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 Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:18 pm
 Their father was going to be pretty irritated, and he might even get scolded by their mother as well, but nothing was going to stop the young heir from having some fun. He was sick and tired of getting lectured and memorizing traditions and rules and hearing about how he was going to take over the pride one day. Why couldn't he just be a kid for just one day?
Well, if dad wouldn't give him the right, he'd take it.
He'd managed to slip off while his father was discussing something with one of the other pride members, leaving Upepo free to creep out into the jungle beyond the canyon wall. Hah. It would take dad hours to find him out here!
The juvenille royal growled softly as he tromped through the foilage, stepping on the ocassional plant and snorting or batting at the ocassional fly. Just one day to be normal, that was all he wanted.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 7:46 pm
The news of the finding of a future-queen was a pleasant surprise for Mteuli. He trusted his goddess more then anyone and knew that it would work out for the better of the pride and the two children as well. And therefore the event was something to celebrate. He had headed off to meet the young girl not long after recieving the dream that told him of the current events and plans. He'd be bringing the girl back to their homeland for her first visit. When he had met her in person he had found she was quite sweet. And she was bright too. For a while during their travels she had been silent due to shyness. Then, once more open, she asked fasinating questions. She had obviously never left home before and Mteuli was impressed by her desire to learn.
When they reached the jungle at last Vinaya couldn't help but stare in wonder. There trees were so large and....and there were so many! She had never seen so many in one location. And there were so many colors and sounds! It was brilliant! Her senses were alive, making her skin tingle with awe. She had never seen a place more alive. And her young heart was captured immediately with a wonderous passion. It was hard to explain. For while the young girl knew her home was the pridelands...her heart felt drawn to this strange new place.
"Come along now," Mteuli said with a warm smile, "We're almost there." He moved into the trees, starting their travels through the jungle, the little violet girl following close behind.
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:33 pm
The young royal stopped in his pawtracks, scenting someone headed his way.
... Oh boy... his uncle... Without even thinking twice about it the tan and slate colored youth stumbled to find cover, hoping that Mteuli would miss his scent among all the others out here. If his uncle told his father he was so busted! He'd probably get a lecture longer than he was old!
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:26 pm
Mteuli paused, looking over his shoulder at Vinaya. But he wasn't really seeing the girl. No, his senses were focused on a familiar scent. After a moment a small smile curved his maw and he faced towards the bushes. "Upe...why don't you come out? I won't tell your father, but I want you to meet someone," he purred. If the thought of meeting someone new wouldn't bring him out he hoped that the compremise would.
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:24 am
Upepo's ears flattened with a wince as his nickname was called. That only confirmed that he'd been caught already, but as the youth chanced a glance back over his shoulder from where he hid behind a fallen tree, he grew curious at the sight of black and purple. Someone to meet?
Ears twitched atop his head, and after a pause, he gathered up his composure and revealed himself, leaping up to stand atop the fallen log.
"You PROMISE you won't tell dad...? If you break it, I'll make you sit in on the lecture too." He glowered in warning, though it was harmless. His uncle would never go back on his word, even if he had reason to in this case.
As it was, it didn't take long for his curiosity of the newcomer to take hold again, and one whiff told him that-- A GIRL??
Green eyes took her in, she looked about his age. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going, but he asked anyway, eyes darting almost reluctant back to the ambassador and earth priest. "Uncle... whose that...?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:48 pm
"Upepo, meet Vinaya. She's come here to see our lands. She'll be coming regularly, to get used to the area and to learn out traditions and the like," Mteuli explained, using the best choice of words and tact he could as easily as breathing came to him. Someone more blunt might have just jumped to the point. He attempted to make it feel more normal and soften what might be a blow. "She's got a lot to learn if she's to be queen in the future, after all."
Vinaya did not like the attention. She blinked shyly at the other child, shuffling her feet and meeting his gaze only for a short time before pretending to find some excuse to look away, "Um...hello..." Instictively she took a small step towards Mteuli, perhaps in hopes of being shielded or hidden. But she didn't hide, realistically speaking. She knew that to be rude and though she'd rather get out of the spotlight as quickly as possible she had manners and a sense of what was right.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:39 pm
The face that Upepo made wasn't all too friendly, but not exactly mean spirited either. He simply disapproved of her ducking to his uncle's side like that. Great. A shy girl...
Not the nicest of thoughts, but he already had a meek twin brother (who he loved dearly, as he did his sister, he'd just never admit it openly and risk sounding gushy), did this mean he'd have some meek mate following him around now too?
Wait. MATE? Upe looked to his uncle with shock at that.
"What do you mean... she's supposed to be..."
Oh... he wasn't sure about -this-. His eyes cast uncertainly towards the girl again, but he knew better than to be rude, and it wasn't like she asked for this. With a slight wince he wasn't quite able to hide, Upepo finally leapt down from the branch. He already knew what his father would say if he were here, and he really wasn't... that much of a jerk.
"Well there's no point in you hiding. I'm not gonna bite you or anything."
Nevermind that she hadn't really been hiding, he just felt... sullied somehow, and, trying not to show it (and failing miserably) he also had his guilt to contend with so soon. He couldn't be mad at her, but he wondered when they'd planned to tell him at this rate. She was already here, and he hadn't even been so much as warned! How must she feel, then?
