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 Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 3:47 pm
((OOC: The following is the description of the den, which is on the bottom LEFT side of Pride Rock, hidden somewhere near the left-side of the outjutting ledge/throne.))
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Daimyn scanned the area here, beneath the shadow of Pride Rock which stood like a monument, a testament to the kings of the past. There was more than just Pride Rock here; there were many rock outcroppings around it which seemed to lead up to the ledge.
Without a reply just yet, he padded up to one of the smaller piles of rock inlaid into the ground. He scented the air and his nostrils were flooded with Pridelander scent, but nothing else. He nosed around this place for a moment before moving on. Something was here, he could sense it...
And there it was, as if it had been laid out to welcome them. Snugged right up against one of the larger rock formations was the entrace to a small cave. At first glance he almost missed it -- the angle of the sun lit up some of the inside wall, and it blended in seamlessly with the rest of the rock -- but on a doubletake, he spotted it.
"Ausi'Juu! Look at this," he called, before peering closer and scenting it, finding it clear before entering.
It was larger than it looked from the outside; easily deep enough for both he and Ausi to fit comfortably lying down nose-to-nose, and wide enough for the same. It was easy to see why it had been missed; it looked like a mere rabbit burrow from most angles on the ground unless you were facing it directly from the outside.
It had everything they were looking for -- secrecy and privacy, but not so far away from everyone else that they were secluded or escaped the pride's protection.
---------------------------------
In the passing weeks it had become more and more obvious since then that Ausi'Juu was indeed expecting a large litter. The further into pregnancy that she went, it seemed like the more restless the cubs became. Her mind was churning with thoughts like never before, soft doubts at first, worries that began as mere, fleeting ideas in her mind. Something had occured to her after delivering the news to Daimyn during the first week.
In all of the time they had been traveling, in all of the time that they had been together, and despite all the instances when she'd told him how she felt... Daimyn had never told HER, not with words.
This alone could have simply been chalked up to him needing more time, after all, he'd grown up most of his life not ever saying such things to females, let alone the ones that mothered his children, it might just be that he was confused...
But then... if that was how he felt, why did things feel so....
Daimyn had only stayed with Ausi'Juu after she essentially guilted him into it, claiming that she needed help and protection if she was to raise any of his cubs, that he couldn't just have her and then leave her to care for them on her own. He'd agreed, but it was reluctant, and the entire time he'd done everything she asked, protected her against all threats, given her shelter and an ear to listen to, a shoulder to lean or cry on when she was upset, but had all of it just been done in an attempt to atone for his transgressions? These thoughts agonized her, slowly peeling away her confidence and resolve, and now, thinking back to the argument he'd had with Nukta, when he'd talked to her in that tone of voice, it was beginning to make too much sense.
Ausi spent a greater deal of her time in their den, pretending to sleep and rest when she wasn't conversing with someone else. She felt lethargic, not much like moving, not much like sleeping, not much like eating, but she always did. She had to rest, eat, and move about for the well being of the cubs, but beyond that she had emotionally deteriorated to a sad state of mind.
She knew that something was wrong, something was different than last time when the first pains began well into that afternoon. She'd been sleeping after having a meal of Zebra that Nukta said was leftover after his hunt. The grasses beneath her rustled as Ausi'Juu rose partially, suddenly she felt as if she was suffering from the worst cramp in the history of the world, all concentrated in her lower abdomen. A belting roar broke the silence, and Ausi barely realized that even now she was mentally apologizing for disturbing the rest of the Rock's inhabitants, but it was time, and she didn't want to be alone.
"DAIMYN!!" She screamed again, biting her teeth together as tears pricked her eyes from the pain.
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 8:14 pm
As Ausi'Juu progressed further into the pregnancy, Daimyn would have had to be both blind and deaf not to notice the changes -- not only the obvious physical ones as she grew heavy with the cubs, but the more subtle mental differences as well.
She had, in recent weeks past, just begun to really open up to him -- to show her true personality, to be playful and loving instead of submissive. It had taken her a long time to pull through her depressive state, and he'd come to know that side of her very well.
She was reverting back to that state, and Daimyn was at a loss as to why. He wished the cubs would hurry up and arrive, and hoped that Ausi would return to normal once they did.
