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 Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:57 am
“She does not need much help, you know. Its not the first time.” Kaanga's voice was light and weak, but No couldn't help but notice it still contained the same simple strength it always had. She had always been such a strange girl. But she was Kidondo's sister, and that alone had been enough to earn her trust long ago. But over the rebellion, and all which came after, the Regent had found that Kaanga had earned much more then familial trust.
They were crowded in the a small den that Kaanga had chosen: not so far from the pride as No's had been, but far enough to avoid any prying eyes. A birth wasn't something No usually took time to observe. Firekin females were notoriously testy, and even the sweet tempered Kaanga could turn quite sour in a bout of maternal rage. But it was a chance to repay a debt started much earlier. Kaanga had been there when No had birthed her first litter- and No had thought it only right that she was there for her old friend when she had hers.
But, with both females crowded in the hastily dug den, No was all but doubled over as she leaned down and made careful, if not worried, observations about Kaanga's health. “Yes, I know.” No muttered, furrowing her brow. “But these things aren't exactly easy, you know. And you're terribly round...”
Kaanga wheezed and flicked one of her ears. “No was much rounder, she thinks.”
No scowled, but couldn't keep a light chuckle from rumbling in her chest. “Well. You haven't seen yourself. Besides, I think Mpaji and Kidondo would have been quite cross with me.”
The princess smiled, and turned her head to observe herself. “...mm. She supposes it is hard to see this way. But, don't worry. It will be alright. Hurt much, but. That's the way it goes.”
No frowned, and flattened her ears. There was something very very terrifying about babies. She could lead an army, face down a king- but nothing on earth scared her more then something was supposedly quite natural.
“Don't frown so much.” Kaanga smiled. “You'll make the babies have angry faces.”
No laughed softly, and did her best to form a smile. She had a feeling it was about to be a very long night.
------
And just like any other battle, it eventually had its ending. Despite not having had a single cub, No found herself leaning up against the den wall in exhaustion. Ten cubs! She had thought nine was a crime against nature, but this...! For what it was worth though, Kaanga was beaming.
She shifted, nudging aside her ten perfect cubs. "Look, all ten here and fine!" Kaanga sighed. "...so different from my boys...She won't lose these ones."
No frowned, looking over the children. It was true- there were many. But... as she had feared, quite a few of them were huria. She supposed it was to be expected, and surely Kaanga had thought about it... But No didn't exactly want to be the one to bring up the obvious. "But, you know the ones-"
Kaanga flicked her ear, and crossed her paws. "Nothing is wrong with them. They look just like their father. She won't lose them. Even when they go... this time, I will not lose my children." Her golden eyes glinted with spark. "Different this time. Mpaji is different, and so am I."
No smiled. "Well, then we'll make sure of it. I am their aunt, after all."
One of the small cubs mewed, and Kaanga quieted it. "Its okay. I do not worry for them. I've spoken to them already. Each one."
“Ah?” No said, her ears flattening. Kaanga always had a strange way about her. No patronized her to some extent- but on occasion, there was genuine mysticism about her. “What did they say?”
“They whisper, sometimes. I think- here, I will tell you their fortunes and their names they've told me! Would you like to know?” She said, grinning to her cubs and their very confused aunt.
"Well, if you think you are up to it, but-"
"Nonsense. Listen! She has been thinking of this very hard! You see..."
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:00 pm
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NOTE!: As a little bit of lawls, for this birthing I'm having Kaanga predict a “fortune” about each cubs. However- Kaanga's seer powers aren't exactly accurate, or reliable. Therefore, she may have gotten some of the fortunes mixed up! Take them with a grain of salt, they do not need to come true, although you are certainly welcome to do whatever you'd like with them. We just thought it would be cute~
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THE FORTUNES!
Below, are twenty possible fortunes for each of the ten cubs. In the event of a double roll [which I'm sure there will be], the cub will receive the next open fortune going down, and so forth.
So lets go to crazy land!
And again, remember. These are just for fun~ Please, feel free to assume Kaanga got it wrong! [Maybe she got them confused with another sibling!] Quote: 1. "This one will have a very long life. But they will use their claws instead of their words, because they are afraid they won't be taken seriously."