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:54 pm
Vinaya felt a jerk twist her heart and her ears flickered back as she only just managed to keep her utter dismay from her face. Her feelings of awe and love towards this strange new place were quickly overwelmed by a terrible sense of rejection and self doubt. He didn't like her already? Was she really that horrible? She quivered a little, but managed to keep a relatively polite look, but it was no longer shyly curious. Now it was more withdrawn and reserved, as if she knew hiding would have been a better idea. "I'm not," she answered slowly, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before looking away.
"You can talk about the details with your father...he was probably planning on explaining today," Mteuli murmured, giving the crushed young girl an encouraging nudge as he addressed Upe.
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:41 pm
Oh great...
That did not go unnoticed by the heir, and instantly he felt his own stomach twist with a sick feeling of guilt, but only managed to frown further furrowing his brow. He couldn't stand to look at her when she looked so dejected by his reaction, so instead he looked to his uncle, just barely hiding his own shame. He'd been trained perhaps too well to keep his poise in the presence of others.
"Maybe... that can wait. Is it alright if I show Vinaya around for a while instead...?"
He'd just met her, but already he felt he owed it to her to make this up to her.
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:31 pm
Mteuli eyed the two children for a moment. He got the feeling that the young girl would rather not be left alone with him. However, he knew better then to let such awkward feelings hang in the air. They were small, but they could work it out on their own. It was what they needed. And he trusted Upe...he would never be intentionally hurtful. "Alright...I'll go tell your father, though, so he doesn't coming wondering where you both are." And with that the adult drifted off to leave the children on their own.
Vinaya stood still, keeping her gaze away from Upe. She pretended to be taking in all the types of flowers and vegetation around them. But she could only do that for so long. She had no idea what to say...she had wanted to see more of the lands, but she hardly wanted a guide who hated her...she was too nervous to consider that that wasn't the case exactly.
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:48 pm
Upepo simply nodded to his uncle as the ambassador answered, then ambled off calmly. Looking to Vinaya, he wasn't surprised to see she still avoided looking at him, and looked away himself.
".... Look, I didn't mean to snap. I just didn't expect this. It would've been nice to know... I don't hate you or anything."
A lucky guess, perhaps.
".... So.... I'm sorry." He sighed in the general direction of his paws before chancing a glance at the girl again.
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:43 pm
"It's ok," she murmured without much thought. It was almost instinctive, verbally forgiving someone. She felt a little lost and confused still, but his apollogy only made her feel guilty about having any lingering feelings over the matter. "You didn't know so...um...it's ok if you're...mad." Though if he was mad she knew inwardly she'd be upset. She always felt so befuddled. Her heart told her one thing, but her morals and her mind another. Like right now. She shouldn't be upset, it was a misunderstanding. But it was hard to tell that to her twisting gut. She managed to meet his gaze tentatively, offering a shakey smile.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 5:03 pm
That kneading feeling just kept getting worse in his stomach, making itself very presently known. Upepo attempted to swallow hard, his mouth feeling a little dry, and looking away he led her without a word to find something to drink.
Just great...
He brought her to a place that would become very familiar soon, a spot that most of, if not all of, lovers in the pride retreated to least once in their journeys through the years together. It was a beautiful spot, a small clearing with small waterfalls and a lush bedding of grasses and moss, ferns and flowers, and a stream that fed from the miniature falls.
Padding silently to the stream's side Upepo leaned over and began lapping at the life giving substance, with surprising poise for one so young. Despite his youth and gender it was clear that Upe was going to grow to be a strong, and still graceful adult. Each move he made was with confidence, every thought well planned, well, until this disastrous first meeting that was.
Once he'd had his fill he licked his muzzle clean and looked at Vinaya again, stepping back to make room if she hadn't already taken a drink.
"... So... where are you from?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:59 pm
Vinaya followed close, mainly because she feared getting lost. This land of trees was so different from her homeland, she had no doubt it'd be easy to misstep. When they reached their desitnation she held back slightly, rooted to the spot like the wooden giants around her. Green eyes glazed at the sight of tumbling waterfalls and the shimmering pool splashed with a delicate mist. And that was only the beginning, for the shores were covered with blooming flowers and lush greenery. She felt tongue tied, almost as if her voice wouldn't work. Ears flickering back slightly and her clumsy lack of speach she breathed, unable to shake the awe, "It's...it's so beautiful. Breath taking...um..."
She finally tore her eyes away and slipped to his side. Her grace hardly matched his...she was almost clumsy. Not so much that she was tripping about, it was a sort of...awkward elegance. Something a bit endearing that might fade in time or practice. Not wanting to take a drink while answering his question, since that was rude according to her parents, she murmured while refraining from dropping her head, "Um...I...I'm from the pridelands."
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:33 pm
Upepo stayed quiet as he watched her move, not missing the tell-tale signs of her soon to be grace. He felt bad still, but already found she was endearing herself to him just by being herself. He felt so silly, but he found himself wanting to protect her from that kind of hurt again, even if it meant protecting her from himself.
Glad that she liked the place, he shifted to sit, smiling a bit.
"Welcome to the Unity Walkers, Vinaya."
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