|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:34 pm
His destination was to eventually find his twin, Haba. But he had no idea where she was. He hadn't seen her all day, and to be honest, it tugged at his heart. He couldn't be separated from his sister for very long before he almost seemed to physically suffer. Most probably thought it was strange for a sibling to need another at that level, but if they only knew that that bond was the solitary thing holding the strings of Damu's sanity from snapping.
And snap they would, one day. Ah, the curse of the Kusini royalty.
But thoughts like these were for darker days in the future, not now when the sun was shining. Damu held his black nose to the air as he trotted along, his seashell pendant bouncing on his chest, trying to find the familiar scent of his sister, and perfectly oblivious to the golden world around him.[woo - shortness. XD -fails-]
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:49 pm
"Damu!"
It was a voice that was sweet and caring, but it was also not the voice of Damu's twin. No, the voice belonged to Kibuulu'ardhi, who was affectionately called by many 'Buu'. Buu was of a distant relation to Damu. Damu's grandmother had been Buu's mother, so she was an aunt of sorts. She was partially related to Damu's mother, because though they shared the same mother, they did not share the same father. Buu understood this, that her father was uknown. He had been a rogue, and though she still did not know the story in great detail, she knew that her father had done something terrible to her mother. Buu didn't like to think about negative things, so thoughts about her father rarely entered her mind. It was the reason behind her being so happy and perky. She could also potentially be overwhelming for Damu.
With a grin, she closed to short distance between herself and her nephew with a quick sprint. Buu knew that sometimes Damu proved to be a little cranky and a little different, but she loved him still. She loved the pride, and every lion that was related to her in some obscure manner. That included Damu. She knew lions who weren't fond of the juvenile, but that didn't matter to her. Everyone needed a friend, someone who could be there for them. Damu had Haba... but Buu also put herself out there for the opportunity to be someone Damu could consider to be a friend. "You look awfully cheerful. It's a wonderful day out, really... gives me the urge to just lounge out in the sun and do nothing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:11 pm
For a brief moment, Damu's heart soared when he heard his name. He wanted to see Haba so badly, he almost could mistake her voice. He turned, a smile on his face...
And then it dropped. Abruptly.
It wasn't that he didn't like his half-aunt personally, it was that Damu just didn't seem to like many members of his family. Or anyone that existed, for that matter. Especially not when the person he sought was the one that showed up. Unfortunately for him, this would occur more than once for the poor lion as he searched for his twin.
"Oh, it's you," he said sullenly. He really didn't mean it to sound so rude and disappointed, but he couldn't help it. Even his own cheerful mood couldn't let him manage a small smile for the older lioness. The young lion stood there, shuffling his paws in the dirt, and trying to look anywhere but his approaching family member. "I suppose it is nice out," he mumbled, glancing up to the sky. Maybe if he acted antisocial, she'd go away and he could look for Haba in peace?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:41 pm
Her look of happiness only seemed to drop slightly, so much that one happiness from the other could not be told apart. She still looked perfectly pleased to be in Damu's company. She knew he tended to get grumpy at times, and so understood that not every time she approached him she would be greeted with open paws. It didn't mean that she was going to ignore him, though. Being ignored was a horrible thing, and it was better to be annoyed then to have no one to talk to. There was so much that Buu could put up with, because it was simply in her nature to be understanding and kind. She rarely thought ill of others, and even little Damu rarely got on her nerves. If he ever did, she excused herself before she could show her irritation with him. She wouldn't want anyone feeling []guilty for upsetting her.
"Hey, Damu, what's got you so down? You looked so happy before." Her voice was gentle and coaxing, though she would not force an answer out of him. If he didn't want to tell her, then she probably didn't need to know. He could just be in one of his moods (and oh, she knew they had a tendency to change quickly). Buu didn't think she was really the root of the problem, and so she continued to approach him until she stood by his side, giving him a small smile, her blue eyes warm and welcoming. She really wasn't that bad of a half-aunt, despite her youthful age.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:48 pm
Damu couldn't understand how his aunt could be so...happy all the time. It just wasn't natural by his standards. It annoyed him a little bit, honestly, but he never let it show beyond his own grumpiness. As much as he liked being alone and away from everyone else, he didn't directly wish to hurt anyone's feelings ever, though he knew he could very easily. And so he bit his tongue as she trotted towards him, and made himself slowly sit down. It looked like he was stuck now, anyway. Once Buu engaged him in conversation, it was hard to slip away.
