[JRP] Green as Grass (Kijani Machozi and Ndale) -Complete-

[Wylde Roses]

It was a relatively quiet day, with no ceremony going on - no deaths (at least for now), and the suffering of the most sick was too far away for Kijani Machozi to hear properly. Not that it deceived the lion into believing that all was well; for things were never truly well within the Kitwana'Antara lands. Still, for the moment at least, things were as peaceful as they generally got.

The green lion didn't have any particular destination in mind today; he was simply out to walk around and to think on some things. Often given to strolls through the pride's territory and thoughtful wanderings, he wasn't much of a surprise to the other pride members that he passed. Nor did anyone approach him; though the quiet lion was extremely gentle, he gave off a cold air that made him seem rather unapproachable to most others. Kijani lived alone, as much as one could within a pride; he had no mate and all of his direct blood relations had died off long ago; with his sister's death he lost the last being that he was truly close to, and hadn't bothered to try and reach out emotionally to any others since.

He still did his duty for the pride, and would continue to do so. It wasn't so much that he was unhappy, simply that no-one was quite capable of prying past his reserved nature to get him to open up to them, only his siblings has ever been capable of that feat, and it wasn't likely that anyone else would in the near or distant future. Kijani was an intelligent male; he knew how to gently redirect conversations so that no attempts at prying succeeded, and would never deign to force his company on those who would rather be left alone.

At last, however, he felt the need to stop and rest for a few moments, his energy drained from him a bit more quickly than he had been expecting. Perhaps... but no, there was no need to consider that likely possibility yet; not until things either faded or became more obvious.  

[Uta]

The young male was sulking. He had trotted away from his siblings for the afternoon, not feeling particularly social. He wasn't feeling so great, but worst of all he was just . . .angry. He'd always felt angry, angry that his mother had left him, angry that his sister hadn't stayed even after he'd implored her too, and those feelings just hadn't lifted. Yes, he appreciated at that there were adults that gave them shelter, food, comfort. A home. But he just couldn't bring himself to trust them. . . .

Brown and orange eyed cub growled softly to himself. He swatted at the occasional twig or stone that crossed his path, but he never felt any better and his anger didn't ebb. Ndale was not a happy camper today, and he just wanted to be alone.

Unfortunately for Ndale, that wasn't what the fates had planned. Pushing himself out of some taller, dead grasses the young cub stumbled out in to a clearing. Unfortunately, he stumbled right in front of a lion - a very big lion and one that was ridiculously green!

Ears flattening, it occurred to him that this lion was huge. Or at least looked huge. Freezing up, the striped cub could only do the first thing he did when he grew afraid - he got mad. Growling as fiercely as he could, he puffed out his chest and slowly began a retreat. His sisters weren't here to witness him edging away from the green lion, so his pride was still safe, but he just couldn't face Kijani all alone!

 

[Wylde Roses]

What was that noise? It was too low=pitched to be a mosquito or a biting fly, Kijani knew, but much too high pitched to be anything that could be considered a real threat - and oh, there was the source of the sound: a very small lion cub, who looked like he thought Kijani was going to eat him or something.

Silly cub, he would never hurt a youngster; but then, cubs tended to be unreasonable, especially if they were among those who had been abandoned near the borders - and by this one's attitude, he was quite clearly one of those.

Making no move to get up - really, he didn't have the energy to at the moment, and he wouldn't anyway - Kijani stared down at the cub for a moment before looking away and flexing his paws gently.

"Calm down, cub. I won't hurt you," he said simply, soulful brown eyes gazing off into the distance. "I won't hod you here against your will, either."

Tilting his head thoughtfully, Kijani turned his brown-eyed gaze back to the cub. "I've seen you before, I think," he said, his voice a low rumble, but gentle, with no hint of aggression.

"You have sisters, don't you? I'm afraid I don't know any of your names. I am Kijani Machozi; though if you wish to address me at any point, Kijani would do."  

[Uta]

Ndale stared up at the large green lion, weighing his words carefully. He wasn't one to trust adults, but then again, he had never had the opportunity to actually meet an adult male! They were huge! Was that what he was going to look like someday. . .?

