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 Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:10 pm
The lion wished he could stay, but it their differences were painfully obvious now. After they sent their pregnant sister away to wallow in her misery and burdens all alone... Daire could hardly stand to look at them without a pang in his gut. He had to go find her and assist her through the hardest time in her life.
Before he could set off on his journey, he had one more person to meet. His powerful paws barely skimmed the earth as he made his away across the Savannah. She could usually be found near the watering hole around this time... Not far from his home. Daire glanced towards the sky, red bangs sweeping over his eyes as he confirmed the time of day. With each step, the anxiety built up in his chest... He was going to miss her the most.
"Nergui?" Daire smiled as he spotted the blue figure just where he assumed it would be. He crept closer, and the sight of her face vanished the uncomfortable stress. The lion relaxed. "I've been looking for you..." He gave the lioness a bow, dipping his head until his mane brushed against the grass of the earth. "M'lady." Even a friendship that's lasted as long as theirs shouldn't diminish the purpose of good manners.
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 2:13 am
She had been expecting this visit, but only perhaps because she knew him too well. She had cursed this understanding more than once; if she hadn't known how kind he was, how very chivalrous he was, she wouldn't have expected him to leave. And of course, if she hadn't known, she would have been just fine when he did leave.
If only his charm wasn't so painfully obvious. If only she hadn't realized he was one in a million. If only, if only.
She hated to think that she had come to rely on that sunny smile and uncommon courtesy to find her own laughter and joy. Knowing that it was his presence that made her light up and that without it, she might very lose track of what it meant to grin until her face hurt made her want to scream. Just to stand somewhere very high and scream until she could hear echos of her own voice bouncing back at her.
It felt like abandonment, plain and simple, and although she knew somewhere deep down that she could only blame herself for becoming so attached, she couldn't help but feel angry, so angry that she started to think that perhaps she never wanted to see him again, that if he left without saying goodbye, it would be all for the better.
Until he showed up.
Like it or not, Nergui had to admit that she couldn't bring herself to hate his guts. Nobody could. There was just something so disarming about that old school charm.
That didn't keep it from hurting though. The moment she realized that this might very well be the last time she would see him, she couldn't hep but feel that sinking dread in her stomach. Why couldn't this moment just last forever, so that neither of them had to move on or lose track of one another? Just this moment, forever, with the bow and his mane tickling the grass and the smile that had inevitably crept across her face.
"Of course I could count on you to find me, Daire," she said with a laugh that perhaps masked the anxiety she felt. "I'd rather have the good new first, so if there isn't any, you'd better make some up." She joked, quirking an eyebrow.
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:04 pm
"Good news, hmm?" Daire settled in the grass, displaying his amused crooked grin. It was amazing how effortlessly she could ease the anxiety in a meeting like this one. "Ah, well... for starters..." Daire lifted a red paw, sweeping it through his maturing dark mane, a subconscious effort to smooth the newly sprouting fur. "You have acquired an alluring shimmer to your eyes tonight. I'm certain the stars are jealous of your superior beauty." The words rolled together in his tranquil, unwavering voice... Truly honest, as if dishonesty never tainted his tongue.
"Not to mention, your vibrant fur still makes mine look as dull as the dirt. I suppose that's not news to us, but it is something worth mentioning." The lion chuckled deeply, swaying towards her to give his friend a playful nudge with his shoulder. Not too rough. Never too rough.
This was pleasant. Maybe, if they were lucky, they could jump around the real subject at hand for a little while. It wouldn't hurt to spend an hour or two just chatting, would it? Or would it just intensify the pain of the separation? Daire quickly dismissed that thought. He gladly endure weeks of pain just to spend an hour with Nergui, after all.
