|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:55 pm
(backlog name quest)
The lioness padded along her straight line, searching for her name as her quest required it. But it was just going through the motions for her now. She had no direction, no idea, and no motivation save that she'd like whether or not she rertuned to her pride to be a choice rather than the fact that she'd not found her proper name as of yet.
Imbali was not accustomed to the hot dry climate of this place, she didn't like it. The moist air of the swamps, the squish of mud between her toes...she liked that. Which was why she was headed straight for that watering hole she'd been directed to by that very odd pair... it would be a relief to get a nice soak. She could continue looking for guidance from the spirits once she felt less hot and gritty.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:03 pm
Dysi didn't like dry weather but he had gotten used to it. When you travelled, you tended to go through several different weather patterns and it made trying to stay in 'favourable' conditions almost impossible, so he knew better than to let the weather effect his mood. Instead, he just focused on the feeling of walking, the pounding rhythm of the dirt beneath his paws and the way his breath came out in pants due to the warm weather.
He wouldn't deny that he liked the cooling days, where the cloud was heavy above him but not yet raining. That made walking easy, not this dryness that made him wish for a watering hole to laze by. Huffing a little, he tried to keep his spirits up, but the dry weather seemed to be ruining that for him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:10 pm
An ear flicked as Imbali caught a whiff of a stranger on the thick heavy air. Curious still, it was the only feeling she had lately, the lioness changed direction very slightly to see who it might be. Perhaps the spirits would guide her now, though they'd done nothing for her before. Nor had they saved her parents. Sometimes she wondered...no.
Crimson eyes finally landed on the white figure. Feline, as she'd smelled, it looked like...like a leopard. She'd met two now, there did seem to be plenty beyond her pride's lands.
"Good day," she greeted, for she was certain the other had seen her, but she moved to continue on her own path. Water wasn't far now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:19 pm
Dysi hadn't smelt the stranger approaching, but he had seen her, from the corner of his eye. He didn't often meet other predominately white creatures, so they were very easy to spot, especially on the dry landscape.
He paused in his walking, to allow her the chance to catch up and inclined his head to her in greeting. "Good day," he returned, pleasantly. He was nothing but kind to strangers normally, and he was rather curious of this lioness.
"Enjoying your walk?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. He didn't know if she was just walking, or if she was a wanderer like he was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:54 pm
He seemed the friendly sort. Pleasant enough, for all she'd thought him a female when she'd first glimpsed the pretty white pelt with the tiny pink spots. She'd learned that not all nonlions were as different as the nonpride lions she'd met. It seemed that just because the shape were the same, the beleifs were different. Some of the diferences still confused her, especially the lion with the...plants-thing.
But still.
"It's too dry for me," she replied, "A lion and cheetah informed me that there would be water in this direction." She was more curious than social in her interactions, which may have left her conversationalist skills...lacking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:00 pm
Dysi tilted his head to the side, rather curious over this lioness. She was being friendly though, which wasn't intrigued him, it was simply a feeling that she was not like what he'd met before. "Mmm," he mused in agreement. "The dryness can be a tad overwhelming at times."
He glanced back behind him, as if to see if he could see the water she spoke of, but couldn't spot anything. "Oh really? Well, I was after some water too, might I escort you there?" He asked, sending her a smile. It wasn't flirtatious, he had yet to truely get a grasp on acting 'flirtatious' properly yet, but it was certainly intended to be nice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:54 pm
An escort? Well, no harm in that she supposed. He seemed like a decent enough sort, and if he wasn't...well, what did she care? Certainly the spirits didn't seem to.
"If you'd like," she replied, her voice calm and empty as it often was of late, "I'm from a much...wetter...sort of place. I can't get used to...this." A dismissive flick of her tail expressed what she meant by 'this' as the lioness fell into pace beside him.
Water would be quite nice, the sooner the better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:08 pm
Dysi was faintly surprised at her rather empty voice, and began to lead her towards where she had gestured towards the water. He didn't know of the watering hole nearby, but he assumed that she knew what she was talking about. Peering at her as she spoke, he frowned a little. "I suppose it would be quite a change," he admitted simply. "What kind of place is your home?" He asked, to make conversation. She had mentioned 'wetter' but that could be applied to so many different places.