2. "This one will have many friends! But, for every friend they'll also have an enemy... and they'll have a hard time telling them apart due to their generous heart."
3. "This one will dream of adventures! But, it will take them some time to go out and have their own."
4. “This one will be a great leader, but they will constantly fear the simplest of things.”
5. “This one will prefer to be alone then be with others. But they will have many many children, who love them dearly.”
6. “This one will take a great interest in study! They'll make a great discovery which will aid their pride- but shrink away from the fame it causes them.”
7. “This one will be very very lucky. But, they'll constantly be in trouble.”
8. “This one will get in many fights and become a great warrior of the pride. They will be noble and true, but have many regrets.”
9. “This one will fall in love young and spend their entire life trying to get into the other's good graces.”
10. "This one will find that very strange things happen around them. This would scare most people- but instead, it gives them the open mindedness to solve many bizarre mysteries."
11. "This one will never look to be in the spotlight, often helping others in spite of themselves. But they will be known as reliable, and as a result, everyone will trust them with their secrets."
12. "This one will be very wise beyond their years. They'll find others hard to relate to- but they'll work hard to love those around them."
13. "This one will be an excellent hunter, and will take down game other lions wouldn't dream. But their skills will make them famous when they save a cub lost in the wilds."
14. "This one will have very bad luck! It will even seem to rub off on others. People will think they're a coward- but they'll find a way to show everyone they're brave."
15. "This one will seek danger and make their mother grow gray hairs. No one will be able to doubt their bravery- but, the thought of love will terrify them."
16. "This one will be a great traveler. They'll go places where other lions feared impossible. When they finally settle down, they'll use their vast knowledge to tell some of the greatest stories ever told."
17. "This one won't want to have adventures or great things happen to them. The only thing they'll want is to have a family- but unfortunately, they'll always find a way to stumble into problems that need solving."
18. "This one will be a bit eccentric. Others will think they're strange, but it won't matter to them. Their memory will come in handy someday and earn the respect of those around them."
19. "This one will be very foolish and hurt themselves doing a stunt. But because of their injury, they will learn what it is like to hurt and become a great healer."
20. "This one will dream of love. It will be all they think about, but none of their attempts will ever feel real. It will only be until much later in their life that they find the true love they were searching for."
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
13!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:11 pm
 "This is An..."
"This one will be an excellent hunter, and will take down game other lions wouldn't dream. But their skills will make them famous when they save a cub lost in the wilds."
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
16!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:33 pm
"This is Moto'Seide..."
"This one will be a great traveler. They'll go places where other lions feared impossible. When they finally settle down, they'll use their vast knowledge to tell some of the greatest stories ever told."
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
9!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:38 pm
"This is Vutha..."
“This one will fall in love young and spend their entire life trying to get into the other's good graces.”
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
19!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:42 pm
"This is Calixte..." "This one will be very foolish and hurt themselves doing a stunt. But because of their injury, they will learn what it is like to hurt and become a great healer."
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
7!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:45 pm
 "This is Shula..."
“This one will be very very lucky. But, they'll constantly be in trouble.”
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
1!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:48 pm
 "This is Gepeto..." "This one will have a very long life. But they will use their claws instead of their words, because they are afraid they won't be taken seriously."
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
9!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:51 pm
 "This is Shunqa..."
"This one will find that very strange things happen around them. This would scare most people- but instead, it gives them the open mindedness to solve many bizarre mysteries."**
[Double roll: fortune 10 is used.]
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
13!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:54 pm
 "This is Fariwuta..."
"This one will have very bad luck! It will even seem to rub off on others. People will think they're a coward- but they'll find a way to show everyone they're brave."**[Double Roll: 14 used.]
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
19!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:58 pm
"This is Keegan..."
"This one will dream of love. It will be all they think about, but none of their attempts will ever feel real. It will only be until much later in their life that they find the true love they were searching for."
[Double roll: 20 used.]
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Mimsey generated a random number between
1 and 20 ...
19!
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:30 pm
"This is Bahati..."
"This one will have many friends! But, for every friend they'll also have an enemy... and they'll have a hard time telling them apart due to their generous heart."
