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 Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:55 pm
The brilliantly pale lion gave a great yawn as his maw widened, showing his array of pearly whites and his strikingly pink tongue as he moaned and tucked his paws closer to his body. Kweu was laying on his back beside his brother, Ayato, as they continued to gaze upwards towards the heavens- the place where the great kings of the past and lions were said to dwell once their mortal life had come to a close. Closing his maw as his blue orbs danced and drifted about in wonder of the deep blue canvas extending through the sky with its array of scattered stars much like diamonds, Kweu'Chaka glanced towards his brother.
"Do you think mom's looking up at the stars too? Maybe wondering where we are?" He questioned softly as his muzzle wrinkled slightly along with his brows knitting. "I like livin' out on our own but- you know, sometimes I wanna drop by and see her. It's gotta be a bit lonely with you, me and Tui gone, you know?"
His tail flicked within the grass as the adult male rolled onto his stomach with ease and laid there, eyes narrowing towards his brother as he gave a smile and nipped playfully at his ear.
"We should go see her- pay her a visit at least," he commented with a soft rumble as he released his brothers ear and stumbled up to his paws.
"What do you think?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:46 pm
Ayato rumbled at his brother from where his body was indenting the grass. His paler hide, practically a blank canvas, left him fascinated by the stars overhead. He knew it was farfetched, but when he was younger he used to wonder if maybe the stars were physical manifestations of the soul, ghostly white, bright, like his, Tai's, and Tui's pelts. Then there were the golden stars, or the nights that the moon took on a pale glow, and his imagination couldn't help but go wild.
"Huh?" The youth blinked, looking over at his older sibling, then processed what had been said and nodded his head. "Yeah, so she doesn't worry." He grinned a little bit, his voice, despite his age, while tenor, still sounding just the slightest bit nasal. He rolled to his paws, no longer the cumbersome youth he once was, nor the lanky adolescent. He'd grown well into his body.
Purple eyes whipped back to look at his yellow brother, pawing at him in a prodding manner.
"Come on, you old slowpoke." He grinned devilishly.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:21 pm
Kweu'Chaku gave a deep chuckle as he flicked his tail and nodded his head. "We owe it to her, you know?" He began to stroll a bit forward but before he could he grolwed plafully as he swiveled around quick to give his brother, Ayato, a quick and playful swipe to his muzzle without claws as he laughed.
"Old slowpoke? We're the same age," he laughed as he couldn't help but latch onto his ear and give it a good tug or two. "I'm ambitious, protective and compassionate and Ayato you're sweet, kind and a optomistic. It's a good match and you know you'd be a little lonely without me, hm?"
He couldn't help but smile wider as he rumbled with glee. It felt good to be with his brother and wandering off on their own together made him feel good to still be aroudn family and especially his brothers. It was a bit crazy to think that their family was rather large (although he only knew a small amount of the large portion of flesh and blood of the family tree) yet having been invited by his younger brother to venture off with him and sleep under the stars made him not feel- well, not so lonely. He liked that sensation of roaming wherever drew him in a certain direction but that feeling of family was something that he lacked and he missed it.
Releasing his younger brothers ear, Kwe'Chaka leapt off with strides and a fast pace as he glanced back towards his brother.
"Come on and catch up- I can't wait forever, Ayato!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:12 am
"We're at least five minutes apart!" Ayato defended with a grin, resisting the ear tug but not actually stopping it, instead pushing at Kweu's shoulder with a silver-toed paw.
None the less, he bounded after his brother with a playful growl, batting at his tail and paws as he caught up.
"Oh, shut up." He grinned, then darted past, only to stop short. He smelled something... Blinking, he lifted his nose to the sky, looking off to the west. "Hey, Kweu, you smell that? Isn't that mom?"
And what was the other one? Male, but strange. Maybe she'd run into an old friend or another pride member.
He shrugged. "Guess she must be out already?" He lookd to Kweu again, tail flicking behind.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:38 am
A smirk slid across his maw as Kweu chuckled and strided behind him but he found his paws to suddenly cease to an abrupt halt as there was a strange scent that wafted within the air. No- it was...familiar? The brilliantly, creamy yellow male wrinkled his muzzle as he flicked his ears slightly, intaking the lingering scents that carried with the cool, late everning breeze.
