[ORP] We suffer together

[oo Ded]

Emeka had never been one to desire the spotlight, for reasons good or bad. As far as she was concerned, the best way for the pride to operate smoothly was without the drama of attention grabbing. Keep your head low and do your due duty. The sympathy was welcome, but not particularly appreciated. When Baie approached her, then, the tripod lioness shifted uncomfortably. What was she supposed to say? After the incident of the hunt she'd gotten a fair amount of condolences and reassurance and quite frankly she was growing weary of it.

The dark lioness released a breath as her great-aunt spoke. She was thankful for the idle chatter. For the remarks that weren't directly aimed at her wound. The most wry of smiles etched onto the edges of her mouth as she shifted to invitingly make room for her orange companion. "Alive," she responded. That was to say, it would have been worse. For all of them. They were all alive and surviving. It was better than the fate for some.

That thought drove her attention to Inkinga, where her gaze wandered and lingered, despite the face that their eyes met. Emeka had been there when the other lioness' mother had died. Nolaka, who wouldn't know the grandchildren that her daughter now carried. The expression in Emeka's eyes was soft and the wounded lioness found herself in a position where even in her circumstance she felt sympathy for the other. But what was she supposed to say? The dark lioness had never been good and consoling grief. It was moments like this that made her wish that were different.

Instead, Emeka dropped her gaze and looked back to Baie. If she felt similarly to the orange lioness about the Busisa who was talking up the Inselelo, she didn't show it. Let them do what they wanted. She was entirely too exhausted to have a strong opinion. The lioness moved to speak when her attention was drawn to Ezino. The comforting gesture caught her off guard and she stiffened momentarily before forcing a smile, nodding up to the Busisa. "Indeed," she murmured back, eyes tracing over the group around them. "We still have much. It could be worse." It was hard to rebound though. Difficult for morale not to be low. True, they hadn't lost it all. But really, that just meant they had more to lose...

Mogami

ABVirus

 

[Tanakako]

Khethiwe winced a little with each step as she made her way towards the gathering of injured lions. She herself had been a victim of the crocodile, its teeth piercing her paw and ripping several layers of flesh open. But she still had full mobility and while it would always look slightly chewed, her paw shouldn't hinder her too badly when hunting, once it healed of course.

Spotting her sisters she headed directly for them, settling down beside Mazuri and Nozolo with a wince and a low grunt of a greeting. Once down she instantly started to lick at her paw, working to keep the wound clean while it tried to heal. Moving it kept reopening the scabs and as t was her foot, dust and grass and other things kept getting into the raw patches. But so far, so good, she thought. Lifting her head he leaned over and dropped her chin across Mazuri's shoulder.

"How are you both today?" She asked softly.

belloblossom

Big Hobbit

 

[Meepfur]

Inkinga's gaze tracked her aunt as the older lioness made her way over, but she didn't bother to raise her head, let alone offer any kind of greeting. Though she didn't want to be alone - hence her presence here - she wasn't keen on actual company and interaction, either. Her first response to Isasa was to her question, and her initial answer was nothing more than a snort. A part of her was tempted to leave it at that, but leaving anything 'at that' had always been difficult for her.

"You think?" she grumbled, curling a little more tightly into herself. Her mother was dead, they were in the middle of a drought, and she was pregnant. What wasn't troubling her?

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Isasa gave Inkinga a flat look. "I'm trying to be polite and still nosy at the same time." She shifted, looking at the gathered lionesses. She skipped right over Kuhasa. "Let me rephrase. How are you holding up?" While she'd thought the idea of having cubs right at the start of a drought had been stupid, she didn't really question her niece, verbally. How would any of them know the drought would go on this long, after all? Few could predict the future. Well, maybe that one lioness with the spots, but she tended to keep most things to herself. Which, when Isasa thought about it... Why hadn't she warned them that hunting might lead to tragedy? The logical part of her brain told her that drought or not, that would always be a risk, to get injured or killed by your prey. The emotional part remained angry at the lack of warning. But that was the past now, and Isasa could only sigh, before she looked sideways to Inkinga. "You know, I have a LOT of respect for you right now. The dry season isn't an easy time to have cubs to begin with, and there's a drought going on now to add to it... They're going to be very strong hunters if they survive this all."

