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 Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:09 pm
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu woke up slowly from her rest, finding the world almost completely dark around her. She stood with a quiet stretch from the grass and looked around for... well, anyone, really. She didn't notice anyone else around.
"They might have left," she thought aloud to herself, frowning a bit at that thought and then tilting her head. Why should she be displeased at that? The only one she knew was Suli and, well, he was tough company. There were times when he wasn't so bad and more often than not they were arguing or he was chiding her as if she were a cub but... But if he was gone, that meant she was alone again, which was the main point. She didn't like being alone very much, at least not for long periods of time. Only in her adulthood had she had to experience that, and if she kept it up, sooner or later she'd be wandering about talking to herself.
Oh, wait, she was already doing that...
Tifu sighed and shook her head at herself before heading back to the watering hole to get something to drink.
Maji:
Kisuli and Maji had spoken late into the night, so the large dusty-maned lion remained asleep. Unfortunately for Maji- he snored like an angry beast through the night. He had gotten some sleep- but not enough.
He licked at the roof of his dry mouth, eyes heavily lidded as he trudged down to the side of the watering hole. He dropped his head and took a few slow, deep laps off the surface. Just enough to remidy a parched throat and mouth.
He lifted his head as it registered that he had company.
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu's ears perked slightly when she saw the other lion approach and drink before she got to the water. It was Maji, Suli's friend, so they hadn't left after all. The grumpy lion had been very keen on finding his friend, she doubted they would separate now.
A pleasant smile came to her face as she quickly dipped her head for a drink and then approached the light-colored male.
"Good evening, Maji," she said in her more formal tone, dipping her head in a nod. It was how she had been taught and it just seemed right to act as such. Had she been younger, she might not have bothered, but she sort of got a feeling from Maji. Like he deserved the formalities, at least in the introduction.
"My name is Takatifu'moja, if Suli didn't already tell you so."
Maji:
The male smiled softly and dipped his head in response. He had corrected his posture though the groggyness still clung to his features. His mane was a bit messy- thankfully he'd not taken the time to inspect himself in the waterhole's reflection.
"I've been told of you, and I thank you for leading Kisulisuli here...and bless your patience."
Takatifu'moja:
"I like to help," Tifu replied and laughed a bit, bringing a paw up to rub against the side of her head.
"Patience indeed. Your friend is very... I donno. We don't seem to get along very well," she added, sighing a bit. That's how it'd been from the beginning. She wanted to help him and he kept telling her she was too trusting to try something like that. She probably was, but... She didn't want to change.
Maji:
"If he likes you, he'll give you a hard time. He doesn't know how to show effection." He smiled sympathetically and slowly sat himself back to a sit.
"His father...well to put it gently stepped to the other side of the line when our former pride was divided. His mother left, and he spent much of his cubhood fighting off rogues and being pushed around by the newcomers." He tipped his head to the side. "Reasons. Not excuses."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu snorted at that.
"Then he must love me," she drew out love with a roll of her eyes, a sarcastic smile and short shake of her head. The smile faded, though, when he explained to her a bit of Suli's past. It made a bit more sense now, she supposed.
"That's... horrible. I had something of an idea, I think he'd mentioned it before, but... I'm sorry for that. It sounds like your pride was difficult, too," she replied softly, glancing over at the lake.
Maji:
Maji's smile remained though his eyes betrayed the pain that surfaced from the memory. Suli had told him of what had become of the pride...that Masika had become arrogant and blind to the needs of the pride. That she had changed their ways and much of the pride went ignored. THe lands had recovered, but the pride had scattered. The few that remained...well. They weren't true mistweavers. As far as he was concerned, the pride had completely fallen. Their time had come.
"Nothing can stay strong forever." He glanced down to the water, finally seeing the disorder that his mane had fallen into.
Clearing his throat, he began smoothing the locks back into place. "He mentioned that you were a rogue..."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu nodded. She knew that all too well. Her own pride had no doubt weakened and died with the loss of the High Priestess and her only heir (She had no idea that the pridelands were destroyed in the great quake and most of the members killed).
She glanced back up at Maji and nodded.
"Yes, I am. Ever since I was a cub. My father found me after I left my old pride and we'd been traveling together until somewhat recently," she replied, wondering why Maji would ask after that.
Maji:
He nodded slowly. "I see. Well... I wasn't planning on staying with this troupe long. They're warriors and...well you can tell that I am far from the warrior sort."
