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 Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 12:05 am
Standing alone in the grass, Azizi had an air of sadness about him. The wind tussled through his mane, and his eyes were far off in thought. Just when he thought that he could get close to someone again, that door slammed shut in his face.
As cruel and mean as he could be, Azizi didn't like the loneliness that had so wrapped him up. There was no one, not even a traveling companion, for him to confide in. Not that he was really up for confiding in others about his past, but someone to talk to would've been so nice.
In truth, he missed his colony more than he'd ever admit. He missed his siblings, his parents- he even missed the joy of struggling against his overbearing grandfather, if only a little. After all this time, home sickness was finally setting in. But he'd never allow for himself to go back to that, not without some reason. Not without proof that he wasn't a total failure.
But so far, he hadn't really done anything to prove that. He'd gotten into fights, spent nights with females, all things that his grandfather would have shunned him for. Not that he didn't do any of that before, he just wasn't hiding it now. If he wanted acceptance back into the colony, he'd have to prove that he'd changed, that he was in fact, a better and worthy cheetah- one that might take the throne one day.
Bi-colored eyes in a daze, Azizi was fairly oblivious to the world around him. He loved the cool air on his fur, and almost felt that this would be a good moment for a total breakdown. Almost.
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:59 am
Noelani found it faintly amusing that she was getting significantly better at navigating trees. She'd never had much interaction before joining the coalition but living in such a thick and heavily wooded forest, she had been forced to learn just how to leap over fallen logs and slip through the closely growing trees. Which was exactly what she was doing at that moment, slipping away from the colony without too much after thought.
Her cubs were growing well, and they were safe within the colony – while she was not a high ranking member and she was an outsider in the pride, she knew that no one would harm her offspring. Anyway, she had every right to travel out, being a marchand for the pride. Not that she intended on trading trinkets for the pride, but still, if she was asked why she had left, she would give that as an excuse.
To be honest, she just wanted to see the open plains again. Forests were great and she rather enjoyed the safety of the pride, but she missed the sights of the rogue lands too.
Breaking free of the last line of trees, she breathed deep – lungs filling with the gentle breeze that fluttered past. Ah, she glanced out at the grassy plain with a faint grin. Not a tree for miles, except those behind her.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:10 pm
Shaking his head for a moment, Azizi quickly snapped back to his current situation. He had done so much thinking lately that he often drifted for days without realizing it. Lately, it just seemed like there were so many things cluttering up his mind, and he couldn’t get away from them.
Taking a moment to look around, Azizi’s eyes slowly widened. He knew this area. Oh yes, he knew it very well. Turning his head left and right, he ducked down, knowing that distant scenery of trees anywhere. Even at this distance, there was no way he wanted to risk being found accidentally. If he was to return, it’d be of his own free will, and he’d proudly march back into the lands. Well, hopefully. He still didn’t know whether or not his grandfather sent out a search party, or if he just didn’t care. Though, part of Azizi knew that his grandfather was too proud to go looking after someone who left of their own free will. No, that old cheetah was probably sitting there, no admitting that Azizi had left. To him, it was probably just a little ‘vacation.’
[
And, in all actuality, it probably was just that. Though he had even gone as far as to drop his birth name, there was a sense of inevitability when it came to the Colony. Deep down, he knew that he’d be returning, and now that he was within reach of the Colony’s actual borders, that day was coming very fast.
Taking in a deep breath, he straightened himself up, taking a seat in the tall grass. He wouldn’t cower, not now.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:12 pm
Noelani began a steady pace away from the forest, moving some distance away before pausing. She knew she shouldn't go far – imagine if she couldn't find her way back? Her cubs would be left without her, which was a horrible thought – but the itch to run was there. She shifted on her feet and glanced along the face of the forest, an idea hitting. She began to smile and set off at a slow trot – moving parallel to the forest's edge.
Her pace increased as she moved, pleased at being able to stretch her legs. She could still move and run within the colony, but there was not this open freedom – she usually had to dodge trees or turn, whereas she could simply race outside the forest. She'd always loved running – the freedom it gave her – but soon enough she was slowing and finally stopped, her chest heaving lightly in exertion though the smile still remained on her face.
That was better, she mused, some of her energy spent. She turned back the way she had come, but did not race back, this time traveling slowly and enjoying the sights.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:13 pm
Keeping his eyes locked on the line of trees that he knew held his former kingdom within them, Azizi was feeling surprisingly at ease. That was, at least, until he spotted something pale darting along its edge. For a moment, it sent shivers down his spine. Eyes widened, he almost instinctively found himself getting up, paws moving forward on their own. If it was someone who had come out to search for him, he’d rather meet them head-on then have them happen upon him later.
