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 Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:37 pm
She had been a Geisha for some time now, and yet this was the first time she could truly feel the status and responsibility that came from her new position. Ever since the pride had begun she'd been an entertainer, a consort. Her brother had disapproved, and strongly, but she knew where she belonged, she knew what she loved. And she had her pride. Her position was not a gift, not a handout from her high-ranking brother. Oh no. She had earned it. With guidance from Nyoka in regards to the secret aspects, and her own natural skills, she had risen quickly and independently though the ranks. Even her illegitimate litter of children, an obvious hazard for a consort, had barely slowed her. Instead, it had only given her more reason than ever. Entertainer cubs were slaves. Geisha cubs might have had a better chance. And anyone who doubted her ability as a warrior, well, they'd learned a lesson in those short months.
No, she was suited to this, as Nyoka had determined. Even if her foolish brother did not know better. The dark cheetahess sat with a proud tilt in her chin as she waited at the rendezvous point. She did not bring with her an escort of guards, no. She fought her own battles, and she always had. Besides. The newcomers would be more comfortable if they were greeted with smiles rather than shows of force. And they would be here soon. Shapely black ears pricked forward as she waited in a perfect splash of moonlight, her tail curled delicately around her slender paws. She was a natural beauty, but letting the nature around her help to accentuate her form was never an opportunity missed. And she could do it so very casually as well, it was so simple...
Soon. They would be here soon, in the clearing before the long trek through the tunnels and the wasteland. A privilege it was, to know the way. Though if anyone had tried keeping it from her, she would have spied her way out in a dream or two of her brother. She hated being controlled. Her life. Her choices. Or her claws in your face. Take your pick.
Hearing the soft tread of pawsteps, and seeing the light pastel colors she had been told to look for, the indigo-eyed Geisha's expression relaxed into a warm smile of welcome. A few sweet words would soothe the pair before she had to blindfold them. The way was a privilege to know after all.
The young white hybrid sat beside his mother, but unlike her posture of relaxed and refined poise, he was nervous. Gray ears lay back, though even tucked against his skull it was rather obvious that they had been chewed at one point or another. Or multiple points. Hikari swallowed hard, his mismatched eyes lifting to the beautiful feline beside him yet again before he took another deep breath and straightened once more.
He wished to be just like his mother someday. But his paws were clumsy and his grace was forever falling when he stumbled over insecurity. But mama had asked him if he wished to come with her. He was supposed to help her, he was supposed to make the pair they were bringing home feel more comfortable. How they were doing this, Hikari wasn't sure. But he felt it had something to do with Aiko meeting a mother and a son. Maybe she thought that the strangers would relate to her better if she had her son with her?
Either way, the whole thing made him nervous. And the fur that had been placed over his eyes as they walked through the tunnels certainly hadn't done anything for his nerves... The young hybrid shrank into the silky black fur of his mother's flank as the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. Was this them? Were they here?
((I added her son for RP purposes, but if you dun want him, I can edit him out.))
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:20 pm
 He glanced quickly behind him. No one there. The entire trip Ajani had spent most of his time looking over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. Never before had he felt to paranoid, but he knew that this trip was a bit more dangerous than normal. His attention lingered over to his mother. This was the quietest he had been the entire trip. He knew the quietness must mean that they were finally arriving to their destination.
He looked away from his mother and looked to see where their path was leading. His heart started to beat a little faster. Ahead, Ajani could see a dark colored cheetess and a smaller light colored cheetah cub. He aloud himself a quick smile. This was defiantly not what he was expecting. All day he was thinking anxiously about what their escorts would look like. In his head he imagined them to be brutes who could snap his neck in a instant if he did something wrong.
He looked at the cub and his smile increased. Being the only cub made his life a bit lonely at times. Sometimes he would sneak off and play with other's cubs. Perhaps in this new pride he'll be able to play with the cubs when he wasn't busy working. "Aw mother, they look pretty friendly don't they," he said quietly as he approached their escort.
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:16 pm
With as much on her mind as what had happened over the last few courses of her life, Damevan's head swirled with questions, thoughts, and of course, her son. Quietly, she would steal glances at him to see how he was fairing, and though she walked with her head high in hopes of putting him at ease, she herself was not exactly at ease either. Her expression was mostly hidden beneath the pale colored cloth, but her soft yellow eyes at times betrayed her uneasiness as well.
