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 Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:15 pm
Nsundu yawned again, before resting her head on her outstretched paws. Though she was content to lay in the shade of a nearby tree until the heat of the African sun died down, she did not want to do it alone. That was the only reason she had boldly entered a land that so obviously belonged to a large pride. She had come into these lands in the hopes of finding a little company, though so far there seemed to be no one around. Perhaps it was because she was so near to the border, or so the brown cub assumed. She had never been required to stay in one play for very long as a child, and so the very idea of claiming a piece of land was rather foreign to her. Still, it seemed a very popular behaviour among her species, and so she wasn't going to commentate. Besides, having a large population of lions in one place made socializing a lot easier. Not to mention Nsundu had heard that lions who lived in prides were more easygoing than their rogue counterparts. The better to socialize with, though by the looks of it there would be no socializing today. Huh. So much for coming into a pride's lands. She probably would have found better company near the river bank. At least the crocodiles would always come to meet you.
With a half-hearted growl, Nsundu rolled onto her side, staring out at the Pridelands dully. Why was life so boring?
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:35 am
Her scarlet eyes caught movement and focused on the dark form of another cub. Immediately her mouth closed and her head rose as her ears swivelled forward with interest. She could hardly look like a fool infront of another. A few days ago, Safuma would hardly have cared, but as she grew she was becoming more aware of her position as a princess. She didn't take it so heavily as Akida did, but he was heir and she was only his sister, one of many. Nevertheless, she dipped her head in greeting before letting her legs fold beneath her to hold her belly to the cool soil. "Hello," she hesitated before rolling partially onto her side, "I'm Safuma."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:00 am
Nsundu had just been about to call this social call quits when she thought heard something. Her dark ears perked, turning in several directions in an attempt to figure out where the sound was coming from. It almost sounded like... heavy breathing. Was someone approaching? Her question was answered moments later as a tawny cub all but appeared from the savannah and ran into the shade. The cub was momentarily surprised, having not expected her company to come so quickly. Had the cub not seen her? Probably not. Being entirely brown did have some benefits, especially when it came to camouflage. But no matter. Her newest acquaintance had arrived.
A feline smile appeared on his face as the tawny cub appeared to have just noticed her. Would you look at that. Nsundu didn't even have to start the introductions. Her ears flipped forward when Safuma spoke, taking note of the cub's name as well as her colour. It was nice to see an earth coloured lioness with no funny markings. The rogue cub had had just about enough of all the funny coloured lions she had seen in her travels. "Safuma," Nsundu repeated, nodding her head in greeting. "Name's Nsundu. You runnin' from somethin' or just runnin' for the fun of it?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:24 am
A sense of relief flooded the cub when her new companion didn't see to take note of Safuma's position. Dropping the pretenses, she flopped fully onto her side with a wide, feral grin before dragging her tongue in a long, careful lick down her foreleg where a streak of dirt crisscrossed over her pelt. The shade was comforting, and the fact that she could enjoy it, as well as regain her breathing, without having to act like some stuffy princess was of equal comfort. When the other female introduced herself, the smile returned to Safuma's face as she replied, "For the fun of it." Her scarlet eyes laughed, and she flicked her tail idly in amusement. "You can call me Saf, or Safu. Whichever. Nice to meet you, Nsundu."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:25 pm
Even if Nsundu had known who Safuma was, it was doubtful that she would have changed how she acted. The brown cub was not familiar with the whole idea of having a ruling pair. She had only had to listen to her mother when she felt like it. After all, her mother had always been much more like her ally than her caregiver. The very idea that someone was a princess was something that belonged in stories and legends, not in every day life. Had Nsundu been told Safuma was a princess of the Pridelands, the cub would probably had laughed and told her to drop the charade. Royalty meant very little to Nsundu, and perhaps in that way Safuma was lucky.
Nsundu chuckled when Safuma replied that she was running for fun, glad that there wasn't any need to get up. She had no intent of tangling with an adult in their own lands. The cub rolled into her back, still watching her now upside-down companion. "Safu's a bit boring, donchathink? Need a better name then that." Nsundu paused to consider her options. Safuma wasn't exactly the easiest name to shorten into something cool. "How about... Saffer! That's a good name." She grinned. "Don't need to be so formal with yer nice to meet you's. Nobody 'round to care whatchu say or how you say it. So Saffer... where you from anyways? This place or 'nother one?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:37 pm
She hesitated. This cub was certainly different than any other that Safuma had come across. Even the usual formalities were lost upon her, and Saf had already dropped any more royal actions or statements. She was acting as normal as she could, but was finding even that was not laid back as much as was needed. Frowning, her tail flicked idly until the other cub’s chuckle drew her attention once again and pulled the smile back to her lips. Laying her head against the cool dirt, she closed one eye to prevent the dirt from getting into it and laughed brightly at the new nickname.
