Post by Msasi on Jul 7, 2006 0:17:28 GMT -5
Another older log. This one with Anubis and his mom, Feleti. Annie has just accepted the fact that he's going to be a King and is coming to let everyone know. And he's acting very ANNIE-ish here, which I just love. And you can totally tell he gets it from his mom. ;D
~*~ Kivuli - Lake ~*~
Feleti has connected.
He's returned to Kivuli for only a few days. Anubis' latest trip to Kimondo was very much unplanned, but upon hearing that Sakitu had been badly wounded there was nothing that could have kept the ivory Kivulian prince from going to her side. He even ran the entire way (which was very exhausting and something he doesn't plan on doing ever again.. hence the reason his return to Kivuli took longer than his trip to Kimondo.. he /walked/ back). Annie has only returned to inform his family that he will no longer be living within the borders of Kivuli; he finally decided that being with Sakitu would be worth having to be a king. The male was on his way to the pridal caverns, wanting to inform his family of his move and get back to Sakitu as soon as possible, but he has been distracted. So, playing along the muddy bank of the lake, Anubis stalks the elusive grasshopper. "Gotcha!" Annie pounces, slapping large paws down in the mud, splattering his white coat. The grasshopper manages to get away and the large prince stalks him. "Evil grasshopper. Trying to take over the pride. I'll get you!" Ladies and gentlemen, the future King of Kimondo. n_n;
And she had been sleeping -- or, perhaps more accurately, dozing -- quite peacefully a decent distance away from the lake's shoreline. Tucked within a patch of the thicker grasses, nourished by the moisture from the large pool, there is the faintest of rustlings as the bronzed lioness' head lifts; it would not be surprising if Anubis missed the second-long sound entirely, as absorbed as he is. Ears cupping forward, expression one of stern inquisition, Feleti strains slender neck to get a better view -- and, at last, spots her son. Mouth opens to speak his name, but the former Queen cuts of her voice, so 'Anubis' is only silently mouthed. Keeping herself still, knowing that the pale Prince is heading closer, she decides to run something of a test. She hasn't seen her second-born son in quite some time; so let's see if there's been any improvement in his prowess. The question at hand is -- will he realize that she is there?
Snort. 'Anubis' and 'prowess' just do not go together. Annie is completely caught up in his game. A herd of rampaging elephants could run by and the poor lad wouldn't even notice. "No bug is any match for /me/," He says, drawing himself to his full height and puffing out his chest proudly, crimson gaze fixed on the ground near his paws where his 'enemy' rests. "Xi' doesn't know anything if he lets evil grasshoppers run freely across the lands. But I know perfectly well what you're capable of. Die, stupid 'hopper!" Anubis raises a paw to once more slap at the grasshopper with, but the insect again gets away, landing atop an ant hill. Anubis, without even thinking, leaps after it. But, being a fully grown lion and weighing a lot more than a simple grasshopper, Anubis destroys the mound. Ants spill from the chaos, climbing all over the prince's forepaws. "Ahhhh! You've got backup!" Evil grasshopper. The white male turns and flees, shaking his forepaws as he runs. He heads straight for his mother's position and only at the very last second does he catch a glimpse of bronzed fur. With a cry of surprise.. he'd thought he was alone!.. Anubis leaps into the air to avoid crashing into Feleti and lands behind her on his forelegs. He takes a few steps on his forepaws, his hind end in the air above his head, before crashing into the ground in a very ungraceful manner.
She should have known as much -- but there's always hope! But the instant Anubis goes floundering atop the anthill, Feleti knows that all is as it always was. Fiercely biting the inside of a cheek to stifle her laughter, bi-colored eyes glint with amusement as the lion recoils and flees from the onslaught of ants. Flees. Right. Towards. Her. Ohdear. Ears slick back against her head, and the moment in which Feleti could have reacted -- skirted to the side, jumped away, anything of that sort -- passes while she's in simple shock. 'My d**n forleg is gonna be broken again,' she thinks fleetingly, before the pale lion launches himself up and over. Blinking in frank surprise, neck snaps around to watch as he lands -- or, well -- staggers on his forefeet for a few seconds before smashing down against the earth. Muzzle forms into an 'O' of surprise, and she then bounces rather spryly to her own paws, darting to his side. "Annie!" she squalks. "How many times you gonna have t'fall on your head before you realize you gotta pay more attention to the world around you!" .. Ahyes. No, 'OhmyGod, are you okay!' from Feleti. Instead, she joshes at him, poking a shoulder while teasing her fallen son. Teehee.
