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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 21:32:25 GMT
What about you?
Sam Kabili had asked her that and Tara had answered, but not well. After taking Bili over to meet Yun Mibu, and the clouded leopard was working with King Simba on what would and wouldn't be allowed in terms of his appearances within the Pride Lands or just sticking to surrounding lands, she had asked one odd favor that needed one one's permission, since it was back in the unclaimed lands.
Could he take her to where she'd seen some of the wreckage of one of the planes?
Something she'd avoided after realizing there were no survivors but now wanted to see again. The kind leopard hadn't asked too many questions and just complied.
She figured her friendship with Bili (that would be easier remembered) now gave her a free pass across the Pride Lands, and for the most part didn't encounter problems, but the border and if leopards were allowed still made Yun Mibu a bit nervous so he tended to hang out in what was still the Backlands but within distance to help if there was trouble, so Tara and near the borders once more.
Thankfully one of the storage sections of 'her' wreck had come off away from the main crash sight and she could salvage her personal helmet she'd stored and should have maybe been wearing, though the section of cockpit she'd tumbled into had shielded well enough.
Hers was just like the one he wore, though, and with his personal logo of his own pilot company on the side. She smiled wistfully as she dusted it off then put it on, going to the next stage and rather than salvaging scrap metal (she'd thought about rocket packs, but fuel was an issue) gathered some support beams and old tarps and scrap fabric etc for a new idea.
Hang-gliding; and with her aviation know-how of even just beginning maybe modified to catch air mid-flight just like birds and not always have to leap off and start. That was like step 10 of the process, though, first, Step 0.5, actually getting air...
Birds were even gathering in the trees. Probably to laugh if this didn't work.
"Watch out, the skies are soon not going to be yours anymore", she warned them, then tightened one more thing and tested the tautness of the thin but sturdy fabric and got ready. "Ok...here goes...".
She gripped both poles and started off at a run, grinning as she felt herself get air. "Hey, I...".
She came down again. Only unlike what she'd heard was the learning curve of hang-gliding, not softly as she tipped herself just enough and a breeze caught the left side, almost lifting her up but instead just sending her even faster horizontally, almost just skimming the ground, and of course right towards Thurston's herd.
"Panic and run!" Was that all they said?
The tip of the glider hit the dirt and she tumbled. Oh well, what the helmet was for. She sat up and straightened it. "Ok so Test .001 was...". She turned back to her make-shift glider, currently surrounded by panicking zebras, some even smashing the tips.
"Hey! Careful! I need that for the next test!", she rushed over and heard cawing. Yep. She was pretty sure that was how birds laughed.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2021 15:36:11 GMT
Kabili had introduced his friend, Tara, to them and gained her and Simba's approval for the girl to come and go as she would*, but that had been the most basic and rudimentary of greetings and Nala was eager to get to know the girl more.
Plus, and though the girl had a guardian, in her own motherly way the lioness wished to still check on how she was doing with all the similar situations to how Kabili had come to them.
She unexpectedly got her chance as she was wandering along, and spotted Thurston's herd darting towards her in classic Panic and Run formation. She dodged out of the way, then tried to call the zebra leader's attention.
"Thurston? What is it?".
The zebra did pause long enough to answer, "Oh your highness it's just dreadful, that...thing, your son's friend, pardon, but she attacked us from the sky!", he then commenced his panic and darted off.
Nala didn't want to say she didn't believe the zebra, but this did warrant investigation either-way and just because she couldn't understand what he could mean.
She followed the path the zebras had panicked from and found the girl beside...something. Of all the human tools she'd seen thus far, she'd seen nothing like this.
Thurston had said something about her coming from the sky, so Nala checked on the girl as well as the situation as a whole as she approached. "Is everything alright, Tara?".
{*I may tweak this if things change with any official threads}
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Samwel Igwe
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Human Prince of the Pridelands
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Post by Samwel Igwe on Feb 21, 2021 4:47:02 GMT
Kabili had been out and about after a meeting with Zazu when mention of panic and humans had gotten to him.
Oh good, what had happened now? Had some humans decided to go hunting? Man he should have known it would happen eventually. But honestly, he had expected even just a little breather between issues at this point. So he’d headed down to where they’d mentioned the issue rather quickly to get through it.
He... Had not expected what he found.
Of course one of his parents was already there. Though it was Nala this time and not Simba which surprised him a little. And Tara...? What was that thing she was using? It looked like a glider. Making his way past Thurston with a nod of recognition he spoke up.
“Hey! What’s going on? I heard there was a commotion,” he nodded to Nala. “Mom.”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2021 15:39:31 GMT
As she stood and dusted herself off, Tara spotted the queen approach. "Oh, uh, good afternoon your majesty", she dropped into a small dip of a bow. Couldn't be too polite to the reigning king and queen lions, and even if both seemed fair and kind.
She grimaced, and especially as Bili walked up to also be informed on her crazy idea. "Yeah...I'm...afraid Thurston's gonna really not like me now, I crashed my...attempt at a gilder into his herd".
The queen was going to need more of an explanation she realized, and glanced fully to her as she added, "Humans have always...been trying to fly, you saw the planes, well before that we would catch air with fabric, and I was using some of what I found to try, for while I'm here", she shrugged.
