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 Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:11 am
After all, since Uovu had introduced his foster-son to the lioness, he knew that Roho had lost trust in him. She did not doubt his loyalties to the pride, but Katavi was another story...
He shook the thought from his head. In truth, Uovu was irritated by the fact that Roho had her doubts about him - he almost wanted to snap at the woman, strike her even. But then again, he respected Roho as a leader... striking her would just deepen her doubts, and Uovu would be in trouble. Too, at times he felt the guilt slightly unbearable, remembering that, in a way, Roho was actually right about him.
"I will never hurt Katavi," he had told the empress, and at the time he had been full of confidence that he was speaking the truth. But now... well, there was that... that curvy, pleasurable lady. An escape.
And he liked seeing her.
So far, she hadn't asked many questions. So far, all he'd had to do was flirt. It was great... it took his thoughts away, and relieved him from the hassles and shackles of his everyday life.
His life with Katavi.
But now was not the time to be sentimental. Driven by lust, Uovu had finally achieved the impossible - slipping from the campsight had been much easier than usual. Only moments before, it had been raining, and Uovu had noticed a mist passing through... and now, shrouded by a thick blanket of white, Uovu made his way towards no direction in particular, relying on his nose to lead him the way.
"Toroka," he hissed, almost moaning, "Toroka, where are you?"
Picking up scents in this fog was extremely difficult... and finding Toroka would be even harder. He had little knowledge of the locations where she usually walked. All he had was his mind - he knew the areas around Roho's territory quite well, picking up little things on his many patrols.
He would find her, somewhere. After all, he was feeling lucky.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:24 am
There were no doubts that plagued her thoughts, like there were Uovu's. To Toroka, it was all fun and games. There was no mate at home, no overbearing leader, no worries in life. She was free to make her own decisions without anyone breathing down her neck. In fact, she didn't realize that was the case for Uovu.
Uovu. She liked the male. Not enough to settle down with him - the thought of settling down with anyone hadn't really crossed her mind - but she enjoyed spending time with him, flirting carelessly, laughing and playing. He was interesting, fun to be around.
She had caught the scent of other lions on his fur, but it was nothing she had paid any attention to. Her other friends usually had traces of others lingering in their fur, too. It came with being a part of a pride.
The sleek lioness made her way through the dense mist, only half-looking for Uovu. She knew that he lived somewhere in these lands, but had never bothered following him home or anything like that. Their relationship was casual. He didn't care to see her home, and she felt the same way about him. Tonight, she was simply wandering. If she didn't see him, it was no big deal. And if she did, all the better.
His voice caught her by surprised, but she was pleased to hear it. "I'm over here," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. "By the trees."
Toro sat down, her tail coiling around her haunches.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:09 am
Uovu hesitated - he hadn't been expecting an answer so soon, and for a moment he mentally prepared himself to meet Toroka. Was his mane alright? Did he look confident? Manly?
Well, at least the mist was covering him up, if only for a moment. He quickly fussed over his appearance, making sure all his battle scars were exposed (though he, admittedly, did not have many of these), and straightened his shoulders, puffing out his chest to put on an heir of confidence.
That was the good thing about being an actor - all Uovu had to do was think of something tall, think of something in control, and he'd assume the form and state-of-mind of that particular being. Now, he decided on the spot, he was Roho.
As the mist parted, the skinny male saw Toroka come into view. She was as beautiful as she had been when he'd first seen her... she was attractive in a different way to Katavi. Katavi had a calm, yet icy beauty about her, while Uovu found that Toro was the exact opposite. She wasn't so disciplined as Katavi - rather, she reminded Uovu of a playful kitten. Warm and cheeky.
For a moment, his insecurities hit him hard once again - Katavi, Toroka, Katavi, Toroka. This wasn't right. Seeing Toro wasn't right to anyone.
But as soon as his gaze locked with those big, juicy brown eyes, he became ignorant to his guilt. Instead, he focused on who was in front of him... not thinking about later, not thinking about the consequences, only thinking about the now.
With Roho's confidence, Uovu swept forward, a sleazy smile upon his face.
"Geez, I didn't expect you to answer so soon. Guess I got lucky tonight... I-I didn't think you'd be... well, here!"
His smooth words turned into a splutter - Uovu could hear it in his own voice - and so he reminded himself, 'I'm Roho, Roho, Roho.' Slowly, he felt better. He was the king. He could handle anything.