Planting himself besides his brother, Kweu'Chaka nodded his head. "Yeah, I do." Again the adult male intook the scents through his nostrils and, once more, the one registered as familiar, very, very familiar. "It's mom," he commented as he could feel the hairs upon his back bristle hesistantly, "and she's not alone."
In all honesty, Kweu wasn't sure what to think! There was a thought that she had run into someone within the pride, an old friend perhaps. Yet there was a part of him that seemed, well, a bit suspicious. Come on- what was their mother, Tai, doing out here? And with a male? 'Chaka bit down on his lower lip as he flicked his tail to the side and looked back towards Ayato.
"Think we should make sure she's alright?"
When it came to other things, Kweu was optomistic, understanding and loved to have fun. But when it came to family, he was a bit more serious and could become quite defensive and protective towards his family and especially his mother. That was just his nature and, even now, he could start to begin the churning need to suddenly run farther and secretly spy on his mother and her company.
He thought about it again and nodded his head.
"Don't think twice about it- we're going," he announced with a hushed tone as he began to stalk forwards into the shadows, following the lingering scents of their mother and the culprit.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:57 am
Not one to usually argue, Ayato only questioned once-- "Are you sure this is a good idea? It seems like they're probably just talking..." --though unknown to the two boys, that was only now. Ayato had to admit he was unnerved by how heavily the scents seemed to mingle, but he didn't know what it meant.
Pale paws carried him after the other, the two drawing steadily closer to the scene lying perhaps ten or fifteen yards ahead and away.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:12 am
Ah, yes.
At that exact moment, a particular pair were also caught up in star gazing, the pale story teller lying in the former hunter's "arms". It was by chance they ran into one another again, but he was indeed an old friend from her brief visits to the Unity Walker lands. Of course, she'd been a different person back then entirely, literally two seperate halves of a whole. His goddess had helped her heal though, so she informed him.
They'd just been reminiscing about the days when their children were still children, how much they actually missed having little ones looking up to them. Matifu more surprisingly so.
"It just feels like ever since she left with him, something's been missing. There's a hole now that wasn't there before, and nothing else seems to fill it."
It didn't cross his mind that she might misunderstand, Tai was a smart lioness, even before the change. She knew well enough that this was nothing more than a passing comfort. Would he see her again? Maybe, would he stay? Not so likely, but perhaps. He'd been drawn to her for her similarity to Theluji, an older spirit, but with the essence of fire still burning bright under the outer shell. They're pale hides only further disillusioned his heart, and minus the silver streaks, and scar, and lack of color in the tail, as well as the lack of fur tuft atop her head, they could have been sisters. Perhaps they could still be sisters.
~Theluji, where are you and Tulivu now?~
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:19 am
The storyteller empathized with most of his pain. There'd only been two loves in her life, and neither had stayed, but perhaps the first wasn't meant to be at all. He'd found someone else, sired two cubs, beautiful daughters, she'd heard. She wished Mteuli only the best of happiness in his years to come, and was grateful to him for showing her her path, and for healing her in his own way. Then there had been Kweu'chaka, her middle child's namesake. He was, only spirits knew where.
Matifu was like a breath of fresh air, a combination of both males she'd left behind, or who had left her behind. Witty, flirtatious, but chivalrous too, and a kind soul. He was built with a firm frame, stocky, and tall. If not for his gentle countenance and pale coloring, and thick, lush mane, almost fluffy from his days in the jungle, one might mistake him for a Firekin. Tai absolutely loved the feeling of his mane against her face though, and continued to purr lazily, brushing her head through it and against it.
"It doesn't really get any easier but with time... I hope that your journies bring you what you're looking for, Matifu."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:07 am
The brilliant, creamy yellow lion stalked more carefully, crouching down low as the shadows of the night seemed to try to hide him from any watchful eyes. Likewise, the heavily scents of both their mother and another male mingled thick in the air- Kweu didn't know what to think, wasn't sure what it meant, but he wanted to make sure that their mother was okay. That protective streak within him seemed to bubble forwards as he pinned his ears against his head and creeped closer to where both he and his brother, Ayato, could peer over towards the two entwined figures who also seemed awed and captured by the beauty of the heavens.