He nodded behind him. Suli's snoring was still very audible over the idle conversation. "He'll be traveling with you. We're looking for a friend of ours...and a new place to live. I wouldn't object to more company- and I can keep our young friend's tongue behind his chattering teeth."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu smiled, about to tell him that it was alight, that she didn't want to burden them. But she stopped herself, realizing that she really did want to stay, to have others around her. A place to live, home. She'd never wanted to wander, she liked staying in one place. Maybe this was the right thing, going with them to a new home, helping them find their other friend.
"I would like that very much," she answered and smiled over his comment about Suli. She could hear his snoring from here and actually giggled.
"Goodness, he's even loud and opinionated in his sleep."
Maji:
"Well good." He flicked his tail behind him. A new home soon, perhaps. He wouldn't hold his breath... any more disapointment and he might become just as bad and crude as his companion.
"That he most certainly is." Maji rubbed at his eyes. "You get used to it."
Takatifu'moja:
"My father snores too, though not always." Tifu giggled remembering the first few nights with him. One of the priestesses had snored, but she hadn't been as loud as her Abu. It was certainly a surprise.
"I'm guessing he kept you up though, huh? Why not try sleeping here? You can still hear it, but at least it's not at loud."
Maji:
"Oh I tried moving." He rolled his eyes. "Besides... I should be up anyway. The Chokwe have been too kind to me, I've done some training but...for the most part I've been resting here."
He stood himself up and shook his mane out. "I think perhaps we should wake our friend and announce the good news."
Takatifu'moja:
"Is that what this group is called? I like it," Tifu commented, nodding her head. That was good that they were a kind group, if a little hard, if the hyena she had met was any indication. She wasn't much of a warrior and in truth she didn't want to be. Now, if there was someone who could teach her more about the spiritual and the intellectual, well then, that was a group she would be interested in.
She nodded and stood as well, having sat down at one point earlier in their conversation.
"I'm not sure how good he'll think it is," she said, her voice laced with humor, "Surely my optimism will drive him insane before a fortnight has passed."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:14 am
Maji:
He nodded, "They were close friends of mine when the pride began to fall apart. They...are different. Always moving, always training, always with their ears to the ground scenting the wind."
He shrugged and started over towards the snoring dusty male. "He doesn't have a choice. No one should sleep too long after sunrise."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu nodded in understanding, it was an odd way, but she was used to different things. Being different generally put that mindset on you.
She followed Maji towards Suli and paused to look at the larger, sleeping lion. She tilted her head to one side, thinking how he actually looked relaxed. He was usually so gruff and ready to fight, at least what she saw, but sleeping...
"If it weren't for the snoring and the fact I know better, I'd almost be tempted to say he looks endearing when he's asleep and mean it," she whispered to his friend, her smile and tone amused, mostly at herself.
Maji:
Maji chuckled and shook his head. "Well... that's safe to say I suppose. He means well but he doesn't exactly know how to portray that."
He reached down slowly, pinched the bridge of Suli's nose, and waited. The dusty-maned lion snorted, flailed, and rolled onto his back.
Maji stepped back with an innocent smile.
Kisulisuli:
Suli turned around, eyes wide as he caught his breath. "Wha...what....WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT!?"
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu automatically pointed to Maji.
"He did it, I've no part in muzzle-pinching. Completely innocent," she said, an amused smile on her face. Actually, it was almost a grin. She dropped the pointing paw and sat down, her smile never slipping.
"Maji said we should let you know that I'm going to be sticking around for a while. Guess you're stuck with me." She ended the statement with a wink, in good spirits after her rest, happy to tease Suli. She wasn't sleepy now, so she had her wit back, thankfully.
Kisulisuli:
"Maji!" Suli snapped, bringing a paw up to rub at his nose. The blue lion looked off to one side and shrugged innocently.
He slowly rolled himself to an akward sit, his mane fraying up in every direction- save for the completely flat left side of his head where he'd slept all night.
"...oh.. well good. You won't get killed."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu rolled her eyes and shook her head just a little.
"With or without you, I won't 'get killed' until my time comes. I'm certain there's more in my fate before that happens," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. Had her mother known she was going to die? Probably, her mother knew things sometimes. In retrospect, Tifu was almost certain her mother was also a seer, of possible futures. Tifu was glad she was not. To know the future, especially one's own... It was a daunting thought. She preferred to simply go on and have faith that she had more time to accomplish what she felt she needed, what she wanted to in her life.
