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 Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:45 pm
It had been a few weeks since Tai introduced Zira and Udha to Daimyn and Ausi'juu's family, and though she wasn't nursing them currently, Tai stopped by regularly and often slept over so the newborns could be familiar with her. Recently, however... she'd grown a bit listless.
Her wandering took her further and further from Pride Rock daily, into the Southlands usually, and there she'd met him... the rogue that had such an impact on her that her life would forever be changed.
She was pregnant, not surprisingly.
Not that this should come as any shock. Many females often found themself in this situation, and Tai had birthed many a litter before, but not been allowed to raise any of them. She'd vowed that this time would be different, but somehow she found herself afraid. She no longer had her stronger half to turn to for strength, so she needed to find it in another source.
"Daimyn...?" Came the soft call from the den entrance, early one morning-- or late one night, when even Xu had worn herself out from her narcoleptic episode.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:44 am
Daimyn had spent quite a bit of time with Tai over the past few months, catching up, so to speak. This morning he was awake earlier than usual, but still hanging about in the den, not about to wake everyone up and truthfully enjoying being lazy.
An ear perked when he heard a voice outside, and he recognized it as Tai's.
"Tai?" He rolled over and stepped through the den's entrance out into the dim pre-dawn light, shaking dust from his coat.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:51 am
The forms of her nieces and nephews were all dark shadows in the early morning slivers. To think she'd have a family of her own like this soon...
The lioness stepped back, making room for her brother, tongue knotting uncertainly for an instant before her eyes darted uneasily away.
"Do you think I could steal you away for a little while...?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:11 am
"Of course." He let her lead the way, noting the changes in her appearance and guessing his sister was pregnant. Was that what she wanted to talk about, then?
He was tempted to make small talk, but didn't want to accidentally cut her off when she did decide they were in an appropriate place to talk. Instead he kept quiet, letting Tai initiate conversation if she wanted to.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:46 am
She didn't lead them far, she only wanted to be sure not to wake up the others, or be overheard. Once their paws left the cold stone of Pride Rock, she paused, meandering a few more steps through the grass in afterthought, then stopped completely, turning to face Daimyn.
"I suppose you can already tell what I... wanted to tell you. You'll be an uncle soon..."
Actual motherhood, something she had no problem with, but the idea of actually raising her own blood-cubs, it frightened her a bit. What if one of them, or all of them, took after their grandfather, or gained her previous split personality complex? What if Kianga's children questioned their resemblance? Would she be able to handle that?
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:10 pm
Daimyn nodded. "I did guess," he answered fondly, with a light smile. "Congratulations, Tai." He cocked his head at her then, noting what he read as a downcast attitude. "This... is a good thing, right?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:44 pm
A long and uncertain pause came as his answer, Tai unsure of how to reply and staring at her paws, half through a scarred eye. It should be wonderful news but...
"It's not really the same, with everyone elses cubs they have their own parents to look up to, and Zira and Udha have you and Ausi, but... I'm... scared. What if I'm a bad role model? What if I'm not strong enough?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:13 am
"Tai." He spoke gently, stepping closer to punctuate his words. "You will be a wonderful mother. And I'm not just saying that; I thought the same thing -- still do, in fact. If you need help, you know both Ausi and I are here."
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Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:19 am
"I appreciate that, brother..." Tai confessed softly, looking up to him with gratitude written across her features. "I wish that the father would've stayed though. I'm sure it would have been different if he'd known." She sighed.
This was possible, but, in light of the fact that he knew she -might- get pregnant, the fact that he hadn't stayed also implied that their cubs may or may not have made any difference to his wandering spirit. Tai was aware of this, but tried to think better of the male that she'd trusted herself to.
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