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Jabari nodded and stood up. "I'm Jabari. These cubs are orphans that we've been looking after and we were on the run from hyenas back in the Outlands." Jabari looked back to the cubs to make sure they were still being careful. The coast wasn't clear just yet.
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Takara stood up, revealing himself, and trotted over to the adults. He looked up at Belili and smirked. "Did you fall in a bunch of green muck, and it just stuck that way?"
"Takara, don't be rude!" Katali said as he came walking up, leaving Sahara and Broken behind him. "Just ignore him," he said apologetically to the lionesses. "He's a little...uh...antisocial."
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Murdoc couldn?t help but snicker at the cub?s comment. Belili growled at the cub advancing slightly before her little sister bounded up to stop her. ?No, actually?? she started to try to explain. Neither of them were neon, but it was still so odd. Broken moved forward sitting at Murdoc?s large paws. It was obvious by simply looking at them. Absynthe was the younger, with a bubbly personality, and her sister, had seen too much of life to say the least. ?It?s okay?? Absynthe said quietly, trying not to show her hurt. ?We?re used to it??
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Takara grinned up at Murdoc. Katali was still trying to apologize, to placate the newcomers somehow -- he could see how embaressed they were by Takara's comment. "No, it's not okay. He's just being nasty, ignore him. You" -- he turned to the grinning Takara -- "just shut up...." he smacked him off balance, tumbling into the grass.
"I'm Katali," he offered. "This is Sahara," as the other cub came up behind him. "Where are you guys from?" He smiled in an attempt to reassure them.
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Jabari frowned at Takara after his comment and shook his head. "Please just ignore that. We mean no harm to you two." Jabari took a seat, feeling that these two new lionesses wouldn't harm them.
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Absynthe seemed to relax a bit, she smiled, ?It?s nice to meet you all.? She said. Belili nodded slightly. ?Who?s this one then?? she asked motioning to Broken, who had been silent though all this. ?I?m Broken.? The youngest cub smiled. ?This is Murdoc?? she said leaning against his foreleg. Belili sat, no longer feeling threatened, her sister followed. ?Mind if we join you?? Absynthe asked, earning a glare from her sister.
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Jabari thought it over for a minute. "I don't see why not...we're following Murdoc to a place where we can hide out for awhile. If you'd both like to come, I'm fine with it." Jabari smiled at the two lionesses then turned to Murdoc. "That sound alright with you?"
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Sahara smiled...it looked as if the sisters would be joining them. Good. It would be nice to have some more female companionship for a change....
Katali looked away from the grown lions, to where Takara lay in the grass, staring at the sky. Probably furious. Maybe...maybe now was the time -- his time to try and make things right. He had been waiting for the right moment, and this was as good a time as any, if Takara would talk. He set his jaw and started towards the dark brown cub, heart pounding and mouth dry.
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?Aww please Muds?? Broken begged her adoptive father, with her large blue eyes. He sighed. ?It?s fine with me.? He said, he really didn?t need coaxing, he was a male after all, any female company could prove? interesting. ?Thank you!? Absynthe smiled, her sister only nodded.
((OOC- SOrry for the late reply guys!))
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Jabari nodded at Murdoc and then smiled. "So, what brings you two out here anyway?" It wasn't every day that he saw a pair of green lionesses. So it was needless to say, he was curious.
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Sahara looked up and saw Katali walking, slowly but surely, towards Takara. Trouble...? She shook it off and looked at the lionesses, waiting for an answer.
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?Well you see, this is were we grew up?? Absynthe explained. ?We left when we were young, we came back looking for our pride? but needless to say their gone.? She finished. She sat beside her sister. ?Were are you guys headed anyways? There isn?t much out there?? Belili asked, raising a brow. Broken observed this action, realizing Murdoc often did the same thing, were the two related? She shrugged and laid in Muds? arms as he laid.
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Takara looked up from the grass...here came that stupid Katali, ready to deal out more punishment! He growled softly, but decide to remain lying down, and wait, to pounce him when he got close enough....
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"Well...most of us grew up in the Outlands. We're following Murdoc to get to safety from a nasty pack of hyenas..." Jabari finally realized that every lion here was separated in one way or another from the ones they loved. Each one was on their own...
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Katali ran back to Jabari quickly. "I've gotta talk with Takara...try to settle things up. I'm getting tired of fighting. Promise you'll keep out of this one, will you please? I'll handle it on my own this time." He waited, hoping for an affirmative.
Sahara frowned at that. "Don't you think you are asking for trouble? Sounds like you're looking for a fight!"
Katali gave her a "what do you know -- you're a girl!" look. "Gimme a break, Sahara. I don't feel like fighting right now. Please, Jabari?" he queried again.