Kisulisuli:
If he didn't hear the word 'fate' for the rest of his life, he'd be a happy lion. His thoughts were openly displayed in the expression he shared with Tifu.
"Whatever." He glanced over to Maji, who's maw was twitching. He was trying not to laugh.
"...What!?"
Maji:
""Your mane...." He lifted a claw, pointing towards the lion. "You look indecent."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu only stuck her tongue out at him again. No grumpy lion was going to change her mind about how the world worked.
She giggled again when Maji brought up the state of Suli's mane.
"It is rather rumpled. Here, let me-" She had reached out a paw at that, intending to put it into place, or at least a semblance of that. Grooming one another and fixing the short manes had been a daily amusement for the priestesses and she had carried that on, sometimes helping her father with his mane, before the day she touched him and Saw. And for a moment, she had forgotten. But when her paw neared Suli, she remembered and jerked it back as if she had burned herself, cutting her own statement off.
"Nevermind. Um..." her ears flicked backwards slightly as she floundered in her attempt to find something more to say.
Kisulisuli:
Suli had leaned back further and further, eyeing the female's paw as she drew closer. He didn't like being touched. It wasn't something he was used to and it wasn't something he associated with 'nice'. Contact came through battle and the occassional, very rare, friendly gesture. He didn't know the female long enough to say whether or not she was deserving of a friendly gesture.
As she pulled back he licked one of his paws and slowly ran it up the flat side of his mane, spiking it out to match the rest of it. "There. I'm beatufiul, now what's the plan?"
Maji:
"We should make plans to leave the Chokwe. They have been more than hospitible to me- and the two of you. They'll be moving on soon, we should be doing the same."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu's mouth quirked back into the smile at Suli's comment. Beautiful would definitely not be her choice of words, but at least it was uniform in its messiness. She wondered what it would look like groomed out.
She turned her contemplating gaze from the dusty male's mane to Maji as he spoke about the "plan".
"We're going to try and find your other friend, right? Do you have a direction in mind?" Not that it really mattered to her. She was mostly curious.
Maji:
"Obi, yes. I do not know what became of him, I was expecting to find him when I found Kisulisuli here." He nodded towards the younger lion. "Afterall, you two were sparring partners."
Kisulisuli:
Suli cleared his throat and looked off to the side. "Yeah well... he and I got seperated. I think he paniced when he couldn't find me the day you vanished... and just rand out."
Maji:
"Hm." Maji nodded slowly. It was no small miracle that he'd managed to find Suli at all, where Obi could be was anyone's guess. As he had quickly learned- Africa was a very, very large place.
"Well... Suli and myself are the strangers to the free lands. Perhaps you could direct us?"
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu made an uncomfortable face. She wasn't really the leader type and in all honesty she had gotten lucky with Maji. Yes, she had known what direction he had gone in, but she hadn't known when or if he had stopped or changed directions or... Goddess help her, this was difficult.
"To be honest, I would have no idea where to start. I may have seen him in the past, maybe not. I could only help if I Saw him, and..." She glanced sheepishly down at the ground. "I don't really want to try that again."
She would if they asked her to, but she wanted to make her hesitance known. She didn't want to See anything painful, in either of the males' pasts.
Maji:
"Ah." Maji nodded his understanding. He didn't have too much experience with seers- Kisuli had mentioned her abilities -but they were all different in some way it seemed.
"It was unfair of me to ask. I suppose we'll just have to trust we have our paws on the right road then." He lifted his head and glanced around. "...how abotut to the east?"
Kisulisuli:
"Works for me..." Suli was still messing with his mane a bit- anything to get the fur out of his eyes. He could care less about what it looked like.
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu looked up and shook her head.
"Oh, no, it wasn't unfair. You didn't know," she assured him, doing her best to smile again. She nodded in agreement to the eastward suggestion and glanced at Suli again. He was back to messing with his mane, causing her smile to deepen into a more relaxed set and a short giggle echoed behind her closed maw.
"Eastward sounds good to me."
Maji:
"Then it's decided. Suli- please look in the watering hole and make yourself presentable. We may be rogues but we certainly aren't barbarians." He shook his head, "Tifu, get some more to drink. I need to thank Taban for his hospitality to us all."