He had to admit, Buu was one of the least annoying members of his family, and that was probably because he hadn't spent that much time around her. He tilted his head back (she was only a bit larger than him - he was so big already!) to look up into her blue eyes and shrugged his shoulders, a frown on his muzzle. "Dunno. Nothing really. I was just looking for Haba," he said quietly. There. It was the honest truth, but also a subtle hint that he was currently very busy. Not that that would make his aunt leave him alone, but it was worth a try anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:47 am
He didn't look grumpier then usual, and so Buu was encouraged to further engage him in conversation. She sat by his side, partially amused by how big he was growing. Man, some of the genes in her family consisted of really, really big sizes. She had no wish to be large herself, so she was glad she got the smaller genes. Of course, it put her at a disadvantage when she played with Njozi, who would always be larger then her (she wondered how she hadn't be squished flat by him yet). Her full-blooded sister and brother weren't particularly large either. So maybe the just weren't passed on the genes entirely. But, maybe she wished she was a little bigger, because Damu was almost larger then her and he was younger then she was. It wasn't exactly... fair.
"Oh! I'm looking for Njozi." Her brother had promised her stories about his adventures away from home, and she was now searching for him so he could fulfill her promise. She wanted a good story today, one with damsels in distress and heroes to rescue them. Of course... that may not be what she got, but she was content with any story. Already her mind was conjuring up tales of its own, fantastical tales that she would have been glad to share with Damu, except for the fact that she wasn't sure he liked stories, or more importantly the kind of story that was twirling about in her head.
Though, thinking of Damu brought her back to their dilemma. Slowly her mind starting turning in a different direction, and she got and idea! "Well, I'm sure Taabu will know where the both of them are. How about we find him together?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:14 pm
Damu was, secretly, very fond of his large size. Quite a few of the males in their family were humongous, namely the older brother of his that he looked so much like. There were three members of his family he was fond of, and those consisted of Taabu, his mother, and his twin. Of course, being bigger than Haba was always a disadvantage. He couldn't play as roughly with her as he's done when they were newborns. He was always so scared of hurting her in any way.
Njozi. That was one lion he could do without. Ever since his nephew had returned, he had seemed to be popping up wherever Damu went. It was beginning to get annoying...and a little creepy as well. He felt he didn't what felt like a guardian, and someone guessed that it was his mother's doing. She hadn't been looking at him that same way since she's returned with Taabu and Njozi. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that, either.
"Oh," he said quietly, and just as he was about to tell her good luck and wander off in his own direction, she made her suggestion. He couldn't very well get away now without seeming like a complete arse, and she did (though it pained him to admit it) have a good point. He shrugged moodily again. "Sure, I guess." And then he just sat there, looking at Buu blankly, and waiting for her to take the initiative and start looking.
Such a surly little teenager.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:44 pm
While Njozi clearly got on Damu's nerves, Buu absolutely admired her 'brother'. Out of all of the lions and lionesses that were her siblings, Njozi had to be her favorite (or second favorite... she did love Adamu so much). Njozi was just fun to be around. She could tease him about the females, and he absolutely loved to be praised. Buu did a lot of praising. She had something good to say about everyone, and even Damu had received a compliment or five from her before. Njozi, though... was just fun. They still played like cubs together, and though she never won it didn't dampen her spirits. They were just silly games after all.
"Okay, then, come along." Her voice was incredibly happy, as if her happiness would drown out Damu's lack of enthusiasm. It hadn't managed to pass by her by, Damu's apparent lack of happiness at going to search for Taabu with her. But, he said he would come... and so she trusted him to come with her. She was just naive enough to believe that everyone would follow through with their word. Damu wasn't a bad juvenile from what she had witnessed, and she did rather quite like him. Njozi seemed to be around him often enough, anyways, so obviously he was a good boy.
"We'll find him in no time. It won't be that long before you see Haba." Then she walks off, leading the way in some random direction in hopes of getting lucky and finding Taabu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:17 pm
Damu hadn't played like a cub...well...since he was a cub (unless you counted wrestling with Haba - though he already had to be careful about throwing his weight around). Those play times as a cub, too, had mainly consisted of hunting down butterflies and pulling their wings off. Really, someone should have noticed there was something off about the small (or, rather, large) cub when he began getting delight out of torturing pretty insects.