"I could go on." He said it as if to tease, as if he knew she knew he could go on with the 'good news' until infinite finally found it's end. "But spare us... and let me know how you're fairing tonight?" The humorous grin quickly faded into a concerned one, full of some strong emotion that could be compared to love. Even if that was the case, the lion was much too oblivious and inexperienced to recognize such a feeling.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:59 am
"You, sir, are far too well-versed in the ways of words." She shot him a sideways glance. Those compliments that just seemed to roll off his tongue had her flattered, whether she wanted to be or not. There was no condescension there. Never condescension, and always just... the truth. He made things seem so simple, so obvious and yet somehow it was always these observations that struck home.
"You'd better watch out. That mouth of yours is going to get you into some real trouble one of these days." It was both advice, given from her good will, and muted warning, because she should know. She was a female, just like one of those females that could get him into the kind of trouble she was talking about, and she knew just how silly her kind was.
It wouldn't take Daire much effort at all to buy himself into an awkward situation. Or, at least, an awkward situation in Nergui's mind. Then again, when she was being honest with herself, she knew that secretly, she hoped she would never have to hear of that happy ending that her friend was bound to find in some lucky lady. So maybe she was a little bit biased.
"Oh, but are you going to stop singing my praises?" She said with a small laugh. "That's a shame, I'd been looking forward to it all day." And she could listen to him go on forever if he so chose, if only just to hear him and to keep him nearby, though of course she hadn't the words or the will to express it.
"I've been..." A small frown flitted briefly across her face. "Better. But I'll be alright, I think." She had to put on a strong face. Had to, perhaps simply because she was too stubborn to do otherwise.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:58 pm
"My brothers taught me well..." Daire smirked, getting a severe sting from the mention of his brothers, but it was barely visible. He quickly ushered the thoughts away. Nothing should spoil this moment, he wouldn't allow it.
Daire looked perplexed at the warning... It wasn't a concept he could grasp. How could his pure, truthful words possibly get him into trouble? He didn't realize it at the time, but he would come to get a glimpse of the meaning of Nergui's words as he journeyed across the savanna and into the jungle... For now, he let the subject shift, having nothing to respond with. But he had no choice but to take it seriously.
Daire's frown strengthened. Just alright? That's not what he wanted to hear. He never wanted her to be distressed.. and to think that he might be the one causing it... it just tore away relentlessly at his chest.
"What can I do to make it better? I want you to be happy." He narrowed his blue eyes at her, serious to the core. Though there were certain things he knew he couldn't do. These thoughts just tore even deeper.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:05 pm
Upon seeing the confusion on his face, she smiled, a wistful little smile, and shook her head. "You'll see." She said simply, knowing that her words were, at least in part, prophetic, though how they would manifest, neither of them could know. As much as she wished he wouldn't, because she could already tell that that knowledge could only hurt him, she didn't imagine life was supposed to be that easy. Daire's upcoming departure said about as much.
She caught his gaze and held it for a moment. What could he do? Well, there was plenty he could do, but none of it anything that he would do. Or that she would ask him to do. She knew why he was leaving, understood it, and even tried to the best of her abilities to accept it. It would have been selfish - beyond selfish, even - to ask him to stay, and she had no intention of doing so.
"Nothing, Daire," she said with another small shake of her head. "Your being here's already made it better." And, in small part, worse because seeing him only reminded her that this might be the last time she ever did. But that was another story. "Don't worry too much about me." She added. "I'll be alright. And you have other things to worry about."
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:23 pm
Daire let out a sigh, blowing his red bangs away to stop obscuring his vision. The lion quickly replaced his frown with something a little more jolly... despite the turmoil of emotions stirring within him. He futilely hoped that Nergui wasn't feeling the same kind of pain.
"Very well..." Daire said, trailing off as he shifted his gaze to view the horizon. The sun was crawling across the sky much quicker than usual. Daire wished it would slow down... But before he knew it, he'd be gone.
"What do you wish to do then? The day is yours..." He turned back to his best friend, eyes welling with sadness despite the happy tune in his voice and on his lips. "I saw a rather fat flock on my way here... But I didn't want to investigate without you." Daire chuckled, giving his friend a little wink as he readied himself for the "investigation".
A nostalgic thrill was the perfect way to say goodbye. Well, at least he thought it might be. And if not, at least he'd get to have one more good run with his friend. It certainly wouldn't be the last, he was confident of this.
