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 Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:12 pm
Nyota sat in the corner of her home, watching the entrance carefully. Her mother and father we off attending to their duties leaving the cubs to play amongst themselves. But of course things weren't as simple as it seemed. Maua, knowing her one daughters tendencies for running off to the groundlings area or even out of the prides lands completely made sure that a guard was nearby to catch Nyota in the act. Well that wouldn't stop Nyota from trying to leave, she just needed to work things out first.
Her tail flicked back and forth as she watched the entrance for the tell tale shadow of the guard passing by. Each flick of the tail measured out the time between the shadow coming up, stopping at the entrance and walking away. By now she was sure she had his patrolling schedule down pat so it was only a matter of sneaking out without her sisters stopping her now. Nyota glanced over at her siblings, most of them were taking an afternoon nap right now. Good, that will make things easier for her.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:31 pm
"Nyota," she said softly to draw her sister's attention. Her clear, wine-colored eyes were curious, but she was frowning. "What do you think you're going to do?"
Gali enjoyed being with other people. They fascinated her with all of their facets of personality and emotion. Gali tried to be with her parents as much as possible so she could observe others. She was actually pretty good at it already, but she figured practice could only help. Nyota seemed to spend most of her time running away to the commoners. Gali couldn't blame her. The more she learned about some of the other nobles... well, she didn't know. She was too young to worry, but something about their actions always worried her.
"If you get caught Mother will be livid." Gali's tail began flicking in time with Nyota's, almost subconsciously. "And you know she'll force you back here as soon as she finds out. You're too predictable about where you go."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:59 pm
Nyota's eyes slowly turned from the entrance to her sister. "I don't know. I'm still working that out." She said as she took a quick look back at the entrance. This nuisance of having extra guards to deal with wouldn't stop Nyota from at least trying to get out and have some fun. And if she failed well then that would give her more of a reason to try again later or tomorrow depending on the guard and how badly her mother yelled at her.
Returning her gaze to Gali she smiled. "Let mother get mad. Why do you think I do these things? To gain her approval?" She let out a small laugh. "She can yell at me as many times as she wants, it won't make me stop." In fact the more Maua yelled, the more Nyota rebelled against her. To Maua's thinking Nyota was the epitome of nobles but how much purple she had on her and as such should act accordingly. Well Nyota didn't see that and found life outside the nobles to be much more satisfying. "I'm not that predictable...am I?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:57 am
"You always end up with the lower class, even if you don't start there. She knows where to look. Didn't you figure that out already?" Gali moved over to sit beside her sister and watched the guard's shadow pass by the entrance again. "What's so special about the commoners anyway? You seem to like them." Well... "Unless you're doing it all just to get a reaction out of Mother."
That was entirely possible, but not very likely. If she didn't like doing it, Nyota would have found another way to upset their mother. Maua had an easily roused temper, and Nyota knew all the right buttons to push. Gali preferred to stay off her mother's bad side as often as possible, which was why she stayed quiet on the days that Maua took her along. Not that those were often. Gali spent more time with her father, really, or at the den if she couldn't encourage her parents to take her out. That she knew her siblings as well as she did was testament to how little they all got out more than her budding observational skills.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 4:26 pm
Nyota smiled at her sister. Of course she knew that her pattern of escape was darn right predictable, but that didn't matter, there was no other place to go in the pride that held that same allure as the commoners and groundlings areas did. "I know that. But mother hates going down there to get me, so whether I go there right away or stop someplace else first I know she will hesitate in coming to get me." It was still too early after the guard passed to slip out so Nyota turned to look at Gali.
"As for what's so special about them, it's hard to explain. Down there I feel free, they don't have so many rules to follow and aren't forced to always act proper. It's so thrilling to just experience their life every now and then." Her eyes moved to the den entrance once more and then returned to her sister, smirk crossing her maw. "Plus I do it to irritate mother. She thinks that I should be a perfect noble just because of my hide, but I tell you sis it's a curse this purple. Some days I wish I had been born without it." Then she would be free to do whatever she wanted because Maua would want nothing to do with her.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 6:52 am
Gali flicked her eyes up as the guard passed by the entrance again, aware now that her own tail had gone still. She had lost the beat Nyota had started.
Gali looked back to her sister and shook her head slightly. "Don't say that. Our purple is a gift. Everyone knows that, even Papa. Mother just wants us to be the best nobles we can, and you happen to get most of her attention. You do have the most purple of all of us."
The less-purple female smiled very slightly, despite how serious the topic was. "If Mother doesn't want to get you she should just send Papa after you. Papa still takes us down to see the lower classes sometimes and he doesn't mind us talking to them."
It was a strange double standard Gali was growing up with. She tried to puzzle it out every time the lower class came in to conversation between her parents, but almost everything they said on the matter contradicted each other. Gali's time with the middle and lower class were limited. She had never so much as seen a groundling, she was sure. Her observations had to come secondhand, and she was finding that rather... useless. Firsthand experience seemed to give her the best perspective on any issue.
