almost came out as a breath, she asked the first question that weighed the heaviest on her mind. "How long?" She barely moved her mouth to say it, and her eyes returned to watching the tiny cub tensely. Hopefully Jazi would go and find his mother and that would be that... but if not.... oh dear. Was she just going to have to get used to him?!
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 1:27 pm
While Taabika seemed to be taking it well enough at first, Jazi could see the fear in her eyes – which wasn’t helped by the fact that Roho had just decided to drop into a playful crouch and eagerly followed the bright tuft of her tail. Slowly, the leopard moved casually between the two and lifted one paw instinctively. It dropped almost as quickly, whether because it felt wrong for him to physically restrain a little cub or because his relationship with Taabika had taught him to always avoid an unwelcomed touch, it was hard to tell. A little of both, perhaps.
“Roho, please don’t do that.” He said softly but he smiled a little as his tail moved to dance in front of the young lion’s eyes. “Mine’s much better.”
He gave Taabika a deeply apologetic look, troubled by the sheer terror he found in her gaze.
“Just until we find his family…” More quietly, he added “… or a pride that can take him in. It looks like he’s been alone for a few days.” His mother would probably be long gone if not dead already but surely there were plenty of places that would glady accept a lost cub.
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:25 pm
Like a fish to a worm, Roho took the bait. He swatted at the leopard's tail, rolled on his back to bat at it, bared his tiny teeth in mock ferocity; tackled it with his claws sheathed (and missed intentionally. Part of the game!). He was lost, not deaf. The conversation made his chest hurt, right where his heart was, according to mama.
Roho didn't want to join a pride. His family was his pride. But he wasn't going to whine. If they left him at some lousy pride, he'd just leave and find his mother on his own. That was that. They chattered without verbal interruption from him, though if one were to look at his eyes, the gears turning behind them were loud in their own way.
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:40 pm
Taabika struggled mightily in silence for some time, watching as the cub pounced and played, his ribs visible and his back bumpy with backbone she shouldn't have been able to see. Jazi was right, the cub had been left alone too long. Was this what she had looked like when Jazi had found her? She yawned to loosen her jaw muscles and licked her muzzle, shifting her paws nervously as she attempted to gain control of herself.
When it came down to it, she knew down deep what was right. He was just a baby, after all, and it wasn't his fault that those of his gender and species were sometimes cruel. She took a slow, deep breath, calming herself further, muscles relaxing one by one. Perhaps if Jazi and she taught him differently... if he stayed with them, they could teach him how to be kind, to love, to be as much like Jazi as possible. She licked her jaws anxiously once more, then cleared her throat.
"No," she finally said quietly, "he doesn't need to be sent away." Her eyes remained on his pitiful little body as she spoke to Jazi. "He is alone, like I was alone." She turned those bright eyes to her leopard companion. "I wouldn't have wanted you to give me to someone else to take care of. I'm glad you stayed withme. He needs you," she cleared her throat and went on slower, "and he needs me. I think... I think we should.... keep him." She ducked her head, as if embarrassed or expecting to be scolded. There wasn't the whole-body tension she used to have that indicated an expected blow. Whether she realized it or not, things were changing within her, loosening like a bud slow to bloom. "If you don't mind?" Her eyes went to his pleadingly, then turned towards the cub again. Life already was different, what was a little change more?Mogami Apologies to both of you for being so late. Hopefolly If this news would make him happy, feel free to have Roho forget and fling himself on her. I DO want her to discover that touch doesn't always hurt, it's just a matter of when you are comfy with him doing so.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:21 am
Jazi continued to flip his tail around even though the cub had stopped batting at it and started listening to the leopard’s words. The disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable but it was Taabika who surprised him the most.
“With us…?” he said slowly, obviously not expecting her proposal. His tail stopped in mid-air. Were they ready to be parents? Was that even the best thing for the little cub? Jazi saw parenting as a difficult and time-consuming task that required a lot of dedication and responsibility. The two of them were a recent couple and an odd one at that. “I don’t mind. But… shouldn’t he be around other cubs? Do you think we can do this?” And, more importantly, how would Roho feel about this solution?
“Roho… if we can’t find your mother… do you want to stay with us for a while?” he suspected this was a conversation for another time after the cub had been properly fed and clean but perhaps it would be good to get an idea of what the brown cub was thinking.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:32 am
Mogami Sorry for slowness, y'all. Talencia Right-o. =] Not IC of him quite yet; however, he will do so at bedtime, likely after the adults are asleep or at least when he suspects they are.
Keep him? But what about Mama?
"Roho… if we can’t find your mother… do you want to stay with us for a while?"
Roho wanted to tell Jazi that they'd find her, but... It didn't feel right to say it like that. Like it would be talking back, or being ungrateful. Like it might upset them or make them angry. "I'd like to until I find Mama," he replied, politely of course. His paws were still, his eyes were not; they flitted to Taabika's and he added, "Thanks, ma'am."
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 2:30 pm
Some part of her, buried deep inside, thrummed happily at one single word Jazi used. We. She wasn't alone anymore, and she never would be again, if the gods were kind. And if they didn't find the cub's mother... well, then that would make them a family, wouldn't it? A very odd one, but still a family. Though she hadn't spoken the desire aloud, Taabika had a soft but persistent longing to be part of a family again. Pain aside, she'd loved being part of a family when she was little. Voices, laughter, the mere presence of others who loved you. As her fears faded, this longing was rising. This cub, Roho, could be her first step towards that, or so she hoped, the more she thought about it.
She gave Jazi a tentative but brilliant smile at his agreement. She supposed he had valid concerns, but surely they could work it out? "We could visit other families?" she hazarded in an almost whisper. "At watering holes? Or... pride borders?" Her pupils widened at this last suggestion. Clearly such an idea intimidated her, but if was better for their little charge... well then, she'd do it. Or try to, at least. "He is just one small cub," she added, turning to regard the cub as Jazi asked him that all important question.
The cub's painstakingly careful polteness while being in such a sad condition nearly broke Taabika's heart. His clear hopes to find his mother were also heart-breaking. Would he ever be okay with it if they never did find her? Taabika ducked her head in worry, ears flattening slightly at the idea of Roho being unhappy with them, missing his real family. Who could blame him though? She certainly would have been distraught if she'd gotten lost from her mother at his age!
Anxious to reassure him, even in her own state of worry, she leaned forward towards him. "Don't worry," she said quietly, "we'll look for her, and take good care of you while we do. Okay?" Which reminded her... they needed to do something about his current state. She sat upright, ears swiveling anxiety. "Jazi... he needs grooming," she said with some trepidation. Would the leopard mind doing such a job? Generally it was the females who groomed the little ones, not the males! "I could go hunt for him while you do that?" she offered meekly and hopefully.Hopefolly Sounds like a good starting point for the next rp! ((EDIT on 6-3-14: If we could squeeze one more post out each, this rp could be done!))
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