"How have you been?" he asked, then padded to her side, a pur rising in his throat.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:17 am
As soon as he was close enough, Toro stretched out her neck and rubbed the top of her muzzle against the side of his neck, a purr rumbling in her throat. "I wasn't expecting to see you at all," she said, "but I can't say I'm disappointed."
With a sly smile, she added, "Oh, I'm fine now that you're here. How are you?"
Without waiting for an answer, she rose to her paws, settling down beside him so that their fur was pressed together, her warmth his and vice versa. It was something she did every time they met. "It's been too long," she said, without waiting for his response. "What's been keeping you? I thought maybe you didn't like me anymore." She smiled, clearly teasing. "I'm glad to see that isn't the case."
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:39 am
"Oh, geez," Uovu grunted, enjoying the warmth of her soft, brown fur pressing against his, "I would have come sooner if I could, Toro. Things have been... busy in my pride, lately. You couldn't believe how hard it is to run the whole place..."
... to run the whole place...
Oh, crap! Uovu mentally kicked himself. His mind had strayed, and so had come a slip of the tongue, and he'd revealed way more than he'd ever wanted to reveal, and made a whopper of a lie!
In picking up Roho's persona, it hadn't taken much to revert to completely mimicing her. He was too good an actor, it seemed - he couldn't go telling the woman he was having an affair with that he was the Tononeka's leader!
He only hoped Toroka hadn't registered all of what he had told her... which was a pathetic excuse for a hope, really, because who wouldn't pick up something like that mid-conversation?
His only hope was that Toroka would not quiz him on the matter more.
"Uh, but, I've wanted to see you. Really, I have."
He sat, rump hitting the dust, and bent his head down sideways to lick Toroka's ear.
"Talking is boring, though, isn't it?"
He gave her another lick. 'Don't ask questions, don't ask questions,' his mind screamed, hoping that Toroka would just listen to his silent pleads, 'Don't talk, don't talk. Let's play, let's play.'
"So let's just... you know..." he leapt up, pressing his forepaws gently on Toroka's chest, wanting to push her over, "... kiss, or something."
He certainly wasn't smooth anymore. He was panicking, acting on impulse now. Toroka couldn't ask him any questions, that would just cause... complications...
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:15 pm
"Hey, hey, wait just a second, what now?"
She pushed his paws away, eyes wide. "You're a king? You're kidding right? Where is the pride? What is it called?"
Toro's lips were pulled back in a wide grin. "Why didn't you tell me before? That's amazing... what's it like to be king? I have a friend who is a princess, but she wasn't the heir, so it's not really the same at all... how many members does the pride have? How long have you been king? Were you born a prince, or did you like, win the title somehow? Come onnnn, you can tell me!"
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:38 am
Uovu had dug himself a hole that was almost impossible to get out of - all of a sudden, he found himself stuttering, panicking. His paw-pads began to sweat, and he pulled himself jerkily away from Toroka, all romance off his mind.
"Uh... that is... well..."
He couldn't take it back.
"Well, I am a king... it's only a small pride, though, just a small group of lions, so I wouldn't exactly call it... well..."
But if he kept this up, the hole would be so deep that it would be over his head.
"... what I mean to say, is..."
Then, he stopped. After all, who cared what he told Toroka? He, for one, shouldn't... hey, aside from this brief affair, he had nothing to do with her. Uovu had nothing to be scared about - this was only a fling to take things off his mind. Toroka would never find out about anything.
He could lie all he wanted.
"I'm the leader of a group of lion warriors around here. We're not well known, since we're wanderers, but we're a growing pride. Everyone will know us, someday, you know... it's great! And, uh... the name," he paused, improvising as best as any actor could, "THE UOVU GUYS. Yeah. It's... kinda' a name the gang thought up. Honouring me as their leader, you know. All as a part of respect. That's what mates do."
He grinned, and resumed his place back by Toroka's side.
"I never told you, because, well... it's not nice to gloat and all. What was I meant to say when I introduced myself? 'Yo babe, I'm Uovu, and I'm royalty, yo'!' I don't think so! You'd just think I was a jerk! And, hey, I wouldn't want you to think that. "
No, he wouldn't.
"So, tell me about your Princess friend. Seems to me you're well connected around here. Got any other famous pals? Relatives, perhaps?"
Uovu had decided that a change of subject was probably in order.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:37 pm
Toro chuckled, raising a brow. Her flirtatious side slipped away for a moment, the witty, amused side taking over. "The Uovu Guys, huh? Those are some dedicated warriors you have right there. Don't let them get away, Uovu. You don't find friends like them every day."
