[PRP] No Rest for the Wicked (Jini / Amani )

[Kimaria]

"No rest for the wicked!" Jini'pomoka spoke cooly as she swept out of her old family den and into the sunshine. Sunlight dappled across her slender back, enhancing her with a wonderful glow.

She blinked her startling pink eyes and paused, hesitating as to which way to go. Her training was to begin today. Her training to get her own back on the Firekin who had killed her mother. Thinking about it brought a flame of anger and hatred burning bitter as acid in her chest. She tasted it in her mouth and growled.

Then, moving forwards as gracefully as her limp would allow, the young female slipped across the lands, obviously seeking some secluded little spot to begin.

Yes, Pomoka was not strong nor fast, but she was brave and almost fearless. However, she intended not to fight a Firekin one on one in a deathly duel - that would be foolish! No, she was going to sneak up and kill one before they even knew she was there. But that meant learning skills that would help her and these skills had not been well practised.  

[Kaytla]

With a loud yawn, the long and slender female stretched out her legs, front and then back, giving the two hind paws a brief flick behind her, just to shake off those last dregs of sleep. She was always slow to wake up, but last night had been particularly rough, and all she really wanted to do was go back to bed. But the lioness wasn't one to lounge about all day doing nothing, and so she made a point of forcing herself to get up and move out into the pride lands.

Half-stifling another yawn, Amani glanced around her, her ruby eyes scanning for any sign of life. A nice, early morning chat would be just what she needed to wake up properly, she decided. Trouble was, the odds of finding someone awake at this hour would be harder than around midday. Not many people had her early bird habits, even in her own family. Even her mother, energetic as she was, enjoyed being lazy once in a while.

It seemed her luck was better than usual today, though, for she soon caught sight of a creamy female walking through the grass to her right. Bringing a cheery smile onto her face, she trotted forward a few steps. "Good morning!"

 

[Kimaria]

"Oh!" Jini turned her head in surprise, a little embarrased that she hadn't noticed another one slipping up towards her. She was supposed to be the sneaky one! It just showed that she still had a lot to learn before she put her desires into action.

"Good morning." And it was a fine morning indeed. The sun was beautiful, the sky spotless. It was perfect.

"I don't think we've met before." It was true, but though Jini had been born and raised here, she knew no one other than Hababuu and her own family. Oh and Uumikaji, but she hadn't seen him in a loooong long time. Not since the death of her...no, no don't go there.

"I'm Jini'Pomoka." She prrumed happily, not seeming to mind the interruption. In fact, when it came to training she was a little lazy. "Have you been here long?"  

[Kaytla]

Ah, wonderful. Someone friendly to pass a little time with. The lithe female trotted up until she was level with Jini, her cheerful smile never once leaving her face. It was unlike Amani to ever be anything but happy. She was laid-back and carefree, and she took life's ups and downs in her stride. It took a lot to drag her down when her attitude was to take things as they came and accept them as part of life.

"I'm Amani," she replied as she sat herself down. It didn't seem as though they would be going anywhere for a while, either of them. "I've been here since the day I was born. My father and his mother were all born here." She chose not to mention the fact that her great-grandfather had founded the pride. It was too early in the morning to start that conversation. "What about you, though? Were you born here, or have you just made a home here?"

For a few moments, Amani let her ruby eyes wander away from Jini and to the lands around them, smiling a bit. "Either way, it's really of no surprise we haven't met before now. As I'm sure you know... there's a lot of land here within the pride boundaries."

 

[Kimaria]

Apparently, these two girls were going to get on like a house on fire! Jini, seeing Amani sit, did the same, curling her tail neatly around herself.

"Ah so you have big family ties here then? That's so wonderful." Jini wished that she had more family here. She had no idea that her family was actually huge and that the majority of it was stationed in the Pridelands where her mother's mother; Bakhti and Mahiri had raised many, many cubs together. All she had ever known was her mother and her siblings, all of which seemed to have dissapeared.

"I was born here too, though my mother hadn't lived here all that long. She came here as a rogue to give birth. She had a friend here, you might know him. A red lion called Uumikaji." She smiled softly, sadly.