On some level it showed her realizing how she could be here a while, and if she did decide to go back, how that was complicated and she would have to deal with the group and then who knew what.
"It still takes some work, staying up and I just started trying", she shrugged, "But I am being a disturbance after yall let me hang around and I am sorry for that". She shot Bili a sorry look too since he'd vouched for her.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2021 15:41:30 GMT
The girl didn't seem hurt, and that was good.
Nala turned and smiled to Kabili as he walked up before glancing back to Tara, listening as she explained. Just when she'd thought Kabili was teaching her fascinating things about humans (and he was!).
Humans, not content with the ground and trying to be birds was new, but admirable in a way. Or was it stubborn? "Fascinating...", she walked over to examine the contraption Tara had apparently made and was testing, glancing back up to her and Kabili, "Your kind never ceases to amaze me".
Tara apologized, "Oh, Thurston panics at everything, it's not problem", she soothed the situation, and gave something of queenly permission to the girl, "You go right ahead and learn to fly!". And she would be interested to watch if she actually did crack it.
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Samwel Igwe
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Human Prince of the Pridelands
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Post by Samwel Igwe on Feb 22, 2021 22:33:36 GMT
Kabili let Tara do the explaining.
After all he only knew so much about this stuff. Especially when the first time he had been on a plane of any kind had been well *the* flight. “Wow, I didn’t even know that,” he admitted about the gliders. He always assumed that was some sort of modern invention. “That’s so cool! I wanna try too!”
When she mentioned causing a disturbance and Thurston freaking out, he simply pointed at Nala and nodded. Considering she hit the nail on the head harder than he’d expected. “She’s right. He freaks out at his own reflection at the watering hole,” he joked. “Come on, I wanna see you try that again!”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 22:55:44 GMT
Kabili not only didn't call her plan crazy, he wanted to try! That was a whole other level of pressure to how well she could get it working. They both did not need any further reminders of plummeting from the sky, though unless they jumped off cliffs, that shouldn't happen, but still if she did her job right the right wind could launch them up pretty high. It would also maybe even help Kabili to have better memories of the sky than just the plane crash. So, she smiled, "Yeah, sure, I mean I gotta fix a few things". She walked back over to a torn edge of the glider and examined it. Thankfully the zebras' panicking hadn't done the damage she felt it had at first, and it was just that one spot. "Hmm...some tape for now...", she rummaged in her pack and brought out some cellulose tape, "I'll have to find a better solution at some point and on further tests, but let's see what this does!", she grinned. "Here, let me just make sure it will work", she actually decided maybe part of the support was her problem and let some of the bars go for just hand holds and a way to pull the sail the change direction, next gripping those bars and looking for a spot to hop off from. She figured a small rock would do and rushed over to try, immediately catching at least a slight breeze that took her a small bit up and pulling the sail she was able to direct her course back down, landing softer this time. "Ok, yeah that will work!", she grinned back over at Kabili, "You wanna try now?". With or without here there, whatever he wanted. {I'm not a glider expert myself, if it seems logical I say sure he/they could do it }
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 22:56:24 GMT
Nala listened as Tara explained how to best give it another try, fascinated even though she didn't understand the actual particulars of what the girl was describing. It sounded like they took their inspiration from bird wings, though, and that made sense.
She settled on the grass content to watch the two kids and their experiments...and not because she was nervous of Kabili getting hurt. Or she told herself this wasn't the case.
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Samwel Igwe
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Post by Samwel Igwe on Feb 23, 2021 23:14:29 GMT
Kabili decided to watch Tara work rather than interfered.
Honestly he didn’t know a whole lot about this stuff - again. So the last thing he wanted to do was screw her up. He watched Nala slowly, half expecting she might get a little nervous about him doing this now that he -was- officially her son. But then again, he really doubted Tara was the kind of person who would put him in direct danger.
So instead, he decided to just kind of reassure her just in case. After all, Nala had earned his utmost respect as his adoptive mother and he wanted her to know that. “Don’t worry mom, I won’t go too high I promise,” he explained. “It’s not like an actual plane like what came down. You’d need a whole lot more for that.”
When Tara did manage to work it correctly he gave a little bit of applause and grinned. “Heck yeah! I wanna do it!” He managed as he approached. “How exactly do I work it? Is there a steering thing or...?”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2021 16:02:41 GMT
If she wasn't pleased enough with her progress, Bili's own cheering furthered it. Tara grinned, partly at the success as well as Bili's own enthusiasm.
"Ok, ok", she handed over the two hand holds of the glider, once Bili had reassured the queen. "Ok yeah, um it's a bit hard to see with the glider all on the ground, but imagine a bird soaring", she explained, and held her arms out to indicate the two wings. "If the wind's pushing you up this way and you pull this one you'll go higher or pull it this way to ride it down, see?".
She indicated in her own tipping side to side but then showed him the straps by putting her hands on the strings above where he held and demonstrating. She checked how the wind was blowing again, "And we're on a good test day, it shouldn't...just take you up".
