Okavango

[dakota]

As Jabari moved in closer to the lioness, he again stopped and listened just as her head snapped up staring at him, her eyes blank but her face betraying fear.
Not bothering now with her thoughts, Jabari pulled her in closer with the cub, pressing her tightly against himself, hoping she could feel his warmth and his determination to protect her.

"It's only me Jabari, Meri... you are safe and nothing will happen to you. The thunder and lightening can't hurt you, you are in the cave, you need to calm your breathing down.. and then the rest of you will as well."

Hearing a noise at the cave entrance, Jabari stiffened slightly, he could attack quiet easily if he had too, he had promised Meri and the cub he would let nothing happen to them and he wasn't about to betray them with meaningless words., but then his posture relaxed when he saw the cheelion and Basilisk enter, dragging with them fresh meat from a kill.

"Dinner time"
The cheetahs eyes opened slightly when he saw a smile for the first time on her face, it transformed her, much better than that sourly look she had been displaying for all to see.
Jabari smiled in return, his stomach also giving a reply by growling loudly for all to hear.
"I'll take some after you two have eaten seeing you did all the hard work, plus it will give Meri time to 'relax'"

Turning to the lion as he spoke.
"So how did you all find this place anyway?"

"You forget Basilisk I have been here for a long while, I knew the cave was here, it's just I prefer usually to sleep in the open so I can see all comings and goings, much better than being trapped in a cave and nowhere to go, plus the trampled grass leading back and forth combined with your scent, wasn't too hard to pick up, even for a cheetah like myself.."

Moving his head, Jabari looked beyond Sera and the male.
" Is it just you two ? I thought karensha was out there with Sefu and the snake ?"

[blaqknoise]

"I'll take some after you two have eaten seeing you did all the hard work, plus it will give Meri time to 'relax'"

"If you insist." Basilisk said before ripping off a piece and returning to the corner.

"Is it just you two? I thought karensha was out there with Sefu and the snake?"

"Karensha probably went for that swim she mentioned before, and Sefu is going to sit in the rain, I don't want him in here. The snake was with Sefu, so I assume she'll stay."

[Kirsui]

Sera saw Jabari's eyes widen slightly when he realized she was smiling at him, but she didn't comment on it. It was so unlike her to smile, and it felt rather... Nice.

"I'll take some after you two have eaten seeing you did all the hard work, plus it will give Meri time to 'relax'"

The cheelion shrugged and walked to the gazelle. She leaned down to tear a piece from it, and suddenly she realized how hungry she was.

However, when she caught the sight of Meri from her eye corner, she froze. The lioness was now staring at her with her eyes wide, and the utterly horrified look on the lioness' face made Sera feel bad. She glanced down at the gazelle, then tore off the piece of meat she had meant for herself. She then walked over to the white lioness, careful not to make any sudden movements so that she wouldn't be scared.

When she reached Meri, she placed the piece of meat in front of the lioness and gave her another of her uncharacteristic warm smiles.
"Here... You'll feel better when you eat some."

She then walked back to the gazelle to get some meat for herself as well. Meri simply stared at the piece of meat in front of her, trying to determine whether or not it was dangerous to eat it. She blinked, then snatched the meat, holding it between her paws as she carefully began to chew on it. Funnily enough now that she had something to do the thunder no longer seemed to make her jump.

---

"So snake, got anything to talk about while we stay out here."

Kabechet looked up at Sefu with unblinking eyes, her tongue flicking in and out.
"Not particularly", she replied.
"Unlessss you wissh to tell me more of yoursself? I already sshared my 'life sstory' with you, after all."

[Genie]

Maji hung back as others ate food, what was he meant to do, he could't eat that, he was to young. He turned around and layed on the ground, he did't want to watch them eat when he could't.

[epppe]

"Unlessss you wissh to tell me more of yoursself? I already sshared my 'life sstory' with you, after all."

"Theres not much really important about, I'm just a lion wandering around. That seems like a pretty simple story."

Sefu wasn't much of a fan of talking about his own past, it was something he wasn't used to or bothered doing usually. He wondered if he should go find his own shelter so he could dry off, or just stay in the rain and fall asleep. Being to lazy of course, he just stayed in his spot and started to fall asleep.

"I think I'll fall asleep now so you can do whatever you want."

[Kirsui]

"I think I'll fall asleep now so you can do whatever you want."

Kabechet stared at Sefu with surprised, then hissed an amused laughter.
"You are a sstrange lion", she said in between her laughs.
"Are you alwayss thiss trussting of sstrangerss? I am no ordinary ssnake, yet you are ready to rissk your life jusst to ssleep on the sspot with no one elsse than mysself and you pressent."

