|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:40 pm
 Weeks. It'd been weeks since their so called wedding, and the former prince had gotten hardly a wink of sleep since then. Everyday, it was tense and he dreaded ever going home. Was that...normal? Maybe every mated lion felt the same way, regardless of how they felt about their significant other. In his case, it was probably a bit worse, since he practically despised his mate. It was strange how the two of them actually managed to procreate (well..almost), what with that feeling being more of less mutual. That...wasn't really planned either. And the cubs, knowing his luck, would fall into a lower class, more or less. Lower than his, anyway.
So here he was, in the dead of night, staring up at the moonless sky. Just...staring. He was flopped on his back, tail swaying beside him as he watched.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:04 pm
It was unusual, but for Unyezi his little trip out in the bright moonlight was rather relaxed. Alcmene had been doing better making sure someone knew where she was if it was dark out, and so he wasn't out looking for her. With the shortage of guards, if you could even call it that- it was more of an absence, except for Baba'nyota, Angani and Thoth. Thoth was no where near the pride's lands now and Angani had another job that would trump regular duties.. with the severe lack of guards, Unyezi took it upon himself to patrol around occasionally as well.
If Njiru hadn't had his white mane, Unyezi might not have noticed him. The lone male, staring up at the moon.. not necessarily an unusual choice of activities for someone in this pride. Unyezi stopped walking for a moment to watch his brother thoughtfully, thinking about the recent wedding and the news of coming cubs.. it was odd.
And then he turned around to make his getaway, doubtful that Njiru would really want to talk to him anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:20 pm
Njiru's ears twitched at the sound of someone approaching, and his silvery eyes glanced in the direction of the sound. The white and blue of his brother made him scoff lightly, and he cleared his throat. He wanted to let the other leave, much preferring to be alone...but. There was never usually a 'but' when it came to talking with his brother. He would always rather not talk to him at all, but things just seemed a little different now. Or at least, for the time being, they would be. He sincerely hoped it'd all go back to normal in the end. Njiru needed normal. And normal didn't include a mate, cubs, and wanting to talk to his brother, let alone any sort of actual communication with him.
So with the decision made in his mind, Njiru glanced back at the white lion, who's back was turned to him now, no doubt trying to get away, and smirked. "You were never good at sneaking around, little brother," he said aloud, just so Unyezi would hear him. And the male rolled back onto his stomach and watched the King. "But that isn't really part of your job, so I suppose it's not really your fault."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:05 pm
Unyezi knew when he'd been spotted, but expected to be allowed to go off without any conversation taking place. That was more Njiru, more usual for the two of them. Ignoring each other. He was surprised when Njiru spoke up, but he wasn't surprised by the content of the remark. He turned around, no smile on his face.
"Criticism, how original," he commented. He didn't know exactly if this meant Njiru was going to talk to him, or if he was just saying it.. for the sake of saying it, for the sake of saying something. Whatever the case was, he was in a conversation now- a very awkward one, but still a conversation.
"I hear you're expecting cubs."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:00 am
The ex-prince gave his brother a smug grin and shrugged. "After all these years you're still expecting a pleasant greeting out of me?" he replied, then his smile dropped at the mention of his...predicament, so he called it. It wasn't a subject he liked to talk about, really, so with a huff he looked to his left and put on a rather serious face to what was supposed to be a happy sort of comment.
"Yes, I am.." he answered, tail swaying in an irritated fashion. "Where did you hear it from? I didn't think it was something Sini wanted everybody else to know. What with me being the father and all.."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:37 pm
"Of course not," he shot back with a roll of his eyes. Clearly they were going to actually converse, and Unyezi wasn't too enthusiastic but he was obligated to be as... civil as he possibly could be. Not because they were related, Unyezi would happily ignore that.. but because Unyezi was king.
"Word gets around, especially to me," Unyezi said, idly and putting no emphasis on it- he meant it and did not think it needed emphasis unless he was looking to pick a fight, "Are a congratulations or an apology in order, then?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:50 pm
It made sense...and Njiru, not really up to picking a fight at the moment, shrugged it off. Unyezi was still king, and from the looks of the situation that didn't seem likely to change in his lifetime. Maybe one of his cubs..maybe...a very weak maybe.
