Another Private RP with Adofo/Iri

[Adofo]

Enzi: Well...I just want a decent sized pride. To show we can handle ourselves but not look like we just want a lot of lions for power.

Alitash: Just....on my own. I never had a family...this pride was the only place that would take me in.

(How old are they now? Are they Teens yet? Also is Shujaa...you know, yet?)

[Iri]

[They're young adolescents.
And to answer your question, no.]

Neema shrugged. "We already have a decently-sized pride. We have you, me, Chaltuu, Kapuki, Shujaa, and Alitash. That's six lions- two are still young, but that doesn't really matter, they have a lot of potential, you know? Anyways," she went on rather shamelessly, "I won't turn down a request for someone to join us, but at the same time, I feel like it would be sketchy to just be accepting random lions in. I mean, if they're cubs, I don't really mind, but if they're adults, I don't want random strangers barging in without us knowing whether they're trustworthy or not. I mean, what if they're not trustworthy? I mean, I get we could kick 'em out, but nonetheless..."
And there she went, rambling on rapidly as usual. There were so many times, when she was a cub, when her mother would chide her for being so talkative and exasperatedly plead for her to slow down when she spoke, and she remembered her father playfully comparing her to ground squirrels because of her continuous chattering. Bittersweet memories, they were, and she wiped them from her brain. Neema didn't care that she sounded like a chattering squirrel, she didn't care that she spoke so rapidly it was comparable to a cheetah, she didn't care if anyone gave her funny looks for talking the way she did.
Neema basically lacked self-consciousness. She had her own quirks and she was proud of them- she always thought of herself as strange, but in her eyes, that was good. Yes, she was talkative and outspoken and extroverted and often was the cause of many awkward situations, she didn't really care. She didn't give a flying frog what anyone thought about her.
Wiping the rather off-topic thoughts from her head, she looked at Enzi with a challenging expression, as if daring him to contradict her. She respected his opinion, of course, but she lacked the desire for what was called a "decently"-sized pride. She didn't mind their little group of six. To her, it was just fine and she didn't mind it, even if it was considered, by some, small.
It was strange, her change of behaviour. She wasn't as daft and imbecilic as Chaltuu has assumed. And she loved Enzi, and usually empathized with him and understood and agreed with him, but for some reason she felt... irritable, moody, snappish. She had not the foggiest why. She felt defiant, like she was up for a fight. But why, was the question.

------

Shujaa nodded sympathetically, but her brow furrowed. "What do you mean, you've never had a family?" she queried softly. She couldn't say she understood what it felt like- she herself had a family, though the only relative she got on with was Kapuki, who had basically raised her. Didn't Alitash have parents? Siblings, siblings of her parents? Cousins?
Shujaa herself had a rather small family, consisting of only her, her siblings, and Kivuli and Uangaze- as far as she knew, anyway. But had Alitash been on her own for her whole life? If that was true- which Shujaa had mixed feelings about- how exactly had her friend raised herself?

[Sorry for the long post- I'm trying to practice my writing skills by writing longer posts.]

[Adofo]

Enzi: Well....can I ask you a question? .....If we had done all of this in the past about letting random lions join.....how would we have let you join!?
He said with a smirk

Alitash: .....I just....never had a family. I grew up on my own.....I raised myself.....no mom....no dad....no family....no friends....no pride....nothing.

[Iri]

Neema rolled her eyes, feeling her temper flare up again. She didn't know why. Usually she was patient and gentle, but for some reason all she felt was irritation and anger. "Oh, stop acting so arrogant, Enzi," she snapped. "I don't necessarily reflect on that moment and see myself lunging at your throats. And besides," she pointed out angrily, "you weren't a pride back then."
Why, she asked herself, was she saying that? Was she insane? She felt disoriented, furious, frustrated, but had no idea why. Usually she was empathetic and patient- or she tried to be, anyways- but recently her positive attitude had faded and been replaced with a bad temper and irritability. She knew Enzi wasn't actually being conceited, nor was he- he was just teasing, of course- but she, for reasons unknown, took it very personally.

------

Shujaa shook her head sadly. "Sorry." Though she wasn't quite sure she believed Alitash. She didn't think her friend to be a liar, but at the same time, there was no way any cub could survive without milk or some form of nourishment. Besides, a newborn cub couldn't just stand up and find its way to a waterhole or food. And even if Alitash could do that, no newborn was born with teeth- therefor, she would have been unable to feed herself.

[Adofo]

Enzi: Neema.....wh-what's gotten into you? Are you okay?

Alitash: DOn't be....I have you and them now!

[Iri]

"Of course I'm okay!" Neema spat furiously. "I've never been better! As a matter of fact, I'm just peachy!" she snarled derisively. "I'm wonderful, can't you tell?" She glared at him angrily, daring him to snap back. It would only prove her point.
But what point, exactly? Why was she behaving this way? She had never acted so angry- it was like the only thing she was made of was rage and uncontrollable fury. In the back of her mind, a small voice sternly scolded her, telling her to quit her act.

----

Shujaa smiled. "I guess..."

[Good night.]

[Adofo]

Enzi actually started to coware away. Afraid of what she might do.

Alitash hugged her friend tight

[Iri]

Neema bristled angrily. How had that all happened? For the beginning of their "date", it had been affable and pleasant, discussing cubs and other topics she couldn't really think off of the top of her head. Now it was just her snapping and yelling at him.
It was like Neema couldn't think properly, like she was possessed or something. But she wasn't- she could think clearly and could feel her emotions. But those only emotions were anger. She turned her head and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth and lashing her tail. Count to ten, control your temper, she told herself silently.
Neema didn't know exactly why she was acting so cold and harsh towards Enzi. Slowly, as she forced herself to think of calming things, she relaxed and deflated. "Enzi?" she said quietly. "Enzi, I'm sorry. I... I don't know what happened."

-----

Shujaa paused to ask her question. "If you raised yourself, how did you survive without milk?"

[Adofo]

Enzi: It's....it's okay. But are you okay? ....you need food or water or something?

Alitash: I....I don't remember...

(So whats wrong with Neema?)

[Iri]

[She was thinking about her mother and father- in the part where I was describing her remembering her mother always telling her to slow down when she talked and about her father comparing her to a squirrel and yadda yadda. Because she and her parents had a really good relationship, she was upset when they died, so when she thought about it, it made her angry since she's all impulsive and stuff. But she's never told Enzi about her parents' deaths and stuff.]

Neema shook her head, bristling at the memory of her parents. She had been so close with them. She missed them. "I'm fine," she replied stiffly. "I don't need anything." The subtlest reminder of her parents made her upset for some reason- whether someone else mentioned them or whether she herself thought of them.
Her parents had loved her so much, and it had been so unfair when they had died- to her, anyway. They had been well-liked by the pride she formerly lived in due to their friendly attitude and affable behaviour. Why was it them who had to get infected with the illness?

-----

Shujaa looked at Alitash a little skeptically, but nodded slowly. "Mm.. okay."