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 Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:53 am
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After the coronation had ended one might suspect that Hodari would have felt some resolution to the whole affair that had been the rebellion. The king was dead, she was a regular Guard again and her sister was now the Queen, who she would love and support. Not to mention Hodari still had her own little ones to continue to look after. They may've grown into adolescents, but they were far from being adults. From anyone's view, she should be able to move on with her life.
Alas, no resolution was present in Hodari's mind. She still had one thing left to do, something that had been long in coming: she needed to confront her sister about what had transpired during the rebellion. She had gone over the comverstion dozens of times in her head and now that Kimondo was Queen, she worried that she wouldn't be able to speak with her as a sister any longer. If she wanted to speak to her, she would have to do it soon.
But not on the night of the coronation, when her sister and the family became somewhat of a public spectacle. Hodari had spent a great deal of it at Kimondo's side and then had walked off to sit with her aunt and great-grandmother. Amabala had been the one to excuse her, how embarrassing, but by the time she stumbled into her den, she was exhausted.
She didn't speak to her the day after either, because she lost her nerve. In fact, it wasn't until the fourth evening that she regained it and Amabala had urged her to seek out Kimondo right then, before she lost it again. Her familiar even accompanied her, though at a distance, to steady her if she felt ill or should she collapse into a fit of tears. In her youth, she would have scorned such silliness, but now, Hodari felt like she was carrying some terrible weight in her stomach and the only way to resolve it would be to speak with her sister. Amabala was right, she had to do it now.
With the moon ever present in the sky, Hodari sent a prayer to the Great Lion for this night to go well and set about searching for her sister. When she finally found her, she took a deep breath and then approached the pale lioness.
"Kimondo." She said, her voice kind and steady. It seemed she had some energy for this conversation after all. "I know you're surely busy, but it's such a beautiful night...Will you take a walk to see the moon flowers with me?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 3:00 am
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After her coronation, Kimondo's nerves slowly began to dissipate. The stress of going public with Lailah's decision, the necessary exiles and her idea of allowing slaves to leave.. it had been an awful lot. And yet, four days later, it wasn't looking nearly as bad. Aside from working on learning more about the pride as a whole and dealing with some of the consequences of the dissolution of the Royal Guard.. her days had been fairly easy.
She couldn't imagine any night Shangyue had spent as King being this pleasant, and she still had to deal with the fallout from his reign. She was feeling extremely lucky.. but she was also feeling extremely nervous and shy- even of her friends and family. Liuhe had come by every day to talk to her, but for the most part she had begun to isolate herself. The one she was most purposefully avoiding was Hodari, in fact.. and there were several reasons.
She was caught by surprise when Hodari found her and called out to her, but her shock quickly turned to a smile. It would be impossible to avoid her sister forever, she loved her.
"Of course," she said, "It's nice to see you, Hodari."
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:54 am
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That was it. No turning back, or faking a sudden death. Hodari had asked and Kimondo agreed. This conversation was going to take place. Hodari smiled at her sister and turned her body towards another location she had been avoiding, though less than her sister: the watering hole.
Hodari always wondered that maybe if she had refused to plant flowers with her sister, maybe she would have made a bigger difference in the rebellion. As they walked there, she found her body becoming rigid and her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. Even by the time that her paws had stilled in front of the water's edge, gazing down at the flowers which had taken root and flourished under the light of the moon, she found herself shiver, even though there was no chilled breeze to make her do so.
"I'm happy to see that the flowers are holding up so well." Hodari began, struggling to keep her voice light, but it didn't hold out for long. She stood a steadying breath, glanced over her shoulder to see Amabala sitting several paces away and at his nod, she looked to her sister. "Um, Kimondo? I've actually been meaning to talk to you for some time, but it seems that... I could never really..." She straightened a little and pressed herself forward.
"I need to talk to you about what happened during the rebellion." She waved a paw in the direction of the watering hole and the flowers around it. "I mean, one minute we're planting flowers together and you're talking me up to be this great fighting force for the rebellion and the next, you're killing the king! And now, now you're Queen!" She closed her eyes. "I know it's all over, but I still can't seem to keep up with it. I thought, maybe... Maybe if you could explain to me what had happened, maybe I could understand you more." Her eyes opened, but she padded past her sister and went to the water' edge, staring at her rippling reflection. "Because, stupid as it is, I still can't help but think that I should have been there to help in the attack. I became a Guard for that very reason, but all I managed to do was plant flowers and I thought you were supposed to be the pacifist and I the warrior, but somehow we must have switched or something and I can't keep up with it and-" She splashed her paw into her reflection, causing it to shatter and she withdrew her paw quickly, ducking her head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so worked up. I'm just so confused, Kimondo, and whether we like it or not, it's connected to our flower planting session here, or maybe it was before that, I don't know anymore." Hodari suddenly sounded very defeated, her body taking on the appearance of one who just wanted to sleep and forget her worries for a while more. Where had the energy that was holding her voice steady gone? It was there just moments before!