Well...highly unlikely, and Njiru was slowly but surely getting used to the fact. Thinking of ways to overthrow Unyezi and take the throne was becoming more and more tiring, what with the mate and all. Not only did he rarely have time alone, but every moment he did have alone he had to try hard to keep it that way for more than an hour or two. He spent what was left of his energy after a day's hunt avoiding Sini at all cost, so when he was sure he was alone he's either sleeping or lying down and just staring into space.
The king's next question actually made him chuckle, and he shrugged. "I don't know, Unyezi," he said, surprised that he'd said his brother's name in place of what would normally have been some other name that would be very much lacking in respect. "I don't suppose it matters.." and he sighed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:06 pm
Unyezi was curious about his brother's lack of enthusiasm in what could be a very engaging (and irritating) arguement. Perhaps it was because Unyezi had the upper paw this time- though he hardly believed that this upper paw was the fact that Njiru was having cubs. A disturbing thought in that Njiru would have a key role in shaping the minds of some cubs, but otherwise something that should be a happy occasion. Njiru was lucky someone put up with enough enough to marry him, let alone reproduce with him.
In Unyezi's opinion, anyway.
He was also thrown off by Njiru using his name so simply, so plainly. It made him wonder if Sini had really gotten to him. And if she did, in what way- and how had she done it so completely? Maybe he needed to go congratulate (and thank) her.
"What a disappointing outlook," he commented, "Perhaps I'll save my congratulations for Sini, then. Though, I hope you are not disappointed." He meant in the future, with whatever might come. Unyezi knew the intentional torment inflicted on him by his brother, and he expected cubs would be spared that.. but would they be spared the unintentional distress that could come from such an unenthusiastic and indifferent father?
Maybe cubs would be what ultimately changed Njiru. It could happen. Unyezi did his best to hold back on assumptions, though he hid his thought processes perfectly. He hadn't really thought through much about this yet, talking to Njiru was a rare and thought-provoking occasion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:29 pm
Njiru, perhaps by habit, had almost completely tuned out Unyezi's voice as his mind wandered lazily to Sini, then to their cubs...and he grimaced. What the hell happened anyway? He was happy as a bachelor, with nobody else...he was content to simply be alone and have nothing but his hatred for his brother. Yet...somehow he ended up here, and the majority of his life he'd spent trying to think up ways of getting rid of his own brother was now just wasted time and effort. Nothing more than distant unreachable dreams...but even from the beginning it had always been. His pride would never let him admit it..
He twitched his ears and blinked a few times before looking back at Unyezi. Something about...disappointing? "Disappointing...maybe. I won't be taking care of them for half their life anyway, so I don't see why it should matter." It was a bit of a grim statement, he knew, but it was true at the very least. "And I'm sure she'd appreciate the greeting."
He paused a moment, thinking on his brother's last few words. Disappointed? ...It was very likely that he would be, but with the unexpected turn in his life at this point who really knew at this point?
"As for being disappointed..." he went on, then paused and gave another chuckle. "For their sake I hope I'm not."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:26 pm
He knew immediately he wasn't being paid any attention, or much of it. Njiru was not the most respectful of lions, not well practiced at hiding his distaste around Unyezi.. but perhaps the king was just a bit too sensitive to it. Imagining things.
But then, maybe not. Njiru's semi-coherent responses only made Unyezi think less and less of his brother. He wasn't sure he was a good one to lecture his brother about being a father, but he had a feeling that if their father was around he'd have something to say.
"Mhmm," he muttered in agreement, still uncertain about if he wanted to argue or not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:18 pm
Njiru shrugged, the extremely short reply he got from his brother not doing much to push the conversation (if you could call it that?) along. So the male stood up and stretched a bit before beginning to walk in the general direction of his and Sini's den. He wasn't anywhere near ready to sleep though, so he'd probably just find another deserted area and lie down and wonder about the strange direction his life had suddenly taken.
"Right. Well, good night then," he said, while he was still within hearing distance of Unyezi. And without so much as a glance back at his brother, Njiru sprinted off to find his next brooding spot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:29 pm
Unyezi didn't say anything else, he didn't move at all. He was very thoughtful, very quiet. He was worried, worried for Sini, worried for those cubs.. he watched Njiru walk away, unsure if he would actually head for his den or not but not really caring about that. When he couldn't see Njiru anymore without squinting, Unyezi shook his head and turned to head back to the royal den, no longer feeling up to a walk in the moonlight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