She didn't want to scare him.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2021 16:03:16 GMT
Did her nervousness she was trying to still hide show that much? Nala smiled to herself and her son as he promised not to go high. "Oh, I know...but yes...do be careful".
She didn't want to say Tara's explanations made her more nervous, and she did trust the girl. So much mutual trust had gone back and forth and since she had herself come to the Pride Lands.
To not disrupt their ecosystem by Yun Mibu having to be too constant a presence, she and Simba were still working where to fit the girl in, but for all her flight knowledge like the birds, Tara sort of reminded Nala of a young cheetah the most, if she had to pick an animal example, in that as long as someone was around to make sure nothing ate her she was relatively independent. More social than cheetahs but again, for an example.
Whatever happened, she would no doubt be fine. Trying to teach herself to fly one example of that.
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Samwel Igwe
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Post by Samwel Igwe on Feb 25, 2021 0:26:21 GMT
Kabili nodded along slowly.
He was thankful when Nala didn’t outright stop him. Honestly, this was a good way to just... Face that fear of being above the ground. Not that he wanted to go in a giant plane again - ever again. Honestly he could tell himself he was terrified of the actual thought of doing that.
He did swallow a little as he listened. Nodding along before taking hold of the glider. “Alright, I mean how hard can it be?” He asked as she had mentioned how to do it. “Here goes nothing.”
As he made his way to the rock she had pointed out before. Taking a deep breath, he waited for the wind and took another leap of faith. “Woohoo!” He shouted as it carried him slowly at first.
It went well at first, the wind carrying him a few inches but his excitement was short lived.
Images flashed... The flight. The crash. His hands trembled, and though it wasn’t far he turned and tumbled. Another crash as he pushed himself to his knees and backed up. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry... I thought,” he breathed out. “Thought I could do it.”
It was clear the crash had effected him more than he’d expected.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2021 21:22:06 GMT
Tara knew, or she was about to know, that she could go overboard with assuming everyone was like her and projected confidence at least (hiding any deep down fears she also had or unresolved grief under layers to be brought out later and when less likely to be seen). If Bili had been doing such willingly, she felt she could have seen it. She didn't take into account being surprised by it all.
She also had a hard time thinking when super excited, and sharing her passion with her friend was more exciting than her own flight!
That and her modifications actually working again.
"Yeah, you're doing it! Good job!", she cheered as he first started up. Then, something happened. The glider only came down a bit but...it could have happened either-way that it continued down, but Bili also kind of gave in to it coming down, letting it tumble and...Tara recalled the crash as well.
Oh what had she been thinking?
She rushed up, wincing at his apology and fell to her own knees beside him, "Are you ok?", she felt the need to check first before sighing and going on, "No I'm sorry Bili, I should have...realized, it's too soon", she glanced off and then back to him, "I think it too...and it's kind of why I have to get up there, not let it ruin flying you know? But...I also have a millions other memories of being around a hanger and learning about planes to focus on instead...".
He didn't.
She sighed, "and I think I was too eager for you to have some good memories of the sky too".
Friends as they were and had been since the start of the journey, if she thought about it, Tara might have said she wasn't sure if her next move would make him more uncomfortable, or her, but again they had both survived the crash now, and had that experience in common. She felt he needed a hug and reached over to give him one, smiling softly as she sat back, "Sorry again".
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2021 21:22:41 GMT
Nala smiled softly to herself as she watched, but then did pick up on something first and before either of the children did. Maybe through that animal instinct or a scent of fear. She stood, poised, and even as the glider came down. "Kabili!", she rushed up as well, but was not as quick (or as close) as Tara, the girl reaching him first.
She paused to allow Tara the hug before stepping up to check on her son herself, nuzzling and searching for injury, "Anything broken, hurt?", she asked a bit deeper on the Are You Ok question, in typical motherly fashion and even if it hadn't been that high up of a fall.
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Samwel Igwe
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Human Prince of the Pridelands
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Post by Samwel Igwe on Feb 26, 2021 7:05:27 GMT
Kabili listened to her despite his ears ringing.
Honestly, he was mostly jarred at the moment. It was a weird feeling at first, and he was faintly aware that Nala had called out his name. As well as that Tara was going on about something to do with good memories before he’d finally shaken himself from his stupor.
He was aware after a moment that Tara was hugging him, however and relaxed. “It’s ok Tara, you didn’t know... I didn’t even really know,” he managed after a moment. Thinking back to his talk with Zazu he supposed that wasn’t 100% true but not a lie either. “Really it was my fault - I’m always jumping the gun like that. I’m so stupid.”
It was definitely comforting to have Nala there. She may not have been his biological mother, but when she came to nuzzle and check on him... He felt deep comfort in her presence that showed that the connection was growing. Even as he rested his head against hers and nuzzled her back.
Honestly, it was still strange doing that. But he was getting accustomed to it, after all, it was a typical lion way to show affection - one he knew he should adapt since hugs weren’t always easy. “I’m ok mom, really,” just a little bump and a few scratches.” He explained. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
That said, despite his nerves, Kabili did have to admit... “That was pretty cool when I wasn’t freaking out though,” he explained. “How did you manage to make that anyway?”
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