Ndale paused in his retreat as his snarling died. There was no reason to provoke the lion, especially if he wasn't going to run him away or drive him off. It almost sounded like the green lion didn't want him around, which meant that he was oging to stay. Just to be a nuisance. Sitting down on his haunches, tail twitching lightly, the brown and orange eyed cub continued to study Kijani. "Well then I won't hurt you either," he added. Not that he'd ever intended to attack Kjiani but he wanted to sound tough. . or at least give the impression that he was confident.

Of course, the green lion spoke exactly the right words he needed to hear - he mentioned his sisters! His scowl softened and he almost smiled despite himself. Puffing out his chest in pride, he gave a nod. "Of course I have two sisters. Faraa and Haruma. They're the best," he added with a firm nod. "I'm Ndale. We're new." He added as an after thought, just so the large lion knew. As if it wasn't completely obvious.

But the striped cub was still very young.
 

[Wylde Roses]

A gentle smile spread across Kijani's face as he laid down and rested his head on his front paws, all the better for the cub to feel less threatened. The little cub - Ndale - was almost amusing in his assumed toughness, though Kijani did manage to hide his amusement, as it was clear that such behavior wouldn't be well-received by the tiny male near him. "You must take very good care of your sisters," he said quietly, and there was no derision in his tone, simply a statement of fact.

"I'm sure they're proud of a strong brother like you."

His mind went back to his own sister for a moment; the sweet little sister who had been taken by the disease when she was just months away from adulthood; the sister that was the only feline he had ever really managed to get close to... ah, but that was the past, and he had a cub in front of him who was reluctantly accepting his attention for the moment.

"So why are you over here? There isn't much to do here."  

[Uta]

Ndale let his tail flick lightly in annoyance. Of course he took care of his sisters! No one else could do a better job of loving and caring for his sisters, even if they tried. Oh, sure, the pride gave them a constant source of food and warmth and general comfort but that didn't mean anything. They could just as easily reject them, just as their mother had. Ndale would never bring his sisters to harm, and he would never abandon them.

Still, he tried not to take Kijani's words as criticism or full of derision. He tried to see it that the large lion was actually complimenting him, praising him for being such a good little brother. Sitting a bit taller he gave a curt nod and small scowl. "I'm the best brother they're gonna get!" He announced firmly. Even if there were other brothers or if Oseye hadn't abandoned them, he still would be clear that this was his title. He'd do anything for Haruma and Faraa. Anything at all.

Ndale wasn't entirely sure what to make of the green lion. Part of Ndale was curious to keep talking to him, but another part of him was still kind of angry. Unsurprising though. . . Ndale was almost always angry. Snorting. "If there isn't much to do here, than why are you here?" It was a fair question, even if his words were slightly sarcastic. Still, he added more honestly, "I came here to think, and you can't do much thinking when all the lions in the pride are around and getting sick or taking care of the sick." The borders, he found, were much quieter. And, while he'd never admit it, almost more like home to the little cub.

He wasn't used to the idea of being in a pride, it wasn't an idea that he liked. It put too much trust in other lions . . . and his trust had already been shattered by the one person whom he should have been able to trust implicitly. Honestly, he liked the bordres. He could be alone, he could gather his thoughts, and he didn't have to worry about anyone bothering him. . . . Ndale needed to depend only on himself. He didn't need anyone else.

Well. . . except his sisters.
 

[Wylde Roses]

Kijani wasn't perturbed in the least by the cub's hostile attitude - in truth he rather expected it; it was an attitude that likely had protected Ndale and his sisters up to this point. Someday maybe, he'd get past it, but for now it was no harm in his attitude.

"Of course you're the best brother they could have," Kijani said, and there was no mocking tone in his voice - rather, he sounded approving. "You're strong for them, and will do everything you can for them -that's the best thing to find in a brother," he added, stretching out comfortably and allowing the cub to have the high ground, so to speak.

"It's quiet here," he said to explain why, exactly he was out here. "I enjoy the silence." Especially when the sounds commonly heard around the pride were the coughing of the ill and the voices of those taking care of them, the silence was peaceful and soothing. Besides, when he was alone in this area, he sometimes could imagine that he heard his sister's voice on the wind.

It was just his imagination of course, but it was a pleasant enough delusion anyway.  

