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 Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 11:28 pm
Zeus snorted softly through his nose as he reclined in the shade of a small tree, his large body sprawling in regal splender. The flirting of a stray breeze through his white-flecked mane was his only diversion today, but it did little to relieve the heaviness of the day. Too hot to do anything and he was too bored to just lay back and fall asleep. The male wished the sun would just go down... an orange eye glaring up at it through the green leaves that sheilded him.
He needed a woman, that's what he needed. A pretty little thing to relieve his boredom and make laying about in the shade a pleasure. He wasn't the type to keep one regularly, but it was times like this when he wished he had one at his beck and call. Women were such a pain though, outside of the occasional romp in the grass. They were always demanding things and the more they put out, the more they made him work for it.
Zeus had decided long ago he prefered to enjoy the suculent fruits fresh from the tree, rather than ripening on the ground after being plucked.
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 11:49 pm
It seemed that Chaka had a way of unwittingly stumbling across trouble, in her own right. Since departing on her naming quest she hadn't gotten into any serious scrapes, mind, but somehow she'd already had a run in with an angry boar mother, and that had been her first attempt at hunting in flatlands. It should've been easier but, she was not accustomed to running flat out to hunt down her prey, that wasn't even getting into the issues she had with the dull landscape.
No offense to the lions out here but how did they get by with the same old grasslands and lowlands and savannah everyday? She already ached for the familiarity of home... but she had to find her name. She had been sent out to do just that and she couldn't return until she had her true name.
"What if I never find it...?" She worried, stopping in her trek to stare up at the skies as if searching them for an answer. "... Will I ever find my true name? Will I ever get to return home? Someone give me an answer!!!"
It was mostly just frustration speaking, even sadder for the fact that she didn't think that she'd get an answer this far out.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:01 am
"You'd have a better chance of getting an answer if you actually addressed someone." The voice of the orange and black male roared out. "With such a pretty voice, you shouldn't waste words on empty air, rather, share it with someone who can truly appreciate it."
With only a little effort, Zeus heaved himself up of the ground and paced to the edge of the shade, peering out with a squint to see what lithesome tid-bit had arrived to alleviate the monotony of his life. He perked at the pale form that greeted his eyes, a slow smile drifting acrossed his maw to settle into place.
He hadn't expected someone to stumble acrossed his resting place today. The male hadn't actually seen anyone in quite some time and had been about ready to move on... but perhaps the gods had been favoring him when they prompted his relunctance to shift himself.
"Are you lost, my dear? Or are you a goddess, come to escort this poor soul to Elysium?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:10 am
Wha?? Oh, spirits help her, was the sky actually responding? No... no, though initially the response coming seemingly out of no where might suggest such the words did not. No spirits were speaking directly to her today. It was another lion, rather.
Chaka turned her head to spot the male, blinking at his words, at his smooth compliment. She wasn't slow, by any means, but such a bold flirt she hadn't heard before.
She raised an eyebrow in his general direction, shaking her head.
"I'm afraid I couldn't guide anyone anywhere, even if I were what you think. I'm not from here and I couldn't tell you how to get to... wherever it is that you're going. I apologize if I disturbed you, and good luck with your search."
Chaka turned to continue on with that, reluctantly pulling her eyes off and away from the male, a bit disconcerted being spoken to like that. How odd... Who flirts with a total stranger? Or maybe he was just trying genuinely to be nice... Well in that case she did feel kind of bad going so abruptly but something about him put her on edge.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:20 am
Zeus heaved a heavy sigh, his shoulders lifting and falling as he hung his head dejectedly.
"Elysium is the land of the dead, the place where the good and courageous souls go to live in eternal happiness. With such a lovely afterlife, I could only assume that the creatures that escort one to it would be equally lovely..." He mused as he waved a paw. "With such an appealing face as yours, what else would I think?"
When she turned to go, he felt it was perhaps time to bring out the big guns. He stepped out of the shade and stumbled, whincing. "Perhaps I was mistaken then and you're not an angel that's come for me, but rather a cold-hearted harpy that's come only to gloat over a poor, wounded warrior..." He put pain in his voice as he favored his 'injured' paw. "You are too cruel, to raise my hopes and then dash them in the same motion..."