He'd attributed it to her pregnancy, knowing that her hormones were all out of balance and it was probably affecting her mood. Meanwhile she was growing worse; lately she'd been spending all her time in the den. Daimyn may not have known that much about pregnancy and cubs, but he did know that from what he'd seen, it wasn't usual for lionesses to be den-ridden throughout their pregnancy. He'd considered the idea of approaching Mufasa, but it seemed foolish to think there was anything the Pridelander king could do for her.
There was little he could do for her either, however; she never seemed to want to talk to him about what was going on. He brought her fresh kill and made sure she was as physically healthy as she could be. He mostly stayed in the den with her, unless out hunting or fetching water, but there were times that he couldn't stand being there with her in the mood she was in. During these times he went out and simply wandered within the Pridelander borders.
Today he was at the waterhole, lapping unneeded water simply to have something to be doing, when he heard Ausi's roar. It was faint, barely audible; it could have been any lion. Except that Daimyn could recognize Ausi's voice anywhere, and her scream was filled with so much pain, she could have been mortally wounded.
Daimyn was off before he realized his legs were moving, his pace a full-out run. He'd wandered farther than he should've, he thought in a panic, much farther -- especially when Ausi was nearly full term. It would take a few minutes at this pace to reach her.
Ausi's scream came again, and this time he could make out his name. He pushed his muscles harder, demanding any and all speed they could give.
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 8:27 pm
Ausi was unaware that Daimyn had heard, and needing the moment to breathe easy she rested her head on her paws, panting softly as the first contractions faded for a reprieve. It didn't seem like it would last long, however, because sooner than she'd expected she felt the sharp pain rippling through her again. This time all she could do was whimper and shift positions, trying in vain to ease the discomfort.
What if her fears and suspicions were right, and she drove Daimyn away by coming across so dependent? Now that he'd escorted her to the Pridelands he was under no obligation to stay after the cubs were there, and with how many children he must have sired before he met her, what if theirs were not more but just another litter to him? No, he wasn't like that! At least, Ausi had been telling herself so for weeks... but really, did she know first hand? Did she?
She finally managed to settle her pregnant-girth into the heart of the grass bedding, seeking comfort in the larger pile of foilage tucked within their den. It wouldn't be long before the cubs began to arrive one by one. Once that happened she could just focus her attention on them, and stop worrying about everything else. She could stop dwelling on the words she was missing so.
"Daimyn, please," She muttered in agony. "just once more. I need you here just one more time."
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:24 pm
Daimyn was unaware of Ausi's worries as he arrived finally at their den, wasting no time in darting inside. He realized she was speaking, even through her pain, and he pricked his ears forward to catch what she was saying.
"...once more. I need you here just one more time."
He turned cold, his heart suddenly pounding what felt like frigid blood through his veins. What did she mean by one more time?!
"Ausi..." He couldn't force anything more past his lips, couldn't comfort her, was terrified to touch her lest he worsen whatever was going wrong.
She couldn't die, not now. Not when everything, for once in both their lives, was going right.
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 11:25 pm
She tried to speak, but words froze and caught in her throat, making room for a pained cry. Instinct began to take over as the pains suddenly became very acutely directed towards her lower half. It took all of her concentration to focus on the bundle trying to find it's way into the world. She already knew they would all be tiny little bodies, so somehow the fact that they caused such pain only baffled her further the second time around. One large push and a strangled growl later found the first cub lying on the grass-covered ground of the den. Ausi'Juu wasted no time, leaning over and taking the cub into her jaws, bringing her to her side and cleaning the sac from her nose and mouth first, then the rest of her. A glistening white pelt with bold, distinguished black markings stared back up at them as the infant took her first breaths.
Ausi had to take a moment to recover, panting hard between breaths for air. She looked to Daimyn through pain clouded eyes, focus slipping for a brief moment. She wished he would come closer, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. He was there, that should be enough, she wouldn't continue smothering him as she had in the past so long as he showed no indication of wanting such.
The pains came again, not so painful as the last time, thankfully enough, and with only a little less effort came the second born, this one male, and also mostly white but with brilliant gold markings that shone like the sun, even as he was being cleaned.
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:31 pm
A second boy, it seemed, would follow the first and their older sister. Ausi's bellow had come down quite a bit in volume, lowering to a slow growl, not wanting to startle anyone further-- let alone the cubs. Her ears sucked flat down atop of her head, and her tail lashed out behind her, claws digging down through the grass and scratching against the rock beneath. Had it been this difficult last time? At first she could remember, but now it didn't recall quite so quickly. Already she was beginning to feel exhausted despite all the sleep she'd had that day, and she vaguely wondered if she could really do this. How many would there be?