Kisulisuli:
"That the mouthy hyena? Let 'em rot.. let's just go." He snorted.
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu tilted her head at Maji's sudden take-charge attitude and was rather glad for it. It wasn't a role suited for her and Suli wasn't as pleasant when telling her what to do. She looked to that male in particular and gave him a part bored, part chiding look.
"Come on, Suli. Maji's not making you do it, so you shouldn't complain. That's just silly," she said as she stood and dipped her head to Maji before starting back towards the water again.
Kisulisuli:
Suli groaned, rolled his eyes, and picked himself up to follow Tifu to the water hole. Better play with his mane than go and talk to a mouthy hyena. Or...oh that was right, Taban was a cheetah. A mouthy, cocky, know-it-all cheetah.
He licked his maw. "So he convinced you to chill out afterall."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu glanced at Suli and frowned.
"What do you mean? He didn't ask me to do anything?" she asked, confused at what in the world he was talking about. Maybe she was being a little more lenient towards Suli's attitude, but she didn't think she was really being that obvious about it.
Kisulisuli:
"You said you were going to take off and go wherever.... lookin for your dad." He glanced over and smirked. He was so sure he'd seen the last of the female. Afterall- she had said that she'd go look for her dad. Or whatever.
Takatifu'moja:
"Well, I figured you didn't need me anymore, so I'd just go back to traveling with my family. I didn't think your friend would ask me to come with," Tifu shot back with an annoyed look. She stopped at the water's edge and dipped her head down to take a drink.
When she was done, she looked down at her reflection and started setting her fur right. It wasn't nearly as ruffled at Suli's but she liked to keep herself in order. One never knew who might be around the next bend.
"I mean," she said, continuing the train of thought she had started earlier, "It wasn't like I really expected to be asked along. I most certainly wouldn't have expected you to. Last time, if I remember right, you couldn't get rid of me fast enough."
Kisulisuli:
Suli was slowly dipping his paw into the water and spiking his mane up so he resembled a cactus. See what Maji said about his mane -then-. That would show him. If he had to spend time on his mane, he'd do it earning a few sour looks.
"You girls look into things way too much."
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu didn't even pause in her own grooming to give him a disbelieving look.
"And how did you come to that conclusion?" she asked and frowned at her reflection. She sighed and looked up at the sky, asking for her goddess' aid.
"Look, I'm sorry if my trusting, optimistic attitude bothers you. I just don't know how to be anything but what I am. Maybe some day I'll get some sense knocked into me as you seem to thing, but... Until then I can only be what I am, no matter what other creatures thi-" Oh, it was a lovely little speech. To bad it cut off near the end when she dissolved into very amused laughter. For at that moment, she had turned to look at him and saw the state of his mane.
Kisulisuli:
He rolled his eyes again, finishing yet another point to his collection. He didn't care. He wanted to get a reaction, that was the whole point. Call it a sick pleasure, but every negitive reaction to his behavior or, in this case, his appearence amused him.
"Look I just want you to get a grip on reality. Angry rogues have claws, not happy baby bunnies on the ends of those paws, and they don't shoot rainbows from their mouths, they have teeth in there and they're not afraid to use them."
He lifted an eyebrow as she contained her laughter. "What?"
Takatifu'moja:
"Your mane," Tifu said between her laughter as best she could, doubling over as she shook.
"It makes you look like a porcupine," she added, glancing up at him only to start giggling all over again. For her, it was quite an amusing sight, though she had no doubt that wasn't his intent. If she really thought about his words, she might have softened a little. He was looking out for her in a sense, trying to keep her from getting hurt by doing something foolish.
Buuuuuut, she was too busy giggling over his mane.
Kisulisuli:
Suli blinked, as if his mane's state was perfectly normal. "...what?" He echoed and slowly rolled his eyes upwards. "Seems fine to me. Maji said fix it, right? I fixed it."
He turned away from the watering hole, flicked his tail, and started back towards where they had split off from Maji.
Takatifu'moja:
Tifu giggled some more, took one last drink and one more look at the state of her fur and then loped after Suli. Her giggling tapered off and she simply smiled, doing her best not to look up at the lion next to her, for fear of laughing again.
Kisulisuli:
"It's like you've never seen a groomed mane before, sheesh...this is what happens when you live out in the wild for too long..." He was smirking, though with his back turned to her- and her eyes firmly averted -she'd not see it.
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