[PRP] Morning Mumbles (Nyarai & Afya)

[Z o m b i k ii]

It was sunrise and Nyarai was still half asleep, sometimes it was hard to separate herself from her brother; of whom she had slept draped over since she was a cub. She counted her blessings every day, she knew how lucky she was to have Kwhezi, and she did not take him for granted.

The orange lioness stretched as the sunlight hit her, shaking from her ankles to her tail to loosen muscles that were stiff from sleep. Water, she needed water. That was job one; job two was regrouping with the lionesses and plan today's hunt. It had been an unlucky few days, though she was optimistic that today was the day that luck would change. They would bring down a substantial meal, and go to bed with full stomachs and lifted spirits, or so she hoped.

Taking a deep breath she started to wander towards the watering hole; paws stroking the ground lazily and her tail swaying from side to side in a slow melody. Nyarai found herself in no great rush, she knew she was an early riser and the others were probably still fast asleep next to their mates and family.

Vivid eyes caught sight of another, and she smiled, she thought she was the only one dumb enough to rise at this hour. “Afya.” She called over, clearing her throat afterwards when she realised how groggy she sounded. Yes, she needed water.  

[Krysin]

Afya had risen early enough that she was able to greet the sun as it arched over the mountains in the background. It was a warming sight, but the ache in her belly dulled the moment. Yesterday's hunt had been a failure, and Afya was done with the long line of failures. Today was going to be different. Afya was a lioness that once her mind was set to achieving something, there was little one could do to stand in her way.

Witnessing Afya in this mood, most would know to steer clear of her, lest they be drawn in to her antics.

Nyarai didn't really stand a chance. The lioness herself was about to get some water when she heard her name. She recognized the other lioness instantly. The pale creature who was not much younger than herself was nearly indistinguishable against the sun's morning rays. "Good, you're awake." Afya's tone was all business, and certainly no play. Nyarai likely wouldn't have much opportunity to shake off her evening's rest.

"We're going scouting for the herds this morning." Afya was in no position of superiority with Nyarai or the other huntresses. She was naturally more dominant and commanding. Even if she meant to phrase it as a request, it came off as a demand for the other lionesses' company during her scouting campaign. "I want to be able to locate them before they rouse and start moving to fresher pastures." If she could locate them early enough, the huntresses in the pride could spend the entire day trying to pin a target down and secure a meal.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Krysin

“Well, I am about seventy percent awake.” Nyarai corrected her with a yawn, whilst Afya was ready to talk business; Nyarai was almost ready to fall over and take a nap. Though she was sure that did not really matter much, she was already caught in the web that was the darker lionesses plan. She stepped forward a little more, putting her tongue in the water she so desperately longed for. The cool liquid seemed to visibly bring her back to life, but only slightly. Maybe her energy was beginning to falter after sleeping so many nights on an empty stomach.

Vibrant eyes looked at the other female and she blinked a couple of times. Had Afya gained seer abilities? For Nyarai was going to suggest the same thing. “I agree, Dineo said that we should start sending out bigger parties instead of spreading ourselves too thin. It seems great minds think alike.” Not that she thought Dineo was a great mind? She paused for a moment, thinking about what she had just said before shaking the thoughts from her head. It was too early to think about the complications of politics and friendships.

The orange lioness did not mind her Pride-sister taking control, Nyarai was by nature a bit more reserved, a bit more of a follower. ”Sounds like a plan to me, between us, how could we fail?” Optimism came naturally to her and she was truthfully quite excited about having some company.

”Would you like to lead the way?”  

[Krysin]

"Which is seventy percent more than everyone else," Afya answered, amused. She had always liked Nyarai. The lioness was very sweet, and a nice offset to Afya's unbreakable stern attitude. It was very hard to dislike the pale lioness, especially when she was being so agreeable with Afya. Together, the two of them could accomplish so much more than Afya would be able to by herself. Teamwork was the foundation of any successful endeavor, and Nyarai was definitely a team player.

The dark lioness nodded her head, agreeing silently. "The only difficulty is getting everyone to work together." The huntresses were a... varied group. A few of them had personalities that clashed terribly against one another. Others wanted the success of a hunt to hinge on their support. Afya just wanted to be able to actually catch something. The small hunting parties formed if only because getting a large group of chatty and bratty lions was a monumental task.

Nyarai's optimism was downright contagious, and Afya couldn't help but smile graciously. "We can't. I won't let us today. Once you've finished freshening up, we'll set off." There was some mercy to be found in Afya, though Nyarai practically had to dig it up with kindness.

Afya gave the lioness a few more minutes to have her fill of water before heading away. There was no verbal cue for Nyarai to follow - Afya just expected the lioness to be behind her.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Krysin

Nyarai would have been happy to spend a few more minutes being lazy; maybe that is why it was a blessing that Afya had found her. Hunger often made her less energetic which fed the cycle, no food meant less energy for the hunts, which lead to more hunger. Besides, the earlier they set off meant the earlier they could return, the sooner she could return to be in the company of a certain lion. For the first time that lion was not her brother. Nyarai started following after the dark lioness almost instinctively, there was a spring in her step and a smile on her face.

