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 Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:12 pm
 It was a chilly morning; a very chilly morning. The sun was just beginning to show itself over the horizon.
Every day meant something to Clotho. Each day had a meaning; a purpose. Each day would bring something new and unexplored. Each day would bring her someone to meet. Each day would show her a dark vision, or perhaps a good one, depending on whom she met...
Or so she believed.
But despite the promise of the day blowing with the cool breeze of the misty morning, Clotho felt a strange unease. It was as though she was not alone in that small patch of jungle, half encased by trees, and half in the open. Her tail was stiff and straight and her eyes bright and curious.
And so she waited for something she felt (well, guessed) would happen. Durion was having a good day.
Well, he had HAD a good day. In truth, he hadn't slept at all since the night before. He'd been awake the entire day, through the dawn of the next morning. But he was feeling good; not tired at all. A smirk stuck on the lion's mouth and he stalked through the jungle brush, tail swaggering behind him. He wrinkled his nose briefly, testing the air for food. Despite feeling fine and dandy, his stomach was beginning to complain with hunger. Durion was never one to ignore his own body's needs...
Yawning, Durion stepped out of the trees and into the open. He stopped and took in a deep breath through his nose, showing a smile he'd never show if he knew someone was watching, enjoying the fresh, clean air. But he choked on his breath at the scent of leopard.
Whipping his head to the left, Durion's eyes were met with a white and pink face staring up at him.
"...Hey." Durion greeted bluntly after a long pause of staring.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:31 pm
Despite the dark, flowing mane and the muscles creasing neatly amidst the charcoal coat, the striking blue eyes and the odd, rugged way he carried himself and spoke, Clotho did not examine the male lion for long (at least she believed in her mind; one has to examine something for quite a specific amount of time to come to such a descriptive conclusion of someone's appearance). She was not one to judge others based on appearance. She would only judge those on their inner core; the thing no ordinary creature could see, though she believed she could.
The leopardess smiled warmly and stood.
"Welcome, Child." she said, nodding sagely. "What brings you to The Undergrove?" her voice was innocent, like chimes. But it had a strange undertone of maturity; something akin to the voice of an old, wise woman.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:48 pm
Durion's maw twitched open.
"...'scuse me?!" he exclaimed, glancing the leopardess up and down. His tail lashed behind him and he circled halfway around her, as if sizing her up. "I'm a child, huh? Then wha'does that make you? An old lady?" he asked, obviously offended. "'cause you look more like the child here."
It was true. That leopardess looked quite young. It looked like it hadn't been that long ago since she had been an adolescent.
But hell, what did Durion care?
"The Undergrove?" the lion echoed, raising an eyebrow and smirking, either amused by the title itself, or amused at the thought of the leopardess giving the place a title. "'The hell does that mean?" he asked rudely.
So, the leopardess hadn't exactly merited his good graces and charms...That was alright. Durion wasn't exactly in the mood to be charming anyway. He was having too much fun with life at the moment for that. He really was having a good day.
So who cared?
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:10 pm
Clotho continued to smile, warmth and an odd look of all-knowing-ness in her expression. Nothing that the male had said affected her in any way. Then again, it wasn't easy to ruffle the leopardess.
"Ah, the term 'child' offends you?" Clotho asked, something dark and prying barely audible in her voice. "No matter. Give me something else to call you, then?" she offered.
Scratching her claws into the soil, Clotho glanced to the right, then left, slowly and ponderously. "This place is The Undergrove." Clotho answered the male's question, moving her body to better reveal the place around them. Right at that moment, a misty breeze swept past the two, rustling the jungle trees and vines and swaying the short blades of grass. Clotho smiled.
The scene altogether was quite eerie.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:34 pm
"Durion." the lion answered nonchalantly. He wagged a paw out in front of himself and gave a joke of a bow. He didn't ask for her name. He suddenly felt less humored by the strange sense of eeriness the place had taken on. Then again, what did he care? It was just some little piece of jungle and some random little leopardess girl (well, not little; she was a full-grown adult). What could she do other than smile and act like a crazy fool?
"Wowwww," Durion drawled, taking a step back to get a better look at the place, as if to admire it. "The Undergrove. I never knew such a place existed." he said, grinning. He slid his blue eyes away from the trees to rest them on the face of the leopardess again. "And what're you, queen of this little place, Pinky?" he asked with feigned interest, slipping in his nickname for her.
Eh, it was a bit childish, but it sure as heck suited the girl.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:24 pm
"I am Clotho, last-born of the Three Sisters." she said, nodding her head once in etiquette of her introduction. "I keep this bit of jungle. It is my home."
If she took heed of the nickname Durion had given her, she didn't show it. She continued to smile sagely, eyes shining and tail lulling behind her.
Yes, that male was interesting, indeed. Already Clotho was beginning to see just the type of person he was. One could tell many things about another without even really trying, so long as they knew what to look for. For Clotho, such things were a breeze. She truly believed she could see deep into the depths of someone's heart; their soul. The soul was the very essence of life. It was what made someone who they were. And Clotho believed she was beginning to see Durion's.
She believed she was a seer.
"Sit, young Durion." she said, waving a paw casually before her. "We have much to talk about." And with that, she sat down.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:31 pm
"Last-born of the what, now?" Durion asked, narrowing an eye. He didn't pay attention to what her name was. He didn't really care. Names were names. He'd call someone whatever the heck he felt like, period.
Before he had long to think about what the leopardess had said; being the last-born of the "Three Sisters" and that bit of jungle she called "The Undergrove" being her home, Durion's train of thought crashed onto a whole other track.
