[PRP] My Pride and Joy [Selador + Kani'noe + Binafsi]

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The day was just starting when Binafsi returned home to her den, dragging a small antelope with her to feed her children. Her little tryst with the leopard Kyprioth many moons ago had resulted in cubs, something that was neither unexpected nor unwanted. The huntress had always desired cubs of her own, and after it became apparent that finding a mate was no longer a necessary first step, she was quite game to let a rogue be their father. But she was a rather picky lioness, and the rogue had to be nice and at least polite. Kyprioth had been both those things, and Binafsi did not regret her time with him. He had given her three beautiful cubs. How could she begrudge him for that?

Nsundu had been thrilled at the news of the new cubs, and had been quite happy to welcome them properly into the pride. Though Binafsi had very little jewellery – being a huntress she could not wear it – she had still given a piece to each of her children when they had been brought before the pride. What a beautiful ceremony it had been. The lioness couldn't help but smile at the memory, as she set down her latest kill. Though the cubs were allowed to stray further than their small den in the escarpments, no doubt the smell of food would bring them back home. If not, she could always seek them out later.  

[Storei]

The first one to slink out of the shadows of the cave was the darkest of the three cubs, his blue eyes blinking blearily in the sunlight. His pupils focused in and the sight of food and the sight of his mother returning from a day on the surrounding lands was enough to make the little one smile. The way he smiled pushed his triangles on his cheeks into his eyes. He padded out of the cave and galloped to his mother's side, rubbing against her legs to iterate his joy for having her back home. It was lonely and he didn't feel like participating in his other sibling's play. Today was a day where he was more disconnected than most.

"Mother!" the little cub piped, his voice hoarse and scratchy sounding. "You're back. Guess what I did? Guess, guess! I found music."  

[Kimaria]

(( sorry for the wait, my bro was on a WoW kick this weekend and I couldn't get online at all. ))

Kani'noe, stirred by his mother's approach and his siblings' movement, opened his eyes and peeked around the den. Then, after a moment one of his siblings spoke up and Kani's ears swivvelled forwards.

Found music?

How did one just find music? As far as he was aware none of his dreams ever seemed to contain anything musical. No, nothing at all. Curious, he lifted himself up and slunk after his brother, giving a small mew to show that he was awake.

Besides, his stomach was grumbling and the smell that accompanied his mother was too tempting to ignore.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Binafsi's blue eyes softened at the sight of Selador, chuckling inwardly at the way his smile crinkled his face triangles the same way as her own. Each of her children looked so much like their father, and at the same time looked so much like her. Selador had Kyprioth's deep brown colouration, but her white face and tail markings. He also had her blue eyes. She smiled gently at him when he game to greet her, leaning down to fix the fur on his head with her tongue. "You found music? How wonderful Selador! What kind of music did you find?"

The lioness's ears perked at the sound of Kani's mew, and he too was given his morning groom. No doubt Shiri was probably off in lala land, dreaming about people and places she wished to go. Binafsi would make sure to save some food for her later, or else hunt again. She would always make sure that everyone was provided for. "Good morning, Kani, did you sleep well?"  

[Storei]

As his mother's scratchy tongue pushed against the top of his head, the scratchy voiced cub laid his ears back and gave hoarse sounding giggles. He enjoyed getting bathed by his mother. It was something that brought him comfort and, besides, it made him clean! Which was nice, considering that he often laid in the dust of the cave and nosed about in the dirt in his search to "find music". Also, it was one of the only times that Selador actually laughed since he laughed seldom.

"I found music, mama, in the wind. It whistles, mama! It sings!" Selador exclaimed excitedly. This was the first time that he was so excited about something. His tufted tail swished back and forth with happiness. "Kani." Selador acknowledged his brother.  

[Kimaria]

He purred, enjoying the contact and warmth that grooming brought. It was good to feel clean and he slunk closer, pressing himself closer to his mother.

"Sleep good." He replied with a yawn, pink tongue curling in his tiny mouth. Then, with a happy purr at feeling more awake thanks to his bath, he turned his attention to his brother Selador.

"Found music, Selly?" Kani'noe peeped curiously. He wondered briefly if he had been listening to the world in the wrong way. Whether he was just deaf to the sounds that kept this pride thrumming. Maybe he didn't have that inner spark that his family had. His ears drooped but that was the only sign he was feeling saddened by the fact that music had not yet reached him.

"How did you hear it? Can you show me?" He cuddled against his mother, seeking comfort. "I want to find the music too."  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The huntress could not help but smile inwardly at her son’s giggles. He was rather quiet sometimes, and it was nice to hear him laugh. Binafsi took great care to make sure that all of her children were happy, even if some were a little shier than others. There was nothing wrong with taking life a little more seriously, but she wanted to make it clear that her little ones could come to her whenever they wanted to. No problem was too small, and Binafsi would listen to anything that her children had to say to her.

"In the wind? I had not thought to look there for music! Does it sing a pretty tune, Selador?" Binafsi was glad that the Nchi'mahadhi did not rely solely on a lion’s singing talent, for her son Selador would surely feel it if they did. But even the lion with the scratchiest of voices could beat out a rhythm on the drums, and Binafsi hoped that Selador would find happiness in some aspect of music.