”Hey Afya?” The orange lioness called forward, tilting her head to one side and causing her long fringe of hair to dance as she walked. Her passe picked up a little bit until she was walking next to her pride sister. “Since it is just you and me, would you like to gossip a little on the way?” She smirked, her eyebrows almost dancing at the thought.

“I have a secret.” She leaned to the side, giving the other lioness a small nudge with her shoulder as a chuckle escaped her lips. Nyarai was playful, though she was sure the majority of the pride would rather describe her as childish or giddy. That never put her off though; she liked being happy and tried to share the joy in her heart with as many as she could.  

[Krysin]

Afya would like to claim that she was above gossiping.

But she was not. The pride was close-knit enough that everyone loved to know everything about everyone. If Afya missed out on some valuable information, she would be behind everyone else in the Nezi. It was a careful, delicate balance that Afya had to maintain. She wanted to know what everyone was up to, but she didn't want everyone to know that. She trusted Nyarai just about as far as she could throw her, and that was not even a yard. The other lioness was sweet, but Afya also knew how information traveled in the pride.

Nyarai was a likely source.

"I am sure you have many secrets, little sister," Afya purred affectionately. They were not related by blood, but Nyarai certainly acted like the baby sister to Afya's older sister. The way Afya spoke was kept vague. Her interest was keen, but she didn't want to scream it. Being overeager for gossip certainly wasn't a charming trait. Then again... there was no one around them now. Most of the pride was still sleeping or just slipping into their morning routines now. It certainly wouldn't hurt to probe Nyarai for valuable information.

The lioness was probably eager to tell her anyways. She could see the spring in Nyarai's step, the way the lioness practically danced around as she held that information to herself. "All right, spill it," Afya prompted. Her blue eyes cast down onto Nyarai, a mischievous sparkle lighting them.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Krysin

“Remember a few days ago? When it was raining most of the afternoon?” Nyarai asked, they did not get bad weather very often so there was no real doubt about the day she was referring too. Especially because she had meant to be out scouting that day under the orders of Afya herself. Vivid eyes almost sparkled as she talked seeking the blue polls of her sister. She wanted to tell her every word and hear her opinion on the story. “Well, I out on tracking the herd when I got caught in it.” Also not very surprising, the orange lioness seemed to have the worst of luck when it came to rainfall and had returned to the Den dripping wet more than once.

However, it was the next part of the story that might surprise the other, more sensible, lioness. “But so did one of the N’echebe and we shared a shelter until it passed. We were stuck for hours.” Her voice seemed to get quieter as she leaned in, even though she was alone she felt like it needed to be said in a more hushed tone. She didn’t even give the name of the protector she was referring to in case the ground itself wanted to spread the rumour around the Pride. There were so few of them, she would drop dead if the words she was about to say were repeated anywhere else.

“I think… I think I might like him.”
 

[Krysin]

They were beginning to draw farther and farther away from the pride and closer to the usual hunting grounds. As Nyarai spoke, Afya sniffed the air, trying to see if she could get a feel for the herds that were usually close by. Huh, nothing. In the morning they liked to graze nearby, so it was unusual for them to be elsewhere. It meant they would just have to push on farther than expected. It was likely the herd had stopped somewhere on its usual route. She paused, sniffing the air again to be sure that their prey were nowhere nearby.

Damn.

"We're going to have to push on further than I expected." She made a soft clicking sound with her tongue, frustrated with how things weren't going to plan. It was then that Nyarai dropped a figurative bomb on the conversation. Startled, she looked back to the pale lioness she had forced to be her travelling companion. Afya did a mental back track, going through the juicy gossip Nyarai had promised to confess to her. So her sweet friend had gotten herself a crush.

She didn't want Nyarai falling into some romantic trap and get stuck marrying a male who was subpar for her. Afya only wanted the best for Nyarai, and so the best Nyarai would get. The dark lioness just had to figure out a way to get the lion's name out of her companion so she could be assured that he was suitable enough for Nyarai. "If I was stuck alongside anyone for so long I'd go crazy enough to like them too," she answered coyly.

Then, perhaps a tad too seriously, "I would like to meet up with him later."

Perhaps confessing her crush to Afya was not the... wisest decision. Afya had no reason to get involved, but here she was.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Krysin

Nyarai pouted and looked at her friend; this was why she did not tell Afya exactly who she was referring to. She thought to mention that he was a protector would be enough to offer her comfort; after all the N’echebe were well respected. However, it seemed her plan had not worked just how she expected it to. “Do I look like I was born yesterday? No, you are most certainly not going to meet him.” She stated, in a tone that she was usually not brave enough to use on the dark lioness. Nyarai always thought that Khwezi would be the one to give her grief and pass judgement regarding matters of the heart, but she also had Afya’s approval to seek.

