Moose: Kipenzi was slipping into the role of stationary grandmother much easier than she had with the first litter. Her own daughter had been the first of her children to reproduce, and at the time Kipenzi hadn’t been very old at all. It had been odd, to say the least, and something that had taken a bit of adjusting. Now, with Kiuma’s second litter, Kipenzi found herself spending much more time just relaxing around the little beasties without worrying over their safety. Let their fathers’ do that; Kipenzi just wanted to spoil them rotten.
Of course, not everything she did involved the cubs. The spotted lioness spent a great deal of time conversing with Drury, and by extension, his daughter Ummi. It was to her that she went in search of. It wasn’t a great walk, just something of a little jaunt that allowed Kippy to think over how she was going to accomplish all these great things she had told Drury about. How did one teach the deaf to communicate? It had come to her by trial and error, so how was she to show that to another?
“Ummi dear-“ Stopping short, Kipenzi shook her head. If she wasn’t able to hear her words, how was Ummi to? She padded into the denning area that the younger lioness rested, moving slowly so as not to frighten the poor dear.
nessiaing: Ummi hadn't really come out of the den since her father had brought her here. The dark blue lioness still had nightmares of rocks coming and crushing her. It was terrifying and scary and worst of all when she woke up in fits of screams she couldn't even hear herself.
She tried to shift the wa she was laying stretching out her back legs with a wince. It was getting easier but it still hurt a lot and so far Ummi was unwilling to really test the waters and see how well she could walk. The adolescent female was in a funk to say the least, refusing to see anyone but her father most of the time.
Moose: Seeing the young lioness stretched out as she was broke Kipenzi’s heart. As a mother she wanted nothing more than to coddle the girl, but as a peer in the hearing impaired area she knew that would only do more harm.
Sitting before Ummi, Kipenzi tapped a claw on the ground before Ummi, then brought it up to her lips before lying down herself. It would put less strain on the lioness’ neck this way, and give Kippy a chance to focus. She was slow in her speech, careful to enunciate as fully as possible, “Look” Kippy pointed to her eye, “at my lips.” Then moved her claw to her maw.
nessiaing: Ummi let out a little jump when she felt the and saw the claw hitting the ground. She was a little suprised to see the pink spotted lioness before her. She should have known that she would come to see her sooner or later. Once Ummi figured out that she was deaf she assumed her father had gone to the one lioness that they knew was also deaf. Ummi knew of Kip but she had never spoken to the lioness.
She moved her eyes as the lioness gestured to her lips. Ummi watched them move and frowned. "I can't hear you, I thought dad would have told you." She figured the lioness wanted her to read lips but Ummi wasn't sure she would be able to and frankly she rather jutt go back to sleep and wallow in her pain.
Moose: Kipenzi frowned, her olive eyes narrowing. This is going to be harder than I thought. Though, had she really expected it to be any easier? If Ummi didn’t want to help herself then there was only so much Kippy could do. So the real challenge was to motivate her.
“He did.” She stated carefully, only speaking once she was sure she held Ummi’s attention. It felt odd doing this when she wasn’t entirely sure her words sounded right in the first place. “If you can see, you can live.” For Kipenzi hearing loss had been an inevitability. Ever since she was a young cub her hearing had never been as good as her sister’s, and as she aged it had only grown worse. Now it was gone entirely. In truth, she didn’t feel bad for Ummi for that, only her legs. Ummi had the good fortune of living with it for so long.
Kipenzi would never know that.
nessiaing: Ummi focused on Kip's lips, she wasn't really a willing participant but she didn't think that she would be able to get the older lioness to go away if she didn't at least try.
"I can see yes." Ummi finally said. "Is this how you talk?" Ummi finally asked, she was mildly curious about how the older lioness managed to get around and communicate. Though admitedly Ummi wasn't all that interested with communicating with anyone.
Moose: Kipenzi shook her head. “I talk faster.” Admittedly Kipenzi’s speech hadn’t changed that much since the loss of her hearing. It ranged in volume, without any real indicator to her if it was out of place, and sometimes words were lost in translation. Still, in time, Ummi would learn it too.
“What color are my spots?” A random question, but one to test the girl. Maybe once she saw just how much potential she had then it would perk her up a bit. Kipenzi tried not to move or give her any indication on what she had actually asked.
nessiaing: Ummi watched the lioness' lips move and she frowned. She was pretty sure she was following her but she recognized that this was always going to be a guessing game. How was she going to live life always having to guess what the person talking to her was saying.
Ummi wondered idealy if perhaps she was speaking loudly when she spoke to the other lioness, though it wasn't as if Kip would mind or even knwo the volume in which Ummi was speaking. The idea that the two of them were in the den shouting at each other kind of gave the younger lioness a bit of a giggle.
"Your... spots?" Ummi finallly said she was speaking slow as she was trying to figure out what the lioness could have possibly said not many things made sense so she went to spots. "Umm pink." she finally said her head cocked to the side as she studied Kips body. She moved her eyes back towards Kippy's mouth wondering if perhaps she had guessed wrong.
Moose: “Very good!” Kipenzi felt as if she were shouting, but at least this point it was with glee. She really was happy! Ummi was catching on, and quick, too! She smiled, olive eyes twinkling with mirth. “Now, can you tell me what your father’s name is? And what a hare looks like?” Her questions were becoming a little more complicated now. She didn’t expect her to get it completely right in the first go, but Ummi didn’t seem like the ‘take it slow’ type. She would need to be pushed; it was that stubborn quality that so many in her family had.
nessiaing: Ummi watched her lips, she wasn't so sure she was getting all the words and even if she was getting the words right. "Father Name" she said out loud. It wasn't a a large leap to say "Drury." The second part confused her though she caught hare and looks. Was Kip asking her what her father's hair looked like. "It's red." she said her eyes crinkled in focus. Part of her wanted to learn more the other part of her just wanted to have a nap ever since her accident she was getting headaches.
Moose: The first answer was good, but the second…Kipenzi had to furrow her brow to figure out what was red before figuring it out. Instead of talking about the animal hare she thought the question was about her father’s mane hair. It was enough to bring a little smile to her face. Those little slip ups would likely happen all the time; they did to Kipenzi. “Close enough. Why don’t you take a break for now and we can continue later? I can go get you something to eat if you’re hungry.” Maybe she could even slip and tell Drury of her progress? That might give him something to smile about.
nessiaing: Ummi nodded her head a break would be good. "I am hungry" she asnwered proud of herself for being able to follow what Kip was saying even thorugh the headaches she had.
"I am just going to get some rest." Ummi told the older lioness as she walked away curling up in the shade bellow a tree.