She shook her head, and chuckled, placing her head on her curled body as she watched Sefu with a grin.
"Ssleep, then... If you dare."

[dakota]

Jabari watched as the cheelion gave some meat to Meri and she held it tight as though someone was going to take it from her, and then she began to eat, the sounds of the storm outside seems to be pushed away for now.
Looking back at Sera, he gave her a grateful smile, it seemed there was more to her underneath that they could look forward too.

Feeling another movement at his paws, Jabari looked upon the cub, frowing as he saw that he was missing out on nourishment, while the rest ate in front of him.

"I'm sorry little one, I don't know how Karensha has been feeding you, I know you can't suckle from her, so somehow shes been finding something for you to eat, I'm sure she will be back soon from her little walk, and then everything will be alright."

While Meri continued to chew on the meat, the cheetah took the time to rise to his paws and walk to the cave entrance. Sticking out his head and shoulders only, he moved his head in a semi circle, spying Sefu and the snake still beside each other attempting to sleep.
' Fools, both should be out of the storm, before a lightening bolt hits and fries the both of them.....wonder what baked snake meat tastes like.'

Taking one more look in case he missed Karensha, Jabari gave up and retreated back into the cave. Pausing by the carcass, his teeth dug in, blood oozing over his lips and ripped a piece off and backed away to where he again was by the small lioness side.
Sighing with pleasure, Jabari gave up his thoughts and just enjoyed the taste of having fresh meat once again to satisfy his hunger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karensha stayed under the water, her eyes open watching the colours play over the top of the waterhole from the lightening when suddenly she felt the urge to be up above among it once again.
Kicking her back paws she pushed up and surfaced, blowing water from her mouth like a miniture fountain, spraying all around her, listening as she heard it drop back down in the water causing little ripples to move around.

Staying where she was, she turned herself over floating on her back. Closing her eyes she thought about what she had done, how she had killed Naheem, the one that she heard some whispering about, saying that he could be her father and that's why he paid such a close interest in her.
A shudder tore through her and her eyes moistened... was she such a monster that she had killed her own flesh and blood. The thoughts rushing around her mind made her eyes fly opena nd she rolled over and kicked towards some flat rocks on the other side. Pulling herself up on solid ground she stood still, opened her mouth and roared as loud as she could, she herself wasn't even sure what it was for.

[epppe]

Sefu was just about to go to sleep until he heard the snake start speaking. He began to wonder why it seemed everyone had to annoy him and not let him sleep.

"Why would you want to kill me?"
He asked the snake while getting back up.
"I'm not really with this group or with Karensha so that's not the reason. I only watched as Karensha and the kid who whines too much killed whats-his-name, so you wouldn't want revenge on me for that. Maybe food, but I'm sure you would find something without sharp claws or teeth that would be easier to kill."

Standing up now, Sefu turned so he was facing the snake and so he could watch the snake.
"Now if you just wanted to kill me for fun, then you wouldn't really have any fun if you killed me in my sleep."

He suddenly heard a roar that seemed to come by the waterhole that the others weree at earlier. Sefu knew some things about snakes, mainly that they don't have ears and can't hear. Snakes had to see what others were saying and he was proven right about that when he saw that this snake would always be looking at the others mouths when they spoke.

"I'll be back snake."
He said before walking off to see where the roar came from.

It didn't take to long to find where the source of the roar came from and it turned out to be Karensha. Why she was roaring though was something he didn't understand. Walking up to her, Sefu saw that she looked a little disturbed about something.

"What's with the roaring kid, are you trying to be louder than the thunder?"

[blaqknoise]

"I'm sorry little one, I don't know how Karensha has been feeding you, I know you can't suckle from her, so somehow shes been finding something for you to eat, I'm sure she will be back soon from her little walk, and then everything will be alright."

"Perhaps Sera or this other lioness will volunteer"

Basilisk chuckled to himself, knowing that their answer would be an obvious no.
He walked over to his usually corner and sat down, looking at all those who were joining him in the cave tonight. Without an invitation of course.

"It's going to be... comfy in here tonight."

[Kirsui]

"Perhaps Sera or this other lioness will volunteer."

Sera glared at Basilisk over the carcass.
"Very funny, Basilisk", she muttered.
"With the rate I'm producing milk, even you would be better off feeding the kid."

She then proceeded to rip off a piece of the gazelle, ignoring Basilisk for now. She backed away from the carcass so that she was comfortably settled against the wall. She could see everyone from where she was. She seemed fairly relaxed and her eyes were half closed as she chewed her food. Her ears, however, kept twitching, indicating that she was still fully alert in case of surprising sounds.