Daire lifted his form, flicking his tail with excitement as he turned to where the flock was located. A red paw lifted from the earth as if offering the lady to go first. As was proper, of course!
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:39 pm
A cheeky twinkle lit her eyes as she cast a sideways glance at Daire. "A flock, you say...?" She said, rising to her paws even as she said it. And of course, it was perfect. There was no better way to commemorate this fateful day than to scatter a flock of feeding vultures, just like they used to do.
Those birds. They offered endless hours of entertainment as they scattered and then stubbornly returned to the carcass, only to be scattered again by the two charging lions. It had originated as a clever way to put a positive spin on an irritating phenomenon. Now, it seemed as though the chase itself had become a means to make a sad situation slightly more bearable.
She turned back to her friend with a grin. "Lead the way!" She said. Now was a time to become immersed into the task at hand, to focus only on the fun and not on anything else. Especially not on what would come afterward.
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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:27 am
Daire sprang forward, playfully flicking his tail at the female as he bolted past her. Any melancholy thoughts which remained were quickly left behind in the cloud of dust his speed created. "Keep up now, Nergui!" He said with a wide grin, twisting his head to see just how far behind she had become.
The oblivious flock of vultures soon came into view. They were too busy plucking at the remains to notice the two huge lions barreling towards them relentlessly. It wasn't until Daire could just hook his claws into the feathers of a vulture's tail that they took into the air in a fright. Daire snapped at them playfully as they frantically thrashed their way into the safety of the sky.
The lion leaped over the carcass and continued running until the time was right to spin around. Just as predicted, the birds had landed again. "They never learn, do they?" Daire's laughter roared across the savannah as he resumed his rampage towards the dumb flock with his best friend.
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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:34 am
She leaped to her feet and forward into motion in one fluid movement, running after her friend. The rhythm of their graceful strides and the adrenaline that shot through her body at the sudden movement drained her mind of the sadness she felt. It felt both cathartic and therapeutic, and Nergui thought that she could even feel a sense of calm enveloping her as the flock of vultures drew nearer.
What if it could be like this, just like this forever? What if this moment didn't have to end? In that moment, it seemed as though it could be true, that this could be the two of them forever, just running after vultures. And for a second, she felt herself laughing as she ran, relishing this age-old pastime.
She swiped at the scattering birds, leaping to snap at their retreating tails and laughing as they cawed in panic above her head. Silly creatures, they really never did learn, but they couldn't be blamed. It wasn't their fault that nature had blessed them with such tiny heads, but that didn't mean she couldn't take advantage of them.
"I don't think they're capable of it!" She said with a laugh, spinning on her hind legs to charge back at the landing flock. "At least now they get to work for their dinner as well."
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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 2:24 pm
"I think you're right, they're really not!"
This time around one of the birds didn't get out of the way fast enough. Daire found himself with the poor squirming creature beneath his heavy paws. "Gah!" Daire scrambled away from the vulture in fear of damaging it. What a shame it would be to injure a creature he wasn't intending to eat! Equally frazzled, the bird threw itself in the air with a loud squawk. Yet still, it refused leave the precious, rotting meal.
"Not even a close call will make them learn!" Daire laughed nervously and shook his head as he followed Nergui into the flock for a third time. The event felt as if it would last an eternity, and Daire wished it would. Unfortunately, everything must come to an end. The felines run out of energy. The birds leave with their fill of meat... And growing lions must leave home. The thought came back to plague him once more.
He sat with a satisfied grin as the vultures left them with the skeleton of their meal. The big lion's tail flicked with content as he looked to his best friend with twinkling blue eyes. "Things like this never last long enough." He said, casually letting his elbows buckle so that he can lay against the cool grass and rest.
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:48 pm
She spun around at the sound of the vulture's panicked squawking, just in time to witness its frantic struggle before it was released again by Daire's quick thinking. Well, that was a sight, though not surprising in the least. Vultures had always seemed to Nergui to be the least aerodynamic creatures, and she had trouble envisioning how they ever managed to launch themselves into the air in the first place. No wonder they were so slow to escape.