It wasn't until her son's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she beheld those who were here to welcome them. He was right, they did look friendly. And the cheetah had brought a cub with her as well, as if she knew Damevan's weakness since the birth of her only son. A smile played at her lips as her steps became more relaxed, falling in sync with the tinkling of her jewels. "Yes, they do my son. But smiles or not, they have customs, and remember, we must be obliged to follow without fuss." she said as she took a silent breath to further compose herself.
When they drew close enough, she tenderly dipped her head and offered a smile of her own, especially towards the cub whom seemed to shrink into his mothers fur. "I was not expecting such a pleasant welcome." she said calmly to Aiko, turning her head back to her son as he would join them. Seeing him, so handsome, with his father's eyes, only helped to increase her own smile as her chest swelled with pride at what a strong boy he would be come.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:00 pm
Aiko's smile only warmed as the strangers drew closer. She knew exactly whom to look for, the details had been delightfully specific. Nanashi, of course, did not wish to trust her with this. But he could go stuff his silly empty head into a mudhole somewhere. Nyoka was the female in charge of things like this, and she trusted Aiko. The cheetahess had never known how delightful it could be to have a sister. Perhaps Nyoka might have come herself if it weren't for the cubs she carried, but Aiko was more than pleased to be the guide for these newcomers. Cubs were terribly important after all, and even Nyoka ought to be resting comfortably while the precious little lives relied on her so.
"There is more than one side to a stone," Aiko chuckled when the older stranger, the mother, greeted her. "My name is Aiko. And this little one is my son, Hikari. He has not been beyond our borders yet, I thought he might enjoy the excursion."
Hikari watched the strangers warily. He'd been eager to go with mother when she said they might be going outside. But now that they were here, in the strange and unfamilair place, with strange and unfamilar people, he was less eager. His eyes wide, he stared up at the pair of cheetahs from where he'd pressed into his mother's fur, trying to hide in her dark spots. They didn't seem so scary...
"A...a pleasure to meet you," he scrambled to add when he was introduced, temporarily ungluing himself ever so slightly from his mom to bow his head in greeting. He'd learned how to be polite when he was very little...well. Among other things.
Suffice to say Aiko's cubs were all extremely well...educated... in the ways of the world.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:02 pm
Ajani nodded his head to Aiko and Hikari. He had to hold back a chuckle when the young cheetah spoke nervously. Shyness was a trait that he found adorable in cubs. "My name is Ajani," he said giving them a large grin. At last they were almost at their new home. He did his best to not show his excitement. Perhaps now he will have a chance to forget his love that he left behind. There are, obviously, beautiful cheetahess in the Kuroi'Nera pride, he told himself. Aiko was proof of that. He did his best to not stare at her, but he knew he was developing a little crush on her. When ever he felt himself getting a crush on a cheetahess he would remind himself about the last time he had fallen in love and how that turned out.
"Where do we go from here?" he asked Aiko, making sure he didn't sound too excited. He reminded himself of what his mother had said about following their customs. What ever their customs were, it couldn't be too bad.
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:23 pm
Damevan smiled warmly at Aiko, dipping her head polity. "You speak truth. And your son is quite the handsome young man. It is a pleasure to meet you both. I am Damevan'passie, though you may shorten it to Damevan if you so desire. " she added, gazing down at Hikari with soft yellow eyes. She then turned her head to her son, carefully noting his expressions, having a clue what was going on in his head. She was his mother after all. And while she attempted to smile, she couldn't help but worry, giving note of how she had to tear apart his last relation ship, of which she still blamed herself.
With a sigh she cast it all out of her mind, and in echoing of her son's statement, she glanced expectantly towards the, indeed, beautiful cheetah. Though of course, she knew they wouldn't exactly be shown the way....per say.
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:02 am
At Ajani's question, Aiko's smile merely turned more mysterious. Where did they go indeed. "Oh my dear, I can't simply tell you something like that," she teased softly, her tail curling around her paws as she rose. "Our ways are secrets after all. Your eyes must be covered past this point of the journey." She turned as she spoke, adding a subtle flourish to the motion, so smooth it looked just as natural as it felt by now. Daintily, she scooped up one of the furs that had been laid neatly in the grass beside her, turning back to the pale colored pair with it lifted so they might see.