It was fascinating how quickly people came up with different things to call her. She had been accustomed to Safuma from the older lions, Saf from her siblings and then Safu by the lion cub Siyo she had met a few days ago. Now she was faced with a new nickname, Saffer, and the casualness it expressed was amusing enough that she nodded slowly. “Saffer,” it rolled off her tongue a bit awkwardly, but she could get used to it, “I like it.”
When Nsundu ask about her origin, the cub smiled and moved her head slightly to motion towards where she had come from. “Here. The Pridelands. My den’s on a big rock thataways. What about you?”
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:59 pm
This cub was obviously well mannered. She probably spent most of her time around boring adults who had boring adult conversations that didn't involve cubs. Nsundu had learned in her travels that adults expected a certain amount of respect from cubs, regardless of what they had done in their lives. The brown cub would have been quite happy to give her respect, providing the adult did something worth it. Simply existing and being older than her wasn't impressive. Now taking down a hyena pack and winning over the respect of an entire pride; that was something.
"Well of course you like it," Nsundu responded merrily, "I made it up." She wasn't worried about seeming too prideful, especially since she was only talking to another cub. Nsundu could usually tone down her arrogant statements around adults, but she did bother around her peers. Besides, this cub Saffer needed to loosen up a bit. Adults had been playing around with her head and forcing her to be polite. Ew. "Oooh, so you live in that thing. Not bad, though it's a bit of an eyesore." She had seen the rock shortly after she'd arrived in these "Pridelands", finding it rather funny to look at. "Me? Everywhere... anywhere... nowhere really. I just go wherever I please." Nsundu glanced back at the rock, before asking, "So how manyofyah live in there?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:16 pm
Safuma made a face at that. This cub was definitely sure of herself, which was respectable, but that statement had been chalked full of self-pride. Supposing that arrogance was nothing to worry about nor to take note of, Saf shook her head as if to rid herself of a fly and then allowed her easy smile to return once more. She was finding that she rather liked this new cub, Nsundu, but when the brown cub made a comment about her home, Safuma found herself speechless for a moment. Proper etiquette would be to politely defend her home and then move on, but after a few moments the cub simply shrugged, “It’s not the prettiest thing out there, that’s for sure.” She chuckled.
“From nowhere?” She was confused for a moment but then she remembered what someone had said about rogues roaming from land to land. “Who do you live with? Do you sleep anywhere?” She was mildly excited by the idea of belonging nowhere, though worried she would miss the company of her pride. Smiling distractedly, she responded to Nsundu, “Never really counted. Tons of us, though.” She looked about before adding, “People come in all the time.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:39 pm
Mmm, perhaps she shouldn't have said anything about the rock. It was obviously something important to the cub, though Nsundu didn't quite understand the connection. Still, she probably wouldn't have liked it if someone insulted an important place of hers. "Didna mean it like an insult, Saffer. Just really stands out, you know? Looks like an open mouth sorta. Just didna know rocks could grow like that." She shrugged a little, trying her best to look apologetic. Nsundu didn't apologize often, so it wasn't something she was particularly good at. Oh well.
"Live with?" The brown cub repeated the question, face scrunched up in concentration. "Live with the world 'round me. Don't live with anyone else." Safuma's next question made Nsundu laugh. Sleep? Why wouldn't she sleep? "'course I sleep. Just find me a nice brown place where I blend in and I go to sleep." At the mention of tons of lions Nsundu's ears perked, looking intently up at the upside-down Safuma. "Tons and tons? They all fit in that mouth-rock over there? Craaazy..."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:46 pm
The cub shook her head, her smile softening as she glanced back at the wrong, “No harm done. I dunno how it got like that, but I like it. It’s different.” She grinned broadly, tail swishing over the dirt and causing a bit of a cloud as she to a slightly more upright position. Once she was situated, she lay her head on her paws and took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the land with satisfaction as she identified a few different scents. It was good to find land she hadn’t traveled yet, and she spread her claws to knead the soil beneath her paws before speaking again.
“What about your mama?” Maybe that was too personal, but Nsundu seemed to be supporting casual behavior so though Safuma mentally braced for any repercussions of such an inquiry, she did not apologise for it before she got a reaction. At Nsundu’s shock of how many lions lived in Priderock, she laughed, “Not tons and tons, just tons. They live everywhere on the Pridelands, not just in the rock. Some live right outside.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:58 pm
Saffer had a point. It was very different. "Yah got me there. Very different. Good way for mams to keep track of the kids. Always stay where you can see the whole mouth-rock." Nsundu's mother had done things like that, given her landmarks to know where to go and what to avoid. She'd said that one day Nsundu would have to learn the safe places for herself, but for now she'd give her a little help. Wouldn't be fair if she died in an unfortunate accident, or so she had been told. Her mother had been blunt like that.