As he drew ever closer to the line of trees, he could feel the pit of his stomach churning. All of this was so familiar, but he still wasn’t sure whether he should return or not. Coming to a stop, he was quite a few yards away now, but it was still too close for Azizi’s liking. He kept his eyes locked on the pale figure as it continued to grow ever closer.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:15 pm
Considering it was the rogue lands, Noelani should have been prepared to stumble upon someone but that didn't stop her from being surprised when she noticed a figure not far from where she was. The figure was dark and for a moment, Noelani found herself thinking that it was Roi Nicephore but she shook off that thought. That was silly – it was probably simply a dark rogue. Why would the Roi be outside the colony anyway? She felt foolish at her thoughts.
She didn't change her path, and it led her closer and closer to the male, who she came to examine when she was close enough to see more than dark with occasional bright colours. His markings seemed familiar somewhere, but she had already dismissed her earlier thoughts so she didn't linger on them. He was a handsome one though, she mused and couldn't resist throwing out a slightly flirtatious “Hello stranger” to him as she drew close enough to do so.
She was a mother now, yes, and her wild ways were behind her but that didn't mean she was dead and you would need to be dead not to acknowledge that he was a handsome one. She smiled.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:22 pm
Keeping his legs from moving, it was fairly inevitable now that the two would cross paths. She was such a pale color, but with eyes that sparkled out. He watched her carefully as she approached, but there didn’t seem to be any ill-intent. As she called out, he paused for a moment, debating what he should say to her. It seemed quite obvious that she was from the Colony; no cheetah in their right mind would enter a forest that heavily-scented of others.
“Ah, hello.” His accent was thick, just like his father’s. He tried to hide some of it, though, as he knew his resemblance to his family line was more than enough to identify him. “Do you live in those trees over there, mademoiselle?” Flicking his nose towards the forested area, his gaze quickly returned to the female. He smiled gently at her, as he honestly didn’t recognize her from when he still lived in the Colony; at this point, a familiar face was probably the last thing Azizi wanted.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:23 pm
Noelani was rather impressed by the accent his voice had – though it gave her pause. That accent was so similar to some within the colony. Was he part of it and she had simply never come across him? She gave him a more thorough look but while there a niggling sense of familiarity about him, she could honestly not say that she had seen him, but even his voice sounded familiar. The smile was nice though, she decided and her own grew slightly in response.
She hesitated at what she could say though. She had been warned of the colony's secrecy about their location, and she would hate to do anything that would result in her and her cubs being once again out in the rogue lands. “I live nearby, yes,” she said, not admitting to living in the forest but really, where else would she live around here?
“You seem so familiar,” Noelani couldn't help but remark, “but I can honestly say I don't know where from.” Ooh, she hoped he wasn't from her wilder days. That would be rather embarrassing, especially since she did not remember him. “Are you a wanderer, or part of a colony?” She tried to pry subtly.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:25 pm
Letting out a large sigh, Azizi could feel his jitters slip away. He had been so very worried that he’d be found out that he’d practically been holding his breath the whole time.
Though, he couldn’t help but laugh a little to himself at her response. He had almost forgotten about the secrecy of the Colony, since he hadn’t talked about it in such a long time. “Ooooh, I see.” His gaze drifted to the ground momentarily; he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t even a little bit disappointed. He kind of wanted to ask her about it, and hear about the Colony from someone else’s view.
“Familiar?” There was that feeling again. Of walking on pricks, with the sudden urge to turn around and run. “I, uh....well....” His voice drifted off for a moment, and he couldn’t really think of what to say. “I guess I can say that a Colony runs in my blood. It is just...a difficult matter.” Laughing a little, he almost felt like just telling her everything. But he knew what the consequences of that would be, and he wasn’t really sure just how prepared he was for that.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:27 pm
Spotting his down-turned look, Noelani wondered for a moment if she had upset him by not being forthcoming about where she lived. She hesitated. Well, they said she couldn't give away the location, not that she couldn't talk about. “I live within a colony,” she murmured, “it's rather nice, if a little...strict at times.” Well, it might not be strict to some but Noelani was born a rogue, she was used to her freedom and while strict wasn't bad it was still...different.
His words surprised her though, but she felt a pang of sympathy. “Aah, family matters can be fairly complicated,” she sympathized. She hadn't known her family well, having left them at a young age but she'd heard stories from travellers she'd met, bemoaning the woes of family life. Not to mention, a friend of hers had grown up in a rather controlling family which Noelani now blamed for his wayward ways. “But I must say it must be very nice family blood if you're part of it,” she said, unable to hold back the flirtatious comment, though her smile made it seem more joking than outright flirtatious.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:28 pm
Watching her as she spoke, Azizi’s mind lingered on every comment she had. A little strict? Part of the reason he left was because he was about to be married off to someone he barely knew. Although, that really was what came with being royalty. And the eldest son, at that. For this female standing before him, it was probably vastly different, but it was kind of nice to hear his place of birth being complimented.
“I suppose....sometimes strict things have their own merit. And their reasons...” His last sentence was more mumbled than anything, as even now, Azizi was battling with himself. This female’s presence alone felt more like a sign than anything else he could have hoped for.
