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 Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:31 pm
White toed paws batted annoyedly at flies and mosquitos, keeping them at bay. The paws owner wasen't usually so frustrated, but now she really was, for once. She was usually calm-- er, not so calm always alert. But she relaxed when there was nothing around, and had learned to ignore nuisances, but look at her now, lying on a flat-er rock near the waterfalls in the jungle, batting at the flies as if they were taunting her, more absorved in them than anything elsethat might be around.
Thing is, the feline wasen't in a particularly happy mood, she had just realised why she had suddenly gained some weight. It wasen't much just yet, even though it was noticable. And sometimes she felt randomly dizzy, also; lately she had actually lost a nice plump gazelle because she had felt light headed and tumbled over a stick, and as far as hunters went, she was a rather good one.
Cubs.
She was having cubs; the number still undertermined. wheter or not an s should be added, Karama was pregnant. The father was known, even though she coulden't possibly imagine how she would just say he was going to be a father.
When the flies had scattered off, apperently deciding to go someone elsewhere, Karama curls up into the best ball she can with a larger belly.
How would she tell Keone?
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:01 pm
 The white form of a small leopard moved silently through the foliage, soft paws easily moving through the jungle he called home. His gait was light and happy, a grin on his maw, his tail flicking happily behind him, a pretty pink flower grasps delicately in his jaws.
His steps carried him toward the falls, certain that he would find Karama there. Spending time with the dark leopardess always made him happy, and he was sure the flower he had picked for her would make her happy as well.
The sound of rushing water met his ears and a few moments later he spotted the dark form laying on one of the rocks. That made him happy, and he bounded toward her with a purr, flashing a silly grin at her as he presented the flower.
"Hi!"
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 3:04 pm
Orange eyes open, paws removed from over them. Untill Keone actually said something, she had been compleetly oblivious to his presence. She looks up, uncurling to a 'better position, hiding her frown with a crooked smile; she had wanted more time to think up what to say.
"Hello, Keone. "
She sais, trying to sound normal, but sounding a tad edgy, alot more than she would have liked to. She attempted to shake it off with a yawn, pretending she had been thinking instead. Her eyes fall on the flower and she relaxes a bit, that was nice of him, even though he did that fairly often.
She accepts the flower with a smile, and holds it between her paws, being careful not to fiddle with it and take the petals off, so to save it fro rather uneasy paws, she sets it next to her.
"Thanks, "
She pauses, apperently pondering if she should wait for a 'good' moment to tell him, but she was finding herself too anxious to really hold it too long.
"Uh.. Keone, I got someting to tell you. "
She blurts uneasly, scraching behind her left ear. Did Keone evne know what being a father meant? Thats basically all that worried her; as far as she knew, Keone knew nothing about having cubs, and she wasen't much better either; the only thing she could assure herself is that she'd.. sorta taken care of a lion cub?
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:14 pm
The little leopard smiled innocently, purring happily that she had liked his flower, oblivious for the moment to whatever was bothering her, not that he could have ever imagined what it was. Sitting up, he placed his front paws on the rock, green eyes shining, a goofy smile on his maw. He was about to jump up onto the rock with her, but something made him pause.
He titled his head curiously, a question in his eyes. Something wasn't right, and though he could not have guessed what, he could see that something was troubling his companion. She had tried to hide it, but growing so close, Keone knew her well enough to see it. Had he done something wrong?
"What's wrong?" he blinked confused, "Tell me what?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:03 pm
Orange orbs look backwards to her body, still not entirely sure as what to say, as if there were someone behind her that would give the answer. She sighed, sitting up, finding it more comfortable to say such a thing, even if now her swollen belly was more apperant.
"Do you know what-- " She pauses, that wasen't a good way to start. "Uhh.. You're going to-- " Not that either. "Hold on. " She sais impatently, not really to Keone but to herself. She thinks a bit, curling her tail around her forepaws before continuing.
"You remember when we met? You said you didn't have a family, right? "
This way pethaps was a little more understandable for Keone?
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:22 pm
"Huh?"
Tail flicking, the leopard sat back, forepaws still resting on the rock, his head tilted one way then the other, green eyes blinking as he just became more confused by Karama's broken words. What was she trying to tell him? The poor little leopard just grew more confused at each word, and thinking for a moment that she was angry with him he ducked his head at what he percieved as irritiation in her voice.
He was about to open his mouth to ask what he had done, but her next question caused him to fall silently, blinking again. Family? Why was she asking about family again? Hadn't they already talked about that?
"Yeah."
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:31 pm
He was confused, she could tell that, wich only made her even more uneasy. She shifted her weight from one paw to another, suddenly unsure of her plan. She looked from side to side, fur begining to p***k as if she faced a terrible enemy and coulden't do a thing.
After a few more looks around, she gave in. But her voice remained quiet, almost like a cub being scolded by its parent.
"Its just that.. You're going to have one now-- er.. we're going to have one, " She corrected herself, and then added in a lower voice. "Because I'm having cubs, your cubs. "
Said that, shelooked down at her paws as if she had a poisonous snake caught between them, not daring to look away and let it get away to bite her; she didn't dare look at Keone, finding herself afraid of his reaction, even though she was quite sure it woulden't be some sort of attack.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:25 pm
"Well of course we have family, silly, we have each other."