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Jabari frowned over at him and shut his eyes. "I'll stay out of it. Just please...don't get into a fight. Try and settle it as peacefully as possible." Jabari nodded for him to go ahead and then turned back to the two lionesses.
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Katari nodded and started back towards Takara, who was barely moving...maybe he was asleep? He walked as softly as he could, so as not to wake him.
(OOC: I could have posted the interchange already, but it might be a fairly significant piece of character development, so I'm making sure I get it right.)
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Murdoc looked over to the cubs, quietly, he never thought anything could be settled without a fight. Though for once he didn?t want to see one break out, they were just cubs after all.
?You?re quite a pride then.? Belili said changing the subject. ?There are power in numbers you know.?
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Takara lay on his back, eyes closed, dead to the world by all appearances. But he was wide awake, listening as the soft noise of padded feet over grass reached his ears and moved closer...closer...almost on top of him. His body tensed, he coiled up the tension and sprang....
Katali dropped to the ground as a dark shape flew towards him. Takara landed with a 'thud' behind him. Katali whipped around to face the angry cub. "Whoa, whoa, Takara, calm down! I just want to talk with you!"
Takara stood up and looked him in the eye. "And why would I want to talk with you?" he said in a surly voice. "I suppose Jabari sent you?"
"No," Katari said with a slight smile. "No, he didn't even want me to come. But we need to talk?"
Takara lay down again, chin resting on both paws. "Fine. Talk away."
Katali remained standing, nervously trying to find the right words, tail flipping around in an agitated way that the other was certain to see. "Look, Takara, there's no reason for us to let what our parents did make us fight all the time. We should just get along, you know, and be friends."
"We should jest be fwends," Takara mimicked in a squeaky voice. "Get real, Katali -- we can't be 'friends'." He grinned, white teeth showing and eyes narrowed to be almost shut.
"No, not right now we can't -- you're way too stubborn and nasty."
"Wait a minute...." Takara stood up.
"I'm not finished: you're rude, and hateful, and selfish and arrogant, you never listen, you never let go of grudges -- you treat the others likw dirt!"
Takara's teeth showed again, this time as he snarled. He stepped right in front of Katali, almost touching him. "Yeah? Let me tell what you are: everything you said, plus you think you're so right, you never listen to anyone but yourself. And--"
"Hold it." Katali took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 'No fighting,' he reminded himself. "I know I'm not perfect, but that's why we need to work together. Think about it -- if you can get that through your thick skull, things would be a lot better."
Takara had heard enough. He growled and crouched. "You think about this!" he shouted as he sprang at Katali.
(TBC....)
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Jabari's eyes strayed to the two cubs who were hopefully sorting things out but saw Takara jump. He quickly looked away and told himself, "I promised I wouldn't jump into it..." He let out a long sigh then looked back up trying to smile, "So...you two got separated from your pride?" He looked over at the two sisters, trying to pry his mind off the possible fight that was about to start between the two cubs.
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Katali glanced over at Jabari, but it proved a mistake as Takara plowed into him. He soon refocused his attention -- he hadn't started the fight, but he may as "knock some sense" into Takara. They tumbled across the ground, clawing, biting, snarling.
Takara flipped his opponent off and broke away. He faked a lunge, then clawed Katali across the tender nose area. Katali squealed in pain in spite of himself...but now he was mad. He grabbed Takara with both arms and forced him to the ground, then slashed at his chest.
Takara caught the blow on his arm and pushed Katali off, then drew back a few feet. They stared at one another, panting. End of Round 1.
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The cubs caught the lioness? attention as ell as Murdoc?s. ?Shouldn?t you stop them?? Belili asked, she wasn?t impressed with the male?s skills at parenting at all.
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Jabari sighed and looked down. "I promised I'd stay out of this one and let the two of them work out their problems. I've already split up countless fights between the two. Anyway, it's not like I'm their father or anything." He shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the cubs, hoping it wouldn't escalate any further.
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Sweat ran down Katali's fur, running into his eyes and stinging them. It mingled with the thin trickle of blood from his clawed nose. That had hurt like fire.... He stared over at Takara, taking deep breaths, but relatively unhurt. This was so stupid, one part of his mind said, but the other urged him to keep going, to win. He had never lost before....
"Last chance, Takara -- just let it go and we'll call it quits." He honestly hoped the other would accept his offer, but didn't expect it.
He was right. Takara's lips curled in a sneer. "Are you kidding? I got nothing to lose." He started forward, rested.
Katali was not ready just yet. He rubbed a paw across his nose, trying to stop the blood from escaping -- it wasn't much, but the sooner it stopped the better. He took a step backward, wincing. Then Takara made his move...perfect. Katali dropped the facade of pain and jumped lightly to the side, clawing a bit of Takara's fur as he did.
Takara whirled, not expecting the trick. He lunged on Katali, intent on pummeling him, as again they struggled on the ground....
