[Closed] Kopa's Captivity

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga was startled when Li decided to lick his leg. But he burst into a muzzle-splitting grin when the cub actually spoke his name aloud. Allowing the cub to stay close by his side, he started to wander off with the cub, turning back to Marini and Kopa, who seemed to have gotten a little distracted.

"Rini! Kopa! You coming?" he called over his shoulder, smiling back at the two of he them as he slowed his gait down to allow them to catch up.

Looking at the two of them, Tanga could not help but wonder at how Kopa and Marini were starting to get along. There were both still very young...but Tanga could not help but wonder if this was the start of something special for the two of them. Tanga knew how happy he was with Heshima, and knew that he could think of nothing that would complete that better than for Marini to grow up and experience that same giddy euphoria one feels when they have a mate they love more than themselves.

[KiarasMate]

Taking in Lisimba’s reaction to his and Marini’s introductions, Kopa watched curiously as his ears twitched to pick up upon what few words the newcomer was annunciating. Having been in the exact same situation earlier that afternoon, Kopa was a bit more sympathetic towards Lisimba’s plight as he might have been otherwise however, it still baffled the young cub that this new member seemed to have trouble speaking the Leonid language, something that just came naturally to himself. While the new arrival did look to be slightly younger than he was, Kopa had never come across anyone of his kind who couldn’t at least communicate verbally by this age. Keeping his own manners about him though and being raised to be polite in all given situations, Kopa smiled warmly as he spoke back to Lisimba, who had retreated behind one of Tanga's large fore legs for protection and comfort no doubt.

”It’s nice to meet you Li.”

While there was much more that he wanted to ask the new member of the pride, Kopa could tell that it wasn’t going to be easy getting any concrete answers out from the timid cub, thus prompting the golden furred male to save his inquiries for a more suitable time and place, especially now that it looked as though both Lisimba and Tanga were on the move, apparently heading off to the river for a drink. Having already quenched his own thirst not too long ago and still feeling relatively satisfied from the meal he had just ingested, Kopa hesitated as Tanga’s offer was presented to him. Taking a quick look over his shoulder to see what Heshima was up to, noticing that the cream colored lioness seemed to be occupied at the moment, Kopa turned back to face his company, who had already begun to move off. Thinking things over, Kopa reluctantly shook his head as he called back to Tanga.

”If you don’t mind Tanga, I’ll go find a place to rest for a bit. Could you possibly tell me where I can find Arria though?”

Recalling the strange feeling he had gotten while being hugged by the overly enthusiastic lioness, Kopa wanted to see her again for various reasons. She seemed like someone he could count on and having a mind full of questions and needing someone to talk to, aside from his current company who all seemed wrapped up in other affairs at the given moment, Arria just stood out in the young cub’s mind as he waited patiently for a reply from Tanga, hoping that the black maned male would be able to point him in her general direction as his own knowledge of the lands around him were still miniscule at best.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga smiled back at Kopa as he posed his question, picturing the young cub talking with Arria in his mind. Arria was a sure-fire way for the cub to get a interesting conversation...if you could get the lioness' attention devoted to talking for long enough, that is.

Looking around, noticing that she hadn't come to the evening meal, Tanga tried to pick her out. But the sun had aleady disappeared behind the wals of the enclosure, and visibility was difficult at best. "She's hard to predict, Kopa...even I struggle to find her sometimes."

But even as he said it, he spotted a silhouette lying at the top of the hill lying between them and the waterhole Kopa had been to earlier...the hill where all the pride dens were located. most of the time the pride slept on this hill, although several other caves and thickets were scatterred around the enclosure for when various members wanted a little more privacy and distance. Taking a second look at the silhouette, he recognised Arria's shape...she appeared to be either resting, or cloud-gazing again, trying to catch the last of them before the sun set completely and shrouded the enclosure in darkness.

Tanga smiled as he turned back to Kopa and pointed to the top of the hill, pointing Arria's shape out. "There she is...you're in luck today. Now you go and rest...I'll probably join you and Arria after Li here as had something to drink."

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini nodded at her father and kept quiet. She was indeed a cub that new comers had to get used to. As Kopa suggested to go for a rest she decided to stay and try to learn a bit more about Li. She didn't notice her slight smile that showed up on her face as Kopa walked away, feeling glad about no longer being the only cub in the enclosure and to have a friend in her age. A part of her began hoping that maybe some day they could be more then just friends. She silently followed Li and her father for a drink

[Nakisisa]

Seeing the male cub ask to leave, Li felt slightly more comfertable, yet he kept reminding himself to be strong. After a few moments, Li spoke, some more words forming to make a slightly more understandable sentence. "Tanga, where's waterhole?" Li asked looking at tanga, and then back to the female cub in front of him. She was more active than he was, and he needed to get used to that. And quickly he hoped.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga smiled down at Li, happy that he seemed to be getting more and more used to talking...it would help make things easier. He pointed a paw over slightly to the side of where Kopa was currently heading off to, pointing to the side of the hill, rather than the top it. "The waterhole's just over there, Li,"

He also turned back to Marini, smiling back at her. "Marini, you don't have to keep quiet," he said softly. "Just try not to say everything at once, okay?" He figured that Li would adjust to his new life better if he was able to talk to another cub...but for now, Marini needed to calm down just a touch. As they walked towards the waterhole, he tried to think of a way to help Marini use up some more of her vast energy reserves, without scaring or leaving Li.

[Nakisisa]

Li was grateful for the directions and began to walk towards the water, hoping Tanga and the lioness cub were following him, and to show him the correct way, Li smiled, te first time he had smiled since he had been taken.

(( Appollogies for the short posts ))

[TheWhistlerify]

Noticing Li walking a little ahead of them, Marini moved closer to her father, "What can I say?" she asked him quietly, "he still seems depressed, maybe I can help?" she asked, her caring side kicking in

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga looked between his daughter and Li as they walked, thinking on the question his daughter posed. It was a question that was not very simple to answer. When someone, particularly a cub as young as Li, was down, and suffering from experiences like the cub must be going through, it was never easy to help cheer them up.

But Tanga did begin to formulate a way for Marini to help cheer Li up. It would probably be easier for Tanga to take the role himself...but Li was already rather attached to him, and unless the cub learned to open up around the rest of the pride...at least a little, he would not cope well for very long.

Making sure Li was close enough that he would not feel scared, but far enough that his whispers would not be heard, Tanga turned back to his daughter. "Do you really want to help him?" he asked her, his voice soft as it was around cubs, but with a serious overtone that let Marini know he was not joking around at the moment. He needed a serious, honest answer. "Would you be willing to not only play with him and talk to him...but would you be willing to leave him alone as well, if that was what the cub wanted?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini smiled slightly at her father, but his tone was serious for some reason. Looking back at Li, she couldn't help but give her father a positive answer.
"Yes," she asnwered simply, despite how energetic and annoying she was, she also couldn't stand infront someone who was being sad.