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 Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:35 pm
The day had started out as well as any other day. Akai had spent the time in the sun, letting herself skirt around the shore as she looked at everything that the waves washed up. She had seen some things that she liked, but as soon as she got brave enough to get closer to the water, they disappeared. It seemed like the ocean didn't want her to get anything nice today.
But within a moment after that, the skies grew dark. Knowing that something was wrong, her heart skipped a beat as her stomache flopped. No, please don't let it be....
The rain fell softly at first, but it was only a tease for what was to come. Akai looked around frantically for her friend Wacheza. He had to be around here, b-but she was growing almost too scared to move.
"Wacheza!" she yelled, looking for him. If she opened her eyes for longer than a moment, she might have been able to see him, but fear had started to overtake her.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:55 pm
Wacheza looked up at the sky and smiled as the butterflies scattered to find shelter, "Ah... a storm..." He whispered, relief hitting him as the dark clouds moved in. Lightning. Thunder. It reminded him of his childhood friend. The storms relaxed him... but then he... He thought of Akai. She had said she might be coming by that day...
"Oh no..." He whispered, the realization hitting him like a brick wall. Akai had said she was afraid of storms... if she stopped at the sea... the storm would be far worse than they normally would. And he didn't have the butterflies to take him too her... normally they would have been able to help him but now... now he didn't have any way to find her.
"Akai!" He cried out, turning away from the view he had previously enjoyed and then he only looked for her, "Akai where are you!?" He cried, running across the plains of grass. Panic. Fear... things he wasn't used to. Hadn't experienced since he was a child. But Akai... She didn't see the world like he did. She wouldn't see the storm as something special... she would be in such danger... "Gods no... Akai... AKAI!? AKAI WHERE ARE YOU!?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:19 pm
With the rain slowly growing heavier, Akai's feet felt suctioned into the sand. Irritated that they seemed to want to drag her into the rising surf, the white lioness pushed on, her eyes narrow slits as she tried to see where she was going.
Her hears caught the faint sounds of a voice. Was it? She hoped so, because she really didn't want to lose it in front of anyone else. How could anyone enjoy these things? Shivering all over, she called out once more to her friend. "Wacheza! I can hear you!"
While scared, cold, and wanting somewhere to hide, she continued on her path. She had gotten past the sandiest parts of the beach until she tripped. Something hard like a broken log had made her lose her footing, and she was growing too scared to go on.
If only she had her butterfly, at least then it could find him. But with all this weather, with the heavier she got, she was so frightened. "Wacheza..."
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:35 pm
Wacheza could hear her... he knew he could. She was down on the beach. Too close to the water... the tides could be dangerous, and Akai wouldn't know that. "No... oh no..." He whispered quietly, before he called out again, "Akai! Don't move! Stay put!" He cried, hoping she could hear him, "I'm coming to find you! Just stay there and talk to me! If I can hear you I can find you!" He promised, moving as quickly as he could.
But he had to be safe... he had to be careful, he couldn't see well, and while storms were pretty to look at, they were still not the safest thing to be out in. Especially beside the ocean. He had grown up there, he knew about it, but Akai...
"Say something! Just keep talking! I'll find a way down to help you! I'll find somewhere safe for us!" He promised, trying to keep his voice steady... But he was scared. He was scared that something would happen to her... and she was so afraid of the storm... He really did need to teach her more about saftey, when all this was over.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:21 am
Akai clawed at the ground anxiously, her soaking wet coat making everything feel more uncomfortable and frightening. Her red eyes darted around, trying to see as far as she could through the rain. She stayed where she was, frightened that she might be going the wrong way. She knew that she wasn't close to the waves anymore, so she should be safe. Peeking behind her, though, she saw that the waves grew stronger, and closer to her. Ugh, didn't they ever just go away? She pulled herself up shakily, stumbling a bit more inland to keep herself away from the grasp of the waves.
She caught herself this time as she stumbled, but she still let herself fall onto the wet, sticky sand. Then, she heard something. Again. "Wacheza?" she said softly as she began to shiver. Was that him? "I'm here!!! HERE!" It took a lot of effort for her to try and get her voice to reach over the storm, but she could only hope that it worked. She knew that if she didn't keep her head up, then she really would be in a lot of trouble.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:34 am
He knew he had to find her... either the storm was getting worse, or he was headed in the wrong direction, she sounded further away now... But he was almost certain that it was the storm. The rain fell harder, and lightning flashed across the sky, followed shortly by booming thunder. Normally he welcomed this kind of weather, it meant the Goddess Nix was close... but now... Now the storm posed a serious danger.