This one took more work, it seemed like forever before any progress was made, and even then it was hard to tell due to the black of his pelt which matched so closely with his mother's. Sure enough, though, he came, and was cleaned, and settled beside the other two even if the process was slower than the first repetition.
Ausi could feel her energy slipping away at an alarming rate, but the promise she'd made with Daimyn burned fresh in her mind. She would not quit. She'd do everything in her power to protect these cubs, even if it meant taking her last breath. How could she do anything less after having already lost her first born once? Things would be different this time.
The last two cubs came and went with no less of a struggle than the first. Actually, the last daughter seemed to give the hardest time of all five children. For what felt like hours Ausi lay on the ground, tail twitching, growling and breathing and pushing tiredly, before at last the final cub came forth. A black female (who had recieved the same cleaning as the others) and another white female, with markings like her oldest brother's.
Ausi cleaned her diligently, the taste of blood lingering on her tongue and finally the pains faded away, assuring the exhausted female that no more were coming. She was done.
Ausi felt sore, couldn't stop trembling, and she was exhausted like never before. She'd undergone far too much emotional distress beforehand, and she had zero energy to show for it. Her head was pounding, and she had to close her eyes, using her senses, instead, to guide each child to her stomach to feed. She managed to somewhat curl protectively around all five, but didn't block them from view, trusting Daimyn to protect them while she herself was too weak to do so. By the time her chin clumsily found her paws she couldn't see straight anymore, and Daimyn's stark white figure slowly faded to black as she fell into a fitful slumber, much like unconciousness.
~Daimyn...~
With the blood that stained the grasses it seemed the only indicator that she still lived was the ocassional small twitch and the somewhat irregular rise and fall of her chest.
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:21 pm
(( Ai: Yay! I'm a pain in the butt! 83 .. Err... Pain in the uterus? Pain in the something. D: ))
Stop pushing me... hey! Stop.. I don't want ye-ummph! Geyerpawouttamymouf! ... Grah! That's right, get out and stay wa-
Ahh! Help! I don't wanna goooooo... huh.. whatthe. Hey! It's cold out here!
Thump.
The thoughts of the newborn were jumbled, his limbs attempted to paw about helplessly as he attempted to breath out a mewl of distress, though his actions were first and for-most limited by the prenatal sac that covered his face. Bah, t'was a pesky thing anyways.
However, his free attempts to wander were not allowed for long, as Ai'kinliu, though currently not named such thing yet, was lifted from his position, and settled down in another. The repetitive relocations received a squirm from the cub as he attempted again to paw at the surfaces he couldn't touch.
Again only to be interuptted by the prying motions of one of those outside beings. Squirming against the tongue that freed his nose and mouth from the sac that was his prison, he, in turn, attempted to return the lickings, his tongue flickering innocently mommy's chin for a bare moment, before he got his own nose, and then again was moved.
Woah...what.. mbuah? What's..woah..colors..blur..ack! Ow..
Letting out a whine as he attempted to open his eyes and got a face-full of light into his poor sensitive eyes instead. Whimpering a bit, he nuzzled his face into the side of the cub next to him, so happeningly to be his singular brother-unit.
The feeling of other breathing moving masses, along with the addition of the body heat obtained from being posted in the middle of all the bodies that were present in that little section of the den. Ugh.. the ground was so.. wet and slimey. Gross.
A weak attempt at even a mewl came from the cub as he was ushered to the shaking stomach of the lioness whom had pushed the squirming masses out into the world, pawing weakly at her stomach confusedly for a moment, before his instincts took over for him to feed.
Once his stomach was as full as it would allow itself to be, the cub curled up at his mother's side, another weak-attempted sound, this time a purr, rumbling through it's small shakey body as the sleepy cub opened his eyes barely in an attempt to seek out the world... hey.... wassat... white... thing...... zzz....
and off to sleep. Being alive sure was tiring.
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:03 pm
Agh- what had changed? This feeling all around her. What was it? It wasn’t soft anymore, it wasn’t warm anymore. She could still smell the familiar scent her world had been, but now it felt so far away. Every time she made a scrambled attempt to move herself back inside the only place she had even known, she hit a barrier of warm flesh and was silenced with a n****e. The scent of blood- it was a coppery one and it wafted into her black nostrils and made them flare. But she had no words for what the smell was, or what it meant.