[Double-Double-Double Roll: Went to fortune 2]
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:40 pm
And after some time, they were ready to go home.
“Come! Come!” Kaanga said, gently leading the small army of cubs. No had tried very hard to enforce her 'stay in the straight line' law, but that had quickly fallen apart for a more erratic, and very Kaanga, approach to managing her cubs. It would be their first time out of the den- their first time in the Motoujamii!
And their first time seeing daddy.
Kaanga was half skipping. Being separated from Mpaji had been a most bitter affair- but luckily, No had been most obliging shipping updates back and forth between them. She wasn't afraid. Not this time. Her heart still ached from her missing boys, but it had been reinforced by ten little cubs. She would not forget her sons. They would not stop hurting. But... she was proud. For the first time she was very very proud. She knew Mpaji would love them. She just hoped he was ready for how many of them!
“She wishes you had told Mpaji about...how many...there are.” Kaanga laughed softly, looking over and nudging one of the children to keep walking in the right direction.
“Oh! I think some things are worth the surprise, aren't they?” No smirked, allowing herself a little wicked cackle in her mind. And then just as impulsively, she counted, and recounted Kaanga's cubs. “They should really be in a line...” She mumbled to herself.
Kaanga laughed. “A line! No, no. She thinks not.”
One of the cubs, a particularly bold looking one named An, took the sign to leap into the air. “Line! Bah! Where is daddy?”
No shook her head. “You'll let them walk all over you.”
Kaanga nudged An out of the way. “Oh, she thinks that is likely!”
She might not have agreed, but No smiled. “Well, I guess its a futile effort anyways.”
But by the end of the walk, they were both quite thankful they had not gone so far away. It didn't take long at all to reach the spot where No had asked Mpaji to meet them.
"Mpaji!" Kaanga half shrieked, and took off down the dunes. "Look! Look at our babies!" She smiled, skipping her way down until she was in leaping range. Then, she leaped, and plowed straight into him. Wrapping her paws haphazardly around his mane, she squirmed and attempted to simultaneously strangle him with love and watch her cubs come down the slope. "There are...many many of them! Sorry, she tried, but she wanted too many and she couldn't say no..."
An grinned, and stumbled down with her brothers and sisters. "Daddy! Daddy!"
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Feel free to post! <333 Assume the cubs are about toddler stage!~
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:43 pm
Shula dawdled near the end of their little troupe, distracted from their trek by various "treasures." A funny coloured rock here, a bit of dried hide there. It was certainly much more interesting than the inside of the den and the young lioness was eager to explore every bit of it. Every so often she would look up to make sure she wasn't straying too far, even though she knew her mother would not leave her behind. Nor would No, for that matter, but it was best to keep up. They were, after all, going to meet her father for the- ooh look a bone!
Kaanga's cry nearly made her jump out of her skin, looking up almost as though she expected vultures to drop in from the sky. What? They were there already? No fair! Scrambling to grab the little bone piece she had found, Shula raced after her brothers and sisters, ears pressed flat against her head as she ran. She would not be left behind!
"Daaaaaaaadee rook hwot I fnnnd!" The cub said around the bone in her mouth. She hoped he would be proud.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:29 pm
Calixte trailed along, last in line behind all of his siblings. It wasn't that he was smaller or slower than the others, or that he felt crowded within the large group; rather, it was that he wanted to be able to watch over them all. Just as No was attempting to point out, the light huria boy thought that everything would have been better if they all walked in a straight line. More order meant less chances of one of his siblings wandering off.
Yet when his dark aunt spoke that it was most likely a futile effort, Cal took it as a sign that he was free from his duties. He grinned and bounced forward, passing some of his fellow littermates. He was going to continue on when he suddenly heard his mother shriek. Eyes widened and fur stood on end as he nearly stumbled to a halt, glancing about wildly for any signs of danger. But his body relaxed as he noticed that her cry had been in joy, not in fear.
Kaanga mentioned them all as 'our babies' to this new figure, so the young cub could only assume this was their father. Slightly intimidated, he hung back, but looked up expectantly at the adults. He would sit and wait for permission, instead of rushing forward and causing ever more chaos.
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