Okay, so maybe he was laying it on a bit thick... but if it worked, it worked.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:32 am
Chaka got a few steps before she paused, glancing back in his general direction from the corner of her eye at first, not turning just yet. She listened as he gave his answer, one ear twitching as his words reached her.
"......"
He was serious? No, but he was sticking to that story wasn't he? He--
. . . He was hurt? Chaka felt a pull at her heartstrings, and glanced back at last, reluctantly though. "... If you're hurt, why are you wasting your energy flirting with me when you should be resting?" She asked, feeling both guilty and suspicious. She would be most furious if she found out he was just trying to exploit her sense of compassion, especially since it was a very strong one and thus quite the weak point for her.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:44 am
The male sniffed piteously as he limped back to his shade, looking quite lame in that forepaw.
"I -was- resting, if you must know. Like I said, I thought you were an angel of death that had come to gift me with an easing of my pain. I've been waiting here quite a while... wasting away... unable to hunt to eat or sleep for the pain. Hoping for the comforting touch of death that never came..." He sighed as he flopped down in the dirt and set his head on the ground, his leg held out awkwardly. "I don't wish you to see me like this, even if you aren't an Angel... I'm a pathetic thing, unworthy of your divine prescence, even as I long for it."
What a mook... he was just terrible for putting on such a show like this just for a pretty woman. He'd have to appologize to her later for it, but hopefully by that time, she'd be willing to forgive him. He'd make the deception worth it, but first... to get her into the shade with him for a little chat.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:25 pm
"You're a rather terrible actor you know." Chaka sighed, watching him limp about, though she would prefer not to be so blunt and insulting sometimes that was just the way that she came across. She did turn back around to head towards him though despite her words. Hey, if he was THAT desperate for company then maybe indulging him would get him to stop. Right? "You're a 'pathetic thing', and you 'don't want' me to see you 'like this', but you won't stop complaining and moping unless I stay. Right?"
Chaka raised an eyebrow delicately at the male as she came to stand just outside the edge of his shaded spot, looking into the shadows at him and admittedly getting a little transfixed by his markings. It was like... a painting of the night sky, except that the moon was orange instead of it's blue or yellow or white hues. Much, much more extravagant and intricate than the markings she bore of the sun, not that she was in any way ashamed or not proud of her markings, she loved them for they so resembled her beloved mother and the leader of their pride, an idol in Chaka's eyes. She'd never hope to emulate her, but she could at least try doing her proud. Find a name, bring back fresh blood for the pride, that good stuff!
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:38 pm
Zeus raised his head as she came back, grinning unabashedly at her opinion on his acting.
"Guilty as charged, I'm afraid." He chuckled, the sound deep in his chest as he reclined more naturally. "But I'm afraid I was rather desperate and desperation makes people to strange things sometimes. But it worked, didn't it? You're here, rather than high-tailing it for the horizon."
The male was rather fond of his starry look with its bold orange slashes and her wandering eyes made him puff up a little, hoping to encourage her appreciate of his form.
"You really can't blame me for trying, my dear. A lovely lady like you appearing right when I was about to expire from dullness was a Gods send. How could I pass up the chance to get you to stop and chat with me for a while? I don't even know the name of this vision in white!" He smiled winningly as he gently flicked his tail. With a bunching of muscle under soft fur, Zeus rose to a more polite position, lowering his head in a regal guesture. "I would like to introduce myself, if I may. My name is Zeus. Wanderer and rogue and current denizen of this little bit of savannah till I choose to move on."
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:58 pm
"So it seems."
Why HAD she stopped to humor him? Well...... finding her name wasn't going to be a cake walk, and she couldn't exactly be picky about her experiences, who knew which one might be the one? Or an accumulation of them, regardless she couldn't just turn them away. She sighed a bit. Her logic was perhaps different from others, she opened herself up to more, but hopefully it would pay off.
She moved into the shade, rounding past him to keep a comfortable distance, orange eyes glued to him.
"Zeus..." Her head inclined politely in return, her white paws stopping to settle her down onto her haunches so that she could slide down into a laying position. "My name is Chaka."
