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 Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 12:32 am
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Usushisa had been doing quite a lot of interacting with the eligible lions lately, but it was causing her to be rather weary as a result now. She had spoken to Faust, but there were rumors that he was already being pursued by other females. So, she had approached the new Inselelo, Budek, with his beautiful eyes, to see if she couldn't use him as a back-up plan. That had gone about as well as she could have hoped.
Now that she had her options laid in front of her, she felt as though it was now time to play the waiting game. She had tried it with Faust already and would try it with Budek if she felt the need. Whatever the cubs ended up looking like would determine the father. She sighed, depending if she managed to produce any cubs at all, which was the entirety of her going to all of this trouble.
So, she decided that now that she had spoken to as many lions as she ever wanted to deal with, it was time to speak with the one lioness who knew her the best: her mother, Nenkani. The Umama wasn't too difficult to find and she was happy to see her mother after spending so much time chasing lion tails. She purred at her as she approached and smiled, though her expression was a little weary from all that she had faced recently.
"Hello, Mother." She greeted Nenkani, before laying next to her. "Is this a good time? Could we... talk?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 12:58 am
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Usushisa lay beside her mother and sighed.
"I guess so. It's just..." She flattened her ears and lay a paw over her muzzle. "So I've been trying to have cubs recently." She finally admitted. "And it's proving more... stressful than I thought it might be." Removing her paw, she looked up at her mother. "I spoke to not one, but two of the eligible males of the pride and they're both willing to help me, no matter how much time it might take to make it happen, but..." She sighed again.
"I really don't mean to complain, you must know that, but it's just so unfair." She raised her head if only to shake it. "Other lionesses have it so easy, Mother. They only have to meet with a lion once and then they get a wonderful litter shortly after, but we... Oh, how did you stand it?" She turned sulky, but curious eyes onto her mother. "Mother, how did you manage to have me and Entsha? Did it take ages and ages?" She asked. She couldn't stand not knowing how long it may take her before something happened.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:23 am
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Nenkani waited patiently for Usushisa to get everything out but as soon as she started, her mother offered a knowing, sympathetic smile. If she had been like other lionesses, she would have more daughters than could be counted by memory by now. The fertility issues that ran in their family were hardly a secret, and for Usu to be so tired now, she must have been trying hard for some time.
"It did take a long time for me," she said, "And your aunt, and your grandmother. My father and your father were both so prolific, you may have better luck than us but.. it will take some time."
Her daughters were old enough that she had guessed they were going to have the same problems she and Thuthuka had, unless for some reason neither had felt compelled to try for cubs. Usu's confession wasn't unexpected.
"I don't know why it finally took, when it did," she added thoughtfully.
Unfortunately for them, there was no easy answer. The only good thing to be said about how things had worked out for Nenkani was now that she had her daughters, she had finally given up trying. As she got older, she could only be reducing her chance of conceiving and so she didn't bother. It was good that Usu was not waiting to start trying, and she wondered if Entsha had started.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:07 am
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Usu wasn't pleased with the answer her mother gave her, though she supposed she couldn't exactly be upset with it either. She knew that her mother had her troubles, but she had been hoping that she might know some trick to getting daughters faster rather than just waiting around.
"If you don't mind me asking, how many times did you have to try before it took? I mean, I'm going to keep trying as many times as it takes, see, awful as it is, but Faust-he's the first one I chose, he said that he would help me out as many times as I need, he's really so sweet, Mother, I'm not at all worried... Well, except I am, a little, so... I talked to Budek. He's okay with being my back-up plan." She gave a hopeless shrug. "I guess if I end up getting the cubs I want, then we'll see who the father ends up being." She snorted. "How did you choose Father, Mother?" She questioned suddenly. "I mean, was it just by chance, or was there anything...else?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:19 am
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How many times did you have to try?
Usu's very direct question got a chuckle out of Nenkani. She had to know the answer wasn't going to be one she wanted to hear, but she was truly already feeling the pressure of her struggle if she wanted to know that.
"Truly, Usu, I lost count early on," she answered honestly, "I spent my youth trying at every opportunity. Not always with the Abaholi, either. But.. there were a few times I dared to get my heart set on a particular father. Including when I went to Andhaka for what turned out to be my last try."
She'd wanted cubs longer than she had cared who might sire them, it was one of the things that set her apart from the traditional lionesses in the Bonelands and had been a point of conflict with her mother.. but of course, along the way, she found males she hoped would finally be the one to give her cubs.
"Perhaps that helped," Nenkani offered, "When your father came here, I liked that we were expanding the spectrum of accepted coloration. I wanted to help."
It was also well-timed as somehow, she and her sister had both managed to have cubs close together. Perhaps there was something else going on, maybe that age was their one window.. or it could be a coincidence. Who could say?
"How did you choose Faust?" she asked, "And Budek?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:17 am
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Usu sighed at her mother's reply. She couldn't say that she expected a better answer than the one that she got just then, but she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed with it. When she heard that Andhaka had been the last try her mother was going to attempt, she perked up her ears slightly. That certainly hadn't been something she'd expected to hear. She went on to hear about how her mother enjoyed being apart of expending the colors of the pride and she tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Do you think such a thing will happen again? Reds and golds are accepted now, sort of. Do you think other colors might be allowed in too?" She inquired casually, before her mother turned the questions onto her.
"I chose Faust, I suppose, because he seemed like the easiest to talk to. He didn't seem very talkative, rather stoic even, so I wondered if that might draw others away from him. Yet, when I approached he seemed perfectly friendly." She smiled at the thought. "And I approached Budek because he was the first one I saw after deciding I may need a back-up plan. Yet, when I approached, I never realized he was so enchanting." She blinked at her mother. "Oh, Mother, his eyes... I never realized a lion could have such wonderful eyes and his voice is as gentle as a breeze." She sighed pleasantly. "I will be quite pleased if any of my daughters end up having his eyes." She leaned her head on her paws and smiled. "I'm glad I chose both of them. I just hope something comes of it." She relented.
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Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 5:17 am
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Nenkani shrugged at the suggestion there might be more colors to add to their accepted range. It was a complicated question, and she doubted there would ever be another situation like what happened with Andhaka.. but there would always be more room for progress. She'd seen it happen several times in her life.
"It's possible, there are blue lionesses here after all," she said, "That they remain here is a sign of progress being made, even if Umlotha and I are the Omama to treat them the same as the others."
Then she listened as Usu went over the reasons she had chosen Faust and Budek. Her choice of Umholi seemed very practical, but her choice of Inselelo was very romantic. Two very different perspectives to go into this with and the only worry it left her mother was that her hopes might be getting too high. How many times had Nenkani subjected her own mother to these hopeful musings? She didn't have to tell her daughter that, though.
"I hope so, too, dear," she said, smiling, "I only ever had you and Entsha, but Andhaka had children beyond counting at this point. I hope that makes it easier for you than it was for me or Thuthuka."
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