[Closed] Kopa's Captivity

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga smiled cheekily at Marini as she posed her question. "I did what you do every day, Rini...I ran off. There was new place I had discovered, just outside our lands, beyond the area our leader ruled, that I really wanted to explore."

His smile vanished, along with the last traces of his happy mood, as his voice grew a little sadder. "But like I said before, without cliffs to protect us, exploring so far from home could be very dangerous. But I was still young, even if I was a grown-up...and I thought I would be fine...I only wanted to have a quick look anyway...I would be back before the rest of the pride even knew I was gone."

"But during my exploration, I ran into one of those creatures that watch us now...only this one was much, much meaner than the others." He pointed to the scar on his hind leg as he continued, knowing Marini's attention would be drawn to the small, round mark that had grabbed her curiosity a couple of times in the past. "I don't know exactly how the creature did, because it never came close to me, but it hurt me, badly. I'm not sure what it was trying to do, but some more of those creatures drove it away before it could hurt me any more."

"At the time, I could hardly walk, let alone run away from the creatures. I thought I would die that day...that those creatures would kill me." He sighed heavily, fighting to keep his emotions, and his voice, in check, as he fought on, determined to finish his story, now that he had started. "But the creatures put those strange things that make you go to sleep in me...and when I woke up, I was in here."

Tanga shook Marini off his back, before wrapping her up in his forepaws and pulling her into his chest, nuzzling her lovingly. His story, and the realisation of just how close he had come to death that day, over two years ago, made him realise just how much he loved Marini, and how devastated he would be if anything ever happened to her.

"And that's how I came here, Rini. You are the only lion to have never seen what is beyond these cliffs...but the world that is out there is why your mother worries about you. In here, you are safe, and I let you run around as you please because I know you are safe...you the world outside these cliffs is not as nice, and your mother...and think she still remembers some things about friends that got hurt because they wandered too far from home...or got lost, or something like that."

"Just remember that, while this place may be home, Rini...to many of us, it is very odd." He gave his daughter a soft lick across her head. "I love you, Rini," he said, completely caught up in the emotion of the story he had shared with his daughter, and his own feelings for the little bundle of joy he had helped bring into the world.

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini was quite shocked by the story. That made the creatures sound alot more horrible then they seemed to her. Most of them were usually just watching them and talking in their foreign language. But now that she knew her father's scar was given to him by them, she felt more un-certain on what to think about them.

Being picked up by her dad all of a sudden and hugged closely, she purred softly and listened. She knew her father cared for her and her mom more then anything, they were after all his only family in the enclosure, maybe his only family in the world. "Daddy, what do these creatures do to you when they take you away? They sometimes just take someone and then bring him back, why?" She asked, unabled to help it but ask the question she was so curious about.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga paused at Marini's question. "You know what...I don't really know, sweetie. I know I've been taken away a few times, but I don't really remember any of it. They put you to sleep to take you away, and most of the time you're back in here when you wake up. I think they like to...examine us. I remember, back when you were still in your mother's belly, she would be taken away quite a lot...I think they knew that you were growing inside her, and wanted to keep checking on both of you."

Tanga's sad sentimtality grew at this memory. Of all the memories he had experienced inside the enclosure, that would have to be the worst. He and Heshima were together, officially mates, and now they had taken the next, ultimate step, and Heshima was pregnant. But with alarming frequency, Heshima would vanish, taken away by those hairless creatures. Every time they did that, Tanga would go into a panic attack, wondering why they were so interested in his unborn child, and he could not help but fear that he would not get either of them back every time it happened.

"But I really don't know...and I really hope they don't take you away any time soon." Tanga's last sentence was added with complete sincerity, and another loving nuzzle. not only would Heshima just about have a nervous breakdown if her daughter was taken away, Tanga knew that he himself would struggle to cope with the idea that those creatures had his daughter, and were doing Kings-only-knew-what to her. "But Rini, if they ever try to take you...I will do everything I can to stop them...and I'm sure your mother will, too."