"I wanted to say all of that in a more... Eloquent way, but now that it's out..." She craned her neck to look at Kimondo. "What do you have to say about all of this, Sister?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 4:03 am
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Kimondo was happy to be going to look at the flowers, they were the one thing she had actually tried to do during the rebellion and she had, for the most part, succeeded. They were beautiful and so far, their reminder of what the pride had gone through was not resented. They would always be important to the pride, regardless of context..
As they walked, Kimondo worked at organizing her own thoughts about what she needed to say but she couldn't shake the feeling that Hodari was nervous.. and that put her off balance. So she didn't say anything at first, until they stopped by the water and she opened her mouth--- but Hodari spoke first.
"Don't be afraid to talk to me--"
She barely got in a sad protest to the idea that they couldn't talk anymore before suddenly Hodari was letting loose all of the thoughts and feelings she had had. Though she had been expecting something like this, she still stared with wide eyes as her sister went on.
Her stomach was all twisted and her heart was racing by the time Hodari finished. She had never meant for things to happen the way they did, and she had certainly never meant to go back on the declaration that she had made while planting flowers with her sister. Her part in the death of the old king had always been known, but it had been overshadowed by the participation of his sons.. until Kimondo had become queen. She had to look away from her sister and down to her feet before she could find her voice.
"It wasn't planned that way, I wasn't supposed to kill him," she explained in a dull voice, "After the duel between Shangyue and Meshach, Liuhe and Yueyun saw an opening and tried to take it. I don't know if it's because it was their father or because they've never had to hunt for themselves or the pride but they couldn't do it."
It was a horrible scene she had walked into, it would be a long time before she forgot it.. but as awful as she thought it was, she knew it was many times worse for the former princes. They would likely be living with what they had done, what they had tried to do, for their entire lives. And there wasn't anything that Kimondo had been able to do for them except take away that final blow.
"They had managed to get the upper paw, but they were in no position to end it," she said grimly, looking up at her sister, "If I hadn't arrived when I did, if I hadn't done what I did, things could have turned around really quickly. And Shangyue wouldn't have hesitated to kill them."
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:59 pm
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Hodari wasn't sure what she expected to hear in response. She had always gone over what she was going to say first, to get everything off her chest. She knew she couldn't run away from this and her paws felt as though they had taken root where she stood, but she managed to approach her sister as she spoke and press her head onto Kimondo's shoulder.
"I guess... I never thought of it that way..." And she hadn't. Hodari had only ever seen it as a right to glory that Kimondo had stolen from her. She had never once thought that maybe Kimondo hadn't wanted to kill Shangyue.
"Well, now I feel stupid." Hodari huffed and pulled away from her sister. "All my fuss had been thinking you delighted in killing the king. I should have just come to talk to you instead of growing as vacant as I did... Heh..." Her voice was growing thick and she closed her eyes and shuddered. "I don't regret having my cubs, you know. They're all so wonderful, Kimondo, but... I shouldn't have had them when I did. I wasn't ready to be a mother." She opened her eyes and smiled a little. "And goodness, I never knew their father would be so persistent! Did you know he's interested in joining the pride? Now I feel like everyone expects me to mate with him, but I still have my life ahead of me! I don't want to be tied down to the mistakes I made..!" She shot Kimondo an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, Kimondo. I don't mean to pull you into my personal problems, especially not when you have so many of your own now. I came here to take about us..." She heaved a long sigh and then smiled. "I didn't get to say it during your coronation, Kimondo, but I want you to know that all of... whatever this was, it's done with. I'm here to support you as my sister, as well as my queen, and..." She shifted her paws awkwardly and then looked up to meet her sister's gaze. "And I hope you can forgive me for my distance and let us act as family again." She said, giving her sister a small hopeful smile. Please let this work, she thought, please let things go back to the easy fun they had when they had planted these flowers as adolescents.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:39 am
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Though the accusations had been expected and the confession easy to give to her dear sister, it didn't make it any easier when Hodari admitted she had never thought about it that way.
"Don't," Kimondo said, offering a reassuring smile and falling silent as her sister went on to talk about her family troubles. She didn't know how to respond to any of that.. of course it had caught her by surprise to learn her sister was pregnant, and by a rogue! But she loved the cubs as much as any family member, she admired Hodari as a mother and her ability to make the most of a potentially awkward situation with the lion who sired her cubs.
"Hodari, I don't want you to ever think you can't talk to me about anything," she said, "I pulled away from everybody, too. Liuhe and Yueyun got most of the attention for what happened and I was trying to keep it that way. I just couldn't hide from it after Lailah asked me to be queen."
