[ORP] To the lake!

[Basil Brett]

The lioness was a yellow blur as she streaked toward the water's edge. Without hesitation, she threw herself into the water, giggling like a cub. Anyone who didn't know Haja could easily think she had lost her mind. Those who did know her, however, knew she had an unusual love of water and was both a skilled swimmer and fisher.

Even as a cub, she would go stamping around in puddles. Her grandfather had taught her how to swim when she was really young. She looked back fondly on the times that he would shove her into the deep parts of the river. She would hold onto a vine or a branch with her teeth as she strengthened her legs.

It became her really good quality. She was proud of her swimming and fishing skills. When she wasn't snooping around trying to find out secrets and the latest gossip, it was her greatest joy to be in the water.

It had made perfect sense then that she had been paired with Maboya, a fish eagle. She had thought him quiet and stuffy at first, with a weird sense of humor. As she grew, however, her fondness grew too. Even Maboya seemed to be happier near the water. Even now he flew about gleefully, dipping the tips of his wings into the clear water.

They would concentrate on fishing in a bit. For now, it was all about fun.  

[Cajanic]

Second day back.

Aberforth was starting, slowly like the crawl of a child, to feel more at ease in the place he had once known as his only home. Ever since the earthquake he had been absent from the lands, and it was becoming increasingly clear that much had been altered while he was away. But he hadn’t been able to find out much, his embarrassment over what had happened coupled with his crippling fear of speaking to others making it a subject just too awkward for him to address. If anything really major had happened, Uchungu would soon hear of it. For the pink vulture the art of conversation was much more natural- much simpler than it was for him. By the time he struggled through introductions with another, she would have already learned the other’s name and engaged herself in an exuberant conversation with her partner. So she would have already found out what had happened in the pride. The fact that she hadn’t told him anything suggested that maybe things weren’t as different as he thought.

Then again, the lions did seem more down than usual. It was entirely possible that Uchungu had not said anything to him on the basis that the information would upset him.

At the moment, Uchungu was not with the young, frightened lion, but off gathering food for herself. Or so she had claimed. Now Aberforth was wondering if she wasn’t really gathering more information. Sneaky bird.

Blinking, Aberforth found himself suddenly watching a lioness splash about in the water, though her calculated, moves proved right away that she wasn’t drowning. Just… playing, it seemed. Frowning, Aberforth tilted his head to one side, wondering if he shouldn’t leave be she noticed him staring at her. Something about her color was familiar to him, but once again he couldn’t pin-point a name in his mind. “H-hello there,” he clumsily called.
 

[Sasu Cherry]

Hisia, happy to find shelter in a tree near the lake, was watching the yellow lioness as she dived towards the water. A smile was on her face while her eyes were glimmering with amusement. She needed to get away, even though her belly was still large. She was still pregnant, and was expecting the cubs to come any day now. Yet they didn't stop her from enjoying herself, and she was truly excited that members lost from the earthquake were returning.

Teal gaze wandering curiously over the lands around the lake, she spotted the white figure of Aberforth. He looked virtually lost, or rather nervous, scared. Worry tinged her expression, and the lioness found herself wobbling over to the male, despite the fact she shouldn't be moving since she was so close to birthing.

"Are you okay, Aberforth?" She called. Already guessing he might be nervous because this was his second day back, her gaze turned towards the lioness splashing about in the water. "Hey Haja!" Hisia called once more, trying to put a smile on her face while worry sparked in her teal eyes.

((I'll be rping her pregnant still, in this RP. XD! ))  

[Basil Brett]

Haja's cub-like splendor was broken suddenly by the sound of voices. She stopped and glanced at the shore, wide-eyed. She spotted Hisia resting beneath a tree, her belly a reminder of the arrival of a new generation. Nearby was a lion she hadn't seen in a while. And it seemed that he didn't recognize her.

Slightly sad to be leaving the water, she swam toward shore to greet the others. Her wild yellow pelt disheveled and dripping wet, she shook and shot a sheepish grin at the others.

"Hey Hisia!!" she greeted as she trotted over.
"How ya feeling today?"

She turned her attention to the lion who continued to look at her with an odd stare.
"Heya Aberforth, are you okay?"

She didn't know the lion too well, but it seemed odd that he suddenly wouldn't recognize her. Haja had been with the pride ever since she was little and was at least familiar with just about everyone in the pride.  

[Cajanic]

Yelping, Aberforth felt his spine try to leap from his back, body arching while head snapped in the direction of what was supposed to be a normal, friendly greeting. He just hadn’t been expecting it. Seeing that it was Hisia and not someone to be worried about, Aberforth let himself relax, a sad sort of smile, crippled by the onset of acute humiliation, dancing slowly over his face.

“Yes,” he offered, “should you be moving around? You look ready to pop at any moment,” he commented in a friendly attempt at conversation, “sit down. Is there anything I can get for you?” While he didn’t know much about being polite or making small talk, he at least knew that he needed to be nice to ladies and help them should they need it.