Nsundu made a face at the mention of her mother, realizing that this cub probably belonged to some large family that lived in the mouth-rock. Saffer seemed quite surprised that she lived alone. The brown cub should have realized what her companion meant when she asked who lived with her. "She's not here. Left a while back an' never came back. Got a life to life that doesn't involve me, so I left too." She shrugged absently, expressing her disinterest in the subject. It didn't bother her to talk about it, but it had been very clear to Nsundu from day one that her mother hadn't expected to raise a cub.
Thankful for the topic shift back to the mouth rock, Nsundu nodded to herself. "Ooh, so only the special ones live in the mouth-rock? Like... the really respected ones?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:49 pm
She nodded at that, it was a fairly accurate reasoning. Usually Safuma figured that so long as she could see home, she was safe, even if that wasn't always a correct assumption. Atleast it was easy enough to find your way back. As of yet, Safuma hadn't had much of an opportunity to spend time with her own mother, but the nannies were a good enough replacement when needed. Otherwise, she was relatively left alone.
Safuma caught the face made, but she didn't comment. As expected, Nsundu didn't see to be the type to be phased so easily. While she spoke, Saf nodded and listened even as her eyes surveyed the area - just in case someone was attempting to sneak up on them. Plus the subject was making her uncomfortable, she wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. She didn't see much of her mama, but that was because she was busy. She was an important figure, after all.
The topic shift, however, did not bode well for the cub and she frowned slightly. Nsundu still didn't see like the type who would care much, though, so Safuma threw caution to the wind and replied, "Yeah. Usually the really respected ones. Or family. Mom wouldn't mind if everyone lived in there, but it's not big enough."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:22 pm
Aaah so the respected ones did live there. Nsundu had thought as much. It made logical sense. If you were going to be famous and respected, you had to live in a place that was big and different. All of the boring people could live out in the Savannah where they wouldn't be noticed. After all, once you were respected you had to make yourself more noticeable. That way, you could do more things and get more respect. The brown cub had never understood the whole "shy hero" concept. If you got praise, why not accept it and bask in it? And living in a mouth-rock was a pretty good start.
"Family?" Nsundu repeated, her ears perking up. Perhaps it was because the brown cub had never had one of her own, but she always found herself curious about other peoples. She wanted to know the ins and outs of the family, how they interacted and how they dealt with other people. It was fascinating. "Is yer family so big that all of you can just barely fit in the mouth-rock?" Nsundu asked, turning her head to get a glimpse of the aforementioned stone structure. If it was that big even from this far away she could only imagine how big it was close up. And all of Saffer's family lived in there? "Must be one huge family to be takin' up the entire rock."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:33 pm
Safuma was becoming a little frustrated by her inadequate responses and answers, though the only showing trait was a furrowed brow as she followed the other cub's gaze to the big rock formation. She didn't really know who all lived in there as she was usually asleep before anyone else or too sleepy to notice who was in there. She knew her family lived there, and she supposed the nannies and their cubs stayed there. But she didn't know for sure, she didn't know anything for sure really.
At last she shrugged and let herself flop back onto the cool earth so that she was sprawled out on her side. "I 'unno. All of my close family lives in the cave, but I've got cousins and more cousins and aunts and uncles and some of them are gone, but some are still here. Some of the nannies stay in the den, I think. I don't notice much, there's just a lot of people and I'm usually too tired." She didn't sound irritated, but rather exhausted by the thought of all the lions passing before her mind's eye. There were a good many, even if she didn't see them all all the time. "By the time I go in, I'm usually too sleepy to know who's there, and in the morning if I wake up early enough, I have things I wanna do."
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:58 pm
Nsundu was quite oblivious to Safuma's plight. Seeing as she had only ever seen three or four lionesses together (at maximum) she'd never really had to remember tons of faces. She usually remembered places more than faces; however intricate markings and funny nicknames seemed to stick fairly well in her brain. Just the other day she had stumbled upon a funny "intelligent" male lion and his rather strange female companion. They were all kinds of weird, however it was that that had made them stick in her mind. Had they been slow and altogether uninteresting, Nsundu would have forgotten them. Of course, she was expecting her new friend to know everyone in the Pridelands. That was just the way things worked.
Finally rolling onto her front – this upside down business was messing with her head – Nsundu tilted her head, listening intently to Safuma. She had been right. There were tons and tons of lions here, and several tons of them lived in the mouth-rock. As Safuma started to list off all of the people, the brown cub became aware of a word she didn't recognize. "Whatsa nannee? Never heard of them before." As the list of lions and lionesses coming and going increased, Nsundu chuckled softly. Tons and tons indeed. "Sounds like you got too many in there and not enough privacy for all of yah. Yer little now, but what happens when you and yer brothers an' sisters – you do have them don't you? – get big? Start to get crowded in there!"
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