Anubis blinks. The ivory prince is on his back and, from his position, viewing his mother upside down. Amongst the mess of his black-and-gold mane, crimsons-tipped ears swivel forward to catch Feleti's words. "I'd say a few more times and it'll be hammered in there real good," he quips, grinning broadly. Annie rolls over onto his stomach and tilts his head curiously at his mother. "When did you get here? I thought I was alone." Not that, had he known anyone was around, he would have put off his game. Anubis is very laid back and very child-like. Responsibility is still something that makes him cringe and he always has time for games. Especially games that include romping through the mud. Why Sakitu thinks he'll make a good king is beyond him.
She takes a few steps back, allowing him room to roll over and settle himself somewhat. "Oh, I've been here for .. " Feleti makes a show of considering, lower lip being chewed on and a single brow raising. " .. A day or so, I'd say. Was dozing in that brush for at least three hours." Chortling, the bronzed female shakes her head in a good-natured fashion. "But, more importantly, what are YOU doing here? I thought you went to the Kimondo to look after .. what was her name? .. Sakitu. Yeah, that's it."
Anubis chuckles lightly. So she was here the entire time he was? Geez, Anubis, you've really got to start taking note of your surroundings. Tucking muddy paws close to his body, Annie nods at the questions. "Yeah. She got beat up real bad by a male wanderin' 'round the borders or somethin'. She's not s'posed to move for quite a while." He frowns, recalling the smell of the medicine the healer had placed on Sakitu's side. Her not being able to move makes things very boring for Annie. He hardly knows anyone in Kimondo, so he can't go up to anyone like he can here in Kivuli and just launch himself at them to start a game. n_n; After a moment of though, the prince remembers why he's come back to Kivuli in the first place. "Oh yeah! That reminds me. I came back t'tell everyone that I'm not comin' back to Kivuli next time. Movin' down to Kimondo for good." Anubis straightens, holding his head proudly. "I'm going to be the next king." He grins at Feleti.. but both his grin and his eyes hint at his nervousness. Anubis never considered himself 'king material'. He's not much into the whole royalty thing. If Sakitu hadn't been the heiress, he'd have accepted her as his mate long ago. It was a very tough decision for him to come to when he decided he'd take on the responsibility of being Kimondo's next king.
A small frown tickles at the edges of her muzzle as Anubis speaks of a stray male meandering about Kimondo's borders -- which is bad news. If he's around Kimondo, than he isn't far from Kivuli. And she has family in both locations, now. But her growing train of worry is derailed as her son promptly drops his news. Brows raise forcefully, and Feleti echoes, "King?" A moment later comes the kiddingly-snide, " .. You?" A hearty chuckle is had -- but not in a mocking, downward way; rather, it is one of apparent delight. "Ahh, at last! We will have a Kingdom that does nothing but chase grasshoppers and plot for the best way to destroy the ant army!" She sobers, however, clearing her throat appropriately. "Tell me. How did THIS come about? I thought you had no interest in all the monarchy fiddle-faddle .. nevermind a Kingship."
Another grin spreads across the white male's muzzle. "Yeah.. I'll be the best ant-hill destroying king they've ever seen!" Anubis jokes. But, like his mother, the prince sobers. He considers his answer for a long time, fidgeting slightly as he thinks, bfore he replies. "I don't know.. I always thought of Sakitu as one of my best friends. I knew she was gunna be a queen someday and'd made up my mind long ago that I didn't want any part of this royalty stuff. I was born a prince and that was more than enough for me." Annie sighs, his gaze drifting in the direction of Kimondo. "But.. I dunno. I love her too much. It was like, suddenly the thought of bein' with some other girl.. or her bein' with some other guy.. just wasn't /right/, y'know? I'm still not sure about all this king business. I dunno if I'm cut out for it." Anubis pauses, glancing down at his forepaws before lifting his gaze to Feleti's face. "But she's worth it. I'm certain of that much."