"I will be your guide, and guard I suppose though I do doubt it will come to such a thing," she added with a laugh. "Only a very small pawful are permitted to know the path. You can take the furs off once we've arrived. Hikari," the cheetah added softly, causing her son to look up at her at the sound of his name, "Will wear the third fur. He is not one of those who have been given permission after all. Do not worry, it is quite safe." And if it were not...then what sort of mother would have brought her little one through it? Of course no mother would. It was just one more touch of softness, one more soothe for the worries, the mistrust.
...maybe they weren't really that scary. He was still glad to be out here with mama though. Hikari tried a small smile when the younger one grinned at him, though it faded when the female added her own name. He was going to forget it, he just knew he'd forget it... so long it was! But it was pretty... so was she for that matter, though any cub's opinion was that their own mother was the most best at any given thing.
But when even his mother cautioned that there might be trouble, Aiko never the type to think that little white lies were good for children, he couldn't help but worry. It was the blindfolds that she had said might cause the problem. She didn't think these strangers would be too happy to wear them... Which was why she wanted him along. He was going to show the new members of their pride that it was safe. Looking up at his name, the cub gulped anyway, still nervous in spite of his childish trust in his mother. The young hybrid was perfectly still as the hood was settled over his head, though he couldn't help the tension he felt as all the world vanished into muffled blackness. "...dark..." he mumbled, then scrunched his shoulders when he felt his mother nuzzle his head through the fur.
"I know love," Aiko crooned at her son, wrapping her tail around him to keep contact against him while she scooped up the second hood. "It is a bit of a walk," she admitted, "But I promise not to let you wander into trees or anything like that."
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:54 pm
'They had to be blinded folded? Did they not trust him and his mother?' He thought. Ajani didn't like the idea of being blindfolded, allowing himself to trust another while he was defenseless. He knew trust ran both way and he felt like Aiko hadn't yet proven herself trustworthy. Beautiful or not, Ajani couldn't allow himself to trust someone so easily. When she told her cub that he also had to be blind folded, Ajani felt slightly more at ease. "I don't want to be blind folded, however I understand it is one of your ways. I want your word that if anything happens that you will protect my mother. She is more important to me than anything." He said with a serious tone in his voice. As gracefully as he could, he went and grabbed the hood. Once he had it, he went and sat down. His sky blue eyes stared at Aiko sternly, something he would normally never do, especially to a female.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:03 pm
Damevan had figured something like this would happen, after all she knew life wasn't just a walk through th Savannah...so to speak. "Of course, I understand...." she said softly. While she too, was a bit on guard at the fact of having to be blind folded, she did her best to try and ease her worry, repeating that they were in safe paws. Or at least she hoped. She quietly watched as the cub was also blind folded, both relieved and feeling that strange new motherly instincts in wanting to sooth his fear of darkness.....of course that wasn't her place. She was not his mother, but she did have a son of her own, and was full ready to help ease him through this journey as well.
But what her son said next caught her off guard, for the thoughts running through her head was that he was more important than she. She could die happily knowing that Ajani was safe, but his words lifted a great deal of worry from her heart and she smiled warmly at him. Her chest filled with pride only a mother could have at his actions, and she too stepped forward to take the hood and await to be let blindly down the path.
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:08 pm
Aiko smiled as she reached to pass the hoods over their eyes, giving the young son a nuzzle as she placed his hood. She had seen the way he looked at her, as most males tended to, and had never been hesitant to use such things to her advantage. "Don't worry sweet one, I won't allow anything unfortunate to befall any of you," she purred in his ear before turning to give the same treatment to his mother. "Every family has their secrets after all. I do not make the rules."
Carefully, once the pair had been hooded, she scooped her own young son up and helped him to get settled comfortably on her back. His claws pressed against her fur, clinging painfully tight, but the pricks were reassurance that he had not fallen.
Purring softly under her breath, she draped her tail over the younger cheetah's back, nudging his mother with a paw. "Come, it is this way."
Hikari was silent save for a nervous squeak when he was picked up. Mama had carried him out, and now she would carry him back. But it was dark and frightening either way. He worried that he clawed her, but she made not a sound nor a twitch to show it if he did...