He finally made it down to the beach, constantly calling Akai, "Keep talking! Keep yelling! I'm almost there!" He told he, moving as quickly as he could, but the beach was dangerous at night... the storm only made it worse. Akai was lucky he spent so much time away from the main area of the pride, otherwise he wouldn't know this spot as well as he did. Though... that didn't stop him from stumbling over the exact same place Akai had.
"Found you..." He whispered, when his eyes finally caught sight of the white lioness in the storm. At least her color made her more of a homing beacon for him. If she had been black, or a darker color, he might have walked right past her...
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:34 am
She raised her head once more, and felt just an inkling of warmth within her chest. Wacheza! He looked so much darker, but it was still obvious that it was him. The storm was probably bothering her judgement at this point, with the stronger that it grew.
"Wacheza!" she exclaimed, "Here..." Fatigue was beginning to hit her, not from walking, but from her fear. She pushed herself back onto her legs, wobbly from tired legs as well as strong winds. She took a few steps closer to him, so he wouldn't have to do all the work. She was scared, but she also didn't want to be completely useless.
"I, I don't know where to go," she said as she paused next to him. "And I'm scared. Really scared." As if that wasn't obvious enough, but saying it helped the lioness slow her shaking. It was such a relief to not be alone, and to be with Wacheza. Even if the two of them were probably soaked to the bone and continuing to get rained on.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:06 am
Wacheza let out a long sigh of relief, "You're alright, thank the Gods... I was worried that you might have been hurt." He said, though he still seemed concerned, "Come with me... you need to get out of the rain, you're shaking." He said, letting her lean against him if she needed to.
He had gotten there just in time. The tides were starting to get higher... much higher, and Akai would have been in danger of washing away and never been seen again. He should have gone looking for her sooner... he was furious with himself for not doing so.
"Just follow me... I promise, I know a safe place we can stay." He told her, guiding her back towards the cliffs which would keep them out of the danger zone... He didn't want either one of them to wash away by accident. In this storm, no one would be able to swim out and save them. Nor would they likely ever be found.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:14 pm
Akai let herself lean quite closely to Wacheza. Feeling him next to her made her a little more awake, as well as aware of what was going on. The storm had brought panic to her mind, and though it still picked at her, she was able to make herself think a bit more clearly for the moment.
"C-cold, scared..." she said softly as she followed Wacheza's lead. It was a little difficult for her, as she felt like her paws were much heavier all of a sudden. The constant need to know that he was right next to her would cause her to bump against him often enough. She let her head hang low, her muddy senses and tail reassure her that he was next to her. She trusted him to guide them to someplace safe. It wouldn't be warm from this sudden turn of the weather, but it would be dry and safe. Both of which Akai desperately wanted right now. She never spent any time outdoors when the weather turned for the worse, but then she aws used to her little area that she had grown up in, and not these lands that she visited more frequently now.
"Thank you..." she said softly, nudging her head into Wacheza's wet mane.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:31 pm
Wacheza led her, knowing one spot where they could find shelter. He had only used it once, but it was a sturdy cave. It would probably still be there. A place from so long ago... There it was. Tricky to find in the storm, but Wacheza led Akai into the small shelter, "There... there we go. We're safe here." He promised her, as he let her lie down inside.
It was dark, but it was dry and on the warm side. He knew that Akai was cold, and scared... but this place would be safe, and though they could still hear the rain and the thunder, they certainly couldn't see it any longer, and were no longer in any danger. But she was still cold, so Wacheza lay next to her, letting her rest her head in his mane. He might not be the warmest lion, since he had been out in the rain with her, but he was certainly better than nothing.
"It's alright... You'll be okay. You're safe now." He promised her, "I'll stay with you here, until the storm is gone. You'll be okay... I'll stay with you... You're welcome... You're so welcome... And I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner... I should have found you sooner... You shouldn't be so scared..." He didn't mean of the storm. He just meant that he shouldn't have let her be left alone...