It is while he is speaking that Feleti eases herself back onto her haunches -- and to this day, she doesn't do it with as much fluidness as in her younger moons; the tendons in her scarred foreleg did not heal precisely, and she will always be left with the faintest of awkward motion due to it. Tail curling around settled flanks, she listens carefully as her son speaks. When he finishes, she nods slowly, taking some time herself to consider her words. "Your father and I weren't exactly prepared, either. I lived, never expecting much. A mate and a few litters and a small den -- that was the extent of it. And suddenly, I came back to visit my homelands .. and had a crown shoved onto my head. It is a moderately disconcerting feeling." A lengthy pause is had, before she continues. "But often, it is those that do not wish for leadership that make the best leaders. For it is those that are not over-confident, rash, or arrogant that often come to the best decisions -- they are not too proud to look to others for help."
Anubis' tail twitches slowly behind him as he lets this information sink in. "M'definately not too proud to ask for help," He mutters softly. Anubis plans on practically begging Xian for words of wisdom on being a king. Too bad Cairo isn't around.. Annie would love to have his father to talk to. He has a feeling that, once Nishati finds out, he'll be getting hearing a few words on leadership from the current Kimondo king as well. "I'm a bit nervous about livin' in Kimondo," Anubis admits. "No one knows me there. Words gunna get out that I'm the next king an' everyone'll be watchin' me. I don't act like a king. What if everyone thinks I'm gunna be a big doofus of a king or somethin'?" Anubis will not change his personality just to make himself look good for others. He wants to be accepted for who he is.. and he sometimes feels that only his family, and Sakitu, really accept him like that.
A prompt scoff is voiced at his latter question. "Who cares what they think? Since when did you start concernin' yourself with other people's opinions?" A sidewards grin slips onto her features, and Feleti shakes her head slightly. "You must get it from your father. As a kid, he wasn't that self-conscious .. but once he grew, and especially when he took the Kivuli, he was so paranoid I don't know how he didn't give himself a heart attack." Her unmarked foreleg is stretched languidly. "But, anyway. I know it's hard, but don't bother yourself too much with their opinions. If they see you worrying like that, they'll take it as a weakness of character. Prove yourself by proving your confidence in YOU. Above all else, a leader needs to believe in his own abilities." Chest expands with an intake of air -- and now, a rather long silence spirals out. A minute ticks by. Two. Nearly three. But then she talks again. With eyes focused upon the far shore of the lakeside, Feleti says in an overly nonchalant tone, " .. I could go with you. To Kimondo, that is. We can teach all of them not to doubt us Kivulians."
Confidence in himself. He certaintly had enough of that as a teenager. Anubis has no clue why he's really worried about being accepted by those in Kimondo, save the fact that he doesn't like to be alone. And it would really suck to have only Sakitu to hang out with if her pride didn't like him. The more Annie considers his mother's words, however, the more he starts to believe he was being a bit stupid about the whole thing. He's never cared what others thought of him. He's acted like a cub his entire life, without so much as a thought to what others thought of him.. until this whole 'be king of Kimondo' thing came up. Confidence in himself. He an do that. All he needs to do is march back to Kimondo and.. Anubis blinks, Feleti's last words having broken through his thoughts. "Come.. come with me?" Annie doesn't seem shocked that she'd leave Kivuli. He's thrilled that his mother would want to come with him. His grin returns. "Yeah. And show 'em all how t'kick back 'n have a little fun. From what I've seen, most of 'em seem to be a bit stiff shouldered. Having the two of us around would do 'em a world of good.""
"For real," Feleti says, nodding emphatically. And it's almost odd, really -- mother and son, but with how Feleti talks and acts, you'd think she was still fresh out of adolescence. She's gained plenty of wisdom, that's true enough; but in everyday conversation, she still sounds and holds herself like the moderately punk teenager she was. "I haven't been over to Kimondo in ages .. but from what I remember, they definitely need some help with the R and R angle of life. And I bet they're absolutely OVERRUN with grasshoppers and ants."
"Totally," Anubis replies with a firm nod. "How they've survived this long without our help I'll never know." Well, at least Kimondo will be an interesting place with Anubis around. Add Feleti to the mix and the place will never be dull. And the Great Kings save them all when Anubis reproduces. n_n A sage nod is given to Feleti's last statement. "I'll have my work cut out for me for quite a while. Can't trust those stupid insects. They're not as innocent as they act."