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:20 pm
Ajani felt embarrassed when Aiko nuzzled him. Only his mother and his old love had ever done that to him. He did his best to stay cool, but it was proving to be a bit difficult. 'Remember Ajani you are here to protect your mother and find a new life in this pride,' he said to himself, hoping that those words would calm him down. When he felt Aiko's tail drape over him he grew even more anxious. He kept close to Aiko, but he made sure that his tail touched his mother's tail. That way he would know that she was near him. As much as he hated to admit it, he was a bit frightened about the rest of the trip to the pride.
"Aiko, I was wondering what your role was in the pride? You must be of some importance if they allow you to know the way to the pride." Ajani said trying to sound calm and relxed. He asked, mostly because he wanted something to distract him from the darkness of the hood. Silently he hoped that they would arrive sooner than later to the pride, so he could take off the hood. Until than, he knew he would have to suffer being temporarily blind.
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:53 am
Damevan took a deep breath as Aiko nudged her and slowly she began to let herself be lead to the place of destination. She too wished the trip would be fast, would be swift, and most importantly, would be safe. At least for her son anyway. At this point she had lost all thoughts of caring for herself.
She had almost assumed the entire trip would be in the still silence, nothing but the faint sound of their paw steps and the heaving of their breaths. But then Ajani spoke, and his voice was like a mothers tongue soothing down her ruffled fur. A faint smile spread across her muzzle. "I too was wondering the same..." she echoed softly, though she had a wild guess that Aiko was of some great importance, just by her heir alone that she held about her. She could only hope the female took no insult to this. Damevan found herself treading on thin ice after the events that barged their way in on her life recently.
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 2:44 pm
Aiko smiled though none of those she was with could see it. Slowly she had shifted her pace until it was much more relaxed and slow than she was usually accustomed to. She'd experimented with the blinding hood and had learned that a slower pace felt safer. All she had left to do was easy a few halfsteps back to walk between them, then she could check them with a paw or brush against her hip if they wandered in the wrong direction.
She giggled when Ajani asked what her role was. It wasn't so much what her role was as it was whom she was related to... but that was how 'families' worked after all. "I am something like an...entertainer really," she began, her smile plain in her voice. "But that isn't why I am allowed to know the way. My elder brother is the leader of the pride. He gave me permission to know."
Sort of. As though Nanashi could keep anything from her if she wished to know. She was a seer, just as powerful if not more so than he was. She knew anything and everything he was doing or had done, all she had to do was put her mind to it... "Besides, I thought it would be nicer if an entertainer or consort did the greeting. Less intimidating than some of the warrior types."
Even if she could take some of them apart...she certainly didn't look it. But then, that was the point.
Hikari trembled, not accustomed to the muffled darkness. Swallowing a whimper, none of the others were crying, he rubbed his face against his mother's back, breathing her scent through the fur that covered his head.
"Uncle Nanashi is the boss," he agreed, then wondered if he ought not to have spoken. Did mama not want them to know he was being carried? He wasn't sure... she hadn't really explained..?
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:30 pm
"I'm glad that you came instead of a fighter." Ajani stated. Earlier he had thought that there would be more of an aggressive consort. It didn't, however calm his nerves. If they were attacked could an entertainer really keep them safe? In his old pride none of the entertainers seemed very strong, though Ajani never gotten into any fights with them either.
"It must be nice being related to the boss. I bet that makes things easier." Ajani started to say, but than he thought about what he said. "I mean- I am not saying that you are lazy or anything. I am sure that you work really hard." He felt his cheeks warm up. His tail curled around his mother's tail, hoping she would notice his embarrassment.
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:49 pm
Damevan listened to their conversation, several thoughts running through her head. One thought at least, was answered by the young Hikari, and that was to who Aiko's elder brother was. She would keep that in mind for further reference.
Once Ajani's tail curled around her's, she immediately curled her tail tighter around his and did her best to brush against his side comfortingly. A small chuckle escaped her lips as a smile of her own began to spread. "I'm sure she is a very hard worker." she echoed, though her mind was more focused on how much longer till they arrived and could begin settling into a normal life again. It wasn't to say she enjoyed the slow, peaceful pace, she just wanted to get settled in and take, what she believed, was a well deserved rest.
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