As Buu got up and walked away, without a care as to whether he'd follow or not, Damu rolled his earthen-colored eyes skyward. He could sneak off now and get away with it, or he could follow and slide away at a less rude moment. Being that he hadn't exactly been raised without manners, and that he didn't particularly dislike Buu for any specific reason, he simply pushed himself to his paws moodily and stalked after his half-aunt.
He trotted a few steps in order to even his pace with the older lioness's. Glancing around, he noticed they seemed to be going in...really no particular direction at all. "Do you...even know where we're going?" he said, a slight hint of irritation in his voice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:21 pm
"No," she told him, and the grin that she gave him was the largest yet. It was clear that she did not care in the least about which direction they headed in. It was all about the adventure for her, and at some point they were bound to run into either Taabu, Njozi, or Haba. So there was no reason to not take the little risk of going where ever one's feet led them. A little thrill was added to the adventure that way, and perhaps Damu did not enjoy this added thrill, but it was clear that Buu revelled in it. Njozi had done this once, in a sense, and though he had someone to guide him it was essentially the same. It was going where one chose to go, with a destination in mind that wasn't so important that they had to arrive at the destination. Buu was all about the journey through life, not just the end result.
"But I'm sure we'll find Taabu in no time at all, and if we're lucky we'll find your Haba even quicker." She had complete and utter confidence in her sense of direction and her intuition. Without hesitation she continued in the direction that she had originally set off in. Still she trusted Damu to follow her, trusted that his parents had reared him well and that he was a really good child. Perhaps she trusted him too much, but as she looked at him now she only saw the kindness in the juvenile. She did not see the crazy tendencies that lurked underneath the surface. All he was to her was her nephew, and a rather perfect one at that.
"Come along, Damu, I'm sure I have a fresh Taabu smell in my nose. Even if it's a random direction, I'm sure it's the right one." Her voice was soft, coaxing, and she looked at him adoringly. There was not a biased bone against him in her body, and there never would be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:54 am
Damu huffed at her simple 'no', his head lowering along with his storm-ridden brows. He was one of those lions that did not enjoy unnecessary wandering, and never would. He liked knowing exactly where he was, and where he was going. If only he knew that a long period of his life would be consumed with this pointless wandering from location to location, just barely hanging on to life. Whether that life was to be a short one, or a long one, his dark fate had no yet decided.
Yet, as frustrated as he was, he continued to follow Buu. He didn't know why exactly. Maybe he'd been alone so long that he craved the company of others, and was even willing to be around those he wasn't particularly close to. Looking at Buu just ahead of him, Damu realized...she wasn't really all that bad. A little overly happy, but not like some of the members of his family. Of course, he'd never really bothered to get to know his extended family, and he knew he had tons of relatives here.
Raising his head just slightly, he inhaled deeply, his eyes widening to look around him. "I don't...smell anything, Buu," he said, blinking at her. He felt a little...awkward as she looked at him with such affection. That was a rare expression for Damu to receive, and he had no idea how to react to it. But would she still feel such blind adoration for her nephew if she ever learned what he was to become, what he was to do? Shaking his head, he trudged on ahead of her, trusting his own nose more when it came to finding his brother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:37 pm
"You don't?" She blinked at him in disbelief, because she was sure she had smelt something. In fact, she had been sure that she had smelt Taabu. Pausing, she took in a deep breath in an attempt to pick up Taabu's scent. Her nose came up empty, only the scent of lesser creatures and the wood filling her nostrils. Her cheeks faintly grew hotter, and the smile she now gave him was abashed and embarrassed. Oh, well, she had been certain earlier that she had his scent, and it really didn't bother her that it was all just a trick of her mind. But, she had the feeling that Damu would be upset that she had mislead him... and Buu didn't want to displease her nephew. Her current theory was that everyone deserved to be happy, and if she could do something to make them happier, she in turn would be happy.
"Ah, well, I'm sure it's this way." Rather abruptly she turned directions, moving to her left and into slightly less dense brush. Well, for her it was less dense, but for someone as large as Njozi it must not have been a significant difference. Looking at him now, she realized that though she was older, he was bigger then her. Buu did not consider herself to be a small lioness, which only implied that Damu was huge. He'd likely be as big as Njozi and Taabu when he grew up, and that somehow pleased her. Njozi and Taabu were great lions, and big. So obviously Damu would be a great lion since he was going to reach their height and weight.