[TheWhistlerify]

"But they didn't hurt either of you." Marini said as she finished listening to her father. Or did they? she couldn't find out and probably never would. She remained close to her dad and cuddled close to his chest.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga had no reply for Marini this time. He did not have the answer to that question himself. But that was why he was suddenly determined to stop the creatures taking Marini away...even for the shortest periods of time...because he did not know what they did...and he did not want to put his daughter through whatever it is they did.

"Even if they don't hurt us, Rini, I won't let them take you away," he finally managed to say, taking the chance to wrap a paw protectively over his daughter and pull her a little closer. "Even if they do nothing to you...your mother would panic to no end if you were taken away, and you already give her enough panic attacks as it is." He gave his daughter a little smile, to show that his comment, while honest, was also light-hearted.

With that small jibe, he felt some of his normal good mood returning, and decided it was time to pull both of their minds back off such depressing subjects. "Alright, kiddo...I think that's enough story-time for you! But what else can we do?" he asked with mock thoughtfullness as he pulled himself to his feet, letting Marini out from his embrace, smirking at her the whole time. "What else could we possibly do around here?" He suddenly gave an exaggerated gasp, as if he had just had a sudden, brilliant idea. "Ooh, I know..." And with that, before MArini could do anything but stare at him, he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Tag! come get me!" he challenged playfully as he pranced away from his daughter, teasing her to chase after him, still feeling obliged to keep his promise to her to play with her.

[TheWhistlerify]

Marini smiled slightly at her dad's words.
As he rose to his feet Marini didn't move, not noticing his voice was hinting a head-start for him in a game of tag. "Hey! not fair!" she shouted laughing and began running after him. Noticing her dad wasn't running very fast, she ran ful speed and began closing the gap

[SnowyCheetah]

Grunge waited for nightfall; when the sun set and the moon rose, and temperatures grew cooler, Grunge became a very different lion than the lazy lump he was during the day. He'd also had a brain spark, resulting in an idea for the tiny cub. He even smirked with joy a little when he had the idea; it was perhaps the key to the happiness of the entire pride, even himself. He only hoped the cub wouldn't be too sleepy to wake up when everyone else had fallen into their slumbers and Grunge put his plan into action.

[YFWE]

Heshima sighed. "Yes, Kopa... I'm sure Marini will miss you very much... I'm sure we all will..."

She did not have the heart to tell Kopa just yet of his fate. Though she knew that the day would eventually have to come, and that concealing this fact from Kopa would prove more and more difficult with each passing day, she could not just yet spring upon the cub such a heavy revelation. When he was older, however, the time would be as ripe as ever, if he had not yet figured it out himself already. Heshima hoped he would. She hated being the bringer of bad news. Always had.

As she felt Kopa curl deeper into her pelt, Heshima was at first unaware of what the small cub had referred to her as. Her mind's focus shifted back again for a brief moment. Did he just call me 'mom?' she asked herself, glancing down at Kopa with a confused look. Thinking that perhaps she had simply misheard him, Heshima shook off the notion with a warm grin, though she likely could have made any face and it would not have mattered, as Kopa was so buried into her pelt that his face was not even remotely visible; in fact, she could barely even make out a few of Kopa's choice words.

"Yes, Kopa, Arria is a wonderful lioness, though I unfortunately have yet to get to know her very well. I would love to one day, though--and the same with Shani, and even Grunge. Alas, I fear Marini keeps me rather busy most of the time! I believe it's the same with Tanga," she added with a laugh.

She felt Kopa curling his body up in an even more constricted fashion and scrunched her countenance in confusion, trying to figure out why he was doing such a thing; it could not be that comfortable after a while. After a few moments, a small audible sound was emitting from Kopa once more, and the lioness had to strain a bit to hear what he was saying. But there it was again, the word 'mom.' Heshima was sure she had heard the words 'I love you mom' and perhaps a few other words, though Kopa had become so quiet and closed off that Heshima could not be fully convinced of much.