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:26 pm
He smiled as a happy sound rumbled in his throat.
"Chaka... its as sweet to the tongue as it is to the ears." He murmured as he nodded to himself. Seeing her stretching out on her side, he tactfully settled down on his stomach, his pose sphinx-like with forepaws before him. This way, she wouldn't have to look up at him and strain that pretty neck.
"If I might be so bold, my dear, what brings you out my way? There is much out here beyond a few herds of prey beasts passing through. From what I can tell, no one comes out here." The last statement was to his chargin, actually. He'd hoped to see more lovelies like her around here.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:39 pm
Chaka settled down comfortably, but would be quick to jump to her paws if she was alarmed or startled. She saw no reason to worry about that at the time though, so she relaxed, for now.
"Thank you, but I'm actually out here searching for my true name... Chaka is only the name I was given as a child. I can't return home until I've discovered what it is. What about you, do you have anyplace that you call home? What brought you here, if this place is so uneventful?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:57 pm
Zeus blinked at her reply, gently tilting his head in curiosity.
"You're looking for your true name? How do you find a name? Can't you just... pick it? I wouldn't think it would be that hard... I, myself, know many names just off the top of my head." He shook his maned at the idea of it. Was this a pridal thing, or was this lioness a tad strange? Not that it really turned him off her, but it certainly was an oddity.
Her questions on him, though, diverted the male from musing on her reasons and he smiled broadly as he lifted his head, his expression cocky. "I'm a traveler, a rogue, as I said. The king of vagabonds!" He waxed expansive as he waved a paw through the air. "I go where the mood takes me and do as I please. When one place bores me and I've fished the area clean of beauties, I move on to richer pastures."
A whince moved over Zeus's face as he gave her a playful look. "Truthfully, this place wasn't as bountiful as I'd hoped. I don't plan on staying here all that long, I'll be moving on soon. You're actually a rather lucky lady, to have found me here... heavens knows what would have happened to a delicate creature like yourself if you'd continued just wandering around here." An idea occured to him then and he rose slowly, coming to bow his head low before her.
"If it pleases you, my lady, I would offer myself as a... sort of escort out of these deserted lands and into ones more civilized. I swear to you, nothing shall hinder or threaten your loveliness whilst I am around to thwart it!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 12:09 am
"I'm not sure how you find one. I'd imagine it's different for everyone, as I'm not the first to be sent to find it, and... only one has returned so far, and that was one of my oldest brothers."
Chaka glanced towards her paws, her tail flicking to life to thump against the shade soaked earth.
"Hmm... Fished it clean of beauties you say? Does that make you some self proclaimed ladies man then?" She quirked a brow again and rolled onto her stomach in a skewed sphinx like position herself, staring the male in the eye, and as he drew closer she adjusted her gaze until she was looking up at him since he had come to stand, even with his head bowed. "I'm a bit skeptical, Zeus, as I've managed to find my way just fine so far without aide or need for rescue."
But what she didn't tell him was that she could always use help hunting, or learning the best way to do so in these lands. Her experience was back home, and hunting back home was an entirely different ball game.
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 12:23 am
Star-speckled backside settled onto the earth as the male smiled into her face, orange eyes appreciative. Did she sound a little... disapproving? No matter. They were usually disapproving, but once they got to enjoying his... talents, they could be convinced to over look his past. He didn't doubt she'd be the same.
"If I am a 'lady's man', it is only because I give freely to any female in need, satisfying a marked lack in her life. I never lie about what I want, my dear, or what my purpose is. If a woman should choose to spend time with me, you can be sure she leaves with a smile and remembers me with fondness." He smiled crookedly as his tail flicked.
"And right now, the lack in your life seems to be any sort of support. No, you've proved your self-sufficiency to come so far unscathed, but what would you do if you found yourself in a situation you couldn't handle, alone and helpless? With my escort, I could guarantee easy traveling for the rest of your journey." He nodded as he drew back a little. "Though I have to say... you'd be the most beautiful of any I've had the pleasure of escorting before. I'd have to be careful not to become distracted." Zeus offered her a playful look before turning his face away in a feigned effort to distract himself from her, gently scratching his jaw with a claw.
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