"It's going to be... comfy in here tonight."

Sera chuckled, glancing at Basilisk with her eyes still half closed.
"Well, I'm sure that if anyone begins to feel uncomfortable, they can always go outside."
She grinned, then returned her attention to her food.
"After all, what would be more comfier than a downpour and thunderstorm?"

---

"I'll be back snake."

Kabechet watched as Sefu walked away with curiosity in her eyes. Something obviously had caught the lion's attention. She flicked her tongue out, but the downpour was washing away all the scents that she otherwise would have tasted in the air. She hadn't felt any major vibrations on the ground, nor had she seen anything... So it must have been a sound.

She shook her head, briefly wondering whether or not to follow Sefu. With a sigh she decided it wasn't worth it, and besides the downpour was making her feel lazy. Perhaps it would be better that she headed inside that cave that had been mentioned...

She gave one last glance to the direction where Sefu had walked, then uncurled herself and headed after the fading scent trail of the group, knowing that the cave could not be too far away.

[dakota]

"What's with the roaring kid, are you trying to be louder than the thunder?"

Karensha whirled around in shock, how had she let someone come upon her unobserved, she thought they were all tucked up in the cave by now, and there was Sefu staring at her like she had lost it.
Standing there with water still dripping down her, all she could do was stare back at him.

"Have you ever done something... and at the time you were filled with so much hate because all you could think of was past years filled with torture and being ignored until you were useful for something, something that you despised but still had to do it ?"

Pausing for a moment and swallowing slowly, Karensha lifted her head once more to meet his eyes.
" And then you escape and you can taste and smell freedom and for once in your life it's only you... you are making your own decisions, deciding if you want to sleep or not...just you."

Again she stopped, waiting for a mocking reply from the male, but for some reason nothing was forthcoming. Blinking her lilac eyelashes, Karensha chewed on her lower lip, moistened her lips and decided to carry on.
"And then it all looks like it's going to come crashing down, when you find someone won't allow you your freedom, they want to keep you prisoner still, so you retalliate because you can't think past the hatred of that one... even though he could be your father, but that still doesn't stop you and ....you kill him and then dispose of his body and just walk away."

Taking some steps till she was now standing in front of him, she whispered to him
"Does that make me evil like he was?"

[blaqknoise]

"Well, I'm sure that if anyone begins to feel uncomfortable, they can always go outside. After all, what would be more comfier than a downpour and thunderstorm?"

"Karensha seems to like these thunderstorms a lot, perhaps there's something to it that I'm missing."

Basilisk continued ripping and chewing at the piece he had ripped of the carcass. It was going to be a pretty different night. He wasn't used to sleeping with a lot of people, he didn't mind though. He missed being with a group after being alone for so long with minimal interaction with others.

[epppe]

Sefu just listened as Karensha started talking about her past it seemed. Before he knew it though, She was right in front of him and asking him a question.

"Does that make me evil like he was?"

He didn't know exactly how to respond to her, but had to take a step back so that they weren't so close.

"You don't seem like the evil type to me," he replied back to her, "You are more of the caring type seeing that you are taking care of that cub."

He wondered if that would atleast cheer her up a bit even though it wasn't much that he said. Knowing that he was going to say more, he let out a sigh to continue.

"But if you are still not convinced that you aren't evil, remember why you killed him, so no one would go through the pain that he caused you. If he was still alive, he would have caused that same pain for everyone else here. If it was me, I would have done the same thing as you and killed whoever that was."
Showing a smile now, Sefu was tired of standing out in the rain talking.
"Now isn't there a cub that you should be watching over?"

[dakota]

Jabari kept chewing on his meal while he listened to the banter between the cheelion and Basilisk, smiling to himself when she suggested Basilisk feed the cub.

'Karensha seems to like these thunderstorms a lot, perhaps there's something to it that I'm missing.'

Looking his way Jabari, then looked past him to where he could see the rain pouring down, still with lightening brightening the sky.
"I hope she's ok, she hasn't been here that long to know the place like I do, things change when your footing isn't secure, and storms can disorientate you."

Licking his lips cleaning away the remaining bits of flesh that clung, the cheetah rose to his feet and picked his way past the others to where he stopped at the cave entrance. Sticking his head out, he looked over to where he had last seen Karensha, Sefu and the snake, his eyes narrowing when they were there no more.

"They've all disapeared ! "

[Kirsui]

"They've all disapeared ! "

"Not quite..." Kabechet said when she slowly slipped inside the cave. Her movements were sluggish, the rain clearly had taken its toll on her.