Watching her sister go, Izinyathi found her attention drawn to one of the newest lionesses in the pride. She hadn't, as far as the white lioness knew, come in with the group their former pride brother had brought back, but joined independently. What she brought had Izinyathi standing slightly, eyebrows up in surprise. Food. But it looked, to her observation as well as, though she didn't know it, Kuhasa's, that it had already been a bit... Torn at. Stepping slowly and keeping her body language open in such a way that she didn't appear threatening, she approached Isobana. "That looks like you got it from a crocodile... May I ask how?" Curiosity shone in her eyes, and if one looked carefully, a touch of wonder to go with it. This was a story she wanted to hear!

Meepfur

Roman Foi

 

[In Good Faith]

Isobana

Isobana was just about to turn to leave after receiving no responses to the food (Well fine was her thought to that), but then a lioness she did not know approached her. Unsure of the reaction, as if it was something amazing that Isobana had done, she stumbled over her words some. "I, uh didn't fight a crocodile or anything for it. Imbali and I scavenged it. We thought the injured would need food to better heal... So all those injured, feel free to take a share." She spoke loudly at the the end of her sentence, attempting to call attention to the fact that the food was welcome to others. She and Imabli had taken a small bite for themselves when they first found it, in order to regain the strength they used to discover it in the first place, and but for the parts taken by scavengers, there was otherwise a sizable portion to feed the injured.

Isobana gave a sweeping look at the white lioness, and didn't notice any evident injuries. "Were you one of the ones at the attack?" She tried to make it sound reserved of judgment, that any lioness that was near that crocodile wasn't a bumbling idiot, but the scarred lioness was never one to be able to temper her opinions.

At the same time, Isobana realized she was being watched by one of the few lions in the pride when she made eye contact. A tickle in her stomach, that she promptly ignored, caused her to look down and away from the white lion and returned to the lioness in front of her.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Ecavi

Andranis

 

[Mogami]

oo DeD

Roman Foi

ABVirus

“Alive is good. Good enough.” Baie replied with a feral grin and then smiled approvingly at Ezino’s affectionate gesture. This was what the pride was about, watching over one another, their blood and their fellow Abazingeli. She frowned lightly at Khethiwe, not liking seeing one so young injured but it didn’t appear worse since she’d last seen the adolescent nor did it seem like a serious injury. Well, not as serious as Emeka’s, clearly.

“Thank you, Isobana.” Baie smiled at the shy lioness but made no move to take the remains of the gazelle. Silently, she considered that they had found good Busisa, lately. “Do you want a bite, Emeka?” She asked, making it quite clear she would fight anyone who challenged the injured lioness’ claim to the food – even though Emeka obviously wasn’t going to be hunting in the future and it could be argued that the huntresses needed the nourishment more.
 

[Tanakako]

Looking up as Isobana arrived with food the young female smiled. That was a nice thing to do, to bring food back to where the injured had gathered. Khethiwe herself didn't feel that bad, sure she was lame, but it was temporary, so she did not list herself among the needy. As such she stayed where she was, fully expecting the meal to be shared out to those with far more serious injuries.

She caught Baie's glance and nodded a greeting to the older lioness. But she didn't shout across, as it would have been rude.  

[In Good Faith]

Isobana

Isobana silently smiled with a nod of acknowledgement at the lioness that had the most striking green eyes she'd ever seen. Personally, Isobana had no problem with any of the non-injured lionesses having a share so long as the injured were able to eat first and foremost. Everyone needed nourishment. It was then that Isobana realized there was a pregnant lioness amongst the group and her stomach sunk a little. The idea of a carrying mother not having enough food hit close to home for her. A sadness she hadn't felt for a long time washed over her. Momentarily, she didn't even notice that the green-eyed, orange lioness (Baie, she thought?) was talking to another lioness.

The second lioness had a striking resemblance to Imbali, and Isobana was almost certain they were closely related in bloodline. Speaking of, where was Imbali? Isobana made another sweeping glance, intentionally avoiding looking at the white lion off to the side, and instead caught the eye of a dark red lioness who greeted her with a smile. Isobana returned sentiment with a smile of her own, growing more fond of this group of lionesses and feeling less of an outcast than she had this morning.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Ecavi

Andranis

Mogami

Tanakako

 

[Tanakako]

Khethiwe yawned, tired and sore despite her bravado. As the food held most of the attention from the gathered lions, the red adolescent settled down. She would wait and see if there were any scraps left over later, though she really kind of doubted there would be, not with this many lionesses, and the Inselelo who was rightfully meant to eat first at this particular feast. Closing her eyes she remembered the last good meal she had enjoyed, just before hunting started to get so dangerous. She really hoped the rains returned soon.


