[PRP] The One (Isifo, Azora)

[Annchen]

Isifo'intombi was small and runty, but she had a very big voice. Apart from her size she seemed healthy enough, and so far she had not shown any signs of distemper or disease. Unfortunately for her surroundings she had also mastered the art of running and shouting at the same time. It came in very handy at times like this when she was really excited.

"Cousin," Isifo called, "Cousin! COUSIN! AZORA?"

Heads were turning, and she realized she might have more success if she specified which cousin she was looking for. Technically they weren't cousins by blood, but family worked in mysterious ways in this pride. The person she considered to be her grandfather was a hyena, and she was blessed with a very large and diverse family. Her aunts and uncles didn't all share the same blood, but nevertheless they were all family.

Talencia

emotion_awesome Backdated to adol for Azora perhaps? I changed it up to make Isifo slightly older too...

 

[Talencia]

Azora was having an in-between day. She didn't feel too terribly bad, but she felt creaky enough that all she wanted to do was lay on one of the many large, flat rocks scattered about the dens. She made a mental note that when she got her own den, it needed one of these rocks nearby. Soon, that would be soon! The idea of being an adult thrilled her delightfully. She'd been faithfully learning the ways of the apothecary, though she dearly wanted to be a gardener. The cool, damp places, with their carefully tended crops of clean-smelling herbs and softly ribbitting frogs was one of the sweetest and most serene things in her life.

The moment of reverie was broken by a shrill young voice, though. The first cries were very ambiguous, but Azora already knew who it was. She gave a wry grin, waiting until her little cousin-cub was nearer before calling back. "Here I am, Isi," she raised her voice gently, patiently waiting for the cub to come to her. Excitement was vibrating off her little white body, which made Azora smile. She remembered how much excitement she'd had as a cub, even over small things. She waited to hear what it was that stirred her little cousin to such heights.  

[Annchen]

"AZO..." she started, but as she did she heard her cousin call out, "...ra. Hello cousin!"

She turned and skipped towards the resting lioness. After twirling around a couple of times in front of Azora's resting place she had finally dispelled enough energy to be able to sit down without fidgeting. She beamed up at her big cousin.

"I found a perfect match for you!" she announced, apparently very pleased with herself.

She had once overheard that Uncle Athair wanted to make sure all his siblings were matched up with someone nice. It was quite the task, since grandpa Sliabh had so many children. Isi didn't want to be any less of a matchmaker, and her own over enthusiastic mission was to find the perfect match for EVERYNE. Ever. Someone had to do it, right? She was technically not a matchmaker yet, but with a mission as big as this one she had to try to get a head start.

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

Azora eyed her little cousin in puzzlement. "My perfect match?" she repeated, mulling over what in the world that could b.... oh no. A love match? She gave her cousin a startled and almost fearful look, then relaxed. She was only a cub, after all. Cubs could easily dream about what they wanted to become... hadn't she dreamed as a cub about tending the gardens? She really should bite back her own trepidations about matchmakers and let the cub have her fun.

"Ooooh, that kind of match, hmm?" Her smile was still a little wary, but she truly loved her whole family, especially the small ones. She'd give her all if she could to make them happy. "Erm... how did you find my perfect match, Isi?" Her question was merely inquiring and interested, rather than the condescending voice often used for this sort of question. Nor was she accusatory. Granted, her tone might have held a little bit of uncertainty in it, but she hoped the cub's excitement would help cover that. Heavens only knew who such a cub would pick for her!  

[Annchen]

Isi couldn't help but twirl excitedly once more. She was very pleased with herself and couldn't quite keep still. She'd attempted to pair off her friend Kaillot many times, but none of her expertly made matches had stuck so far. He had matured more quickly than her, and while she was stuck playing with kitlings he had started his training already. He was older and bigger, but it was unfair. isi might be a tiny bit jealous, but she was determined to practice on her own... And what better way than to make perfect matches, just like mom and dad!

"Yup," she said, beaming, "I know just the right guy! He's training to become a guard or warrior or something, and he's really nice. Oh, and he's from outside, so he's not related to many in the pride."

There was just one thing... She wasn't sure how hung up Azora might be on the fact that Kaillot hadn't shown any signs of disease yet. She decided to gloss over the fact that he wasn't blessed by Pestilence and reveal another of his awesome traits instead.

"He's got a really neat skull marking, just like you!" she chirped, "And if you don't like him, he's got brothers. But you'll like him!"