Another murderer on the throne.. she hadn't expected it to be what the shaman would choose for the pride, but deep down she knew that what she had done was different than the crimes of her predecessor. She had only tried to rescue her friends, who were trying so desperately to free the pride from the paranoid rule of an incompetent king.
"If you can forgive me," she said, "I'd be happy to act like a family again."
belloblossom ((No worries! xD They talked this out fast, haha~ luckily there is more to discuss >D ))
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 2:02 am
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Hodari wasn't sure if she wanted to tackle Kimondo into a hug (though she wasn't sure if that was appropriate behavior... to tackle a queen...) or cry. She had carried this all for so long, she wasn't quite sure what to do with it now that she had it all in the open. She wasn't being banished, that was one doubt that had worried her, since her sister had become queen. So hey, at least there was that, right? But it was more than that, really. It was forgiveness and acceptance and everything good in between.
"Oh, Kimondo." She gasped and settled for rubbing her sister's cheek with her own and giving a rumbling purr. "Dear, dear, sister-mine." She brushed her tail against her sister's flank and needed to be near her, for it felt like years and gone by between them not speaking.
When she was finished with the majority of her silliness, she leaned back and smiled, her eyes bright and her heart lighter.
"Well then, now that we've got that out of the way." The look directed at her sister was playful. "We've brushed up on how my love life has gone, but how are you doing with it? I notice you've spent a lot of time with Liuhe, even before you killed his dad." Her eyebrows waggled suggestively. "Is there any lion that has attracted your eye? You know he or any male will have to pass my sister-bond-required test if he is to court you." Said Hodari with a grin, nudging her sister's shoulder with her own.
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:00 pm
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When Hodari came close, Kimondo sighed quietly in relief and nuzzled back against her sister. It seemed so silly now that it was all said and done, they had each been wrong to doubt the other and no good had come of it except that now they had the opportunity to make up. That, at least, was a nice feeling.
"M-my love life?" she stammered when suddenly Hodari boldly asked a question Kimondo was sure many lions around the pride had in mind, "Liuhe is my friend, just a friend."
She smiled. She wasn't terribly offended by the idea, they really were good friends.
"I'm pretty sure Liuhe has his eye on someone, though," she stated boldly, grinning, "But not me, and I don't know that I want to rush into that.. even though I'm sure every other lion around here is wondering when we might get a King and Heir."
Bleh.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 1:33 am
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Hodari grinned at her sister's discomfort on the topic. Since having her own litter (even if the circumstances leading to it had been awkward and accidental) she thought herself wiser on the matter. It was something she had on her queen and sister, she thought, and that was good enough for her.
"Just a friend, hm?" She rolled the notion over in her mind. "I suppose it would be a peculiar match to be mated to to a former Heir, or even someone who may have had claim to the throne..." She gave Kimondo a sympathetic smile. "Though I'm sure whoever you choose will be the best-especially after I check them out to make sure of it." She winked at her sister.
"Does he now?" She inquired after her sister, her ears perking up in interest, "Do you have any suspicions to who it might be?" She wasn't hoping it was her, that would be silly, of course, seeing as she had never even spoken with him before... but it would be nice to be noticed by someone in the pride, for once.
When the topic shifted slightly to her sister acknowledging the fact that the pride might be eager for the knowledge of when the pride would get a new King and Heir, Hodari snorted.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. What with how the last King was? I wouldn't be surprised if they just wished you to rule for a while yet."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 3:04 am
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She wrinkled her nose and smiled at Hodari when she asked who Liuhe might have his eye on. It wasn't her place to say, especially considering the circumstances.. she had wondered if she noticed before either party involved, but another part of suspected that wasn't the case. It simply wasn't that easy.
"I do have my suspicions. If you had a hundred guesses, I don't think you'd get it," she said with a snicker, happier discussing Liuhe's love life than her own- and pleased that her sister defended the idea of having only a queen for a time, "I hope you're right. I want my mate to be my decision and I don't think now is the right time for me to make that decision."
It was still too early and it was a liberty she would fight to keep if she had to.. she didn't see any reason why she couldn't make her own choice of mate. History suggested it went well enough.. Poor Selene had been in an arranged marriage that was, by all accounts, happy.. but it resulted in Shangyue.
"I do have a plan, though," she said brightly, straightening up, "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about it."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 3:19 am
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Ah, it seemed that her sister didn't yet know of who Liuhe's gaze fell fondly upon, alas. Not wanting to come across as disappointed, for again she had never talked to the lion (though goodness, was his fiery mane striking) she went on.
"Well, he's a very handsome lion and if he's a friend of yours, Kimondo, he must have good manners and morals both. Therefore, whoever he likes is sure to be a lucky lioness... Assuming she fancies him back." A hundred guesses... Could it be something as scandalous as a rogue female? Then she remembered that she had had a fling with a rogue herself and not to go around wondering about such scandals that hit a little too close to home.
