[PRP] An average day (Taya-mfupa/Taratibu)

[Andranis]

Taya had found a new habit on top of chewing on the plant that soothed her throat. Since her two cubs in the pride had grown up, she had taken up chewing on a bone. It wasn't even a whole bone, though - Just the non-knobbed end of some rabbit's femur. The end that poked out of her mouth as she walked was the portion that connected at the hip socket, while the end in her mouth was a broken-off point. It'd been moved around in her mouth so much that any jagged points had long been worn into rounded edges.

Gold eyes scanned the area as she trekked, having no particular destination today. She was on a break as a healer, finding some solace out in the pride's lands. Every sight and smell was familiar, every face known. She knew who all was a carrier, who was immune, and who was afflicted as she was. Which... She'd been having a good period, since her daughters had weened.... A very LONG good period, actually. She almost appeared to have changed status from diseased to immune, if not for the odd cough now and again, a tell-tale sign. At any rate, she'd been able to keep food down long enough that her bones no longer showed. One could no longer count her ribs individually on sight at a distance, and her coat had some shine to it. Had it ever had that before...?

She paused, spying one of the huntresses. She moved the bone a bit in her mouth, shifting it before she went over. "Hello, Taratibu! How are things today?"  

[mouselet]

It was unusual for her name to be called by a voice she didn't recognize. Unusual and suspicious. Oh, Taratubu knew intellectually that the Kitwana'antara was not a huge pride at all, and that it was theoretically possible for one person to know the names of every member, but that didn't mean she cared for the results. Especially not when they directly affected her.

Cerulean eyes flicked over in the direction the voice had come from. There was, unfortunately, only one individual who could have spoken. An older lioness, as dark as Taratibu for the most part, though without her more subtle markings. Someone who, she had to admit, looked familiar, but no one she cared to know by name.

The lioness offered a grunt of acknowledgement before resuming her own movement.  

[Andranis]

The bone-faced lioness' ears folded back as her back ruffled just a bit. Well then! She went up to the striped lioness, disliking the reaction as she bumped her shoulder on Taratibu's. It was a gentle bump, but it was enough that the other lioness wouldn't be able to go without noticing it. "It's rude, you know, to ignore a healer's questions about your health!" She shifted the bone in her mouth, frowning and glaring at the other, the bone pointing up now. It was almost like a cub pouting... Though there was no pout in the gold-eyed lioness' face, and chagrin in those same eyes. "I don't expect everybody around here to be HAPPY, but I at least expect a REPLY instead of a GRUNT."  

[mouselet]

The younger lioness bared her fangs in a silent snarl as her personal space was willfully invaded and took a couple steps back to prevent a repeat performance. She did not like to be touched, not even by her twin. Getting Taratibu to sit still for a bath as a cub had been...difficult for her father.

And now this stranger was touching her and trying to get her to talk and playing the "I am a Healer" card on top of it. Taratibu understood the need to be honest with and even speak to Healers, but she wasn't stupid. She knew to go to one if she was feeling off or poorly. But she wasn't. So obviously she had nothing to share. And even if she did, why should she speak of it with the first Healer to cross her path when there was another who was at least used to her ways and wouldn't push her in ways she didn't care to go?

The striped lioness glared at her elder and deliberately turned away. Perhaps she hadn't made herself clear before. Well, now she was.  

[Andranis]

Her fur ruffled more, starting to look more like an agitated bird than a lioness. Or like a male lion... No, more like a bird. She clamped her teeth on the bone, before simply following the striped lioness. If she was going to be so non-talkative, then she was simply going to follow.

The silence got Taya wondering, though. Why WAS she following this lioness? Had she ever even heard her say more than one word, or ANY words? As she glared after the striped backside, stubbornly keeping to whatever pace was set by the other, she continued to have trouble placing her paw on why she was getting so obsessed. Maybe it was the attitude... When Taya got the itch to be social, have more than a work relationship with another lion, she didn't take kindly to being brushed off... And she was being brushed off.  

[mouselet]

To be honest, she hadn't actually had a destination in mind. This was brought home in a rather annoying way by the older lioness actually following her, matching Taratibu step for step. What in the name of the Goddess was wrong with the Healer, that she was so fixated on the striped female?

Whatever it was, the younger lioness just wanted the elder to just get over it and leave her alone. Not that she had any intention of actually giving the Healer what she wanted. Taratibu was sure, at this point, that the Healer's work had very little to do with this determined effort. This was a power struggle. The striped female had defied the Healer, and now the Healer was determined to make her submit.

Which, of course, only firmed Taratibu's resolve to continue ignoring her.  

[Andranis]

The ignoring part was clearly not working, as the bone-faced lioness kept right on following. She had all day, after all - Nobody needed her help right now. It had become a game of endurance, and time would only see yet who won it. She shifted the bone in her mouth again, frowning as she continued to walk. She was NOT giving up that easily.  

[mouselet]

Taratibu glanced back out of the corner of her eye and saw that the oddly marked lioness was still following. Fine. If that was how she wanted to play it...

The younger lioness came to a nice big, unoccupied rock that was in the shade of a scrubby little tree. The striped female leapt up onto the relatively flat surface and curled up, her body language saying that she had every intention of taking a nice long nap.  

[Andranis]

When the blue-marked lioness picked a spot to lay down, Taya moved the bone in her mouth in thought, finally pausing in her walking. As the bone moved, she considered what she would do. Would she give up now, or would she join the other lioness in a nap? And if she joined her... Where would Taya herself lay? Jumping wasn't exactly her thing to do...

She found a spot under the shrubby tree, near the base of the rock, to sit and then lay down. If she fell asleep, so be it. The silence was starting to actually feel... Enjoyable. After all, what would they even talk about if they DID talk?  

[mouselet]

What in the names of all the gods was wrong with the damn lioness following her!? Taratibu did not understand in the least why the other female was so damned fixated on her. The striped lioness rearranged herself so that she didn't have to see the older lioness at all.

She wasn't actually tired and didn't actually feel like sleeping, but damn if she was going to wander all over the damned pride in an effort to lose her stupid follower.

But there was no harm in pretending. The sun was warm after all, and the rock beneath her radiated a comfortable heat. Taratibu could feel tense muscles relaxing and her mind starting to wander down less annoying paths.

Yes, this would work quite well. Screw that bone-mouthed lioness.