She, of course, assumed it was a huge lie. But she couldn't blame a guy for trying to impress a pretty girl. It was practically instinct to them. She decided not to supply a blow to his ego, and instead played along. "Who ever would've thought that a simple girl like me would find such a big, brave lion to take care of her?" She fluttered her eyelashes. "A king, no less! Who wouldn't go wild for you?" Toro purred, nuzzling his cheek.
"Oh, Kit? Her father was the king of the graveyard pride - the Maziko. I don't think he rules anymore, though. I'm pretty sure Kit's brother took over. At least, that's what I heard from some passing rogues." She shrugged. "She lives in the Pridelands now, with her mate and family. We have some friends there, and she loves the land, so she decided it was the best place for her."
Toro laughed. "That's really the only 'connection' I have. She's friends with my half-brother, though. Funny how things work out. I didn't introduce them or anything. But he lives in the Pridelands, too."
"So, Uovu," she said, smiling mischeviously. "Do you have a queen at home? What a story that would be, the king with a queen and a beautiful pauper on the side." Of course she didn't know how close she was to the truth! "Ah, I'm only playing. I'm sure you wouldn't do anything like that."
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 11:30 pm
"Haha, that's true, that is!" Uovu grinned, "But you're not a simple girl, Toroka. You're hardly anything simple. I'm serious about that. Hey, I'm serious about you, babe."
And he pushed closer to her now, speaking genuinely for once in his life. Uovu really did like Toroka... she didn't have the sharp, wild severity that Katavi and Roho shared. She made him feel safe, made him feel that it was okay to lower his guard, trust in her. She didn't care if he was weak, or strong...
He lost his breath for a moment, panic starting to seep into his system once again - what was he doing?! He really liked this girl. And even though Toroka knew he was telling fibs, she didn't know that it was not only to impress her. It was his cover, his mask. Pretending to be someone he wasn't.
Still, he supposed, it was better this way.
"Ha, a queen?! I wish I had a queen," he said matter-of-factly, calming down, "But, bah, you get straight to the point, don't you, Toro? Always playing around with that weird imagination of yours."
He grinned, and playfully whipped her side with his tail. Then, came the next question. About paupers, kings and players. Uovu's stomach literally twisted.
"Ha, of course I wouldn't play around with girls like that! What are you talking about, Toro? I'm not the leeeeeh-cherous type!" Uovu cried, putting on a deliberate sarcastic voice and pulling funny faces at Toroka, but inside flinching at how close Toroka had come to the truth, "But enough about me. I haven't heard much about you, yet. I'm so self-absorbed, sorry," he grinned cheekily, "Tell me about yourself. Where do you hail from, Toro? With such royal friends, you must be quite the traveller!"
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:13 am
Toro laughed. "Oh, I figured. You may be a tramp, but I never pegged you as a cheater. We're a lot alike, really. I know I like to have fun, but if I had a guy at home, I wouldn't be here with you. I'm sure it's the same for you." She purred at him before adding, in a more mischevious voice, "Hey, I'll be your queen anyday, babe."
She pressed her forehead under his chin. "Oh, me? There's nothing special about me, really. My good-for-nothing parents abandoned me when I was a cub so I kind of raised myself. I just recently found out I have a half-brother." Toro decided not to use his name, given all the trouble he was having with that Roho character. "We were actually friends to begin with, and then we met the goddess of connections, and... well, yeah." She chuckled. "We share a father. It seems he was kind of sleazy, at least, as far as we can guess, because we never met him. But he, that is, my brother, knew his mother, so that must be it."
"Traveller? Yeah, I used to, I guess. I have a little den between the Pridelands and the graveyard now., It's not much, but it's a dry place to sleep." The lioness grinned up at him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:41 pm
Moments before, Uovu's heart would have been sickened to hear the words that were now spurting forth from Toroka's mouth. He would have been enveloped by his guilt, and maybe might have been prompted to end the relationship right here, and right now.
'Toro, baby,' he might have said, 'There's something I've really... got to tell you...'
And then he might have spilt his secrets, then and there, or even have just left everything on a high note and never seen Toroka again. But now, Uovu's feelings had gone through something of an emotional rollercoaster, and no longer did he feel any guilt, nor did he really care. All he could think about at the moment was himself, and the NOW.
"Toroka," he breathed, giving her a series of licks in between breaths "You're such a good girl."