At the mention of a plan, Hodari turned to her sister with rapt attention.
"Well, I do like plans." She said with a conspirator's grin. "Oh yes, Kimondo, do go ahead and tell me."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 3:46 am
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Despite all of her planning for this, Kimondo found it was harder to spit out than she expected. It was a logical suggestion based on historical evidence and common sense. She had come to terms with the danger she had put herself in by taking over the pride, but there was still something horrible about having to talk about it with her family.
Still, she smiled.
"Well, aside from the part I played in the Rebellion, there are a few reasons I can think of that made me an appealing option for the Shaman when she had to name a new ruler," she said, starting at the beginning as if she didn't want to rush to her point, "My- our great grandmother was a well-liked Queen. She didn't have any high class children, and her children didn't have any.. until us. And you and I are the only girls."
Kimondo paused and pawed at the dirt idly, though keeping her eyes on Hodari.
"It would be foolish to ignore the longevity of our past monarchs," she said, "Lailah chose me, but I'm choosing you. If I take too long to produce an heir, if something happens to me.. I want you to take my place."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 4:04 am
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Hodari wasn't quite sure she followed the direction that her sister was taking. She had assumed that she was going to be enlightened on the qualities of a lion that her sister might be interested in and then Hodari could go out and investigate the eligible pride males for those qualities and report back. When her sister began to speak of why she had been chosen as the Queen by the Shaman, Lailah, Hodari realized she didn't have the faintest idea what this "plan" was that her sister had in mind.
And when it finally came down to it and the plan was announced, Hodari went slack-jawed. She stared at her sister with an indecipherable expression on her face. She felt similarly confused and horrified and sort of happy too, but... Where had THAT come from?
"I-What?" She asked, utterly befuddled. "I-" How on earth was she supposed to respond to that anyway? "Thank you?"
She shook herself a little, trying to regain her senses from their sudden shock.
"Yes, thank you, Kimondo. I'm... Great Lion, I don't know how to feel, if I'm honest, but that is an honor-though, mind you, one that I will not be taking on. I mean, I will if I have to, but I will do everything," She scooted closer to Kimondo and bumped her shoulder against her sister's, "And I do mean everything to keep you safe." She grinned at her sister then. "When I became a Guard, rather than a Lady, it was because I wanted to protect my family, even though my duties would become to the entire pride and its ruler. Now with you as Queen, I'm doubly enthusiastic, because I get to do both at the same time!" She purred, but fell silent after a moment. "Really though, thank you, Kimondo. The sentiment alone means a lot to me." And it did, too. Whether Kimondo just did it for the sentiment or whether she actually thought Hodari would be able to pull herself together enough after Kimondo's end and become the new Queen (which was the LAST thing Hodari wanted to think about) the idea of it, the simple notion was enough to make Hodari feel important to her sister again and she would treasure it.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 4:20 am
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Kimondo was surprised to realize she was shaking a little bit as Hodari slowly went over what was being asked of her and finally accepted, in a way. Her smile brightened once again and she leaned against her sister gratefully. She expected that kind of answer, but in there was what she wanted to hear. If she had to, Hodari would become queen.
"Thank you, Hodari," she said, "I know it's not easy to talk about, but I'm happier knowing someone I love and trust can pick up where I leave off if the worst should happen. But don't get me wrong, I'd like to avoid that too."
She chuckled. Since she didn't have her own little family to focus on, she was able to focus on including her parents and siblings more than she might have otherwise.. and she was grateful for that. Except that it involved being hyper-aware of the fact that her dad, also a guard, was probably stalking her.
He really needed a hobby.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 4:30 am
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Hodari's mind was still reeling from the new information that had just been delivered to her. She vaguely recalled this sensation to being similar as to when she realized that her belly rounding was on account of her being with cubs and not simple belly fat.
"Goodness, this has been a night." Hodari remarked. "So many confessions and plans and talks of love." She gave her sister another playful nudge at the word. "Oh, it is good to get this all out in the open. I am glad for your company, dear Kimondo." She turned her gaze out towards the water and the flowers that were growing about the shore and smiled, maneuvering her tail in such a manner that it curled around her sister's.
"I've been so caught up in, well, catching up, that I'd nearly forgotten what I invited you out here to do in the first place." She said with a nod towards the flowers, the water and the moon. "I know things will change in some way or another, but I hope that this place will always be one that remains the same. At the very least, I know I will always come here and remember fond times, now." She purred and her mind cleared and settled. She didn't have to think of her own Queendom, not in the slightest. She was a Guard and one that would protect her sister and Queen in every manner that she could and that was that. That, she realized with a great sense of relief, was more than enough.
Ecavi Unless you can think of other things for them to talk of, maybe your next post might wrap up to RP? Ahh, I love this sister pair so much. heart
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