The bright lioness took one last eager bat at the loudly protesting birds, before sighing and slumping down into the grass beside her friend. Memories like these never seemed to fade. They just got brighter, and more vivid, though perhaps time cast an exaggerated sheen to them and made them seem more wonderful than they actually were.
Nergui wouldn't complain if that was the case. She wished that every moment could be like this, could seem as great, even if it wasn't. Because once he left, there would be no telling when she would see him again - or even if she would ever see him again, and over time, his the memory of his face might fade and become a hazy blur. If only.
"Does anything ever?" She asked with a small, wistful smile, staring down at the tufts of grass between her paws. "Everything ends, doesn't it?" Life, friendships... even the day gave way to the night, and drought gave way to rain. Nothing ever lasted long enough. Nothing ever lasted forever.
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 3:01 pm
"It's true... Unfortunately. Everything comes to an end." An element of sadness crept into the lion's voice as he gazed up at the sun. It was beginning to make its descent into the horizon. He had delayed his departure for much too long, already. It was a great run, and Daire would treasure this moment forever. The memory, he hoped, would be the one thing that will never end.
After the short rest, Daire rose to his paws. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. What came next? Goodbye? It just didn't feel right. His throat painfully constricted itself as he held back the tears from his eyes. He turned to his dearest friend and spoke the only words that he could muster. "Well... It's time-" He couldn't finish, the pain in his gut and his throat wouldn't allow it. But the message was doubtlessly received.
There was a pause. Daire tried his best to struggle through the pain. He could not cry, but he couldn't prolong her pain, either. "Nergui, my best friend. I'll miss you... But, this isn't goodbye." He didn't know if it was true, or if he would ever return. He would stay with his sister and help her until her cubs were old enough to fend for themselves and then return to his home. At least.. that was the plan. What if he got lost? What if he never found his sister? Daire shook away all of the daunting possibilities, tears finally escaping from his eyes.
"If you ever have any troubles, you know my brothers will help you. They're good lions, regardless of their questionable behavior." Against all of his standards and beliefs, Daire gave Nergui a quick nuzzle to her cheek. It was a special occasion, after all. "See you, Nergui.." He said, quickly turning away so she wouldn't see the tears that would conquer his eyes.
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:24 pm
She was glad that on his last day, he had given her a memory to treasure. She was glad he had come to say good-bye, even if she wished he hadn't. And she was glad that he was setting off to do something that he truly believed in, that by leaving, he was upholding part of his own moral code. Somewhere along the way, cubs would grow up with a father figure and his sister would be less alone.
There was a reason for all this.
None of this was coincidence, and because of that, she couldn't blame him, much as she wished she could. If only she could get angry, yell, hate him for leaving. Then, maybe, she wouldn't miss him as much. She wouldn't dwell on how wonderful a friend she had lost, and what opportunities might have disappeared before her eyes because of it.
But she couldn't, and she knew that it was. It was goodbye. Lions changed, time passed. One day, she would move on and out of the company of his brothers. One day, he would find someone to spend his life with. And in between those days lay any number of decisions that would take them in directions even the two of them couldn't foresee. It was goodbye.
"You take care of yourself, then," she said reluctantly. The finality of the moment weighed on her like a brick, and there was nothing she wanted more than to turn around and run away. "Don't get into trouble, now."
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:03 pm
Daire wanted to return to Nergui and just stay there a minute longer. He was afraid that if he did, he'd never have the courage to turn his back a second time. If that happened, he would have failed his sister. She and her cubs would struggle and die on their own, and he would have suffer that guilt for the rest of his life.
The giant lumbering feline dragged his tail across the dirt. His head sank lower until the grass tickled his nose. The emotions were so overwhelming that they blurred his normally sharp clarity. The naive young lion descended blindly into the savannah, oblivious to the variety of adventures and tragedies he will experience. FIN YAY WC: 3504
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