Eyes moving back over to the lake for a moment, Aberforth saw that the yellow female was heading their way. Oh God. And he still hadn’t managed to remember her name! Maybe he had never met her before. Though, by way of greeting he saw that wasn’t the case. “Yes!” he all but barked out, body straightening, “I’m alright. I just… I’m having trouble remembering your name. I mean… uh… well… have we met before?”

It was such an awkward thing to ask and he felt like a right fool for having to do it.

 

[Sasu Cherry]

Hisia couldn't resist a playful grin while the yellow lioness abounded near shore. She flicked her tail in greeting towards Haja, her grin changing into a friendly smile. "I'm wonderful," despite the fact she was bound to pop soon, she wasn't really worried. The images of cubs still crossed her mind a lot. Questions happened to plaque her mind constantly- as she grew bigger, she started also worrying for the cubs fate. Often worrying of their place in the pride, she hoped they wouldn't be pushed away too much. The last thing she wanted was for her cubs to feel blamed for, for who their father was, for what had happened.

"And yourself?" and with the arrival of the next generation Hisia also dozed off quiet often. She was lost in her thoughts most of the pregnancy, anger still easily seen flashing in her eyes whenever someone even hinted the slightest hint of Msiba or the interlopers. The scars that adorned her pelt was also another reminder of her fight with Mchawi- the death of Samahani, she often felt grief over what had happened to her bonded.

Surprised towards Aberforth's offers, she shook her head. "Oh- no, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Though his second offer seemed right, and the creamy lioness sat down. "Oh-" She stopped herself, Hisia's eyes gliding to look towards the white male's eyes then Haja's. She had come close to explaining that Aberforth had lost his memory during the earthquake after a rock hit his head. Though, sometimes, she knew others had to face their fears and nervousness even though they didn't want too.

She had too, and her teal eyes fell down to her stomach once more.  

[Basil Brett]

Haja's blue-green eyes blinked with surprise at Aberforth's words. Strange... Granted, the two didn't know each other that well, but she was a bit startled that he didn't remember her name. Perhaps something had happened with the quake to shake the lion's memory? Or maybe he did just forget?

Either way, Haja didn't let it get to her. She grinned warmly at him.
"It's Haja!"

She shot a glance out at Maboya who was still gliding over the water, pointedly ignoring the fact that Haja was no longer there. The lioness rolled her eyes and continued speaking to Aberforth, though she spoke loudly and bluntly, her voice trailing across the water to the fish eagle.

"And that unsocial bum over there is Maboya," she concluded with another glance out over the lake. A few moments later, a large brown blur plopped onto her shoulder.

"Good to see you again, Aberforth," Maboya said conversationally.

Haja rolled her eyes again but smiled, turning to Hisia.
"I'm glad to see you're doing well! I look forward to meeting the cubs!"  

[Cajanic]

“Hello Haja,” said the male softly, “and Maboya. It’s… it’s nice to see you both well. I hope I didn’t interrupt you. You looked like you were having a lot of fun in the water.” He smiled at that. It was nice to see at least one lioness in good spirits. So often he had come across pride members that were upset that he was starting to think pleasure was an impossibility within the pride. She proved that this was not the case. Not completely, anyway.

Looking at Hisia, Aberforth continued to smile. He was glad to find that seeing them both did not strike complete terror inside of him. It was more a momentary stunning blow to his mind over anything else. Passing fear.

He did not, however, have enough courage to bring up what had happened to him. Now it seemed out of context to mention it, and there was really no need to burden the mood of the yellow lioness with what had happened to him during the earthquake. The mood was light- why spoil it?

A part of him, the young aspect of his soul that had never melted as he grew into adult-hood, wanted to play in the water as well. He wanted to romp about and act like a dork. Was that weird?

She was doing. He couldn’t see why it would be any different for a male lion to do the same kind of thing.

“Do you… do you want to play in the water with me, Haja?” he asked after a moment, all but dancing on his feet thanks to his nervous shifting. “You can come to,” he extended the offer to Hisia, “I promise I won’t do anything to upset the babies inside of you… I mean… if you want to.” Abruptly embarrassed, the male looked down, sighing softly. He was being an idiot.

Again.
 

[Sasu Berry]

Hisia wouldn't have minded romping around in the water like a total dork. Despite being pregnant she grinned playfully and threw herself into the water like a cub seeing the water for the first time. And it could be the case, too, because she realized that this might be the last time she would enjoy talking to friends again for a while. Her cubs were coming soon, she knew it.

"Thanks, Haja! I'll be expecting them any day now." her paws danced in the water, a permanent smile plastered on her face as her eyes lit with excitement.

Aberforth had caught her a little late with the offer. She did hear him offer before she went racing into the water, and her ears twitched in his direction as she turned to look at him with a smile. She wasn't as hostile as before, but she did understand him still be cautious of her.

"I think the cubs inside me are quite happy. They seem to enjoy the feel of water too," a chuckle left her throat as she pawed at the water, looking at Haja and Aberforth.

She was defiantly enjoying this.