[PRIVATE] A Rogue's Light

[Skittakallista]

"Talk to her! I already have... Kinda. Ish. Well not properly but... " He shifted uncomfortably again. So this was what it was like to have a sister who could talk... Huh. He didn't know what the big deal was about! He swatted at her playfully.

"Maybe I could talk to her but she's a bit, well." He thought for a moment for the right word. "intimidating? Anyway, what would we talk about? I don't know how to..." He jigged from paw to paw. "Talk to lionesses... Aside from you and Ra."

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Imani did her best to blanket the laugh she wanted to let go so badly, but she knew she was going to have to let it out eventually. Unfortunetly, while she talked, it came out. "A lioness is a lioness" the creamy large cat spoke, looking him straight in the eye. "Compliment her, flirt with her, play with her, talk to her about things that interest you and her both. You have no trouble doing that with Ra and I".

"You think Mulfalfa is going to come after you?" Kamau asked, walking alongside his trusted co-leader. Her dark fur was a short comparison away from his, but in a way they were too different of colors.

"He wouldn't dare. I could take him out with one swoop" she answered back. Kamau laughed.

"Good point" he replied. They both came to where they saw Auni and Imani together. Kamau, though he didn't know Tanga and Imani were mates, found it odd that Auni looked so...nervous, for lack of the better word. "Drama in the pride?" He commented, looking to the female, seeing her eyes focused on the situation. Kioja's eyes were still and reflective of something, but he couldn't put his claw on it. She continued to walk on, and he only followed. Knowing though that Imani was displeased with him, he stayed short behind the female while she took the lead.

Imani looked over to see Kioja looking over at Imani's left-paw male and then back down to the ground and ahead. Kamau went in the opposite direction and looking at Kioja to signal he would leave her for a while to which she nodded and walked on, diverging away from the older brother. Imani swung her head over to Auni and smiled, hopping up and down. "Now's your chance! Auni! Go talk to her!" She went behind him and nudged his rear forward with powerful force.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sighed once more, before finally pulling himself to his feet, still looking down at his parents. "I've diappointed you...both of you. I've screwed up, badly, and I know what you must be thinking right now. There's no way I can reverse what I've done, but, at the very least, Imani needs to know the truth...I hope that's enough to restore your faith in me, and I also hope it's enough for Imani, as well."

Leaping down from the rock, he came up to the skull of his mother, Kali, and gave it a brief lick. "I miss you...all of you, every day," he said sadly, before wandering off, heading towards where he had seen Imani disappear off to before. As he found her, he realised that Mufalfa's information was, at the very least, partially accurate. Imani was with Auni, although she seemed to be trying to convince to leave for some reason. She seemed to be in a much better mood now, thought, which left Tanga wondering how Auni had helped her.

Knowing his presence was going to sour her mood again, Tanga initially considered leaving her alone for a little longer. But he came to the conclusion that, the longer he left his apology, the angrier she would be at him. It was better for him to get this over and done with now, he reasoned.

"Imani," he called hesitantly, sitting a short distance from her, his stance low and weak, his ears flat, hidden in his mane. He was once more more the shy, completely submissive lion he had been two months ago, a trait that was not helped by his fear of how Imani would respond to him. "Imani, I...I know I'm probably the last lion you want to talk to right now...but can I at least apologise?"

[Skittakallista]

Auni listened to her advice. Yes, Kioja was just a lioness, like Imani and Ra, but she wasn't precisly like Imani and Ra. Talking to them was easy. Talking to Kioja was... Difficult. And he'd only just met her!

A rustle from the surrounding scrub announced the arrival of Kioja and Kamau. He quickly looked at his paws, blushing again. Then to his horror, Imani whispered to him that this was his chance! Her head-butt propelled him forewards into Kioja's path. She looked rather suprised, though he couldn't blame her. He had practicly run straight in front of her.

"Oh. Hi!" He smiled. "/um, are you ok? I hope you're, uh not too... Our days arn't usually this hectic..." He cleared his throat. Why wasn't his brain working?

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Kioja looked at Auni and saw his expression. The male was obviously flustered by something, but she didn't have the knowledge to know what for. As he stammered and babbled on, she only looked at him and examined his face more and more. Finally, when he had ended, she spoke, "you speak too much". With that, she nodded her head and walked forward to where she would lay herself by the water.

Imani looking at him, waved her paw at him to tell him to go after her. "If you don't go, you're going to regret it" she told him, urging him on. "Fair hearts never won fair lady! All is fair in love and war! Don't let fear of striking out take you out of the game!" She urged him more and more before she looked back to Tanga and saw him...almost resembling her own form once in a while when it came to bad situations. She looked back at Auni and gave him a look that she wanted him to take the risk badly, and then left his eyes to look back at Tanga. "You've already said what you need to say, Tanga. I get it" she replied, getting up and walking past him. "Just leave me alone until I'm ready".

[Skittakallista]

Stung by Kioja's words (however few they were) he looked at Imani for help. After listening to her words of advice (however cheesey most of them were) and seeing her desperate look as Tanga came over, he decided to pursue her.

"Sorry." He said, standing awkwardly beside her. "I expect you ould like some peace after your journey but I just like to, er, make friends." He stood back a pace, waiting for her answer.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Kioja layed down and looked over the water while the male was talking. He does talk too much..., she thought. The lioness let out a bellow of a roar while she moved her paw to make it more comfortable. She felt a weird feeling in her paw as she lifted it up and saw a mouse underneath, making her gasp and get up to her feet, leaning down to it. "Are you okay?!" She asked the little critter, but it scurried away without a word before she could even ask it once more.

Kioja sighed out in relief that she dealt no harm to the little mouse, but she froze when she realized the male was still there. "...you saw nothing" she told him, laying back down on her side by the water to attempt and compose herself once more.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sighed heavily as Imani walked past him and away from once more. "I haven't said half of what I need to say," he whispered to himself, before walking off. If Imani needed to be left alone, he would respect that. He'd already seen the consequences of defying a request from her once today...he did not need a repeat of it.

He stole a quick glance over at Auni and Kioja, sighing again as the two of them interacted. In a very short space of time, their roles seemed to have reversed, now Auni was the one interacting with a lioness...and Tanga knew that Auni's kind heart would probably win her over eventually, and now Tanga was where he had always been. Alone, and for all the world feeling like a failure.

Eventually, Tanga found himself settling on the hill where he could see the Pridelands from. Lying down there, facing the old land, Tanga simply rested, thinking about the half-home he had made for himself there during his adolescence as he tried to pass the time...he did not really want to talk to anyone right now.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Kamau walked away from the young lioness and looked around him. Soon enough from the beige grasses of the Pridelands, he spotted a bright yellow body with a black mane. Once he heard the heavy sigh, he knew it had to be none other than his sister's mate. He looked around him, seeing there was not a soul in sight, so he walked forward. "Tanga, right?"

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga looked up at the voice, before jumping to his feet, backing away as he recognised Kamau. He still did not know too much about this lion, but today's events had left him sad, skittish, and just plain fearful of another outburst. "Kamau! Listen, I-I...I'm sorry about before, I just..."

Realising that attempting to explain why he had said what he had was probably just going to get him into even worse trouble, he slamped his mouth shut, driving away all thoughts of explaining himself, before continuing in a submissive, scared voice. "Never mind...I won't try to explain myself...my mouth's gotten me in enough trouble already today."