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:34 am
Letting out a small huff Nyota looked at her sister. "It may seem like a gift to you but it's not. If you didn't want to follow in our parents footsteps then perhaps you would understand. All I want is freedom, and this," she motioned to her purple hide, "prevents me from every obtaining that in this pride." No, it was far from a gift. If only she had a little bit of purple like her siblings did she might have a better chance at the freedom she longer for, then mothers attentions and obsession would be switched to another of her siblings, one who would likely enjoy the ideas of becoming a noble better.
"You know why she doesn't send father down to get me? Because she doesn't want him down there either, father respects the commoners and if he were to be sent to fetch me it would take too long to fulfill that duty." Nyota gave her head a shake. "No, she comes to get me because she hopes to show me the proper way to treat them. It's not fair, just because they have no purple on them doesn't mean they don't deserve to be treated fairly." It was obvious that some of their fathers wisdom had rubbed off on the cub, as well as from her own personal interactions with the lower classes she knew there wasn't much different between them and the nobles. Well no that wasn't true either, the nobles were so uptight, where as the commoners were more relaxed and welcoming. That was where Nyota truly felt at home, not here in the mountain where everything had to be perfect every moment of the day.
"Don't let her tell you whats right and what's wrong. You have to decide that for yourself Gali. Promise me you will give others a chance, make your own decisions about them." Nyota gave her sister a stern look, right now they got along fairly well but she didn't want Gali to be added to the very long list of lions who disliked Nyota for the way she acted towards the lower classes.
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:47 am
Gali stared at her sister, absorbing the vehemence behind her words. Nyota was so passionate about this, and Gali couldn't help but feel there was more to it than just rebelling against Maua now.
"All right. I promise." She hadn't really considered that aspect of the rank-lines before. She spent more out-of-den time with her father than her mother, but he didn't usually bring them down to the commoners. Nyota's opinions of why Maua went to get her suddenly opened doors for Gali, fitting other broken observations of her parents into place. Things that had been confusing before now made sense, but that just made Gali more confused. Her parents views were so opposite. What was the right way to think? She knew she had to be polite, because both of her parents insisted on that. The few times her father had brought her to the lower classes she hadn't really had much opportunity to interact with them; mostly she followed him and observed how he behaved with them. She didn't think she had been rude, or judgmental of them, but had she? Nyota seemed to think she was prone to it.
At least her sister's argument made sense, and that was what helped settle Gali's mind on the promise she had given her sister. Give others a chance to prove themselves, no matter who they were. That would work regardless of their ranks or her parents' views of them. It would help Gali understand lions better, too, the way she did when they didn't know she was observing them. It was easier to understand them when they didn't know she was there.
"You know, you don't give the other nobles a chance either," Gali pointed out, realizing the hypocrisy in her sister's statement. "You spend so much time running to the commoners that you never give the other nobles a chance. What about them? They can't all be... like Mother." Well, Gali was hoping anyway. Her experiences everywhere were so limited; it was frustrating. She had to try to glean more information from her brief forays into the world than she thought was possible.
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:22 am
Nyota lowered herself to lay down, she had an odd feeling that she would not be escaping anytime soon. Yes the purple cub was okay with this since her and Gali were having a decent conversation about things and having an open minded sibling was something Nyota always hoped for. And the fact that Gali had promised to give everyone in a chance made Nyota quite happy, most of her other siblings would never even consider such a thing.
Ears perked forward, what about the other Nobles? Technically she had given them a chance, just not as big as she likely could have. Thing was that Nyota wanted nothing to do with the Nobles simply because of Maua's want for her daughter to be just like them. No giving the other Nobles too much of a chance was just feeding into Maua's dreams and Nyota would not allow that. "I have given them a chance, though I will admit I didn't give them much. Remember Gali, mother wants me to be the perfect Noble, so if she sees me out amongst the Nobles she will have won." Stretching her paws out Nyota glanced out of the cave for a moment and then returned her attention back to her sister. "They aren't all like mother, but a lot of them are. I may spend my time with the commoners but I have also spent enough time sneaking through the Noble's area to know a thing or two. What Nobles care about most of all is themselves. Making themselves look better, doing everything for themselves and nothing else."
That was one of the things she hated most about the Nobles, they were selfish. "If they could spend time taking care of those below them, then maybe the pride wouldn't be so divided." The chance of that ever happening was pretty slim, but Nyota could hope.
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:28 am
Gali couldn't argue with her sister's assessment of the nobles at large, but she was still hoping somewhere deep down that not all of them were as hopeless as Nyota thought.
"We're nobles," she pointed out quietly. "Even if we are just cubs. You even said that father doesn't act like the others, and neither do you." Gali wasn't sure if she could include herself in that small group yet; she was still rolling around the idea that she may inadvertently have judged someone when her father took them to meet the commoners. "You don't just care about yourself." Gali didn't think she did either, but there was that nagging doubt Nyota had placed in her head again.