“Ah, you have no idea.” Laughing, the words barely came out. He didn’t want to sound like his problems were worse than hers, because he knew nothing about this female; but every time he thought of his grandfather’s face, he couldn’t help but cringe. “Haha, is that a compliment I hear?” Grinning at her, he leaned in close to her, looking directly at her with his bi-colored eyes. “And coming from such a lovely cheetah at that. Oh, my heart feels like its going to crumble.” Giving her a playful nudge, he really did mean what he said. If only his grandfather had arranged for him to marry this female before him, then maybe he wouldn’t have left.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:30 pm
Noelani looked bemused at the mumbling but she couldn't help but see the truth in his words. She nodded, looking thoughtful. “That's true, I suppose, and the strictness isn't too bad, just something new to me. I was raised a rogue – I only joined the colony recently.” Perhaps she should mention why? She had only joined because of her cubs, but she didn't feel comfortable mentioning them to strangers – even handsome ones. She had left her freedom behind so as to avoid the danger of the unknown – of strangers like him. She decided she'd wouldn't. Anyway, she would likely never see him again, a thought which made her slightly sad to think.
Her smile grew, though she was faintly confused by the laughter, but it sounded nice, so she didn't question it. When he reacted to her compliment, her eyes danced with amusement at his joking response. She fluttered her eyes playfully, leaning close to him at the same time he did. Goodness, his eyes were beautiful, she thought, distracted and momentarily forgetting that he had spoken until he nudged her playfully. Snapping back, and feeling more than slightly flustered, she covered it up with a flirtatious purr, “is pretty words all that it takes to make you crumple, sir?” It was said as a light tease. “If so, I have plenty more which are prettier than those.”
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:31 pm
Still smiling at her, he found this female to be quite the relief from the heavy thoughts that were weighing him down. “Such pretty words from such a pretty dove. But, if pretty words alone were enough to bring me down, I wouldn’t be fit for the royal line.” Laughing, it took him only a moment to realise that he had slipped. Part of him kind of wanted her to know about him, though, if that meant he could return to the Colony knowing someone like her would be there. She was so gentle and kind compared to the nobles he had grown up with - all they wanted was to weasel into his good graces to gain more power for themselves. In all his life he could only count maybe two nobles that he had grown up with that he trusted as friends.
“So, um...you said you just recently joined the colony?” Re-directing the focus away from him, he was actually fairly interested in her story. It wasn’t often that someone new came to the Colony, that much he remembered from when he was young. It was such a secluded place, not many even ventured near it. “What drew you to it?” His eyes couldn’t keep still, and he couldn’t really look straight at her for too long.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:36 pm
She laughed lightly, mostly at being called a 'pretty dove'. That was a new compliment, and significantly better than her childhood friend's nickname of 'moonface' due to her pale colouring. However, he surprised her with his comment and her eyes widened slightly. He was royal? She eyed him. He couldn't be...could he? A royal, from a coalition, and her eyes could have sworn the Roi stood before her earlier, but he couldn't be. Right? “Should I be calling you, your highness then?” She tried to joke, casting him a distracted smile, but her mind was whirling with ideas.
His change in conversation was welcomed, but she soon realised she couldn't explain her reasoning without giving away her pregnancy and subsequent birth of her four offspring. She hesitated and glanced back towards the forest, as if to remind her what had brought her there. “The safety,” she murmured softly, with a faint smile. “And oddly enough, their kindness.” Well, not the whole colony's, but the female who had welcomed her, Esmee, had been a welcome warmth. “Strange, when I was just earlier complaining of strictness, but the first person I met as part of the colony...well, she was very kind to me.” She shook her head, and refocused her gaze on the male, with a slightly wry smile. “I needed somewhere safe and she offered that to me...and to my cubs.” A warm smile lit up her face at the thought of her cubs. She was not ashamed of her cubs, but perhaps slightly embarrassed of her own inexperience with cubs that had forced her to seek out a colony to raise them in.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:43 pm
"Oh, ah, no no.” Laughing a little nervously this time, Azizi didn’t really want to hear honorifics; at least, not from her. She had been so kind and friendly without knowing who he was, and he didn’t want to ruin that at all. Though, he knew she’d find out eventually if he returned like he was inevitably going to do.
“I see.” Azizi hadn’t really ever thought about safety, but the Colony was probably one of the safest places on the Savannah. Merciless, yes, but safe too. It really was no wonder why this female chose to stay there.
At the mention of a welcoming female, Azizi knew immediately the only one who it could be. Whenever rogues came to the Colony, she was usually the one to greet them, or help them out in some way. Even the thought of her made his head pound, and he felt like he was going to cry thinking of his mother. “I want....to see her....” Looking down for a moment, Azizi tried to get control of himself. His words seemed vague enough, but he really did want to go back and see his mother. More than anything.
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