Either way, the cobra didn't mind. Perhaps now the group wouldn't feel quite as uncomfortable around her as when she was warm. But, just to be safe, she curled herself a fair distance away from the others, making sure rain or wind wouldn't hit her. She placed her head on her curled body, watching the group closely in case anyone said anything.

---

Sera was slightly startled when Kabechet suddenly arrived, but the way she reacted was far from Meri's. The white lioness stared at the snake with wide eyes, threatening to fall back to her paralysed state.

The cheelion sighed and shook her head, gulped down the remaining of her food and made her way to Meri. She didn't say anything, just laid down next to the lioness, successfully blocking her view of the snake as well as the cave entrance. The lioness instantly relaxed, then calmly continued to chew on her food.

[blaqknoise]

"Not quite..."

Basilisk looked up and saw that the snake had now entered his cave. He wondered if Sefu would show up next seeing as he was with the snake, but after a few moments no one else showed up.

"Doesn't anyone ever ask if they can come in first?" Basilisk sighed to himself.

[dakota]

"But if you are still not convinced that you aren't evil, remember why you killed him, so no one would go through the pain that he caused you. If he was still alive, he would have caused that same pain for everyone else here. If it was me, I would have done the same thing as you and killed whoever that was."
.
"Now isn't there a cub that you should be watching over?"

Karensha watched Sefu's eyes as he talked to her, it seemed he was earnest in what he was speaking, making her relax a little.
Smiling a little at him in return when she saw the look of distaste come across his features when more rain hit his head and rolled down dripping off his nose.

"I'll be back in a little while, maybe you should go and see if there's any room in Basilisks cave, I'm sure if you all snuggled up close it could be attainable."

Grinning a little, Karensha turned and started to move away, but paused looking back at the lion.
"I...thankyou Sefu, now you better get moving before to start to shake any harder. I will be there sooner or later."

Just as another lightening strike hit the sky, the snow leopard jumped back into the water , surfacing and lay there floating with her eyes staring up at the night sky in all its glory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jabari stood there looking around as far as he could see without actually going out into the storm, when suddenly in front of him appeared the snake answering his previous question.
'Not quite'

His eyes opening wider, Jabari just stood there quiet as kabechet slithered past him and found herself a warm spot, which he saw was apart from the others.

"Doesn't anyone ever ask if they can come in first?"

Moving backwards away from the cave opening, the cheetah made to move past the lion.
" It's called making do with what you've got and that includes sharing Basilisk, but don't worry... the longer you are here the more you'll get used to it all."

Turning he laid back down by Maji and Meri, surprised to find the cheelion almost guarding them, seems they had another one to learn about, peel back the layers she had tried to hide.
Dropping to the ground Jabari stretched out his long front legs and laid his head upon them and quietly spoke.

"Thank you Sera."

[blaqknoise]

"It's called making do with what you've got and that includes sharing Basilisk, but don't worry... the longer you are here the more you'll get used to it all."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing that everyone all of a sudden wants to use the cave, I'm just saying it would be nice if people used their manners."

Basilisk took another look at everyone in the cave once again, and then continued eating.

[Kirsui]

"Thank you Sera."

The cheelion turned her gaze at Jabari and nodded slowly. She had seen the surprise on his face when he had realized where she had positioned herself. It wasn't like her, she had to admit that much... But she didn't want to watch Meri fall back to her paralysed state, or give the cobra another clear shot at Maji. One time was enough for her, and for now she would stay and guard Maji and Meri.

---

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing that everyone all of a sudden wants to use the cave, I'm just saying it would be nice if people used their manners."

Kabechet flicked her tongue in and out for a moment before she hissed a small laughter.
"Apologiess then, Bassilissk", she said.
"I did not realize at firsst that thiss wass your cave. I ssee it now though, your sscent iss all over the place."
She paused.
"Though it iss late for it now, I sstill assk... May I sstay in thiss cave until the rain sstopss?"

She was very amused by her late question, and allowed it to show on her expression. She just found it rather funny that she of all things would need to ask anyone whether or not she could stay somewhere. After all, what would they do if their answer was no? Attack her, and try not to get bitten?

[epppe]

Sefu cringed when Karensha told him to go to Basilisk's cave. The only reason he would go there would be so he could annoy the other lion some more, but he didn't think it was worth spending the night in his cave for. He saw that Karensha jumped back into the water and just laid down at the edge of the water.

When she came back up, Sefu just watched as she floated there.

"I'd rather stay out here than go to the cave," Sefu said to the leopard. "Everyone there usually annoys me, something you haven't really done so far."
Another bolt lightning flashed causing more thunder which made Sefu annoyed with the loud noise.
"I also think a majority already there don't want me in there."