~*~ Kivuli - Lake ~*~
Feleti has connected.
He's returned to Kivuli for only a few days. Anubis' latest trip to Kimondo was very much unplanned, but upon hearing that Sakitu had been badly wounded there was nothing that could have kept the ivory Kivulian prince from going to her side. He even ran the entire way (which was very exhausting and something he doesn't plan on doing ever again.. hence the reason his return to Kivuli took longer than his trip to Kimondo.. he /walked/ back). Annie has only returned to inform his family that he will no longer be living within the borders of Kivuli; he finally decided that being with Sakitu would be worth having to be a king. The male was on his way to the pridal caverns, wanting to inform his family of his move and get back to Sakitu as soon as possible, but he has been distracted. So, playing along the muddy bank of the lake, Anubis stalks the elusive grasshopper. "Gotcha!" Annie pounces, slapping large paws down in the mud, splattering his white coat. The grasshopper manages to get away and the large prince stalks him. "Evil grasshopper. Trying to take over the pride. I'll get you!" Ladies and gentlemen, the future King of Kimondo. n_n;
And she had been sleeping -- or, perhaps more accurately, dozing -- quite peacefully a decent distance away from the lake's shoreline. Tucked within a patch of the thicker grasses, nourished by the moisture from the large pool, there is the faintest of rustlings as the bronzed lioness' head lifts; it would not be surprising if Anubis missed the second-long sound entirely, as absorbed as he is. Ears cupping forward, expression one of stern inquisition, Feleti strains slender neck to get a better view -- and, at last, spots her son. Mouth opens to speak his name, but the former Queen cuts of her voice, so 'Anubis' is only silently mouthed. Keeping herself still, knowing that the pale Prince is heading closer, she decides to run something of a test. She hasn't seen her second-born son in quite some time; so let's see if there's been any improvement in his prowess. The question at hand is -- will he realize that she is there?
Snort. 'Anubis' and 'prowess' just do not go together. Annie is completely caught up in his game. A herd of rampaging elephants could run by and the poor lad wouldn't even notice. "No bug is any match for /me/," He says, drawing himself to his full height and puffing out his chest proudly, crimson gaze fixed on the ground near his paws where his 'enemy' rests. "Xi' doesn't know anything if he lets evil grasshoppers run freely across the lands. But I know perfectly well what you're capable of. Die, stupid 'hopper!" Anubis raises a paw to once more slap at the grasshopper with, but the insect again gets away, landing atop an ant hill. Anubis, without even thinking, leaps after it. But, being a fully grown lion and weighing a lot more than a simple grasshopper, Anubis destroys the mound. Ants spill from the chaos, climbing all over the prince's forepaws. "Ahhhh! You've got backup!" Evil grasshopper. The white male turns and flees, shaking his forepaws as he runs. He heads straight for his mother's position and only at the very last second does he catch a glimpse of bronzed fur. With a cry of surprise.. he'd thought he was alone!.. Anubis leaps into the air to avoid crashing into Feleti and lands behind her on his forelegs. He takes a few steps on his forepaws, his hind end in the air above his head, before crashing into the ground in a very ungraceful manner.
She should have known as much -- but there's always hope! But the instant Anubis goes floundering atop the anthill, Feleti knows that all is as it always was. Fiercely biting the inside of a cheek to stifle her laughter, bi-colored eyes glint with amusement as the lion recoils and flees from the onslaught of ants. Flees. Right. Towards. Her. Ohdear. Ears slick back against her head, and the moment in which Feleti could have reacted -- skirted to the side, jumped away, anything of that sort -- passes while she's in simple shock. 'My d**n forleg is gonna be broken again,' she thinks fleetingly, before the pale lion launches himself up and over. Blinking in frank surprise, neck snaps around to watch as he lands -- or, well -- staggers on his forefeet for a few seconds before smashing down against the earth. Muzzle forms into an 'O' of surprise, and she then bounces rather spryly to her own paws, darting to his side. "Annie!" she squalks. "How many times you gonna have t'fall on your head before you realize you gotta pay more attention to the world around you!" .. Ahyes. No, 'OhmyGod, are you okay!' from Feleti. Instead, she joshes at him, poking a shoulder while teasing her fallen son. Teehee.
