[PRP] Blazing Afternoon {Noxolo, Mthunzi, & Mazuri} ~ [Fin]

[Big Hobbit]

Noxolo was snoozing at the moment, taking a nap under the shade of a tree nearby her mother and other lionesses.

It was right in the middle of the day when the sun was at its highest in the sky and blazing its rays down onto the lands. The early morning had been a little cooler, allowing the lionesses to be productive and get things done before the sun made itself known.

The small girl had only been able to play for a few hours before she was forced to retreat to find shade. Of course, sitting still in the shade was as boring for her as it was for any other cub her age, so she'd inevitably fallen asleep.

Blinking her eyes open, she yawned and began to look around for her sisters.  

[belloblossom]

Mazuri had curled up beside her mother's side after the lioness had returned from her duties to the pride. She was content in dozing in the shade, the heat of the sun continuing to blaze down upon her dusty coat. She did not envy her darker-coated sisters, especially Mthunzi, her coat the darkest of them all. She was imagining silly things as she dozed, like antelopes with wings on their heads big as elephant ears that carried them off the ground in flight, but dragged on the ground when they were running.

Paws twitching, Mazuri imagined herself flying alongside them, the clouds brushing against her fur. Then she realized, it wasn't the clouds brushing her fur, but dust kicked up by someone's mighty leap. Mazuri blinked, raising a paw to brush away the grime that lay across her muzzle as she saw the perpetrators: Mthunzi.

She got to her paws and stretched with a smile.
"Nice catch, -unzi." She said mid-yawn. "Can't help thinking it might have been more impressive if your prey wasn't asleep though. Mama says most prey-things move when you start chasing them." Shaking the drowsiness brought on by the heat was a challenge, but Mazuri puffed out her chest playfully anyhow. "If you want a real play-hunt, I'll run from you! C'mon!" She jumped forward towards her sister, poked her in the side with a paw, and then jumped away. "C'mon, c'mon! You too, Noxolo! Hunt me! Betcha can't catch me!" She said before darting away and waiting eagerly to play with her sisters.

AstoriaFallen

Big Hobbit

 

[Big Hobbit]

"Aah!," Noxolo yelped in surprise when her sister Mthunzi pounced on her. She should have known that with four siblings around she wasn't going to be getting much more time to herself.

Even though she enjoyed romping and rolling just as any cub, she was a bit more reserved in her personality. She was very observant and loved to watch the lionesses go on about their daily tasks. Nox always thought that they were so pretty and strong looking. She hoped to be like that when she was bigger.

Nox perked up at the sound of a hunting game. It was one of her favorite games because she felt like she was learning to do something important.

"I bet I can catch you!," she shouted before jumping up and taking off after Mazuri.

belloblossom

AstoriaFallen

 

[belloblossom]

Mazuri let out a squeal of glee when her sisters began to chase her and sped on ahead. Her quick pace was doubled when she realized how hot the ground was below and she pranced about in a comedic fashion.

"Hot, hot, hot!" She hissed, raising each paw high into the air and hopping about much like a hare. "Ouch, ouch!" She suddenly missed the shade quite a bit, but her sisters were standing between her and the shade the lionesses rested in. Rather than try to figure out a way around them and be pinned onto the burning dirt, she searched about until she saw another tree providing minimal shade to run to.

So she bolted for it though whether she would get there before her sisters did was a mystery. And who knew what could be sleeping in the shade, loathing the idea of being awoken by a few wandering cubs.

Big Hobbit

If you guys want the girls to run into a bit of trouble, I have a snake or hyena that could be dozing in the shade. Or the goal could simply to get into the shade and "protect their territory from outsiders" to keep the whimsical game theme. Thoughts?

AstoriaFallen

 

[Big Hobbit]

Noxolo knew that there had been a reason why she'd chosen to take a nap today. It was still hot, and it was even hotter now that it was later into the afternoon. She found herself continuing to run just to keep her paws off the ground.

When she noticed Mazuri making a run for shade, Nox took off after her. She was fairly fast for a cub and managed to catch up to her sister in a short amount of time. She couldn't wait to get back out of the sun's direct path. She glanced back to make sure that Mthunzi was still with them.

belloblossom

I think something small like a snake would be fun, a large predator might be a little scary for them

AstoriaFallen

 

[belloblossom]

Mazuri let out an excited squeal when she found suddenly both of her sisters at her shoulders. For a moment, the hotness of the day disappeared and they were simply running about the savannah without a care in the world. Then Mthunzi cried out a challenge and Mazuri gave a final shove with her hind legs leaped forward, clearing enough length that when she rolled over and scrambled, it was her paw that touched the shade first.