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

It wasn't as if Azora herself was related to very many in the pride. It was different for Isi, being of that huge Sliabh clan as she was. But..., "Having a skull marking doesn't mean he's my prefect match, Isi," she replied cautiously. A warrior sort? Why in the world would anyone like that take a liking to her? "I bet he doesn't even know who I am," she added quietly, dropping her eyes. She was painfully shy around people who didn't know her, and truth be told, she had no idea who this was that Isi was talking about either. She spent most of her time among the herbs and plants in the gardens.

She drew designs in the dirt scattered on the rock with a toe, trying very hard not to smash the little one's hopes, but also trying very hard to figure out how to get out of meeting this dashing skull warrior. For the life of her, though, she couldn't figure out how to say no without... well, saying no! She gave the youngster an agonized look. "I just don't know," she said faintly, at a loss for what else to say.  

[Annchen]

Azora's objections didn't seem to discourage the bouncy little girl. She tilted her head. Well, perhaps her cousin wasn't all that hung up on interesting markings, but they would look good together. And they were both nice pleasant lions to be around, so they'd match that way too. It was perfect, she just had to make them see it!

"Of course he knows about you," she chirped, "He's my friend, I've told him about you." And once Azora said yes... or... not no... she'd set up a date. She wasn't worried about Kaillot. He was one of the few boys she knew who didn't seem to mind her matching games.

In addition to being something of a run-and-shout expert, Isi was also very good at making puppy eyes. The moment Azora looked at her again, the kitling was prepared with her very best pleading expression. You couldn't say no to that face. Daddy couldn't, at any rate... and it seemed to work on a number of other adults too. Toes crossed, her cousin wouldn't be immune to her superpowers.

"He'll be sad if you say no..."

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

Azora looked deep into those pleading eyes, trying to tear herself away. She had objections galore, but how could she voice them to this sweet little darling? She made an almost whining sort of noise in her nose, preparatory to giving in. It was not to be, however, for at that moment, pain rocketed through her. Her joints, every one of them, suddenly howled in pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and gave a sharp gasp, tensing against the pain, though that of course only made it worse. She gritted her teeth and tried to relax, to breathe through it. It eased momentarily, enough for her to open her eyes again to regard her little cousin.

She gave the cub a faint, apologetic smile. "I really am not able to consider it right now, Isi," she answered truthfully. She probably should have said this to begin with. "I don't mean to be unkind, but finding love right now isn't very high on my list of things to do." It was actually quite low, as timid as she was! Seeking a partner meant interacting with relative strangers, and this was not something Azora did willingly or easily. "I'm sure he's very nice, but I... I don't think I'm a very good person to matchmake for." She gave the little one a hopeful look. Would such a tactic get her out of future attempts?  

[Annchen]

Isi knew pain. She might not know what it felt like, but she sure knew what it looked like in others. They had to learn early on not to climb on daddy when he was in pain, and Isi had learned to try to see the signs before anyone told her off for being too rowdy. As time went on she'd practiced picking up the tells from others in the pride too. Pain showed, and right now it was really obvious that Azora was in a fair amount of pain.

She sidled up to her cousin and pressed her little body against the older lioness. Not hard enough to cause further pain, just close enough to share a bit of her body heat and offer some wordless comfort. The young female was more convinced than ever that she needed to make an awesome match for Azora. She needed to find someone strong and nice who could help when it hurt. Kaillot would be perfect! And if they didn't click she'd look for a handsome healer.

Talencia

 

[Talencia]

The older lioness rumbled a soft purr as her little cousin curled up next to her. The company and touch were welcome, as was the careful attentiveness to what would or wouldn't cause pain. Most folks did try not to hurt her when she was aching, but not all succeeded. Isi, however, was very astute to that sort of thing. Azora nuzzled her affectionately and stretched herself out stiffly. The sun felt good, the warm rock felt good, and her cousin's cuddles felt good. Granted, her joints and muscles didn't feel good at all, but she could somewhat overlook that in favor of the good things in life.

She also was quietly relieved to be apparently let off the hook. Who knew if Isi would leave things be from now on, though somehow that seemed unlikely. The family was becoming more aware of her tendencies to match folks up, making it no secret what job she wished to do within the pride as an adult. But for now, for this moment, she would count her blessings at the removal of the pressure concerning her future, so that she could settle down and enjoy the present.