Anubis blinks. The ivory prince is on his back and, from his position, viewing his mother upside down. Amongst the mess of his black-and-gold mane, crimsons-tipped ears swivel forward to catch Feleti's words. "I'd say a few more times and it'll be hammered in there real good," he quips, grinning broadly. Annie rolls over onto his stomach and tilts his head curiously at his mother. "When did you get here? I thought I was alone." Not that, had he known anyone was around, he would have put off his game. Anubis is very laid back and very child-like. Responsibility is still something that makes him cringe and he always has time for games. Especially games that include romping through the mud. Why Sakitu thinks he'll make a good king is beyond him.
She takes a few steps back, allowing him room to roll over and settle himself somewhat. "Oh, I've been here for .. " Feleti makes a show of considering, lower lip being chewed on and a single brow raising. " .. A day or so, I'd say. Was dozing in that brush for at least three hours." Chortling, the bronzed female shakes her head in a good-natured fashion. "But, more importantly, what are YOU doing here? I thought you went to the Kimondo to look after .. what was her name? .. Sakitu. Yeah, that's it."
Anubis chuckles lightly. So she was here the entire time he was? Geez, Anubis, you've really got to start taking note of your surroundings. Tucking muddy paws close to his body, Annie nods at the questions. "Yeah. She got beat up real bad by a male wanderin' 'round the borders or somethin'. She's not s'posed to move for quite a while." He frowns, recalling the smell of the medicine the healer had placed on Sakitu's side. Her not being able to move makes things very boring for Annie. He hardly knows anyone in Kimondo, so he can't go up to anyone like he can here in Kivuli and just launch himself at them to start a game. n_n; After a moment of though, the prince remembers why he's come back to Kivuli in the first place. "Oh yeah! That reminds me. I came back t'tell everyone that I'm not comin' back to Kivuli next time. Movin' down to Kimondo for good." Anubis straightens, holding his head proudly. "I'm going to be the next king." He grins at Feleti.. but both his grin and his eyes hint at his nervousness. Anubis never considered himself 'king material'. He's not much into the whole royalty thing. If Sakitu hadn't been the heiress, he'd have accepted her as his mate long ago. It was a very tough decision for him to come to when he decided he'd take on the responsibility of being Kimondo's next king.
A small frown tickles at the edges of her muzzle as Anubis speaks of a stray male meandering about Kimondo's borders -- which is bad news. If he's around Kimondo, than he isn't far from Kivuli. And she has family in both locations, now. But her growing train of worry is derailed as her son promptly drops his news. Brows raise forcefully, and Feleti echoes, "King?" A moment later comes the kiddingly-snide, " .. You?" A hearty chuckle is had -- but not in a mocking, downward way; rather, it is one of apparent delight. "Ahh, at last! We will have a Kingdom that does nothing but chase grasshoppers and plot for the best way to destroy the ant army!" She sobers, however, clearing her throat appropriately. "Tell me. How did THIS come about? I thought you had no interest in all the monarchy fiddle-faddle .. nevermind a Kingship."
Another grin spreads across the white male's muzzle. "Yeah.. I'll be the best ant-hill destroying king they've ever seen!" Anubis jokes. But, like his mother, the prince sobers. He considers his answer for a long time, fidgeting slightly as he thinks, bfore he replies. "I don't know.. I always thought of Sakitu as one of my best friends. I knew she was gunna be a queen someday and'd made up my mind long ago that I didn't want any part of this royalty stuff. I was born a prince and that was more than enough for me." Annie sighs, his gaze drifting in the direction of Kimondo. "But.. I dunno. I love her too much. It was like, suddenly the thought of bein' with some other girl.. or her bein' with some other guy.. just wasn't /right/, y'know? I'm still not sure about all this king business. I dunno if I'm cut out for it." Anubis pauses, glancing down at his forepaws before lifting his gaze to Feleti's face. "But she's worth it. I'm certain of that much."
