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 Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:38 pm
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Aolani had been basking in the sun, all by herself in the quiet of her solitude, when she'd been roughly grabbed by the scruff of her neck. She wiggled fiercely for a few seconds before a familiar growl came from behind her head as an answer to her squirming. Oh. It was just one of her aunts. The wind was against the cub's nose and she couldn't go off smell. She'd bet her entire week's supply of food that it was the aunt that went by the name of Malia, especially judging by the "I'm so fed up with you" tone. It was usually an aunt or uncle who brought her back to the family when she tried to get a bit of quiet time. Could you blame her? There were eight of them! She didn't blame her parents for being too busy to leave their litter to fetch her. There were loads of others to do that.
She didn't want to go back. At least not right away. There were so many lions around her all the time, it was exhausting for Aolani to keep up with. She couldn't even count all the aunts and uncles she had. The only ones who really stood out to her was her grandmother, the only one of her generation, her parents, and Malia. Responsible, always-follow-the-rules Malia, who usually offered to go fetch any stray cubs. Which you wouldn't know it by the way she grumbled about it.
And it wasn't like she'd gone all that far. She could still hear the family, if from a distance.
Malia didn't care very much what her little niece wanted, however. All that mattered to her was this cub had run away from home and little cub's never ran away from home unless they wanted to be picked up by a stranger and taken away. She knew that was never Aolani's design, to risk her life on the fact someone might want to adopt her into a much quieter family. Or maybe that was her whole purpose. Who knew what went through a youngster's head? What strange ideas they would come up with? |
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Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:52 am
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The day had been quiet and peaceful. His younger was on a hunt, and he himself was bored, but content to rest in the heavy shadows of an old, dried-up tree. There was something about the way the tree had aged and slowly broke down over time that made him curious about how old it was, or how long it had stood in this place. He was nestled lazily in the comfort of the old vines, head resting on one particularly hefty knot of roots in the tree's sturdy old foundation.
He'd been laying here in the shade, watching the world around him change - he was just outside of the territory of a small family group his parents had skirted around a couple of days ago and when he stretched comfortably and looked around, he saw a small cub wander into his line of sight. He sat up a little in his hammock amidst the roots. He went so far as to slip down into a divet below, his four paws tucked beneath him, tail curled around his form.
He didn't want to startle the cub and be the reason she spooked and ran out of familiar territory, but he also was concerned about a cub her size being alone. So, despite himself, he started to groom his paws, claws, watching her in his peripheral. She seemed to just be looking for some peace and quiet and he couldn't begrudge her that.
He'd started to doze off again, only to wake up to the sound of the cub struggling and a low growl. He darted from his place in the shadows, roaring abruptly, trying to halt the situation. The female who was grabbing the cub was too young to be her mother, and their colors were not exactly similar.
He was just concerned. "Everything alright, little one?" He asked as he trotted into view, keeping his distance.
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Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:43 pm
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Aolani had stopped struggling very soon after she was picked up. There was no point to it. She'd tried in the past and all Malia did was hold onto the scruff of her neck tighter, which did hurt a little when she did that. She usually bit Malia in return after she was finally dropped to the ground, but her tiny baby teeth didn't make the kind of impact she wanted to. Not like the larger adult ones in her aunt's mouth. Malia always just ignored her attempts to be riled up, anyway.
So, in retaliation for being dragged back to her noisy family, Aolani hung limply, letting her tail and lower body swing lazily while she relaxed her entire body and let it sway in whatever direction it wished to. Sure, she understood her aunt's annoyance at her constantly running away. But being a cub, she really didn't care. What would happen to her out there, so close to home? Nothing! The chances of it were so slim!
Malia, being the older one and having gone on her fair share of hunts with the other members of the family, was aware of the dangers the roguelands possessed. Especially for such a young cub all on her own. Many predators would love to pick her off. Reduce the numbers of competition for food. Or see her as food herself, being so defenseless and tiny. Try telling that to a youngster, though! They thought they knew everything.
If only she could tell Aolani she told her so when a strange lion came near them. She felt the cub perking up, putting some life back into her limps.
"No, sir! It is against my will!" She waved her front paws around, flailing so much that Malia lost her grip and Aolani was dropped on her behind. Not giving her body support, she fell backwards between Malia's front legs.
"Aolani!" Malia quickly reprimanded, glancing between her legs to see the green eyes staring back at her innocently. "You don't tell lies to strangers."
"But it's truuuuue. I don't want to go back!" And she quickly got back on her feet and darted further back underneath her aunt's belly, peering at the male from around a leg. All Malia could do was sigh, flicking her tail so it gently smacked the cub on the nose. Aolani scrunched up her face and pawed at her muzzle. "She's fine. Just has a habit of going off on her own."
"Ah, mum has enough kids to watch over," Aolani mumbled. Which earned her another smack in the face.
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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 12:20 pm
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Son watched them engage - interact. It was easier to tell now, closer up, that the little one was being minded by an older family member. While their pelts were different enough, their scent was familial and the cub certainly seemed to feel safe with the young lioness.
He immediately changed his stance to something more passive - taking a step back. He observed the two for a few long moments. Aolani struck him as being independent; maybe a little bit of a trouble maker, even if it wasn't really her intent. She simply wanted quiet, and space. He could not fault her that. He was prone to wandering from his siblings too.
The thought brought the image of his sister to mind and he felt the warmth of affection bloom in his chest. A lopsided grin fell across his lips and he chuckled. "You should listen to your elder, little one. There are dangers out in the wilderness. If it's not the hyenas or the great eagles that come to gobble you up, it could be the snakes, hiding in the tall grass, waiting to subdue you with their venom. It's much safer with your litter mates."
It's not that he wanted to scare her, but the more pause she gave to the idea of wandering off next time, the better. Besides, it might make the adolescent lioness' life easier, and that wasn't so bad.
She was close to his age, if he guessed, and she was the prettiest lioness he'd encountered. Her pelt was different from those in his family, and he had to admit there was something about her responsible, practical, albeit patient demeanor with the cub that, it was clear, she'd had to hunt down more than a few times, that made him want to playfully test the boundaries of that patience.
He took after his father, roguishly handsome, friendly, but very serious when it came to the wellbeing of the younger members of their species, and the importance of familial ties.
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