She reached up and rubbed her paw over her ear. "Are you really going to let Mother dictate what you do?" She paused, then added, "The pride isn't just divided because of color. I think it's who lions are too."
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:53 am
Nyota huffed a bit, she cared, just didn't show it well was all. "That's right, father doesn't act like a lot of them, it's why I prefer father over mother, he is more open to others and ideas that don't constrict the Nobles into being who they are." If only mother could be a little more open, or at least ease up the pressure a bit then perhaps Nyota wouldn't have to rebel so much and so often. She did want to stay around and play with her siblings sometimes but the thought of her mother barging in and depending her to be paraded about the nobles like the future prospect was enough to keep her sneaking off.
"Of course not." In fact Nyota didn't think mother was dictating her life right now anyways. "She can't control me forever you know. One day.." She began and got a very serious look on her face. "one day I will live amongst the commoners, or perhaps even the rogues, because that is what I want, I promise you that." It was a bold statement indeed but Nyota always felt more at peace and free in those areas so why not make it a goal in life to live amongst them permanently. Just imagine the freedom it would grant her, and out there in the rogue lands purple coats were no better than any other color, everyone was equal.
"Perhaps your right Gali, but having a purple coat does dictate a certain was of thinking in this pride, and those that don't conform to that way of thinking are not welcome among the nobles. Father is allowed to like the commoners because he always respects and treats the nobles fairly."
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:00 pm
Gali shook her head and laid out as her sister had done. She folded her legs under her and looked at her sister again, frowning and just as serious. She really didn't want to argue with her sister any further, and that was what this was becoming. Until Gali had more information, she wouldn't broach the subject with Nyota this way again. The thought of Nyota taking off and living with rogues upset her a bit though.
"Will you promise me you won't run off with rogues until you're a lot bigger?" Gali asked. She and her sister got along pretty well; the thought of any of her siblings leaving, even Pur'Jed, bothered Gali. "Until you can hunt for yourself?" Who would take care of her out there? From what Gali had gathered, no one helped you if you didn't have a pride.
The guard's shadow passed by again and Gali glanced at the entrance of the cave. At least out there there weren't any guards to stop you... but there weren't any guards to protect you either.
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:26 pm
Nyota watched as the guard moved past the dens entrance again and sighed shaking her head, she was never going to get out of here today. Turning her gaze back to Gali Nyota smiled at her sister. "I promise, I won't live out with the rogues until I am old enough to fend for myself." Which she knew was quite some time off, but that would give her plenty of time to learn things from the groundlings and other lower classes of the pride. Of course she would still venture out into the rogue lands every now and then, especially to meet her newest friend Tamu, but there would be nothing permanent until she is older.
"So what are you going to do?" Nyota asked, and then realizing the question was a big vague clarified. "In the pride I mean, when your older?" Sure they were all technically nobles, but nobles could follow others paths just like how their aunt had decided to be a nurse.
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:53 pm
"Oh." Gali scrunched her nose slightly, looking unhappy. What a strange question for Nyota to ask her. "I don't know yet. You know Mother doesn't talk about other things for lions to do in the pride, and Dad hasn't said anything either. We're nobles. Mother thinks we don't have to do much more than that."
Obviously, there were other things to do, but what was a cub to do with no guidance from her parents? All Gali knew was that if sitting around the den all day was a job, then she wanted another one. She was tired of being trapped in; all of her siblings were, she was sure, but if this was what nobles did all day then maybe she would start looking for something else to do. Something that she could do and still be a noble. She wasn't sure what that meant, but it just wasn't in her personality to sit around and do nothing.
Gali fell silent, thinking about what she knew so far, and found that it wasn't very much. That was unfortunate. How was she supposed to make good choices if she didn't know things?
"Maybe I'll ask tonight, if Dad comes back before Mother does," Gali decided aloud. The guard's shadow passed across the entrance again, and she glanced at her sister. "You're going to miss your chance soon. I could distract him for you."
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:24 am
Nyota scoffed a bit. Of course mother didn't think they needed to do anything except be nobles. The whole idea of being tied into a single rank your entire life just because you were born into it was absurd. Some of the lower classes were able to choose what ranks they would take on as adults even if it wasn't what their parents did. Nyota wished she could do such a thing, but outside of leaving the pride there was really no way of that happening with Maua breathing down her neck constantly.
"Best talk to dad about it anyways. He can explain things to you that mother would never speak of." Like how the groundlings were all that bad and lower classes were important because they did the hunting, and crafted items that the nobles sometimes wore. "I think he would be happy even if some of us didn't follow the life of the nobles."
Ears perked up and a smile stretched across her entire maw. "Really? You would do that for me?" Suddenly Gali was her favorite sibling. "Okay, but be careful." She got to her paws, glanced towards the entrance of the cave and then back to Gali. "I owe you one." And then she nodded that she was ready for whatever distraction Gali was planning.
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