[PRP] O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Nantale x Ndoto)

[SilverLutz]

Ndoto glanced behind him and was rather surprised to find quite a few lions looking their way. He quickly turned back to Nantale and her parents, an embarrassed look on his face. He had never meant to cause such a scene, although to be fair, he hadn't meant to see the strange lion either.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," he said quickly, not wanting to cause anyone any further distress, giving Mtembei a smile, his eyes going to Nantale to reassure her as well. Kitambi didn't seem amused with his vision, if that's what it had been, and suddenly he wasn't so sure this had been something that could be looked over. Were seers kicked out of the pride?

"It wasn't anything like...death or destruction," he said after a moment, glancing from one lioness to the other, then to the darker male. "Just a lion leaving the Nchi. No one that I recognized," he added, as if that would be helpful. "Probably nothing to worry about at all."

Hopefolly

 

[Hopefolly]

SilverLutz

It was helpful if the goal was to further isolate him from Kitambi's good graces. Based on her behavior alone, how could anyone guess she had no ill-will toward seers? She looked like she was ready to issue an exile notice then and there.

The pride had never ostracized them in its history, so her behavior left Nantale puzzled. In the aftermath of Ndoto's explanation it made more sense, but her mother had been edgy before that. She should escort Ndoto elsewhere and ask him in private about --

"Who was leaving?" Mtembei asked. Not in itself a stupid question, just lacking in useful phrasing. "What did they look like, that is. This could be important, so try and remember. Did it seem like an enemy?"

"We have no enemies," Kitambi balked, looking askance at him.

Mtembei frowned at her, but kept quiet.

 

[SilverLutz]

Ndoto chewed his cheek nervously from the different vibes he was getting. He let out a slow breath to focus his mind, closing his eyes, trying to remember the vision. "Well...he was dark grey, mostly. Sort of like you," he added, opening his eyes and nodding towards Mtembei. "But...he had brown spots, similar to yours, actually," he added, turning to look at Kitambi. "A brown mane and...and two different colored eyes, if I remember correctly. Similar, not like...red and blue. Both were very warm in hue, although the exact color escapes me. He glanced back at the pride as he was living but he didn't seem malicious. More...resolute. Determined?"

He stopped speaking after that, clearing his throat awkwardly. Wow. He had never thought being a seer would be such a problem. Then again, he hadn't even known he was a seer, and was still trying to wrap his head around it.

Hopefolly

 

[Hopefolly]

SilverLutz

All it once, it dawned on each member of the family. The sister kept still and silent. The mother looked at an invisible enemy (they must have had them after all), bared her sharpest and most dangerous teeth, and stalked away without a word. The father was helpless to do anything but call after and pursue her. He spared a glance at the pair they were leaving behind and with it conveyed a message his only living offspring would effortlessly decode.

Kitambi faced down a lifetime of hardship without a stumble or a stutter, hardships that would leave most mere mortals sobbing night and day. She had met that quota and exceeded it. To have her the likeliness of her son recited so heedlessly by a fledgling seer was infuriating. Were the Gods mocking her? Something this intense she needed to walk away from and get her wits about her.

Like mother, like daughter.

Except daughter had no choice. What Mtembei had done was encouraging her to play her role as the Malenga. Being there for the members of the pride came before personal comfort. Her mother would have never left if she was still carrying the rank (or so Nantale assumed).

She cleared her throat and looked to Ndoto. "That sounds like one of my brothers. It must be because we were talking about them before you... This is the first time you...?"  

[SilverLutz]

Ndoto felt his heart sink as the former queen stalked away, her mate following. Oh dear...whatever he had said wasn't good. He swallowed thickly, glancing at Nantale for help understanding what it was he had done wrong.

When she did speak, however, his jaw nearly dropped. Her brother? But hadn't they perished in the flood? Then again, everyone thought Nantale had as well. Perhaps he had left before hand? Had he known it was coming? He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts from his mind.

"Yes, that was the first time anything like that has happened," he said, a concerned look on his face. "I'm sorry if I upset you and your parents, I honestly didn't know I was capable of this. If it happens again I won't say anything." Realization that a sibling she thought was dead had actually run away from home finally hit him, and he warred with himself for a while.

"If...if you want to go with your parents you can. I'll go ask around if anyone knows anything about making paint?" The last statement was more of a question than anything. He knew Nantale took her job seriously, but this was a personal matter. She should be allowed to think things over on her own, without an annoying bubbly lion - seer! - at her side. This way they'd still be getting things done at the same time. Someone around here must know how to make paint.

Of course, at the same time, Ndoto wished for nothing more than to comfort her. He knew she wasn't that type of lioness, though, and he knew that having time to herself would probably be more valuable to her than his shoulder to lean on, as much as it deflated his hopes to admit.

Hopefolly

 

[Hopefolly]

SilverLutz

Usually, Nantale was wise enough to know sometimes the best advice or problem-solving came from the mouth of the youth and the inexperienced. Ndoto hadn't lived through the loss of her siblings up close and personal. She, on the other hand, had already mourned them and come to terms with their loss. That her brother could be alive didn't cross her mind. Instead, she determined it was the conversation that had prompted the vision and that it symbolized his departure from life, not simply the pride.

Very bad timing, but not his fault.

"No, it's important you tell me everything." Everything? "Anything alarming," she corrected, glancing away a second. Word choice was all too critical right now. Too early to sound the warning bells, but downright irresponsible to not bestow what knowledge she had. "Not just for the pride, but for you. The visions can get to be too much if you let them. All three of my cousins had them... But we have other seers here." Nantale felt it necessary to add the last bit. Was that supposed to make him feel better? "There hasn't been any issue with them."  

[SilverLutz]

Ndoto was honestly surprised that Nantale wasn't taking the news as hard as she thought she might, but it had been a while since this had happened. Perhaps she didn't believe the vision? He was hardly sure he did, either. Besides, maybe it wasn't her brother. Maybe it was someone that looked like him instead.

The news that there were other seers made him breathe a sigh of relief. "Oh...that's good. I wasn't sure if seers weren't allowed here." There were some prides that chased them out, after all. "With the way your mother reacted I thought I was a goner."

The lioness was intimidating and, as he was a lover and not a fighter, he was sure she could whoop his behind and chase him out if she saw fit. He was sure she wasn't in her good graces.

"If I have any more I'll tell you, then," he said with a little nod, although he had a worried look on his face. "I just don't wish to ruffle any feathers with them. Perhaps next time I should tell you in private." Without her parents and the whole pride it seemed.

Hopefolly

 

[Hopefolly]

SilverLutz

"Let's do that for now," Nantale agreed. Not only would it spare Ndoto further problems, but seeing as she was the leader, she could decide what did and didn't need to be public knowledge. She conveniently ignored her recent vow to make the pride a democracy. The solution was right there, within reach, and since it was Ndoto...

"If you could please start gathering things for the paints, I'd appreciate it." Not the first time the suggestion had been brought to the table. It was an open invitation for Ndoto to pardon himself on, uh, something like honorable terms. The "queen" asking him directly for a favor.  

[SilverLutz]

Ndoto nodded slightly, both at her agreement and her request. He bowed his head respectfully and gave her a thankful smile.

"Right away. I'll get back to you once I've figured out who might know what to do." He turned after that, letting out a slow breath. So...he was a seer. His brother would never believe him.

Hopefolly

Last post from me! If there's more plots to be had PM me owo