It is while he is speaking that Feleti eases herself back onto her haunches -- and to this day, she doesn't do it with as much fluidness as in her younger moons; the tendons in her scarred foreleg did not heal precisely, and she will always be left with the faintest of awkward motion due to it. Tail curling around settled flanks, she listens carefully as her son speaks. When he finishes, she nods slowly, taking some time herself to consider her words. "Your father and I weren't exactly prepared, either. I lived, never expecting much. A mate and a few litters and a small den -- that was the extent of it. And suddenly, I came back to visit my homelands .. and had a crown shoved onto my head. It is a moderately disconcerting feeling." A lengthy pause is had, before she continues. "But often, it is those that do not wish for leadership that make the best leaders. For it is those that are not over-confident, rash, or arrogant that often come to the best decisions -- they are not too proud to look to others for help."
Anubis' tail twitches slowly behind him as he lets this information sink in. "M'definately not too proud to ask for help," He mutters softly. Anubis plans on practically begging Xian for words of wisdom on being a king. Too bad Cairo isn't around.. Annie would love to have his father to talk to. He has a feeling that, once Nishati finds out, he'll be getting hearing a few words on leadership from the current Kimondo king as well. "I'm a bit nervous about livin' in Kimondo," Anubis admits. "No one knows me there. Words gunna get out that I'm the next king an' everyone'll be watchin' me. I don't act like a king. What if everyone thinks I'm gunna be a big doofus of a king or somethin'?" Anubis will not change his personality just to make himself look good for others. He wants to be accepted for who he is.. and he sometimes feels that only his family, and Sakitu, really accept him like that.
A prompt scoff is voiced at his latter question. "Who cares what they think? Since when did you start concernin' yourself with other people's opinions?" A sidewards grin slips onto her features, and Feleti shakes her head slightly. "You must get it from your father. As a kid, he wasn't that self-conscious .. but once he grew, and especially when he took the Kivuli, he was so paranoid I don't know how he didn't give himself a heart attack." Her unmarked foreleg is stretched languidly. "But, anyway. I know it's hard, but don't bother yourself too much with their opinions. If they see you worrying like that, they'll take it as a weakness of character. Prove yourself by proving your confidence in YOU. Above all else, a leader needs to believe in his own abilities." Chest expands with an intake of air -- and now, a rather long silence spirals out. A minute ticks by. Two. Nearly three. But then she talks again. With eyes focused upon the far shore of the lakeside, Feleti says in an overly nonchalant tone, " .. I could go with you. To Kimondo, that is. We can teach all of them not to doubt us Kivulians."
Confidence in himself. He certaintly had enough of that as a teenager. Anubis has no clue why he's really worried about being accepted by those in Kimondo, save the fact that he doesn't like to be alone. And it would really suck to have only Sakitu to hang out with if her pride didn't like him. The more Annie considers his mother's words, however, the more he starts to believe he was being a bit stupid about the whole thing. He's never cared what others thought of him. He's acted like a cub his entire life, without so much as a thought to what others thought of him.. until this whole 'be king of Kimondo' thing came up. Confidence in himself. He an do that. All he needs to do is march back to Kimondo and.. Anubis blinks, Feleti's last words having broken through his thoughts. "Come.. come with me?" Annie doesn't seem shocked that she'd leave Kivuli. He's thrilled that his mother would want to come with him. His grin returns. "Yeah. And show 'em all how t'kick back 'n have a little fun. From what I've seen, most of 'em seem to be a bit stiff shouldered. Having the two of us around would do 'em a world of good.""
"For real," Feleti says, nodding emphatically. And it's almost odd, really -- mother and son, but with how Feleti talks and acts, you'd think she was still fresh out of adolescence. She's gained plenty of wisdom, that's true enough; but in everyday conversation, she still sounds and holds herself like the moderately punk teenager she was. "I haven't been over to Kimondo in ages .. but from what I remember, they definitely need some help with the R and R angle of life. And I bet they're absolutely OVERRUN with grasshoppers and ants."
"Totally," Anubis replies with a firm nod. "How they've survived this long without our help I'll never know." Well, at least Kimondo will be an interesting place with Anubis around. Add Feleti to the mix and the place will never be dull. And the Great Kings save them all when Anubis reproduces. n_n A sage nod is given to Feleti's last statement. "I'll have my work cut out for me for quite a while. Can't trust those stupid insects. They're not as innocent as they act."