The young huntress was glad for it, that she had so many friends in the Pride who wanted to look out for her. At the same time; how embarrassing. A pink flush spread across pale cheeks as she shook her head, vibrant eyes drifting away from her friend. “You will scare him off before I even have a chance to find out if he feels the same way.” Not that there was any chance he did; she had known him for so long now and he had never shown any signs of such inklings, though up until now either had she.

It was one of the downsides to the Pride being so close and the last generation being very tight-knit; everyone knew everybody a little too well. She cleared her throat and finally gained the courage to look back towards the other female. “A-and; Khwezi does not know either, so don’t try and get it out of him.” Her voice shook slightly as she skipped ahead, hoping to distract Afya with the task at hand. Her eyes drifted up towards the sky and the clouds ahead. At least it did not look like rain today. ”He is pretty handsome though.” She mumbled, more to herself than anyone else; but no doubt her dark companion was still close enough to hear.

“Well, we never expected today to be easy, come on; they can not be too far ahead of us.” She smiled, going on in front in a random direction, not tracking as much as running away from her big sister.  

[Krysin]

Z o m b i k ii

"I will," Afya assured her fine pale companion. She spoke with such certainty that there was no point in doubting the truth of her statement. If Nyarai did not tell her now, Afya would find out later. Making it a challenge for Afya only caused it to be more fun for the dark lioness to figure it out. This was now a challenge, and Afya had never been one to turn down a challenge. She embraced every hardship thrown her way and tackled them with strength and determination. Very little could stop Afya from achieving whatever she wanted, and her ancestor's would lay witness to the very mundane mission of finding out who Nyarai was interested in it. "You can't stop me, dear. I will find out who it is and I will interrogate him until he cries."

Perhaps she wouldn't do it on purpose - but she would find out if he was a suitable companion for her darling friend.

"If I scare him off, then he was never good enough for you to begin with," Afya answered promptly. She stepped ahead of Nyarai, tail swishing behind her to teasingly brush across her companion's face. It was adorable seeing Nyarai so flustered, but it also had Afya convinced that right now her companion was suffering through a crush rather than a full out romantic relationship with a boy. Good. Afya wasn't ready for Nyarai to be serious about a male.

She had always imagined that she would settle down before Nyarai, but now it was becoming reality that Afya would be the last female in the pride to take an interest in anybody. "Khwezi probably has a good idea, though." Her expression was coy, voice laced with sweetness that was uncharacteristic for the lioness. It was definitely unsettling. "With what information you've provided me, and with what Khwezi knows of your childhood... I am sure I can figure this out."


Afya stopped, looking back over her shoulder to her friend. "Perhaps we should stop the scouting now so I can go interrogate your brother?" she purred the 'threat'.  

[Z o m b i k ii]

Krysin

Nyarai’s mouth opened and then closed tightly; her brow furrowed as the pout settled on her face. She was expecting Afya to make fun of her affections but failed to foresee her friend taking the matter so seriously. Her nose twitched as Afya tail ran across her face, the sensation threatening to make her sneeze. “I can't believe you are threatening to tell on me to get what you want.” She rolled her eyes as and shook her head as the words left her lips; Afya knew the last thing Nyarai would probably want was Khwezi finding out and becoming suspicious of his fellow protestors.

Since the death of their parents at a young age, the two siblings had become very close and Khwezi took on the role of guardian and father as well as brother. It had just been the two of them for so long that she doubted he was emotionally ready to deal with the idea that his sister might have affections, even the beginnings of them. The orange lioness could understand that; having her brother leave on patrols was stressful enough for her, never mind the idea of another female taking her spot by his side.

Vivid eyes rested on her friend. “There is no need to bother my brother though.” She blushed, trying to think of a way to compromise with a lioness that seemed determined to get her own way.

”How about, I tell you after the trails; if things remain the same.”  

[Krysin]

Z o m b i k ii

"I can't believe that you think I wouldn't," Afya purred confidently. She was fond of Nyarai, and wanted only the best for her. So if she took things to the extreme like a worried parent, then so be it. With both Khwezi and Afya judging whomever Nyarai took an interest in, they were sure to only secure the best for their little 'ray of sunshine'.

"I haven't caught up with your brother in a while. I honestly wouldn't mind checking in with him." She looked back over her shoulder, offering Nyarai a confident smirk. Khwezi likely had all the juicy information that Nyarai was holding back. The pale siblings were easy to spot in a crowd, so she would have little trouble finding Khwezi. Most of the pride had dark-toned pelts, so much that Afya blended in with a majority of them. If one did not know the family lines, it would be easy to confuse siblings and cousins, or even lions only very distantly related.

Afya was getting ready to press the issue farther when Nyarai offered a compromise. She made a 'tut' sound, as if she was disappointed that Nyarai had given in so easily and ruined her fun. But, this was a quick and easy way to the information she desired, so Afya gave up on her fun and games. "Fine, that's a promise, Nyarai." She turned away from her companion, and continued to lead Nyarai on the herd's trails.

"Well, let's go find us some lunch."

And the two were off.