But the shade didn't feel like ground, it felt strangely cool and wiggly and...
"S-S-Snaaaaake!" She hissed and stumbled back with alarm.

---------------------

Usiku, the snake that had been disturbed via a giant paw coming down upon her back from the heavens, was displeased to say the least. The black serpent raised her head and turned two irritated eyes onto the perpetrator. It was a young cub, a brown one, with two more in pursuit. The snake uncoiled herself and then slithered forward, causing the brown cub to hiss in alarm.

While she realized that it would end up being three against one if she stayed, Usiku was reluctant to give up her resting place. It was the perfect mix of hot from the sunlight, but not in direct sunlight to make her regret her black scales. Sunbathing in a drought, even for a cold-blooded creature, was not as enjoyable as one would think. So, she raised her head from the ground and gave an eerie hiss, warning the cubs away from her and fixing a pointed look at each of them for good measure.

----------------------

Mazuri had frozen stiff when the snake hissed at her and let out a small whimper at the look the snake gave her.
"'Thunzi? N-Nox?" She glanced back at her sisters with fear in her round eyes, "Whaddo we do?"

Big Hobbit

AstoriaFallen

 

[Big Hobbit]

Noxolo was relieved to see that they had almost reached the shady area and kicked up her speed to try and beat her sisters. However, it was Mazuri that got there first. Initially Noxolo laughed at the way that her sister dove for the shadow of the large tree, but then she stopped in her tracks when she saw Mazuri collide paws first with a snake!

Nox folded her ears back in alarm and backed away as the snake hissed at them for disturbing her.

"Say sorry and maybe it'll leave us alone," she said, thinking that it was a pretty good idea.

belloblossom

AstoriaFallen

 

[belloblossom]

Mazuri looked to Noxolo with a frightened face and then turned to 'thunzi, who hadn't spoken a word. Was 'thunzi more scared of the snake than either of them? Well, in that case, it was probably for the best to do like Nox suggested. With a gulp and hope that the snake didn't bite her, the brown cub approached slowly and let out a mewl of uncertainty when the black snake hissed at her, warning her to stay away.

"W-We're sorry for spooking you." She squeaked. "We just were eager to get into the shade." Come to think of it, her paws weren't burning off like they had been earlier. Was she getting used to the heat, or was she too scared to feel it? Whatever the case, she took a step back and said. "B-But, we don't need it anymore, so we'll just go home, I guess. Just, don't bite us. P-Please?"

It was much to her amazement then that the snake raised its head and seemed to size her up, before slithering out of the shade and away from the cubs altogether across the ground. Mazuri watched in astonishment as the black wiggling thing became lost in the horizon. She glanced at her sisters with a slack jaw.

"Noxie... It worked! You're a genius!" She said, tackling her sister happily. "You're-You're-You're a snake whisperer!"

Big Hobbit

Do you guys wanna end it where they fall asleep in the shade or go home to tell their mom or something?

AstoriaFallen

 

[Big Hobbit]

Nox let out a relieved breathe that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. She didn't know what she'd do if either of her sisters had gotten bit. The young girl couldn't imagine the explaining they would have to do over it! Fortunately the snake did not take too much offense and left them be.

"I have my ways," she said, taking a brief moment to bask and be proud that her idea worked.

"I think we should just go home before anything else happens," the dark cub said toward the two, "At least if we run into anymore creatures mom will be there. Are you guys ready to go?"

What an exciting day they'd had, Nox couldn't wait to go tell the others about their adventure.

AstoriaFallen

belloblossom

I'm down to wrap it up like that, my last post

 

[belloblossom]

Mazuri was more than happy to call it a day and head home. Goodness knew that she hadn't expected any of today to go like it had, but she could only imagine how impressed her other litter mates-and her mother, of course-would feel about the adventure that she, Noxolo and Mthunzi had all had together.

"Home is nice." She replied, turning her paws in the direction of the bonelands camp. The entire way back, she would wear a grin upon her face. Today had been an adventure indeed!

Big Hobbit

Sounds good. This is my last post too. 3nodding

AstoriaFallen