What had once been a stable world was suddenly not stable. She was jostled- wrapped around the waist and flew into the air only to return back amongst other struggling bodies. They nosed her, and she must have done the same; at first, curiously. Just to see, if they lived like she did. And she was furious to find out that they in fact did. With a pitiful mew, the black cub screeched and stretched her paws outwards, quickly pressing her tiny paws against the face of her black brother, and then again at their youngest sister.
She was to be heard!
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:41 pm
Daimyn paced a bit, unsure of what else to do. He was unaware of Ausi'Juu's silent wish for him to move closer, and was horribly afraid to, afraid he would hurt her, or do something equally stupid.
Rationally, he knew the idea itself was stupid, but it was heart over brain at the moment.
After what seemed like years later, five cubs huddled close to their mother for warmth and sustenance, and Daimyn finally took a few steps forward. These were his children. He'd sired many litters before, but none had ever really been his children. There was a difference.
Then he noticed Ausi's eyes close, her breathing shallow. He was still desperately worried for her, but most of the panic had evaporated by now. He was glad to see her sleep; she needed the rest. He did move closer then, lowering his body to the ground and completing the circle of body heat around the cubs, giving his mate a quick kiss on the muzzle.
She would wake soon, recover, and be back to her usual self soon enough.
-----
Sudden light~! ....
Granted, the den here was much darker than the outside, where the sun shown brightly in the heat of the day, but compared to where she'd just been moments before, it was bright.
The eldest cub blinked, the gold eyes she'd inherited from her father looking bewildered. This place was different, she liked it better back inside, let me go back~! But she was picked up, delicately cleaned, and placed in front of what she instantly recognized as a food source. She forgot her troubles and instantly began to suckle, her tiny paws kneading against her mother's belly to get the milk flowing.
Then other tiny little bodies were settled next to hers. There were a few mews voiced, and the little white and black female's ears pinned back -- she liked the quiet! She kicked out at one; not necessarily on purpose, but she wasn't exactly sorry for it, either.
She just wanted more food.
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:07 am
-Unlike the elder siblings that'd come before her the little ivory and gold cub seemed more indifferent about the ascension into life, perhaps already tuckered out by the fight it'd been to get out.
She hadn't really seen her siblings leave, but she could feel it, they're warmth and comforting little legs and bodies moving away, leaving her alone in the warm and quickly shrinking womb. Oh how the contractions had push and shoved, but being so young so new.. how was she to know whether to fight it? Or to go along with it? So she'd done neither, and by the time she was out she was nearly as tired as her mother.
It was colder out here, and brighter, sounds and scents assaulting the young one, but the soft sensation of her mother's tongue, soon touched by the indescribably pleasant feeling of soft and furry warmth made it all worth it. Yes this was much better. And soon enough she'd go see what exactly all those new smells and sounds were. But for now she needed to sleep. And sleep she did despite the soft wiggle and kicks of her siblings, dragged into a slumber of such deep content that it would have taken a herd of elephants to wake the young one.-
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Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:43 am
This new place was a little drab. The light hurt his eyes at first, even though they were all but glued shut. He couldn't breathe, it was cold, and a strange rumbling in his lower half confused and scared him. It wasn't until he felt the touch of their mother's tongue and the warmth of her body and his sister's that Jing began to realize he wasn't alone as he'd thought.
He felt an unplesant sensation as his older sister kicked him, but all he could do was give a startled squeak and then mew loudly in protest, pawing blindly. Not long after this, Jing'Fei found food. His siblings all around continued protesting, eating, or sleeping, but he became as oblivious as his unconcious mother, feeding in contentment as another body of warmth completed their circle of a home.
((:3 Okay. Gonna go ahead and strike up another RP for the cubs + parents, but meanwhile, Daim and I will probably keep using this one.))