Glancing over at the rest of the pride and noting that they all seemed to be wholly occupied with other activities, Heshima then bent low to the ground, so that her muzzle was right outside Kopa's exposed ear. "Kopa dear," she whispered. "Shhhh. Are you feeling alright? Are you hungry? Hot? Tired?"

Picking up a paw from the ground, Heshima began to idly stroke Kopa's head, smoothing over the small pelt of fur at his top. "Kopa, I'm not your mother," whispered Heshima softly, "though if you would like to call me that until you find your family again... well, I understand."

Her thinking on the matter was simple--perhaps if Kopa accepted Heshima as his mother, he might more easily accept the fact that his stay within the enclosure was likely permanent. She was not sure whether or not this was what Kopa was hinting at, but wanted the offer to be out there nonetheless, just in case. Continuing to stroke Kopa's small body, she tried to shush him more, trying to calm the small lion down to the point where perhaps he could get some much-needed rest, if he so desired.

[AustralianChaos]

Once Tanga became aware of his daughter closing the gap, he stopped his childish prancing and actually put some effort into his evasion of Marini's chase. He did not put his whole heart into running...that would be unfair on his daughter...but he did make sure that he presented a challenge for her, knowing that while it would frustrate her, she would be even happier when she finally caught him.

But as Tanga ran around, laughing all the way as he occasionally threw his daughter a challenging look over his shoulder, he everntually spotted Heshima sitting nearby, and Kopa was still with her. Kopa appeared to have buried himself in Heshima's fur, and his mate was slowly stroking the cub, a soft, tender look in her emerald eyes that she had, until now, reserved only for the likes of himself and Marini.

Tanga could not help but smile, still looking at his mate. Kopa had really connected with Heshima, and his mate seemed to be returning the connection. Looks like we may end up getting that second child after all, Tanga thought, a little pang of sadness running through him as the thought reminded him of Kopa's real family, which he had mentioned several times now, but never in any real detail.

He had promised Kopa that would help him search for an escape from this place, but Tanga knew that there was pretty much no hope for the cub. All Tanga could do was help him, without promising the impossible, and hope that he was slowly eased into the truth of his situation...that he would almost certainly stay here until he was old and wise, and until his body finally gave in and ended his long life.

In the end, Tanga had become so lost in his thoughts that he did not realise he had stopped, forgetting about his game of tag for a moment. As such, he was snapped back to reality rather suddenly when Marini shot out of nowhere and ploughed straight into him.

[KiarasMate]

Being already past the point of consciously knowing what words were emitting from his muzzle as sleep started to overtake him, Kopa’s constricted frame gradually started to uncurl itself with each tender stroke from Heshima’s soft fore paw. His tired eyes now completely shut and the sounds of his famished belly rumbling occasionally, the young cub’s mind only registered bits and pieces of what the cream colored lioness was telling him as Kopa had already slipped into a very light rest. Sleep however, didn’t come easily for the golden furred cub, as his dreams were once again, filled with strange recollections of events that may or may not have happened. Seeing his parents, his former home, as well as hearing the sounds of happy voices around him, which actually belonged to the outside world around the dozing male. Falling in and out of sleep’s grasp, Kopa’s little body reacted to his dreams as his small legs twitched sporadically, the memory of fleeing from Zira now replaying itself in his mind.

Still picking up upon the sounds of voices around him, Kopa snapped out of the light slumber he had surrendered to, his eyes flittering open as he glanced around. It didn’t appear as though he had been out for very long though and catching sight of Tanga and Marini off in the distance, Kopa realized that he had nodded off. Looking upwards to see what Heshima was up to, Kopa gingerly moved himself back up into a sitting position so that he wouldn’t doze off again, his tiny body still huddling itself against Heshima’s sleek chest fur. Giving the older lioness an appreciative nuzzle, Kopa spoke up in a slightly apologetic voice as he tried to remember what was being discussed before he had drifted off.

”Did I fall asleep Heshima? I’m sorry. What were you saying last?”