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:19 am
For the first moment upon entering the cave, the lioness shook her fur. It spotted a bit of water everywhere, but it certainly made her feel a little bit better. Shivering, she laid down and promptly rubbed at her face a bit, trying to get as much of the water out of her face. Her paws were still covered in sand, but she'd deal with that later.
As soon as Wacheza laid next to her, her shivering slowed. She was still too cold and scared to completely stop, but it wasn't as violent as it was beforehand. Her red eyes peered upwards at him thankfully as she rested against him. It was comforting to know that he had thought to look for her. Embarassing that he probably remembered how scary she felt storms were, she let her eyes linger away from his face.
"I-it's okay," she said, studdering through her shivering. "I...I just don't like them." They were frightening to her, as it seemed like the whole world was angry with...something. "I'm just....j-just glad you looked for me."
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:36 pm
"Hey... hey, shush. It's okay," Wacheza promised, staying as close as he could, though he shivered as well. It was still cold... and he was sure the damp would do them no good, but there was nothing that could be done about that, "It's okay, you don't have to like storms... Not everyone likes everything." He promised, though, in truth, he liked almost everything mentionable. Or even if he didn't, he at least saw the value in it. But he had never expected anyone else to see the world like he did... but still... Akai was trying so hard to be brave.
"Hey, I'd always look for you." Wacheza promised, moving closer, "I'll just teach you to be more careful in storms... Maybe next time a crab attacks me, you can play the knight in shining armor?" He offered, trying to keep the mood light, over the obvious storm outside which still raged. He couldn't believe it had started so fast...
"I wonder when it will let up... your family might worry." Wacheza said quietly, "When it does, I'll walk you back... just in case it starts again. It can be pretty hard, when a large storm brews up..." He paused, "Sorry... I shouldn't talk about it, I'll only scare you again..."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:23 pm
Akai let herself close her eyes, concentrating on her body getting warm. If she could think that she wasn't as cold and hopefully stop shivering. She swayed a bit, trying to drown out the noises that were outside. It seemed so frightening, almost as if the rain and wind were out there looking for her. How would anyone enjoy this? She'd have to get the courage to ask Wacheza....in the future.
"Thank you," she said softly, resting her head on her forelimb, letting the back of her sull and neck rest up against Wacheza's mane. They both may be soaking wet, but at least they weren't continually getting wet anymore.
She sighed, showing small signs of relaxing. Her muscles were still tense, and her red eyes still watched the storm outside through bits of lightning, but otherwise she was letting herself think about other things.
More uncomfortable things, like her family.
"We're...sorta growing apart," she said as she looked outwards. "I guess we're all getting too old to stick together."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:44 pm
Wacheza smiled sadly, "Yes... I suppose that happens. My own siblings... they've almost all left home now." He sighed, settling in once again, glad he was finding a way to help Akai relax... but he supposed it was sad for both of them, "I don't want to leave the sea... but I'm happy that some of my family is here with me as well. But not all of them..."
He didn't know what to think about all of that, not really. He had never been especially close to his family, prefuring to be by himself, but he had always loved and gotten along with them. But seeing them all leave had been... well, saddening.
"I wonder where the butterflies went, don't you? They don't like the rain any more than you do." He offered, knowing this was something that they both enjoyed talking about, "I'm sure they're all safe, since they come back, but don't you ever wonder where they go to stay dry? Places like these I'd imagine."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:50 pm
"My sister is gone, and my brothers seem more intent on roaming." She gave off a huff, a hint that she would have laughed if she was under difference circumstances. "I guess my mother's blood is strong in us, as she's always been a roamer." She leaned more heavily into Wacheza now, as if reassuring him, and herself. "Though I think that part skipped over me." She wondered if she'd be the only one of her sibilings to stay near the beach.
She watched the rain fall outside, the worst part of the storm seeming to pass. Now it just looked like it would rain through the rest of the evening into the night. She was stuck here for now. Upon really thinking about it, though, she was happy. At least she was with Wacheza, instead of on her own.
"I'm sure they've got their own special cave," she mused, a small smile finally starting to grow on her face. "I'm sure they've got their own storage of flowers or something, too. They always seem so happy."
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