"I'm more of a wanderer," he added, to give some information about himself, so he wasn't simply prying into her life. "I tend to wander more than I stay still." He gave a slight smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:19 pm
A wanderer by nature? How...odd. Well, she supposed if they didn't live in prides like hers they might as well see the world. If that was what this leopard liked, then she hardly cared.
"Swamplands," she answered, "It's always wet there, and shaded, and there's never any shortage of water...I can't go home yet though, not until I finish my rite of passage."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:25 pm
Dysi looked even more curious now. "Right of passage? What is that?" Having grown up a rogue, he had no requirements to meet to be an 'adult' in anyone's eyes except his own, therefore he had little knowledge of those kinds of things.
"How long will it be until your 'rite' is over?" He asked, once again trying to encourage conversation. If they were going to walk together, at least they could talk and interact, he thought to himself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:31 pm
"It's what I must complete before I am recognized as an adult in my pride," Imbali explained, vaguely having hoped to avoid a more thorough explanation. Most responded extremely oddly when she said she was looking for her name.
"As for when it ends...I don't know how long it will take," she admitted, "When the spirits have guided me to my name, then I can go back. But I don't know...when I will find it." She worried, a bit, about that. As much as she worried about anything anymore. Which wasn't that much really, but it was one of the few things she did concern herself with. The lioness hardly wanted to stay a child forever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:36 pm
What a strange thing to ask of cubs, to do somethign to be seen as an adult. When you were old enough, Dysi saw everyone as an adult. How could you even tell if someone had done their rite, did you have to ask before talking of them as an adult? How odd. Very very odd.
An even odder thing surprised him though. "You are looking for a name?" He asked, obviously curious, however he did think back to Star, his eldest daughter. She hadn't had a name when Keena had found her, and names were important, he supposed. Keena had mentioned that Star had been upset without a name. Interesting. He hadn't thought of names as particuarly important before. "I suppose that makes sense," he remarked calmly. "I guess it is pointless to ask for something to call you then!" He laughed a little. "So we will just skip all that names business for the moment."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:52 pm
Imbali nodded as he asked if she were looking for a name. Hadn't she just told him? But perhaps, like all the others, he was astonished by the news, or confused, or just plain thought it was bizzare. Regardless, it was what she was here to do.
"Yes. My name. My true name."
Was he laughing at her beliefs? Perhaps he wasn't quite as nice as she'd thought he might be. Her tail flicked again, perhaps it was even from annoyance. She'd been more than tolerant of even the most odd things people believed in, she'd asked questions, but not laughed once.
"Thank you for escorting me," the lioness said, rather coolly, once they'd reached the watering hole. She turned her back on him then, padding into the water until all her paws were sunk into the soft mud and dipping her head to drink. If he left while her back was turned, great. Otherwise she would leave herself once she'd quenched her immediate thirst.
She needed no reason to doubt the spirits more than she already did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:10 pm
Dysi has the strangest feeling that he had somehow insulted or irritated this cold female. He had intended to stay and talk with her a little more, but she practically dismissed him. He frowned a little, as she walked into the water. She seemed safe her, and content, and he backed up.
"Good luck your quest, miss," he told her calmly, trying not to take offense to her coolness. He smiled at her, perhaps a little sadly, as he turned tial to leave her to her watering hole. He did hope she found her name, and perhaps someone to make her a little more expressive. She was a little on the chilly side, but perhaps that was the ways of her pride?
Dysi was happy he was raised a rogue, he thought, a smile appearing on his face. Rites, rules and all of that had never appealed to him as a cub, but the structure appealed now, just...nothing quite that strict. Oh well, he thought, shaking his head. He had done his duty and escorted her to where she wanted to be, that was his job done.
Now he simply had to find a watering hole for himself, he decided.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:30 pm
"Thank you," she said, somewhat coolly, without turning around when he wished her luck. She didn't know how to place him, so she decided that she was better off without him anyway. He seemed nice, but didn't understand that this was something she bleieved in...or wanted to.
Why did she have so many doubts? Well, perhaps it was hardly surprising. If the spirits didn't care enough to save the lives of her parents, why did she think they would bother to help her find her name?
"Good bye..." she said softly as he left, speaking more to her own reflection than anything else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