She nodded. "The lands here are huge. I've done a bit of travelling to and from this place but there is no place more beautiful and peaceful than the Kusini. I can see why so many families come here and stay." She twitched her whiskers. "Though I have to admit, I'd never have found such a good friend if I hadn't left here. It's nice to get one's paws moving every now and then, just to remind yourself that there is a world out there."  

[Kaytla]

Amani could help but laugh. "Big family ties? Yeah, you could say that. Just my immediate family is huge. I don't know how mum managed to have ten cubs and not go insane." The mostly white female let out a little chuckle. "My mother doesn't have the best tolerance in the world, you see. She can have quite a short temper sometimes. She's only tiny, and my two oldest brothers are really big, but they're still scared of her." Here, Amani giggled. "It's so funny when she gets mad at 'em for something. They just run."

At the name Uumikaji, Amani brightened even further, though she did notice how sad Jini looked. But she found the best way to make someone sad feel better was to infect them with one's own cheerfulness. "Oh, Uumi. He's my grandpa. My daddy's daddy." With a grin, she leaned forward to whisper conspiritorially in Jini's ear, as though she had something to say that shouldn't be overheard. "He's still really moody. Probably because he has a load of cubs as well. Even more than my parents!"

Flicking her tail and tilting her head, Amani looked at Jini curiously. "Youve been outside... in the rogue country?" She shuffled a bit closer, like a cub interested in a story told by an older lion. "What's it like? My friend Banjo comes from out there somewhere. I've never been outside the pride, but I've always been a bit curious."

 

[Kimaria]

"Ten cubs! Your mother certainly does sound like a tough lioness." Jini was slightly shocked. Motherhood had never really crossed her mind. For now she was just content with having Tope and her plans. They were all that really mattered. It made her sad, however, to think that she might be killed never having children to carry on her family line.

She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. Now was not the time to ponder on such things as children. Besides, she'd only official declared her love for Tope the day before. Things should never move that fast!

"Uumikaji certainly wasn't the happiest lion I ever met, though he had reason to be sad last time I saw him." She nodded. "I haven't seen him since that day." Maybe she should find him...have catch up.

"Yep, I have." She curled her tail. "It's very different from these lands." Jini replied thoughtfully. "The air feels different somehow and the landscape can change so dramatically that it's like entering a dream! But...even though the rogue lands are beautiful and wild, there's something that always pulls me back here. It's like an invisible chain that pulls tight whenever I stray too far, reminding me that I have a home, a beautiful home to go back to." She smiled. "It's funny, but you can travel for miles and miles and never find a place that settles in your heart as much as your homeland."  

[Kaytla]

Amani nodded enthusiastically. Honestly, she highly doubted there was a lioness in the pride tougher than her mother - except, perhaps, her grandmother. To deal with a lion like Uumi... one had to be, she supposed. Even though she knew they loved each other, things couldn't be constantly harmonious between them. Not with how moody Uumi could be. "She certainly is. She manages to keep five boys in line pretty well. I don't think I could do it as well as she does. When I have cubs... I definitely think I'll have to ask her advice on a few things."

Motherhood was practically a certainty in Amani's mind. Both her brothers had families now, and she wanted that for herself. Despite how much they could get on Nyunya's nerves, Amani knew her mother loved all her children with all her heart and would do anything for them. It was a beautiful relationship, the bond between parent and child, and it was one Amani wanted to experience from both sides. The lioness hadn't given much thought on how she would become a mother, but there had never been a doubt in her mind that she would be one day - even though her younger siblings sometimes annoyed her, too.

"For some reason I haven't figured out yet, grandpa became a Yaya. Looking after the pride's cubs doesn't seem to be something he'd choose... but apparently he did." She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "It hasn't really made him happier. Grandma coming back cheered him up, but I think he'll always be... well, moody."

Amani's attention was captured by Jini's descriptions of the rogue lands. She had always wondered about the rogue lands, but more so since meeting Banjo. Her curiosity was further strengthened by Jini's words, particularly how the creamy lioness described it as being like walking through a dream. But in spite of that, the talk of home made her smile. "That sounds nice. I don't think I would ever really be happy to leave this place. I've lived here all my life, and it's just... home. I don't think there's another place in the world that could be a real home for me. It's nice to know you weren't swept away by the unknown so that you never got around to returning."