He frowned.
Who was that male? He was rather large, very, very large actually! Kweu'Chaka had never seen him before but he could only suspect that he was a friend of their mothers- a friend who was getting too close.
"Ayato, do you know who that is? I haven't seen him before. He's not part of the pride is he?" He whispered as he continued to keep low and out of view- hopefully the darkness of night was hiding the unmistakable hue of his fur from his mothers eyes.
His maw twisted with a uncertain frown as his claws tapped into the dirt.
"I don't like this....."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:34 am
Ayato settled immediately beside his brother, eyes glued. As the weight of the situation began to sink in, Ayato frowned, realizing that he too didn't really get what was going on, but his fur had bristled in defense.
"Dunno... I've never seen him around the pride before, and he smells funny, like he's not from here. Geez... he's huge! I thought rogues were skinny and small!"
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:36 am
"Still the same girl, after all this time." He smiled a bit, licking her cheek affectionately with gratitude for the well wish, before he drew back and sat up beside her on his stomach, forepaws splayed out in front of him. "But I'm surprised you're still single, Tai... Surely a beauty like yourself shouldn't have any trouble finding someone... What is it that you're up to now that occupies your time so? Since yours are grown just like mine."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:44 am
Her eyes flickered briefly with pain at the question, and she rolled onto her side to look away, exhaling softly. Truth be told, she simply had no energy left to invest in such a thing.
"I'm getting too old, I don't have the energy or the intrest in starting over again. Truthfully though, I'm happy just like this.... taking care of others. I'm the storyteller for the pridelands... truely the only loves I need in my life are my family, and my stories."
And how much she did love to tell stories. Watching the spark of imagination in the children's, and even the adolescents and adults eyes as she weaved together the pieces of legends, fables, and true recounts alike. If she could inspire them to dream and seek out their own happiness, it was all she needed. Children should be free to be as happy as they were able, to laugh and smile and play, eat and sleep, and not have a worry in the world... It was a gift... but not a gurantee. After her nightmare of a childhood, she wanted to ensure that these cubs would have something to look forward to and be glad about.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:57 am
He didn't like this.
Kweu'Chaka didn't like the looks of this one bit!
He rumbled with a deep uncertaintly as he furrowed his brows watching as the two seemed to get a little closer, most likely conversing or simply looking towards the skies or into one anothers eyes with that dreamy love-stuck expression. Well, he still wasn't quite sure but the imaginations seemed to never cease. Was this casual? Was this a secret she had been keeping or was this the start of something new? 'Chaka bit down on his lower lip and growled low.
"I don't like his smell," he stated bluntly. "I don't know who he is but..we can take him if things go wrong, right? Are you with me? Two against one sounds fair against a guy like him- I mean, if things don't go well and he hurts mom."
The last thing he wanted to think about was violence. He didn't want to start or finish any by any means but- but this was his MOTHER! And some..some stranger!
"If you hold him I can bit him or if I hold him down you can try and persuade him to go away."
Both 'Chaku and Ayato needed to get a closer view. Being so far away simply wouldn't do.
"Come on....lets get a little closer...." he whispered low as he sunk down to his belly and creeped forwards.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:02 pm
The slightly younger male couldn't get in a word, and simply settled to watch his brother as he rambled uncertainly, nodding at the end.
On they crept now, inchingcloser, and likely would have kept on if they had not been spotted when they were.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:17 pm
He'd been hunting in the jungles of his homeland for years. Surely he could detect a couple of sons stalking in the grass, but he didn't call immediate attention. Instead, he simply gazed their way with eerie pale blue eyes, staring them down there the two lay. If they were a threat, he'd deal with them, but here in the pridelands he doubted that. They were likely her sons, rather....
The white male froze, staring back in surprise, and that was when their mother sat up.
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