"YOUNG? Hold up, Pinky." the lion growled. His entertainment meter was falling... "Didn't we just have this conversa--...Talk about?" Durion said, words getting garbled amongst words; words and thoughts and more words and more thoughts. He wasn't even sure he knew what was going ON anymore.
"What do we have to talk about?" he asked, a disbelieving smile on his face. He didn't sit down. Either he had had too much to eat last night...Or this was one crazy leopardess. Whatever it was,
he was beginning to grow tired of it.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:39 pm
Clotho ignored all of the lion's questions and exclamations. She continued to speak.
"I know what has happened to you..." she said, head lowering by the slightest margin. Her smile dimmed. "I have Seen it."
Clotho wanted to stretch out the conversation as much as possible. It had been a very long time since she had had any visitors. She was very used to wandering outside of The Undergrove, telling fortunes and reading the stars to foretell things to those who asked. But ever since her sisters went on their Quest, Clotho, being the youngest, had to stay and watch over their home. If anything happened to their haven, the blame would fall on her. And Clotho did not like being blamed for anything; not even her own fortunes, however harsh they sometimes were.
Though she wanted to stretch out the conversation, at the same time she knew she could not. This Durion did not appear to be one with a vast amount of patience. Already Clotho could see weariness etched on his features.
But that only aided in the accuracy she could portray in her "fortune-telling".
"You have traveled a great distance..." Clotho began. "Yes...In fact, you have never stopped traveling...Not since...Then."
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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:15 am
Okay, it was obvious he had traveled a great distance. It was probably easy to see just by looking in his tired eyes, though he didn't feel tired in the least. But how would she know what had happened to him? What did she know? She had no right to say anything of the sort.
She knew what had happened to him?
HA.
No, she didn't. She did NOT know. How could she even possibly say such a thing? Crazy freak of a leopardess...
"So I haven't stopped traveling since 'then', huh?" Durion repeated sourly in question. "And why don't you tell me what this 'then' is, sweetheart?" He was just about done with everything. His blue eyes shifted into a pressing glare. There were no traces of humor left on his face.
NO ONE played him for a fool when it came to his past. No one.
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:13 pm
"I do not need to tell you, Durion." Clotho said matter-of-factly. "You already know."
Indeed, that was the truth.
Clotho could see the fear plainly on the male's face. Though the emotions of rage and disbelief shone on his expression most, it was clear that he was afraid that the leopardess could somehow see the truth in him. For few things are more frightening than the possibility that someone knows your deepest, darkest secret...
"But I see something else inside of you. It is not just your past." she said, face solemn, smile gone. "It is of your future. You must take great care, Durion. What happened to you in the past may repeat itself."
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:24 pm
Durion's heart skipped a beat.
Repeat itself...?
No, don't listen. She had no idea what she was talking about.
"Is that right?" Durion asked, glowering. That was the last straw. He was done. "You listen to me, Pinky." he growled. He moved towards the sitting leopardess, head bending down to be at her level. He glared into her eyes.
She wasn't flinching.
Who the heck WAS this chick?!
"You can't see ANYthing. You can't see my past, you can't see my future. Hell, you can't even see my PRESENT." he spat, raising his head back up. "So before you go off on a tangent about my FUTURE, don't." With that, Durion turned around, making sure to flick his tail against the face of the leopardess in his movement.
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:34 pm
Clotho didn't move a muscle, even at the slight pain as the male whipped hist ail against her face. She collected her thoughts and got to her feet slowly, eying the male with no particular interest as he began to leave.
Her expression relaxed.
"If you do not wish to know your future, you need only refuse my Telling." Clotho called. "But you cannot deny knowing your own past."
She smiled when Durion stopped walking. She knew he wanted to know more, but was forcing himself to leave. His past was painful for him, she could tell that quite plainly. For some, it was better if they spoke of their past. Clotho enjoyed when others were able to get things off of their chests. However, she knew Durion was not that type of male. He would need more prodding; more convincing.
But she would get him in the end.
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:54 pm
Durion stopped mid-step.
He turned his head to look over his shoulder slowly, eyes wide and pupils paper-thin as he glared.
"Shut. Up." he commanded in a low breath. He didn't turn around. He just stared over his shoulder at the pink and white face.
If she thought she could manipulate him, she had another thing coming. Why did she insist on prying; on trying to get inside his head? Was it fun for her to try that kind of thing on people? True, Durion did do something similar to most creatures he met. But not like that. He'd never pretend to be able to see someone's past or future. That was stupid. Not only was it stupid, but it was making Durion feel incredibly threatened.
He didn't like feeling threatened.
"I didn't mind you at first, Pinky. But you keep on pryin' and I might have to do somethin' about it. Get me?" he snapped quietly. He turned around again. This time, not turning back. He entered the jungle and disappeared in the trees.
He tried desperately to ignore the things that were being called out to him as he left.
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:02 pm
"I understand." Clotho said, smiling. She sat down, the tip of her tail twitching in some kind of emotion she couldn't quite pin. She watched the male turn yet again and move off to the jungle. Her eyes narrowed slightly in her smile as she watched him go.
"I have clarity for you, Durion; solutions." she called. Her head lowered itself slightly as she peered into the jungle Durion disappeared in. She watched his dark body mesh with the black shadows. "If ever you want solutions, you know where to find me...I can prevent It from happening again." she yelled. She could no longer see the lion anymore, and was quite sorry to see him go. "I am solace in this jungle, Durion." she called once more. Her lips curled into a smile.
"The only solace you will ever find."
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