 

[Kimaria]

"You have quite a family." Jini laughed, tapping the tuft of her tail against the ground. "Most of my siblings have gone now and, well I never knew my father." She didn't mention her mother, but her mother was still with her...in spirit.

"It's wonderful to be surrounded by loved ones." She sighed dreamily, thinking of Tope. Her friend...her mate? She smiled softly, folding back her velvet ears.

"There's something about this place, isn't there? It's so peaceful, so welcoming. It's beautiful. I don't think any cub born in the Kusini could ever find the heart to leave forever." She thought of Damu and Hababuu then, out there in rogue country.

"Though it seems they do like to wander every now and then." She replied. "Even if you do get homesick out there, it's worth it just for the adventure, just to meet new people." She continued happily. "Just to feel free."  

[Kaytla]

Amani nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, it is, but... sometimes... with so many... you need to take a little break, you know? It's come down to that for me. I love my family, even the annoying little ones, but I need the quiet every now and again."

Her own thoughts flicked to her brother, Rengo. "Yes... some do wander off. I'm glad most find their way back, though." It would have been terrible to lose one brother, and then a second, only to have the first ever return. They hadn't always got on, but now they were matured in mind and body, she loved them dearly. Even though they still knew just how to annoy her, like any brother. "And they do bring such wonderful stories with them. Stories that make me want to find the courage to venture out into the unknown."

 

[Kimaria]

"Quiet is nice. It's why I like the night so much. At night nothing seems to stir. The crickets chirp, the wind is hushed. It's so beautiful. And then there's the stars." Jini sighed dreamily. "The night is far more beautiful than the day."

Jini had always loved stories. Stories that her mother had told her as a tiny cub had remained printed in her mind. Stories of the lands she had once seen, of the lions she had once met. Stories were, in fact, often better than reality, but then that was the beauty of them. They encouraged adventure! They encouraged awe!

"My mother was wonderful at telling stories!" Jini replied, without thinking. "I remember lying in the den, tiny little ball of fur, listening to her telling me all about her adventures. She had seen so much, experienced so much. I don't think she would have ever run out of tales to tell. That's why I wander. I want stories to tell my family too, when I have cubs of my own."  

[Kaytla]

Amani's gaze flicked up to the sky, to briefly follow a puffy cloud's path across the endless blue. Then her eyes lowered again to smile at Jini. "Oh, I agree. The night really is a beautiful time to take a look at the world around you." She took a deep breath of morning air. "But there's beauty to be found in the day, too. The warmth of the sun, the endless bright blue of the sky. And there's the noise. Everywhere you turn, if you try hard enough, you can hear some sort of sound. It's the sound of activity, of life. It's wonderful, I think." She grimaced. "A much better noise to listen to than that of younger siblings, anyway."

Amani nodded in agreement. "Yes, both of my parents have had interesting occurences in their lives. They're more than happy to share, and my brothers and sister from my litter used to hang on their every word. Before my father left, I mean. Then it was just the one brother and my sister with only my mother's stories." The young adult smiled gently. "But even so, we still loved them. And now that father's back, he has yet more stories to tell us, more than he had before he left. My younger siblings are in luck. I don't think mother and father will run out of stories before they all grow up."

 

[Kimaria]

She smiled. "Nice to hear that your not alone. Yes, I agree." She purred quietly, content for the moment to sit quietly and just listen, listen to the peaceful tranquility and the sound of her own gentle heart.

She was calm.

She was content.

"Stories are wonderful. One day I'll have my own to tell." She stood and glanced back across the land. "To my own little cubs. Until that day comes I have to make sure to live the adventurous life so that they'll have plenty to hear." She turned back to glance at her new friend.

"Thank you for your company Amani. I really must be on my way now, the day will be over before I've even begun what I set out to do. I'll come and see you again sometime, maybe then I cantell you a story." She smiled.

"See you later!" And she turned and padded off across the meadow, listening to the sound of the grass play against her sides.