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:48 am
Soft paws padded down the side of Priderock, moving as quickly as the frail body they carried would allow. Crimson eyes swept the rocky face, searching for the source of the commotion that their owner had heard a few hours ago. A soft huff swept from the creamy lioness's muzzle, a sound of exasperation. She'd started searching the moment she'd heard the first roar, but hadn't been able to move fast enough to get here before now. It vexed Sarabi to no end that her body held her back so much. The makers of that noise had probably passed on by now, and it would take her just as many hours to get back to the top of Priderock, all for nothing. Raising her blunt nose into the air, the queen of the pridelands paused to scent deeply, catching the smell of blood and birthing. So, that was the cause... but who was it that was having cubs in a den on Priderock itself? None of the lionesses she knew were with cubs... The queen sighed again, padding forward at a slow trot. But then, she felt like she knew only half the pride. Being sickly and unable to be up and about sure was annoying. The scent led her to a den not too much farther, and she stopped just outside the entrance. The smell was heavy and strong, but there was no death in it. Good, good... Maybe the new parents, or just mother, wouldn't mind her dropping in to say hello and get a look at the cubs. Sarabi loved cubs with all her being, and the chance to see newborns was a strong temptation. "Hello? This is Sarabi. I smelled the birthing, and I came to see if you needed any help..." She called softly into the darkness, her soft ears perked forward to catch any replies.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:28 pm
Some time had passed between now and the time all five cubs had been settled between their mother and Daimyn, and the floodgates that had held back all the worry that had plagued him on the sprint back to the den had been let loose. Ausi was semi-conscious at best, and now he couldn't tell whether she'd drifted back into blackness or remained half alert.
Daimyn scented the elderly lioness against the harsher scents of blood and birthing, and when she announced herself, he sighed with mild relief. So this was Sarabi, the Pridelander queen he'd been told about.
He managed to tear himself away from Ausi's and the cubs' sides long enough to greet the queen just outside the den. "Thank you, Highness," he answered, feeling odd and awkward at calling another "highness" even as the word was spoken. "I don't know..." He glanced back toward Ausi, retreating a bit and giving room for Sarabi to enter. He doubted Ausi'Juu would mind a bit of goodnatured help, if it could be given.
He kept the next bit to himself, however -- that he wasn't sure help could be given. He didn't know if this was normal, if Ausi'Juu was in danger of losing her life or if this was routine for birthing lionesses.
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Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:01 pm
The depths of sleep held a strong hold on her, but gradually her dreams began to loosen it's grip, and it went from power-sleep to a more natural R.E.M. cycle. Every now and then she'd twitch as the cubs slept, only truely stirring some time later, as voices roused her.
She slowly peeled her eyes open as a new scent stood out strongly amidst the smells of blood and birthing fluid. She vaguely recognized the scent from her conversation with the king some time ago. His scent almost mingled with the kindly queen's pelt, and Ausi's sleep hazed mind made the odd, but certain statement.
Sarabi. Mufasa's mate.
~She must be the one he was speaking about, she took Nukta and Adanna into these lands...~
"I apologize, Queen Sarabi," Came the faint voice, so soft that it could barely be heard in the silence of the den, compared to Daimyn and even Sarabi's voice. Sleep still remained underlying her words, but Ausi felt as if she'd slept enough for now. She wanted the pleasure of thanking the queen, both for granting her son and his family a home, helping her find him, and then granting them refuge here as well (though Ausi'Juu was unaware that she hadn't known of their presence). "I don't mean any disrespect by not rising. I hope I didn't disturb you from any rest."
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:01 pm
The old queen studied the male that emerged from the gloom, his white pelt almost glowing in the darkness. He was unusal in these parts, where most lions came in browns to golds and creams. But then, so many rogues came in all colors of the rainbow... it probably wasn't so suprising outside of these lands. Sarabi let a soft smile crease her muzzle as she nodded her greeting, stepping forward as he stepped back. She slid between him and the wall of the den, her form slight enough he probably wouldn't have had to move.
The den smelled strongly of the birth, as well as pain. Fear was another strong scent, almost choking her in the close space. Still... there was no scent of death, or sickness, and that was a good sign. Sarabi's head dipped as the lioness stretched out on the floor roused herself, small bundles that must be cubs curled close against her. In the shadows it was hard to tell, but Sarabi counted five little lumps. The sight made Sarabi's smile widen. She wasn't the only one to produce big litters.
"Hello there, dear... no need to apologize. I, more than others, understand the toll birthing takes on a mother. I had a large litter as well, the last time. It took so much out of me, I've never fully recovered." Her smile was a little sad, but warm too. She'd accepted the price her family had taken on her body. "And don't worry about my rest. I sleep all the time, what is one interupted nap?" She chuckled as she padded closer, her paws light on the stone. "How do you feel, hmm? Have you had a chance to check over your cubs?"
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