Katali bit into his adversary's leg, getting a loud cry of pain and fury in response. Takara fought like a devil then, gradually beating his defenses down; but Katali noticed that the attacks were weakening. He retreated a bit, then went on the offensive, head-butting the chest of the brown cub. He was getting tired fast....
Takara grimaced, trying to fight but knowing his leg wouldn't let him go hard much longer. Oh, how it hurt...Katali had strong teeth. He was nearly worn...this had to end soon. He faked a slash -- Katali jerked his head back -- then drove both claws into Katali's shoulder.
Katali nearly cried out again, but instead he gritted his teeth and clinched with Takara, going for a headlock. They went on, but it was becoming more and more painful. Finally, Katali collapsed, face down, hurting to bad to do anything else.
Takara raised his paws for a last blow, but his leg twisted awkwardly. He yelped and fell to the ground beside Katali, and they lay still, too exhausted and in pain to do or say anything.
(OOC: Whew! Fairly intense, but they'll both be okay now....)
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Jabari tried not to look at the two cubs. He was disappointed that Katari had engaged in a fight with the other cub. It seemed like the two of them would always hate each other...All he could do was hope that the fighting would cease, at least for now.
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Katali rolled onto his side and stared at the other cub. Takara was looking the opposite direction from him, not moving. "Don't you see how stupid this is?" Katali said, loudly to get his attention. "Fighting all the time just ends with you getting killed someday...don't you want more than that in life?"
Takara turned his head...there were tears in his eyes! "I-I guess so...." he sniffed. Katali was stunned -- he couldn't remember Takara showing such a vulnerable side before -- he almost wanted to run over and comfort him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, struggling to rise, then trudging over.
Takara his his face. "It's just that...it doesn't matter. I mean, ever since my mom died, I...."
"Takara" -- Katali moved to meet the cub eye to eye -- "I lost my parents, too -- I've felt the exact same way. But that's no reason to hate everybody else...get it?"
"I guess, but I've been too mean for too long. I could never change myself...I don't have anyone now."
Katali rolled his eyes. "Get off it! You know we'll be there for you -- me, and Jabari, and Sahara, and -- you'll have a family again. Let's go back now." He offered a paw to pull Takara up.
Now Takara looked stunned. "I...I don't think I--"
"Don't think, just come on. They're probably worried about us!"
"I will, but...I don't think I can walk." Takara grinned sheepishly. "You bite like a crocodile."
Katali laughed, the first real laugh he'd had in days. "It's okay, I'll just have to carry you." He smiled, and worked Takara onto his back. "Here we go...." They slowly started back to join the group.
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((OOC- I'm really sorry for the late reply guys! I've busy with work and building on my shop. But I am glade I got to slow down to post!!))
The lioness? had watched the fight carefully. Broken hid her face in Murdoc?s thick mane as he ignored the brawl, trying his best to not look like he was comforting Broken, but he knew it was probably fairly obvious as his large paw slipped over her back, stilling her trembling. He wasn?t all bad. Absynthe smiled at the two males as they made their way back ?Feeling better?? she asked in a friendly, curious tone.
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Jabari let out a sigh of relief as the cubs returned, obviously finished with their fight. He smiled down at Katari for finally finishing it and nudged Katari's side with his paw. "I'm proud of you. Good job."
(OOC: I guess you guys are out and about so can't wait till you guys get back :P)
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Jabari turned to the two lionesses as the cubs passed through.
"Well, we're glad to have you along. Murdoc, should we rest here for the night? Or should we continue to push on?"
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Hey guys, been a little while. Thought I should tell you that I won't be as active for a while, but I didn't want you all to start worrying.
Try to post an RP reply soon...see ya!
Katari!
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Takara grunted in response to Absynthe's question. "Yeah, I've never felt better in my life." But he smiled just a little as he slid off Katali's back and to the ground. Sahara came over and asked how he was. He sniffed. "I'll live, but he chomped my leg pretty good."
Sahara frowned. "I didn't notice. I hope you've learned a good lesson."
Katali smiled at Jabari's words. "Thanks. I guess we both needed some sense knocked into us...too bad it took so long to work it out, though." For now, though, he didn't feel like moving. He would be sore for a few days at least after that fight, but he'd live...and if Takara had really learned his lesson, it would all be worth it. On that happy note, Katali fell slowly into a dreamless sleep....
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Jabari sat back and sighed, hoping there would be no more bickering between the two cubs. He turned to Murdoc,
"Well...I guess that's all over with. It seems like the cubs are a bit tired, though. Think we should hang here for tonight?"
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Takara sighed and looked Sahara in the eye. "Yeah, I think I've 'learned my lesson,' the hard way." He laughed softly. "I wonder when we're gonna get going -- the hyenas are still out there somewhere."