He grinned, rearing up on his hind paws to bat at her playfully. That was all she was worried about? Well she didn't need to worry, of course they were family; after all they had shared that went without saying.
Hopping onto the rock, the leopard purred, nuzzling against her neck happily and relieved. But then something she had said suddenly dawned on him.
"What's a...cub?"
He really didn't get it. Obviously he knew well enough how to make a cub and how to share himself with the one he loved. But beyond that the little leopard was clueless. Or maybe he know and just wasn't sure what the words meant.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:47 am
She blinked, he haden't got it, had he? With a sigh, she began to ponder words again, untill he asked what a cub is; thats what he haden't got, then?
"A cub is sorta like.. A very small leopard, or lion or cheetah.. " She pondered. "It can't hunt yet and drinks milk, from ts mom, for some time. " She paused, even though she had already realised that soon she would be giving milk to cubs, it felt so awkward to say it.
"And it needs protection, because its too small to defend itself. " She held back the urge to say all this wasen't true, but it was; she just didn't have it. "It grows up, ventually. But untill it does, it needs its mom and its dad. " Or luck. She thought bitterly to herself.
"And you're going to be a dad. " For a moment, it seems like she'd continue her explanation about what cubs are, but instead, she dosen't say much more. "When the time comes, you'll see what a cub is. "
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:24 pm
He sat back on his haunches beside the leopardess, paws shuffling a bit feeling confused again. So there was something else she was trying to tell him?
"A small leopard? You mean smaller than me?"
It's true Keone was tiny as far as leopard's were concerned, but surely that wasn't what Karama meant. But then what did she mean? He was just getting more and more confused. Perhaps if he hadn't been so busy trying to figure out what she meant he might have noticed the weight she had gained.
"Dad? Huh?"
He really didn't get it did he?
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:47 pm
"Alot smaller. " She grinned, nipping at one of his ears in slight amusement. "When they're born, their even smaller than those fish you usually catch. " Being that Keone caught rather big fish.
"But they grow and get bigger. " She added, ears twiching. "And yeah, you're going to be a father, and I'm going to be a mother. " She adds the part about herself with a bit more grim tone; she wasen't too confident about raising cubs, but motherly instinct was already starting to grow in her; heck, she had already found a den, wich was nearby.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:31 pm
He titled his head curiously, one paw raised to scratch at one ear as if it would help him understand. Really small leopards that grow? He thought about that for a moment, that seemed vaguely familar, and then the lightbulb came on.
"Ooooh....you mean like us when we were little."
That much he understood. He at least knew that at some point he and Karama had both been much smaller than they were now, though he didn't remember being smaller than a fish. So that's what a cub was? So then they had both been cubs? Okay so he knew -what- a cub was, but his expression showed that he was still a bit confused.
"Fa...ther?"
Clearly there was still something he didn't get.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:49 pm
The leopardess sighs, giving up on explaining all this to Keone, firstly for lack of words, secondly because she wasen't in the mood to go explaining all this to him; it was hard.
"Nevermind, you'll see when they're born. " She sais, holding back the urge to snort her annoyance; no doubt Keone's cluelessness made him cute at times, but now she coulden't help but feel slightly annoyed.
She slid off the rock, for the first time sense Keone had shown up, actually standing up, her weight now even more apperant than it had been laying or sitting down. "I gotta show you something, " She said, ears flicking towards the waterfall. "Its over there. " She would wait for him to actually get up before walking, silently hoping he didn't sayanything about her weight gain.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:23 pm
"Born?"
The little leopard blinked, it seemed he was just getting more and more confused. Everytime he thought he understood, she added something else that just confused him all the more. And now she seemed annoyed with him, but he didn't know why.
Ears dropping a bit, he followed her off the rock, noticing for the first time that she seemed bigger than before. But why? That didn't make sense, they were adults, there was no reason for her to have gotten any bigger. He thought of asking, but he was at least smart enough to know that that would have been a bad idea.
"'kay..."
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:53 pm
She pretended not to hear his question, not in the mood to explain what /that/ was. She started walking towards the waterfall, close to the rocky walls at its sides, blocking outthe view from the lands beyond that, where the river that began the waterfall was.
Now she was close to it, close enough to need to fold her ears against the skull to level out the noise, and a few stray dropleds of water sprinkled her fur. The grass grew taller here, and some plants climbed up the stone, and in a particular area, the litchen hund over, hiding a hole in the stone.
That was the den Karama had found, and it haden't been picked without reason; a noise waterfall would hide the sounds of newborn cubs, or even older ones as they played, the plants hid it well enough, and the dampness in the air could mask scents quite well. The leopardess sure knew how to hide.
She pushed through the litchen calmly, and when it might ook like she just crashed into stone, she simply vanished into the hole, tail last to slide in. Inside it was large, the floor lined by dirt, she had already gotten rid of webs and their inhabitants in the 'den', making it a moe suitable place. She had also found dry grass and made some sort of bed, being that she would probably be sleeping here for qite a while.
While it was dark inside, a bit of light managed to peek through the litchen during day, as it was now, so inside was partially visible, especially with a cats good eye. She curled contently on the grass, waiting for Keone to com as well.
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