"Do you smell him? Your scent is better then my own." She was subtly praising him for his strength in smell, and that was usually the way she talked. Buu was trained in this subtle manner of pleasing other creatures, having taught herself that from a young age. Nothing was better then seeing someone else smile. She was sure that if Damu smiled it would be perfectly lovely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:54 pm
The vegetation crunched underneath his weighty paws. He was awfully big for his size, and definitely had the potential to be just as large as Taabu and Njozi. However, for the two older lions, this wouldn't be a good thing. When their job came into play, it would make it extremely difficult for them to restrain him - if they had to to restrain him. Most likely, it would take both of them if his madness was in full flare.
He flicked his tail irritatedly as he trudged on ahead of his half-aunt. He stumbled only slightly at her compliment, but managed to maintain the surly mask he'd put on as soon as he'd seen her. She was making it awfully hard to despise her presence.
Huffing a huge sigh, he paused, raising his head and inhaling deeply. The scent of a multitude of lions lay over the land, mixed with the smell of water and fresh vegetation, and small woodland creatures that ventured a few small steps from their forest haven. Most he recognized, but whether he could put names to them was a different matter. But there were a few stale trails that he could definitely name.
"That way," he said slowly, squinting in the direction his head motioned. The smell of his brother was old, perhaps by a few days even, but it was more than what they were going on now. He turned his head to look at the female lion. "He passed by a while ago, but it's something to go on."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:01 pm
"Oh! I knew that you had a better nose then I did. I didn't even pick anything up, I swear." She smiled brilliantly at Damu, and then quickened her pace to end up in front of the bigger lion. Now that she had a direction, she had no issue with leading the way. She lowered her head to the ground, letting her nose pick up the scent of Taabu... and there it was, but it was very faint. It was no wonder that Buu could not pick up such a faint scent. She was used to sniffing out the fresher scents that prey items left behind. Buu was an adequate hunter, and blended in perfectly to the environment. She could pick up on the scent of one prey animal that was days old. But... Taabu's scent was older then that, and the direction that they were headed in was unlikely to lead them to the large lion.
With a wistful sigh she looked back over her shoulder at the mocha lion, "I wish I had your nose. It would make hunting so much easier." There seemed to be no time when Buu couldn't talk. No, she had to fill the empty space with her sweet voice and meaningless conversation. Her voice made up partly for how pointless her words were, but it did not make up for it completely. Buu could talk on forever, or at least until she was interrupted by someone else who wanted to have their say in a conversation. She had learned at a young age that the more one talk, the easier it was to distract someone else from their troubles, especially if she got them to talk along with her. Damu was yet to show any signs of really getting involved in the conversation, but she had high hopes for him.
"It'll be so nice to be able to see Njozi. He was supposed to tell me some stories about his adventures. Would you like to come hear some stories with me? I'm sure you could find Haba later. It's not like she'll be going anywhere." She laughed softly, looking steadily ahead of her, manipulating her slimmer body through the vegetation with apparent ease. "But, if you really want to see Haba, I guess I understand a little."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:27 pm
Damu felt so...awkward with Buu praising him left and right. Usually only Haba said such nice things about him, and his mother occasionally. Otherwise, everyone else just seemed to avoid his company. He shrugged his hackles at the older lioness. "It's nothing, really," he said quietly. To him, it wasn't. He wasn't a gifted hunter, and he probably never would be. With his mother being absent for so long, he'd missed out on the valuable hunting lessons. His father just...hadn't been up to it, and there had been no one else to teach him. It would be a hard life for him if he ever ended up on his own. He'd probably have to resort to scavenging.
Damu fell in behind Buu, keeping his mouth firmly shut. He didn't know what to say in response, and there was so much to respond to in the first place. He found himself wondering if she was ever really quiet...when an idea hit him. She hadn't seemed to mind his silence that much, and even seemed to accept it. Maybe if he just...casually snuck off? His colors were perfect for blending into the grass as well. It couldn't be that hard?
"Uh huh," he muttered absentmindedly, slowing his steps somewhat. No one could tell with the grass swishing all around like it was. His pace dropped and dropped until he was almost at a complete standstill. Gasping up a big silent breath, he dropped his belly close to the ground and immediately started a mad, silent dash in the opposite direction. If luck held out, she wouldn't even notice he was gone until he was out of sight.
For the first time that day, as he ran and exhilaration filled his body, Damu almost grinned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