[Uta]

Ndale kept his small frown on his features, studying the green lion before him. He didn't trust him, and he found him difficult to understand. He wasn't being demanding or controlling, he wasn't telling Ndale not to frown or to smile or to play or to go away. In fact, he wasn't doing much at all except lying there, talking to him.

Odd.

He gave his tail a flick, confused on how to respond to the green lion. Of course he was the best brother. . . . Kijani totally agreed with him! "That's right I'm strong. I kept them together, you bet I did. And even here, I watch over them." Was every brother like that? Ndale wasn't entirely sure. . . "Are you a brother at all?" He questioned, giving a tilt of his head. It sounded like he knew what it was like to have siblings, to worry about them, to protect them. And if the green one WAS a brother. . . well. . . . that would make him cool.

Maybe.

But then the green male sai he liked quiet and silence. Ndale could appreciate that - sometimes Faraa was very active or he just wasn't up to conversation. Still. . . did that mean he was bothering the green one? Maybe. Since Ndale had been talking, and there for ruining the silence. Frowning even more, the striped cub gave a small sigh as he settled beside the other.

Now he was in a pickle. He wanted to ask if he should go so he could let him sit in silence all alone. But if he asked, then he'd be breaking the silence even more and . . . and. . . oh bother. What was a cub to do?
 

[Wylde Roses]

Did Kijani notice how confused the cub was getting about whether to talk to him or not? Of course he did, but he hid his amusement at the little one's awkwardness quite well. At his question, though, a brief look of sadness entered into the older lion's eyes before it was buried, replaced with his much more common expression of quiet distance, and he nodded.

"I was, once," he said, and that was really all there was to say on the matter. Hopefully Ndale would have better odds facing himself and his sisters than the green lion had with his siblings - but in this pride, the odds were always, always against you.  

[Uta]

Ndale's ears pricked when he heard what the green lion had to say. Was? As in past-tense? A lump suddenly formed in the little cubs throat, as he realized that he could very well be looking into a piece of the future. Already he'd lost his mother and one of his sisters, never knew his father, and now lived in a pride where death was lurking behind every corner. Could Kijani's fate be his own? Would Haruma or Faraa suddenly be nothing but a memory?

NO.

Not if he could help it! He would make sure his sisters were strong, were safe, and would live forever. No stupid disease was going to kill them, not on his watch, no siree. Heaving a small sigh, he let his ears flatten and looked away from the green male. "Oh." Was all he could manage to think of, was all he could manage to say. He was old enough to understand why Kijani only was once a brother, and not any longer. He didn't need to be told why, it was an easy guess and assumption.

Flicking his tail, not so much out of irritation as sudden awkwardness, he fell quiet. What was he supposed to say? " . . . how many siblings did you have? I already lost one, but she was dumb and left us. Just like Mom and Dad did." He added, a bitterness entering his voice and a small growl present. He didn't like talking about it, but he wanted the older male to realize he knew about loss too. Even if he was little.
 

[Wylde Roses]

"Two," Kijani said quietly. "A brother and a sister.." His expression was distant as he looked out over the grass. "I am the last of my line." There would be no others; of this he was sure. He smiled at the cub then, a gentle smile, for Kijani could never be anything but gentle. "Cherish the sisters you still have. That's all that truly matters, in the end."  

[Uta]

Ndale studied the green furred lion before deciding that he was all right. He was big and seemed kind of grumpy or at least a little sad, but he was . . all right. He gave good advice, at any rate, and though the white and striped cub wasn't the brightest bulb. . . he did know what he meanted.

Heaving a sigh, puffing up one last time, the serious little cub gave a firm nod. "I cherish them. No one can compete with my sisters, nope," he added firmly, giving his tail a little flick. Taking a few steps forward, he settled himself next to Kijani and said nothing staring out at the world before them.

"It's ok to be the last one." This was where the adult was losing him. Ndale didn't really understand what being the last one meant. The last what? The last born? The last alive? The last one for now? Ndale himself was the last cub born, the youngest, but that was all right. Though he didn't understand Kijani's distance, he could tell he seemed upset.

Uncharacteristically, the little cub reached over and gave the larger lion a little nuzzle on his arm. "Even if we are last, at least we're not alone." So Ndale was secretly relieved there were adults and others in the pride. He still favored his sisters, but just in case anything ever happened to them, they would never be alone again. The same with Kijani.