[PRP] A Brother and Sister moment [Cizoba, Taya]

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba's joints were aching today, thankfully the chills had decided to take a break. So he was stretched out on a warm rock purring in the sunlight. Nothing was better then basking in the sun at this point. Not even playing, as that would tucker him out sooner then usual. All of his friends were occupied anyway. Maybe he'd take a nap. But no he wasn't tired so he settled for watching the hustle and bustle of the pride pass him by.  

[Andranis]

Taya felt a bit more lucky than others. Her cubhood had been problem free, but now that she was a juvenile... Well, it had started with a cough. So far that was as far as she had gotten. But playing proved to agitate it, sending her into coughing fits. So she was relieved to find her brother, Chizoba, not wanting to play as well. The bone-faced juvenile padded over to the rock and lay next to it. "Good day to just relax, isn't it?" Another youth had gotten her into a small game of tag, but the resulting coughing fit left her voice rather scratchy sounding.  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba had also had a very healthy cubhood and only recently begun getting chills and achy joints. When he heard his sister's scratchy voice his nose wrinkled in concern. "You ok Taya?" He shifted to lean against her. Being an overly affectionate lion, one had to expect physical signs of affection.  

[Andranis]

Taya leaned in turn against her brother, closing her fiery-yellow eyes. "Yeah... Somebody wanted to play tag, though, and I ended up coughing. So I gave up." She let out a sigh, opening her eyes. "Sometimes I wish the Goddess of Healing would come cleanse our pride... Get rid of the disease, at least for a while... Maybe just a generation or two, so our numbers can build..." She did worry, of course, that the pride would become once again arrogant, making Pestilence mad at them again. But just a generation or two...  

[ShinyObsessed]

"I don't know, Taya. Don't you think knowing with such surety that life is short makes us appreciate it more? Be happy while living, you're a long time dead, after all. I've tried to jam as much joy and playing as possible into my life so far. Of course I have my share of these basking moments too." He nuzzled his sister.

"I wish I didn't have to watch those I care about get sick, I wish you and Mom and the rest would just naturally be immune. But I don't think it's going to happen, so I'll spend as much time with you all and love you all as much as I can." Chizoba wasn't shy about his feelings at all.  

[Andranis]

"Maybe..." She sighed, crossing one paw over the other. "But it would help the pride... To have a couple generations of relief... Not too long that we FORGET, obviously... Or maybe even two full litters of immune cubs." She shook her head, then smiled at her brother. "The healers would still have plenty of work." She headbutted his shoulder gently. "I think that's what I wanna do in life, Chi, I wanna be a healer... So I can help take care of everybody." She didn't like seeing others suffer, either, and it would be the least likely job to send her into a coughing fit.  

[ShinyObsessed]

"I'm gonna be a nanny. I want to take care of the cubs and give them a good cubhood." Chizoba waved his tail excitedly. "I'm really glad Mom took in all those boys. They're cute." Chizoba had kept his sickness a secret from his family. He didn't want them to worry about him. The cubs had also provided a much needed distraction.  

[Andranis]

Taya smiled, tail flicking. "Yeah, that was nice of her..." She thought a moment, then gently headbutted her brother's shoulder. "I should be the healer for all the cubs you cubsit, Chi! Then we can both make their lives better." Maybe, just maybe, plenty would shake the illness to create more immune lions. More would have a chance at long lives.  

[ShinyObsessed]

"That'd be great! We should do that. Unless of course..." Here he paused and looked at her with a teasing grin, "We wouldn't want you to scare them with that face of yours." He gave a teasing laugh and tossed his little mane naughtily. He wanted to see more smiles and laughs out of his sister. They were wonderful.  

[Andranis]

Her jaw dropped and Taya shoved at her brother. "Chizoba! My face is not THAT bad!" It wasn't like it was a full skull marking or anything. Though she sometimes wondered why she got a face marking like that, when none of her brothers or sisters had it. Why her? Maybe it was to help her blend in with the bones better... Who knew. She half-pounced her brother. "Take it back!" Even though she acted mad... A bit of a smile crept across her face.  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba laughed as Taya pounced on him. Mission successful. His sister was now thinking on other things besides the sickness. Hopefully she could just focus on the good things in life. Like being teased by your older brother. "Noooo hellllp the scary skeleton lady's got meeee!" He flailed weakly and whimpered in "fear". "I'll never take it back! Nevaaaah!"  

[Andranis]

She let out a good-natured huff, then tugged on his ear. "Take it back!" She wasn't going to give up that easy, oh no, not at all! She reached up, pawing at his face. "I'll teash you to call me bone lady!" Taya then climbed on top of her brother, intent on pinning him to the rock. She was going to be queen of the rock now!  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba laughed as she tugged on his ear. "Won't!" He said when she demanded he take it back. Then she moved on to pawing at his face. Chizoba craned his neck around to make it difficult to get to his face. "Stop it you jealous Bone Lady! Just because I'm beautiful doesn't mean you should mess it up!" He tried to playfully bat her off of him.  

[Andranis]

Taya let out a mock-growl at her brother, batting at his face. But his efforts proved to work, and she tumbled off the rock. It was thankfully not that high, and Taya wasn't hurt, instead beginning to laugh boisterously.

And then the laughter turned into a cough. Sitting up, she braced her paws on the ground, face scrunching as her chest heaved and bones seemed to rattle with each expulsion of air. When she finally stopped coughing, she simply sat there, gasping for air, eyes watering.  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba skidded down the rock after her and nuzzled her encouragingly at her coughing. "I'm sorry Taya, are you alright?" He was deeply concerned, he hated seeing his siblings cough. It looked so painful. A small part of him shivered in fear. He didn't look forward to that stage. No sirree. It quite frankly terrified him. But he had to be strong for his family. Especially since it had grown by another whole litter.