The lioness gave Kani a nudge when he drew closer, smiling when he said that he had slept well. She let him speak to his brother, tilting her head slightly when his ears drooped. Kani had yet to come to her speaking of music, unlike Shiri and now Selador. Perhaps he was feeling a little left out. Binafsi nuzzled him gently, allowing him the comfort he needed. "You will find your music when your heart is ready. You are young yet, the both of you, but one day you will find the Rhythm of your heart." She smiled at Kani.  

[Storei]

"Yes, mother, in the wind. She sings with many voices, sometimes high and sometimes low, but she always sings softly," Selador reported happily. The young cub had spent a lot of time searching for music. He spent nearly every morning simply curled up with his little paws tucked underneath his chest by the entrance to the den. His dark blue eyes were trained on the sky, waiting for some sort of signal, some sort of sign, or some sort of noise different that the regular noises he heard in his small horizon of the world. He rubbed himself against her, enjoying in the fact that his mother was there. He had a special connection with her, since she was the only one he'd really talk to.

Selador watched his brother and he found himself terribly confused by his brother's lowered ears. For sure, Selador was still young and therefore unprepared at reading personality in others when it came to reading body movement. He didn't know his brother was feeling left out. So he tilted a quizzical gaze at his pink-hued brother and leaned in, his nose sniffing for a problem. He didn't say anything, keeping his scratchy voice silent.  

[Kimaria]

Kani’noe wondered how one lion could hear things that others couldn’t. Was it that he wasn’t listening properly? Or maybe the wind chose to talk to whom she wished. Maybe the wind didn’t like him very much. Well, that was fine. If Selador had befriended the wind then he would find another element to make a companion.

He purred as his mother nudged him encouragingly and leaned into her, glad for her comforting presence. He was very much a mummy’s boy and certainly wasn’t embarrassed to show it. Her words meant everything to him.

“I hope so mama.” He replied softly, his lacy whiskers twitching delicately. “Then I can make you proud, right?” He smiled back. He found himself determined now, a simple sentence from his mother enough to bring him temporarily out of his slump.

The last flower to bloom is often the most beautiful, or so the saying went.

Besides, as a cub he still had so much to learn, skills not involving music such as hunting and stalking and socialising. For now there were plenty of things to take his mind from his immediate worry.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

"I am glad that you have taken the time to listen to her then, Selador. Perhaps she will teach you many things about not only singing, but about the world. The wind goes everywhere, after all, through pride lands and lands that belong to no lion." Binafsi looked up to the sky with a small smile, watching the clouds move lazily by. Selador would become quite wise if he listened to the wind, though it spoke no words. That was the beauty of Rhythm: words were not needed, only emotions. The wind was a fickle thing, but it carried many emotions with it. It would be interesting to see what Rhythm Selador would find in the wind.

The lioness turned her attention back to her youngest son, and nodded to him. "I will always proud of you, Kani'noe, if you try your best and do what you can do. We must use the skills and talents we have been given to better the experience of the others of the pride. You may bring music to them like Selador or bring food like myself, but our contributions will always be necessary in one way or another. You will find your place. Your heart will tell you when you are ready." She gave a small chuckle. "So, nothing exciting happened this morning then, I presume? I see your sister has wandered off again."  

[Storei]

Selador nodded his head excitedly, new hopes rising up in his chest as if they ached for the comfort of the sky. He had known that there was something special about that invisible lion that raced across the savannah with the winds behind her as her flimsy cape. With a dreamy smile plastered onto his thick baby cheeks, Selador leaned back into the inside of her mother's leg and he looked up with his blue eyes at the reflective sky. He promised, right then and there, that he would take as much time as he could to listen to the wind and heed her many words in many tongues.

Then their mother threw a small question at them. At first, Selador hardly noticed that she had asked something until he noticed the awkward silence that allowed him to listen to the wind for a few precious moments. Turning his gaze to his mother, Selador nodded his head in agreement and said, "She meandered away. Kani and I stayed here. We're brothers," he said, almost as if he were reminded her of their kinship.

[[OMG I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY D8 I got caught up with RL and then I had a play and tests and projects...Dx *kind of back now*]]  

[Kimaria]

Always be proud of him? Well, if that was the case he wanted to make sure he earned it. He wanted to become the best that he could, show everyone that he had the ability.

"I want to bring music, mama." He insisted. "I'll find it, I promise I will."

He glanced at Selador, tilting his head curiously and then smiling at his reply to mother's question. "Yup." He swished his tail. "We're very good. We stay where it's safe." He beamed, crawling over to pat at Selador's tail.

"Girls are mischief."  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Binafsi gave a small chuckle. "I thought as much." Shiri was known for wandering away from the den, though she rarely worried that the cub would go very far. She simply lived in a different world from them, as though listening to a Rhythm that nobody else could hear. Living in her own little fantasy world of daydreams was not harmful, as far as Binafsi could tell, and so the huntress let her daughter do as she pleased. One day she would come down from her cloud and become more grounded. Or not. She was content to let Shiri do as she wished.

"I will hold you to your promise then, Kani'noe. I eagerly await the music you will bring to our pride." The huntress smiled down at her son, and chuckled again at his words. "I'm sure you two get up to your own mischief near the den as well." She was glad that they still held their bond as brothers in quite high regard. It would do them both good to have someone they could count on besides their mother later on in life. Perhaps they would even do their drum quest together. You never knew.