Then, with a great sigh, Uovu straightened, backing off a little. He wasn't the type to force anything on a girl - he found that passion was better enjoyed slowly, and it was better if both partners felt that they had control. And anyway, he couldn't just lock into a lionish embrace without listening to what Toroka had to say - girls, after all, liked guys who listened.
"A half brother, you say?" he asked, looking bewildered, "And a... a goddess! Goddess of Connections, even? No way, Toro, there's no way. That's amazing, really! Are you weren't both... hallucinating from the heat? Or are you just lying?"
He shot her a grin, and narrowed his eyes playfully.
"Nobody likes a fibber, Toro!"
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:00 am
"I swear to the gods," she joked, smiling up at him. "It was crazy, absolutely crazy, y'know? Going through my whole life without any family, and then finding out a friend of mine is my brother? What are the odds? She was the first goddess I ever met, too. That was a pretty great day."
After a moment, she added, "But whatever, I don't think you care about him. Or do you?" she asked slyly, looking up at him with a smirk. "If that's the case, I should introduce you guys some time, he's not bad looking... but I'd hate to be, y'know, 'that girl'." Toro laughed, nipping him on the ear.
The moon was directly above them and she yawned. "Oh, Uovu," she murmured. "I'd love to stay longer, but... I'm tired."
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:12 am
"That sounded like a pretty awesome day," Uovu grinned, "I wouldn't mind having one of those. But hey, I don't need some Goddess to brighten up my evening. I'm got my own right here, after all. Sitting right next to me, as a matter of fact."
Ha. Cheesy.
But didn't lionesses like that kind of flattery?
Uovu hoped to the gods that she wouldn't wince, and pressed on.
"But, true. You should introduce me to your brother one day, Toroka. Pah, is he more handsome than this sexy thing?" he pressed a forepaw to his own chest, grinning again, "Because I doubt it. Hey, if he's going to challenge my title!"
And he laughed, nudging Toro's side.
"I'm joking of course," he chuckled, "I'm sure he's fine. I'll probably see him around sometime. Hope he doesn't mind his little sister having a date with a big boof-head like me."
He leant forward, and rubbed his cheek and mane against Toro's front, purring slightly as would a cat.
"It is late," he said with a smile, "I'd better get back, too. I guess it's goodnight for now, girly o' mine?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:16 am
Toro laughed, a bit uneasy at the idea of introducing them. She couldn't imagine that Uovu was affiliated with Roho in any way, but she didn't think introducing Kiwi would be a very good idea. Not now, anyway.
"Maybe someday," she said, grinning at him. Then she added, "Oh, of course not. You're the sexiest beast I've ever had the fortune to meet." She licked his cheek affectionately before nuzzling his neck. "I guess so, handsome stranger. I'll see you tomorrow?" Her voice was hopeful and her eyes shined with mischief.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:30 am
"Someday's good," Uovu agreed, tail flicking with relief. He, of course, was not exceptionally keen on meeting Toroka's family members just yet. After all, it seemed that her family might view Toroka's relationship with him as intimate - which, of course, it most certainly was - but he wasn't exactly... well, officially Toro's mate yet. And with Katavi at his side, nor would she ever be.
He'd agreed to see the half brother sometime - that was what males should do, he supposed, and it surely wouldn't be such a big deal. Just a few "Hello"s and perhaps one, "I'm Uovu", and it would be all cool from there. No, Uovu had no problem with meeting this mysterious brother.
However, if Toro's family decided to pry into Uovu's personal life... well, that could get a little tricky. Uovu didn't want Toro poking around him. He wanted her, but he didn't want to get too close. He wasn't ready to make a commitment - he was already committed to his own girl, back at home.
Well, he was... kind of committed, he supposed, grimacing slightly. Still, it seemed that Toroka didn't mean for the introduction to come anytime soon, and this cleared away Uovu's uneasiness for good.
"Me? Sexy?" he chuffed, forgetting his worries, and flicking his tail at Toroka in a frivolous 'goodbye', "Ha, you're right. And hey, you're not doing too bad, yourself, Toro. Just got to work on that tail of yours, that's the girl."
And he gave her a cheeky wink, and pulled away from her side, laughing.
"Don't kill me!" he laughed, "I'm joking! You're beautiful! I'll see you tomorrow, for sure - just wait for me if I'm a little late, it's hard to... escape from my kingsly duties, you know!"
And with that, he was off. Walking back to the world of Roho, back to the hard work, and back to the place where, unknown to Uovu, one of Toro's distant relatives was being kept captive.
What a world it was.
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