Sifiso had been looking for her friend for ages. She had searched everywhere they usually hung out, she had even found Mthunzi and asked her but the other adol hadn't seen her sister recently. Finally Sifiso had heard of a gathering of the recently injured lions and she figured that Khethiwe, having been bitten by the croc, would be there. Dashing around the adults she spotted a dark patch of suspisciously red fur and bee-lined for it.



Khethiwe had been well on the way towards a nice nap, dreaming of a large wildebeest kill, her belly full with its meat as she licked blood from her muzzle. The warm rich taste made her salivate and as she lowered her head to lick lazily at the fresh, bleeding meat, when something hard barrelled into her side.

Startling awake she let out a winded grunt, twisting her head to eyeball the golden cub, who was quickly growing too big to be called a cub for much longer. "Sifiso!" She huffed, yet couldn't stop her smile. The pair of them had grown up together since Sifiso's litter had arrived with their mom Simoshile. Simo and Khethiwe's mum Sobala weren't close friends, though they had been friendly enough, but the two cubs had been inseperable with the older red cub taking the shy golden one under her wing. It was a friendship that had only grow stronger as the months went by.


"Khethiwe!" The golden female cried out happily, draping herself over her friend's flank in a playful manner. "I was looking for you!" She beamed, reaching forward to tug on one of the red ears twitching near her nose. "Mom said to come fetch you!" She grinned, clearly excited about something. "Come on!" Jumping up the golden female tugged on Khethiwe's tail. "Hurry!"



Laughing at her best friend's excitement, Khethiwe waited for the younger lioness to get up and off her back before she stood, being careful where she put the toes of her mangled and still healing paw. "What does Simo want?" She asked, curious, only to swot playfully at her friend as Sifiso tugged on her tail tip. "Alright! Alright! I'm coming!" She chuckled, shooing the cub with her injured paw playfully. "Lead on Sifiso." She told the over excited youngster, truly curious as to why Simo had summoned her.


Sifiso beamed as her friend got up, though she paused to sniff at the wounded paw as it was waved at her. "You should be careful with that." She advised her older sister gravely, earning herself a swift swot on the nose for her troubles. Laughing she spun and danced off, eager to lead her best friend back the way Sifiso had come, to where the younger lion's mother was apparently waiting.
 

[Andranis]

Distraction was at paw - Isobana, one of the many Busisa of the pride, had brought meat. Scraps left over from the crocodiles, but it was still meat. She shifted, but didn't rise. She may have been injured, but that didn't mean she was less able to hunt. She just had to be craftier about it. If Isasa had one thing, it was her pride.

Izinyathi's eyebrows went up. "Very brave, either way! Crocodiles are fiercely protective of their food, even if it IS just scraps." She looked back to Isasa, hoping she'd get up to come eat. She was, after all, one of the more injured lionesses. Not THE most injured, but she'd still taken heavy damage. But it looked like pride was getting in the way of a meal, and the white lioness only huffed in her sister's direction. "Too proud for your own good, Isasa..."

She was distracted by the presence of a cub, Sifiso, which made her smile. One of Bangizwe's many strong cubs, great additions to the pride. His genes would live on, as would Andakha's, long after both males were gone.

OOC: My next post will be my last - Get any last posts you want in while you can! I'll be closing this out tomorrow!  

[Andranis]

At some point, Isasa had grown tired of simply laying around. Injured or not, she was hungry, and she wasn't keen on eating crocodile scraps. Rising to her paws, the now-tailless lioness stretched. "I don't know about anybody else, but I'm going hunting." She eyed the scraps, then huffed, "I'll find something less dangerous. Like a hare." There was no room for arguments before she left, stepping carefully over others.

Watching Isasa go, Izinyathi could only sigh. "Hope you're successful in that, sister." She looked at the gathered lionesses and Inselelo, then carefully stepped over others. The white lioness eventually found a spot, shaded rather nicely, to lay down. She was starting to feel emotionally exhausted, processing everything that had happened recently. So many injuries... But also many scars to show that they had survived, they had gotten through this.

OOC: And this concludes the ORP! It went on longer than expected..